Main Findings PLA Naval Aviation has undergone substantial institutional transformation over the past two decades. This transformation is driven by the goal of becoming a carrier-based force capable of effective joint operations in the maritime domain. This transformation has been accompanied by reforms to pilot education, training, and career management systems, aimed at producing a qualified force capable of conducting long-range maritime operations. Despite significant progress, there are still areas that require improvements, particularly the Naval Aviation University. The PLAN likely aims to further professionalize pilot education and shorten the…
Author: Media Library
The Big Change Coming in U.S.-China Relations in the Age of A.I.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, it is now required after landing to send carry-on bags through a scanner before leaving the arrivals building. As I approached the scanner belt with my bags, though, I saw a sign that I had never encountered before: Any passenger carrying a drone has to remove and declare it. A Chinese security officer pointed directly to the sign to confirm that I had no drones in my bag. I shook my head no. I don’t usually travel with a drone. That sign was not the…
Chinese cigarettes and Bolivian beer: the Amazonian town transformed by a rampant mining boom
The pork belly hits the oil with a sizzle, and a rich aroma of soy sauce and caramelising sugar fills the kitchen. Zhang Changchun, a middle-aged man from China’s Heilongjiang province, is cooking dinner for his friends on a warm evening in Mayaya, a small town in the Bolivian Amazon. “Bolivia is my happy place,” he says in Mandarin as he adds the dish to a table overflowing with pork trotters, duck wings and braised sábalo fish. In this small restaurant, a group of half a dozen Chinese men gathers…
The midterms and the world
A Democratic sweep of both houses of Congress would see big changes on energy and trade in particularFinancial Times
China’s soaring chemical exports threaten new trade war front
Output has almost doubled in some key ingredients in five years, putting pressure on foreign rivalsFinancial Times
UK making up China policy ‘as it goes along’, MPs warn
The UK is making up policy on China “as it goes along” and risks having its strategy dictated by Washington or Beijing, a parliamentary report has concluded. An investigation by the Commons business, innovation, science and trade select committee said Labour’s failure to formulate a coherent strategy since 2024 “combined the worst of both worlds” for the UK in relation to China. Liam Byrne, Labour MP and chair of the committee said the UK’s policy on China meant it was also endangering its business with the EU with the risk…
Could a midterm defeat tame Trump? Not on foreign policy, Chinese experts say
A potential lame-duck phase may not deter US President Donald Trump from pursuing more “transactional” or “risky” foreign policy moves after the midterm elections, Chinese experts warn, while casting doubt on expectations of a powerful Democratic wave. Amid a season of high-stakes contests that could reshape global politics, the US vote on Tuesday stands out. The election, which will determine who takes control of the US Congress, could result in Trump and his fellow Republicans no longer… South China Morning Post
US first lady Melania Trump unlikely to travel to Apec summit in China
US first lady Melania Trump is unlikely to travel to China with the president for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen this month. “First lady Melania Trump is not scheduled to attend the events in person,” her office said in response to a query about her travel plans. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the Philippines for this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit before travelling to the November 18-19 Apec event, where he will meet his Chinese… South China Morning Post
The US-China trade war seems to have subsided – but the sense of calm is misleading
Donald Trump’s trade wars have largely fallen off the headlines. Fears of new tariffs flare up from time to time when the US president goes off the rails – for instance, threatening to end US trade with countries with which it has a deficit unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. But the sense that the world’s two largest economies are plowing ahead into an overt economic conflagration has taken a back seat to other, more salient fears, about Trump ending American democracy, AI killing us all and stuff like…
US critical minerals push delivers a gold rush — for Washington lobbyists
Billions in government backing have produced a flurry of deals but little increase in domestic production Financial Times