Topic: East Asia

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Briefing China's growing military might: top 4 concerns for the Pentagon

The US Department of Defense is carefully monitoring the growth of China’s military. These four items are currently at the top of their list.

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Hot summer for Japan and China disputes

Prime Minister Abe made some pointed comments this week, highlighting Japan's determination not to yield to China on territorial issues.
In surprise, Chinese court releases mom from prison labor camp

A court in Hunan said Tang Hui's 'personal freedoms' were violated when she was sent to prison for 'reeducation through labor.' She had spoken out against local officials.
American dog breeds came from Asia, finds genetic study

A study of dog breeds in the Americas indicates that they migrated along with humans from East Asia, and that their genetic legacy has persisted to the present.
Energy Voices Nuclear power tries its sea legs

Russia has announced plans to build a floating nuclear power plant by 2016.
Rising hate speech in Japan has even some on far right saying 'enough'

The venom in anti-Korean demonstrations in Japan has shocked many and been widely reported in South Korea and China.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From algorithms, to Roman walls, to the new liberals and conservatives

This week's round-up of Good Reads include doubts about algorithms' 'all-power,' the recipe for Roman concrete, the need for a Turkish Mandela, young liberals who may be more conservative than they realize, and the usefulness of military 'land power.'
War games near California: Are the US and Japan sending a message to China?

The joint military exercises are in response to Japan's nervousness about China's interest in disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Nicaragua canal: Will China build rival to Panama Canal?

Nicaragua canal would require $40 billion and 11 years to complete. Nicaraguan president Ortega hopes to get congress to approve Chinese plan for Nicaragua canal this week.
Opinion At US-China summit, trust is the issue

President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping face a full agenda, from cybertheft to North Korea, when they meet at a desert estate in California today and tomorrow. But the fundamental issue is lack of trust, which needs building over a vast array of issues.
Opinion As North Korea heats up, South Korea and Japan should warm ties

Cooperation on missile defense between South Korea and Japan would help blunt threats from North Korea. But Japanese officials' recent insensitivity to Imperial Japan's painful role in World War II, including forcing South Koreans to become 'comfort women,' works against cooperation.
Briefing China's growing military might: top 4 concerns for the Pentagon

The US Department of Defense is carefully monitoring the growth of China’s military. These four items are currently at the top of their list.
Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

The coinciding visits to Beijing of the Israeli prime minister and the Palestinian Authority president this week speak to China's growing interests in the Middle East.
US military chief in Beijing warns of North Korea 'miscalculation'

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey is in China looking for help on North Korea. Though Beijing indicated it was 'working on' it, there are a number of reasons why China might be reluctant to push the North too hard.
The Monitor's View Europe's ideals win a Serbia-Kosovo pact

An agreement approved Monday by Serbia and Kosovo will put an official end to 1990s genocidal conflict. It also serves as a model for ending other conflicts driven by ethnic, religious, and land disputes.
China tests its borders again, this time in the mountains

India is alleging a Chinese border incursion in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, putting diplomatic pressure on an otherwise warming relationship between the two Asian giants.
Rhino head heist: Half a million euros' worth stolen from Irish museum

The thieves are expected to try to sell the horns in Asia. Europol claimed in 2011 that most of Europe's illegal rhino trade was committed by a single 'ethnically-Irish organized criminal group.'
Decoder Wire North Korea nuclear talks: Did John Kerry soften conditions? (+video)

North Korea nuclear talks are possible if the North gives up its nuclear program, Secretary of State John Kerry said this weekend. That's not new, but Kerry's tone has worried some analysts.
Decoder Wire Why hasn't North Korea fired its Musudan missile yet?

Satellite imagery has detected the movement of several Musudan missiles toward the east coast of North Korea, and a test is widely expected. But April 15 is not likely to be the day. Here's why.
Terrorism & Security Global defense spending dips for first time in 15 years

Defense budget cuts in the US and Europe were more than enough to offset an increase in spending by rising powers like Russia and China.
North Korea nuclear missiles: How startling is Pentagon assessment? (+video)

A new Pentagon intelligence report claims that North Korea has the ability to make a nuclear device small enough to fit on a ballistic missile – not that it's been fully tested or is set to fire.
Global News Blog Death penalty: Amnesty International says global decline in executions stalls (+video)

In 2012, four countries that had not used the death penalty in several years were on Amnesty International's list. Missing was China, which keeps its figures secret but is estimated to far outpace others in executions.
The Monitor's View A path to peace in land, resource disputes

A Taiwan-Japan agreement on fisheries near the Senkaku islands sets a model for China in avoiding dangerous moves on island claims.
North Korea missile test: What's a Musudan? (+video)

If North Korea test-fires a Musudan, it could settle a debate within the expert community about the capabilities of the intermediate-range ballistic missile – or whether it exists at all.
In Gear Ford Focus tops Toyota Corolla as world's most popular car

Ford Focus has overtaken its Japanese rival, the Toyota Corolla, at the top of the global sales charts. The company sold over one million units of its Ford focus last year.
North Korean missiles: Could US shoot them down? (+video)

The Pentagon has been deploying more missile-defense ground batteries and ships to East Asia. Here's a rundown of the three-tiered system that the US could use to counter North Korean missiles.