Daniel Fu
411 posts
@DanielFuIR
Predoctoral Research Associate @HarvardHBS. @BostonCollege and @Columbia alum. Former Editor of @CCPWatch. U.S.-China Relations, Chinese IR, & Taiwan Studies.
Trump wants China to buy a lot more US energy. Analysts doubt he’ll get his way bit.ly/48NyOOq
Trump: "You know, China gets 90% of its oil from the Strait of Hormuz. They should be policing their own strait. We're getting ready to get out of there."
My latest analysis on Zhang Youxia’s purge, published by @ChinaBriefJT at the @JamestownTweets, identifies the likely core causes of the purge and the timing behind it, based on official reporting over recent years: Zhang Youxia’s Differences with Xi Jinping over PLA Development Led to His Purge jamestown.org/zhang-youxias-… Parts of my assessment were referenced by the @FT and @AP. FT: ft.com/content/a065b8… AP: apnews.com/article/china-… Executive Summary (1) What happened: Official statements point to disagreements with Xi Jinping over PLA development and training—and even instances of open resistance to his directives—as the key reasons behind the downfall of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. (2) How it unfolded: According to official press releases, Zhang Youxia’s timeline for PLA joint operations training did not align with Xi Jinping’s 2027 deadline for achieving an invasion-capable force against Taiwan. Zhang’s force-building agenda also emphasized a narrower set of priorities and placed less weight than Xi on “military struggle” as a standalone objective, instead integrating it into broader training activities. (3) Why now: January 2026 marked the beginning of the final annual training cycle before 2027. At this point, the divide between Zhang Youxia and Xi Jinping shifted from debate and planning to execution and direct noncompliance. This divergence became increasingly visible across the PLA and ultimately posed a serious challenge to Xi’s authority. My sincere thanks to @Arranjnh for his timely support and editorial help in getting this analysis out.
“Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Failing Would Be Disastrous for Xi Jinping.” My latest, with @ZackCooper. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/19/chi…
A little over a month after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian government received a request from China, according to leaked correspondence reviewed by the Kyiv Independent. kyivindependent.com/investigation-…
“A growing number of influential voices within the country…are raising alarms about overreliance on AI. These concerns reflect deep anxieties about the potential for widespread social and economic disruption.” jamestown.org/prc-elites-voi…
