As President Biden welcomes leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to a special summit this week in Washington, D.C., his administration is affirming Beijing as the U.S.’s main rival and underscoring the region’s importance in U.S.-China competition. The… Read More ›

News
China plans system to take out asteroids hurtling toward earth
China plans to develop a system for monitoring asteroids that pose a threat to earth, highlighting the nation’s growing ambitions for its space program. The country will also explore ways for taking out asteroids that endanger the planet, Wu Yanhua,… Read More ›
Russia-Japan tensions flare anew over the Kurils
Formally, Russia is not at war with Ukraine, where it claims to be conducting a so-called “special military operation.” But with Japan, given that Moscow and Tokyo never signed a peace treaty officially ending World War II, the two Asian… Read More ›
Solomon Islands has Washington in state of alarm after a security pact with China
A tiny island chain in the South Pacific has Western governments scrambling after it agreed to a security pact with China that the United States and its allies fear could enhance Beijing’s military power in this strategically important region. The… Read More ›
China says its ‘future helicopters’ will be equipped with ground-breaking technologies
Militaries all around the world are looking at integrating modern technology into their military weapons. China, as usual, appears to be making serious efforts to prepare for the future battleground, this time, with plans to include artificial intelligence and high-speed… Read More ›
Taiwan news channel accidentally reports China has invaded
A Taiwanese news channel Chinese Television System (CTS) accidentally reported on Wednesday that the Chinese military had invaded the island, setting off what it called a “public panic” before the error was resolved. According to Taiwan News, screenshots from the… Read More ›
Hypersonic weapons raise risk of nuclear war
Russia used a hypersonic missile against a Ukrainian arms depot in the western part of the country on March 18, 2022. That might sound scary, but the technology the Russians used is not particularly advanced. However, next-generation hypersonic missiles that… Read More ›
Shanghai to New York in two hours? China joins the hypersonic flight race.
Shanghai to New York in just a couple of hours? Not a problem when you fly in a hypersonic space plane. Beijing-based Space Transportation (aka Lingkong Tianxing in China) aims to make this prospect a reality with the development of… Read More ›
China accused of launching cyber-attacks on Ukraine before Russian invasion
China launched cyber-attacks on Ukrainian military and nuclear targets shortly before the Russian invasion, according to a report. The UK government confirmed that the National Cyber Security Centre is investigating the allegations, which claim that more than 600 websites, including… Read More ›
China’s plateau-operable drone makes 1st flight with hydrogen power, extends endurance
The AR-20, a multi-rotor drone domestically developed by China for security surveillance, border patrol and anti-terrorism missions, has spawned a hydrogen-powered variant that recently made its maiden flight. The successful test proved that the agile, plateau-operable light drone has greatly… Read More ›
China, Russia slam ‘illegal’ international sanctions targeting Putin over Ukraine
Russia and China further cemented their alliance on Wednesday, hitting out “illegal” international sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. “The ministers had a thorough exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine,” the Russian foreign ministry said… Read More ›
China gains a foothold in Australia’s backyard
Late last week, a proposed security treaty between China and a tiny chain of islands in the Pacific sent shock waves across the ocean. The leaked draft signalled that China could deploy troops to the Solomon Islands – and potentially… Read More ›
China sees ‘unprecedented’ capital outflows following Russian invasion of Ukraine
Global investors have withdrawn money out of China on an “unprecedented” scale since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, according to a report by the Institute of International Finance (IIF), with the yuan likely to face more pressure in coming… Read More ›
Tuberculosis on the rise in Southeast Asia due to Covid-19 disruptions in healthcare
Tuberculosis (TB) may have been overtaken by Covid-19 as the world’s deadliest infectious disease, but it continues to defy vaccines and antibiotics to wreak a grim global toll. TB was the world’s second-deadliest infectious disease after Covid-19 in 2020 (the… Read More ›
China sides with Russia over ‘grave’ Ukraine situation
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called the situation in Ukraine “grave” and offered Beijing’s help in playing a “positive role” for peace while continuing to refrain from criticizing Russia. China has largely sided with Russia in the conflict, which… Read More ›
China fully capable of jet engine development, narrowing technology gaps
J-20 jets, China’s most advanced stealth fighter jets powered by domestic engines, made their debut at the opening ceremony of the China Airshow 2021 in the host city Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province on Tuesday.Photo: Cui Meng/GT With efforts including… Read More ›
China bans online criticism of Russia, blames US for fueling Ukraine ‘tensions’
Internet censors in China have ordered news outlets and social media accounts to avoid posting anything critical of Russia or favorable to NATO, after Russia began moving troops across the border into Ukraine, prompting a flurry of international sanctions against… Read More ›
Cadence Column Finished, February 7, 2022
It has been an amazing twelve years. The first political columns started in summer 2010. In 2011, I predicted that Taiwan would be recognized—a prediction which has not yet failed, but continues to push forward. Since 2014, the Times has… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, January 31, 2022
Taiwan’s vice president went on tour. After meeting with the new president of Honduras, Vice President William Lai stopped in San Francisco. While in the States, he held virtual meetings with House Speaker Pelosi and others. Taiwan’s envoy to North… Read More ›
China is buying up Europe
For more than a decade, China has been stealthily buying up European companies in strategic sectors, particularly in technology and energy. China appears to be using these European assets to help fulfil the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ambitions of becoming… Read More ›
Taiwan showcases new warships in display of deterrence to China
Taiwan has showcased some of its indigenous-built warships at an event designed to send a message of deterrence to China, local officials and analysts said. Over the weekend, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense held a naval exercise off the coast of Keelung… Read More ›
Japan looks west to guard against a rising China
Japan signed on Thursday a new security treaty with Australia, a fellow middle power that is similarly aligning against an increasingly assertive China. The blandly-branded Reciprocal Access Agreement, which was signed virtually by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, January 3, 2022
Taiwan is on the rise. With chip shortages, stock is booming. You know how graphics cards are astronomically high? A lot of that money is going into Taiwan. Meanwhile, China found an excuse to order a real estate developer to… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, December 13, 2021
China responds with propaganda. A lot more keeps happening more. It’s too much for China to track. But, when the US pontificates about democracy, China leaps to opine first. The problem is the vibe. It’s not about what we say,… Read More ›
Jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai wins press freedom award
Jailed Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai, who faces charges alongside several senior editors at the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper under a draconian national security law, has won a press freedom award alongside his colleagues at the paper. Lai’s son… Read More ›
Pentagon plans to improve airfields in Guam and Australia to confront China
The Pentagon wants to improve bases in Guam and Australia to counter China following a review of U.S. military resources around the globe. The Global Posture Review (GPR), of which an unclassified version is set to be released later on… Read More ›
China targets ride-hailing operator Didi for delisting in New York
China’s internet regulator has ordered the operators of a major ride-hailing app, Didi Chuxing, to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, in an ongoing government crackdown on the country’s technology sector, international media reports said on Friday. The Cyberspace Administration… Read More ›
US sends warship through Taiwan Strait in message to China
The U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) sailed through the Taiwan Strait in a routine operation on Tuesday. The transit sparked anger from the Communist Chinese government, which considers Taiwan its territory, and it characterized the… Read More ›
Chinese maritime militia threatens order in South China Sea
Hundreds of Chinese maritime militia vessels are operating in contested areas of the South China Sea on a consistent basis, according to a new U.S. think tank report that says this poses a significant challenge to “maritime order rooted in… Read More ›
Tackling Chinese technological advantage
“China has won the artificial intelligence battle with the United States and is heading towards global dominance because of its technological advances”. When the Pentagon’s former software chief Nick Chaillan made this claim, it felt as if the whole world… Read More ›
Biden and Xi move back from the brink
The three-and-half-hour virtual summit meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not, and could not, solve the fundamental problems that have driven the two great powers toward confrontation. But both men clearly wanted to challenge the… Read More ›
Health workers in China are killing pets while their owners are in quarantine
Local health workers in some Chinese cities are breaking into people’s homes and killing their pets while the owners are in quarantine, prompting outrage online. In one case, a dog owner named Ms Fu witnessed through her home security camera… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, November 15, 2021
Taiwan is a peaceful island of peaceful people. The Taiwanese calm demeanor often plays tricks on the minds of Americans and Chinese. Every day, Taiwanese put up with enormous nonsense and harassment, yet manage to carry on with an authentic… Read More ›
China seeks greater role in setting international rules for digital economy
China has said it wants a greater role in setting the rules for the international digital economy and criticised the United States for trying to use the international order to contain it. On Friday, foreign vice-minister Xie Feng told a… Read More ›
China to develop new heavy icebreaker for ‘Polar Silk Road’
China plans to develop a new heavy icebreaker and semi-submersible heavy lift ships – so big that they can carry other ships – in the next five years to support its expanding maritime activities. The heavy icebreaker is to be… Read More ›
China says its new stealth aircraft erodes U.S. advantages
The Chinese air force is developing new stealth aircraft and expanding the weapons-carrying capacity of its J-20 stealth fighter, the Pentagon said in its annual report on Chinese military power, issued Nov. 3. The Pentagon said U.S. advantages in the… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, November 8, 2021
China tripped the alarm. Revelations of a US aircraft carrier-shaped target in China’s Taklamakan Desert doesn’t exactly resemble a friendly trick-or-treat visit. Congress is upset, calling this the closest we’ve ever been. Washington tries to use calm rhetoric, saying they… Read More ›
China urges families to keep stocks of daily necessities ahead of winter
The Chinese government has told families to keep daily necessities in stock in case of emergencies, after COVID-19 outbreaks and unusually heavy rains that caused a surge in vegetable prices raised concerns about supply shortages. The commerce ministry directive late… Read More ›
Two Chinese supercomputers reportedly break exascale barrier
Two Chinese supercomputers have reportedly broken the notorious exascale barrier, but their developers prefer to stay quiet about it for now. Both systems are reportedly based on China’s homegrown Phytium and Sunway processors and therefore do not use crucial technologies… Read More ›
New variants of Chinese stealth fighters break cover
Two new variants of China’s stealth fighters have broken cover in the past three days, including China’s next carrier-based fighter, hinted at during a recent air show. Photos and videos taken outside the Chengdu Aircraft factory in its namesake city… Read More ›
G-20 Still Deadlocked as China Won’t Budge on Climate Goals
Negotiations ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Rome dragged into Friday, stuck on energy and climate issues. Some countries singled out China, saying it is refusing to beef up commitments to limit temperature increases and digging in over… Read More ›
US, China sparring over Taiwan heats up anew
The United States and China are stepping up their war of words over Taiwan in a long-simmering dispute that has significant implications for the power dynamic in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Amid a surge in Chinese military activity near the… Read More ›
China’s latest J-11 derivative uses same technology As J-20 stealth jet; claims to be better dogfighter than Russian SU-35
China’s J-11D fighter jet, often called the Chinese version of the Russian Su-35, is reportedly using the same technology as that of the J-20. Interestingly, this aircraft was once known to be competing with the fifth-generation stealth warplane for funding…. Read More ›
U.S. needs nuclear spacecraft to compete with China, NASA official tells Congress
A NASA official told Congress on Wednesday that the United States needs more nuclear spacecrafts in order to compete with China. “Strategic competitors including China are aggressively investing in a wide range of space technologies, including nuclear power and propulsion,”… Read More ›
China shows off drones recycled from Soviet-era fighter jets
China has for the first time showed off retired 1950s era fighter jets that have been converted to unmanned drones, with satellite photos of two of its east coast bases near Taiwan showing a large number of the jets on… Read More ›
China’s propaganda machine is intensifying its ‘people’s war’ to catch American spies
“Let’s fight a ‘people’s war’ against the spies, so that they cannot move a single step and have no place to hide!” That was the rallying cry of a Chinese military newspaper on social media over the weekend, as Beijing… Read More ›
China’s blackouts break power cutoff pledge
As China struggles to control the latest surge of power shortages, the government seems to be hoping that the public will have short memories for how it has dealt with similar problems in the past. After months of downplaying the… Read More ›
China ‘making its nuclear submarines harder to detect’
China is upgrading its nuclear missile-equipped submarines to make them harder for rival powers such as the US to detect, reports suggest. The People’s Liberation Army Navy has redesigned its type 094 submarines to make them quieter, The South China… Read More ›
UN must condemn forced organ harvesting in China
Doctors, lawyers, and politicians from three continents called on the international community to ensure an end to China’s practice of forced organ harvesting during the first half of the World Summit on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting. Doctors Against… Read More ›
China says its J-31 is superior to F-35, and will be new carrier-borne fighter jet
Dwnews.com describes the J-31 in its report “曝歼31配新型导弹高清照 被指将终结美军空中优势[图]” as China’s new carrier-borne fighter jet for China’s Type 003 aircraft carrier. The speculation is based on the J-31’s Chief Designer Sun Cong’s recent comment on social media that China will make… Read More ›