HK democrats resign, press for referendum; Chinese GPS rival Beidou gets third satellite

China to strengthen social management for Asian Games; Taiwan President Ma drops in U.S. on South American tour

China bucks the trend: Chinese language on the rise in U.S.; No Sino-Indian army exercises in 2010

Iranian and Chinese hackers in cyber-skirmish; Japan and Vietnam draw closer as tensions rise in South China Sea

There's an old saying, familiar to historians and foreign policy practitioners, that "geography is destiny." A modern twist to this rule is that demography is no less decisive.

Russia is finding this out the hard way. Over the past several years, under the direction of former President (and current Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin and his handpicked protege, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia may have re-emerged on the international scene with a vengeance. But behind all of the Kremlin's contemporary geopolitical bluster, the successor state of the once-mighty Soviet Union is caught in a demographic and socioeconomic death spiral.

Plans to (partially) privatize publishing industry; China to establish space lab in 2010

Party officials top quotes of 2009; Xinhua to get an international face

Military shuffle underway in Xinjiang and Tibet; “Pre-emptive attacks” against threats to Party control

China aggravating tensions along Bhutan border; China strengthening economic bonds with Kazakhstan

Children of CCP leaders thrive; Former FM: priority "keeping a low profile and biding our time"