News

U.S. & Japan restructure military amid growing China threat

Published

1 month ago

March 25, 2024

Nathan Langridge

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will unveil a plan next month to restructure the U.S. military command in Japan in the face of shared concerns about China, the Financial Times reports.

Strategic alignment

This restructuring aims to enhance operational efficiency and strategic alignment in the region.

Sources familiar with the matter suggest that the revamp will involve reorganising the existing command setup, potentially consolidating certain units and functions.

The move is seen as a response to evolving security challenges and geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. defence

The decision to revamp the military command reflects a broader effort by the U.S. to adapt its defence posture to meet shifting threats and strengthen alliances in the region.

It also underscores the importance of Japan as a key strategic partner in maintaining stability and security in East Asia.

More than a year ago, Japan pledged to double its defence spending to 2% of its gross domestic product and to procure missiles that can strike ships or land-based targets 1,000 km(600 miles) away, according to a source from Reuters

Japan has recently called China’s rapidly expanding military power a “serious concern” for Japan and the international community.

News

President Biden signs TikTok bill – what’s next?

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

ticker NEWS

TikTok users could soon find that the popular social media service is either under new ownership or could be outright banned in the United States.

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that requires TikTok to find a new owner—or face a ban in the United States.

Over the past several months, Washington D.C. has been under pressure to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app.

Lawmakers and security experts have long raised concerns that the Chinese government could tap TikTok’s trove of personal data about millions of U.S. users.

TikTok’s CEO said the bill is disappointing and reiterated that the company has committed to challenge it.

David Zhang from China Insider. joins Veronica Dudo to discuss

News

Threading the needle: Meta’s new platform finally dethrones X

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

ticker NEWS

Threads, the social media platform owned by Meta, is gaining traction with a surge in daily active users, outpacing X in the U.S.

With Threads averaging 28 million daily active users compared to X’s 22 million, Meta’s ambitions to reach a billion users seem within reach despite a slowdown in growth. While X still boasts 550 million monthly active users globally, Threads’ focus on user experience and avoidance of real-time and political content could position it as a formidable competitor moving forward.

News

Zendaya is serving in saucy sports drama “Challengers”

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

ticker NEWS

This weekend’s entertainment lineup has something for everyone.

Apple TV+ brings “Sugar,” a drama set in New York City, while “Civil War” offers historical intensity.

“Challengers” with Zendaya brings a saucy sport drama to life, and superhero buffs can catch the trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” for action-packed fun.

With options spanning drama, history, reality, and superheroes, there’s excitement in store for all this weekend.