By Frank WilliamsVientiane The opening of a joint Chinese-Laotian air support and training center is part of Beijing’s long-running effort to project power toward the Indian Ocean, a Taiwanese defense analyst said. China’s Ministry of National Defense announced last Wednesday that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center at Ban Keun Airport in Vientiane Province,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh A leading Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) model has found a way around restrictions during a controlled cybersecurity test, adding to growing concerns about the effectiveness of AI safeguards, US-based cybersecurity research firm Frontier Security has said. The researchers identified the model as startup Moonshot’s flagship Kimi K3, saying it accessed online…
Frank Williams TAIPEI — Tibetan and human rights activists gathered outside the Bank of China’s Taipei branch yesterday to protest China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, urging people worldwide to resist Beijing’s authoritarian policies and speak out for oppressed ethnic minorities. The demonstration coincided with the one-month anniversary of Tibetan activist Lobga…
Frank Williams, Honiara China has formally protested to New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry over remarks by Foreign Minister Winston Peters directed at a Chinese-born Green Party MP during a heated parliamentary debate. The Chinese Embassy in Wellington announced the protest on Thursday, one day after the exchange, citing “negative China-related remarks.” China’s ambassador to New Zealand,…
Jake Sanders, Zamboanga China Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons at two Philippine government ships in the South China Sea on Friday, marking the third confrontation between the two sides this week. The incident occurred as foreign ministers from ASEAN and partner countries gathered in Manila for their annual meetings, where tensions in the disputed…