https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/trump-biden-taiwan-china/2021/01/13/1bbadee0-53c0-11eb-acc5-92d2819a1ccb_story.html For decades, America’s diplomatic dealings with Taiwan were governed by intricate and arcane rules designed to support a key Asian partner without provoking Beijing — and avoid war in the Taiwan Strait. Details of the U.S. strategy toward China, meanwhile, were shrouded in secrecy. This week, those rules went out the window. With days left in office, the Trump… Read more »
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/new-zealand-china-australia-maori/2021/01/13/f2db9884-3a8d-11eb-aad9-8959227280c4_story.html The first Māori woman to be foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta is an experienced lawmaker known for her deep roots in Māori tribal diplomacy. She was chosen, she said because she looks and sounds different from her predecessors: Mahuta was the first New Zealand Minister to bear a moko kauae, or traditional chin tattoo. Her appointment as part of a… Read more »
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/hong-kong-national-security-law-internet/2021/01/12/01738064-53b6-11eb-acc5-92d2819a1ccb_story.html The police officers who came to take away Owen Chow on national security grounds last week left little to chance. Determined to find his phones, they had prepared a list of cellphone numbers registered to his name, even one he used exclusively for banking, the 23-year-old Hong Kong activist said. Officers called each number in succession, the vibrations revealing… Read more »
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-economy-growth-coronavirus/2021/01/17/2138ef2c-5935-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html A year ago, the coronavirus began spreading rapidly in China. Today, China’s economy is bouncing back hard and expanding even faster than it did before the pandemic. Economic data published Monday showed that China logged 2.3 percent growth for 2020, becoming the only major economy that grew during a year when the virus exacted a devastating global toll. As other… Read more »
North Korea appears to be taking steps toward a new test of a powerful submarine-launched missile as it steadily dials up the pressure on President-elect Joe Biden. Last week, Kim Jong Un presided over another demonstration of his country’s military might in a nighttime parade in Pyongyang, kicked off with a fireworks display. Now, it appears he might be planning… Read more »
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/north-korean-parliament-convene-approve-kims-agenda-75303325 North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament was set to meet on Sunday along with Kim in order to discuss and pass decisions for the future of the nation. The meeting usually includes discussion of budgetary concerns, changes in personnel, and priority of policies. During this past meeting, however, much more intense subject matter was brought up. The Assembly and Kim did… Read more »
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55464564 A major investment deal between China and the EU is said to close soon after being brought up and negotiated since 2014. The deal had been delayed for a number of different reasons but it is said that tensions between the United States and China proved to be advantageous for the latter. This pact will grant China more access… Read more »
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54595120 Australia faces civilian criticism as increased stories of McCarthyism reach the press. In recent times, Australia and China’s once strong ties have deteriorated. At one point, the two countries were close trading partners but China has distanced itself from Australia. This distance not only affected trading but has also come with the addition of cyber security threats and an… Read more »
South Korea has both rolled out testing for its prisoners, as well as extending the suspension of flights from the UK in order to stifle the rise in COVID cases. Over half of the inmates in their prisons tested positive, which I find horrifying. This probably means that they are not taking proper precautions and social distancing in their prisons…. Read more »
Trump has banned several chinese contactless payment apps, similar to cashapp or venmo, saying he does so in an attempt to protect national security, as chinese software has access to private information, and may help the chinese communist party gain more information about America. This reminds me of the attempted tik tok ban last year, for the same reasons. I… Read more »
