Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 17h

Both sides are overplaying their hands? www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Trump Threatens Higher Tariffs on China, Citing Restrictions on Rare-Earth Elements

President Trump said there was “no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping after the country’s newest restrictions on rare-earth materials marked an escalation in trade negotiations.

www.wsj.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 2d

For folks interested in some speculations about leadership turnover in China, @NeysunM was kind enough to host this conversation @FPRI in Philly m.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ7B...

How Will Xi Handle the Succession Process?

YouTube video by Foreign Policy Research Institute

m.youtube.com

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Neysun Mahboubi @neysunm.bsky.social · 2d

Along with our Zhengfawei (soundcloud.com/user-8653541...) colleagues, I've enjoyed a fairly constant on and offline conversation with my friend @vicshih.bsky.social since February 2021, and so it was a delight to continue our chat before a terrific live audience at @fpri.bsky.social yesterday:

How Will Xi Handle the Succession Process?

YouTube video by Foreign Policy Research Institute

www.youtube.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 5d

Will read for sure

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Neysun Mahboubi @neysunm.bsky.social · 5d

4th term for Xi Jinping may be likely, but succession is inevitable. What can we glean from current signals & past practice about how that process might play out? I am looking forward to welcome my friend @vicshih.bsky.social to discuss these Qs @fpri.bsky.social on Tue: www.fpri.org/event/2025/h...

How Will Xi Handle the Succession Process? - FPRI Events

Xi Jinping has ruled China for well over a decade now, making him the longest serving official leader of China since Mao Zedong. As the prospect sharpens for

www.fpri.org

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 10d

Someone should do a survey experiment on whether and how these model workers still help bolster the party’s legitimacy. Quite a lot of effort is still expended to select and highlight them, like this model rail worker 车菲菲 zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjnews/20220...

https://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjnews/202209/…

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 11d

Ok as of now, if you really rely on LLMs for close reading of government regulations, the interpretation will be mediocre to poor. I think Gemini is pretty good for Chinese material but even it misses many things which would be obvious to a trained human analyst

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The Wire China @thewirechina.bsky.social · 15d

The Wire China is currently seeking applications for a staff writer.

Follow the link below to learn more about the position and how to apply.

Open Postions - The Wire China

The Wire China is Seeking Applications for a Staff Writer.

buff.ly

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 17d

A very sad day for China studies as we lose one of the great mentors of the field

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 17d

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jerome A. Cohen, the eminent scholar of Chinese law. Our condolences to his family and all those who loved him.

He authored many books, most recently the memoir, "Eastward, Westward: A Life in Law."

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China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 17d

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jerome A. Cohen, the eminent scholar of Chinese law. Our condolences to his family and all those who loved him.

He authored many books, most recently the memoir, "Eastward, Westward: A Life in Law."

(1/2)

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Alex Wang @greenlawchina.bsky.social · 19d

Joanna Lewis, Sam Geall, Lauri Myllivirta, I and some others quoted in this Brook Larmer piece on China's global green-tech ambitions. This is part of the focus of my forthcoming book "Chinese Global Environmentalism," out later this year. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...

What Will China’s Green-Tech Ambitions Cost the World?

www.nytimes.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 21d

Here is the link www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump unveils $100K yearly fee on H-1B visas in clampdown on legal immigration

The Trump administration also plans to launch a $1 million “gold card” visa for wealthy foreigners in a dramatic overhaul of the nation’s paths to legal immigration.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 21d

On the stock market this is the best book www.amazon.com/Red-Capitali...

Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise

Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise [Walter, Carl, Howie, Fraser] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise

www.amazon.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 21d

Trump unveils $100K yearly fee on H-1B visas in clampdown on legal immigration / lets dramatically slow down the flow of top stem talent into this country. That’s going to end well. And guess what, that will benefit all of our tech competitors

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CONNECTED on TaiwanPlus @connectedtwplus.bsky.social · 22d

China’s once-booming property sector is in crisis. Prices are falling, developers are drowning in debt and millions of homes sit empty

Political scientist Victor Shih (@vicshih.bsky.social) explains why China’s housing market has failed to recover.

📺 youtu.be/MAPkc1GxUNA

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 22d

Wow, the August issue of Contemporary International Relations, a CICIR journal, has an essay entitled "The End of the West" by CICIR vice director Zhang Jian. Provocative and what timing. The full text is on Ai Sixiang oss.aisixiang.com/download/0fe...

oss.aisixiang.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · 25d

I have had a few chats with @josephtorigian.bsky.social on his book but this one really turned out well and we addressed some core issues about the party and its history www.ncuscr.org/video/the-pa...

The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping

Through an examination of the life of Xi Zhongxun, Joseph Torigian sheds light on the power of the Chinese Communist Party and how it affects individuals at its highest levels.

www.ncuscr.org

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 11

#APSA2025 if you still read books, you need to come to MacLeod’s Books

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 9

Normal because the EU had been doing it but the US doesn’t have anything equivalent, just costs write off on taxes

Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 9

Hong Kong: a comeback with Chinese characteristics / yes finance is doing well but you need tourism to come back to generate employment

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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · Sep 8

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Yes, it's "locked in" only in the sense that if China doesn't dramatically change its domestic economy, and if the rest of the world continues absorbing its surpluses, Chinese surpluses will keep growing.

They are "locked in" only to the same extent that Japanese trade surpluses in the late...

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 8

www.bloomberg.com/news/article... / wait what? The price of labubu won’t go up forever??

Pop Mart Shares Fall on Demand Concern, Post-Index Entry Selling

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.’s shares tumbled, reflecting concerns over product demand for the Chinese toy maker and profit taking after the stock’s inclusion into two major indexes.

www.bloomberg.com

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 8

You know i actually read an article today arguing that this large surplus is “locked in” for China. I don’t buy it at all b/c all China has to do is erase all export rebates and transfer proceeds to households directly. Of course trade surplus will not disappear but will shrink

Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · Sep 8

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For all the talk of rebalancing domestic demand in China, Chinese exports continue to climb much faster than imports in 2025. In the first seven months of 2025, exports were up 6.9% in RMB terms, while imports were up 1.2%.
english.news.cn/20250908/e41...

China's foreign trade up 3.5 pct in August

english.news.cn

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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · Sep 8

1/7
For all the talk of rebalancing domestic demand in China, Chinese exports continue to climb much faster than imports in 2025. In the first seven months of 2025, exports were up 6.9% in RMB terms, while imports were up 1.2%.
english.news.cn/20250908/e41...

China's foreign trade up 3.5 pct in August

english.news.cn

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 3

If there is a unique technology that can extend life, the dictator can use it himself but deny it to other senior leaders. That may not be the optimal strategy though since it would increase incentive for a coup.

sasha @krassotkin.bsky.social · Sep 3

During Beijing’s, China WWII parade, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin were caught on a hot mic discussing longevity. Putin said organ transplants may lead to immortality, while Xi mused, "Some predict humans may live to 150 this century." Kim Jong Un smiled nearby.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 3

You wouldn’t know it from Vancouver hotel prices 😂😂

ian bremmer @ianbremmer.com · Aug 29

canadian economy down 1.6%, shrinking for the first time in 2 years thanks to us trade war knocking exports

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sasha @krassotkin.bsky.social · Sep 3

During Beijing’s, China WWII parade, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin were caught on a hot mic discussing longevity. Putin said organ transplants may lead to immortality, while Xi mused, "Some predict humans may live to 150 this century." Kim Jong Un smiled nearby.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 2

Wow great move by CAC to force AI providers to label generated content across all modes, even AI augmented content. We desperately need something similar here here (but will not get it of course) www.cac.gov.cn/2025-03/14/c...

关于印发《人工智能生成合成内容标识办法》的通知_中央网络安全和信息化委员会办公室

www.cac.gov.cn

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Victor Shih @vicshih.bsky.social · Sep 1

What are members of congress saying about China? We @21CenturyChina @ChinaDataLab are documenting this in real time via their tweets. Check it out here (but be sure to click on the button with four horizontal lines on the top to get all the features) chinadatalab.ucsd.edu/tweets/

Congressional Tweets on China - China Data Lab - UC San Diego

chinadatalab.ucsd.edu

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ian bremmer @ianbremmer.com · Aug 29

canadian economy down 1.6%, shrinking for the first time in 2 years thanks to us trade war knocking exports

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