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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.

Report

China's Role in the International Order

May 21, 2018

China's engagement with the postwar order remains a complex, often contradictory work in progress. China will likely demand more influence in the international system as a condition for its support. What will this mean for U.S. policy?
Report

How the U.S. Air Force Shapes China's Military Aerospace Goals

Nov 21, 2018

Aerospace power has been a core feature of the People's Liberation Army's rapid modernization. The main driver for its development is the PLA's view that it needs to be prepared to deter and, if necessary, defeat the United States in a high-end clash.

Explore China

Commentary

Questioning the Presumption of a U.S.-China Power Transition

The United States occupies the central role in a world order that, while under growing duress, remains a central organizing framework in world affairs. There are many trajectories along which U.S.-China relations might evolve if China aims to displace the United States for global pre-eminence.

Jan 9, 2019
Commentary

Is a Sustainable Peace Possible in the Taiwan Strait?

Between now and the next Taiwanese presidential election in 2020, the prospects of forging a sustainable peace between Taiwan and China are exceptionally low. Both Chinese President Xi and Taiwanese President Tsai are dug into their respective positions.

Jan 7, 2019
Report

Supporting the Development of a Vision and Strategic Plan for Zhejiang University's Academic Medical Center

This report identifies and assesses potential models of organization to help achieve the goals of Zhejiang University's academic medical center.

Jan 3, 2019
Commentary

Engagement vs. Competition: The China Policy Debate

There is a consensus that the U.S. is engaged in an intensifying strategic competition with China. It's less clear what relationship the U.S. should seek and can plausibly achieve with its competitor. An inability to classify China along the ally-to-adversary continuum limits, if not precludes, America's ability to formulate a coherent strategy.

Dec 31, 2018
Blog

The Most Popular RAND Research of 2018

RAND serves as an objective source of facts that help inform the world's most pressing policy debates. When decisions are based on the best evidence, that's when public policy can have a positive impact on people's lives. We're highlighting the 10 research projects that RAND.org readers found most engaging this year.

Dec 21, 2018
Blog

Most Popular RAND Commentary of 2018

RAND experts publish hundreds of pieces of commentary every year, weighing in on pressing policy questions, breaking down current events, and untangling complex trends. To look back on some of the policy stories that defined the year, we've rounded up the 10 RAND Blog pieces that resonated most with our readers.

Dec 20, 2018
Commentary

The Good and Bad of the Trump Administration's New Africa Strategy

The Trump administration's Africa strategy combines a turn away from counterterrorism as a priority, emphasis on trade, and working to help Africans solve their own problems, all of which could be opportunities for a more positive relationship. The implied prioritization of great power competition, however, suggests the real risk of a return to Cold War-era approach.

Dec 20, 2018
Commentary

The Trump-Xi Meeting at G-20: Kicking the Can Down the Road

Much was expected of the discussion at the 2018 G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires between the United States and China on their ongoing trade war. However, nothing of significance emerged. With signs of a global economic slowdown surfacing earlier than expected, the failed outcomes of this meeting could come back to haunt world leaders.

Dec 14, 2018
Commentary

Is This the Beginning of a New Cold War?

It has become increasingly common for observers of world affairs to contend that the United States and China have either entered into or are poised to embark on a new Cold War. While the contours of a long-term contest between Washington and Beijing are undoubtedly forming, especially in the economic realm, the analogy is problematic.

Dec 12, 2018
Commentary

Sino-Japan Rapprochement Will Likely Fail

Recent meetings and otherwise relative calm between China and Japan may give the impression that their ties are improving. But because of their strategic competition and fundamental differences, it is more likely than not that their current rapprochement will fail.

Dec 7, 2018
Report

Standoff Over Senkaku Islands Carries Growing Risk of Miscalculation

China has stepped up its vessel and air activities near the disputed Senkaku Islands. Japan has made posture changes and increased the quantity of aircraft and radar in the region, but it does not have the resources to match Chinese air activity. And since it's an issue of domestic air sovereignty, the U.S. is limited in what it can do to assist Japan.

Dec 3, 2018
Commentary

China's Military Has No Combat Experience: Does It Matter?

China's military has an impressive high-tech arsenal, but its ability to use these weapons and equipment remains unclear. The one asset that the People's Liberation Army lacks is combat experience. But there is no consensus—either within Chinese military circles or among foreign analysts—on how much that matters.

Nov 27, 2018
Testimony

Russia’s and China’s Evolving Roles in the Arctic

Two changes have altered the geopolitical environment in the Arctic over the past five to ten years. Russia continues to increase its assertiveness in the region. And non-Arctic states, including China, have begun to play a larger role. What new challenges and opportunities do these developments pose to Canada and other Arctic states?

Nov 26, 2018
Commentary

U.S.-China Relations See Potential Thaw, but Risk of Military Crisis Remains

Deep disagreements between China and the United States on an array of issues, exacerbated by political incentives to avoid compromise, raise a persistent risk of military crisis. Stepping up official communication, building mechanisms to manage crises, and dialing back antagonistic behavior could help cut the risk of miscalculation and help stabilize ties.

Nov 20, 2018
Report

The Strategy of China's Bomber Flights

Since March 2015, China's PLAAF has conducted a series of long-range bomber flights in the Asia-Pacific region, including over the South China Sea, near Japan, and around Taiwan. What's driving these flights? And what are the implications for U.S. interests in the region?

Nov 14, 2018
Commentary

What Does America's Political Polarization Mean for Competition with China?

Political polarization in the United States potentially carries significant implications for America's strategic competition with China. Leaders in Washington will need to work to mitigate the effects of polarization and manage competition with China in a stable, effective manner.

Nov 9, 2018
News Release

News Release

A Study of Potential Paths to Korean Unification Recommends Avoiding Approaches Involving Armed Conflict

An examination of nine potential paths to Korean unification recommends actions that the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) and the United States can take to set the conditions for stable reunification, should the opportunity arise.

Oct 31, 2018
Report

Alternative Paths to Korean Unification

There are many ways in which Korean unification could occur or be attempted, and each holds vast uncertainties. What actions could South Korea and the United States take to set the conditions for stable reunification?

Oct 31, 2018
Commentary

The Quad Needs Broadening to Balance China—And Now's the Time to Do It

Even in its resurrected form, the Quad could be in danger of failing to achieve its mission. The Quad might consider getting its house in order by extending dialogue partnerships to ASEAN maritime counterclaimant states.

Oct 22, 2018

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