Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — In a major legal setback for Beijing, an international tribunal has rejected and rebuffed many of Mainland China’s claims regarding exclusive sovereignty and rights in the disputed South China Sea. The landmark ruling in the Hague, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration stated there was […]
by WorldTribune Staff, July 12, 2016 China has no legal basis for its claim to most of the South China Sea, a tribunal ruled unanimously on July 12. Additionally, Beijing has aggravated regional disputes with its construction of artificial islands that “destroyed coral reefs and infringed on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” a five-member panel […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Geostrategy-Direct Without fanfare and the usual media hype, China on June 29 quietly launched a sophisticated military spy satellite into outer space, marking a significant step in Beijing’s anti-satellite development. Dubbed “Experiment 02,” the satellite is China’s second anti-satellite weapon in the near earth orbit zone where most of the world’s […]
by WorldTribune Staff, July 6, 2016 It took eight years for China, known for reverse engineering technology from the United States, to officially get its first commercial airliner off the ground. And many in the industry say the ground is probably the best place for it. On July 5, the Comac ARJ-21, the first passenger […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty The U.S. government has extended through August 30 a reprieve for ZTE Corporation from tough export restrictions imposed for allegedly violating sanctions against Iran. The Commerce Department on June 27 said the reprieve will allow the Chinese smartphone maker to continue exporting equipment containing U.S. technology. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Russia says the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will discuss a “very tense situation” in Afghanistan when the grouping holds its summit in Uzbekistan this week. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on June 22 that an estimated 60,000 “armed extremists” were fighting in Afghanistan, including 10,000 under […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Robert Morton June 21, 2016 WASHINGTON — If there was ever a moment when America needed a book about Gen. Douglas MacArthur, “this is definitely the time,”Hudson Institute Fellow Arthur Herman said yesterday. The author of “Douglas MacArthur: American Warrior” was at pains to explain why the towering American military legend continues […]
by WorldTribune Staff, June 19, 2016 The United States has sent two aircraft carriers to an exercise in the Philippine Sea in a show of force ahead of a key arbitration decision on a South China Sea territorial dispute. The Nimitz-class supercarriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS John C. Stennis conducted air defense and sea […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, ‘Inside China’, Geostrategy-Direct.com President and Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping launched the largest-ever war game involving the nation’s People’s Armed Police late last month. Official news agencies said more than 30,000 commanding officers and “a few hundred thousand” troops in all 31 major administrative districts were involved. This was the largest […]
by WorldTribune Staff, June 15, 2016 A Chinese vessel “shadowed” the USS John C. Stennis as the American aircraft carrier joined warships from Japan and India on June 14 for drills in the Western Pacific, officials said. “There is a Chinese vessel about seven to 10 miles away,” Cpt. Gregory C. Huffman, commander of the […]