June 30, 2021
The Heritage Foundation 2021 China Transparency Report
North Korea Slams the Door on Dialogue - For Now
The Heritage Foundation is excited to announce the release of the 2021 China Transparency Report <[link removed]>. This annual report, edited by Heritage ASC Director Walter Lohman and Heritage Program Coordinator Justin Rhee, surveys and assess the current state of transparency vis-à-vis the Chinese Communist Party. 

The COVID-19 crisis was a wake-up call for the need for greater visibility into the activity of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) both in China and abroad. The need for transparency extends far beyond public health. The lack of reliable official data has long plagued efforts to assess the risk around the CCP-led regime’s engagement across the full range of its global engagement. Its significance has grown as China’s role has grown. Analysis of CCP behavior and interests is plentiful. What is needed is greater exposure and socialization of existing data and the generation of new data.

Fortunately, despite official efforts to withhold, manipulate and falsify information, there are world-class private efforts outside of China to help paint an accurate picture. Working with the data from dozens of such, open-source programs, The Heritage Foundation has compiled an assessment of the current state of Chinese transparency, both from the CCP and state organs itself, as well as the overall transparency provided with the help of private efforts. The report both seeks to publicize these private efforts and to identify opportunities for further research. A list of these private data tracking projects can be found on the China Transparency Project website <[link removed]>.

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