Two articles stand out in the latest China Brief from the Jamestown Foundation.

1. Beijing's great leap outward: power projection with Chinese characteristics. Willy Lam looks at what he calls "stunning" changes in China's foreign policy and concludes:

There may also be overwhelming domestic calculations behind Hu’s policies. With Chinese society becoming more fragmented due to the growing disparities between the haves and the have-nots, Beijing increasingly relies upon overarching ideals, such as patriotism and nationalism, to bind the disparate nation together. Spectacular demonstrations of the country’s own military capabilities and diplomatic triumphs in Africa and Latin America make it easier for Hu and his PLA colleagues to justify even greater increases in the army’s budget. And in the months leading up to the 17th Party Congress, Hu needs the support of the PLA generals in order to fully consolidate his stature in the CCP political hierarchy and legacy. All of these factors seem to impel the Fourth Generation leadership toward a much bolder—if not riskier—approach to the Middle Kingdom’s centuries-old quest for fuguo qiangbing or “wealthy country, strong army.”

2. China's struggle for energy conservation and diversification. China would love to find new energy sources and doesn't care if it is green, black or any other colour.