Author Archive

Targeting Northeastern Tigers: Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Campaign in Liaoning

By | February 06, 2017

The Chinese Communist Party is in a state of tremendous ferment on the corruption issue. Surveying the mainland press for clues from Liaoning, Adam Cathcart assesses the campaign’s impact in a key border province.

Amid Sanctions, a Sino-North Korean Rapprochement

By | November 30, 2016

With the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2321, the US has managed to lock in UN implementation of a number of Treasury sanctions on North Korea. Will the PRC finally play the role of partner and ratchet up the pressure on the DPRK, or will it continue to say one thing but do another? Adam Cathcart considers the question.

Occupation at the Local Level: Kim Dong-choon on Korean War Atrocities

By | August 23, 2016

In an extensive new review essay, Adam Cathcart offers a sweeping assessment of Kim Dong-choon’s 2009 text on the Korean War, reinvigorating debate over both Korean War history and the societal tensions that come with it.

Kim Jong-un, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Trident Debate

By | July 26, 2016

At a recent Parliamentary debate in London, North Korea was raised time and again as justification for the renewal of Britain’s submarine nuclear deterrent. Adam Cathcart parses what it means for the besieged opposition Labour Party, and peers into shadows of Korean War destruction for the Conservatives.

Reinterpreting the Withdrawal of Chinese Troops from North Korea, 1956-1958

By | July 12, 2016

Did Kim Il-sung’s nationalism force the Chinese out of North Korea in the 1950s, or was it an agreed strategy meant to bolster anti-US propaganda? This post reviews new data on a pivotal moment in Chinese-North Korean relations.

Rumblings from Dandong: Banks and Bayonets

By | February 24, 2016

To understand politics in East Asia it is vital to keep a close eye on events in state capitols. However, it is also necessary to know what is going on at ground level – in Rason, Yanji, Hyesan, Ji’an, Sinuiju, Jilin, and of course right here in Dandong.

Wang Haiyun and China’s North Korean Contingency Scenarios

By | February 23, 2016

An op-ed by a retired PLA General in Shanghai urges preparation for all-out war around Korea. What signals does this send? Also, reflections on Xi Jinping’s heavy hand and the North Korea discourse.

Fukushima Effect: China’s “Emergency” Moves after the North Korean Nuclear Test

By | February 16, 2016

North Korean radiation is now seen publicly as a standard threat to the security and stability of the border region along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. Translating a People’s Daily article, Adam Cathcart shows steps being taken by the CCP to assuage concerns among the population in northeast China.

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