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Peter Martin
For Peter Martin's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 10, 2021
U.S. lawmakers’ visit to Taiwan furthers tensions with China
China's Defense Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the congressional visit, which it said interfered in China's internal affairs.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 27, 2021
Top. U.S. military officer likens China’s hypersonic weapons test to ‘Sputnik moment’
Gen. Mark Milley's comments are the most significant acknowledgment by a U.S. official of reports that China's military conducted possibly two hypersonic weapons tests over the summer.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 17, 2021
U.S. and France clash over surprise Australia submarine deal
The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, was blunt, saying his nation, whose friendship with the U.S. dates to the American Revolutionary War, felt 'stabbed in the back.”
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 8, 2021
Quiet Taliban deal-maker holds key role to Afghanistan’s future
Baradar will have to convince world leaders that this is a different Taliban, a more moderate version of a group
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 13, 2021
Biden team weighs digital trade deal to counter China in Asia
The policy would represent an early effort by the Biden administration to present an economic plan for the world's most economically and strategically significant region.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 18, 2021
With Putin behind him, Biden’s focus shifts to Xi
The world's second-largest economy was on the agenda throughout Biden's meetings with the Group of Seven leaders, NATO, the European Union and even Putin.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 27, 2021
Biden’s Asia czar says era of engagement with Xi’s China is over
The comments came as President Joe Biden said he ordered the U.S. intelligence community to 'redouble” its efforts to determine where the COVID-19 virus came from.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 31, 2021
China tensions under Biden underscored by human rights report
The report released by the U.S. State Department accuses the Chinese government of 'crimes against humanity.”
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 26, 2020
'Wolf warrior' diplomacy sours Britain's Conservatives on China
Burning bridges with China is a particularly risky path for the U.K. as it exits the European Union's orbit.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Oct 22, 2020
Five Eyes spy alliance trains focus on China in echo of Cold War
The network, made up of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is also facing renewed requests to take on additional member nations.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 8, 2020
Trump’s attacks on China reach new peak of ‘pent-up’ grievances
U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid-fire escalation of attacks on China — from bans of WeChat and TikTok to sanctions on Hong Kong’s top official — underscores that he’s dropped past restraint and decided to make confronting Beijing his priority less than 90 days before the U.S. election.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2020
Chinese Consulate fight shows Trump’s hard-liners are in charge
U.S. President Donald Trump spent the first three years of his presidency balancing the demands of hard-liners who wanted a crackdown on China against his own desire to pursue a trade deal and cultivate a stronger relationship with Xi Jinping.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 1, 2020
Xi’s Hong Kong power play puts China ever more at odds with West
Minutes after reports broke that China passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong, Carrie Lam stood in front of a backdrop of the city’s iconic skyline for a weekly press briefing.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jan 13, 2020
No soul-searching for Xi Jinping after Taiwan rebuffs China in election
In a democracy, two resounding election defeats in a matter of months might prompt some soul-searching in the losing camp.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 13, 2019
Xi seen having few good options after Trump's G20 ultimatum to meet or else
By now, Xi Jinping is used to Donald Trump's tariff threats. But the U.S. president's latest ultimatum is personal, and the Chinese leader's response could have far-reaching consequences for his political future.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Apr 22, 2019
China defends detention of Muslims 'voluntarily' staying in Xinjiang re-education camps
At the Shu Le County Education Center, a sprawling three-story complex in China's far-west region of Xinjiang, the dormitories feature bars on windows and doors that only lock from the outside.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 4, 2018
Look who's picking up the tab for Karl Marx's birthday bash: China
Karl Marx's home town is holding a party for the "Communist Manifesto" author's bicentenary, and China is paying for the birthday gift.
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2009
Wish list of a bicyclist in Japan
Regarding Tomoko Otake's Sept. 27 feature article, "Let's Bike!": I love being able to bike around, and it's definitely safer here than in my hometown back in America. But the article should have mentioned the bad behavior of people not on bikes.
Reader Mail
Jul 23, 2009
Record of tolerant perseverance
Regarding Frank Ching's July 16 article, "World sympathy lies with Tibet, not Xinjiang": To be sure, there are many reasons why world sympathy for the Uighurs seems to be muted compared to the outcry over Tibet in previous incidents. Some of the reasons are plain to see; Western prejudice against Muslims, the current global economic downturn and the unabated problems of financial turmoil are only a few. External provocateurs, foreign forces meddling in China's internal affairs, geopolitical interest and others are not so plain to see and may take time before they come to light.

Longform

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