China's ruling party is in the midst of a major transition, raising new questions about the future of the rising superpower. This Backgrounder examines the party and its governing challenge.

China's Communist Party Congress will affirm new top leaders, but little is known about their selection or how they will guide the country, says CFR's Jerome Cohen.

Sebastian Mallaby considers how economic forecasters should adapt their methods to reflect today's high levels of policy uncertainty.

Ever since the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping opened up his country's economy in the late 1970s, China has managed to grow in power, wealth, and military might while still maintaining cooperative and friendly relations with most of the world.

As the world economy and international security are increasingly vulnerable to major disease outbreaks in China, Governing Health in Contemporary China sheds critical light on China's role in global health governance.

Jerome A. Cohen says that while Bo Xilai and Chen Kegui "hail from opposite ends of China's political, economic and social hierarchies, they now have much in common, including the determination of the authorities to punish them for political reasons."

Adam Segal says the showdown between China and the United States over telecommunications is about more than just security.

What do we really know about China's new leader?

Michael Spence shares his bullish outlook on emerging markets and their ability to rebound from a global growth slowdown.

Ray Takeyh argues that if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants to ensure the Islamic republic's revolutionary precepts survive him, China is a model to avoid.

Elizabeth C. Economy says the world waits for stability in China's transition, but recent events in China like the two-week absence of Xi Jinping and Bo Xilai's expulsion from the CCP underscore the deep uncertainty that defines China's political system.

Colonel Brian M. Killough, USAF, says the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, is a measured step in the long trek toward a globally-capable navy that an emerging superpower needs. While a solid indicator of intent, it's not a threat—yet.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave these remarks to the PLA Engineering Academy of Armored Forces in Beijing, China on September 19, 2012.

Escalating friction between Japan and China in the East China Sea is becoming more difficult to contain, fed by political opportunism in both countries, says CFR's Sheila Smith.

The United States worries about China's rise, but Washington rarely considers how the world looks through Beijing's eyes.

For decades, U.S. China policy has been driven by a combination of engagement and balancing.

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen argue that legal safeguards remain inadequate for Taiwanese suspected of a crime on the mainland despite hopes of reform to allow greater security for detainees

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi gave these remarks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on September 5, 2012.

The Foreign Ministry of Japan released this Q&A on the Senkaku Islands.

The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China released this white paper entitled "Diaoyu Dao, an Inherent Territory of China." The Foreign Ministry of Japan also provided its position on the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Dao).