Xinjiang, Terror, and China’s Contempt for Freedom of the Press

There’s a reason why China ranks No. 176 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2015 World Press Freedom Index, only better than Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan and Syria. Its contempt for journalists, both domestic and foreign, who refuse to toe Beijing’s stridently nationalistic and increasingly paranoid line is boundless. A recent incident involving a …

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Will China Buy French-built Mistral Ships?

Do you have US$1.7 billion to spare? If yes, then you may have a shot at two Mistral-class amphibious attack ships (aka helicopter carriers) that France built for the Russian navy. For that price (at least that is what the current contract stipulates), the interested party would obtain two 21,000-ton multi-purpose warships that can perform …

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