U.S. President Joe Biden has cautioned Australia on normalising ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Mr. Biden mentioned growing tensions across the globe. “Trust but verify is the phrase,” Mr. Biden said when asked if Australia could trust the Chinese regime. “China is having their own internal and external difficulties right now. China’s economic growth is stagnant compared to what it was. China has engaged in activities that Russia and many others have engaged in in terms of intimidation.” Mr. Biden also cemented his intention to continue with the AUKUS agreement—a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States, and the UK—saying the initiative is not aimed at provoking Beijing, but to liberalise the Indo-Pacific Region from potential unipolar domination....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/biden-cautions-australian-government-on-dealing-with-beijing-5516948
In its third year since the CCP’s implementation of the “National Security Law (NSL)” in Hong Kong, and the damage to the Hong Kong rule of law, human rights, and government accountability system has become increasingly apparent. The “Hong Kong Rule of Law Monitor,” a group formed by legal professionals recently released a report summarizing the state of Hong Kong’s rule of law in 2022, in which it describes “rule of law” as now being utilized by the authoritarian regime as a tool to undermine freedom and human rights. Moreover, the same “rule of law” guise has also been taken as an excuse to enforce the current NSL and the vintage colonial-era sedition law. The concerns about the NSL from both legal academics and practicing lawyers have become a worrying reality.... 
A wave of pneumonia infections is hitting children in China. Many of them are displaying so-called white lung symptoms. What’s behind the outbreak? California Gov. Gavin Newsom was greeted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. We examine California’s role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. A gas pipeline and telecom cables took damage in Finland, while an ongoing investigation points to one Chinese vessel that it says came a little too close. Pressure grows on Taiwan’s presidential election. With one candidate facing a Chinese probe, concerns are rising that Beijing could be trying to squeeze the island’s politics....
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “destruction of human capital” over the past decades has not only jeopardized its ambition but also “killed off its future,” according to Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute. In the 1980s, the CCP rolled out the “one-child policy,” strictly limiting couples to having only one baby. Those who defied the policy faced punishment, including heavy fines, job loss, and forced abortions. Officials argued that the rule was necessary for the nation’s economic prosperity and long-term development. However, in response to a shrinking labor force and a rapidly aging population, the authorities are taking measures to boost birth rates....