
An inside look at China's National People's Congress

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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Xi Looks to Tighten Grip After Scandals Shake China's Military Elite
Outwardly, China's military has never been stronger. Its naval ships venture farther across the oceans. Its nuclear force grows by about 100 warheads every year. Its military flights around Taiwan are increasingly frequent and intimidating. Every few months, China unveils new weapons, like a prototype stealth fighter or newfangled landing barges. Internally, though, China's military is experiencing its most serious leadership disarray in years. Three of the seven seats on the Central Military Commission — the Communist Party council that controls the armed forces — appear to be vacant after members were arrested or simply disappeared. That internal turbulence is testing the effort by President Xi Jinping, going back more than a decade, to build a military that is loyal, modern, combat-ready and fully under his control. Mr. Xi has set a 2027 target for modernizing the People's Liberation Army, or P.L.A., and also — according to some U.S. officials — for gaining the ability to invade Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. The current wave of investigations and removals has reached some commanders handpicked by Mr. Xi, suggesting recurrent problems in a system that he has tried for years to clean up. In the first years after Mr. Xi came to power in 2012, he launched an intense campaign to clean up corruption in the military and impose tighter control, culminating in a big reorganization. 'When Xi Jinping sees his own men making mistakes, he is likely to be especially furious,' Joseph Torigian, an associate professor at American University who has studied Chinese leaders' relations with the military, said of Mr. Xi. 'Control over the military is so existential. It's inherently explosive. That's why any sense of stepping out of line has to be crushed.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Wall Street Journal
3 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
China Detains Senior Diplomat Who Aided U.S. Relations
Liu Jianchao, a senior Chinese diplomat widely seen as a potential foreign minister, has been taken away by authorities for questioning, according to people familiar with the matter. A veteran of China's foreign service who also fought corruption as a Communist Party graftbuster, Liu has most recently been serving as head of the party's International Department, which oversees relations with foreign political parties and socialist states.


CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Israelis protest Netanyahu's Gaza policies
Israelis protest Netanyahu's Gaza policies CNN's Matthew Chance is in Tel Aviv, where thousands of protesters are gathering to call on the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza 01:49 - Source: CNN Inside a military raid deep in Ecuador's gang territory CNN follows a military raid in Duran, Ecuador as they go door to door deep inside gang territory. Senior National Correspondent David Culver is with the authorities as they seize drugs, uncover explosive devices, and make a gruesome discovery. Watch 'Ecuador: The Narco Superhighway' on 'The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper' Sunday August 10 at 9pm ET on CNN. 01:55 - Source: CNN Trump says he'll meet Putin in Alaska. Here are the key issues to watch out for President Donald Trump said he'll be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska after earlier in the day previewing terms of a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine that could include 'some swapping of territories.' CNN's Kaitlan Collins points out the key issues to watch out for. 01:17 - Source: CNN Man describes seeing shooter draw and fire gun A CDC employee tells CNN he was driving home from work when he saw a man approach the steps of a building at the agency's campus, put a backpack down and shoot at the building. A police officer was killed while responding to the incident. The shooter is also dead, according to authorities. 01:16 - Source: CNN Iconic astronaut of Apollo 13 dies at 97 Famed NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the harrowing Apollo 13 mission that was forced to abandon a lunar landing attempt in 1970, has died. He was 97. 00:45 - Source: CNN Water slide malfunction on Royal Caribbean cruise Videos show a hole in a broken water slide on the Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship. Acrylic glass broke as a guest passed through the slide. A spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the guest is being treated for injuries. 00:26 - Source: CNN Israel 'brutally determined' to capture Gaza in new escalation plan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military escalation in Gaza, which he claims will capture the city and eliminate Hamas, brings doubtful Israeli citizens to the streets in protest. Palestinians in Gaza scramble for safety and brace for impact as the war intensifies. 02:33 - Source: CNN Thousands evacuating from wildfire north of LA Thousands of people are evacuating a wildfire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles on Friday. CNN's Nick Watt explains what communities are under threat and how firefighters are responding. 01:05 - Source: CNN Sex toys thrown on court of WNBA games WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert denounced people throwing sex toys on the floor during games. A group of cryptocurrency meme creators claimed responsibility for some of the incidents. 00:36 - Source: CNN Gunman ambushes state troopers Two state troopers, Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins, were ambushed by 61-year-old gunman Carmine Faino after answering a call of shots fired at a home in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, police say. 01:09 - Source: CNN Uncle of suspected Fort Stewart shooter shares last texts he sent Joe Mitchell opened up to CNN affiliate WTLV about the last time he heard from his nephew, the suspected shooter at Fort Stewart. Quornelius 'Quan' Radford is accused of shooting five soldiers at the military facility in Georgia on Wednesday. 01:27 - Source: CNN CNN gains rare access to gang leaders driving Ecuador's violence A critical link in the global drug trade, Ecuador is turning into a war zone. A senior gang commander gives a rare interview to CNN's Senior National Correspondent David Culver as part of 'Ecuador: The Narco Superhighway' on 'The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper' Sunday August 10 at 9pm ET on CNN. 02:04 - Source: CNN Coded Messages Spread on Apps Ahead of ICE Raids CNN Senior National Correspondent David Culver investigates how underground networks are using social media and digital apps to warn undocumented workers of possible immigration raids by ICE agents, while also working to dispel rumors, hysteria, and misinformation. 01:43 - Source: CNN 'Treated like a battle drill': What happened during shooting at Ft. Stewart Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Staff Sergeant Melissa Taylor gave details on how soldiers responded to a shooting that wounded 5 people at Fort Stewart. CNN's Ryan Young reports. 01:22 - Source: CNN Soldier explains how he disarmed shooting suspect Staff Sgt. Aaron Turner says he disarmed the shooting suspect during a mass shooting at Fort Stewart. Quornelius Samentrio Radford, 28, was taken into custody and is accused of shooting five of his fellow service members. Radford's motive is not known. 00:51 - Source: CNN CNN gets aerial view of Gaza destruction CNN's Matthew Chance joins the Jordanian air force in a flight over Gaza and gets an aerial view of the destruction on the ground after almost two years of war. 00:47 - Source: CNN CNN joins aid drop over Gaza Jordanian planes have dropped 6.6 tonnes of aid over Gaza such as tinned food and baby formula. Israel began allowing airdrops of aid into the enclave in late July, but aid groups have criticized the delivery method as impractical and potentially dangerous. CNN's Matthew Chance joined one of the planes as it flew over Gaza. 00:40 - Source: CNN Imagine Your City Split in Two: This Is Kherson, Ukraine Russia has launched a new push for control in southern Ukraine, using drones to target key access roads and strike a vital bridge in Kherson. The goal: to split the city in two. Civilians are caught in the middle, facing constant drone attacks as they try to escape or survive in a divided city. 01:44 - Source: CNN Nicaraguan migrant escapes ICE, barricades himself at home Fontana resident Robert Reyes, his three children, his wife and mother-in-law have remained inside their apartment after security cameras captured the moment Reyes sprinted through his apartment door just moments before a California Border Patrol agent could apprehend him. CNN is trying to verify the status of the case with authorities in California. 02:17 - Source: CNN New US tariffs are now in place A new wave of tariffs on exports to the US have come into effect. CNN's Marc Stewart explains the latest and what they mean for US consumers. 01:39 - Source: CNN NYT obtains previously undisclosed images of Epstein's home The New York Times has obtained previously undisclosed images and descriptions of the interior of Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. 01:47 - Source: CNN Apple CEO gifts Trump plaque with 24K gold base Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque made of glass manufactured in Corning's Harrodsburg, Kentucky, which he announced would be the cover glass on all iPhones and Apple Watches soon. 01:01 - Source: CNN Suspected Fort Stewart shooter identified The man suspected of opening fire at Fort Stewart has been identified as Quornelius Radford, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. The suspect is alive and in custody, a law enforcement official told CNN. 01:09 - Source: CNN