Xi receives lavish US welcome amid trade truce and lingering tensions
Jake Saunders, Zamboanga Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day visit that opened with an unusually grand reception from US President Donald Trump, underscoring both sides’ desire to stabilise relations even as core differences—particularly over Taiwan—remain unresolved. Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, upon their arrival at…
US proposes AI alert system with China
Frank Williams, Washington The US has proposed creating an alert system with China to notify each other when artificial intelligence incidents become serious enough to threaten national security. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the proposal after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday, ahead of a meeting between US President…
Top US spy agency to focus on AI and China
Frank Williams, Vientiane The US National Security Agency (NSA) is launching its largest internal restructuring in at least a decade to focus on AI, China, and other pressing challenges, the Washington Post has reported, citing current and former officials. The NSA director, General Joshua M. Rudd, wants five additional organizations to be created within the…
AfD’s China Realism: Germany’s Multipolar Turn Raises Questions for Taiwan
Jake Saunders, Munich For decades, German foreign policy rested on a clear premise: Germany belonged firmly in the Western camp, and its dealings with the rest of the world largely followed that alignment. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is openly challenging that foundation. Nowhere is this clearer than in the party’s approach to China. Beijing…
Premier Cho to Countersign KMT-Led Drone Bill, Fund It via Supplemental Budget
Richard Sanders- Tawi Tawi Premier Cho Jung-tai is expected to countersign an opposition-backed law boosting Taiwan’s defense autonomy and unmanned vehicle sector, with funding for the program to be added to this year’s supplemental budget, according to sources familiar with the matter. On Thursday, the Legislative Yuan approved the Act on Strengthening Defense Autonomy and…
CIA Director makes Moscow visit (updated)
Frank Williams, Vilnius CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced one-day trip to Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian security officials, people familiar with the matter said. The visit came as U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine remain stalled and Washington intensifies pressure on Iran. Ratcliffe flew aboard a U.S. military C-17…
Taiwan eyes Philippines tech hub but cautions on delivery
Jake Saunders, Port Vila, Vanuatu Taiwan is monitoring a planned U.S.-backed industrial zone in the Philippines under the Pax Silica initiative and sees potential for semiconductor and artificial intelligence cooperation, while remaining cautious about whether the project will deliver on its ambitions. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said the proposed 4,000-acre Economic Security Zone in New…
FCC Bars New Foreign-Made Advanced Robots from U.S. Market, Creating Opening for Taiwan’s Non-China Supply Chain
Richard Sanders- Kuala Lumpur The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on July 28, 2026, added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List, effectively blocking new models of mobile robots such as humanoids and quadrupeds from receiving the equipment authorization required for import, marketing, or sale in the United States. The move, driven by national security…
Japan is arming for a long-range fight, and China is concerned
Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh Released in early August, the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s latest white paper signals that Tokyo, under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is converting years of incremental modernization into a more integrated and far-reaching national-security architecture – one that is altering the strategic landscape along China’s eastern periphery. It envisages a system designed…
Solomon Islands Begins Review of China Security Pact Amid Push for Greater Transparency
Frank Williams, Honiara HONIARA — Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has announced that a formal review of the country’s 2022 security agreement with China is now underway, stressing the need for greater parliamentary oversight of international treaties. Wale revealed that he was only allowed to examine the full text of the agreement one day…
