The topography of China's commercial landscape remains consistent from year to year. The PRC is characterized by:

A) A digital universe that pulls an self-expressive yet repressed new generation into its grip. The popularity of new group chat sites such as Tencent's Weixin are a testament to the new...

The mysterious disappearance of China's heir apparent, Xi Jinping, will be unsettling for Chinese citizens.

Rumors are flying regarding what ails him. According to Willy Wo-Lap Lam, a well-connected professor at Hong Kong's Chinese University, he may have had a stroke. But speculation is running rampant, with...

The Chinese consumer is becoming modern and international, but not Western. In my book, What Chinese Want, I outline a few "golden rules" successful businessmen must adopt in order to penetrate China, the world's most dynamic market.

This interview was originally posted in the China Observer, a great blog...

Apple has taken China by storm. A Starbucks can be found on practically every major street corner in coastal cities and beyond. From Nike to Buick to Siemens, Chinese consumers actively prefer Western brands over their domestic competitors. The rise of microbloggers, the popularity of rock bands with names like...

The China hard landing drum is beating louder now than it was at the beginning of the year. Their call from an investment standpoint has been a lucrative one. But fundamentally and over the long haul, China's place as the world's No. 2 economic power is secure. In fact, China...

The flight of dissident Chen Guangcheng from the confines of his house arrest, a stunning turn that has taken place shortly after the embarrassing purge of rabble-rouser Bo Xilai, is worthy of a spy thriller. Mr. Chen is a blind man dedicated to human rights. His crusade against forced sterilizations...

Bo Xilai, the populist former Chongqing chief recently purged from China's Politburo, was a dangerous, recidivistic force in Chinese politics. His fate, archaic execution notwithstanding, should be cheered.

Yes, his ouster reveals the dark side of the country's cloak-and-dagger leadership. Beyond Internet rumors, the public is still in the...

Just because China will not collapse does not mean it will take over corporate America. Chinese corporations will continue to do what they do best: leverage colossal size to slowly but surely crawl up the value chain. Economies of scale, combined with a growing domestic market, will ensure that its...

A Chinese new wave? China's rock scene, underground but dynamic, is loaded with bands that suggest a new, post-1990s rebellious spirit. Their names fly in the face of collective harmony: Hutong Fist, Tomahawk, Catcher in the Rye, Twisted Machine, Queen Sea Big Shark and Wild Children. Indie singers are, collectively,...

The list of military "provocations" grows longer: outlandish territorial claims in the South China Sea, and vilification of Hillary Clinton who has the temerity to challenge them; installation of more than 1,000 ballistic weapons aimed at Taiwan; confrontation on the high seas with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines; year-on-year military...

China was founded to ensure survival, not as an Earthly manifestation of God's moral covenant with Man, the latter blessed with a divine right to pursue happiness. Indigenous schools of Chinese philosophy -- Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism -- are mechanistic, concerned with values as a means to an end --...

In the narrowest sense, a superpower has the military might to force the world to acquiesce to hegemonic resolve (for example, the Soviet Union). Then there are economic superpowers that influence capital flows and global growth rates. When they struggle, the world does too. Finally, there are soft superpowers, nations...

The relationship between the people and the Chinese government is, to say the least, ambivalent. The country's wealthiest citizens scurry to obtain foreign passports as a hedge against future uncertainty. As evidenced by populist outrage after the Wenzhou train disaster, the little guy rails against bureaucratic corruption, particularly when his...

China's relationship with food is a window into basic instincts. The country's cuisine is a manifestation of a civilization that has never taken survival for granted. An understanding of what and how Chinese want to eat is a quick way to know China. With the ever popular dim sum of...

The growth of China's consumer e-commerce sector is breathtaking, doubling year on year. On-line shopping is more than a trend; it is a phenomenon. But it took a while for things to take off. It was not until two fundamentally Chinese business essentials were addressed -- the benefits and reassurance...

It seems many of the big Chinese ad agencies are not headed up by Chinese people. Why is this the case? Did Westerners bring the "advertising industry" with them?

The first clients who advertised big -- i.e., with any degree of professionalism -- were the large FMCG companies such as...

Everything that registers on China's international -- and, for that matter, domestic -- radar does so because it, directly or indirectly, impacts stability. Pragmatic to the core, the PRC cherishes one thing above all else: order. Stability has always been, and remains today, the platform on which progress is constructed....

Who could have imagined? Ten years ago, the only automobiles seen on the streets of coastal cities were non-descript black sedans and shoddy Volkswagen Jetta taxis. Today, China's highways are overflowing with cars of every shape, size and color. While foreign brands still dominate the market -- with many produced...

After thirteen years on the mainland, I have learned there are two types of expatriates: "China friendly" and "China unfriendly." One is either drawn to the country's warmth and ambition or repulsed by shoddiness and lack of civility. If you're in the latter camp, get back on the plane; the...

The Chinese have always had a grudging admiration for Barack Obama. After the death of Osama bin Laden, a global black sheep, their respect will be significantly less unequivocal. In record time, his "justice" speech was faithfully translated by state-controlled media; tomorrow it will be looped on CCTV. Obama is,...