China’s Fifth Plenum: The 14th Five Year Plan and Vision 2035

For China watchers, there were perhaps no surprises in China’s announcement of the 14thFive Year Plan (FYP) as most of the content had been rolled out and foreshadowed over the past two years. The plan is ambitious and confident covering climate, tech self-reliance, promoting domestic demand (featured in the dual-circulation strategy), Taiwan, and more. Yet, this plan marks a fundamental paradigm shift to China’s economic trajectory, and contrary to the popular narrative, it does not mean that China is turning inward. In fact, there is quite a lot in this plan about opening-up aimed at attracting and retaining foreign investment, which has been increasing despite the deteriorating external environment China faces around the world.

Private Life of Chairman Mao

Quick Take: China's new financial "Dream Team" signals opening up

What comes next after China's financial "Dream Team" was announced? Opening up of China's financial sector to foreign firms is a priority of the newly announced leadership coming out of the National People’s Congress. The financial sector leadership announced last week is the most Westernized and technically experienced to date.

China's new leadership

Auspicious 8: A primer on how the chinese system really works

Chinese President Xi Jinping may be disrupting many of China’s old rules in order to solidify his power in advance of all-important 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China coming up this October, but the fundamentals of how the Chinese system functions in practice (rather than in theory) remain intact.

Chinese Provincial Leadership Changes

Overcoming the fear of failure: Boosting small business in China

Is fear of failure hindering Chinese entrepreneurship? A new initiative by the Chinese government suggests that cultural sensitivity to failure may be preventing some Chinese businessmen from launching their own companies.

Chinese mayors’ surprising lesson in Miami: Governance

The 12 Chinese mayors and vice mayors hosted recently by the Paulson Institute for a crash course on urban sustainability with experts in Chicago and Miami began their trip to the United States with a very practical focus: How could they bring green technologies and sustainable approaches in successful US cities to their districts back home?

China’s enforcers: How Beijing keeps local leaders in line

After 10 days investigating wayward provinces, the teams submitted a 1,000-page report with a simple conclusion: local leaders, looking out for their own financial interests, were consistently ignoring directives from Beijing.