http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/chinese-politics Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 14 May 2026 03:39:02 -0400 Thu, 14 May 2026 03:39:02 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank By Rakkshet Singhaal - The study examines the degree to which Xi Jinping has brought about a strategic shift to the Chinese outward investment pattern and how this may present significant political leverage and military advantages for China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In order to understand China’s intention behind its outward investments, the study examines the numerous outbound investments made by Chinese businesses and state-owned enterprises, especially in the infrastructure and energy sector, and demonstrate a strategic shift brought by Xi Jinping to achieve his domestic objective, which can be seen... Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1922/dengs-war-assessing-the-success-of-the-sino-vietnamese-war By Richard Chen - The Sino-Vietnamese War remains one of the most peculiar military engagements during the Cold War. Conventional wisdom would hold that it was a proxy war in the vein of the United States’ war in Vietnam or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; however, it was far from either of these engagements, both in its scope and in its final goals. Military analysis holds that the Sino-Vietnamese War was a tremendous failure—Chinese troops massively underperformed when compared to Vietnamese soldiers. However, after a consideration of Deng’s political situation and the balance of power in... Mon, 22 Nov 2021 09:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1922/dengs-war-assessing-the-success-of-the-sino-vietnamese-war http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1909/grand-narrative-fragmented-reality-the-belt-and-road-initiative-in-heilongjiang-province By Gabriel Wagner - Most analysts agree that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is set to become a defining feature of the global economy of the 21st century. However, there is wide-ranging debate about how to understand the BRI. Is it a top-down “grand strategy” directed by Xi Jinping, or just an umbrella term for a wide range of fragmented individual projects? This paper examines the “Three Bridges One Island” (三桥一岛) initiative in Heilongjiang province to shed light on this question. The findings suggest that official policy narratives about the BRI are indeed dictated... Tue, 21 Sep 2021 07:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1909/grand-narrative-fragmented-reality-the-belt-and-road-initiative-in-heilongjiang-province http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1822/trust-in-state-media-analyzing-the-chinese-communist-partys-changing-approach-to-public-opinion-and-media-censorship By Edward F. Xu - China’s rise as a global power has major implications for the future of free speech and media censorship both within and outside the People’s Republic. While there are numerous examples of the Chinese Communist Party employing blanket bans on accessing information, it also often frequently permits the presence of media unfavorable to the party due to the current state strategy of “public opinion guidance” that utilizes centrally commanded counter-narratives that delegitimize or undermine dissenters (Tai). I evaluated this approach and determined that it is crucial in fostering... Wed, 21 Oct 2020 07:51 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1822/trust-in-state-media-analyzing-the-chinese-communist-partys-changing-approach-to-public-opinion-and-media-censorship http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1784/totalitarian-friendship-carl-schmitt-in-contemporary-china By Jackson T. Reinhardt - For the past several years, the study of German jurist Carl Schmitt has exploded in China. Floria Sapio remarks that Schmitt has enjoyed “enormous currency among mainland Chinese scholars since the 2000s.”[1] Even though Schmitt has received a recent revitalization of interest of his thought among Western scholars,[2] he is still known primarily for his aphoristic (and largely untranslated) texts on political theory and his infamous association with the Nazi Party. Yet, the reason that this esoteric and controversial thinker has garnered any consideration within Chinese academia is... Tue, 14 Jul 2020 08:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1784/totalitarian-friendship-carl-schmitt-in-contemporary-china http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1723/opposites-attract-an-evaluation-of-foreign-policy-impediments-in-sino-vatican-relations By Rex N. Alley - The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Holy See appears to be an uneasy association between opposites. With over 1 billion people, the PRC is "the world's most populous state," while the Holy See is housed in tiny Vatican City.2 In addition to its status as a sovereign political entity,3 the Holy See is also the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, since the Revolution, the PRC has been a Communist state, led by a party that strives to "propagate atheism."4 Despite these differences, the PRC and Holy See also hold commonalities. The pope's spiritual... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1723/opposites-attract-an-evaluation-of-foreign-policy-impediments-in-sino-vatican-relations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1703/eminent-domain-in-the-united-states-and-china-comparing-the-practice-across-countries By Simon K. Zhen - Regardless of which side of the Pacific individuals reside on, the idea of the government taking property and uprooting citizens tends to evoke a considerable amount of backlash. In examining the eminent domain practices of the United States and China, this paper will provide a framework for evaluating and improving the peculiar processes of each country. The first two sections will, respectively, explore the legal framework of eminent domain in the U.S. and China. The third section will analyze the implications of both systems in light of two themes: (1) balancing the interests of stakeholders... Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1703/eminent-domain-in-the-united-states-and-china-comparing-the-practice-across-countries http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape By Rona Y. Ji - The sheer number of distinct dialects present within the country has long complicated Chinese language standardization and language policy. Furthermore, China’s history with colonial powers throughout the past three centuries has led to a distinct divide between language standardization in Northern China and Southern China. Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to promote Mandarin as the primary language of the People’s Republic of China, Cantonese has been one of several dialects that has experienced special allowances from the Chinese government due to the colonial... Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1503/the-lgbt-movement-in-china-public-perception-stigma-and-the-human-rights-debate By Arber Mavraj - Ever since its elimination from the list of mental illnesses in 2001, and decriminalization in 1997, homosexuality in China continues to be at the forefront of China’s growing human rights debate. The estimated 40 million lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) Chinese[1] are victims of violence or discrimination both inside and outside their families and do not have equal access to justice and social services, such a legal aid, counseling, or health-care due the predominantly negative public opinion regarding sexual orientation and gender identity[2]. Likewise, the portrayal of... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:56 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1503/the-lgbt-movement-in-china-public-perception-stigma-and-the-human-rights-debate http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1513/quantifying-chinas-influence-on-the-shanghai-cooperation-organization By Abigail Grace - Following the People's Republic of China's "Reform and Opening Up" (gaige kaifang) ushered in by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, China's participation in international organizations has dramatically increased.2 These organizations cover a range of issues, and include institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank. However, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a notable departure from these aforementioned institutions. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1513/quantifying-chinas-influence-on-the-shanghai-cooperation-organization http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1461/interpreting-political-unrest-in-hong-kong-through-the-midnight-after-2014 By Justin Wong Jun-sheng - Hong Kong is standing at a crucial social and political juncture in its history. A former British colony, it has retained its unique legal system, electoral system, and political democracy. These systems have worked together to create a society in which residents are entitled to their rights with a strong and equal rule of law that governs the society. The 1st of July 1997 marked the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC (HKSAR). Many fear that as time progresses, the PRC... Mon, 17 Oct 2016 08:43 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1461/interpreting-political-unrest-in-hong-kong-through-the-midnight-after-2014 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1444/spectrums-of-nationalism-a-comparison-of-american-and-chinese-nationalism By Aeron L. Roach - American media generally depicts nationalism as a negative concept, which is threatening to peace and security. However, in its broadest sense, nationalism can incorporate two phenomena: “(1) the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their identity as members of that nation and (2) the actions that the members of a nation take in seeking to achieve (or sustain) some form of political sovereignty.”1 Neither of these is inherently threatening to either peace or security. Why, then, is Chinese nationalism so often viewed as a threat? I propose that this perception... Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1444/spectrums-of-nationalism-a-comparison-of-american-and-chinese-nationalism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1440/what-were-maos-motivations-for-intervention-in-the-korean-war By Ciaran Kovach - Chinese intervention in Korea in October 1950 continued a period of hideous violence and death in China's history. Between 1927 and 1949, around 21.5 to 27.5 million Chinese had died in the Second Sino-Japanese War and in the Chinese Civil War. Despite this terrible loss of life, exactly one year after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and the establishment of an uneasy peace, Chinese troops were once again marching to war, now in Korea. This intervention would go on to claim between 180,000 and 400,000 Chinese lives (including that of Mao Zedong's own son), possibly even... Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1440/what-were-maos-motivations-for-intervention-in-the-korean-war http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1417/creating-the-cult-of-xi-jinping-the-chinese-dream-as-a-leader-symbol By Brian Hart - Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has used publicly displayed propaganda art as a means of maintaining power. During the early years of the PRC, propaganda posters played a large role in establishing a cult of personality around Mao Zedong. Today's propaganda art seeks primarily to garner popular support for President Xi Jinping's "China Dream" campaign. The China Dream, popularized by Xi in 2012, is a nebulous concept that shares many of the materialistic components of the "American Dream," but simultaneously—and more importantly&mdash... Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1417/creating-the-cult-of-xi-jinping-the-chinese-dream-as-a-leader-symbol http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1093/an-explanation-of-self-censorship-in-china-the-enforcement-of-social-control-through-a-panoptic-infrastructure By Simon K. Zhen - In contemporary China, as a result of centuries of censorship, major dissent at the domestic level has become rather rare. This research paper examines the mechanics of censorship in China. It will explore the evolution of censorship over time as well as the specifics of how the Chinese government manages to censor its citizens on the Internet and in the media. Scholars have generally accredited the success of the government’s endeavors to the infrastructure that is used for censorship as well as the hierarchical control that the government exercises. However, I will argue that these explanations... Thu, 03 Sep 2015 11:36 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1093/an-explanation-of-self-censorship-in-china-the-enforcement-of-social-control-through-a-panoptic-infrastructure http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1069/explaining-chinas-intervention-in-the-korean-war-in-1950 By Bangning Zhou - This issue is especially puzzling when one considers the facts that the economy of the PRC was shattered, with high inflation, extremely tight fiscal budget and lack of material resources. The internal security and authority of the regime was under threat by various acts of sabotage undertaken by remaining Kuomintang (KMT) agents, and the enemy China faced was far stronger in terms of military equipment and logistical supply. It should also be noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was preparing for the battles in Taiwan to unify the whole of China. In general, the conditions were highly... Thu, 01 Jan 2015 07:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1069/explaining-chinas-intervention-in-the-korean-war-in-1950 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/932/chinas-harmonious-world-in-the-era-of-the-rising-east By Richard E. Poole - Almost unanimously, theorists, academics, and policy makers around the world agree that China is 'rising' (regardless of the negative/positive connotations associated with the term 'rise' itself). In 2007, the same year the 'harmonious world' policy discussed herein was further institutionalised in Hu's official "Report to the 17th Party Congress," China was the world's third largest trading partner with a GDP of $3.24 trillion dollars, and has since become the second largest, overtaking Japan (Jintao 2007; Bergsten et al 2009, pp. 209-210). Even during the recession, China was able to boast growth... Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:48 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/932/chinas-harmonious-world-in-the-era-of-the-rising-east http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/859/the-chinese-pollution-problem-and-the-politics-of-airpocalypse By Vikrant Bhatnagar - In 1992 during his famed Southern Trip, Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of the Communist Party of China, proclaimed that "To Get Rich Is Glorious[1]." This slogan ignited the economic revolution in China. It is through this very notion of economic productivity and the search for wealth that China also adopted another motto – growth at all costs. Two decades later, China is no longer the third world country that Deng Xiaoping lived in, but an economic powerhouse that has turned a blind eye towards its environment. Whether you look outward towards the water, or inward towards the land,... Fri, 17 Jan 2014 11:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/859/the-chinese-pollution-problem-and-the-politics-of-airpocalypse http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia By Reuben NS. Tang - This report examines the Chinese economic model, the potential for future Chinese growth, and the implications for Australia. An examination of factors that have contributed to the rise of the modern Chinese economy including demographic factors and productivity gains is conducted via a review of existing literature. The pattern of Chinese economic development and the basis for its GDP growth is considered within the context of this literature and the prospects for future Chinese economic growth are discussed while raising and addressing potential imbalances in China. These imbalances principally... Tue, 20 Aug 2013 05:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/342/the-politics-of-cooperation-analyzing-the-relationship-between-china-australia-and-the-us By Michael J. Norris - John Howard, then-Prime Minister of Australia, claimed that, ‘I count it as one of the great successes of this country’s foreign relations that we have simultaneously been able to strengthen our long-standing ties with the United States of America, yet at the same time continue to build a very close relationship with China’ (Howard 2004). This statement embodies the ideal vision of Australian foreign policy: a healthy security relationship with the United States complemented by burgeoning economic ties with China (White 2005: 470). However, relations between Australia’s... Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:52 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/342/the-politics-of-cooperation-analyzing-the-relationship-between-china-australia-and-the-us http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/263/the-taiwan-strait-from-civil-war-to-status-quo By Dustin R. Turin - In 2005, during a period of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan and with the United States deeply embroiled in two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the leading authority on East Asian security within the National Security Council nevertheless made the point that “one of the greatest dangers to international security” was the “possibility of a military confrontation between China and Taiwan that leads to a war between China and the United States” (Lieberthal, 2005). Analysts and media pundits have often alluded to this doomsday scenario in which Taiwan becomes... Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/263/the-taiwan-strait-from-civil-war-to-status-quo http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/134/the-beijing-consensus-chinas-alternative-development-model By Dustin R. Turin - Recently a new strategy started to surface, defined in contrast to the Washington Consensus as the Beijing Consensus; and indeed, the Beijing Consensus has little in common with Washington’s model. Instead of prescribing rigid recommendations for the problems of distant nations, the Beijing Consensus is pragmatic—much like China in the post-1979 world—and recognizes the need for flexibility in solving multifarious problems. It is inherently focused on innovation, while simultaneously emphasizing ideals such as equitable development and a “Peaceful Rise” (Ramo, 2004... Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/134/the-beijing-consensus-chinas-alternative-development-model http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1094/a-new-red-peril-an-analysis-of-chinas-role-in-the-21st-century By Sarah Bradbury - The results of reform speak for themselves. In 1978, China’s share of world trade was half a percent. Within only years of entering the world economy, China’s economy has overtaken Japan’s and is predicted to be greater than the US’s within 20 years. It has witnessed real GDP growth rates of 8% and above since reforms were started, and during the period between 1990 and 1996 growth averaged 12.6%. Economists and the Chinese reformers have identified their huge dearth of potential in natural resources and man-power. Consequently, foreign investment is now flowing... Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1094/a-new-red-peril-an-analysis-of-chinas-role-in-the-21st-century http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1166/deng-xiaoping-and-the-future By John Heathershaw - On the nineteenth of February Deng Xiaoping, the dominant figure of Chinese politics for 19 years, died and left behind him a booming China, and a nation with many unresolved questions. The British media proclaimed the passing away of ‘the last red titan’ and it certainly seemed the end of an era for a country that has held a fifth of the worlds population outside democratic governance and bucking the trend towards political openness which occurred among other communist states. The career of Deng took place over the full course of the history of the Peoples Republic of China... Wed, 01 Jan 1997 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1166/deng-xiaoping-and-the-future