China up close

A town north of Fukushima takes great care, time and effort to produce a seafood delicacy that is prized among wealthy diners in China. In fact, kippin dried abalone has become a kind of bond linking Japan to mainland China, a bond that is now fraying. (Source photo by Yuki Kohara) 
China up close

Analysis: Japan's prized abalone now a target of Chinese politics

Beijing's hard line on Fukushima water is upsetting fishermen of kippin, a hidden delicacy

3 August 2023
It is not clear why Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, chose Qin Gang as foreign minister, given that he is not a U.S. expert. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Did rocky China-U.S. ties doom Qin Gang as foreign minister?

Biden's branding of Xi as 'dictator' threatens plans for big trip to San Francisco

26 July 2023
A cafe, transformed from an old military fort, is seen in Nangan, Matsu archipelago, Taiwan. Even the shelves of convenience stores on this Taiwan-administered island near mainland China carry political overtones. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 
China up close

Analysis: On Taiwan's remote islands, Lithuanian beer is the star

Convenience store shelves reflect the geopolitical tensions with China

20 July 2023
Xi Jinping has a political battle plan for Taiwan that became clearer in July when Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, right, met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Why China rolled out the red carpet for Okinawa governor

Xi Jinping puts Japanese islands in play to maneuver for Taiwan

13 July 2023
The Chinese city of Xiamen and the Taiwan-administered Kinmen Island likely started making an impact on Xi Jinping in 1985.
China up close

Analysis: For 17 years, Xi closely watched Taiwan-governed islets

Is economic engagement still part of the leader's strategy?

6 July 2023
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos Forum, kicked off in Tianjin on June 27.
China up close

Analysis: China today has fewer ads, cleaner toilets, economic hurdles

Chinese-style modernization distances itself from Deng-era freedoms

29 June 2023
In his latest proposal, Xi Jinping sees China and the U.S. developing and prospering by divvying up the planet, not just the Pacific. (Source photo by Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: After a decade, Xi floats 'G2' world with U.S. again

President says Planet Earth is big enough for both U.S. and China

22 June 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's reference to the Ryukyu Islands, modern-day Okinawa, has triggered an array of commentary about the island's history. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
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Analysis: Xi throws Okinawa into East Asia geopolitical cocktail

President speaks of Ryukyu Kingdom's history, with emphasis on ties with China

15 June 2023
The comments by Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, left, are thought to represent the views of the Central Military Commission led by President Xi Jinping. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
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Analysis: Chinese general signals new strategy with Senkaku remarks

Ties with Japan are not all about islands, defense minister says

8 June 2023
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted the global maize market, persuading Xi Jinping that food self-sufficiency is just as important as technological self-sufficiency. (Nikkei montage/Getty images and Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: For Xi, China's diet is too dependent on U.S., Ukraine

Beijing now wants more farms than forests in reversal of policy

1 June 2023
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Xi Jinping have myriad considerations to weigh before they can agree to meet and talk about ending Russia's war in Ukraine. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: How Zelenskyy sparked speculation he was on his way to meet Xi

Face-to-face meeting will depend on China's acceptance of Ukraine's conditions

25 May 2023
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, has Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin wondering what his next move will be. (Nikkei montage/Sputnik/Reuters, European Union 2023/Reuters, and AP)
China up close

Analysis: Macron's labeling of Russia as 'vassal state' goes viral in China

Xi Jinping tries to obscure G-7 summit by sending envoys to Ukraine

18 May 2023
China's fragile economy has dictated that President Xi Jinping find a counter to the effectiveness of wolf-warrior propaganda. His solution? An open internet debate on the Taiwan issue. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo, Getty Images, Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: China's messaging machine tamps down Taiwan war hype

Wolf-warrior propaganda proves too effective, leaving authorities rattled

11 May 2023
Xi Jinping has put Emmanuel Macron in an uncomfortable position ahead of the Hiroshima G-7 summit in May.
China up close

Analysis: For wolf-warrior envoy in France, it's mission accomplished

Ambassador Lu Shaye sends nod to Putin with comment on ex-Soviet sovereignty

27 April 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's quest for self-reliance led to policies that attempted to make the country less dependent on the U.S. That may have been more important to the current trend than former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
China up close

Analysis: Xi, not Trump, started on path to decoupling

The leader's desire to be independent of U.S. influence has been consistent for 11 years

20 April 2023
Ma Ying-jeou did not make himself very welcome in Xi Jinping's China when he suggested Taiwan and the mainland are both parts of the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name and one Beijing has never recognized. (Source photos by Ma Ying-jeou Office/AP and Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Why Xi Jinping did not meet Taiwan's ex-president

Ma Ying-jeou's usefulness for Beijing likely on the decline

13 April 2023
From left: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, diplomat Wang Yi, Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. (Source photos by Xinhua/AP, Kyodo and Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: China's Li Qiang orchestrates warm welcome for Hayashi

New premier needs better relations with Japan to reignite the economy

4 April 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping has chosen longtime aide Cai Qi as his chief of staff. (Nikkei montage)
China up close

Analysis: Xi's chief of staff Cai Qi is symbol of powerful court

Former Beijing chief to oversee all aspects of security

30 March 2023
President Xi Jinping, center, has picked an economic team that includes, clockwise from top left, Premier Li Qiang, Central Bank Gov. Yi Gang, Finance Minister Liu Kun and Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Heavyweight Xi Jinping gives himself a lightweight cabinet

Economic ministers are marginalized as the CCP takes over policymaking

16 March 2023
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Most read in 2023

Analysis: In his parting words, Li Keqiang warns that 'heaven is watching'

Veiled dig comes as Xi neuters State Council to bolster party

9 March 2023
In the past, even China's top leader could not directly intervene in public security and police matters. That has changed under President Xi Jinping. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Xi wants China's security apparatus under his direct grip

Leader hurries to consolidate command following 'white paper' and 'white hair' movements

2 March 2023
China's President Xi Jinping, center, is caught between a rock and a hard place. Any military assistance for Russian President Vladimir Putin would aggravate international tensions, but he also does not want to bow to threats from U.S. President Joe Biden. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Xi ponders ramifications of supporting Russia

Could the US come to regard China as a state sponsor of terrorism?

23 February 2023
Open recruitment for China's technologically elite Strategic Support Force exemplifies "military-civilian integration," a signature policy of President Xi Jinping. (Nikkei montage/Ken Kobayashi)
China up close

Analysis: Futuristic Chinese military unit most likely behind balloon campaign

PLA's Strategic Support Force blends space, cyber and electronic warfare

16 February 2023
A white spherical object spotted over Sendai, Japan in June 2020, left, and a suspected Chinese spy balloon being shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Was object spotted over Japan in 2020 a Chinese spy balloon?

The flight path went above Self-Defense Force facilities

9 February 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his team did not appreciate Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's decision to impose strict testing on travelers from China. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Kyodo)
China up close

Analysis: China flip-flop on Japanese visas highlights further policy confusion

Efforts to save face for Xi show same traits as abrupt cancelation of zero-COVID policy

2 February 2023