China watchers expect early test of Trump’s resolve by Beijing
China will test the Trump administration early on, most likely via some kind of provocation in the South China Sea or East China Sea, Beijing watchers say. China has (more…)
Is president-elect clueless on Asia? A collective sigh of relief by the CCP on Nov. 9
By Dr. Willy Lam In general, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership much prefers Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton. After becoming president in January, Trump is expected to honor (more…)
IRGC commander, in Farsi-only broadcast, says elite fighters will secretly enter U.S., Europe
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has directed the country’s elite military force to infiltrate the United States and Europe, according to a Farsi-language report that Iran avoided distributing in (more…)
As Iran waits to collect unfrozen assets, terrorism of the Sunni kind hits home
Iran, which until now has managed to evade the regional repercussions of the Arab Spring, is now feeling the effects of what it calls the Islamic Awakening in the (more…)
U.S. upgrades status of its nuclear umbrella shield for South Korea
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced in Washington on Oct. 19 the establishment of a much higher-level bilateral organization to guarantee America’s nuclear pledge to defend and protect South Korea. (more…)
Low-profile, high-altitude U.S. agency confirms island buildup is ‘for military purposes’
China is using strategic camouflage in the South China Sea by constructing commercial facilities that can easily be converted for military use, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (more…)
Wave of senior North Korean diplomatic defections continue, this time in Beijing
At least two senior North Korean diplomats stationed in Beijing fled with their family members to the Japanese embassy to seek political asylum, according to South Korean newspaper reports (more…)
SoCom pushes Pentagon to name violent strain of Islamic terrorism
U.S Special Operations Command (SoCom) is pressing the Pentagon to specifically name Salafi jihadism “as the doctrine that inspires violent Muslim extremists,” a report said. SoCom called on Joint (more…)
Hit by internal insurgencies, Iran now battles explosions at energy sites
Already fighting internal insurgencies, Iran is now investigating possible cyberattacks on its re-emerging energy sector. The recent incidents at major oil and gas facilities add to more headaches for (more…)