US Funding to Counter China in Pacific in Limbo

us funding to counter china in pacific in limbo

Funding to counter China in the Pacific is now caught in the congressional battle in Washington over foreign aid and border security. The White House calls the package a “critical component” of its national security. And as VOA’s Jessica Stone reports, time is running out to lock in an economic and security relationship between the United States and three strategic Pacific Island nations. Camera: Yu Chen, Jessica Stone, Saqib Ul Islam Voice of America

US Deals with Allies Signal Concerns Over China’s Disinformation Campaign

us deals with allies signal concerns over chinas disinformation campaign

Washington —  Western foreign policy experts are welcoming recent U.S. agreements to jointly tackle foreign disinformation with Seoul and Tokyo, saying they are needed to counter Chinese efforts to undermine liberal democracies through the spread of fake news. The U.S. signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Japan in Tokyo on Wednesday “to identify and counter foreign information manipulation,” according to a State Department statement. The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed with South Korea in Seoul on Friday to cooperate in their efforts to tackle foreign disinformation. The agreements,…

Micronesia’s Former President Seeks Renewal of US Aid Agreement

micronesias former president seeks renewal of us aid agreement

WASHINGTON —  David Panuelo, former president of the Federated States of Micronesia or FSM, has been in Washington lobbying lawmakers to approve legislation that he says Micronesia needs to counter Beijing’s political and economic pressure across the region. Panuelo spoke with VOA last week about what is at stake if Congress does not fund the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2023. The bill updates the agreement governing the relationships between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau and the FSM. House…

Kissinger’s Legacy Still Ripples Through Asia

kissingers legacy still ripples through asia

washington —  Henry Kissinger will be remembered in much of the world as a foreign policy genius who ushered China into the world community, driving a wedge between Beijing and its Cold War ally Moscow, and eventually transforming the world economy. In Southeast Asia, the Nixon-era national security adviser and secretary of state who died this week at age 100 is being remembered differently. The opening to China that Kissinger engineered sent a rippling effect to Thailand, which, former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun said, had trepidation for Communism. “A…

Pentagon’s New High-Tech Deal with Australia, Britain, Aims to Counter China

pentagons new high tech deal with australia britain aims to counter china

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California —  From underwater drones to electronic warfare, the U.S. is expanding its high-tech military cooperation with Australia and the United Kingdom as part of a broader effort to counter China’s rapidly growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with defense chiefs from Australia and the United Kingdom at the U.S. military’s defense technology hub in Silicon Valley on Friday to forge a new agreement to increase technology cooperation and information sharing. The goal, according to a joint statement, is to be able to better…

Online, Chinese Remember Two Kissingers, China’s Friend and Foe

online chinese remember two kissingers chinas friend and foe

Washington —  To Beijing and the Chinese Communist Party, Henry Kissinger was “a most valued old friend” for his role in reestablishing ties with the U.S. after 20 years of postwar hostility. But after his death this week at 100, Chinese people online expressed mixed feelings about the American who, with then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1972, cleared a path for the impoverished nation to become an economic rival to the U.S. Some said they will always remember him as China’s “last old friend,” while…

Rules Would Bar EV Tax Credits if Batteries, Minerals Linked to China

rules would bar ev tax credits if batteries minerals linked to china

The U.S. proposed new guidelines Friday spelling out which electric vehicles will be eligible for tax credits, ruling out those that contain batteries or minerals sourced from China and other nations that have fallen out of favor with the U.S. The restrictions dictate which clean energy vehicles will qualify for a subsidy of up to $7,500 under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law promoting sustainable, domestic energy production. Only about 20 out of the more than 100 electric vehicles on the U.S. market qualify for a tax…

Anti-Xi Protesters Say San Francisco Police Ignored Beatings During APEC

anti xi protesters say san francisco police ignored beatings during apec

san francisco —  Human rights organizations and activists in the United States are calling for a congressional hearing in response to violent assaults on Chinese dissidents who protested against Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the APEC summit in San Francisco November 15-17. Pro-Xi welcoming groups and anti-Chinese government groups clashed in several locations in San Francisco ahead of and during the APEC summit, resulting in many injuries among anti-Chinese government protesters. Demonstrators opposing Beijing’s human rights violations and supporting independence for Taiwan were confronted by Xi’s supporters wielding with…