Top Taiwanese Official Responds to Biden’s Remarks About Us Troops in Taiwan

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A top Taiwanese official responded Monday to the Biden administration repeatedly clarifying President Joe Biden’s remarks about Taiwan, saying the U.S. can have “different interpretations” about the “One China” policy, but that there is also “One Taiwan.”

Biden has vowed to send U.S. troops in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, seemingly departing from a decades-long practice of U.S. non-commitment to military action. In response, the Biden administration scrambled to maintain that the U.S. stands by its “One China” policy and does not encourage Taiwanese independence.

“I think we have different interpretations for the so-called ‘One China’ policy. I also agree with [the] ‘One China’ policy, but I would add ‘One Taiwan’ as well,” You Si-kun, the president of the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan, told the Daily Caller.

Under the “One China” policy, the U.S. recognizes that the Chinese government is the only government but merely acknowledges the Chinese position that Taiwan is a part of China. Officially, the policy of “strategic ambiguity” means that the U.S. has an unofficial relationship with the island.

China maintains the “One China” principle, which argues that Taiwan is a part of China and denies that there are two different countries. (Read more from “Top Taiwanese Official Responds to Biden’s Remarks About Us Troops in Taiwan” HERE)

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A Side Skirmish in Russia-Ukraine War Flares up in South Africa

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It’s thousands of miles from the front lines, but South Africa suddenly finds itself in the thick of a diplomatic dust-up over the war in Ukraine, and over whether the man who started the war should be welcomed here later this year.

Pretoria‘s busy weekend featured President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking by phone with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing a slew of murky allegations that South Africa had secretly sold weapons to Moscow. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken put in a call to South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, seeking to clear the air on an incident that has strained relations between the two capitals.

The diplomatic dancing began Thursday after U.S. Ambassador to Pretoria Reuben Brigety went public with U.S. suspicions that a Russian ship, the Lady R., had picked up badly needed ammunition, guns and other equipment when it docked near Cape Town in December.

“Weapons of war were loaded onto that vessel, and I will bet my life on that assertion,” Mr. Brigety told reporters.

The ambassador later met with Mrs. Pandor who claimed that he “apologized unreservedly,” but in a tweet, Mr. Brigety said he had merely “corrected any misimpressions left by my public remarks.” There remained, he added, a “strong partnership between our two countries.” (Read more from “A Side Skirmish in Russia-Ukraine War Flares up in South Africa” HERE)

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China Expands Targeting of U.S With Russian-Style Covert Influence Operations

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China’s government is expanding the use of covert influence operations targeting the United States and is expected to exploit the White House-congressional clash over the debt limit crisis as part of growing anti-U.S. activities, the director of national intelligence said.

The most recent DNI annual threat assessment warned that China’s efforts are nearing the aggressive intensity of similar covert disinformation operations from Russia, including the use of intelligence agents, cybertools and social media to meddle in U.S. elections, weaken national security laws and exacerbate domestic divisions.

“Beijing’s growing efforts to actively exploit perceived U.S. societal divisions using its online personas move it closer to Moscow’s playbook for influence operations,” the assessment states.

The report described Russian disinformation as one of the “most serious foreign influence threats to the United States.”

Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, disclosed in congressional testimony on May 4 that China is expected to use the looming government crisis over raising the debt ceiling in its anti-U.S. influence campaigns. (Read more from “China Expands Targeting of U.S With Russian-Style Covert Influence Operations” HERE)

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Chinese Diplomat Expelled From Canada After Alleged ‘Intimidation’ Campaign Against Anti-Beijing Lawmaker

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Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei has been expelled from Canada after allegedly participating in an intimidation campaign against an anti-Beijing lawmaker.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly released a statement Monday declaring Zhao “persona non grata” and expelling him from the country, saying the conduct Zhao allegedly engaged in was unacceptable. Zhao was accused by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) of targeting Canadian opposition lawmaker Michael Chong, who had been critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims, Reuters reported.

“I have been clear: we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behaviour, they will be sent home,” Joly said. “This decision has been taken after careful consideration of all factors at play. We remain firm in our resolve that defending our democracy is of the utmost importance.” (Read more from “Chinese Diplomat Expelled From Canada After Alleged ‘Intimidation’ Campaign Against Anti-Beijing Lawmaker” HERE)

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U.S. Patriot System Behind Downing of Russian Hypersonic Missile: Ukraine

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Ukraine has confirmed it successfully shot down a Russian Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile over Kyiv on Thursday, clarifying earlier conflicting reports over whether one of the state-of-the-art weapons had been destroyed.

The announcement was made on Saturday by Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, who described it as a “historic event” on the social media platform Telegram.

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks at Ukraine on Thursday, most of which were intercepted by air defense, one day after two drones exploded near the Kremlin in Moscow. Russian authorities said the drones were “a planned terrorist act” aimed at assassinating President Putin, though Kyiv has denied having any responsibility.

The Defense Express, a military-focused Ukrainian website, first reported one of the intercepted missiles was a hypersonic Kinzhal on Friday, publishing photographs it said showed the downed missile. (Read more from “U.S. Patriot System Behind Downing of Russian Hypersonic Missile: Ukraine” HERE)

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Ukraine Denies Trying to Assassinate Putin

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Russia said Wednesday it had shot down two drones at President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin residence in what it called a Ukrainian “terrorist” assassination attempt.

Kyiv insisted it had “nothing to do” with the alleged attack, suggesting it was “staged” by Moscow, while the US said the report should be taken with a “shaker of salt”.

“We do not attack Putin or Moscow,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on a visit to Finland.

“We defend our villages and cities.” (Read more from “Ukraine Denies Trying to Assassinate Putin” HERE)

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Biden Administration Announces New Military Aid for Ukraine

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The Biden administration has announced a new round of military aid to Ukraine valued at $300 million, and it will include a short-range air-launched rocket for the first time.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre first announced the planned assistance at Wednesday’s press briefing, saying it includes more ammunition for United States-provided weapons such as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), howitzers, artillery, and mortar rounds and anti-armor capabilities.

“It follows extensive work by the U.S. government over the past few months to fulfill Ukraine’s requests ahead of its planned counteroffensive and ensure they have the weapons and equipment they need,” Jean-Pierre said.

This package is being authorized via the president’s drawdown authority, the 37th since Russia’s war began, which means the weapons will come from current U.S. stockpiles and will go to Ukraine sooner than otherwise. It brings the total amount of military aid the U.S. has donated to Ukraine to more than $35 billion over the course of the war.

Kyiv is expected to launch its highly anticipated counteroffensive in the near future, where they will look to retake Russian-occupied territories, mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country. (Read more from “Biden Administration Announces New Military Aid for Ukraine” HERE)

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Seventh Grader Kills 8 Classmates and Guard in Targeted School Shooting

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A 13-year-old boy opened fire at his school in Serbia on Wednesday, killing a security guard and eight classmates and wounding six other students and a teacher, officials say.

Kosta Kecmanovic, a seventh-grade student at Vladislav Ribnikar School, was arrested following a deadly attack police say was meticulously planned, complete with a list of victims the suspect intended to target, The Associated Press reported. Kecmanovic allegedly began his shooting spree by first killing the guard at the Belgrade school and then opening fire in a classroom located near the school entrance, the outlet stated.

Milan Milosevic, whose daughter was in a history class during the shooting, told local reporters she witnessed Kecmanovic firing at the teacher first before the children ducked under their desks, AP reported. Many students reportedly fled the scene by escaping through a back door, officials told the outlet.

After his deadly assault, the suspect reportedly called law enforcement authorities himself before being taken into custody on the school grounds, according to AP. (Read more from “Seventh Grader Kills 8 Classmates and Guard in Targeted School Shooting” HERE)

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Hunter Biden’s Lawyer Controls Entity With 10% Stake in Chinese State-Backed Investment Fund

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Kevin Morris, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, controls an entity with a ten percent stake in BHR Partners, a Chinese state-backed investment fund founded just days after Hunter and President Joe Biden visited China in 2013, a source confirmed Friday to Breitbart News.

After pressure increased on Hunter Biden to divest from BHR Partners due to a conflict of interest upon Joe Biden assuming the White House, Hunter Biden’s lawyer told the New York Times in the fall of 2021 that his client “no longer holds any interest, directly or indirectly in either BHR or Skaneateles.”

Skaneateles LLC, the entity which owns ten percent of BHR Partners, according to Chinese public records from Baidu, was controlled by Hunter as the sole governor until its dissolution in September 2021, a Washington, DC, registration indicated.

But new documents obtained by Breitbart News, first revealed by nonprofit Marco Polo, show the control of Skaneateles LLC is being held by Kevin Morris, Hunter’s top attorney, who also paid Hunter’s IRS debts.
In a document entitled, “AMENDED AND RESTATED JOINT VENTURE CONTRACT of BHR PARTNERS (SHANGHAI) EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND MANAGEMENT CO., LTD. A FOREIGN-FUNDED ENTERPRISE,” Kevin Morris is listed as the Managing Member of Skaneateles LLC. (Read more from “Hunter Biden’s Lawyer Controls Entity With 10% Stake in Chinese State-Backed Investment Fund” HERE)

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US, South Korea Escalate Efforts To Deter North Korea Nuclear Attacks

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President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled at the White House Wednesday a new agreement designed to deter North Korea from launching a nuclear attack, including the deployment of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The arrangement, which is dubbed the “Washington Declaration,” was the centerpiece of Mr. Yoon’s visit to Washington as Mr. Biden hosted him for a bilateral meeting, joint press conference, and state dinner at the White House.

South Korea already benefits from protection under the U.S. “nuclear umbrella,” which is the nuclear-powered nation’s guarantee to defend a non-nuclear ally.

But North Korea has become increasingly aggressive in testing nuclear missiles and shown little interest in diplomacy about reducing its nuclear stockpile, raising alarms in Seoul and Japan.

Pyongyang has launched 100 missiles since 2022 and earlier this month tested a solid-fuel intercontinental missile, a possible breakthrough in its efforts to produce more powerful weaponry that can reach the U.S. (Read more from “US, South Korea Escalate Efforts To Deter North Korea Nuclear Attacks” HERE)

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