China

RAND's China experts have examined a wide range of issues, including the country's military, political, and trade relations, especially with Taiwan and Japan; its environmental, economic, and health policies and prospects; and its international business and intellectual property (copyright) challenges.

Research conducted by: Center for Asia Pacific Policy; RAND Project AIR FORCE; RAND National Security Research Division; RAND Health

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China May Have Technological, Economic Edge Over India in 2025, but Also Demographic Disadvantage

As India and China continue to grow in prominence, each nation has certain advantages, but neither one is primed to have clear across-the-board competitive advantages over the other.

Commentary (82)

Agreeing to Disagree About Africa — Jun 5, 2013

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden talk with Vice President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China and members of the Chinese delegation following their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, Feb. 14, 2012.

The Obama-Xi dialogue offers an opportunity to clarify both countries' interests in Africa and remove a potential irritant to U.S.-Chinese bilateral relations, write Larry Hanauer and Lyle Morris.

H7N9 Bird Flu — Health Authorities Are Prepared, but Must Stay on High Alert — May 10, 2013

Lab specialist working on avian influenza

Having dealt with outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu and other communicable diseases like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009, health officials are now far better prepared to detect new diseases early and react quickly to monitor and contain their spread.

How to Avert a Sea Catastrophe with China — May 8, 2013

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The United States should propose and pursue an East Asian maritime partnership, inviting to join all states that share its interest in assured access and passage, writes David Gompert.

A Truly Great Leap Forward — Apr 30, 2013

Dong Hua Men night market in Beijing

Charles Wolf Jr. reviews How China Became Capitalist by Ronald Coase and Ning Wang: The authors interpret China's rise in terms that are distinctly different from what has been accepted as conventional wisdom, which holds that China's dramatic rise has resulted from astute guidance by its Communist Party leadership.

A Russia-China Alliance Brewing? — Apr 12, 2013

a handshake

Three major areas appear to have been the focus of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's recent summit: managing expectations about the relationship; expanding bilateral trade in energy and arms; and cooperation on international security affairs.

Increase Funds for Quality — Apr 11, 2013

Two students sitting outside on a college campus

In India, perhaps if the funds that are needed are put in with the help of philanthropists like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji or Rajendra Pawar, it may be possible to build world class universities, writes Rafiq Dossani.

America's Delicate Dance in the Pacific — Mar 28, 2013

A Japanese Coast Guard patrol vessel passes by Uotsuri, the largest island in the Senkaku/Diaoyu chain

Even if Japan and China ease the tensions in their dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyus islands, the United States should gird itself for further uncomfortable contingencies in the coming years, writes David Shlapak.

China's Defense Spending Mystery — Mar 12, 2013

Senior members of the People's Liberation Army met the U.S. Pacific Command aircrews when they delivered relief supplies to the earthquake-stricken Sichuan province in May 2008.

China's decision to expand defense spending also carries clues about the Party's need to keep the military happy, the new leadership's confidence and new President Xi Jinping's ability to put his own stamp on policy from the start, writes Scott Harold.

North Korea's Third Nuclear Test: A Sign of Weakness, Not Strength — Feb 15, 2013

The ROK and the United States should take actions to deter subsequent North Korean provocations while punishing the country for its nuclear weapon test. Such actions could convince it that the ROK/U.S. are serious and able to impose high costs, writes Bruce Bennett.

RAND Extends Global Reach of Innovation — Feb 5, 2013

Stimulating innovation is important to the economic growth of all countries, regardless of their stages of development, writes Michael D. Rich. RAND is helping each country drive innovation in different ways.

Civil Society Can Help China Modernise — Dec 1, 2012

Deng Xiaoping always made local experimentation a priority for the development of new national policies. The same should be true of the new leadership as it creates methods to address the "new modernisations," write Karla Simon and David Yang.

America's Trouble with China — Nov 19, 2012

Perhaps the best way to avoid confrontation is to cooperate on shared external threats, most notably nuclear proliferation, global climate change, and Islamic extremism. But getting to 2030 without a major confrontation will be a major achievement, writes Harold Brown.

Chinese-Iranian Ties in the Face of the Nuclear Crisis — Nov 9, 2012

The U.S. effort to isolate and pressure Iran in order to extract concessions on the nuclear program faces a significant vulnerability: the ties between Iran and the People's Republic of China, writes Alireza Nader.

U.S. President Can Sustain Peace with China, through Deterrence — Nov 5, 2012

The steady growth of China's military power raises important questions about the role that the next U.S. president should play in either containing China, cooperating with China, or trying to strike a balance between containment and cooperation, write James Dobbins and Roger Cliff.

The Paradoxes of China: Understanding Our Rival — Nov 5, 2012

China is rife with paradoxes...of class, foreign aid, military spending, and corruption. Whether and how they are resolved will seriously affect the evolution of policies within China, as well as its future relations with the United States, writes Charles Wolf, Jr.

Confronting a Rising China Begins at Home — Oct 17, 2012

As long as the United States holds tight to its values and solves its problems at home, it will be able to manage the rise of China, write Andrew Scobell and Andrew J. Nathan.

Panetta Walks Fine Line During China Visit — Sep 19, 2012

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta shakes hands with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping prior to a meeting in Beijing China, Sept. 19, 2012

Panetta's visit should make clear that China's lawless domestic behavior will not be allowed to be repeated abroad, because if it is, it could lead to armed conflict between China and the U.S.-Japan alliance, writes Scott Harold.

Will China's Nationalism Come Back to Bite Leaders? — Sep 5, 2012

It is possible that at some point, anti-Japan protests could slip beyond the regime's control, and Party leaders worry that mishandling such tensions could affect the regime's legitimacy—and ultimately erode its grip on power, writes Scott Harold.

How China Sees America — Sep 1, 2012

Just as Americans wonder whether China's rise is good for U.S. interests or represents a looming threat, Chinese policymakers puzzle over whether the United States intends to use its power to help or hurt China, write Andrew J. Nathan and Andrew Scobell.

Conflict with China: What It Would Look Like, How to Avoid It — Aug 14, 2012

While China's overall military capabilities will not equal those of the United States anytime soon, it will more quickly achieve local superiority in its immediate neighborhood, first in and around Taiwan and then at somewhat greater distances, writes James Dobbins.

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