America’s naval power transformation to be in spotlight at major Threat Status event
U.S. naval power is undergoing its greatest transformation in a generation, and the nation’s status as the top global military superpower may hinge on the outcome.
Threat Status Indo-Pacific Region
The U.S. national security community is increasingly focused on threats emanating from the Indo-Pacific. Threat Status at The Washington Times delivers daily and big-picture coverage of the region — from China's expanding military to high-stakes economic and technology developments and the plight of democracy among America's allies.
China’s newest aircraft carrier sails through the Taiwan Strait
China’s newest and most powerful of its three aircraft carriers sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defense ministry said, a day after Taiwan began a five-day military exercise on responding to a Chinese attack.
A U.K. border official and a former Hong Kong cop sentenced for spying on China’s behalf
A former U.K. border official and a retired Hong Kong police officer were given prison sentences on Thursday for spying on dissidents and critics of Beijing in Britain.
Reject China’s latest territorial claim
On June 11, Beijing designated the Taiwan Strait and several areas around it as “coastal waters,” a component of internal waters under international law. This cannot be ignored.
Chinese AI poses serious and growing threat to U.S. national security, report reveals
At least seven Chinese developers now produce systems with powerful capabilities such as coding, reasoning, multimodal recognition, and agentic tasks downloadable by anyone in the world.
Putin and leaders of Southeast Asia agree to bolster ties at a summit in Russia
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russia’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc.
Taiwan needs U.S. weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP
Taiwan needs to purchase American weapons to ensure its self-defense in the face of a growing threat from Beijing, the island’s top diplomat in the U.S. said, adding that he has seen no change in Washington’s policy toward the self-governing island that China claims as its own.
GAO faults State, USAID for poor oversight of $1.2 billion China counter-influence effort
The State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development spent $1.2 billion on programs designed to counter Chinese influence around the world but failed to evaluate whether the programs were effective, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Putin hosts leaders of Southeast Asian nations, seeking to boost their business ties
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a meeting Wednesday that seeks to bolster business and other ties with members of the regional bloc.
Protesters block copper exports to China from Rio Tinto mine in Mongolia
Protesters blocked copper exports from a huge Rio Tinto mine in Mongolia on Wednesday, partially cutting off the supply of a mineral vital to China’s renewable energy ambitions.
Taiwan’s foreign minister says Chinese pressure on countries over the island is a ‘new normal’
Attempts by China to exert pressure or influence on other countries to limit Taiwan’s access to international events has become “the new normal,” the island’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
The recent China-North Korea summit was historic
Chinese ruler Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea for meetings with Kim Jong-un attracted no shortage of coverage from Chinese and North Korean media.
Indo-Pacific Command chief sounds alarm on China war threat in private report to Congress
The commander of the Indo-Pacific Command has warned Congress that the danger of war with China is growing and the U.S. military urgently needs new arms and capabilities to prevent a conflict, according to a report to Congress obtained by The Washington Times.
Starbucks Korea to close stores early for mandatory history training after marketing row
Starbucks’ South Korean operation said Monday it will close all of its stores nationwide early on June 22 for mandatory history and social sensitivity training as it reels from backlash following a marketing campaign that was widely perceived as mocking victims of a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980.
German president says Europe is worried over tensions in the disputed South China Sea
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in the Philippines on Tuesday that Europe is worried over tensions in the disputed South China Sea where a major flare-out could endanger freedom of navigation as has happened in the Strait of Hormuz.
Japanese, Korean markets surge on end-of-Iran-war news
Markets in Seoul and Tokyo surged Monday on news that the U.S. and Iran agreed to end hostilities in the Middle East.
Taiwan’s spy agency launches webpage for Chinese nationals to report tips
Taiwan’s intelligence agency said on Sunday it is establishing an information-reporting channel for Chinese nationals to offer tips securely, at a time when tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island remain elevated.
Why Trump and other G7 leaders meeting without China might be a mistake
From the outset, China wasn’t included when major powers gathered in 1975 at a chateau outside Paris to fix the slumping global economy, the first of what have become annual summits by the G7 club of wealthy nations to forward their interests.
LISTEN: What if China beats the U.S. in a war?
Ralph DeFalco III, former deputy director of intelligence at the National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, joins the show to talk about his new book, “The Counterfeit,” set in an alternate future in which China defeats the U.S. in a Pacific conflict.
Rising sun: Japan signals stronger support for Taiwan’s security
Japan and the Philippines recently announced maritime boundary negotiations in waters that China claims overlap with areas east of Taiwan.
Senate intelligence chairman seeks federal probe of Chinese AI-related influence operation
China is engaged in a covert influence campaign to prevent the development of U.S. data centers needed for artificial intelligence capabilities, according to the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
U.S. needs nuclear power to win the AI race
When I served at the CIA, analysts were often asked to prognosticate about a foreign adversary’s plans.
Security firm says China stepping up AI tech cybertheft
Chinese hackers are increasing cyberattacks aimed at stealing advanced artificial intelligence technology in the United States, according to a report by the security company CrowdStrike.
FBI shutters covert Chinese websites targeting secrets
Federal authorities shut down 13 internet domains on Wednesday, which were said to be used by China for operations to obtain classified and sensitive U.S. government information, the Justice Department said.
Two House Republicans to meet with the leader of Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly opposition party
Two leading House Republicans are meeting with Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly opposition leader this week as she travels to Washington at a time when China is scrutinizing the Trump administration’s posture toward the self-ruled island it views as its own.
ODNI set to release COVID origin intel
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in the coming days, is expected to release declassified intelligence documents on the origin of the COVID-19 virus — a disclosure that comes after years of disputed and controversial assessments on whether the pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory or came from a wild animal.
Yohei Kono, who apologized for Japan’s wartime sexual abuses of ‘comfort women,’ dies at 89
Yohei Kono, a veteran Japanese politician who as top government spokesperson offered a historic apology to Asian women over sexual abuses by Japan’s wartime military, has died, officials said. He was 89.
Hong Kong charges 7 people and 2 firms over massive fire that killed 168
Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday charged seven people and two building companies with offenses including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud over the city’s deadliest fire in decades.
A Thai woman is in custody after an American diplomat was found dead in Myanmar
An American diplomat was found dead in Myanmar’s largest city, the U.S. State Department said, and members of the diplomatic community in Yangon say a Thai woman has been detained by police in connection with the investigation.
Taiwan fires rockets in China’s direction from a U.S.-supplied mobile launching system in drill
Taiwan’s military fired rockets in China’s direction from “shoot-and-scoot” mobile launchers on Wednesday in a demonstration of how it might try to repel a Chinese attack.
China touts Xinjiang at trade forum, spotlighting a region once marked by detention centers
China is hosting an international conference in Xinjiang to promote economic development efforts in the northwestern region, which has been known as the site of mass detentions of ethnic minorities.
During Xi visit, North Korea’s Kim voices support for China’s claim to Taiwan
Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his two-day visit to neighboring North Korea Tuesday, after impressive ceremonial pomp but only vague official commentary on upgrades to bilateral ties.
The Philippines protests China’s floating ‘structure’ on the disputed South China Sea shoal
The Philippines has protested China’s deployment of what Manila describes as a floating “structure” with personnel on a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, fearing it could be a part of Beijing’s effort to turn the uninhabited atoll into an island base, Philippine officials said Tuesday.
Pentagon labels tech giant Alibaba and electric car maker BYD as aiding Chinese military
The Pentagon has added several prominent Chinese businesses, including the tech giant Alibaba, electric car maker BYD and search engine Baidu, to its list of Chinese military companies, preventing them from getting U.S. defense contracts.
Shackled by history: How Asia risks forfeiting its future in the Indo-Pacific
History is indispensable. Nations that forget history often repeat its mistakes. Historical memory provides lessons, warnings and perspective.
Korea’s out-of-power conservatives rage, rally over ballot shortage fiasco
The yelling conservatives wanted to get the attention of liberal President Lee Jae-myung — and maybe they did.
Xi and Kim express hopes for greater ties between China and North Korea
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored their commitment to deepen cooperation in a closely watched summit on Monday, as Xi made a rare visit to Pyongyang in a likely attempt to reassert Beijing’s unique influence over its socialist neighbor.
Chinese President Xi, in North Korea for rare visit with Kim, praises strength of partnership
Chinese President Xi Jinping received a colorful welcome from North Koreans on Monday, as he arrived in Pyongyang for his first summit in the country in seven years.
Hong Kong proposes to let city leader decide what counts as national security offense
The Hong Kong government proposed legislation Monday that would allow the city’s leader to designate certain criminal acts as national security offenses, stepping up its efforts to stamp out challenges to its rules in the city where critics say freedoms have been eroding.
America’s failure to understand totalitarian regimes could be fatal
President Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” in a phone conversation last week about Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah, Iran’s terrorist proxy in Lebanon.
Is Beijing winning the Taiwan narrative war?
The Chinese Communist Party recently achieved a series of propaganda and narrative victories in its relations with Taiwan, the United States and the rest of the free world.
North Korea calls the U.S. push for its denuclearization ‘anachronistic dream’
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called a U.S. push for the denuclearization of North Korea an “anachronistic dream,” saying Sunday the North will steadily expand its nuclear arsenal in the face of U.S.-led threats.
What to know about a rare visit by China’s Xi to North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un
China’s Xi Jinping is traveling to North Korea for the first time in nearly seven years in a trip that offers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a stage to showcase an increasingly assertive foreign policy anchored by closer ties with his country’s former Cold War allies.
American who helped China gather secrets pleads guilty
An American who worked for Beijing state media pleaded guilty on Thursday to acting as an unregistered agent of China in helping obtain secrets for the Chinese intelligence service.
U.S. journalist pleads guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China
An American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organizations there pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Thursday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said.