https://www.scmp.com/rss/321707/feed Dr Zhengxu Wang is a distinguished professor at the School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University. Previously, he served as a distinguished professor at Fudan University, senior fellow and acting director at the China Policy Institute, University of Nottingham, as well as a research fellow at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhengxu Wang,Chu Jianguo Zhengxu Wang,Chu Jianguo US President Donald Trump has ordered that the Department of Defence be renamed the Department of War, harking back to pre-1947 America. This is puzzling, to say the least. A name change will simply cause administrative disruption, burdening the Pentagon’s bloated bureaucracy with no meaningful improvements in military performance. Across a sprawling bureaucracy of more than 2 million people, every logo, document, website, plaque and building sign would have to be updated. Up to billions of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324763/department-war-us-defence-needs-deeper-reforms-not-name-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324763/department-war-us-defence-needs-deeper-reforms-not-name-change?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 China’s recently unveiled education reform blueprint, aiming to ensure the nation becomes a “strong education nation” by 2035, emphasises higher education, vocational training and international collaboration, as well as greater access to free primary and secondary education and lifelong learning opportunities. This shows Beijing’s determination to forge ahead with domestic reforms and respond to global challenges. In an era where education, science, technology and manufacturing are key... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3296417/how-china-can-become-education-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3296417/how-china-can-become-education-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jan 2025 08:30:08 +0000 The Musk-Ramaswamy duet is gearing up for one of the most ambitious reform projects in US political history. Appointed to president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency, their mission is to overhaul the government, make it smaller, streamline bureaucracy and ultimately transform the way America operates. It’s a grand vision to tackle some of the country’s most entrenched problems. There might be a lesson or two to be learned from China’s rich history of reformers.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290381/what-elon-musk-and-vivek-ramaswamy-can-learn-chinas-reformers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290381/what-elon-musk-and-vivek-ramaswamy-can-learn-chinas-reformers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 01:30:07 +0000 Whether America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan marks the end of US world hegemony remains to be seen. President Joe Biden has made it very clear that the United States withdrew to concentrate more on containing China’s rise – that is, extending its hegemony in a more effective and focused manner. The US positions its relations with China within a “competition, cooperation and confrontation” formula. But as China’s vice-foreign minister, Xie Feng, said during talks with his US counterpart in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3146242/botched-afghan-retreat-reveals-america-struggling-contain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3146242/botched-afghan-retreat-reveals-america-struggling-contain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Aug 2021 17:30:18 +0000 Interest in the re-emergence of Asia has grown strong of late. It is important to remember that many elements that are seen as strengths of Asian governments and Asian society have historical origins. The economic success stories of Japan and the East Asian tigers led scholars to point to the special roles the state played in Asian societies. The purposes and visions of these states appeared to be different from those that are familiar in the West. Furthermore, Asian states’ competence in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139485/how-asian-societies-premodern-traits-explain-regions-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139485/how-asian-societies-premodern-traits-explain-regions-success?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jul 2021 00:15:04 +0000 Unfavorable views of China have reached historic highs, especially in the West. Even China’s achievements – such as combating Covid-19 at home – are viewed negatively. What went wrong? Some Western media outlets are prone to seeing China as a monolith, characterised by human rights abuses, ethnic division and oppression, and a repressive state. There is less willingness to recognise China’s laudable performance in improving people’s living standards, its vivid social life and tremendous internal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127609/improve-chinas-image-globally-welcome-foreigners-and-let-them-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127609/improve-chinas-image-globally-welcome-foreigners-and-let-them-be?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Mar 2021 20:00:16 +0000 The US government is reportedly considering a travel ban on all Communist Party members. If this happens, it would be the latest tactic the United States has employed in its efforts to contain or destabilise the Chinese government. The White House appears to think it can increase pressure on the Chinese state or the Communist Party while avoiding the accusations that it is undermining or destabilising China. It would be a mistake to think it can separate the Chinese government from the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3094039/why-us-travel-ban-chinas-communist-party-members-misguided-idea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3094039/why-us-travel-ban-chinas-communist-party-members-misguided-idea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2020 17:00:12 +0000 As US President Donald Trump harangued world leaders about anti-globalisation at the 74th UN General Assembly, China was publishing a white paper, “China and the World in the New Era”. In it, Beijing expresses its intention to fully engage in globalisation and contribute to peace and development. It is important to note that China’s views of and relationship with the rest of the world have deep roots in its own history and experience. It was in the mid-19th century that Chinese people started to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031131/how-china-drawing-its-own-history-champion-globalisation-peace-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031131/how-china-drawing-its-own-history-champion-globalisation-peace-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2019 22:00:12 +0000 As China commemorates the 40th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations with the United States, the arrest of Meng Wanzhou – the CFO of one of China’s top technology companies, Huawei, by Canadian authorities on behalf of the US – appears to vindicate the Thucydides Trap thesis that the US and China may be locked into a path to war. Professor Graham Allison, the Harvard academic who helped publicise the thesis, recently gave a series of talks in major universities in China. Given the tense... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2179123/forget-thucydides-trap-rising-china-has-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2179123/forget-thucydides-trap-rising-china-has-no?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Dec 2018 02:30:30 +0000 In early June, I spent a week in Hong Kong, meeting colleagues, speaking at academic seminars, and wandering around the streets and enjoying the city’s wonderful diversity of cuisine. The streets and restaurants evoked the Hong Kong movies of my adolescence and college years. In fact, this happens every time I visit Hong Kong – every part of the city seems to remind me of a movie scene. Of course, my most recent visit also coincided with the city’s preparations for the 20th anniversary of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2101487/hong-kong-city-still-exudes-movie-magic-must-get-grips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2101487/hong-kong-city-still-exudes-movie-magic-must-get-grips?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2017 03:00:22 +0000 Last week was extraordinary for football fans in China. On Tuesday, the national team drew with Hong Kong, eliminating any realistic chance of moving into the second phase of the qualifying matches for the 2016 World Cup. Then, at the weekend, Guangzhou Evergrande won the Asian Champions League trophy, with a 1-0 victory over United Arab Emirates’ Al Ahli in the final. READ MORE: Hong Kong football gets shirty: sports, politics, passion and fashion collide in World Cup clash All around the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1883443/why-chinas-lack-success-against-hong-kong-football-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1883443/why-chinas-lack-success-against-hong-kong-football-field?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2015 08:52:05 +0000 Soon, Xi Jinping and the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee will have occupied China's top leadership positions for one year. This anniversary marks an opportune time to appraise the performances of Xi and Premier Li Keqiang. From the outset, the new leadership duo hit the ground running. Compared to their predecessors Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, who took the reins in late 2002, Xi and Li have found it easier to exert their authority. The new leadership duo hit the ground running. Compared... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1349935/year-chinas-xi-and-li-prove-themselves-doers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1349935/year-chinas-xi-and-li-prove-themselves-doers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2013 12:30:30 +0000 This year's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meetings are important in the sense that a new government will be "sworn in". The new premier will take up his position, together with a whole new cabinet - following the forming of a new Central Committee, ministers are expected to be reappointed as well, with a five-year term ahead. And there will be no surprises when the president, vice-president, and chairmen of the new NPC Standing Committee and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1180282/dont-hold-your-breath-major-reform-plan-npc-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1180282/dont-hold-your-breath-major-reform-plan-npc-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The 31 administrative regions of mainland China have now concluded their people's congress meetings to install local leaderships. This completed another major step in the power transition in China following last November's Communist Party congress. The next big step will be the National People's Congress next month, when the new State Council will be formed. Before and immediately after the party congress, leaked information pointed to a reshuffle of leaders in quite a few provinces, while it... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1153232/xis-focus-continuity-chinas-provinces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1153232/xis-focus-continuity-chinas-provinces?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 China's microblogosphere before and after the 18th party congress appeared markedly different. Before, loud voices demanded democracy, predicting that the Communist Party would drop its Mao Zedong Thought tenets and ridiculing the party's opaque power politics in light of the recent US election. But the day the new leadership was unveiled, microblogs seemed filled with genuine expressions of satisfaction and excitement. Netizens appeared pleased by the new line-up, thankful that Xi Jinping and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1086178/communist-partys-well-planned-route-successful-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1086178/communist-partys-well-planned-route-successful-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 In recent days, public protests erupted in Chinese cities, with demonstrators demanding that the Japanese government return the Diaoyu Islands to China. These protests have also put a lot of pressure on the Chinese government to take a tougher stance against Japan. The protests came after a group of activists, sailing on a Hong Kong vessel, landed on one of the disputed islands in an effort to proclaim China's sovereignty. They were arrested but quickly released after pressure from the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1021927/nationalist-tide-over-disputed-territories-test-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1021927/nationalist-tide-over-disputed-territories-test-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000