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FBI chief Kash Patel declassifies report on alleged Chinese plot to influence 2020 US election

23Jun

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

FBI chief Kash Patel declassifies report on alleged Chinese plot to influence 2020 US election

In a move reverberating through Washington and beyond, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel has declassified a long-awaited intelligence report detailing an alleged Chinese government effort to interfere in the 2020 United States presidential election. The release marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over foreign meddling in American democratic processes, shedding new light on Beijing's covert strategies and the intelligence community’s response. The declassification comes amid mounting bipartisan pressure for transparency and accountability in national security matters related to election integrity. While previous investigations, including those led by Congress and independent agencies, largely focused on Russian disinformation an

24Apr

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

China, the war-monger

By turning down an offer from U.S. President Donald Trump for a mutual 50 percent cut in defense budget, China will go down in history as the war-mongering nation. The power-hungry Chinese Communist Party mandarins have not realized that it would have been in their own interest to have accepted the offer. For, China has no chance to catch up with the U.S. and its allies in the arms race that Beijing has triggered by announcing a record high defense budget and by stepping up its belligerent activities in the South China Sea. After taking over as President, Trump had offered that the U.S., Russia and China, the three countries with the largest defense budgets, cut their spending on the military by 50 percent. “One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China, Pr

CCP’s expanding influence in the U.S.: A growing concern

2Apr

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

CCP’s expanding influence in the U.S.: A growing concern

As awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence in the United States continues to rise, concerns about the extent of Beijing’s reach into American political, economic, and social structures are being brought to the forefront. Former congresswoman Michelle Steel, in a recent interview with The Epoch Times, highlighted the CCP’s pervasive presence in California, across the United States, and even on a global scale. Her insights offer a sobering look at the strategic maneuvers employed by the CCP to extend its influence, raising questions about national security, economic independence, and the safeguarding of democratic values.CCP’s influence in CaliforniaCalifornia, with its vast economy and significant political sway, has been a primary target of CCP inf

Donald Trump’s additional tariffs foils the dastardly plan of China to use the Mexico route to invade the U.S.

19Feb

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Donald Trump’s additional tariffs foils the dastardly plan of China to use the Mexico route to invade the U.S.

With United States President Donald Trump announcing a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Mexico and an additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports, the Mexican route to invade the American market has been effectively shut for Chinese companies. The previous Joe Biden administration had imposed a 100 percent tariff on the entry of Chinese electrical vehicles and taken effective steps to prevent the entry of synthetic opioid drug fentanyl to the U.S. from China. Since then, Chinese companies have been investing heavily in Mexico in facilities for the manufacture of EVs and fentanyl and using the Mexican route to access the American market; taking advantage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement which is a free trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada....

US -Pakistan relations to remain sour in Trump 2.0

28Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

US -Pakistan relations to remain sour in Trump 2.0

There is a mix of unreliability, uncertainties and apprehensions about the US-Pakistan relations after Donald Trump has taken over. The financial aid from the US is less likely to reach Pakistan even as Islamabad would have a difficult task of walking tightrope between the US and China. Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani Ambassador to the US, said Pakistan would not be important for the Trump administration. “Pakistan used to be a leading recipient of US aid post-9/11. But in recent years, aid has drastically reduced. Issues like Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs, its relationship with China, and alleged support for militants are what concern the US,” said Haqqani, who is also a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute. The bilateral relations had deteriorated

22Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

US politicians target Trump donations

A pair of US senators reportedly accused leading technology companies of attempting to win the favour of President-elect Donald Trump by donating millions to his inauguration ceremony, noting many face ongoing government investigations and regulatory actions. Fox News reported Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet wrote to Amazon, Apple, Google, OpenAI, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Uber last week to express concerns. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted their letter on X. In it, the politicians expressed concern the companies and other technology businesses “are using your massive contributions to the inaugural fund to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in an effort to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation and buy favour”. Altman personally contributed $1 mill

Between TrumpTok and TikTok? The banning and unbanning of the app perfectly captures all the issues with American politics.

22Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Between TrumpTok and TikTok? The banning and unbanning of the app perfectly captures all the issues with American politics.

Having done his best to shut down the social media platform, the new president is now being hailed as its saviour. And once again the Democrats have egg on their faces Politics in the US has had its fair share of stupid moments, but the recent banning and (sort of) unbanning of TikTok may rank as one of the stupidest. At the same time, the episode neatly encapsulates the current moment: it’s a perfect example of Donald Trump’s showmanship, the Democrats’ incompetence and the limits of bipartisanship. If I were a TikTok teen I’d come up with some sort of experimental dance to illustrate these themes but I’m old and completely devoid of rhythm, so words are going to have to suffice. Let’s start with Trump, who, with his usual talent for self-promotion, has positioned himself as th

16Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump 2.0 and China-Ukraine Relations

The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Vita Golod – visiting adjunct instructor at Carolina Asia Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, junior fellow at A. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and co-author of the article “Tracing the Path of Sino-Ukrainian Relations: From the Post-Soviet Era to the Russo-Ukrainian War” published in the Journal of Contemporary China – is the 444th in “The Trans-Pacific View Insight Series.” Explain Ukraine’s approach toward China since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In a few words,

China white, latest scare for the US, invokes more tariffs from Trump

1Dec

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China white, latest scare for the US, invokes more tariffs from Trump

China White, or Fentanyl, is one of the illicit Chinese drugs that recently got Elon Musk and Donald J. Trump tweeting about it on online platform X. While Mr. Musk Tweeted “Price of Fentanyl will rise sharply”, President-Elect Donald. J Trump wrote a big note on the same online platform accusing China of faltering to stop smuggling of Fentanyl into the United States. He also announced levying of additional 10% tariff, above any additional tariffs, on all Chinese products entering the United States. Trump has raised his concern over rising drug trafficking cases sourced mostly from China. Though he was assured by the Chinese officials that there are strong laws in place, even up to death penalty for drug dealers, but nothing concrete is showing up as Fentanyl smugglers are operatin

US : China’s telecom hack worst ever, intimidating

27Nov

By Nectar GanNo Comments

US : China’s telecom hack worst ever, intimidating

Chinese hackers are getting bolder by the day and now have hacked into top US telecommunication companies’ networks. US FBI and CISA have labelled this as the “worst ever” espionage attempt in the history. The US agencies have tapped into the source of the hack and have found out that the Chinese hackers have stolen call records of top political and government officials during the recent US elections. The Chinese hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon is in the middle of this huge scandal. As per the US intelligence the Chinese hackers were even able to listen to conversation between President elect Donald Trump and Vice-President elect JD Vance. They hacked into the vulnerable US telecommunication equipment, broadband networks, and computers to extract secret informa