Foreign Policy

China’s Meritocratic System Challenges Western Monopoly on Political Legitimacy

China’s Meritocratic System Challenges Western Monopoly on Political Legitimacy

In the global governance discourse, Western epistemological colonisation has led us to believe, unquestioningly, that electoral democracy is the only process through which a political system can gain legitimacy. I disagree. China is one country whose political leadership challenges the applicability of democracy in a universal fashion, as an obvious truism. The Chinese Communist Party […]

Merz’s High-Stakes China Balancing Act

Merz’s High-Stakes China Balancing Act

In February this year, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in China. This was his first visit there since taking office, and he’s the latest Western leader seeking to reset ties with Beijing. The trip came amid warnings from German industry of growing competition from China. It is clear that both countries now want to pursue […]

China’s Bid for Global Leadership

China’s Bid for Global Leadership

The level of Chinese modernization is going to be the defining marvel of our time, if isn’t already. China has made great strides in economic strength, and in advancing scientific and technological capabilities. The country has demonstrated an ability to sustain and consolidate progress in several measures. It has increased gross domestic product (GDP) to 134.9 trillion […]

China’s Two Sessions: the Centrality of China-Africa Green Cooperation and Why It Matters

China’s Two Sessions: the Centrality of China-Africa Green Cooperation and Why It Matters

Each spring, the ‘two sessions;’ China’s biggest political assembly brings together the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to deliberate on the nation’s broad policy direction for the new year. This year’s two sessions ran from March 04-12, bringing together members of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and representatives […]

Strategic Alignment for Prosperity: How to Deepen China-Uganda Ties in the 15th Five-Year Plan Era

Strategic Alignment for Prosperity: How to Deepen China-Uganda Ties in the 15th Five-Year Plan Era

On March 17th 2025, the Development Watch Centre (DWC) in partnership with her sister organizations (Sino-Uganda Research Centre, Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Studies, and Centre for BRICS Studies Uganda) hosted a half-day symposium at Fairway Hotel in Kampala that analysed the implications of the newly adopted 15th Five-Year Plan for Uganda hence the theme “Strategic Alignment for […]

Will China leapfrog itself in the next five-year plan?

Will China leapfrog itself in the next five-year plan?

Editor’s note: Hussein Askary, a special commentator for CGTN, is the Vice-Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, and a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. China’s Premier Li Qiang delivered a government work report (GWR) on […]

Two Sessions 2026: 14th National People’s Congress holds press conference

Two Sessions 2026: 14th National People’s Congress holds press conference

The 14th National People’s Congress has held a news conference, briefing the public on key concerns and policy signals that may ripple across the globe. Our reporter Feng Yilei has the latest. 14th National People’s Congress is ready for its fourth session starting Thursday. Deliberation on China’s social and economic plan for the next half-decade […]