CSR Blog: China’s Vertical Nuclear Proliferation – A short history

By Natalie Craig In October 1964, the People’s Republic of China tested its first nuclear bomb, forever shifting the balance of power in Asia. The Chinese people persisted and struggled forward to build up their nuclear program, coupled with a “no first use” (NFU) policy announced by Zhou Enlai the same year the bomb was …

CSR Blog: President Biden Needs to Declare a No First Use Policy to Deter Chinese Aggression Against Taiwan

By Grace Faerber Only three days into President Biden’s administration, US-China tensions over Taiwan rose to extraordinary new levels.  After inviting the de-facto Taiwanese ambassador, Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), to his inauguration on January 21st – an unprecedented move – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) unleashed its “wolf warrior” tactics. Forty-eight  hours later, between January 23rd …

CSR Blog: An Evaluation of Public-Related Origins of China’s Assertive Foreign Policy

By Yinxuan Wang Since 2012, Chinese diplomacy has moved toward toughness, emphasizing China’s core interests - security, sovereignty, and development - continuing the trend that had begun in 2009. For instance, China has increased its maritime law enforcement ships in the South China Sea. In 2012, China sent coast guard ships to Diaoyu Island and …

CSR Blog: Put on Your Rose-colored Glasses: Outlook for China’s Political Stability and Growth

By Jennifer Lee In alignment with American public opinion, politicians on both sides of the aisle support policies to address China’s prowess as a “strategic competitor,” though the opinions on tactics differ.1,2 No one expects the Biden administration to hastily alter the US stance and go easy on China.3 This is consistent with the fact …

CSR Blog: COVID-19 and the Escalation of Sino-US Relations

By Michael Xiaochen Zhang As COVID-19 spreads around the world, new fissures have been exposed in the U.S.-China relationship. During this period of crisis, when mutual cooperation between countries, institutions and global citizens is vital, domestic and foreign policy agendas have continued to drive a wedge between the two global powers. Both the Trump and …