China up close

Chinese President Xi Jinping and a theatrical performance of the Long March. Xi has invoked the historic struggle to unite his party in its long-term battle with the U.S. (Nikkei Montage / Getty Images)
China up close

The new Long March -- Xi's 15-year battle plan with the US

Chinese leader adopts a 'talk and strike' strategy until eventual win in 2035

30 May 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping will launch an education campaign calling on comrades to stay true to the Communist Party's founding mission. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

Xi raises anti-US banner and pushes party 'education' campaign

Beijing shifts to hard-line stance as tariff war escalates

23 May 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S.President Donald Trump are coming to the negotiating table while under pressure at home. (Nikkei Montage/Getty Images)
China up close

How Xi Jinping's colleagues rejected an 'unequal' trade deal

A 150-page agreement was sent back to Washington, gutted and shrunk to 105 pages

16 May 2019
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are the latest players in a drama that goes back a century. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images)
China up close

Trump and Xi enter endgame with China's 100-year dream on the line

Goals cherished since the May Fourth Movement come under fire from US

9 May 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping drinks after proposing a toast at the end of his speech during the welcome banquet for leaders attending the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 26.
China up close

Trump spoils Xi's Belt and Road Forum, without even attending

Beijing's infrastructure initiative becomes symbol of US-China power struggle

2 May 2019
Why would Xi Jinping allow himself to be seen flanked by Chen Min'er and Hu Chunhua? Perhaps to prepare for a political battle that is still more than three years away.
China up close

Xi poses a riddle and reignites speculation about his successors

Talk of a 'President Chen Min'er' and 'Premier Hu Chunhua' swirl in capital

25 April 2019
China's famed face-changing performers may offer guidance to diplomats adjusting to an ever-changing world. This actor demonstrated the ancient art during a Sichuan Opera show.
China up close

China and Japan inch closer for insurance against Hurricane Trump

Asia's two biggest economies accelerate diplomacy but produce few results

18 April 2019
As China's next ambassador in Tokyo, Kong Xuanyou, left, will pave the way for President Xi Jinping to visit Japan, possibly twice, this year. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

China's 'Japan hands' make comeback as US ties wilt

Newly appointed Tokyo ambassador puts Rolodex in motion for Xi visit preparation

11 April 2019
The June gathering of G-20 leaders in Osaka is seen to be a possible location for the next Xi-Trump summit. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo)
China up close

Xi-Trump summit in Japan in play as China eyes longer fight

Great powers' battle for hegemony threatens to make trade deal tentative at best

4 April 2019
China's high-speed trains have been named "Fuxing," or rejuvenation, in accordance with Chinese President Xi Jinping's slogan of the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." (Nikkei montage/Getty Images)
China up close

Bullet train propaganda points to Xi reign beyond 2022

China asks citizens to study revised constitution for 'new era'

21 March 2019
Beijing has tiptoed around the question of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in late March. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images)
China up close

China's central bank chief takes blame for economy to protect Xi

Yi Gang's public self-criticism designed to help top leaders

14 March 2019
Xi and Kim (Nikkei montage/AP/Reuters)
China up close

Xi distances himself from Kim Jong Un to focus on Trump

Chinese leader's top priority is trade deal with Washington

7 March 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, front right, at the White House on Feb. 22.
China up close

The embattled envoy: Xi critics take aim at trade negotiator Liu He

Concessions to Trump will be closely scrutinized within China

28 February 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping has direct control of the trade negotiations, filling the delegation with close aides. (Nikkei montage/Reuters) 
China up close

All the President's men: Xi's allies dominate US talks

Communist party, not government, directs key trade negotiations

21 February 2019
Passengers wait outside Beijing Railway Station during the Chinese Lunar New Year. Social stability is among the top concerns for the Communist Party leadership.
China up close

US trade demands have China fearful of 'color revolutions'

'Structural reforms' touch the foundations of Communist Party rule

14 February 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, is emerging as a key player in the battle for hegemony between the U.S. and China. (Nikkei montage/KCNA/Reuters)
China up close

Xi's Trump card: Tying US trade talks to Kim summit

Beijing plays North Korea ace to gain leverage over Washington

7 February 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping talked of risks comparabale to black swans and gray rhinos in a speech in January. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images/Reuters)
China up close

The cursed year: Xi and China brace for a wild 2019

Wars, riots and crackdowns have hit in jinxed '9' years

31 January 2019
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing disappeared for months last year after being questioned for massive tax evasion. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images/Reuters)
China up close

From top actress to top judge, China's scandals are politically loaded

Latest expose may be coded attack on Communist Youth League

24 January 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk ahead of lunch at the Beijing Hotel on Jan. 9. U.S. trade negotiators were in meetings with Chinese counterparts across the street.
China up close

China, US and North Korea: dangerous 3-way chess

Xi hosts Kim in Beijing as Trump watches closely

17 January 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping has often quoted Chairman Mao Zedong, using phrases such as "zi li geng sheng," or self-reliance.  (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
China up close

Xi's US strategy recalls Mao's 'protracted war'

Chinese leader calls on people to unite for an extended battle

10 January 2019
Xi Jinping, seen here listening to Donald Trump speak in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1, has proven to be a master of Chinese politics. But economics has been a much more stubborn foe.
China up close

Xi pushes back agenda-setting meeting as economy fades

2022 growth plan, a key to the president's extended rule, fails to take shape

27 December 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds as individuals who contributed to reform and opening-up are recognized at the Great Hall of the People on Dec. 18.
China up close

Hegemony troubled Deng but doesn't worry Xi

Warning by former leader's son reflects broader Chinese concerns

20 December 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects troops during a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, at Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia on July 30, 2017. China's military has the "confidence and capability" to bolster the country's rise into a world power, Xi said
China up close

Xi, Huawei and China's powerful military-industrial complex

How Beijing harnesses the private sector for national security

13 December 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. He did not expect such a backlash from the U.S.
China up close

Xi has tied his own hands in the trade war

Reversing Communist Party policy risks more damage than Trump tariffs

6 December 2018
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China up close

Xi finds little to celebrate in Taiwan elections

Rise of pro-independence radicals muddies the waters

29 November 2018