Larry Ong
Larry Ong is a senior analyst with SinoInsider, a New York-based risk consultancy that focuses on Chinese elite politics.
Xi vs. Li? Analyzing Political Rumors About a ‘Split’ Between China’s President and Premier
Xi Jinping’s dismal handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in Shanghai and other parts of China have put the nation’s leader in such serious trouble that even his closest colleagues no longer respect his authority, according to...
Communist Politics Are Bringing Disaster to China–And Xi Jinping
News analysis China is not doing well, and Xi Jinping is largely to blame. Draconian efforts to curb coronavirus outbreaks throughout China and highly restrictive policies aimed at propping up the real estate sector have...
‘Unified National Market’ Push Exposes Steep Challenge of Reforming China’s Economy
On April 10, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese government’s State Council released an opinion document on “accelerating the construction of a unified national market.” The opinion called for...
‘Zero-COVID’ Lockdown in Shanghai Compounds Xi’s Political Dilemma
News analysis Over the past two years, cities and entirely provinces in China implemented economically and socially destructive “zero-COVID” lockdowns and other control measures to squash the virus. Shanghai, however, stuck to a milder “precise...
China’s Reaction to Biden-Xi Call Exposes Its Fear of International Pressure Amid Russia-Ukraine War
News analysis At a glance, the March 18 video call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Ukraine and other matters was a non-event. Official meeting readouts showed that both sides...
3 Key Takeaways From China’s ‘Two Sessions’ Meetings This Year
News analysis Delegates of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) rubber-stamp legislature and political advisory body met in Beijing for the annual “Two Sessions” meetings in March. At the week-long meetings of the National People’s...
In Leaked Recording, Elite Chinese Scholar Laments Crippling Dysfunction of Communist Regime
News analysis In early February, a leaked audio recording featuring former Harvard–Yenching Institute scholar Huang Wansheng’s candid take on a range of sensitive topics at a private gathering in January started circulating on the internet. ...
CCP’s Beijing Winter Olympics Propaganda Fest Marred by Controversy
The Winter Olympics in Beijing, like the Summer Games in 2008, was intended to showcase to the world the supremacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and bolster its ruling legitimacy. To ensure success, the...
As Challenges Mount, China’s Xi Calls for ‘Self-Revolution’
Xi is focusing on “self-revolution” to secure political priorities in a crucial leadership reshuffle year. The “self-revolution” push also signals that Beijing is struggling to keep its head above water as China’s various crises compound. ...
In 2022, Expect China’s Economy to Worsen Further
A major factor — among many others — is China Evergrande’s debt crisis and mounting debt problems for the real estate sector on the whole. China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Jan. 17...
Gambling Mogul Alvin Chau May Have Been Done In by Political Connections to Xi’s Rivals
News analysis In the early hours of Nov. 27, the Macau police arrested prominent local casino operator Alvin Chau and several others on charges of abetting cross-border gambling activities and money laundering. Days later, Chau,...
Premier Li Keqiang Asks Officials to Avoid Communist-style ‘Bureaucratism’ as China’s Economic Crisis Worsens
News analysis At a recent meeting in Shanghai, China’s number two statesman provided provincial leaders with the latest instructions on economic policy and social development, while indicating the severity of the country’s economic situation. Speaking...