Solomon Islands protestors set fire to government buildings and businesses in Chinatown on Friday to show their anger at the interplay of local power and CCP influence. Behind this are resentments for the CCP’s undercutting of local economic developments. In recent years, the Party has increased its foreign influence on the islands. What role do the United States and Australia play, and how has Chinese communist cash shifted this strategic island nation? Former Marine officer Grant Newsham joins me to explain the key details behind the recent riots and what it could mean for the strategic future in Asia—in particular, why the United States must involve itself more in the Pacific nations.
In naming the new variant of the coronavirus, the WHO skips the next letter in the Greek alphabet Xi, pronounced “Csai” but looks like Xi, the Chinese leader. Does it highlight the fragility of the Chinese regime? Or does it go beyond that? We talk about censorship and cognitive conditioning by the CCP.
