Tag: China

China/US Deal?

Recently on the West Coast Biden and Xi held a round of meetings…..and I am sure some would like to know if anything was accomplished….

US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping emerged Wednesday from their first face-to-face meeting in a year vowing to stabilize their fraught relationship and showcasing modest agreements to combat illegal fentanyl and re-establish military communications. But there were still deep differences on economic competition and global security threats, the AP reports. The most assuring takeaway from the meeting for Biden was that if either man had a concern, “we should pick up the phone and call one another and we’ll take the call. That’s important progress,” he said in a news conference following the talks. The two leaders spent four hours together at a bucolic Northern California estate—in meetings, a working lunch and a garden stroll—intent on showing the world that while they are global economic competitors they’re not locked in a winner-take-all faceoff.

The US president told Xi: “I think it’s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader-to-leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunications. We have to ensure competition does not veer into conflict.” Some highlights of what came out of the meeting, which on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference:

  • They reached expected agreements to curb illicit fentanyl production and to reopen military ties, Biden said. Many of the chemicals used to make synthetic fentanyl come from China to cartels that traffic the powerful narcotic into the US, which is facing an overdose crisis.
  • Top military leaders will resume talks, Biden said, an increasingly important move particularly as unsafe or unprofessional incidents between the two nations’ ships and aircraft have spiked.
  • The two leaders had a significant back and forth over Taiwan, with Biden chiding China over its massive military build-up around Taiwan and Xi telling Biden he had no plans to invade the island, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail the private talks. Biden, the official said, declared the US was committed to continuing to help Taiwan defend itself and maintain deterrence against a potential Chinese attack, and also called on China to avoid meddling in the island’s elections next year. The official described the Taiwan portion of the talks as “clear-headed” and “not heated.”
  • Biden also called on Xi to use his influence with Iran to make clear that Tehran, and its proxies, should not take steps that would lead to an expansion of the Israel-Hamas war.
  • According to a statement released by China Central Television, the state broadcaster, Xi was most focused on Taiwan and the US sanctions and restrictions against Chinese products and businesses. Xi said he and Biden also agreed to establish dialogues on artificial intelligence and stressed the urgency for the two countries to cope with the climate crisis, the state broadcaster reported.

Like most of these PR stunts not much was really accomplished….some talk and some agreement, a photo op of leaders shaking hands, the illusion of everything is good, but the major issues will remain unresolved….for now.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

China Goes Global

For a few months we have been beaten with the predictions of China and its attempts to go global that is why we have to spend millions upon millions to make Taiwan feel safe and all of our South China Sea allies to the tune of millions upon millions.

But my question is….Is China truly trying to expand globally?

We are told by all the defense department experts that they are moving in that direction….but are they truly?

(Keep in mind this is not my opinion but that of someone who disagrees with the hype)

New York Times published a guest essay by Craig Singleton, a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, entitled “China’s Military is Going Global.” Singleton argues that Beijing is well on its way to building a globe-spanning network of “strategic strong points along China’s major trade, energy, and resource routes” that pose a dire military threat to the United States.

Allegedly using the structure of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative of commercial infrastructure projects, Beijing’s supposedly new “under the radar” strategy is seen as directly challenging Washington’s ability to carry out critical overseas military missions, including the defense of Taiwan.

In response to this expanding threat, Singleton calls for Washington to devise a strategy designed to “pre-emptively” neutralize China’s moves, including “incentives or punishments” directed at host governments.

It is surprising that the New York Times saw fit to publish such an essay, since it is replete with distortions, exaggerations, and speculations. There is no question that China’s overseas military-related activities merits close examination, especially when they take place in sensitive areas. But such an examination requires a careful parsing of actual facts, with clear distinctions made between proposed plans, actual undertakings, commercial versus military (and non-military security) purposes, and the likely military benefits for China that might ensue from a particular location or operation.

Instead of observing such requirements, Singleton plays fast and loose with the evidence, subtly caveating his statements with weasel words like “might,” “may,“ “could,” “suggests,” “suspected,” etc. Nonetheless, almost every conceivable possible, current, or emerging overseas Chinese commercial, scientific, or security “presence” is labeled as part of a deliberate, coordinated, military-centered strategy to “reshape the global military landscape” in Beijing’s favor and hence to threaten the U.S.

In reality, China has thus far established only one actual, operating overseas military base, on the horn of Africa, in Djibouti, and is probably establishing a naval facility in Cambodia. But there are real limits to how far China can go in duplicating such places. As Isaac Kardon of the Carnegie Endowment has pointed out, China has no formal military alliances (beyond the dubious case of North Korea) and is unlikely to acquire any in the foreseeable future, a fact that imposes major constraints on its ability to establish serious military bases. Few if any countries wish to commit to housing full-fledged, sizeable military facilities that could project Chinese military power across their region and, in the process, invite an American response.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/china-military/

I believe they are posturing and I think Taiwan is an excuse to waste more money that is needed here in our home.

If they attack Taiwan then maybe I will see things differently but right now I think we have enough involvement in world situations.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Did Saudis Just Stab Us In The Back?

For decades upon decades the US has propped up the KSA royal family and in recent years the kingdoms has received some pretty sophisticated weaponry from the US…..and now these bastards have joined with China and possibly Russia for geopolitical reasons.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet approved a decision for Riyadh to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian security and economic bloc that was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and several Central Asian countries.

According to Saudi state media, Riyadh has approved a memorandum that would make Saudi Arabia a dialogue partner of the SCO, the first step toward a permanent membership.

The news comes as Saudi Arabia is moving closer to Beijing, raising concern in Washington. According to Reuters, Riyadh joining the SCO was discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in December.

Saudi Arabia and China have agreed to increase cooperation in all areas during Xi’s visit. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that Riyadh is in talks with Beijing on pricing its oil in the yuan, a move that could impact the US dollar’s dominance.

Saudi Arabia’s decision to join the SCO comes after China brokered a surprise normalization deal between Riyadh and Tehran. Last year, Iran signed a memorandum to become a permanent member of the SCO, which is expected to become official this year. Other permanent members include India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The SCO is a significant economic bloc as its members make up half of the entire world’s population. Iran’s ascension into the SCO will help the country weather US and other economic sanctions as it will help increase trade with Russia, China, and other major economies.

(antiwar.com)

What assurances does the US have that our technology and weapons will not fall in the hands of those we consider ‘enemies’?

Will this change our treatment of the Saudis?

I think not…..for they have enough money to buy all the cooperation they need from Congress and the White House.

Will this change the dynamics in the Middle East?

That is a tough one to answer…..I think it will depend on situations….the Saudis are hedging their bets for their support in the US seems to be waning….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

China’s Foreign Policy

Oh boy this post ought to get the opposition juices flowing.

Some predict that we are inching closer to an all out war with China (some want it to be with Russia)….to understand China’s outlook to foreign policy one should actually know what their policy is and why….

China’s orchestration of the renewal of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia should be a wakeup call to the Biden administration’s national security team, particularly to Antony Blinken’s Department of State. China’s success exposes flaws in American national security policy, particularly the policy of nonrecognition as well as the reliance on the use of military force to achieve gains in international politics. Our instruments of power are not working.

Mao Zedong often cited a Chinese proverb from the Han Dynasty that “No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.” Deng Ziaoping cited this proverb to justify radical changes in domestic policy. Xi Jinping has implicitly put this aphorism to work in national security relations by maintaining the importance of correct political relations with all countries regardless of their ideological orientation. As a result, China has stable relations with most of its friends and adversaries.

Conversely, for the past century, the United State has obtusely relied on a policy of non-recognition of countries that Washington simply didn’t favor for idealogical reasons. The Soviet Union had to wait for 16 years to gain recognition from the United States, which ultimately required President Roosevelt’s understanding of the futility of ignoring the Kremlin at a time when allies were going to be needed against the dangerous new leadership in Germany. The role of the Soviet Union in World War II was central to the allied victory. Three-fourths of the German army were concentrated on the eastern front.

China’s Foreign Policy: Lessons for the United States

On the foreign policy front….this is the full text of the peace proposal for the Ukraine conflict….I have read many condemnations of the Chinese proposal….and yet few have actually read the proposal…. but that is normal lots of opinions with actually no information other than hatred for one side or the other.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202302/t20230224_11030713.html

The US is concerned over the China proposal…..there is a concern that the world will become war weary and approve of the Chinese proposal.

Now I pause for the inevitable condemnation…blah, blah, blah.

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Will China Invade Taiwan?

When people are not voicing their thoughts on the conflict in Ukraine and of course go to the next big story the media is pushing….a possible confrontation between US and China over Taiwan.

But the question is will China truly invade/attack Taiwan?

This article looks at the possibility….

Is China really on the verge of invading the island of Taiwan, as so many top American officials seem to believe? If the answer is “yes” and the U.S. intervenes on Taiwan’s side — as President Biden has sworn it would — we could find ourselves in a major-power conflict, possibly even a nuclear one, in the not-too-distant future. Even if confined to Asia and fought with conventional weaponry alone — no sure thing — such a conflict would still result in human and economic damage on a far greater scale than observed in Ukraine today.

But what if the answer is “no,” which seems at least as likely? Wouldn’t that pave the way for the U.S. to work with its friends and allies, no less than with China itself, to reduce tensions in the region and possibly open a space for the launching of peaceful negotiations between Taiwan and the mainland? If nothing else, it would eliminate the need to boost the Pentagon budget by many billions of dollars annually, as now advocated by China hawks in Congress.

How that question is answered has enormous implications for us all. Yet, among policymakers in Washington, it isn’t even up for discussion. Instead, they seem to be competing with each another to identify the year in which the purported Chinese invasion will occur and war will break out between our countries.

Is It 2035, 2027, or 2025?

All high-level predictions of an imminent Chinese invasion of Taiwan rest on the assumption that Chinese leaders will never allow that island to become fully independent and so will respond to any move in that direction with a full-scale military assault. In justifying such claims, American officials regularly point to the ongoing modernization of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and warnings by top Chinese officials that they will crush any effort by “separatist elements” in Taiwan to impede unification. In line with that mode of thinking, only one question remains: Exactly when will the Chinese leadership consider the PLA ready to invade Taiwan and overpower any U.S. forces sent to the island’s relief?

Is a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Imminent?

I am positive that there are ideas on this eventuality….let them fly.

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“lego ergo scribo”

A Brokered Deal

The Middle East has been a ideological battle between the two major sects of Islam….the Sunni and the Shia….the major proponents of these sects are Saudi Arabia and Iran….these divisions have lead to some bloody confrontations like the war between Iraq and Iran in the 80s.

Finally a deal has been brokered between the two…..and it was not through the work of the US to find some sort of peace for the benefit of the region.

US arch nemesis was the culprit….China.

The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume relations, a deal mediated by China, appears to be a watershed moment in the Middle East, realigning alliances that have dominated diplomacy for decades while—at least for now—leaving the US out. The pact indicates that nations in the region are willing to move beyond rivalries that seemed permanent to find new solutions without the help of the Americans, who have been involved in peace negotiations there for most of a century but now are more focused on Ukraine and Asia, per the Wall Street Journal.

Long a minor participant in Middle East issues, China has stepped in to fill the void, hosting negotiations in Beijing before announcing the agreement Friday. One analyst said there’s no denying the importance of China’s success, which eclipses President Biden’s efforts. “Yes, the United States could not have brokered such a deal right now with Iran specifically, since we have no relations,” Amy Hawthorne of the nonprofit Project on Middle East Democracy in Washington told the New York Times. “But in a larger sense, China’s prestigious accomplishment vaults it into a new league diplomatically and outshines anything the US has been able to achieve in the region since Biden came to office.”

Israel is left out, too, after lobbying Saudi Arabia; as the US decreases its involvement, allies have grown concerned about security guarantees made in the past, per the Journal. Other analysts—and Biden aides—caution against inflating the significance of the agreement, which, at bottom, promises to reopen the nations’ embassies shut since 2016. It’s a minor step, they say, toward easing tensions. Besides, “China doesn’t have the capacity to play a bigger security role in the region,” said Sanam Vakil of Chatham House, a think tank in London. But the deal does show China’s “potential to be an appealing alternative to Washington,” she said.

The final sentence of the report says it all.

This deal should have been brokered by the US but instead we let China get the upper hand…..but an incident in 1979 precludes the US from ever doing the right thing.

Is this agreement a big deal?  Yes it is.

Iran and Saudi Arabia concluded a deal Friday to restore normal diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies within two months. The agreement came at the end of a week of Chinese-brokered negotiations in Beijing, which brought an end to the rift between the two governments that has existed ever since Saudi Arabia broke off relations in 2016.

If the agreement holds, it will be an important step forward in regional diplomacy, and it may help in facilitating progress towards a more lasting truce in Yemen. The resumption of normal relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is the result of their recognizing that the earlier intense animosity between these countries was mutually undesirable. Restoring diplomatic ties is not a panacea for all regional tensions, but it should have a stabilizing effect that is very much needed as U.S.-Iranian tensions are on the rise. 

China’s mediation is an example of the constructive role that other major powers can sometimes have in the Middle East. It also shows how much more effective diplomacy can be when a major power has not ensnared itself in the region’s rivalries. China enjoys reasonably good relations with both governments, and that put it in a position to broker a deal that the U.S. likely could never have managed to get. As the Quincy Institute’s Trita Parsi observed, “By not taking sides, China has emerged as a player that can resolve disputes rather than merely sell weapons.”

Why the Iran-Saudi agreement to restore ties is so big

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“lego ergo scribo”

The ‘Yellow’ Menace Is Coming

If you bother to keep up with the news then you will have heard the canned predictions that if Russia does not come for us then it will be China.

The words are starting to become louder and louder as the public opinion on Ukraine is starting to crack….we need that enemy and the M-IC and the MSM will make sure we have what they want us to have.

Sadly the reports coming out after a war game that was recently held to impress China that we mean business had an unexpected side effect.

Last year, a war game simulation looked at what might happen if China launched an amphibious attack on Taiwan. China would be happy with the results: The US side ran out of long-range cruise missiles in a week, writes Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal. The reasons behind that are complex, as detailed by Gordon in a lengthy and bleak assessment of America’s military readiness in the modern era. “Five years ago, after decades fighting insurgencies in the Middle East and Central Asia, the U.S. started tackling a new era of great-power competition with China and Russia,” writes Gordon. “It isn’t yet ready, and there are major obstacles in the way.”

Among those obstacles: The US has fewer arms manufacturers because of corporate consolidation, military recruitment is down, shipyards “are struggling to produce the submarines the Navy says it needs to counter China’s larger naval fleet,” and US weapons designers lag those in Russia and China on hypersonic missiles. Yes, the US had military successes in the Mideast and Afghanistan, thanks largely to air superiority, but things would be different in a conflict with China. For one thing, our Asian bases rely on “long and potentially vulnerable supply routes.” The US has new weapons systems in the works that may be game-changers (Gordon provides details. But they won’t be operational for another decade or so, raising fears China will strike before then.) Read the full story.

But yet the cheer leading for confrontation continues….why?

I know why but do you?

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“lego ergo scribo”

China And Ukraine–Part 2

China has been in the news lately but little has been about their involvement in the Ukraine/Russia conflict.

The news has come out that China was considering arming Russia….and the world lost its collective minds…..but maybe it was premature….

China’s representative to the UN on Thursday said that sending weapons to be used in the Ukraine war will not bring peace as the US is claiming Beijing is considering providing Moscow with military aid for the conflict.

“One year into the Ukraine crisis, brutal facts have offered ample proof that sending weapons will not bring peace, adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate tensions, and prolonging and expanding the conflict will only make ordinary people pay an even heftier price,” China’s UN Deputy Ambassador Dai Bing told the UN General Assembly.

Dai stressed that China’s position is that the warring sides should begin peace talks as soon as possible. “We reiterate our appeal that diplomacy and negotiation cannot be abandoned, and efforts towards ceasefire and talks must go on,” he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed that the US has information that China is “considering” arming Russia, but Beijing has denied the accusation. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the US was considering releasing intelligence that shows Beijing is weighing whether to supply Russia with weapons, but it’s not clear what information the US actually has.

In the early days of the war, US officials claimed Russia asked China for military assistance. But it was later revealed by a report from NBC News that the US didn’t have “hard evidence” to back up the claim.

China and Russia have drawn closer together since Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago as they face similar pressure from the West, but there’s still no sign that Beijing has decided to send weapons. Chinese officials maintain it’s their policy not to arm either side.

(antiwar.com)

Was the news we got just to rattle our chains about China?

China has done something the US and NATO has not done….offered a possible peace plan…..

Although Ukraine didn’t rule it out, NATO and EU leaders were dismissive of a 12-point peace proposal issued Friday by China, saying its increasing ties to Russia disqualify the Beijing government from playing mediator. “China doesn’t have much credibility,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, “because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine.” China’s highest-ranking diplomat promised to strengthen its relationship with Russia on a trip to Moscow this week, the Guardian reports, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China appears to be considering supplying weapons to Russia.

The proposal is addressed more to other nations, without calling for specific steps by Ukraine or Russia. It uses stern wording in opposing the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of it, as well as the development of chemical and biological weapons. “Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and nuclear crisis avoided,” the document says, while urging other nations to facilitate peace negotiations in which China would play a role. Other admonitions appear aimed at the US and the West, as when it warns against “expanding military blocs”—as in NATO.

That’s a Russian argument rejected by Ukraine and the West, that the war was started to keep Ukraine out of NATO, and it appears five lines into the paper. Many in the West saw the flaws in the proposal, which calls the fighting “the Ukraine crisis” and not a war, as fundamental. “The position paper doesn’t take into account who is the aggressor and who is the victim of an illegal and unjustified war of aggression,” an EU spokeswoman said, per Politico. China’s Foreign Ministry released the proposal on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, which was marked by protests around the world.

The proposal also condemns a “Cold War mentality,” a term that often refers to the United States and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the proposal says. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a promise that Ukraine will not join the bloc before the invasion.

Other points call for a cease-fire, peace talks, protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, without elaborating, as well as keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.

The 12 points are:

  1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries
  2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality
  3. Ceasing hostilities
  4. Resuming peace talks
  5. Resolving the humanitarian crisis
  6. Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs)
  7. Keeping nuclear power plants safe
  8. Reducing strategic risks
  9. Facilitating grain exports
  10. Stopping unilateral sanctions
  11. Keeping industrial and supply chains stable
  12. Promoting post-conflict reconstruction

The initial reaction from Kyiv was dismissive, with a senior adviser to President Zelensky saying any plan to end the war must involve the withdrawal of Russian troops to borders in place when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

However, Zelensky himself struck a more receptive tone in a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the conflict.

Not to worry the US will continue to dump money into Ukraine….so everyone is happy.

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Ukraine: The China Gambit

The US is sinking tons of cash into the Ukraine/Russia conflict….and now there is a chance the China will join the fray…..

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US appears to be increasingly alarmed that China is about to start helping Vladimir Putin in a big way. If Beijing does so, it threatens not only to prolong the war but to turn the conflict into a showdown among superpowers. Coverage:

  • Weapons: Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Face the Nation on CBS News over the weekend that China is considering giving Russia “lethal support”—as in, weapons and ammunition. “We’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship.”
  • Other help: The US believes China already is providing nonlethal support to Moscow, reports NBC News. That might include uniforms or even body armor ahead of an expected spring offensive. Blinken said Chinese companies were providing unspecified nonlethal support, per CBS, “and, of course, in China, there’s really no distinction between private companies and the state.”
  • The implications: If China crosses the line from nonlethal to lethal aid, the consequences are significant, writes Edward Wong in a New York Times analysis. It “would transform the nature of the conflict, turning it into an epochal struggle involving all three of the world’s largest superpowers and their partners on opposing sides: Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea aligned against the United States, Ukraine, and their European and Asian allies and partners, including Japan and South Korea.”
  • China responds: Blinken has been issuing warnings both publicly and privately over the last few days, and a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says the US should butt out. “We will never accept the US pointing fingers at Sino-Russian relations or even coercing us,” said Wang Wenbin, per Reuters. What’s more, China’s top diplomat is about to visit Moscow and may visit Putin himself, the news agency reports. The diplomat, Wang Yi, previously accused the US of “hysterical” behavior over the shootdown of the infamous Chinese balloon.
  • Biden trip: The potential meeting between Putin and China’s top diplomat comes as President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine. Biden denounce the “brutal and unjust war” before departing after a five-hour visit, per the AP.

China even has a plan to put forth a peace initiative….

Beijing plans to roll out its framework for a treaty to end the war in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced at the Munich Security Conference. At the international summit, America’s top diplomat criticized the People’s Republic and warned of a “new Cold War.”

During his speech at the Munich event on Saturday, Wang said President Xi Jinping will soon unveil a plan to halt fighting in Ukraine, insisting his country would not “add fuel to the fire.”

“We will put forward China’s position on the political settlement on the Ukraine crisis, and stay firm on the side of peace and dialogue,” he said.

After meeting with Wang in recent days, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he expects the Chinese proposal to be released by the end of the week.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/china-will-present-peace-proposal-to-end-war-in-ukraine/

Another turn as the year anniversary approach….looks like this is gonna be a long drawn out conflict…..just what most want.

Is this an escalation in the making?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

It’s China Again!

It seems that all the hoopla about that balloon floating over the US has some animosities toward China erupting all over the blogosphere.

That is the M-IC think tanks have all the chest thumping but what about the average Joe thinks and feels?

I am glad I asked.

A large majority of Americans support talks aimed at reducing tensions with North Korea and China, according to a survey released Friday by The Harris Poll. The results are at odds with the state of opinion in Washington, where policy elites continue to one-up each other over how to respond to an incident in which an apparent Chinese surveillance balloon flew over the U.S. in recent days.

Two-thirds of respondents agreed that the U.S. should “engage in dialogue as much as possible to reduce tensions” with China, while 20 percent said Washington should “not restart official dialogue and instead spend more money on military build-up.” Support for talks focused on deescalation went up by five points since 2021, when Harris last asked the question.

Meanwhile, 68 percent of Americans polled told Harris that President Joe Biden should offer to hold direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and 58 percent said the United States should offer diplomatic or economic incentives “in exchange for steps toward denuclearization.” 

In Washington, optimistic views of China’s geopolitical rise have soured in recent years, as demonstrated by the ongoing controversy over what appears to be a Chinese surveillance balloon. While some experts (including Pentagon officials) were quick to point out that the Chinese balloon posed no threat, the incident caused an uproar among many foreign policy elites, which no doubt contributed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s decision to postpone a scheduled trip to Beijing this past weekend.

As for North Korea, Biden has balked at the idea of changing U.S. policy toward the isolated state, opting instead to leave severe sanctions in place while expanding military cooperation with South Korea. And increased tensions with Russia and China have largely pushed issues related to North Korea to the periphery of policy making conversations.

Harris conducted the online survey from January 17-19 on behalf of the American Friends Service Committee, a prominent Quaker anti-war organization. The results are weighted to be representative and are based on a sample of 2063 American adults.

The pollsters also found increased support (59 percent) for establishing a diplomatic presence in North Korea since 2021, when a slim majority of respondents (52 percent) approved of the idea. 

Americans far less hawkish on North Korea and China than policy elites: poll

I find this poll interesting….Americans seem to want hostilities to weaken with China and North Korea but are chest thumping primates when it comes to an actually shooting match.

The poll is not an indication of what I read on IST….so I am a bit skeptical of the results of the poll.

Only the Pentagon knows what is really happening….and they will NEVER tell the American people the truth.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”