China’s Preparations for Challenges from the West

Image: Reddy Dendoktoor, New Year, 2025, Greeting Card (Publicdomainpictures.net)

回顾中国2024年的重要发展,可以发现“金砖国家”和“技术”是今年头条新闻的两个核心主题,因为中国致力于增强抵御西方日益严峻挑战的能力。这些发展在 2025 年会如何演变?它们会把中国引向何方?答案尚不清楚。但可以确定的是,中国在过去一年取得的某些令人瞩目的成就,例如月球探索,将使中国有胆量在2025年做出进一步与西方分道扬镳的选择。西方的政策制定者应该思考,他们的行动是否有助于将中国推向更令人担忧的对手。Read more

China’s Preparations for Challenges from the West

Image: Reddy Dendoktoor, New Year, 2025, Greeting Card (Publicdomainpictures.net)

A review of China’s key developments in 2024 reveals that the “BRICS” and “technology” were two central themes behind this year’s headlines, as the country focuses on strengthening its ability to withstand growing challenges from the West. How will these developments evolve in 2025? Where will they lead China? The answer is not yet clear. What is clear, however, is that certain of the remarkable successes China has achieved this past year, such as its exploration of the Moon, will likely embolden the nation to make choices in 2025 that will cause it to diverge further from the West. Policymakers in the West should ponder whether their actions are serving to push China away and towards adversaries of greater concern.Read more

Law, Order, and China’s Global Leadership

Image: Gerd Altmann, One Humanity (Publicdomainpictures.net)

中国为修订其“小刑法”而做出的努力得到了赞扬,因为最新的修订草案反映了当局对公众意见的积极回应。如果该法引起广泛关注的关键条款最终能够得到明确改进,中国将能获得更多来自联合国——其刚刚完成了对中国人权记录的第四轮普遍定期审议——的支持。过去十年,中国通过联合国增强了对其他成员国的影响力。因此,联合国强而有力的支持,对中国在日益充满争议的世界中发展其全球领导力是至关重要的。Read more

Law, Order, and China’s Global Leadership

Image: Gerd Altmann, One Humanity (Publicdomainpictures.net)

China’s ongoing effort to amend its “mini-criminal law” has drawn praises because the latest draft amendment reflects the authorities’ positive responses to public comments. If key provisions that have aroused widespread concerns can be ultimately improved with clarity, China will be able to gain more support from the United Nations, which just completed its fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review of China’s human rights record. Strong support from the United Nations—through which China has increased its influence with other member states in the past decade—is crucial to China’s development of its global leadership in an increasingly contentious world.Read more

Musk, Space Technology, and U.S.-China Relations

Image: O Sulvia, Futuristic Space Ship (Publicdomainpictures.net)

今年 7 月,中国成功从月球背面取回月球样本后,丝络谈™创始人兼首席执行官熊美英博士立即鼓励中国邀请包括美国在内的不同国家的科学家研究这些样本。据路透社报道,目前一些美国大学正在为开展此类中美联合研究做出努力。此潜在的中美太空合作是否会为埃隆·马斯克打开一扇大门,让他能利用其与北京和候任总统唐纳德·特朗普的关系,为美国投资中国太空相关产业创造双赢的机会?哪些类型的太空相关投资有可能通过中国和美国的严格监管审查?未来几个月中国在太空相关投资方面的“愿望清单”将如何演变,以及美国的相应反应,将有助于回答这些问题。Read more

Musk, Space Technology, and U.S.-China Relations

Image: O Sulvia, Futuristic Space Ship (Publicdomainpictures.net)

In July, immediately after China successfully retrieved lunar samples from the far side of the Moon, Dr. Mei Gechlik, Founder and CEO of SINOTALKS®, encouraged China to invite scientists from different countries, including the United States, to study these samples. According to Reuters, a few U.S. universities are now contributing their efforts to make such U.S.-China joint studies possible. Will this potential U.S.-China space collaboration open a door for Elon Musk to leverage his connections with Beijing and President-elect Donald Trump to create win-win opportunities for U.S. investment in China’s space-related industries? What types of space-related investments will likely survive rigorous regulatory reviews in China and the United States? The way in which China’s “wish list” for space-related investments evolves over the coming months, along with corresponding U.S. reactions, will help answer these questions.Read more

Private Economy and China’s Credit System for Enterprises

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中国正在就一项旨在促进该国民营企业发展的法律草案征求公众意见。该法律草案要求,当民营企业不再存在损害其信用的经营异常行为时,中国政府部门必须及时更新该企业在官方“信用信息平台”上公示的记录。对于中国民营企业来说,在信用信息平台上保持良好的记录至关重要,因为企业的商业伙伴和客户越来越依赖这些平台来评估企业的状况。然而,这些平台都有局限性,而如果不加以妥善处理,这些局限性可能会损害中国民营企业的发展,继而损害中国的民营经济。Read more

Private Economy and China’s Credit System for Enterprises

Image: Gerd Altmann, Business People (Publicdomainpictures.net)

China is seeking public comments on a draft law aimed at promoting the development of the country’s private enterprises. The draft law requires Chinese authorities to timely update a private enterprise’s records publicized on official “credit information platforms” after the enterprise no longer has irregularities undermining its credibility. Having clean records on these platforms is important as private enterprises’ business partners and clients are increasingly relying on these platforms to assess where these enterprises stand. However, these platforms have limitations, which, if not addressed properly, could compromise the development of Chinese private enterprises and, thereby, the country’s private economy.Read more

Lunar Time and the BRICS’s Space Ambitions

Image: Victoria Borodinova, Planet, Solar System, Comet, Space, Sky (Publicdomainpictures.net)

中美两国为制定标准月球时间而展开的竞赛引起了全球关注。然而,将月球时间标准化只是第一步。真正的竞赛在于,美国或中国制定的时间能否有效应用于其他国家可从中获益的太空行动。如果其他国家看到成果,这将确保他们持续认可应用于让其受益的太空行动的月球时间。只有得到如此坚实的支持,被认可的月球时间才会成为盛行的标准。中国最近推出了一项分三阶段进行的计划,将该国的计时系统应用于一系列月球行动。凭借其太空领域的雄心,不断壮大的金砖国家或许能够帮助中国实现其三阶段计划并分享该计划的成功果实。当这种情况发生时,中国的月球时间就有很大机会占上风了。Read more

Lunar Time and the BRICS’s Space Ambitions

Image: Victoria Borodinova, Planet, Solar System, Comet, Space, Sky (Publicdomainpictures.net)

The U.S.-China race to set a standard lunar time has captured global attention. Standardizing lunar time is, however, only the first step. The real race lies in whether any time set by the United States or China can be applied effectively to space operations from which other countries can benefit. If other countries see results, this will ensure their sustained endorsement of the lunar time used in the operations benefiting them. Only with such solid support will the endorsed lunar time become the prevailing standard. China recently rolled out a three-stage plan to apply its timing system to a series of lunar operations. With its space ambitions, the expanding BRICS may be able to help China bring its three-stage plan to fruition and share the fruits of such success. When this happens, China’s lunar time has a good chance to prevail.Read more

Arbitration and China’s Global Business

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全球商务对中国的重要性日益增加,故中国有必要表明其承认和执行外国仲裁裁决的决心。自 1987 年以来,中国一直是《纽约公约》的缔约国。该公约要求每个缔约国都确保其法院承认和执行在另一个缔约国作出的仲裁裁决,除非这种承认或执行违反其“公共政策”,或有其他例外情况。由于《纽约公约》没有对“公共政策”作出规定,中国法院如何解释此例外情况直接影响到外国当事人与中国开展业务的信心程度。中国最近发布的一起案例阐明了对此例外情况的解释。Read more

Arbitration and China’s Global Business

Image: Linnaea Mallette, Shipping Port (Publicdomainpictures.net)

The growing importance of global business to China makes it crucial for the country to show its commitment to recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards. Since 1987, China has been a contracting state of the New York Convention, which requires each contracting state to ensure that its judiciary recognizes and enforces an arbitral award made in another contracting state, unless such recognition or enforcement would be contrary to the contracting state’s “public policy”, among other exceptions. The convention does not interpret the “public policy” exception. How the Chinese judiciary interprets it directly influences foreign parties’ level of confidence in doing business with China. A recent court case in China sheds light on the interpretation of this exception.Read more

China’s Education and Africa-East Asia Relations

Images: Linnaea Mallette, Graduation Cap;
Dawn Hudson, Silver Map (Publicdomainpictures.net)

国家主席习近平最近提出了未来三年中国与非洲合作实施的十大伙伴行动。这些行动以推进现代化为重点,有望激励非洲年轻人到中国接受大学教育,获取相关知识和技能,并且建立强大的中非网络。一项研究所揭示的趋势表明,在中国深造可能会为非洲年轻人带来更多收获:他们与中国日益壮大的东亚学生群体的互动将使他们做好充分准备,成为非洲和东亚之间有效的中介,因为东亚正积极寻求挖掘非洲的巨大潜力。Read more

China’s Education and Africa-East Asia Relations

Images: Linnaea Mallette, Graduation Cap;
Dawn Hudson, Silver Map (Publicdomainpictures.net)

President XI Jinping recently outlined ten partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly take in the next three years. Focusing on advancing modernization, these actions will likely motivate young Africans to pursue education in China to acquire related knowledge and skills and to build strong China-Africa networks. Trends revealed by a recent study suggest that furthering education in China may produce additional results for young Africans: their interactions with growing East Asian student communities in China will also prepare them well to become effective intermediaries between Africa and East Asia, as the latter actively seeks to tap into Africa’s tremendous potential.Read more

Key Talks in 1992, Court Cases in 2024, and “New Quality Productive Forces”

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由习近平主席于 2023 年提出的“新质生产力”一词,具有重大意义,因为中国领导层已确定了相关改革,其中提及不同类型的投资。已故改革派领导人邓小平在 1992 年发表的重要谈话以及中国最近发布的精选案例有助于阐明该词的含义。法院在这些案例中为了支持“新质生产力”的发展而采取的行动,能让投资者更好地评估相关机会。Read more

Key Talks in 1992, Court Cases in 2024, and “New Quality Productive Forces”

Image: Mikhail Denishchenko, Production Technology (Publicdomainpictures.net)

Coined by President XI Jinping in 2023, the term “new quality productive forces” is of great significance because related reforms, with reference to various types of investment, have been identified by the Chinese leadership. Key talks given in 1992 by the late reformist leader DENG Xiaoping and select court cases recently released by China help illuminate the meaning of the term. Actions taken by the courts in these cases to support the development of “new quality productive forces” allow investors to better assess related opportunities.Read more

The Olympics, Overseas Chinese, & Foreign Laws

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中国队在2024年夏季奥运会上的出色表现,让许多海外华人对自己的中国根更感兴趣。这可能会使他们对中国带来的机遇更加着迷,尤其是国际货币基金组织已经预测中国2024年的经济增长为5%。此转变应会促使北京加大力度,有效地吸引海外华人参与中国的发展,毕竟北京视海外华人为连接中国与世界的重要桥梁。巧合的是,最高人民法院关于查明域外法的新举措可以帮助实现这一目标。Read more

The Olympics, Overseas Chinese, & Foreign Laws

Image: Gerd Altmann, Hurry Up (Publicdomainpictures.net)

China’s impressive performance during the 2024 Summer Olympics has heightened many overseas Chinese’s interest in their own Chinese roots. This will likely boost their fascination with opportunities emerging from China, whose economy the IMF predicts will grow 5% in 2024. Beijing should, therefore, be motivated to step up its efforts to effectively engage overseas Chinese, who have been perceived by Beijing as important bridges connecting China with the rest of the world. Coincidentally, the Supreme People’s Court’s new initiative regarding the ascertainment of foreign laws can help engage overseas Chinese effectively.Read more

China’s Third Plenary Session: Implications for Strengthening Deterrence of Accounting Violations

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“强化上市公司监管”和“健全投资者保护机制”是2024年7月18日中国共产党第二十届中央委员会第三次全体会议通过且备受期待的决定中提出的众多改革任务之两项任务。虽然中国新修正的《会计法》可能有助于实现这些目标,但一起由最高人民法院判决的案例表明,有需要采取更多措施来有效解决这些问题。Read more

China’s Third Plenary Session: Implications for Strengthening Deterrence of Accounting Violations

Image: Axelle B, Euros Handshake (Publicdomainpictures.net)

“Strengthening the regulation of listed companies” and “improving the mechanism for protecting investors” are among the many reform tasks identified in the widely anticipated decision adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on July 18, 2024. While China’s newly amended Accounting Law may help accomplish these goals, a case decided by the Supreme People’s Court suggests that additional measures are required.Read more