William T. Wilson, Ph.D., is a senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. He concentrates on analyzing the economic performance of Asian-Pacific nations and educating Asian leaders in the principles and practices of free markets.
View all authorsInternationalCommentary
For roughly three decades, the Chinese economy registered a staggering annual growth rate in the vicinity of 10 percent. Over the past four years, however,… Read More
InternationalCommentary
The world’s second-largest economy is going to make a hard landing one day, China watchers have speculated for several years. The fact is, though, the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
In the decades since The Heritage Foundation began publishing its annual Index of Economic Freedom in 1995, the world has witnessed profound advances in economic… Read More
EconomyCommentary
In the first six months of 2016, foreign central banks sold a net $192 billion of U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. This is more… Read More
InternationalCommentary
China is the world’s largest exporter of merchandise. What is not well known: it is the world’s second largest net creditor nation, increasingly acquiring western… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Since the 2008–2009 global recession, China has accounted for roughly one-third of global economic growth, by far the highest in the world. With a GDP… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Shanghai’s benchmark stock exchange, in combination with China’s other major bourse in Shenzhen, have the highest stock-market capitalization in all of Asia. Until recently, few… Read More
InternationalCommentary
India has emerged as the most favored destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015, outpacing China (for the first time) and even the U.S…. Read More
InternationalCommentary
On Monday, the inconceivable happened. China announced it had built the world’s fastest computer. China has always been good at copying and/or stealing intellectual property,… Read More
InternationalAnalysis
U.S. and European businesses continue to find China a harder place to do business with its increasing regulations. This struggle between the West and China… Read More
InternationalAnalysis
On Friday China announced its economy had expanded at a 6.7 percent rate in the first quarter of 2016. While this is the slowest growth… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Typing the phrase “Panama Papers” into Baidu (China’s equivalent to Google) will yield the message “The search results may not meet the relevant regulations, and… Read More
InternationalCommentary
On Monday, for the first time, Beijing announced a “red alert.” The alarm was a consequence of the thick smog that had blanketed the city… Read More
InternationalCommentary
In June of 2013, Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping met at Sunnylands, the former Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The “shirtsleeve summit” was… Read More
EconomyCommentary
In mid-June, China’s Shanghai Composite Index was up a dazzling 60 percent since the beginning of the year. It was the highest level in more… Read More
EconomyCommentary
To give perspective, China is the world’s second largest economy, as well as the second largest importer. It is the largest trading nation for 75… Read More
InternationalCommentary
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) devalued the renminbi by almost 4 percent, the most significant two-day devaluation since the mid-1990s…. Read More
InternationalCommentary
From the summer of 2009 through 2012, I was an American economist living in Beijing. Although an avid stock investor, I have never once owned… Read More
InternationalCommentary
This week marks the end of Narendra Modi’s first year as prime minister of India. Elected with an unprecedented majority in Parliament, Indians had high… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Any day now, a major debate will commence in Congress over legislation to grant Trade Promotion Authority to the executive branch. Among the more controversial… Read More
EconomyInternationalCommentary
It was not supposed to happen this fast. Earlier this week India’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) released figures showing economic growth of 7.5 percent year-on-year… Read More
InternationalCommentary
President Obama attended India’s Republic Day Celebrations as its chief guest—the first time a U.S. head of state has been given this honor. Bilateral discussions,… Read More
InternationalCommentary
This week China announced its 2014 real economic growth rate. There are two salient takeaways from the report: First, at least officially, the economy continues… Read More
EconomyInternationalCommentary
Last week China announced that it would adhere to a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling from last year by removing export quotas among other restrictions… Read More
InternationalCommentary
There was a time when the “China-lobby” meant supporters of The Republic of China (Taiwan). In the last couple decades, it has come to mean… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Historically, economics has often driven the narrative surrounding presidential visits to Asia. Consider President Obama’s 2009 trip to China in the midst of the global… Read More
EconomyInternationalCommentary
China announced on Tuesday that third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth had slowed to 7.3 percent, the slowest since the 2008–2009 global recession. This… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Finally, it is official. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund announced China has surpassed the United States as the world’s largest economy. The U.S. has… Read More
InternationalCommentary
In terms of the direction of China’s economic future, think of Hong Kong as the “canary in the coal mine.” As the protest movement in… Read More
InternationalCommentary
The current anti-corruption campaign underway in China is the real deal. What first appeared to be a convenient way to eliminate political opponents when President… Read More
