Pekingology

Aaron Glasserman, a postdoctoral fellow specializing in China’s Middle East strategy, offers concise expertise on Beijing’s regional ambitions. He discusses China’s economic and diplomatic priorities in the Middle East. He explains China’s cautious security posture, its transactional ties with Iran, and how the US role shapes Chinese choices. He considers what might push China to act more forcefully.

Eyck Freymann, Hoover Fellow at Stanford and author of Defending Taiwan, studies U.S.-China relations and cross-strait deterrence. He unpacks Beijing’s aims toward Taiwan and why Xi treats the island as central to national rejuvenation. He outlines Beijing’s preference for gradual coercion over invasion and argues for stronger gray zone deterrence, integrated U.S. planning, and economic tools to raise costs on China.

Ben Hillman, director at the Australian Centre on China in the World and co-editor of a book on the CCP, discusses how the Party sustains rule. He explores ideology’s strategic flexibility. He examines linguistic engineering, patriotism, and co-optation of elites. He outlines organizational reach, cadre management, and when coercion is used.

Neil Thomas, a scholar of Chinese elite politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, breaks down the Two Sessions. He discusses elite purges and military shakeups. He explains the new 15th Five-Year Plan and its tech and AI priorities. He unpacks leadership rotations, Li Qiang’s rising role, and what signals mean for China’s political trajectory.

Zoe Liu, Fellow in China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author on China’s economic statecraft. She outlines China’s strategic use of trade, tech restrictions, and financial tools. Short, medium, and long goals are sketched. A Four Cs framework—capacity, capital, character, credibility—frames how Beijing builds leverage and seeks strategic autonomy.

Charlie Edel, Senior Adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS, is an Australia-China specialist. He discusses Beijing’s use of economic coercion and inducements toward Australia. He explores Australia’s strategic role in China’s Indo-Pacific thinking. He covers trade leverage, de-risking and critical minerals, and why distant maritime moves in the South China Sea and Taiwan matter to Australian security.

Francisco Urdinez, Associate Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and author on China-Latin America ties, breaks down Beijing’s bilateral strategy and why countries bargain differently. He explores China copying early U.S. corporate playbooks, growing regional backlash, concerns over space and security projects, and how Venezuela reshaped Chinese lending approaches.

Sabine Mokry, a Postdoctoral researcher from the University of Hamburg, dives deep into the role of expertise in shaping Chinese foreign policy. She reveals how think tanks influence policy, often translating abstract government slogans into actionable proposals. Sabine discusses the evolution of China’s international engagement, including its recent self-identification as a 'near-Arctic state.' She also highlights the significance of institutional connections to the Party in determining a think tank's impact, making for a fascinating exploration of political dynamics.

Paul Mariani, a Jesuit priest and professor at Santa Clara University, dives into the complexities of Catholicism in post-Mao China. He explores the Communist Party's cautious approach to religion and the significance of Document 19 in shaping policy. Mariani discusses the delicate balance between state-approved Patriotic Associations and underground churches, highlighting Bishop Louis Jin's pivotal role in navigating these tensions. He also evaluates the Vatican's controversial 2018 agreement with Beijing and its impacts on Chinese Catholics.

Minxin Pei, a Professor at Claremont McKenna College and expert on Chinese elite politics, discusses his book, "The Broken China Dream." He shares his intellectual shift from optimism to skepticism regarding China’s reforms. Pei delves into the dual-track economy sparked by agricultural decollectivization and reflects on the critical impacts of the Tiananmen Square protests on China’s political landscape. He contrasts Xi Jinping's regime with previous leaders, likening him to Stalin due to his purges and authoritarian tendencies while exploring the future of China's elite choices.