Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com Here’s a twist on the shifting course of the recent military history of the region. The Philippines and Vietnam are about to become “strategic partners” in common cause against, yes, the Chinese. For those who may have forgotten, the U.S., having ruled the Philippines for nearly half a […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Jordan, a leading Middle East ally of the United States, has signed a military cooperation deal with China. The accord was signed on Sept. 9 during King Abdullah’s visit to Beijing, officials said, adding that the deal includes Jordan’s purchase of unspecified Chinese equipment. “The meeting saw the signing of a military […]
Special to WorldTribune.com China showcased its increasing military might on Sept. 3 in a parade marking the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. The extravagant event included Beijing’s newest fighter jets, missiles, drones and helicopters in a carefully choreographed show of national strength and Communist Party unity at a time of […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com China’s big show in Beijing is over, but its impact may not be as deep and far-reaching as forecast and hoped for. The soldiers have pranced around Tiananmen Square, the planes have swept overhead and President Xi Jinping has basked in glory 70 years after the defeat of […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — The reverberations of China’s economic jolt are being felt worldwide from New York, to London, Frankfurt and Tokyo. It’s the fear of a slowdown in the once-supercharged Chinese economy which has sent the country’s Shanghai Index market into a tailspin down over 20 percent in […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has turned down China’s invitation to a military parade next week marking the end of World War II. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Aug. 24 the decision was made because of Abe’s parliamentary schedule, but many observers believe it had more to do with […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, EastAsiaIntel.com SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is moving to improve ties with China that have been strained during much of the young leader’s brief tenure, officials and sources here say. The motive is said to be economic urgency in Pyongyang which continue to see its commercial ties […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — Maybe Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, should have kept his mouth shut. No matter what he might have said on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese surrender, he would be the target of intensive criticism. The fact is the Japanese are done with apologizing for World […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, EastAsiaIntel.com Just before China’s Army Day on Aug. 1, President and Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman Xi Jinping elevated ten senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers to full generals. This was Xi’s most significant military move since the formal arrest of Gen. Guo Boxiong, the former Politburo member and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, EastAsiaIntel.com The announcement on July 20 of the arrest of top cadre Ling Jihua could mark at least a temporary moratorium in President Xi Jinping’s three-year-old campaign on corruption among senior officials. It also demonstrates that despite Xi’s repeated rhetorical commitment to “rule of law with Chinese characteristics,” the […]