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Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
China and North Korea's Militaries Don't Trust Each Other: US Intel
North Korea's deepening security ties with Russia are likely part of Kim Jong Un's effort to "counterbalance" China, according to the latest U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report. Pyongyang's "blood-cemented alliance" with Beijing, by contrast, dates back decades but does not extend to meaningful military cooperation. This suggests the two sides "do not trust each other on military issues," says Decker Eveleth, an analyst at the Virginia-based think tank CNA Corporation. Vladimir Putin inked a landmark military assistance pact with Kim during the Russian leader's June 2024 visit to Pyongyang. The partnership shifted into top gear late last year with the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russian forces in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. North Korea is also the only country with which China maintains a mutual defense treaty, and the People's Liberation Army was instrumental in pushing advancing U.S.-led troops back across the 38th Parallel. Yet today, the two "have virtually no military cooperation," the DIA said. This stands in contrast to China's increasing military drills and joint patrols with Russia as they step up their challenge to U.S. dominance in the Asia-Pacific. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries and the North Korean embassy in Beijing via email for comment. The DIA released its Annual Threat Assessment on Tuesday, a document intended to inform strategic planning and decision-making in Washington. "North Korea almost certainly is receiving reciprocal military cooperation from Moscow—including SA-22 surface-to-air missile systems and electronic warfare equipment—for providing soldiers and material to support Russia's war against Ukraine," the report says, echoing fears expressed by U.S. and South Korean officials since Pyongyang launched its military adventurism. North Korea depends heavily on China, which accounted for a record 98.3 percent of official trade in 2023. Beijing has thus maintained strong influence over the reclusive country, though this influence has shown limitations, such as Kim's determination to expand his United Nations-sanctioned nuclear weapons program. "North Korea's engagement with Russia likely reflects an attempt to counterbalance China's influence over Pyongyang," the DIA said. Commenting on this finding, Eveleth wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that while discussions of the two neighbors often characterize them as inseparable, "China and the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] do not trust each other on military issues, but DPRK is happy to buy stuff from the Chinese commercial market." Chinese Foreign Minister Guo Jiakun told reporters on April 28: "Regarding bilateral interactions between Russia and the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], we've stated our position on multiple occasions. China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear." While China is likely unsettled by the trajectory of relations between its two nuclear-armed pariah state allies—both due to the reputational cost and the unwanted Western military attention they bring to its backyard—analysts say Chinese President Xi Jinping is willing to stomach this new reality amid his efforts to forge a less U.S.-centric world order. Related Articles China Warns Trump's Golden Dome Risks Turning Space Into 'Battlefield': Live UpdatesUS Launches Nuclear-Capable Missile in Arms Race With Russia and ChinaCan Trump's Tariffs Help Create a 'Golden Age' of US Manufacturing?China Issues No-Go Zone in Disputed Waters Claimed by US Ally 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser facility to master near-limitless clean energy, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
CNN — Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
