China launched major military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, simulating attacks and maritime blockades, in what Beijing called a warning after Taiwan's president labeled China a hostile foreign force.
President Trump's alienation of allies and his dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development are welcome news for China, a scholar in Beijing tells NPR.
As with Europe, the Trump administration is sending conflicting signals to America's long-standing allies in Asia, with whom the U.S. has deep-rooted security agreements that date back to the 1950s.
Taiwan's military is seeking funds to retain more service people with higher pay and to lengthen compulsory national service from four months to one year as it faces a rising threat from China.
The Boeing 777 plane vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people. The plane headed south to the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.