Written by: Pranav Krishnan The American-led, liberal-world order has ushered in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity around the globe. It can not subsist, however, without free and democratic states knowing that they need not take exorbitant measures to arm themselves or align with autocratic powers to preserve their sovereignty. Thus, the United States…
Category: Eastern Asia
Yuan Some Dollars With That?
Written by: Christopher Ploudimis The Chinese yuan is becoming stronger and more widely accepted as a currency. Morgan Stanley predicts that in the next ten years the Chinese yuan will be the world’s third-largest reserve currency, behind the euro and the U.S. dollar. Analysts have been projecting that the yuan will account for five to…
Running with a Bucket: Chinese Engineers’ Complaints Create New Sub-Culture
Written by: Wenzhe Teng In his March 2021 show, US comedian and pundit Bill Maher had interesting insights into Chinese and American priorities, as he said “China once put up a 57-story skyscraper in 19 days. They demolished and rebuilt the Sanyuan Bridge in Beijing in 43 hours. We binge-watch. They binge-build.” Maher went on…
Winter Olympics 2022: Soft Power in the Contemporary International System
Written by: Ken Wang The Olympics, whether held in summer or winter, have always been a symbol of athleticism, friendly competition, a time for peace, a chance to improve diplomatic relationships, and an opportunity to promote the image of the host country. China recently hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, and it was a great success…
Two Sides of a Coin: Dr. Li Wenliang’s Tragedy and China’s Approach to the Pandemic
Written by: Wenzhe Teng After living through the Covid-19 Pandemic for two years, I am sure that you are sick of all the Covid news. Yet I am here to remind you all about Dr. Li Wenliang, the first but definitely not the last suppressed messenger of this plague. As the world returns to normalcy,…
The Rise of China: a Comprehensive Review
Written by: Ken Wang Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes up, she will move the world.” Many foreign powers have oppressed China and exploited its people during the colonial period, especially during the Qing dynasty and the aftermath of the Opium Wars. Even shortly…
Involution: China’s Hyper-Competitive Education System
Written by: Wenzhe Teng Involution, or “Nei Juan ” in Chinese, is one of the most discussed terms in 2020 China, commonly referred to by both citizens and the state media. To better understand the term, imagine you are in a movie theater, and suddenly, people in the front row stand up. In order to…
A Childless Future: East Asia’s Fertility Crisis
Written by: Wenzhe Teng What do China, Japan, and South Korea have in common? Geographically, they are neighboring countries in East Asia. Culturally, their citizens share many common traditions; South Korea and China even have the same date for the Spring Festival, which is their New Year. Economically, the three countries were powerhouses known for…
How China Uses Its Fishing Fleet to Increase Its Own Power
Written by: Cooper Stewart As China continues to cement and expand its superpower status, a growing number of people believe China is on an inevitable path toward conflict with the U.S. and other Asian nations. That conflict is already here, at least in a naval sense, as the Indonesian navy fired upon and destroyed Chinese…
Africa: Made in China
Written by: McKenna Ross China and Africa are two areas of the world that are becoming more linked every day. This is largely because of China’s Belt and Road Initiative which has dramatically increased economic ties between the two. Only now is the world beginning to see the long term effects of China’s spreading influence…
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