China And The U.S. Are Cooling Their Cooperation To Curb North Korea
Give the world’s two superpowers credit for effort but don’t expect a whole lot more. Since the presidents of China and the United States met for their first time in April, they’ve spoken the language of cooperation to hobble North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs spearheaded by the enigmatic leader Kim Jong-un. To appease […]
Mattis calls North Korea’s threats ‘clear and present danger,’ criticizes ally China
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in no uncertain terms Saturday that North Korea presented a “clear and present danger,” while also criticizing China for ratcheting up the tension over contested islands in the South China Sea. His sharp words for both countries suggested he believed China would, out of self-interest, pressure North Korea to halt […]
China says it will stick to commitment to fight climate change
China said on Friday it would stick to its commitment to fight climate change after US President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 Paris global agreement to curb climate change. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the comment at a daily news briefing in Beijing. Trump’s move fulfilled […]
Trump says North Korea shows ‘great disrespect’ to China with missile
US President Donald Trump said North Korea showed disrespect to its major ally China after it fired a short-range ballistic missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast. “North Korea has shown great disrespect for their neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic missile … but China is trying hard!” […]
In first under Trump, U.S. warship challenges Beijing’s claims in South China Sea
A U.S. Navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, the first such challenge to Beijing in the strategic waterway since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey […]
Forget Korea for a Moment: China Joins Ranks of Carrier Navies in Less Than 5 Years
While the eyes of the world are focused on security developments on the Korean peninsula, two recent events should re-sharpen attention on the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese launched a new aircraft carrier, and President Donald Trump indicated that he would check with Xi Jinping before he would take another phone call from the President of […]
China presses South Korea on Thaad missile system
China’s president has set out his opposition to the deployment of a US missile system, in his first discussion with the new South Korean leader. The Thaad missile system, aimed at intercepting attacks from North Korea, was made operational in South Korea last week. But Beijing says the system will spy on its territory and […]
What are 5,000 Chinese fighters doing in Syria?
Up to 5,000 ethnic Uighurs from China’s violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang are fighting in various militant groups in Syria, the Syrian ambassador to China Imad Moustapha said on Monday, adding that Beijing should be extremely concerned about it. China is worried that Uighurs, a mostly Muslim people who speak a Turkic language, have […]
North Korea turns its hostility on Beijing
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are reaching an unprecedented boiling point, as North Korea’s leader threatens war with China, its strongest and most important ally, over its “nuclear betrayal.” A Beijing official told both the U.S. and North Korea, along with Japan and South Korea, to “stop irritating each other” on Wednesday, prompting the Korean […]
North Korea crisis: North in another ‘failed’ missile launch
North Korea has test-fired another ballistic missile, South Korean and US military officials say. The missile exploded shortly after take-off, they said – the second failed launch in the past fortnight. US President Donald Trump accused North Korea of showing “disrespect” towards China and its president. The missile was fired from a site in South […]