On September 11th, Wang Huning, a Politburo standing committee member and the CCP's leading ideologist, was appointed as the chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification (CCPPNR). The appointment of Wang has given spectators a good opportunity to poke into the organizational structure of the CCP’s central subdivisions and personal backgrounds of a Politburo member who is one of the most powerful politicians in China.

The recent 20th National People’s Congress suggested the importance of the state’s role in transitioning the country towards a green economy. The congress highlighted its plans to bolster its financing, resources, research, and conservation in the green energy sector. China currently pays close attention to the green energy sector in the new energy policy since it relates to China’s national security.

This October, the Chinese Communist Party held its 20th National Congress which further cemented President Xi Jinping’s (习近平) control over China’s economy, society, and military. President Xi is fully aware of the looming conflicts brewing along the Sino-Indian border and within the East and South China Seas and their destabilizing potential. To address these threats to Chinese security interests, he seeks to modernize, expand, and affirm the allegiance of the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and ensure that China is capable of fighting and winning regional wars. It is important for international observers and leaders to note the implications of President Xi’s consolidation of power over the Chinese military and its effect on the PLA’s policies, strategies, and capabilities. We may soon enter a dangerous and militarized period of great power competition and the PLA will continue to be a crucial factor.

In the economic section of the 20th Party Congress Report, Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly mentioned the “Dual Circulation Model.” Since its initial proposal in May 2020, this economic development model has been openly advertised by Xi both domestically and internationally, including at the 3rd China International Import Expo, which took place in November 2020 in Shanghai. What is the Dual Circulation, and what exact goals is it set to achieve?