In 2014, Chinese researchers published more papers than any other country for the first time. In 2019, China overtook the U.S. as the No. 1 publisher of the most influential papers.
Jiang oversaw China’s reemergence on the global stage, and sustained growth at home. But his policies also set the scene for excess and the growth of President Xi Jinping.
Teresa Wright, California State University, Long Beach
Comparisons have been made to the 1989 demonstrations that led to the Tiananmen Square massacre. An expert on Chinese protests explains why that is half right.
To boost their attractiveness to tourists and residents alike, in 2020 the towns of Gongju and Buyeo – once Imperial capitals – launched the “Smart Town Challenge” to link online and offline services.
The Mahāyāna branch of Buddhism likely emerged around the first centuries A.D. and was most readily carried through the Silk Road and maritime trade routes.
A recent barrage of nuclear-capable missile tests and a change in law setting out the conditions for a nuclear strike show that North Korea’s leader is intent on reunification on his terms.
Meredith Oyen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Remarks by the US president come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing and follow a contentious visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Wildfires are intensifying, yet they’re one of the most poorly understood phenomena on Earth. New research shows that they can disturb both regional and global climate.
Meredith Oyen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The White House has distanced itself from the US House speaker’s potential visit to Taiwan. But does it still signal a shift in policy over diplomatic ties with the island?
An expert on Sri Lanka’s economy identifies and explains three key challenges that Ranil Wickremesinghe will have to overcome if he hopes to steer the country out of its crisis.
Adrian De Leon, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Bongbong Marcos is the projected winner of the Philippines election. That the son of a brutal dictator has won shows how wedded the country is to dynastic politics – and image manipulation.
The former prime minister was forced from office by a vote of no confidence. But that doesn’t mean the political drama is over, an expert on Pakistani politics explains.