In Beijing’s latest purge of top-tier defense officials, General Li Shangfu is the most senior leader to be “disappeared” inside China. What does the leadership shake-up mean for the Communist Party? Plus, a clue about why hints of China’s future war could be more than just talk. From mopping up Iranian crude oil to an AI race complete with killer robots, war preparations appear to be well underway. How should Washington up its game? Topics in this episode: China’s ‘Missing’ Defense Minister Reportedly Under Investigation U.S. Air Force Sec. Warns of Chinese Military Threat U.S. Seizes Oil Shipment from Iranian Terrorist Org.; DOJ Makes First Criminal Res. on an Oil Sanctions Violator AI-Powered Weapons: the U.s.-China Race for Tech China Sanctions U.S. Defense Contractors House GOP Target Chinese Companies Huawei, SMIC Research Group Hit With Cyber Attack After Sharing Organ Harvesting Testimony China’s Overseas Repression: Canadian Warning ‘A Messy War Scenario’: Mills on China’s Military Shake-Up Leads to ‘Chaos’ ...Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/chinas-missing-defense-minister-reportedly-under-investigation-5492509
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently visited Russia, and both sides have shown clear intentions for military cooperation. At the same time, a China-Russia-North Korea alliance is developing, which has caused concerns in the international community. Russia and North Korea have recently increased military cooperation. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Sept. 12, accompanied by a large number of senior military officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin also went to Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. On Sept. 13, the two met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome—a Russian spaceport—and said that the two countries would cooperate in “sensitive” fields.... 
Mystery surrounding the whereabouts of China’s defense chief just months after he ascended to the post is now fueling questions about his fate and the stability of the Chinese Communist Party. Li Shangfu, whom Chinese leader Xi Jinping handpicked as his defense minister in March, has been missing from public view for 17 days straight, with his last appearance dated on Aug. 29, delivering a keynote address to African defense officials at the security forum in Beijing. A stream of reports citing sources in China and U.S. officials suggest that Mr. Li has been stripped of his responsibilities and is possibly under investigation for corruption, which would make him the fourth senior Chinese official falling from grace less a year into Mr. Xi’s third term....