Monthly Archives: February 2017

Analysis

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What happened in Malaysia was more of the North Korean government that we’re used to. After hearing of the departed half brother Kim Jong Nam i was not surprised. Kim Jong Un is a very paranoid man and his half brother was the closest thing to a threat to his power. The evidence may not have come out on who was behind… Read more »

analysis

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This week has been a relatively good news week for east Asia, and while thats not usually a good thing regarding global politics, it does provide for some interesting discussion and analysis. so get ready. This first, and most eye catching topic I found, is one that I’ve already speculated on weeks ago. Just recently Lee Jae-yong, the heir to… Read more »

Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Heir, Is Arrested on Bribery Charges

SEOUL, South Korea — The de facto leader of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, was arrested Friday on bribery charges, a dramatic turn in South Korea’s decades-old struggle to end collusive ties between the government and powerful family-controlled conglomerates. Mr. Lee, Samsung’s vice chairman, was taken to a jail outside Seoul, the capital, soon after a judge at the Seoul Central District… Read more »

Greenpeace Links Beijing’s Air Pollution Surge to Steel Factories

Despite promises to cut steel overcapacity, China actually brought more steel production online last year, resulting in a surge in air pollution in northern China, especially around Beijing, according to a report released this week by Greenpeace East Asia. The growth in operating capacity was more than twice the total steel making capacity of Britain, the report said. The increase… Read more »

US Secretary Of State Rex Tillerson Says Russia Must Honor Ukraine Deal

The Associated Press reports Russia must abide by a 2015 deal aimed at ending fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists as the Trump administration searches for ways to work cooperatively with Moscow, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday. Tillerson spoke after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first time, the highest-level face-to-face contact between… Read more »

Rex Tillerson Meets Russian Counterpart in First Trip as Top U.S. Diplomat

BONN, Germany — By the time Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson decided that he wanted to join his counterparts at an important global gathering in Bonn — his first trip overseas as America’s top diplomat — all the good hotel rooms in this small German city had been taken. So Mr. Tillerson and his entourage of temporary State Department… Read more »

Why America must engage with Asia-Pacific

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On the heels of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ successful trip to South Korea and Japan last week, and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington this week, we have an important opportunity to reaffirm America’s commitment to security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Seventy years ago, out of the ashes of a world war, America and our… Read more »

China, Russia condemn North Korea’s missile launch

Hong Kong (CNN)China has voiced opposition to North Korea’s test of a reported new ballistic missile more than 24 hours after reports of the launch emerged. But the country shrugged off suggestions it should be doing more to intervene in the rogue state’s military affairs, pinning the test down to Pyongyang’s testy relations with Washington and Seoul. China & North… Read more »

Why Jakarta election could change the face of Indonesia

  Voters in the capital of Jakarta went to the polls Wednesday to elect a new governor. But more is at stake than who governs the sprawling, chaotic metropolis of 30 million people. The contest between the incumbent, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian commonly known as Ahok, and his two Muslim opponents has raised questions over whether Indonesia,… Read more »

2 more people arrested in mysterious death of Kim Jong Un’s half-brother

(CNN)Two more people have been arrested in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half brother, Malaysian authorities said. News of the arrests come a day after South Korean’s National Assembly Intelligence Committee chairman said Kim Jong Nam died Monday morning after being poisoned at the airport. A 26-year-old Malaysian man, who is the boyfriend of… Read more »