Written by Allan Millward February 5, 2023 Tragedy has struck Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan after a suicide bomber blew up a mosque killing more than 80 people and injuring around 217. The mosque was situated inside a police compound and attended mostly by law enforcement officials. Conflicting messages from the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP)... Continue Reading →
Kazakhstan Announces Parliamentary Elections
by Allan Millward Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Tokayev Source:RFE/RL Almost a year after deadly anti-government riots engulfed the country, President Tokayev dissolved Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament, the Majjlis, and called for an election on March 19, 2023. The legislative election was initially slated for 2025 but was pushed up in response to last year's protests.... Continue Reading →
The Anti-Corruption Campaign Goes On and So Do the “Gaffes”
Written by Camden Hanley September 26, 2022 A group of CCP officials have been charged and sentenced to jail on various counts of corruption. This anti-corruption campaign has been ongoing since Xi Jinping entered office in 2013. Corruption within the CCP was rampant and needed to be quelled, but many observers claim that those charged... Continue Reading →
VP Harris Goes to South Korea & the North Korean Response
Written by Camden Hanley October 3, 2022 This week US VP Kamala Harris visited South Korea to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. The trip “underscored that the United States is committed to defending [South Korea] …and welcomed [their] close co-operation.” The two leaders criticized North Korean proactive nuclear rhetoric and ballistic missile launches.... Continue Reading →
Its Xi’s Party Now
Written by Camden Hanley October 24, 2022 This week the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held their 20th Party Congress. A Party Congress is a large meeting held every five years where, among other things, the people who will be on the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) for the next five years are revealed. Those who are... Continue Reading →
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Written by Camden Hanley - September 19, 2022 For the first time in 970 days, Xi Jinping has left China for international travel. He has arrived at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The SCO is an intergovernmental organization formed by the PRC in 2001. It mainly focuses on regional security issues,... Continue Reading →
New Taiwan Arms Sale
Written by Camden Hanley - September 12, 2022 The US has approved a $1.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. The package includes 60 harpoon anti-ship missiles, 100 sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and logistics support for Taiwan’s Surveillance Radar program. The logistical support comprises the largest portion of the package at $665.4 million, with $355 million for... Continue Reading →
Will the International Community Hold China Accountable for Human Rights Abuses?
Written by Cameron Chambers - September 12, 2022 The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has come under scrutiny this week as a U.N. report was released detailing the human rights abuses that Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region are facing. The United Nations Human Rights Office of High Commissioner released the report on August 31, 2022. This follows... Continue Reading →
Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit Raises Tensions
Written by Cameron Chambers - September 5, 2022 Tensions are on the rise in the Pacific following U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. This visit intended to signal the ties between the United States and the island of Taiwan, which is ahead of the 20th Party Congress in Beijing. As a... Continue Reading →
The CCP Congress & China’s Human Rights Abuses
Written by Camden Hanley - September 5, 2022 Two major events occurred in Chinese news this past week that require attention. The date of the 20th Party Congress has been announced and the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights office released its report on the PRC’s actions in Xinjiang. The 20th Party Congress will be... Continue Reading →