Category: Special Topics

US Loses Key Foothold in the Pacific as China Gains Control of Solomon Islands

News Analysis The Solomon Islands, a strategic Pacific nation, is slipping deeper into communist China’s orbit. On Aug. 29, the government of the Solomon Islands notified U.S. officials that they had suspended visits by U.S. and other foreign military vessels. The news came after both a U.S. Coast Guard ship and a British Royal Naval…


Optimism in US Senate on Future Benefits of Fusion Energy

Fusion energy experts spanning the government, academia, and the private sector testified on the prospects of fusion research before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 15. “We believe we have a real shot at commercial fusion power plants on the grid starting in the early 2030s,” said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of the…


US Ambassador to China Stands in Line on the Streets of Shanghai for COVID-19 Tests

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicolas Burns’ recent posts on Twitter have drawn much attention worldwide, including those who bypassed the Great Firewall in mainland China to leave comments on his post. One of his most shared posts on Twitter was him standing in a queue in the streets of Shanghai on Sept. 1, waiting for…


US Ambassador to China Stands in Line on the Streets of Shanghai for COVID-19 Test

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicolas Burns’ recent posts on Twitter have drawn much attention worldwide, including those who bypassed the Great Firewall in mainland China to leave comments on his post. One of his most shared posts on Twitter was him standing in a queue in the streets of Shanghai on Sept. 1, waiting for…


IPAC Alliance To Campaign Globally Against CCP on Human Rights Violations

Politicians from around the world have agreed to campaign worldwide for the imposition of sanctions on Chinese human rights abusers under a multinational plan. The decision is part of the latest plan of action in response to the behaviour of Beijing from the global Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), which held its annual summit in…


‘Toxic’ Values Undermining US Ability to Tackle Beijing: Senator

Visiting Australian Senator Andrew Hastie says basic struggles with identifying gender are undermining the ability of the United States to lead the developed world in opposing military aggression from Beijing. “These tensions are tearing at the fabric of our democracies, many among us are no longer confident of truth, tradition, and our democratic values,” Hastie,…


‘We Need Allies’: US Lawmakers Hail Bill That Would Boost Support for Taiwan

Legislators in the United States reacted favorably to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ approval of proposed legislation that would restructure the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. The 2022 Taiwan Policy Act (S.4428) would substantially increase American funding for Taiwan’s defense and augment the two powers’ warm but unofficial ties. “We’ve never needed each other as much or…


Xi and Putin Meet, Pledge Support for Ukraine and Taiwan Policies

The leaders of China and Russia met in person on Sept. 15 to discuss regional security issues and further explicate their ambitions to counter U.S. influence abroad. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan. It was the…


Senate Committee Passes Taiwan Policy Act with Strong Bipartisan Support

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved legislation aimed at supporting the security of Taiwan and its right of self-determination in a 17-5 bipartisan vote on Sept. 14. The Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, a bill introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez, (D-N.J.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), would provide Taiwan with $4.5 billion through a foreign…


Senate Committee Advances Taiwan Policy Act with Bipartisan Support

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved legislation aimed at supporting the security of Taiwan and its right of self-determination in a 17-5 bipartisan vote on Sept. 14. The Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, a bill introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez, (D-N.J.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), would provide Taiwan with $4.5 billion through a foreign…