Administration vows to get tough with China
The Obama administration is signaling it plans to take a tougher stance with China on trade issues, including demanding that Beijing move more quickly to reform its currency system. As part of that new approach, the administration filed two new trade cases against China before the World Trade Organization….
Chinese Think Tank Warns US It Will Emerge As Loser In Trade War
A State Council think-tank in China has warned Washington that the US will come off worst in a trade war if it imposes sanctions against Beijing over the two nations’ currency spat.
Israel-Palestinian talks end without settlement deal: What happens next?
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US envoy George Mitchell hopped on planes to seek the support of regional leaders, with only two weeks before the Israeli settlement freeze expires.
Former Iraqi Gov’t Spokesman: Iraq is Central to a Major U.S.-Iran Deal to Share Influence in Region
Leith Kubbah, a former Iraqi government spokesman who currently resides in Washington, told the Iraqi daily al-Zaman that the U.S. is preparing a major package deal with Iran for sharing influence in the region….
Non-Aligned Movement backs Iran
The strongly worded statement by the Non-Aligned Movement at the International Atomic Energy Agency in support of Iran’s position on the contentious issue of IAEA inspectors will go some way towards Iran gaining the upper hand on this matter. It could also help thaw frozen Iran-United States relations.
New nuclear arms treaty with Russia passes Senate panel
A key Senate committee on Thursday approved a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, picking up enough Republican support to indicate that the pact could squeak through the full Senate.
China And START: Missile Buildup May Surpass U.S., Russia As They Denuclearize
Might China someday have more nuclear warheads than the United States? Than Russia? Inconceivable as it may sound, this could come to pass, because China may just be starting a period of double- or triple-digit annual growth in its warhead numbers as the Obama administration sets its sights on further U.S. warhead reductions, with little hope that China will join a regime of negotiated nuclear stability.
Taiwan, China Hold Biggest Search-And-Rescue Drill
Taiwan and China Sept. 16 staged their biggest ever joint maritime search and rescue drill, near waters where the two sides fought fierce battles half a century ago, officials said.
China, Japan fishing boat row reflects shift in Beijing’s approach toward Tokyo
Even as Beijing raises pressure on Japan to release a detained fishing boat captain, it appears reluctant to exploit this weekend’s anniversary of Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931 for political purposes.
Russia and Canada to refer Arctic dispute to U.N.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Canadian counterpart Lawrence Cannon met today about competing claims over the Lomonosov Ridge, an underwater ridge of continental crust under the Arctic Ocean claimed by both territories and pledged to let the United Nations resolve the dispute.
Top US and Russian Defense Officials Renew Military Cooperation
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, have vowed to expand military cooperation signaling an improvement in relations between the former Cold War foes.
Russia’s European Security Treaty: Impact on the US, NATO, and Europe
In several ways, Russia’s proposed new European Security Treaty would undermine European security—the opposite of its stated purpose—not least of all by sharply limiting NATO’s ability to act and to accept new members. Instead of adding to the existing European architecture and treaties, the U.S. and its European allies should work to advance relations with Russia bilaterally and through existing institutions.
The Backlash Begins Against The World Landgrab
The neo-colonial rush for global farmland has gone exponential since the food scare of 2007-2008. Last week’s long-delayed report by the World Bank suggests that purchases in developing countries rose to 45m hectares in 2009, a ten-fold jump from levels of the last decade. Two thirds have been in Africa, where institutions offer weak defence.
If War Comes: Israel vs. Hizballah and Its Allies
The next war on Israel’s northern border will bear little resemblance to the 2006 confrontation between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizballah in Lebanon.
Defence Cuts ‘Could Leave Us Unable To Fight A War’, Say MPs
Britain’s ability to carry out military operations is at risk because of Government plans to take an axe to the defence budget, a scathing report warns today. A powerful group of MPs says that current missions, including the war in Afghanistan, would be threatened if ministers made cuts of up to 20 per cent at the Ministry of Defence. The Commons’ Defence Select Committee expresses concern that the Strategic Defence and Security review is being carried out so quickly that ‘serious mistakes’ will be made.
Chris van Avery is an Asia-Pacific FAO and Military Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, and blogs on a variety of topics at The Yankee Sage.
