Following the assessment by the US Secretary of Defense of the situation in the Northeast Asian region, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was subsequently sent on a tour. In the period from March 16 to 19, Tillerson visited Japan, the Republic of Korea and China. The fact that two high officials of the US administration…
East Asia geopolitics is in flux, still centered on Beijing but complicated by Pyongyang’s nukes and transitions in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. The National People’s Congress in Beijing made it clear that China in the 21st century as led by Xi Jinping now relies, as a state, on the “core” leader’s “four comprehensives” as the…
The United States suffers from a chronic trust deficit, to put it mildly. Anything that its leaders say must be weighed against years of deception and relentless criminal conduct by US governments. Only a fool would trust anything that comes out of Washington. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Chinese President Xi Jinping at the weekend, vowing…
Panmunjom, the ‘peace village’ on the incredibly tense demilitarized zone (aka DMZ) between North and South Korea, is one of the weirdest places I’ve ever visited. Tough North Korean soldiers lurk about, watched by equally tough South Korean troops in one-way sunglasses and an aggressive judo ‘warrior’ stance. When I was filming at Panmunjom, we…
South Korean prosecutors allege that two American troops stationed in the country smuggled nine pounds worth of methamphetamine from California using the Army’s postal service. Two South Korean nationals have also been detained, the law enforcement office said. The operation may also implicate four South Koreans with family members living in the US, Stars and Stripes reported….
Military tensions Rise in East and Southeast Asia. The month of March is turning out to be a “hot” one in terms of military exercises, drills and posturing. Diplomatic efforts are being overshadowed by high profile, multi-lateral military exercises in the South China Sea, and the Sea of Japan. As China attempts to deescalate tensions…
