
How Trump Made the Idea of Chinese Troops in Europe a Very Serious One
Hi, this is John Liu in Beijing, where today my colleague Colum Murphy put a question of global significance to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The venue was the press briefing China's top diplomat traditionally holds during the National People's Congress. The question Colum asked was under what circumstances China would consider sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine to guarantee an end of hostilities with Russia?

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2 hours ago
Taiwan adds China's Huawei and SMIC to export control list
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's Commerce Ministry has added Chinese chipmakers Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) to its export control list, as trade and technology frictions between the self-ruled island, China and the United States increase. Inclusion on the 'strategic high-tech commodities' list means Taiwanese companies will need to obtain export permits before selling goods to the respective companies. Other entities on the list include organizations such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda, as well as other companies in China, Iran and elsewhere. The export control entities list was last updated on Sunday. Neither Huawei nor SMIC initially commented on their inclusion. Huawei and SMIC have both been sanctioned by the U.S. The two companies are producing China's most advanced homegrown artificial intelligence chips in an effort to compete with U.S.-based Nvidia and supply Chinese tech firms with the much-needed chips amid export curbs. Taiwan is home the world's largest chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a major supplier for Nvidia. Last November, the U.S. ordered TSMC to halt supplies of certain advanced chips to Chinese customers as part of broader efforts to restrict China's access to cutting-edge technologies. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. The U.S. is Taiwan's biggest unofficial ally and arms seller.


Politico
10 hours ago
- Politico
Israel Fights Also for Us
When a society can no longer distinguish between good and evil, between victim and perpetrator, it gives up. This dynamic is one of the great constants of human history. It is a lesson people in free societies — and people in totalitarian societies who yearn to be free — should keep in mind during the climactic showdown underway in the Middle East. Israel has struck a blow to prevent Iran from developing nuclear bombs — weapons that it might credibly use toward its stated goal of removing Israel from the planet. Make no mistake: This is not simply a matter of regional security. Nor should it be a proxy for whether one supports or opposes the current Israeli government's policy on Gaza or other subjects. This conflict is a central front in a global contest in which the forces of tyranny and violence in recent years have been gaining ground against the forces of freedom, which too often are demoralized and divided. In a world full of bad actors, Iran is the most aggressive and dangerous totalitarian force of our time. Its leaders seek to weaken and destroy free society, democracy and human rights with Russian and Chinese support. In Iran, women are systematically oppressed and abused. Homosexuals are murdered. Those who think differently are imprisoned and tortured. In Tehran, the cynical abuse of the civilian population in Gaza as human shields is also cold-bloodedly conceived and financed. According to official state doctrine, the primary goal of the mullahs in Tehran is the annihilation of the State of Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei has described Israel as a 'cancerous tumor.' And clocks in the streets of Tehran celebrate countdowns to the 'destruction of Israel.' But Israel is only the first target. Once Israel falls, Europe and America will be the focus. Radical Sunni and Shiite Islamism has been preparing for this for decades. The fatwa against Salman Rushdie, 9/11, the attacks in Paris, the caliphate of ISIS — each event was a warning sign. Only those who did not want to see the signs are surprised today. The attacks are directed against our values, our way of life. It is therefore surprising that Israel is not being celebrated worldwide for its historic, extremely precise and necessary strike against Iranian nuclear weapons facilities and for the targeted killing of leading terrorists, but that the public response is dominated by anti-Israel propaganda. The intelligence and precision of Israel's actions are not admired but are instead used here and there to perpetuate blatantly antisemitic stereotypes. This attitude is characterized not only by racist undertones, but also by a strange self-forgetfulness. If the perpetrator-victim reversal that has been repeatedly observed since Oct. 7 applies even in the most obvious case — Iran — then this can only be interpreted to mean that we are in the process of losing the culture war, which in reality has long since become a war of civilizations. And we seem to have no problem with that. It is what Michel Houellebecq called 'submission' in his visionary novel 10 years ago. As someone who has 40 years' experience as a journalist and publishing executive, I believe every government should be questioned critically about all the details of its policies — above all on matters of war and its consequences. But those details should not be allowed to obscure larger historical truths. Perhaps a German of my generation has a useful vantage point. Born in 1963, I grew up in a country and continent still shadowed by World War II and its crimes, including an effort by Germany to eradicate Jews across Europe. The first half of my journalism career saw freedom on the march. The Soviet Union collapsed, authoritarian governments across Eastern Europe were routed, Germany was reunited under democracy. The second half of my career, however, with authoritarianism on the rise in all directions — with governments hostile to the very idea of journalism, as well as democracy, pluralism, rule of law and basic standards of decency. These unwelcome developments highlighted how fragile the triumphs of the late 20th century may be in the 21st. The contest between free societies and murderous tyrants is enduring. That's why warnings of dangerous escalation that can be heard from politicians in the West are particularly misplaced. The argument is as stale as it is false. Those warning of escalation are to blame for Vladimir Putin being on the verge of winning his terrible war of conquest in Ukraine. And those warning of escalation are to blame for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. This could have been prevented with decisive resistance from the West in the first days of the attack. Dictators decide for themselves when to escalate. Usually when they do not encounter enough strength and resistance. This also applies to Iran. If Israel does not achieve its goals — destruction of the nuclear facilities, maximum weakening of the terrorist regime and, ideally, the removal of the mullahs — the world will quickly look very different. China will seize this historic opportunity to annex Taiwan sooner than expected. Largely without resistance. The moment is favorable. Because America and Europe cannot win a three-front war and therefore cannot fight it. But if the anti-democratic triangle — China, Russia, Iran — succeeds in this coup, a different, non-democratic world order will prevail. That is why America and Europe, in their own interests alone, must stand united with Israel and do everything in their power to ensure that this historic liberation is achieved. This morning, my son asked me a question: 'In the near future, will Israel become more like us, living in peace, or will we become more like Israel?' It depends. It depends on us.


New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
CBS News hammered on social media for promoting ‘No Kings Day' anti-Trump protest merchandise
CBS News is currently facing backlash on social media after they posted what appeared to be an advertisement for 'No Kings Day' protest merchandise to X on Friday, with users slamming the outlet for pushing the anti-Trump goods on the eve of a large-scale political protest. Thousands of people are expected to rally in hundreds of cities across America on Saturday to protest the Trump administration and counter the president's military parade in Washington, D.C. to mark the Army's 250th birthday. Today is also Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777. The counter-protesters are framing their demonstrations under the slogan 'No Kings,' describing it as a 'day of defiance' against President Donald Trump and his allies while others have been calling for the president to be 'dethroned.' Author and Senior Analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, J. Michael Waller, slammed CBS news for marketing 'radical merchandise on eve of nationwide protest/riot.' Another X user, Bonchie, a writer for the conservative news outlet RedState, mocked the news outlet for 'doing free advertisements for Chinese-made, left-wing protest merch.' Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist and a Fox News contributor, criticized the liberal news outlet for 'no longer even remotely pretending to be news' and for embracing its role as 'Democrat propagandists.' 3 X users slammed the outlet for pushing the anti-Trump goods on the eve of a large-scale political protest. CBS News / X Another X user questioned whether CBS News 'advertising merch for a political event' violates any Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines, slamming the outlet's decision for being 'highly unethical.' 3 CBS News signage ahead of the first vice presidential debate across the street from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, US, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. Bloomberg via Getty Images This is not the only controversy CBS News is currently embroiled in. In May, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon announced she was stepping down in a stunning move for the embattled company. Her exit follows that of longtime '60 Minutes' producer Bill Owens, who quit the prior month because he felt he'd lost journalistic independence amid an ongoing legal battle with Trump. In another blow to the troubled company, '60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley spoke out about President Donald Trump's lawsuit against CBS and its parent company last Saturday, arguing that a settlement would be 'very damaging.' 3 Protesters march through the streets of downtown as part of a nation wide 'No Kings' demonstration on June 14, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images 'Well, it'd be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies,' Pelley said during a conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Saturday, who asked how harmful a settlement and potential apology would be to the network. Trump filed a lawsuit against Paramount Global, CBS News' parent company, over a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in October 2024. Fox News Digital confirmed that Trump rejected a $15 million offer to settle his lawsuit, according to a source familiar with the matter, as the president's legal team is also demanding at least $25 million and an apology from CBS News. Fox News Digital has reached out to CBS News for comment regarding their article on 'No Kings Day' merchandise.