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☆ China doesn't want Russia to lose in Ukraine. But Beijing's endgame is murky.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China is becoming more involved in the Ukraine war, raising alarm in the West. As the West warns China could send weapons, experts are torn over Beijing's goals and endgame. But they agree that China does not want to see Russia lose, despite its claim of neutrality. China wants to see the war "prolonged without Russia being humiliated," June Teufel Dreyer, a China expert at the University of Miami, told Insider. A man watches a news broadcast showing military operations near Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA), in Beijing, China, on August 3, 2022.

☆ U.S. House panel to hold hearing on policy toward China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday with top officials on China policy to identify gaps in pursuing what it called a "more holistic approach" to countering aggression by the Chinese Communist Party. The hearing, announced by the panel's chair, Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican, is called, "Combating the Generational Challenge of CCP Aggression." Alan Estevez, the U.S. Commerce Department's under secretary for industry and security, who oversees restrictions on tech exports to China, is among the witnesses. McCaul has been pressing Estevez on the need to ensure China is not transferring U.S.-origin technology to state sponsors of terrorism, and has called for tighter restrictions on exports to blacklisted companies like China's Huawei, which are viewed as a threat to U.S. national security. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"As the United States deepens its relationship with the Philippines, it's important for regional security that Japan join in," a Japanese defence ministry source with knowledge of internal discussions on national security told Reuters. At a press briefing last week, Neil Imperial, the Philippines Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Marcos wanted to "facilitate closer defence, security, political, economic and people-to-people ties" while in Japan. That sentiment is shared in Tokyo, which has been deepening security ties with nations that view China with concern. Those deals provide a framework for how Marcos and Kishida could also forge deeper military ties to counter their common adversary, say experts. "The Philippines is a critical security partner for Japan," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

☆ South Korea hints at compensating victims of Japan's colonial forced labour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan said it has secured initial donations from steelmaker POSCO (005490.KS) totalling 4 billion won ($3.2 million). Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Tokyo’s top spokesperson, declined to comment on Seoul’s compensation plan or its public hearing, saying they were domestic matters within South Korea. The foundation's chief, Shim Kyu-sun, said he would encourage South Korean companies to donate "from the perspective of social responsibility". National flags of South Korea and Japan are displayed during a meeting between Komeito Party members and South Korean lawmakers at Komeito Party's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2019. Under the 1965 deal, South Korea was required to consider all pre-treaty compensation issues settled.

☆ State Department launches 'China House' amid rivalry with Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday launched its long-planned "China House" unit, an internal reorganization to help expand and sharpen its policymaking toward its top geopolitical rival. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in May announced the creation of China House, calling it a department-wide, integrated team that would coordinate and implement U.S. policy across issues and regions. China House will bring together China experts from throughout the department to coordinate with "every regional bureau and experts in international security, economics, technology, multilateral diplomacy, and strategic communications," the statement quoted Blinken as saying. It will replace the department's China Desk, but will continue to be overseen by Rick Waters, the deputy assistant secretary of state for China, Taiwan and Mongolia in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, according to an official. President Joe Biden's administration has laid out a strategy to compete with China focused on investing in U.S. competitiveness and aligning with allies and partners.

☆ Senior U.S. delegation to visit China in coming days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reacts as he listens to a youth representative during a visit to Oxygen Park in Education City in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar on November 21, 2022. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger will travel to China, South Korea and Japan from December 11-14, the State Department said in a statement. The two leaders pledged more frequent communications at a time of simmering differences also on human rights, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and economic issues. The State Department said the delegation will follow up on the meeting "to continue responsibly managing the competition between our two countries and to explore potential areas of cooperation" and will also lay the groundwork for Blinken's visit. Campbell was speaking to an Aspen Security Forum event in Washington two days after the United States announced plans to step up its rotational military presence in key region ally Australia amid shared concerns about China.

☆ Biden to attend summit of Southeast Asian leaders as Myanmar looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

BANGKOK — Southeast Asian leaders convene in the Cambodian capital Thursday, faced with the challenge of trying to curtail escalating violence in Myanmar while the country’s military-led government shows no signs of complying with the group’s peace plan. U.S. President Joe Biden will be on hand for the Phnom Penh summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which comes as Washington and Beijing are increasingly jockeying for influence in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to Myanmar, the four-day meetings are expected to focus on ongoing disputes in the South China Sea, pandemic recovery issues, regional trade and climate change. Neither Xi nor Putin is expected to attend the ASEAN talks or the parallel East Asia Summit, though both China and Russia are thought to be sending high-level delegations. “For Southeast Asia it’s really important to physically show up, and I think the Americans are very aware of this,” Daniel said.

☆ Biden seeks closer ties with Philippines after ‘rocky’ past
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Biden also noted that the Philippines was among U.S. allies to quickly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The “One China” policy recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan. He has said he wants to pursue closer ties with China, which has also sought to court him. He sees a rising China as the most threatening economic and national security adversary to the United States. The elder Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972, a year before his term was to expire.

☆ U.S.-led Pacific group to focus on climate, connectivity amid China concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"I think as we've seen in some instances, clearly China has ambitions in the Pacific, some of which have caused concern among Pacific Island leaders," Campbell said. But he said the group's agenda would be guided by Pacific Island countries' needs. The Blue Pacific event, held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, comes ahead of a Sept. 28-29 summit U.S. President Joe Biden plans to host with Pacific island leaders. Campbell added that the group was also working on increasing connectivity among island states. In a separate meeting, Blinken and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts affirmed a shared commitment to support Pacific Island countries.

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