China

Kim made his first trip abroad last week on a train to China after weeks of concern in Chinese state media that Kim was reaching out too directly to South Korea and the United States. State media insisted that Kim extending an invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump to meet personally, and Trump accepting that invitation, would not “marginalize” China, North Korea’s largest patron and trading partner. While Chinese officials first claimed they had “no idea” whether Kim was in the country or not, communist state-run publications later interpreted Kim’s visit as a victory of Xi, giving the Chinese leader full credit for Kim’s alleged newfound openness to denuclearization. … [Read more...] about Report: Xi Jinping Gave Kim Jong-Un Nearly $400,000 in Gifts During China Visit

On Tuesday, Peru’s new foreign minister Nestor Popolizio reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prevent a Venezuelan delegation from attending the summit, stating that recent fraudulent elections “negate even the slightest notion of democracy and represent an insurmountable impediment to taking part in the Summit of the Americas.” … [Read more...] about Trump to Urge Latin America to Reject China at Summit of the Americas

Chinese media coverage is hitting every pressure point it has detected in Japan’s political culture, where questions have been raised about whether the Self-Defense Force can develop aggressive force projection capabilities under the current constitution. The modestly-sized ARDB is not a huge problem in and of itself, but developing the transportation and combat support capabilities necessary to carry out amphibious assaults could pose a more serious challenge to Abe’s constitutional authority. … [Read more...] about China Panics over First Japanese Marine Unit Since World War II

But China’s ability to quickly shift military assets to the outposts is a serious concern for the Pentagon since it could enable China to control vital trade routes, exclude other claimants from disputed areas and interfere with the U.S. military’s plans to defend Taiwan. … [Read more...] about Report: U.S. Says ‘China Has Deployed Military Jamming Equipment’ to South China Sea

The First Minister will say: “China and Scotland will inevitably sometimes have different perspectives and different starting points but we have a strong friendship and partnership, as I have seen throughout my visit here, and we also share many common interests and common challenges. … [Read more...] about Scotland and China have ‘different perspectives’ but ‘common challenges’, says Nicola Sturgeon