What Does China’s Population Decline Mean?

March 20, 2023
The Chinese government recently issued official statements that its population is shrinking. With a reported birth rate of 9.56 million and a death rate of 10.41 in 2022 (CNBC), the country’s population fell for the first time since the 1960s (Statista 1). The dependency ratio in 2021, which indicates the growing population that must be […]

The Tibet Question: Its Significance for China and the Conflict with India for Control over the Region

November 28, 2022
The U.S. military is scheduled to take part on a joint military exercise with India near its disputed border with China in the Tibetan region in October[i]. This event only tops the list of increased tensions between both powers for control over the region. In 2020, a clash between soldiers from both nations in the […]

China’s Uyghur Situation and the 2022 Winter Olympics

March 31, 2022
The 2022 Winter Olympics were recently held in Beijing, China, which caused some countries to refuse to send diplomatic delegates to the games, including the United States. This conflict stems from the current human rights violations China are potentially engaging in. The focus of these violations includes the detainment of over one million Uyghurs and […]

Life Under Lockdown on a Small Island: a Personal Perspective

November 15, 2021
This article was first published by American University in Cairo’s Cairo Review of Global Affairs. It was published as part of UCF’s partnership with AUC, thanks to the generous support of Jonathan and Nancy Wolf.   As a frequent traveler to China, having been to several cities there in November and to Hong Kong in […]

Hong Kong Tightens Coronavirus Restrictions

July 31, 2020
Hong Kong has begun to tighten restrictions as coronavirus cases hit record highs (Reuters). Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam reported that more than 100 cases were reported on Sunday, the most since the pandemic began in late January (Reuters). The government has increased testing especially for individuals in high-risk areas (NYT). Social gatherings are now […]

Ecuador on Alert After Fleet of Vessels Spotted Near Galapagos Islands

July 30, 2020
Ecuadorian Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrin told reporters last week that the country was monitoring a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels off the Galapagos Islands (Reuters). Vessels like these pose a threat to the marine life of the Galapagos Islands, and species such as sharks, manta rays and tuna (El Universo). Patrols are currently surrounding the […]

Australian PM Suspends Extradition Treaty, Extends Visas For Hong Kong Citizen

July 15, 2020
On July 9th, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the nation would immediately suspend their extradition agreement with Hong Kong (Reuters). This decision came as a direct response to the passing of China’s controversial national security law in Hong Kong (CNN). Opponents of the security law stated that it would drastically reduce many democratic […]


Australian Government Targeted by State-Based Cyber Attack

July 1, 2020
On June 19th, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed that several governmental organizations were the victim of a state-based cyber-attack (Al Jazeera). The  cyber-attacks were not a single breach, but an aggregation of attacks on the federal, state, and territorial levels of government agencies (ABC). During a press conference, Morrison did not name a  specific […]

Beijing Officials Declare the Outbreak is Under Control

July 1, 2020
Beijing is currently experiencing a second wave of the Coronavirus outbreak, which began on June 11th, 2020 (South China Morning Post). The second wave brought an end to a 55-day streak without the transmission of any new Coronavirus cases (South China Morning Post). The new wave spread from the Xinfadi market, a major wholesale produce […]

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