Category: Special Topics

NZ Minister Concerned About Pacific Debt Levels to China

New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has sounded a warning over debt levels among the Pacific nations, saying it is a key area of vulnerability that needs to be addressed. Speaking to TVNZ’s Q+A program on July 17 said she was concerned about the way development in the Pacific was being funded, particularly by China….


Real Estate ‘Time Bomb’ and Mortgage Boycott by Homeowners in China; Enes Freedom on Human Rights

China is facing a growing mortgage strike. Unfinished homes and growing resentment toward banks and developers may be a ticking time bomb. For the Chinese regime, a third of the economy is on the line, with upward of $2 trillion in home loans. Meanwhile, the protest over what Chinese residents call “rotten tail buildings” reaches…


Where in the World Is China’s Military?

News Analysis The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is developing infrastructure and access all around the world. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) created a unique process to get countries to agree to give the PLA access to key ports and bases via several methods, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For example, this process can…


Chinese Military Using US Semiconductors to Train Combat AI, Report Says

The Chinese military is purchasing semiconductors designed by U.S. companies and manufactured in Taiwan and South Korea to fuel its advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new report. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is making “significant progress” in adapting AI to its combat and support technologies, according to the June report (pdf), which…


Chinese Military Using US Semiconductors to Train Combat AI: Report

The Chinese military is purchasing semiconductors designed by U.S. companies and manufactured in Taiwan and South Korea to fuel its advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new report. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is making “significant progress” in adapting AI to its combat and support technologies, according to the June report (pdf), which…


Macao to Extend City Lockdown, Casino Closure Until Friday

HONG KONG—Macao’s government will extend a lockdown of casinos and other businesses until Friday, as authorities grapple to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the world’s biggest gambling hub, according a statement on its website. The lockdown in the Chinese special administrative region had been due to end on Monday. Macao imposed the shutdown last…


Chinese Regime Eases Pandemic Restrictions on Imported Non-Cold Chain Goods Amid Sharp Economic Downturn

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has recently relaxed its pandemic control measures imposed on non-cold chain imports. On July 12, China’s top health body announced that nucleic acid swabs and disinfection would no longer be imposed on “low-risk non-cold chain imported goods,” but goods deemed high risk of transmission will still be disinfected. The announcement…


Returning Beijing Residents Asked to Wear COVID-19 Monitoring Bracelets, Triggering Public Outrage

Beijing local authorities in some communities recently asked residents returning from domestic trips to wear COVID-19 monitoring bracelets. The orders drew wide criticism from the public over escalated government surveillance. According to mainland Chinese media Caixin, a female Beijing resident who returned from Guangdong on July 13 was told by the community office that she…


Russia Still Leverages Marxist Ideology to Maintain Power: Senior Fellow

The current Russia is the by-product of the collapse of morality and lack of law advanced by the Marxist ideology, according to David Satter, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. “The lack of law, the lack of objective standards created a situation when Russia began the huge transition from socialist economics and state owned property…


Taiwan Welcomes Fifth US Arms Sale Under Biden’s Administration

The Taiwanese government on Friday welcomed its fifth prospective arms deal with the United States under the Biden administration. In a statement, Taiwan’s Presidential Office said the deal includes the purchase of spare parts for tanks and combat vehicles, including contractor logistical and technical support, worth $108 million. “[The deal] will not only help maintain…