China is pioneering the creation of a central bank digital currency that is likely to be the first of its kind. If China succeeds in implementing a digital renminbi, it could generate significant economic and political dividends for Beijing, at home and abroad.
China has established itself as the dominant global supplier of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals that are crucial to countless advanced technologies. China’s capacity to disrupt global rare earth supply chains has raised alarm bells in several major countries, but Beijing’s influence within the industry is likely to be eroded in the coming years.
Successfully managing the threat of pandemics and epidemics requires advanced capabilities and robust resources. Decades of economic development have enhanced China’s ability to defend against infectious diseases, but the outbreak of COVID-19 laid bare critical health security weaknesses.
There are nearly as many currencies in use around the world as there are countries, but only a handful of currencies are widely used outside of their home economies. While China has found some initial success at internationalizing the renminbi, it faces an uphill battle in shaking up the global currency hierarchy.
Ongoing economic modernization has expanded access to safe drinking water for hundreds of millions of people in China, but it has also severely polluted and taxed the country’s water resources. Leaders in Beijing have taken steps to address water security threats, but considerable obstacles persist.
ChinaPower hosted its fourth annual conference on December 4, 2019. The conference featured a keynote by Senator David Perdue and a postponed speech by Assistant Secretary of State David. R. Stilwell.
China is one of only nine countries that possess nuclear weapons. Although its nuclear arsenal is small relative to those of the United States and Russia, China is currently expanding and modernizing its nuclear forces. As China faces evolving security challenges, Beijing may also revise its primarily defensive nuclear strategy.
Conducting activities in space embodies the pinnacle of technological achievement. Only a handful of countries have the capability to indigenously launch payloads into space. China sits among this elite group, but closing the technology gap with more-advanced space powers will require China to make significant headway.
