One place to check whether China is willing to take advantage of Russia's weaknesses is in Russian Far East. In this new essay for @nbr.org, Joanna Nawrotkiewiczj analyses Beijing's art of restraint in this contested territory along China's #Borderlands. strategicspace.nbr.org/the-northern...

The Northern Frontier: China’s Presence in the Russian Far East

More than three years ago, on June 1, 2023, a notice from China’s General Administration of Customs took effect that most of the world scarcely noticed. Vladivostok—Russia’s great Pacific port and the...

strategicspace.nbr.org

From the contorsions of the non-interference principle to the episodic unholy alliance with transnational criminal groups, our latest #Borderlands episode explores how Beijing envisions and operationalizes security at China’s edges. strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

Documenting China’s Borderlands – Episode 9: On Edge: Security at China’s Borderlands

This ninth episode in NBR’s Borderlands miniseries unpacks how the concept of “comprehensive national security” has been shaping China’s new security posture in its borderland regions. Understanding t...

strategicspace.nbr.org

Or this, even

Xi Jinping defined connectivity as a trinity combining infrastructure, institutions, and people-to-people exchanges. In this latest #Borderlands podcast episode, Jessica Liao, Tim Oakes and @shinji0818.bsky.social unpack #China's arteries of power. strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

Documenting China’s Borderlands – Episode 8: Arteries of Power

This eighth episode of the Borderlands podcast miniseries explores one of the most visible manifestations of China’s growing engagement with its neighbors—infrastructure development—and considers whet...

strategicspace.nbr.org

NBR distinguished fellow in China studies Nadege Rolland @rollandnadege.bsky.social | Mr. Xi’s message to Mr. Trump was clear: “You’re the declining power, we are the rising power. … So the question for you is whether you’re going to accept our rise and not resist.” www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-P...

Beyond the pomp and pageantry, Xi Jinping sent a message to Donald Trump

The highly anticipated summit in Beijing showcased how China today is more willing than ever to directly challenge the United States.

csmonitor.com

It didn't take long for #China to interfere in the internal affairs of the new #Nepalese govt, with a warning not to attend the inauguration of the exile #Tibetan president, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, in May kathmandupost.com/national/202...

China presses Nepal to keep distance from Tibetan and Taiwanese activities

Chinese ambassador warns home minister against government participation in upcoming Tibetan leadership ceremony; says Beijing has noted pro-Taiwan activity in Kathmandu.

kathmandupost.com

China says Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to explore comprehensive solution during peace talks in Urumqi. www.reuters.com/world/china/... For in-depth context of China-Afghanistan relations, read strategicspace.nbr.org/chinas-great...

Très heureuse de faire "la une" de la revue Grand Continent aujourd'hui avec cette cartographie de l'espace stratégique chinois. L'occasion de retrouver les cartes créées par Louis Martin Vézian pour mon étude pour le NBR publiée fin 2024. legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/03/2...

The latest episode of the #Borderlands Podcast miniseries is out! Delighted to be joined by Selina Ho and @brianeyler.bsky.social to unpack how China's hydro hegemony is enacted in its borderlands, from cooperation to coercion. strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

Documenting China’s Borderlands – Episode 7: Liquid Borders

This seventh episode of the podcast series Documenting China’s Borderlands describes China’s position as a “hydro-hegemon,” considers how transboundary rivers can be used either as sources of transbor...

strategicspace.nbr.org

APPLY BY APRIL 10 for NBR's April 21-23 PLA Executive Education Course in Washington, DC. The course is tailored to meet the needs of military and civilian practitioners, industry leaders, and research professionals working on China-related security issues nbr.org/event/the-pe...

For the last decade, China has included deep sea, deep earth, and deep space (深海，深地，深空) in all of its scientific and technological innovation plans. The pursuit of strategic advantages in New Strategic Frontiers aims at strengthening its comprehensive national power. www.reuters.com/investigatio...

China is mapping the ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with the U.S.

Chinese vessels are mapping the sea floor at strategically vital regions of the world's oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging subm...

reuters.com

Missed that Congressional letter calling for a formal determination on whether CSSA branches should be designated under the Foreign Missions Act. Detailed evidence of CSSA links with PRC Party-State. chinaselectcommittee.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

China's archaeological footprint across the Silk Road countries of Central Asia is increasingly significant. For @nbr.org's #Borderlands project, @edwardlemon.bsky.social and Bradley Jardine explain the political and narrative functions of such efforts. strategicspace.nbr.org/digging-up-t...

Digging up the Past to Justify the Present: China’s Archaeological Diplomacy in Central Asia - Mapping China's Strategic Space

On a windswept plain near Quva in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, a joint team of Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists carefully brushed soil from a set of ancient walls, revealing the outline of a long-forg...

strategicspace.nbr.org

Ji Chaoqun was a promising young engineer from Beijing heading to the US to study. Then China’s Ministry of State Security came calling with bags of cash, the promise of glory and an offer that would change his life forever. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox8H...

How China's 'Perfect' Spy Got Caught | Bloomberg Investigates

YouTube video by Bloomberg Originals

youtube.com

For some context on what happens on the Chinese side of the border and the Chinese government's development of settlements of 'guardians of the sacred land', go to strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

Documenting China’s Borderlands Podcast – Episode 4: The Great Wall of Villages - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Since 2016, China has been building or refurbishing hundreds of so-called xiaokang (well-off) villages along its borderlands, complete with new infrastructure and an increased security presence. Some ...

strategicspace.nbr.org

Emily Feng@emilyzfeng.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Both India and China are building up strategically-placed yet very remote villages along parts of their contested border, high up in the Himalayas. @npr.org went to some of the villages on the India side. www.npr.org/2026/02/17/n...

broke: women hold up half the sky woke: women will secure air superiority

China’s ambassador says plans by the Australian government to remove the Port of Darwin from Chinese ownership will affect future trade and cooperation. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Australia committed to retaking ownership of Darwin port, Albanese says

Australia was committed to returning a key northern port leased for 99 years to a Chinese company to Australian ownership, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday after Beijing's envoy to Ca...

reuters.com

China urged Kazakhstan to take "appropriate measures" against 19 citizens who protested last November against the detention of their family members in Xinjiang. They now face up to 10 years in prison for "inciting discord." eurasianet.org/kazakhstan-a...

Kazakhstan: Anti-China demonstrators face long prison terms after fiery protest

Astana brings criminal charges only after Beijing complains.

eurasianet.org

Japan called China's ban on dual-use exports for its military (incl. vital rare earths) "absolutely unacceptable." It feels like it's 2010 all over again. For more on China's history of economic coercion over its neighbors, read strategicspace.nbr.org/pressure-on-...

Pressure on the Periphery: China’s Economic Coercion in the Borderlands - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Over the past two decades, economic sanctions have emerged as a central instrument in the foreign policy toolkit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As the most valuable export destination for ma...

strategicspace.nbr.org

The Embassy staff of Germany, France and the United Kingdom sing Schedryk in the Kyiv underground. Wonderful!

Quand l'émission de @franceculture.fr réunit quatre pointures (Anne Cheng, Nicolas Chapuis, SylvieKauffmann et Thomas Gomart) et que soudain l'une d'entre elles fait référence à mes travaux sur l'espace stratégique chinois 😊 www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...

Le monde vu de la Chine

Alors qu'Emmanuel Macron tentait de défendre les intérêts de l'UE en Chine début décembre, K. Starmer et F. Merz lui emboîteront le pas en 2026. Que pèsent ces pays face à la 2ème puissance mondiale ?...

radiofrance.fr

For @nbr.org's #Borderlands project, Liz Cherchia examines the deep ramifications of China's promise of connectivity for its tiny land neighbor Laos. Beyond the railroad tracks, a more complete picture of integration emerges. Read here: strategicspace.nbr.org/all-railroad...

All Railroads Lead to China: China’s Borderlands Strategy of Integration in Laos - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Stepping onto the Laos-China Railway (LCR) in Luang Prabang, the picturesque former royal capital in Northern Laos, brings a rush of aesthetic familiarity to anyone who has ridden the high-speed rail ...

strategicspace.nbr.org

Borderlands Podcast Miniseries Episode 4 examines the strategic motives and the unfolding development of China’s border villages revitalization campaign. Hosted by @rollandnadege.bsky.social with contributions from Japneet Kaur, James Leibold, & Robert Barnett strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

While you're making pumpkin pies and cranberry sauce, why not learn about how China has annexed Bhutan's territory, without a single shot fired? Check out our latest #Borderlands podcast episode with Japneet Kaur, @jleibold.bsky.social and @robbiebarnett.bsky.social

Documenting China’s Borderlands Podcast – Episode 4: The Great Wall of Villages - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Since 2016, China has been building or refurbishing hundreds of so-called xiaokang (well-off) villages along its borderlands, complete with new infrastructure and an increased security presence. Some ...

strategicspace.nbr.org

The SCO Summit showcased China's leadership role within an institution it created. Less known but more impactful to its southeastern #Borderlands, is the Lancang Mekong Cooperation created in 2015. Learn more about it in the following essay by Hoang Thi Ha. strategicspace.nbr.org/chinas-state...

China’s Statecraft through the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation: Building a Sino-Centric Regional Order - Mapping China's Strategic Space

The Mekong Basin—spanning China upstream and Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam downstream—fits squarely within the “strategic frontier” concept. Nadège Rolland defines a strategic frontie...

strategicspace.nbr.org

In a now deleted post, China’s consul general in Osaka said he’s left with no choice but to cut off the “filthy head” of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi because of her pledge to use Japan’s military to defend Taiwan if the Chinese invade the island. japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/pol...

China does not always rely on charm offensives to shape the behavior of its Borderlands neighbors but has also regularly used economic coercion. Read Audrye Wong, @vikingbohman.bsky.social and @victoraferguson.bsky.social's new study. strategicspace.nbr.org/pressure-on-...

Pressure on the Periphery: China’s Economic Coercion in the Borderlands - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Over the past two decades, economic sanctions have emerged as a central instrument in the foreign policy toolkit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As the most valuable export destination for ma...

strategicspace.nbr.org

strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-...

Documenting China’s Borderlands Podcast – Episode 3: The Opening-Up/Securitization Paradox - Mapping China's Strategic Space

Since the early 1990s, China’s borderlands have played a crucial role in the central government’s “opening-up” program. However, starting in the mid-2010s, at the same time as the Belt and Road Initia...

strategicspace.nbr.org

Excited to be featured alongside two scholars I truly admire, @jleibold.bsky.social and @robbiebarnett.bsky.social, in conversation with @rollandnadege.bsky.social. "100 Years of CCP Borderland Policies." Please give it a listen (and maybe even assign to your undergrads?). tinyurl.com/yhktwu9h