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Media Report
August 10 , 2017
  • The New York Times：When the U.S. Last Faced an Emerging Nuclear Threat in East Asia
    The New York Times reports: "An isolated, authoritarian state in Asia races closer to becoming a nuclear power. An American president contemplates how to stop it. Rhetoric escalates on both sides, and the risk of a deadly conflict looms large. Guam makes a rare appearance in the headlines. That is the state of the North Korea standoff today. It has tested ICBMs that could reach the United States, and analysts believe it can make nuclear devices small enough to fit atop the missiles. President Trump said Tuesday that North Korea would 'be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen' if it threatened the United States. Pyongyang responded by saying it was considering firing missiles at waters near Guam, a United States territory in the Pacific. But change a few details, and it could just as easily describe the world half a century ago, when China developed nuclear weapons despite American desires to stop it. A look at that time reveals just how perilous such a situation can be, when a new nuclear player emerges and an established power tries to stand in its way. But it also shows that all-out war can be avoided... There are 'major similarities on both sides, a kind of deep sense of vulnerability on both sides, all kinds of very bellicose rhetoric and a kind of coming up to the brink,' said Lyle J. Goldstein, an associate professor at the United States Naval War College... the possibility exists that the fears over North Korea's program could ease. But getting there will not be easy, and before that comes a period that Mr. Goldstein calls 'valley of vulnerability.'"
  • CNBC：China's steel prices are rising and that's worrying Beijing
    CNBC reports: "China's steel prices are rising, and the government is getting worried about striking the right balance on the markets. China, the world's largest steel producer, has been working to tackle overcapacity in the sector, as the government seeks to find economic growth outside of heavy industry and manufacturing, The cutbacks also come amid long-time claims by the U.S. and Europe that China was selling its unwanted steel at lower prices on global markets, hurting producers elsewhere. In March, the government announced plans to slash steel capacity by 50 million metric tons this year in efforts to tackle pollution and curb excess supply. Experts say the prospect of limited steel is pushing prices up, and it's got authorities worried about market volatility. China is also the world's top steel consumer, so higher prices translates to better profits for industry, but it also means increased costs for sectors like construction that use much of the alloy.The government is convening meetings this week with regulators and industry executives as prices have surged, Reuters reported, citing a source at the China Iron and Steel Association. For Beijing, it's a tough situation: tackle steel overcapacity, rebalance economic growth, control environmental pollution and also manage market stability — especially in advance of a leadership shuffle due in the fall."
  • The Washington Post：China and Russia go further in squelching Internet freedom
    The Washington Post comments: "China's Great Firewall, a massive system of Internet filters and blocking, has long had a crack in it. The firewall prevents most users inside China from accessing platforms outside the country, such as Facebook, Google and Netflix, in keeping with China's desire to censor what can be seen and read. But popular software known as virtual private networks, or VPNs, permit a user inside China to tunnel through the firewall. Now the crack is being gradually cemented up. A VPN has been particularly useful for foreign firms that come to China and want to link up with corporate networks outside it. Hoping to encourage such investment, China looked the other way for years at the existence of the VPNs, many available from Apple's App Store in China... China has been heading toward restricting them for some time, but now it is cracking down in earnest with a new cybersecurity law that carries criminal penalties... Apple, Amazon and other Western technology pioneers can have a positive influence on China, but the laws they obey can also become tools of censorship. Mr. Cook said this week that Apple has been 'engaging' with China over this 'even when we disagree.' But there is no evidence that China's leaders are prepared to loosen the reins of control. The trend is running the other way... In Russia, no Great Firewall exists and major Internet platforms are accessible, but a government agency does blacklist specific sites... In both Russia and China, the impulse is the same: Rulers fear the free flow of information."
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