How will China seek to profit from the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan

The principal means through which China may seek to profit from the U.S. withdrawal might be its efforts to advance a narrative of American decline, Ryan Hass contends. These efforts likely will seek to reach two audiences: a domestic one and an international (non-American) one.

The Shanghai middle class: Embracing 'cosmopolitanism with Chinese characteristics'?

The Chinese middle class is a dominant political and economic force that will profoundly impact China and the world. But the political outlook and worldviews of this powerful contingent are far less clear-cut. Cheng Li weighs in on this topic by identifying and analyzing the forces influencing this group's identity and shared values.

Debating North Korea: US and Chinese perspectives

In a series of correspondences, Susan A. Thornton, Li Nan, and Juliet Lee exchanged views on the differing perspectives, mutual suspicions, and lingering contradictions between the United States and China on North Korea policy. They argue, "the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship is hindering prospects for meaningful cooperation on persistent security challenges, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea nuclear issue."

More research and commentary

Vice President Harris's trip to South Asia. On a new episode of The Current, Jonathan Stromseth discusses Vice President Kamala Harris's recent trip to South Asia and explains why it is important for America to expand its political and economic agenda in the region with an eye to deepening positive, long-term relationships, not just countering China's security and economic influence.

Will COVID-19 end the mark of the international order? On the Dollar & Sense podcast, David Dollar is joined by Thomas Wright, the director of the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, to discuss how the absence of major powers' leadership shaped the global pandemic response and has contributed to the rewriting of the postwar order.

U.S.-China strategic stability and crisis management. "In the current toxic climate of U.S.-China relations and with rapid changes in weapons capabilities, one of the only areas where U.S. officials seem eager to suggest diplomacy with China is in the area of arms control and crisis management; efforts to 'establish guardrails' in a more competitive or contested relationship," writes Susan A. Thornton in a piece for the Stimson Center.

Reshaping U.S.-China engagement. Cheng Li joined the American Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong's podcast to discuss themes from his new book "Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement," which argues that the development of China's class structure and cosmopolitan culture—exemplified and led by Shanghai—could provide a force for reshaping U.S.-China engagement.

China's Personal Information Protection Law. Jamie Horsley and co-authors write that "the law's focus is on protecting individuals, society, and national security from harms stemming from abuse and mishandling of personal information — targeting both the private sector and government functions."

Hardening competition and deep interdependence. "Amidst this focus on great power competition, two broader trends in the U.S.-China relationship have commanded relatively less attention. The first has been the widening gap in America's and China's overall national power relative to every other country in the world. The second has been the continuing thick interdependence between the United States and China, even amidst their growing rivalry," Ryan Hass writes.

New book

China's Youth

By Li Chunling

Foreword by John L. Thornton Introduction by Cheng Li

Focusing on millennials, "China's Youth" examines the status, lifestyles, attitudes, values, and behaviors of this key population segment. Li Chunling’s study presents a native Chinese perspective on the increasingly diverse generation that will assume leadership of the country in the near future.

Recent webinars

The long game: China's grand strategy to displace American order. On August 26, the Foreign Policy program hosted Director for China on the National Security Council and former China Center fellow, Rosh Doshi, to discuss the themes in his new book "The Long Game," which outlines how China's grand strategy has evolved and offers solutions for an effective U.S. response.

Watch the webinar

The rising global middle class. On August 12, The Hill hosted Cheng Li as part of a panel discussion about technological advancements fueling the global economy and supporting the needs of the rising global middle class.

Watch the webinar

The future of U.S.-China Relations. On August 11, the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement hosted Cheng Li for a discussion about the trajectory of U.S.-China relations.

Watch the webinar

In the news

America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. BBC Radio 4 The World Tonight spoke with Cheng Li about the potential for U.S.-China cooperation in the aftermath of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

China's economic trajectory. Brink News interviewed David Dollar about the Chinese government's long-term goal and prospects of turning China into a fully developed and prosperous country by 2049.

The return of the Taliban comes with problems. CNBC spoke with Eswar Prasad about what the resurgence of the Taliban and other extremist groups might mean for China's domestic stability. "It's hard to imagine this won’t spill over the border in some fashion," said Prasad.

China's play for critical minerals in the DRC. The South China Morning Post interviewed Yun Sun regarding Chinese companies' mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sun said that the "surge" of Chinese investment in the African mining sector was more about economics and less geopolitics.

About the China Center

The John L. Thornton China Center develops timely, independent analysis and policy recommendations to help U.S. and Chinese leaders address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here.