The Truth About Bo Xilai

The mysterious Orient, hidden behind a façade of inscrutability, an enigma wrapped in a veil of secrecy: that’s how the internal politics of China are “reported” in the West – and that’s just the way the present Chinese leadership likes it. They quite naturally don’t want their dirty linen exposed to public view, and the … Continue reading “The Truth About Bo Xilai”

Leading Think Tank Urges Naval Buildup in South China Sea

While much of the world’s attention has been focused on U.S.- Iranian tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a key think tank is urging Washington to devote more focus and resources on another key hub for international commerce several thousand miles to the east.In a major report released Tuesday, the Center for a New American … Continue reading “Leading Think Tank Urges Naval Buildup in South China Sea”

A New Cold War in Asia?

Last Friday, the U.S. military formally handed over its largest base in Iraq, the ill-named “Camp Victory,” to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The next morning, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius officially declared counterinsurgency wars in the Middle East dead in — if you don’t mind an inapt word — the water. (He … Continue reading “A New Cold War in Asia?”

President Obama, We Must Not Allow a Tunnel Gap!

Mr. President, we must not allow a mineshaft gap! – Gen. “Buck” Turgidson, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb China is a vast country — “When it is dark in the east, it is light in the west; when things are dark in the south, there is still … Continue reading “President Obama, We Must Not Allow a Tunnel Gap!”

The End of America’s Pacific Century

Usually it’s the giant stories that catch your eye. The wars, the uproars, the Arab Spring — the things you can’t miss. But every now and then, news stories about easily overlooked subjects somehow manage to shine the strongest light on a changing world. The Cohn sisters, Claribel and Etta, from a wealthy Baltimore family, … Continue reading “The End of America’s Pacific Century”

Russia, China Shield Syria from Possible UN Sanctions 

A resolution inspired by Western nations critical of civilian killings in politically-beleaguered Syria is facing threats from two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council: Russia and China. If and when the resolution is adopted by the 15-member Council, perhaps next week, it will be diluted to avoid the customary call for economic or military … Continue reading “Russia, China Shield Syria from Possible UN Sanctions “

What Must We Defend?

“We need to be honest with the president, with the Congress, with the American people” about the consequences of cutting the defense budget, said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in his valedictory policy address to the American Enterprise Institute. “[A] smaller military, no matter how superb, will be able to go fewer places and do … Continue reading “What Must We Defend?”