Your Wednesday Briefing: China, Japan Divided on Ukraine
Also, an I.M.F. loan to Sri Lanka and the Japan-U.S. final in the World Baseball Classic.
China
Taiwan says it has ‘contingency plans’ for any moves by China during president Tsai’s trip abroad
Tsai Ing-wen will visit allies Guatemala and Belize next week, and stopover in the US, after Honduras said it would establish ‘official relations’ with ChinaTaiwan’s defence ministry has contingency plans for any moves by China during Taiwan President …
Putin and Xi Discuss Ukraine
During an appearance with President Xi Jinping of China, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said China’s plan could be taken as a basis for peaceful settlement in Ukraine. Kyiv’s Western allies have criticized the framework as unreasonable.
Putin welcomes China’s controversial proposals for peace in Ukraine
But US warns against ‘any tactical move by Russia to freeze the war on its own terms’Vladimir Putin has welcomed China’s proposals for peace in Ukraine at a joint press conference with Xi Jinping in Moscow – a plan the west has warned would allow the K…
Only 7 NATO members hit alliance’s 2 percent GDP defense spending target in 2022
Despite the concerning finding, between 2021 and 2022, defense spending across the alliance increased by 2.2 percent in real terms, surpassing an estimated $1 trillion.
Go big: Air Force should double B-21 Raider buy, think tank says
A new report by the Mitchell Institute argues that the Air Force should procure 225 or more of the next-gen stealth bombers to effectively deter adversaries and shore up more cost-effective long-range strike capabilities.
Did Pentagon Provide Real-Time Intelligence To Indian Army During India-China 2022 Border Clash?
According to the U.S. News and World Report, the US government for the first time provided real-time details to its Indian counterparts of the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of incursions by the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang SectorUS refused to confirm a news report citing that the US provided crucial intelligence to the Indian military last year that helped it successfully
Saudi-Iran Deal Shows Bipolarity Is Back; India Must Let Go of Unrealistic Multipolar Dream
Beijing’s peace-building efforts are not surprising. It reflects China’s strength and regional powers’ desire to find alternatives to US dominanceby Rajesh RajagopalanChina’s growing power was bound to give it greater international influence. The Saudi Arabia-Iran deal—which sought to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two nations and was apparently brokered by China—is only an
Upcoming Arms Race In The Indo-Pacific And South-East Arena
Fear of the Growing Influence of China over the Indo-Pacific and the South-East Asian region is making developing and underdeveloped nations increase their deterrenceSouth East Asia and the Indo-Pacific have been marked with an arms race that is characterized by competition among states to obtain and maintain military superiority over each other. The arms race in this region has its roots in the
How the new AUKUS sub agreement impacts Beijing’s calculus on Taiwan
Sidharth Kaushal, research fellow at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute defense think tank, said AUKUS will likely make a Chinese attack on Taiwan, “decidedly less appealing.”