If you’re Chinese, come into the Parlor

By David O’Brien Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham Ningbo. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang this week began a major trip of four South American nations with trade and investment top of his agenda. Over the next few days Mr Li will visit the continent’s leading powers Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Columbia and …

Struggling to keep up on China’s New Silk Road

By David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo. The announcement of US$1.65bn dollar injection of capital into a hydropower project in Pakistan during Xi Jinping’s recent visit there marks the first step on China’s much hyped New Silk Road. In November President Xi announced that China intends to …

Fighting Extremism in Iraq or Political ‘Free-Riding’?

By Dr David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. As America seems once again pulled into the mire in Iraq, President Barack Obama has hit out at what he describes as China’s ‘free-riding’ in that beleaguered land. Not surprisingly this had provoked an angry reaction in China, …

Changing Misperceptions and Easing Misgivings

By Dr David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Britain this week hoping to boost trade, strengthen cooperation and in his own words “change misperceptions and misgivings“. Premier Li arrived on Monday for a three day visit – the first by …

Another economic milestone but does it actually mean anything?

By Dr.  David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. In a matter of weeks China is very likely to surpass the United States and officially become the world’s leading trading nation.  According to official figures the value of China’s imports and exports in 2013 reached $4.16 …

The Chinese Dream Controversy

By Angela Wang, Assistant Research Fellow to the Dean of Arts & Education, At The University of Nottingham Ningbo. The Chinese Dream has become a blazing topic for months, prominent in discourse within every field (economic, political, entertainment, academic, individual, etc.). Ever since the central government implemented the idea of a Chinese dream, it has …

Watches and cuckoo clocks – the tick-tock of China-Europe relations

By Professor Stephen L. Morgan, Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Professor of Chinese Economic History at the University of Nottingham. What is it about Europeans and Chinese? Or rather, what’s rattling each of their cages at present? Trade relations has been at the heart of some pretty heavy words …