Media Mentions

Lin Han-Shen, China director at The Asia Group, said the report was “surprisingly candid” – that consumption had been a problem rather than a strength in 2025. He said the frank admission that demand had lagged set a deliberately low baseline – one that reflected a clear-eyed assessment of where China’s economy actually stood rather

“The Government Work Report was ‘surprisingly candid’ that weak consumption and investment have weighed heavily on growth momentum,” said Han Shen Lin, China country director at The Asia Group.

During one conversation, Abraham Denmark, a former senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Noelle Troutman, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa, discussed the role of AUKUS and the development of new military technologies. Denmark said countries are rapidly deploying novel means of waging war. “We’re beyond the experimental

Rexon Ryu, President of The Asia Group, says the US administration appears to have seen a window of opportunity to enact regime change in Tehran and that we are in a period of extreme uncertainty. He also discusses how this impacts the dynamics of Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing and investments into the Gulf region.

The Asia Group’s [China Country Director Han] Lin said policy language would provide clues about how Beijing is responding to Western restrictions.  “Look for references to supply chain security, AI, and advanced manufacturing. The emphasis will reveal how Beijing is adjusting its response to US and EU controls.”

“China can’t pivot to domestic demand fast enough to offset collapsing export margins and absorb an oil price shock simultaneously,” said Han Lin, the China country director for the Asia Group, a consulting firm. “The U.S. trade war compresses the very profits Chinese industry needs to fund the green-energy transition that would reduce Middle East

“President Xi Jinping won’t feel easy about the death of the top leader of Iran,” said George Chen, partner at The Asia Group, noting Beijing’s relatively good relations with Tehran and Caracas. “How can Xi feel everything is normal and alright and be prepared to welcome Trump to visit in [a] happy mood?” he said. Chen added

Instability in Iran will likely further entrench China’s relations with Russia, as Xi seeks to lock down oil supplies, Chen added. Both countries over the weekend called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council — of which they are permanent members alongside the US, UK and France — citing what Moscow branded an “unprovoked

“The strikes on Iran accelerate a dynamic already in motion.  There could be a quiet “scheduling postponement” if either side calculates that the optics of Mr. Trump staying home outweigh the optics of showing up in Beijing, said Mr. Lin.

“With the critical Two Sessions next week, the Iran crisis is about the last thing China needs as it gets its house in order,” said Mr. Han Lin, the China managing director for The Asia Group, referring to annual meetings of China’s top advisory and legislative bodies that kick off on March 4 and 5