China is now the second largest economy in the world, and its growth prospects are of key concerns. In the short term, China’s growth projections are clouded by the war in the Ukraine and resurgence of COVID-19. In the long run, demographics, trade and tech wars and the shift to “high quality” growth will determine […]

The political successions in the Soviet Union and China after Stalin and Mao, respectively, are often explained as triumphs of inner-party democracy, leading to a victory of “reformers” over “conservatives” or “radicals.” In his new book “Prestige, Manipulation and Coercion”, Joseph Torigian argues that the post-cult of personality power struggles in history’s two greatest Leninist regimes were instead shaped by the […]

Until recently, Japan had been trying strenuously to improve and strengthen its relations with Russia. Japan had hoped to regain its Northern Territories through negotiations with Russia. It also aimed to discourage Russia from forging ties with China that had already become too close for comfort for Japan. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally […]

Zero-Covid and China’s position on the war in Ukraine present a dual challenge for the future of the relationship between China and European countries. What will be the short and more long-term effects on business, diplomacy and China’s role in the world? What is the trajectory and are there still any off-ramps? Join us in discussing […]

A discussion on the highly-anticipated first visit by a U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to China since 2005. About our speaker: Philip Alston is an international law scholar and human rights practitioner. He is Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and has previously taught at various law schools around the […]

Following a career spanning nearly thirty years in the Australian Public Service, Allan was Chief of Staff to the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Industry Greg Combet (2009 to 2013) and senior advisor to then Shadow Minister and now Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong (2017-19). Allan Behm specialises in international and security […]

How does the Chinese state coerce citizens into compliance while simultaneously minimizing backlash? In her latest book, Outsourcing Repression, Lynette Ong examines how the Chinese state engages nonstate actors, from violent street gangsters to nonviolent grassroots brokers, to coerce and mobilize the masses for state pursuits. She draws on ethnographic research conducted annually from 2011 to […]

A new book by Alfred L. Chan This book is the first comprehensive exploration of all episodes of Xi Jinping’s life history and his political career, begun at age 17. The author discusses all major issues including Xi’s legitimacy building, consolidation of power, ideological redefinition, party rectification, anti-corruption efforts, and control of dissent up until […]