None of the US allies in the Pacific are currently willing to host intermediate-range missiles, says a new report by the RAND corporation, a think-tank tasked with developing strategies for the Pentagon. Instead, its author advises, Washington should encourage Japan to develop a missile arsenal of its own in order …
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US soybean exports to China are leading their five-year average this year, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing industry data. Beijing is looking to protect and bolster its supply chain as global food-security fears mount. American soybean producers shipped 27.3 million metric tons to China from September …
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High-ranking US and UK officials held secret talks in early March to discuss greater British involvement on the issue of Taiwan, according to a report by the Financial Times. The negotiations involved Kurt Campbell, the White House’s Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Laura Rosenberger, the top US National Security Council China official, …
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Widespread lockdowns introduced by the Chinese authorities to tackle the latest surge in Covid-19 cases have dragged down China’s April manufacturing and services activity. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 47.4 this month from 49.5 in March, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics …
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The US isn’t interested in peace in Ukraine but is instead doing everything it can for the conflict in the country to last as long as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a briefing on Friday. “While the international community is calling for the end to hostilities, …
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A senior US military officer has identified China as a “focal point” for the Navy, citing the “phenomenal growth” of Beijing’s military and its ambitious goals for the years ahead. Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday, Chief of Naval Operations …
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Beijing has condemned statements from London and Washington about arming Taiwan, pointing out that such talk fuels separatism on the disputed island and goes contrary to their recognition of China. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both come out in support of sending …
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Australia’s home affairs minister has accused China of attempting to interfere in an election set for next month, saying a recent security deal with a nearby Pacific nation suggested nefarious motives. In comments to a Brisbane radio station on Wednesday, Karen Andrews warned that Australians ought to be “taking notice …
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Iran sees its relations with China as part of an effort by like-minded powers to confront US unilateralism and create stability and order, President Ebrahim Raisi told Beijing’s visiting Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Wednesday. Raisi said that the successful implementation of the 25-year strategic cooperation agreement between the two …
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NASA chief Bill Nelson has scolded the Chinese space program for refusing to work with the US on its operations, saying Beijing’s secrecy has created unnecessary risks. “We simply have not been able to get any kind of transparency from the Chinese space program,” Nelson told reporters on Tuesday. He …
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