There have now been four flying objects shot down by the U.S. military in just over a week, with the first one identified as a Chinese surveillance balloon outfitted with sensors used for intelligence gathering. Though Beijing continues to deny it was a spy vessel, the incident has further strained its ties with Washington and…

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., believes it is possible for Ukraine to retake Crimea. Blumenthal just returned from his third trip to the country, a bipartisan delegation that included Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “Everything I have come to learn about the will and determination of the Ukrainians leads me to conclude, retaking…

In a sign that Beijing might be softening its stance towards the west, a controversial China ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, has been moved to a lower-profile department. Epitomizing China’s “Wolf Warrior” approach to diplomacy, Zhao built a large following on Twitter and Chinese social media employing a combative defense of Chinese President…

A series of tweets from China’s new foreign minister seem to signal a possible softening in China-U.S. relations. Qin Gang, a trusted aide to leader Xi Jinping and outgoing Chinese ambassador to the U.S., offered enthusiastic praise of the U.S. on Tuesday. “Going forward, I will continue to care about and support the growth of…

A Chinese jet fighter came within 20 feet of a U.S. Air Force plane flying over the South China Sea. The Air Force said if its pilot didn’t take evasive actions, the planes would have collided. In a video released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-11 can be seen…

Chinese and Russian sailors are spending Christmas in the East China Sea this year. A handful of ships from the two countries are taking part in maritime cooperation, the latest in a series of military drills the two countries held this year. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday four vessels are taking part in…

When news broke the U.S. was finalizing plans to send the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, Russia responded as it often does. Multiple Russian leaders warned of dire consequences, and Vladimir Putin started rattling Russia’s nuclear saber. On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense released a video showing a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) being…

Three years in, people in China are finally feeling freedom from the country’s most rigorous COVID-19 protocols. But some worry that freedom is sending COVID-19 cases surging, putting pressure on subpar health care systems with the potential to stall growth. What then happens to the world’s second largest economy? For the first time, people in…

Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration’s lukewarm response to the protests against strict zero-Covid policies in China–though there appear to be signs the country is easing those restrictions. The administration said it backed the right of the people to peacefully protest in China and around the world but stopped short of criticizing Beijing’s leadership. Republicans…

The violent protests that shook the largest iPhone factory in the world have apparently changed Apple’s appetite for China. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the company is speeding up plans to shift some production out of the country that dominates its supply chain. Apple is reportedly telling suppliers to plan for assembly in…