Willy Lam

Who thought that the "Fifth Generation" could bring a wave of reform in China must change their mind, at least in the light of the last National People's Congress. Attempts towards change completely blocked, only (trite) "socialism with Chinese characteristics” glorified." The analysis of the expert courtesy of the Jamestown Foundation.

There is something new at 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China. Some 24 private sector businesspeople have been chosen as delegates. Until 2002, they had no right to be represented. However, their presence does not constitute an ideological shift by Chinese Communists. In fact, the party wants them in to control them and has even begun to indoctrinate their children. Published by permission of the Jamestown Foundation.

One of the leading analysts of contemporary China "debunks" myths related to an epochal change in the upcoming Chinese Communist leadership: "The time is not yet ripe for a genuine liberalization of politics. The new leadership will perhaps be less draconian with dissent, but still wants to maintain absolute power over the country”. Published with the courtesy of the Jamestown Foundation.

What happened in Shifang and Wukan could lead people to think that Communist authorities have changed the ways they address the growing number of social protests in China. But they would be wrong. Although the party wants to show that it is close to the people, it is also trying to keep young people away from politics and stop the action of dissidents and human rights activists. Beijing must be careful though. Young people have been the real driving force of every revolution and young Chinese are increasingly working for change. Here's an analysis by Willy Lam, an expert in the matter, which AsiaNews is publishing with permission from the Jamestown Foundation.

In the past decade, China's Communist leaders have radically shifted gear. They have dropped Deng Xiaoping's low profile in favour of an approach based on weapons as well as economic and energy blackmail. This has generated even more enemies working together to counter Chinese territorial claims. Analyst Willy Lam looks at the situation, which AsiaNews publishes by courtesy of The Jamestown Foundation.

The move against Bo Xilai and his allies breaks the party's aura of unity and stability. Bo sought military support for a possible coup. Calls for unity and obedience of the People's Liberation Army to the leadership undermine Wen Jiabao's appeals for political reforms. Wen's words might be once more an empty promise. Bo Xilai's trial should follow the rules, with Chinese and foreign journalists allowed to report on it. Expert Willy Lam analyses the situation with text courtesy of The Jamestown Foundation.

China reaffirms the centrality of the Communist Party and closes any possibility of democratic reform or otherwise. We publish the detailed analysis of the noted scholar Willy Lam on the 2011/2015 Program adopted by the Chinese Parliament during the annual meeting in March.

The annual National People's Congress was primarily concerned with "defending socio-political stability - and crushing any possible Chinese style jasmine revolution". The comment of the noted scholar on the Chinese government and many unresolved problems.

The recent revolutions shaking up Arab regimes have scared China’s rulers. Concern about possible unrest at home has led Chinese Communist authorities to promote social reforms for the lower classes but also to crack down on any attempt to show solidarity with Arab demonstrators. Will the winds of change sweeping across Africa and the Middle East skirt the mainland? Here is an analysis by Willy Lam, a journalist with the Jamestown Foundation in Washington.

Eighteen years after Tiananmen square, the Chinese communist party finds itself in the midst of its worst crises of social credibility. Veterans urge the adoption of a socio-democratic political system, while state press agencies denounce flagrant corruption among communist officials. The leadership responds with fruitless, Maoist style- ideological campaigns.