The Global Shift To Authoritarianism
OPINION — Based on my numerous assignments abroad, my work for the late Director of Central Intelligence William Casey as his Special Assistant and subsequent work […] More
Hong Kong
Beijing’s Push to Protect State Secrets puts US Firms at Greater Risk
Kyle Sullivan is China Practice Lead at Martin + Crumpton Group, a global risk intelligence advisory firm based in Arlington, Va. He previously spent 12 years […] More
What 1989 Tiananmen might tell us about 2020 Hong Kong
Cipher Brief Expert Martin Petersen is the former Deputy Executive Director of the CIA. At the time of Tiananmen, he was Deputy Director of the […] More
Xi’s Awful Arithmetic
CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT VIEW — Mark Kelton is a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency executive who retired in 2015 with 34 years of experience in intelligence […] More
The Latest
The Future of Hong Kong
A whirlwind of actions and statements regarding Hong Kong over the past week has increased tensions between the US and China. Even before Beijing passed […] More
Are White Supremacists Trying to Expand Their Networks into Asia?
Bottom Line Up Front Just this week, members of Ukrainian far-right groups were photographed attending protests in Hong Kong against the Chinese government. White […] More
China Silences Critics of Draconian Tactics in Hong Kong and Xinjiang
Bottom Line Up Front Beijing is hyper-sensitive to public criticism and does not hesitate to use its economic power for leverage in silencing companies, […] More
When Will China Move on Hong Kong?
China’s communist leadership is struggling over how to respond to Hong Kong’s swelling protests. Giving in to protesters’ demands for democracy or allowing unrest to […] More
Beijing’s Bots and Disinformation in Hong Kong
Bottom Line Up Front China has taken a page from Russia’s playbook as Beijing systematically wages an online disinformation campaign aimed at inflating support […] More
Pro-Democracy Protests Rock Hong Kong and Moscow
Bottom Line Up Front In Hong Kong and Moscow, long-simmering undercurrents of political opposition have pitted protesters against unrepresentative authoritarian governments. In Moscow, police […] More
What Could Prompt Chinese Intervention in Hong Kong?
Protestors in Hong Kong are sticking by their demands which include a formal withdrawal of an extradition bill that launched protestors onto the streets earlier this […] More
Where Will Protests Lead Hong Kong?
The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office says the city is experiencing its worst crisis since the colony returned to China from […] More
Protests in Hong Kong are Pushing Back against Chinese Rule
Bottom Line Up Front: In recent weeks, peaceful demonstrators in Hong Kong have gathered in large numbers to protest a controversial extradition bill with […] More
No One Makes Money by Betting Against Hong Kong
For the seven million people of Hong Kong, living next to a rising China, this year marks three important anniversaries. Most commentary focused on the […] More
No One Makes Money by Betting Against Hong Kong
For the seven million people of Hong Kong, living next to a rising China, this year marks three important anniversaries. Most commentary focused on the […] More
Hong Kong and China: One Country, One Future?
Xi Jinping will make his first visit to Hong Kong as president of China this week as the territory prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary […] More
Hong Kong and Beijing: Getting Back to “Basics”
Twenty years ago, when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China, Beijing agreed to administer the island according to the Basic Law, which would preserve […] More
Is Hong Kong Losing its Identity?
Hong Kong’s society and economy have changed under 20 years of Beijing’s influence. Chinese capital has bought out companies and real estate and job seekers […] More
Hong Kong and the Memory of Tiananmen Square
A People’s Liberation Army Type 59 tank weighs 36 tons, but on June 4th, 1989 a man stopped one in its tracks. This Saturday marks […] More