Straight Talk on North Korea and China
A Sinica Podcast
on July 24, 2017
Lyle Goldstein, an associate professor and strategic researcher at the U.S. Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute, is an expert on Chinese and Russian security strategies. He is also an insightful commentator on what is going on behind the scenes with North Korea. Soon after the North Korean test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, Kaiser and Jeremy sat down with him in New York City to discuss what strategic options remain for China and other players in the region.
China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Opens up New Business in Africa—for Both the U.S. And China
on July 24, 2017
There has been no shortage of headlines proclaiming China’s growing clout in a “new world order” in recent months. This speculation resurfaced after the July G-20 summit, at which the United States reconfirmed its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, and the May 2017 summit of the Belt and Road, China’s $1 trillion global plan for infrastructure projects and trade deals connecting Africa, Asia and Europe. This project aims to span 68 countries, linking China’s people and markets to regions far beyond its borders.
Chinese High School Pupils Make a Film Tackling LGBT Issues
on July 24, 2017
A group of high school students in Beijing has made a film about the life of a transgender boy in a bid to raise public awareness of the issue, local media reported. The 75-minute production, titled Flee, tells the story of Zhang Wangan, a high school-age boy who thinks of himself as a girl, as he tries to come to terms with his emotions with the help of his friends, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
China Warns India Not to Harbor Illusions in Border Stand-Off
on July 24, 2017
China’s defense ministry on Monday warned India not to harbor any illusions about the Chinese military’s ability to defend its territory, amid a festering border dispute.
Xi Jinping Picks War Games over Military Parade for Chinese Army’s 90th Birthday Bash
on July 24, 2017
China’s biggest annual war games, at Asia’s largest military training base, will be attended by President Xi Jinping on August 1 to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Chinese Jets Intercept US Surveillance Plane: US Officials
on July 24, 2017
Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, with one jet coming within about 300 feet (91 meters) of the American aircraft, U.S. officials said on Monday.
Former Political Star in China Is Under Party Investigation
on July 24, 2017
The Chinese Communist Party said on Monday that Sun Zhengcai, a high-flying politician who had been seen as a potential future premier, was under investigation over suspected “grave violations of discipline,” ending his career and raising the stakes of a national leadership shake-up that is just months away.
American Student Arrested in China Has Been Freed
on July 23, 2017
Chinese authorities have dropped charges against Guthrie McLean, an American college student who was arrested and detained in the Asian nation a week ago after reportedly injuring a taxi driver who was roughing up his mother in a fare dispute, a U.S. lawmaker said Sunday.
Why Korean Reunification is in China’s Strategic National Interest
on July 22, 2017
North Korea’s July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile has highlighted once again both the extent to which Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program and aggressive behavior is destabilizing the Asia Pacific region and the relative impotence of efforts to date designed to respond. Although North Korean nuclear weapons seem primarily designed to ensure regime survival, these weapons will, once fully deliverable, provide Pyongyang with the almost unlimited ability to blackmail its neighbors, primarily China.
