China to sell its first and only aircraft carrier to Pakistan

According to local Chinese media outlets, the Chinese government has decided to sell its first and only aircraft carrier to Pakistan. More specifically, the Liaoning will be sold to Pakistan for a yet-undetermined price in order to upgrade the Pakistani Navy’s capabilities. But why would the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy proceed to sell its […]

The Pentagon’s revenge: $330m for Taiwan defense

As though China needed another excuse to hate the US, it came September 25, when the US State Department proposed to fund $330m worth of military parts for Taiwan’s army. China, by the way, considers Taiwan its territory. What happened? The US has periodically gifted small military parts to Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. George W. Bush […]

The honorary Chinese paratrooper

I received some odd assignments as assistant adjutant of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the fall of 1962. I supervised the carving of a large pair of parachute wings out of ice for a formal ball. I ordered the names of officers departing from the Group headquarters engraved on boxes of dessert bronzeware […]

China Vows Military Action to Stop US Weapons Sale to Taiwan

Syria isn’t the only area of the world with escalating violence. In Asia, the Chinese have stated that they will use military action to stop any attempts to support of Taiwan, through U.S. weapons sales to the island nation. The Chinese Ministry of Defense blasted the State Department’s recent decision to grant U.S. firms the marketing […]

Looking back at 2007 and Darfur

Back during my second run at college I wrote for the Daily Texan. Here’s a piece worth revisiting: Free Tibet, stop Darfur, save Congo! The Daily Texan April 11, 2007 While dodging flyers for the cause d’jour, I chuckle a bit at the student lobbyists who ask me if I’d like to “help free Tibet […]

Chinese Flyby Drills Closer To Taiwan Sound the Alarm

The Chinese are growing increasingly bolder and more aggressive toward Taiwan as their navy and aircraft get closer and closer to the island in a challenge to the Taiwanese armed forces. Planes from China flew near Taiwan in November and December, raising concern last week at the presidential office in Taipei. Over the past two […]

China Flexes Military Muscle in the Western Pacific as a Warning to Taiwan

The Chinese continued to act more aggressively in the Pacific, the latest bellicose move by Beijing was a series of military exercises in the Western Pacific in what Chinese officials described as “island encirclement patrols” over Taiwan by their air forces. These latest drills came just a week after a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation […]

Taiwan’s President Arrives in Hawaii Amid Chinese Protests

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is on a trip to visit and strengthen its support among its allies its diplomatic allies in the Pacific, stopped over in Hawaii despite strong objections from China. The Chinese considered Taiwan, part of their territory, despite the Taiwanese having a self-governed body ruling it. The Taiwanese have been in control […]

Taiwan jails mainland Chinese student on national security charge

A Taiwan district court on Friday sentenced a mainland Chinese student to 14 months imprisonment for breaching national security laws. The sentencing of Zhou Hongxu follows months of strained relations over the detention of a Taiwanese national in China. On Monday, a Taiwanese activist, Li Ming-che, confessed in a Chinese court to attempting to subvert […]

Navy officer admits role in sharing secrets in espionage case

NORFOLK, Va. (Tribune News Service) — A naval flight officer accused of spying by selling secrets to China and Taiwan pleaded guilty to illegally mishandling and communicating defense information at his court-martial Thursday, but maintained his innocence of other espionage counts against him. Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin originally faced two counts of espionage, three […]

China Launches its First Domestically Built Aircraft Carrier

In another step on their quest of becoming a dominant military force China just launched their second aircraft carrier but the first they built entirely on their own. Launching the 50,000 ton ship is a major step in proving China’s advancing technology. Development of the new carrier began in 2013 and construction in late 2015. […]