China’s economic, military, and diplomatic capabilities are growing quickly, helping it to emerge as a possible peer competitor to the United States in the Asia-Pacific. China’s economic opportunities offer areas for cooperation and discussion, yet its political and military ambitions still create uncertainty amongst its neighbors and the United States.
Many Americans worry that China is stealing jobs from the United States and will surpass America as the world’s strongest economy. Read More.
Exploring the roots of the United States’ long history with China and explains how our complex past impact’s the nations’ relationship today. Read More of our work on Read More.
How did China rank in the Index of Economic Freedom? Click here to find out. Read More.
They pitched their tents in orderly, military fashion. All was quiet on the windswept plain, except for the sharp bark of guard dogs. But the sign tacked in front of the tents sent tremors through capitals around the world. It read, simply: "You are on Chinese Side." That changed last week. Chinese troops withdrew from their advanced positions on the India-China border,…
Testimony for The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission by Derek Scissors May 9, 2013 Now and for some time to come, the bulk of Chinese investment in the United States will take the form of Treasury bond holdings. Excluding bonds, Chinese investment in the U.S. is a $50 billion issue that could have been a $75 billion issue already and will be a $100…
EDWIN J. FEULNER: I’m Ed Feulner. For the next 13 days, I am the president of The Heritage Foundation. I’m delighted to have with us this morning my successor as the new president of The Heritage Foundation, Senator Jim DeMint. Senator, we are very happy that you are able to join us this morning for our 16th annual B.C. Lee Lecture. It’s good to see so many friends here,…
Congress routinely engages in targeted, short-term tariff cuts through “miscellaneous tariff bills.” Although conventional wisdom says that unilateral tariff cuts are politically impossible, these bills show that it is possible to reduce tariffs given the right political environment. Proponents of such tariff cuts argue that the cuts support U.S. jobs; critics argue that…
It’s a delight to be here. I enjoy coming by and seeing friends, making new friends, and sharing ideas and insight. I have a terrific job—not just the job itself, which is interesting, but the fact that it’s a China-oriented job, and that it allows me, every time I visit China, to learn and to see and to chat with people. It was certainly interesting to do that in a…
After a multi-year investigation, the computer security firm Mandiant announced this week that it had tracked a cyber group back to its Chinese roots.[1] Even more explosive, it had concluded that the group is, in fact, a Chinese military unit, the Second Bureau of the Third Department of the General Staff Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), with the…
Two recent speeches by new Chinese leader Xi Jinping have attracted attention, providing the first insights into the views of China’s new leadership. One is focused on China’s internal political situation; the other discusses Chinese foreign policy. In combination, they could indicate the direction of Chinese policy for the next 10 years of Xi Jinping’s tenure as senior…
According to The Heritage Foundation’s China Global Investment Tracker, Chinese non-bond investment in the U.S. set a record in 2012.[1] China has $3.3 trillion in foreign reserves and, like other fast-growing economies, wants to invest more here. Foreign investment and other commerce benefits America, but there are understandable concerns about the loss of advanced…
In the coming weeks, the United States Senate will begin the confirmation process for three key Administration positions: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House chief counterterrorism advisor John Brennan for director of the CIA. All three have been prominent backers of President…
The first question regarding China’s newly released economic numbers is not how fast the People’s Republic of China (PRC) grew last year. Rather, it is whether stars are aligned for the State Statistical Bureau (SSB) to provide accurate information about GDP and more useful measures, such as household consumption. Answer: to some extent. The Chinese economy is undergoing…
Abstract: China’s leap from poverty due to the marvelously successful market reforms introduced in 1978 has obscured serious weaknesses in its economy—especially compared to the American economy. These weaknesses have been exacerbated by renewed Chinese state intervention that began around 2003. Many seem convinced that China is at the cusp of surpassing the U.S.…
Trade, Faith, and Freedom: The Foundations of U.S. Relations with China Americans have been interested in China for a long time. In 1784, when the American War for Independence was barely over, the first ship to sail under an American flag left New York. It was the merchant ship Empress of China, bound for Canton (now Guangdong), China. At…
Can you name the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century? No, it wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong. According to the authoritative “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with -- by execution, imprisonment…
Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations July 19, 2012 My name is Derek Scissors. I am Senior Research Fellow for Asia Economics at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this testimony are my own and should not be construed as representing any official position of The Heritage Foundation. …
Abstract: Russia’s development of the PAK FA fifth-generation stealth fighter could challenge American air supremacy, especially if Russia sells the PAK FA to its usual buyers of military equipment. In the U.S., closure of the F-22 production line has severely limited America’s ability to respond to PAK FA proliferation by building more F-22s and potentially…
Abstract: The recent standoff at Scarborough Shoal between the Philippines and China demonstrates how Beijing is targeting Manila in its strategy of maritime brinkmanship. Manila’s weakness stems from the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) lack of air-defense system and air-surveillance capabilities to patrol and protect Philippine airspace and maritime territory. The…
China has the second-largest economy in the world. It is the world’s second-biggest trader. It has trillions of dollars invested around the world. China matters. Every day we buy things made in China, though they may be made there by American or Dutch or Korean corporations. China buys a lot of our government’s debt and lately it has been buying small pieces of…
Chinese outward investment broke records in 2012, both around the world and in the United States. Foreign distrust of state enterprises and other obstacles will serve as a check on the pace of growth, but the willingness to pay top dollar for energy and other assets ensures a higher profile for Chinese firms. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is hardly buying up Latin…
Many people think the best way to deal with China is to make it a stakeholder in the international system. The idea is that, if China were part of the system, it would play by the system’s accepted rules. This is a good idea with respect to international trade and finance. China has a huge stake not only in the global trading system, even if it doesn’t always play by…
Abstract : Over the past decade, the People's Republic of China has exhibited a growing interest in waging asymmetrical warfare. The purpose of this interest is chilling: to enable the PRC to win a war against the U.S. without firing a shot. To this end, the PRC is expanding potential areas of conflict from the purely military (i.e., involving the direct or indirect use…
Trade and investment with China benefits the U.S. This is evident in choices made by individuals and companies every day to buy Chinese goods and work with Chinese partners. Indeed, American business has been the chief proponent of a sound U.S.–China economic relationship. The context makes intense Chinese economic espionage all the more regrettable. Chinese entities…
With the official acceptance of the Liaoning into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), China now has its own aircraft carrier. From Beijing’s perspective, this is a landmark event, as China had long been the only member of the U.N. Security Council’s permanent five nations (the veto-wielders) not to have an aircraft carrier of its own. It is important, however,…
Transparency is not one of the Obama Administration’s greatest strengths. Walter Pincus of The Washington Post...…
The Department of Defense (DOD), per the requirements of the fiscal year 2000 National Defense Authorization Act...…
Cuts in President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 defense budget submission are troubling, according to Mike Rogers (R–AL),...…
The U.S. Government has issued its annual report on the state of China’s military activities. Most notably, for the...…
Amidst all the regional concerns about North Korea, the Senkaku dispute between China and Japan has continued to...…
After more than a decade of intensive ground combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military is facing a security...…
News has leaked that U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) uses China’s APSTAR-7 satellite for transmitting some of its...…
The highest-ranking American military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey, continued this...…
In a recent article in National Review, Heritage distinguished fellow and former Senator Jim Talent (R–MO) explains...…
Even as tensions remain high around the disputed Senkaku islands, China appears to be asserting its sovereignty...…
Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center
Senior Research Fellow