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Chris Buckley
For Chris Buckley's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 22, 2022
China's Xi expands his power by elevating loyalists and forcing out moderates
Evidence of Xi's even tighter hold over the party came on Saturday, when the Communist Party congress approved a new membership list for the Central Committee.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 7, 2022
In turbulent times, Xi builds a security fortress for China, and himself
Taiwan, COVID-19, “color revolutions,” the classroom: everywhere, China's leader sees threats that foreign forces can exploit, and he has enlisted the whole nation to defend against them.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 21, 2022
Red flags for forced labor found in China’s car battery supply chain
The previously unreported connection between critical minerals and forced labor in Xinjiang could prove trouble for industries like the global auto sector, which relies heavily on China.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 5, 2022
Mourning Tiananmen’s victims, and the Hong Kong that was
Since 2020, when Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, the local government has essentially banned public commemorations of the 1989 killings.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 2, 2022
Inside China’s 'zero-COVID' fortress, Xi admits no doubts
As the lockdown of Shanghai and outbreaks in Beijing and elsewhere batter the economy, China's leader keeps a distance from the politically charged issue.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 5, 2022
Bristling against the West, China rallies domestic sympathy for Russia
While Russia batters Ukraine, officials in China have been meeting to study a Communist Party-produced documentary that extols President Vladimir Putin of Russia as a hero.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 23, 2022
China takes a back seat in international diplomacy over Ukraine
Despite calls from other world leaders to play a more proactive role in ending the conflict, China has instead tried to keep its distance.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 15, 2022
China sees at least one winner emerging from Ukraine war: China
With a strategy to shield itself from the worst economic and diplomatic consequences it could face, China seeks to benefit from geopolitical shifts once the smoke clears.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 26, 2022
‘Abrupt changes’: China caught in a bind over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Beijing has presented itself as a defender of sovereign independence. But its reluctance to denounce Moscow's aggression forces it into an awkward position.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 15, 2022
A succession drama, Chinese style, starring Xi Jinping
Nobody knows how long Xi wants to stay in power, or when and how he will appoint a political heir. Keeping everyone guessing is 'Xi's political genius.'
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 10, 2022
Speedskating's one constant: Friction between China and South Korea
The rivalry between the two countries took another turn when South Korea's Hwang Dae-heon won the men's 1,500-meter race after a Chinese rival was disqualified.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 30, 2022
Living by the code: In China, COVID-era controls may outlast the virus
Beijing already had a vast ability to track its 1.4 billion citizens before the pandemic — now that monitoring is far more expansive.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jan 9, 2022
Trial looms after seaside gathering of Chinese activists
Once commonplace, get-togethers among Chinese rights campaigners have become increasingly risky under Xi Jinping's hard-line rule.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 19, 2021
First known COVID-19 case was vendor at Wuhan market, scientist claims
The report will revive the debate over whether the pandemic started with a spillover from wildlife sold at the market, a leak from a Wuhan virology lab or some other way.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 1, 2021
Xi hasn’t left China in 21 months. COVID-19 may be only part of the reason.
Xi Jinping's lack of face time with world leaders signals a turn inward on domestic issues and a reluctance to compromise on the global stage.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 29, 2021
Nuclear-powered submarines for Australia? Maybe not so fast.
Complications could slow or sink the whole endeavor, leaving gaps in defenses and questions about security promises kept.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 11, 2021
‘Starting a fire’: U.S. and China enter dangerous territory over Taiwan
The self-ruled island has moved to the heart of a deepening rivalry between the two superpowers, with the potential to ignite military conflagration and reshape the regional order.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 31, 2021
China tightens limits for young gamers and bans school night play
The restrictions reflect the government's intensifying push for companies to jettison what it says are unhealthy cultural influences.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 27, 2021
Spies for hire: China’s new breed of hackers blends espionage and entrepreneurship
China's premier spy agency is increasingly reaching beyond its own ranks to recruit from a vast pool of private-sector talent.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 28, 2021
Crossing the red line: Behind China’s takeover of Hong Kong
One year ago, the city's freedoms were curtailed with breathtaking speed. But the clampdown was years in the making, and many signals were missed.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree