Americans are overwhelmingly willing to take military risks in defending allies from China, according to a new poll from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On a scale of 1 to 10—where 10 means one is willing to take… Read More ›
South Korea
2025: End Game China – War a Certainity (Part 1)
DECEPTION A WAY OF LIFE IN CHINA China draws heavily from two famous historical military bluffs and Sun Tzu’s teachings, in its day-to-day life. The legendary stories revolve around Li Guang and his 100 horsemen (144 BC), and Zhuge Liang… Read More ›
U.S.-North Korea tension looms as leaders from China, Japan, South Korea meet
The specter of new confrontation between Pyongyang and Washington hangs over meetings between China, Japan and South Korea this week, with growing risks North Korean actions could end an uneasy detente and upend recent diplomatic efforts. South Korean President Moon… Read More ›
Samsung and Sony end mobile phone production in China due to high labour costs
Samsung Electronics has ended mobile telephone production in China, it said on Wednesday, hurt by intensifying competition from domestic rivals in the world’s biggest smartphone market. The shutdown of Samsung’s last China phone factory comes after it cut production at… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, August 26, 2019
The Hong Kong police have lost public trust. They’ve cried, “Victim!” after their injuries were proven to be from self defense when they were the assailants. They illegally shot tear gas canisters as harmful projectiles in violation of international law… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, May 14, 2018
Disassembling nuke sites prior to meeting Trump may seem like a “save of face” for Kim Jong-Un, but it’s actually a statement of Trump’s influence. If Trump wasn’t an influence, then Kim wouldn’t be doing what Trump has been demanding… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, April 30, 2018
One easy way to understand, at most “anticipate, but at least be unsurprised by developments in Korea and China is the “PDT Symphony Mad Asian Scientist Theorem”. This “Mad Scientist” theorem is not fact and likely untrue, but if applied,… Read More ›
The coming China-Korea Reintegration
Trump confirmed personally that he would be meeting Kim Jong-un in May or early June. As I have said many times in the past three years, the United States has “no other choice but talk”. Therefore, it was Pyongyang to… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, January 29, 2018
It was a week of protests in both Hong Kong and South Korea. Neither side of any controversy rose above the fray. For the powers that be, it was PR gone bad. For the masses, it was spitting in the… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, January 8, 2018
The talks between South and North Korea are not at all what they are cracked up to be. While the world would love to believe that this is some grand exercise in “can’t we all just get along” diplomacy that… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, December 11, 2017
More smoke got blown this week. South Korea’s president is stepping-up efforts to talk to China about North Korea. Asian culture dictates that a country as big as China doesn’t give a rat’s synthetic tail about what a small country… Read More ›
The “never been done before” Chinese air-power exercise near Korea
Amid the hearsay that State Secretary Rex Tillerson who insisted on resolving the Korean tension diplomatically would be replaced by the bellicose Mike Pompeo, the incumbent CIA Director, Alex Lockie of Business Insider – Military & Defense gives us a… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, December 4, 2017
The US is gearing up for a demonstration of it’s new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets. North Korea is providing the perfect opportunity. When all is done, be ready to count the headlines in which the F-35s appear. There… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, November 27, 2017
Korea has on display the essential cultural clash that causes and sustains conflict across the world. North Korea’s leaders won’t communicate. They think non-communication entitles them to get whatever they want. South Korea’s president harbors something against Japan. It would… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 20, 2017
Trump visited China in friendship and peace. His granddaughter sang in Mandarin. Her video was played at a high profile state banquet. Everyone seemed happy. In South Korea, President Moon, likely to go down in history as a failed diplomat-wannabe,… Read More ›
China remains calm while South Koreans worry mass evacuation by Japan and U.S.
The Associated Press reported on Sept 4 that there is “a growing worry that has many in South Korea and Japan asking a startling question … namely a separation or ‘decoupling’ of the decades-old security alliance between the United States… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, July 17, 2017
South Korea proposed to talk to North Korea this week. Much of the timing relates to anniversaries and upcoming holidays. Pyongyang is still angry about twelve waitresses who moved South and wants them back first. Seoul says the waitresses moved… Read More ›
Trump acting as a spokesman for China’s non-interference policy
U.S. President Donald Trump seems acting as a spokesman for China’s long-term non-interference foreign policy that even in the case of North Korea, Beijing refrains from exercising its power and influence to alter another sovereign state’s foreign policy forcefully. Who… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, July 3, 2017
China views Hong Kong as a doorstep between the world and largely otherwise closed China. This week, investment highways opened, allowing easier offshore investments in China’s bond market. At the same time, the world gets a glimpse into Chinese dealing… Read More ›
China leaves the U.S. no other choice but ‘talk’ for Korea
Had Pyongyang really possessed nuclear warheads, no president of the United States, anyone, whoever, would dare to put the lives of his soldiers in South Korea (28,500) and Japan (54,000) at risk. The THADD missile defense system is not a… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, May 22, 2017
The big question surrounding the time of North Korea’s end will be logistics. It won’t be about tactics or the “most diplomatic-surgical way” to end the volatile regime. While the scene is that of the super villain who has strapped… Read More ›
‘Dr Strange’ in Hong Kong and the time loop of fights
The 2016 movie ‘Doctor Strange’ recorded a worldwide box office gross of US$677.6 million to which mainland China and Hong Kong contributed $109 mn and $8 mn respectively (Mojo data). In this story, the Ancient One’s group runs three Sanctums… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, March 13, 2017
Forget Japanese waters, headlines worry about North Korea and Hawaii. South Korea has their own two cents to add over the assassination of Kim Jong-un’s half brother at Kuala Lumpur International. China says that North Korea and the US are… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, September 26, 2016
The iPhone 7 is why Taiwan’s market jumped last week. The US presidential debate is why the Asian market dipped Monday. At least, that’s what the “experts” say. The US and Philippine militaries will practice, especially since the Philippine president… Read More ›
Cadence Column: July 11, 2016
Abe’s landslide re-election in Japan, a US shield deployment in South Korea, and $2B USD pumping into Taiwan’s navy won’t exactly be sweet music to countries on the other side of the line. China isn’t in a position to make… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, April 18, 2016
Historically, Socialism has been great until the State runs out of other people’s money. In the case of China, it will continue to be great until China’s banks run out of their own loans. China’s debt-driven “miracle” is a bubble… Read More ›
Seoul may appeal to Beijing for help amid US pullout of soldiers
All U.S. troops — 54,000 in Japan and 28,500 in South Korea — will be withdrawn by the time the Pentagon has been certain North Korea is in possession of nuclear warheads. It is the message implicitly conveyed by Donald… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, April 5, 2016
Last was definitely a week of over-reaching. Asian Communist leaders, like American second-place primary candidates, clearly don’t know when they are losing. They just keep going, no matter the dangers, no matter the doom. China’s hardline is beyond hardline. This came… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 28, 2016
Korea drew attention this week. It almost seems disappointed that it hasn’t drawn fire. The North has not built up its military just to make beautiful propaganda videos. Unlike the West, “building the bomb so you never need to use… Read More ›
Japan eyes air superiority over China in talks with western defence contractors
Japan has opened talks with Western defence contractors about building a new generation of fighter jets, sources say, in what would mark an important milestone in Tokyo’s strategy to maintain its air superiority over rival China. The discussions with defence… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 21, 2016
Global headlines are dominated with much ado about Trumping. Everyone has something to say, Japan being slowest to judge, judging nonetheless. In a declining world of failed political correctness, controversial reactions to Trump almost indicate who might have been doing… Read More ›
North Korea’s intrusion into South Korea will benefit Japan but hurt US and China
By claiming it is an internal affair inside Korea and threatening to strike Japan and Alaska with nuclear bombs via long range missiles if American forces were to directly participate into combat, Pyongyang will retaliate to the “toughest ever” UN… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, October 26, 2015
Fireworks and seizure. On Saturday, a North Korean patrol boat crossed into South Korea’s side of the “NLL” (Northern Limit Line), which North Korea rejects. The South fired warning shots and the “Nork” ship went home. The DPRK will not… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, October 12, 2015
China didn’t make any friends this week. Beijing spies on every street corner with a service literally named “Skynet”. The Pentagon wants a strong Taiwan. The US Navy plans to challenge China’s man-made military airport-seaport islands. Most people don’t know… Read More ›
Chinese troops head to North Korean border as tensions mount between North and South Korea
The People’s Liberation Army has sent troops to China’s border with North Korea as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula have pushed North and South to the brink of possible war. The Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily reported Saturday that internet… Read More ›
North Korea announces bold new peace plan (satire)
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Kim Wu-hu, the highly respected director of North Korea’s Ministry of Everlasting Truth. She is variously believed to be Kim Jong-un‘s sister or illegitimate daughter. Kim Jong-un (also known as Kim Chi-un), the… Read More ›
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 6, 2015
China moves more and more with money. The economy is crashing, largely due to the Communist doctrine that citizens do not own land—something we rarely read about. China also gears up for both war and investment contingency. BRICS was ratified… Read More ›
China teaches its 100 million tourists some travel etiquette
This year may go down in history as the moment when the global balance of economic power shifted dramatically towards China, after Beijing humiliated Washington over the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. But let’s face it, tectonic shifts in the global… Read More ›
Japan, US, ASEAN direct investment in China drops dramatically, as China considered less attractive
Japan‘s direct investment in China in 2014 dropped 38.8 percent from the previous year to $4.33 billion, the Commerce Ministry said Thursday. The plunge, which compares with a decline of about 4 percent in 2013, reflects soured bilateral relations over… Read More ›
Will China continue to provoke its neighbours in 2015?
A nudge by air in 2013. A probe by sea in 2014. Will China take a crack on land in 2015? For the sake of world peace, let’s hope not. However, China’s nudge and probe record, especially over the last… Read More ›
China seeks to expand free trade area to South Asia in quest to dominate all Asia
Geologically, the Himalayas are regarded as the boundary of South Asia. As China lies to the north of the Himalayas, it is certainly not a part of South Asia and it has never claimed that in history. However, a Reuter’s… Read More ›
Three major nations absent as China launches World Bank rival in Asia
As Japan and the US will not allow China to increase its stake in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank, China set has set up a multinational rival bank called the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 21 countries… Read More ›
Illegal fisherman from China shot dead while threatening South Korean Coast Guard
The captain of a Chinese fishing boat was killed on Friday when the South Korean Coast Guard fired shots as officers tried to impound a vessel they said was illegally fishing in South Korean waters. A coast guard official said… Read More ›
China claims diplomatic victories in easing tensions with India and Japan
According to a popular Chinese article, China is certain to fight six wars in the coming five decades with seven of its neighbours: Russia, Taiwan, Japan, India, Mongolia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Russia is China’s close ally. As for the… Read More ›
India and China’s pragmatism to challenge U.S. superpower status
When Narendra Modi greeted Xi Jinping with the idea of “INCH (India and China) towards MILES (Millennium of Exceptional Synergy)” [Note 1], the new age of “pragmatism”-based multi-polarity has taken another great step to replace the fading age of liberalism-based… Read More ›
China seeks to be centre of Asian Union, world’s largest Free Trade Zone
As far back as January 2012, I pointed out “China’s desire to establish an East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere,” which Japan shed a lot of blood to establish decades ago, but failed. ASEAN plus China, Japan and Korea (APT – ASEAN Plus… Read More ›
Prelude to Conflict: Asia, August 18
Israel disappeared from Taiwan’s headlines while Iraq takes the new spotlight. It couldn’t last forever and, after more than a month of Taiwan learning about Israel every day, it doesn’t need to continue. China, South Korea, and the US are… Read More ›
To avoid angering China, Japanese Prime Minister skips visiting Yasukuni Shrine; China still angry
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, hoping to appease conservative supporters without closing the door on a hoped-for summit meeting with China’s leader, refrained from visiting a controversial war shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the 69th anniversary of the end… Read More ›
Does China care about its international image?
China values its national interests, including sovereignty, over its international image. China’s global image faces challenges — but if asked to choose between its national interests and preserving its national image, China would choose the former A recent poll conducted by… Read More ›
US threatens China over territorial disputes, cites sanctions on Russia as example
The US gave a strong warning to China not to escalate territorial tensions in the Asia-Pacific region if it doesn’t want to face American retaliation. In his statement, a US official used sanctions on Russia over Crimea’s accession as an… Read More ›
