The United States has opened an embassy in Solomon Islands after a 30-year absence as it seeks to boost diplomatic relations in the Pacific as a counter to China. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, announced the news late on Wednesday, saying that “more than any other part of the world, the Indo-Pacific region – including the Pacific Islands – will shape the world’s trajectory in the 21st century”. The top US diplomat announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Pacific island nation during a visit to…
Day: February 1, 2023
South Korean expert says North Korea may test a new solid-fuel ICBM in February
North Korea may test a new type of solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile in February or in the first half of the year at the latest, a report by a South Korea-based researcher says. North Korean state media announced in December that Kim Jong Un was present for test firings of a new engine developed to operate on solid fuel, which it claimed is capable of propelling the missile with 140-ton-force. In January, the engine underwent a combustion test. Authorities told state media that the engine’s success could accelerate development of…
US investors poured billions into Chinese AI firms, taking part in US$40 billion in funding over 6 years
Qualcomm Ventures and Intel Capital were involved in 13 and 11 investments in Chinese AI companies, respectively, outpaced by GGV Capital, which led US firms with 43 total investments in the sector, the data showed. The Biden administration is expected to unveil an executive order this year curbing some US investments in sensitive Chinese tech industries, as hawks in Washington blame American investors for transferring capital and valuable know-how to Chinese tech companies that could help advance Beijing’s military capabilities. Advertisement According to the report, US investor GSR Ventures invested…
Canada votes to take in 10,000 Uyghur refugees amid Chinese pressure to force their return
Canada’s parliament has unanimously passed a motion to take in 10,000 Uyghur refugees who fled China, but are now facing pressure to return. The vote on Wednesday builds on a February 2021 move by Canadian lawmakers to label Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in its north-western Xinjiang territory as genocide. Rights groups believe at least 1 million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in internment camps in the region, where China is also accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour. Tens of…
North Korea Rejects Talks With US, Citing ‘Hostile Policy’
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korea this week ruled out the idea of dialogue with the United States, accusing Washington of a “full-scale offensive” that is turning the Korean Peninsula into a “war zone.” In a statement posted to state media on Thursday local time, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry complained of the “reckless military confrontational maneuvers and hostile acts of the U.S. and its vassal forces.” “The more dangerous the U.S. threat to the DPRK gets, the stronger backfire the U.S. will face in direct proportion to it,” the statement…
Canadian lawmakers pass motion to accept 10,000 Uyghur refugees
Canada’s parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a motion to resettle 10,000 Uyghur refugees to Canada in response to the Chinese government’s efforts to forcibly return members of the mostly Muslim group back to China, where they are at risk of persecution. The nonbinding motion calls on the Canadian government to develop a plan within four months to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs in the country over two years beginning in 2024, with a focus on Uyghurs from other countries rather than directly from China. Liberal lawmaker Sameer Zuberi, who proposed the motion…
Lawmakers, rights lawyer urge additional pressure on China to end Uyghur repression
The United States must ramp up pressure on the Chinese government to stop the severe repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and do more to enforce recent laws passed by U.S. lawmakers addressing the forced labor of the predominantly Muslim minority group, two U.S. congressmen and a human rights lawyer told RFA. The comments were made Tuesday on the sidelines of the two-day International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., where politicians, religious leaders, and human rights advocates gathered to draw attention to global religious persecution. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman…
Myanmar Extends State of Emergency, Delaying Expected Polls
BANGKOK — Myanmar’s military government announced Wednesday that it is extending a state of emergency it imposed when it seized power two years ago, a move that appears to set back its plans for an election that had been expected in August. The announcement on state-run MRTV television said the National Defense and Security Council, which met Tuesday, extended the state of emergency for another six months because the country remains in an abnormal situation and time is needed to prepare for a peaceful and stable election. The NDSC is…
US defense chief visits troops, discusses anti-terror cooperation in Philippines
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III visited a military base Wednesday in the southern Philippines, where about 100 American troops are helping their Filipino counterparts in operations against the remnants of militant groups linked to Islamic State extremists. Austin, who arrived in the Philippines late Tuesday, landed at the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga before noon and immediately went to the Western Mindanao Command where he met with Philippine military chief Gen. Andres Centino. “He visited the U.S. troops that are here and made sure that they are…
US seeks deal on Philippines bases to complete arc around China
More important, China is no longer a military weakling, and it’s knocking on the Philippines’ front door. Manila has watched – horrified but powerless to intervene – as Beijing has set about redrawing the map of the South China Sea. Since 2014 China has built 10 artificial island bases, including one at Mischief Reef, deep inside the Philippines’ own exclusive economic zone or EEZ. BBC