FPI / August 23, 2019 By Richard Fisher, Geostrategy-Direct.com On Aug. 15, the Trump administration informally told the U.S. Congress that it had approved the $8 billion sale of Lockheed-Martin F-16V fighters to Taiwan, that now requires Congressional approval to proceed. Taiwan has been seeking upgraded and more capable F-16s since 1997, in the wake […]
by WorldTribune Staff, August 19, 2019 China has warned Taiwan against interfering in its affairs after the Taiwanese government offered asylum to pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Taiwan is a self-ruled island which China considers its own territory under its “One China Principle”. Taiwan’s offer would “cover up the crimes of a small group of […]
FPI / August 2, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com In the first defense white paper it has released in several years, China identifies the United States as its main adversary, warns that it is set to use military force against Taiwan and says that developing space weapons is among its vital strategic interests. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk TOKYO ― Korean and Japanese relations have plunged to their lowest depths since the Korean War, and there’s apparently no reconciliation in sight. The governments in Seoul and Tokyo are engaged in a game of dare and double-dare in which each tries to out-threaten the other with hurtful measures […]
FPI / July 12, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com By Richard Fisher As part of a $2 billion weapons sales package, the U.S. Congress has been notified about the sale to Taiwan of 108 General Dynamics M1A2 “Abrams” main battle tanks. In service with the U.S. Army since 1980, the M1A2 is the latest version, armed with a […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — In an annual process of diplomatic musical chairs the 193 member UN General Assembly has picked five countries to serve on the Security Council as non-permanent members. Estonia, Niger, Tunisia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Vietnam were elected to two-year terms on the powerful […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Richard Fisher, Geostrategy-Direct For the first time since 2011, two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-11 fighters crossed the Mid-Line of the Taiwan Strait near the Penghu Islands on March 31, 2019. The incursion prompted Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on April 1 to state on her Facebook page […]
by WorldTribune Staff, April 1, 2019 The Trump administration has hinted it may soon sell 60 F-16s to Taiwan in what observers say would be a “huge shock” to China. Selling the F-16s to Taiwan, which has sought the jets for more than a decade, would add to several other moves the U.S. has made […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Parris H. Chang Forty years ago, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping made a celebratory tour of the United States in the wake of the U.S. recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Deng’s trip from Jan. 28 to Feb. 5, 1979, started in Washington, and made stops in Atlanta, Houston and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler NEW YORK — While the world is looking elsewhere and transfixed on the whirling Washington Merry-go-Round, a perfect political storm is brewing in East Asia. Unpredictable winds are gathering over the Chinese Mainland. The epicenter is the Zhongnanhai compound near Beijing’s once Forbidden City, as leader Xi Jinping […]