https://www.scmp.com/rss/517660/feed Dominik Mierzejewski is head of the Centre for Asian Affairs and associate professor in the Department of Asian Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz, Poland. He specialises in the rhetoric of Chinese diplomacy, Beijing’s relations with the Global South, and central government-provinces relations in China. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski As we get ready for the Year of the Horse, preparations for the Spring Festival Gala, the most important event on China’s television calendar, are well under way. Most viewers will see choreography, spectacle and national pride – as well as humanoid robots. Policymakers and markets, however, should see something else: a carefully staged signal of how China’s political economy is positioning for the next cycle of industrial overcapacity – and its global consequences. The gala has become a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342407/after-solar-panels-and-evs-overcapacity-coming-chinas-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342407/after-solar-panels-and-evs-overcapacity-coming-chinas-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski In the aftermath of the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, many interpretations have emerged. However, one crucial dimension has been overlooked: the way in which Xi’s domestic priorities influence his foreign policy agenda. The de-escalation of trade tensions between China and the United States goes beyond fentanyl, rare earth elements, the chip war and Beijing’s purchase of US soybeans. It constitutes one of the key elements of internal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332195/chinas-diplomatic-gains-us-are-political-insurance-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332195/chinas-diplomatic-gains-us-are-political-insurance-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski When Beijing announced in September that it would no longer seek the special benefits that come with developing-country status at the World Trade Organization (WTO), some Western media outlets framed it as a concession. Meanwhile, to critics of China’s trade policy, it likely came across as a belated acknowledgement that the world’s second-largest economy should not be treated the same as, say, Cambodia or Ghana. However, China’s logic is far from being understood. Through the lens of Mao... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327951/giving-wto-privileges-china-gains-more-it-loses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327951/giving-wto-privileges-china-gains-more-it-loses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski Chinese President Xi Jinping recently commemorated the 120th birth anniversary of Chen Yun, one of the foundational economic planners of the Communist Party of China. Amid the commemoration’s celebratory tone, Xi’s speech signals a rhetorical shift. The references to communist conviction so prominent in the 2015 address delivered for Chen’s 110th birthday were relatively sparse in Xi’s remarks from earlier this month. Instead, there was polished language relating to development planning and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3314615/facing-multiple-crises-china-stressing-resilient-governance-over-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3314615/facing-multiple-crises-china-stressing-resilient-governance-over-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski When Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to Moscow, many headlines focused on energy talks, bilateral cooperation and handshakes signalling deeper China–Russia ties. However, another type of strategy was unfolding behind the formalities, one rooted not in policy, but in narrative. In their joint statements and ceremonial remarks, Chinese and Russian officials weren’t simply affirming mutual interests. They were rewriting the language of legitimacy. History, the United Nations and the actions... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310024/will-china-and-russias-wwii-narrative-resonate-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310024/will-china-and-russias-wwii-narrative-resonate-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Beyond the economic issues highlighted at China’s “two sessions” or parliamentary meetings, the government must address increasing youth discontent, which is primarily due to rising youth unemployment. While the previous generation was enriched by China’s reforms and opening up, those born under the one-child policy face different concerns amid economic and job market challenges as the country embraces a dual circulation strategy. Adding to the diversity of youth frustrations, which has spawned... https://www.scmp.com/comment/china-opinion/article/3255970/sake-its-economy-china-must-address-youth-unemployment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/china-opinion/article/3255970/sake-its-economy-china-must-address-youth-unemployment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:30:20 +0000 With tensions growing at home and abroad ahead of China’s third plenum, a key economic planning session, the government faces the dual challenge of managing its relations with the local authorities and, more critically, of fostering cooperation between the local governments in the national pursuit for greater economic integration. The challenge is that the local authorities have a strong tendency to prioritise local economic development. They do collaborate, notably in the Yangtze River Delta... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3253060/forge-one-china-market-beijing-must-overcome-local-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3253060/forge-one-china-market-beijing-must-overcome-local-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Feb 2024 07:30:09 +0000