China has an outdated view and policy on the Korean Peninsula, they have consistently been an ally of the North and shunted and sanctioned the South. Even though at this point China realizes the threat that the North presents, and has acknowledged the very real nuclear threat that they present. They have failed to adapt their policy, going so far as to allow strengthening military and economic alliances including the US to develop all around them, weakening their own position. They have upheld treaties and agreements with the North even as the North has continued in their belligerence. China is fast approaching a critical “us or them” point in which they are going to need to choose one way or another, the fate of the peninsula and also, the fate of China.

Chinese human rights lawyer Li Heping has been sentenced to a three year suspended jail term in a closed door trial. Famous for defending other prominent lawyers in China involved in activities that protested government human rights violations. reportedly he was detained on charges of  smear and attack campaigns against the state. This is merely the latest in a serious of moves made by Xi Jinping’s party in order to crack down on political dissent of any form. Though he and many others have seemingly disappeared, their wives and the political rights organization “Amnesty,” have both campaigned for his release, questioning his detainment and questioning the due process. This is in line with the regime’s crackdown, which leads us to ask how long they will continue this backward trend.

Even though there are rising tensions between the US and China, there is a growing market for American vehicles in China, specifically the Ford brand will be expanding out there. Recently there has been a push for American made products, they are seen as more reliable, and a sign of wealth in the Chinese Society. However, prices will be different with some Trucks selling for as little as $7k and some as much as $81k. In addition to Ford, GM will also be expanding business, going to show that even though political tensions are high, money talks.

Westinghouse is a nuclear energy company who is filing for bankruptcy protection, it is currently based in Japan and the Trump administration is very concerned that China may try and buy it. The problem with that is that there are many important nuclear energy secrets in these power plants that China will then have access to without having to discover them themselves or through theft. This is concerning because China is rapidly growing and seeking to catch up to the US on nuclear energy output. Japan also is concerned about China catching up and surpassing their nuclear technology.

In a major move towards ensuring that they have a stable food supply able to support their growing population, Chinese food giant ChemChina has bought out Swiss owned Syngenta, the world’s largest source of seeds and genetically modified foods. For the price of $43 billion dollars China now controls the largest amount of seeds and technology on modifying foods. It will be interesting to see where they go from here, as of now the state still forbids human consumption of genetically modified foods and there is little public knowledge of its research. This purchase could drastically change the rest of the worlds ability to access much of this technology.

In a surprising change of stance, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the country’s navy down to the Spratly islands in the SCS. This area has historically been disputed territory between Asian countries. While the navy will not be challenging Chinese territory, they will be reinforcing and building new infrastructure in Philippine territory. This likely is a response to the appeasement policy that Duterte has had recently and the backlash he has faced. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as tensions rise between the rising power that is China and the small island nation pushing back.

Today Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting for the first time with President Trump, he has been invited down to Trump’s Florida home- Mar-a-lago. This marks a huge point in the Trump administration as the US relationship with China has been a cornerstone of the new administration’s foreign policy. Tensions will most likely be high and many wonder how long the cordiality will last. Trump’s main point will likely be North Korea, China’s relationship with them and how best to counter them.