Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his much-anticipated trip to China is about opening up engagement with the world power but denies he’ll be there as a ‘go-between’ for America. But the prime minister is heeding the warning of President Joe Biden, who is imploring Australia not to fully trust Beijing. Mr. Albanese will head to China on Saturday, in what will be the first time an Australian leader has visited the country since 2016. Asked about President Biden’s repeated warnings to be wary of Beijing during their time together in Washington this week, the prime minister said it was important Australia is able to add “guardrails” to its relationship with Beijing....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/no-go-betweens-in-albanese-breakthrough-china-trip-5518824
Commentary While the focus of world attention has shifted in the past few weeks from Ukraine to the Middle East, it would be a mistake to ignore events in the Indo-Pacific, especially the South China Sea. Heightened aggression by China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) towards other nations has been notable over recent weeks and months. Apart from the ongoing intimidation of Taiwan, the PLA has increased its aggression against other countries with claims to the South China Sea, and against international missions to protect international waters. At the forefront of this aggression is an ongoing assault on the territory over which the Philippines asserts sovereignty.... 
A bicameral legislation has been introduced with the aim of holding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its persecution of religious groups in China. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) introduced the legislation with his colleague Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), with Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) leading a companion bill (H.R.6069) in the House. “One of the most sacred human rights is the right to freely practice your religion,” Mr. Budd said in a video unveiling the legislation. “The Chinese government has violated these rights for decades by routinely and egregiously persecuting Christians and other religious groups, from placing Uyghurs in concentration camps to barring Christians from holding church services.”...
The sudden death of China’s former premier could aggregate the potential turmoil within the upper echelons of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) leadership, researchers and analysts say. Li Keqiang, once China’s No. 2, suffered a “sudden heart attack” on Oct. 26, when he was visiting Shanghai, according to an obituary published by official news agency Xinhua. After “all rescue measures failed,” Mr. Li passed away just minutes past midnight on Oct. 27. Mr. Li’s sudden passing came after several mysterious disappearances and replacements of the regime’s senior officials, adding to speculation about political infighting within the Party’s ruling elites, according to analysts....