If one were to exclusively believe media outlets with respect to the general state of Sino-American relations, it wouldn’t be the least bit difficult to arrive at the conclusion that we are in an economic war zone situation. However, it is worth noting that sometimes, there are two parallel economic universes: the political dimension on
Current Affairs
19
Aug
Aug
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The Chinese Variable in the United States “2020 Elections” Equation?
Like any shrewd negotiator, Donald Trump tries to always display strength but how much of this strength is dissimulated when it comes to the current trade tensions with China? Leaving click-bait headlines and eccentric tweets aside, it doesn’t take more than a healthy dose of common sense to understand that Donald Trump is in a
14
Aug
Aug
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China’s Wealthiest (?) Cities, Provinces and Autonomous Regions
It’s worth noting that from an administrative perspective, China has 22 provinces, 4 municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing) and 5 so-called autonomous regions (Guangxi, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Tibet). We will leave its two special administrative regions aside (Hong Kong and Macau) and won’t even include Taiwan in this discussion because… let’s just
25
Jul
Jul
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China: The #1 Brexit Beneficiary?
Over the past few months, more and more analysts have been publishing potential scenarios which revolve around the idea that the number one Brexit beneficiary may very well end up being… China. As strange as it may seem, there are actually sound numbers behind that statement, but with a very significant caveat: the fact that
23
Jul
Jul
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South China Sea Geopolitics Simplified
It’s pretty much impossible to discuss the geopolitical realities of China (or Southeast Asia as a whole, for that matter) without putting the South China Sea situation in the spotlight. We can consider it a textbook “elephant in the room” case study. Or, in other words, a situation which has been complex for decades without
14
Jul
Jul
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How Powerful Is China’s Current Leader, Xi Jinping?
To eliminate potential confusions right from the beginning and gradually present arguments, the answer is simple: extremely powerful, possibly the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. It should therefore come as no surprise that for the year 2018, he was considered the most powerful leader in the world by Forbes, dethroning Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
10
Jul
Jul
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Intellectual Property Rights in China: From International Obligations to Conflict of Interests
One of the most widely used arguments when discussing the various episodes involving trade tensions between the United States and China has been the fact that billions of dollars are lost each year due to IP rights not being respected properly. On the one hand, you have China’s post-2017 commitment to stricter enforcement, with measures
09
Jul
Jul
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Making Sense of China’s Government Debt Sustainability (or Lack Thereof)
According to the most recent IMF data that is available (their April 2019 World Economic Outlook dataset), the general government gross debt of China as a percentage of its GDP is 55.4%, which seems remarkably low if you compare it to many of the world’s most developed nations. In fact, China’s gross debt to GDP
07
Jul
Jul
China’s Love/Hate Relationship with Bitcoin and Crypto
It’s impossible not to follow bitcoin and cryptocurrencies without noticing how important the Chinese variable is and has been, despite the authorities in China having little love for digital currencies. In other words, the “love” dimension of the relationship is represented by the fact that a lot of Chinese INVESTORS want to have bitcoin/crypto exposure,
02
Jul
Jul
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Does China Have a Transparency Problem?
Our main goal here at ChinaFund.com is to be frank with respect to both the pros and cons associated with China. While we firmly stand behind our baseline assumption that China is poised to dominate the global economy in ways few analysts anticipate over the course of the next decades, it’s important to understand that