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New Trump sanctions on Chinese firms: leverage on Xi or overkill?

The United States has sanctioned a new group of mainland China- and Hong Kong-linked companies and individuals accused of helping Iran secure drone materials and missile-related components, raising fresh tensions days before US President Donald Trump’s state visit to China. The

Asia

US issues new sanctions over Iran's oil shipments to China

WASHINGTON, May 11 - The U.S. government on Monday announced sanctions against three people and nine companies, including four based in Hong Kong and four in the United Arab Emirates, for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China. The ninth company is based in Oman.

Asia

View from Tokyo: Has Iran war changed confidence in the US?

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. The war on Iran waged by the US and Israel has caused multidimensional and likely irreversible tectonic shifts. At the global level, the negative effects of the war extend far beyond economic

Asia

Why the US must deter Russia and China in the North Pacific

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permisson. The 2025 US National Security Strategy and the 2026 US National Defense Strategy emphasized the Trump administration’s renewed focus on defending the American homeland and diplomatic priorities

Asia

Sara Duterte faces fresh impeachment try in Philippines

MANILA – The Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte Monday for large-scale corruption and threats to assassinate the country’s leader. But as the House was voting, Duterte’s allies in the Senate launched a coup and took control of the

Asia

The false promise of a US-Iran quick fix

Tehran’s reply on May 10 was entirely predictable. Ceasefire, security guarantees for the Strait, total sanctions relief, reparations — the standard package. What apparently surprised Washington was the timing, which produced President Donald Trump’s terse verdict: “totally

Asia

India’s defense push is now industrial statecraft

In recent days, India has announced a slew of defense launches, demonstrating the emergence of a new strategic doctrine in which manufacturing capability, technological self-reliance and national security are becoming intertwined. From intercontinental ballistic missile-class

Asia