Free Republic

President” Biden made big news this morning with his announcement that the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by China. See the triple-bylined AP story “Biden: US would intervene with military to defend Taiwan.” The AP reports from Tokyo: President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, saying the burden to protect Taiwan is “even stronger” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of self-governing in decades. Biden, at a news conference in Tokyo, said “yes” when...

South Korea's military said on Friday it had detected activity at North Korea's nuclear test site to restore at least some tunnels that were demolished in 2018 when the site was closed. North Korea has not tested a nuclear bomb or its longest range intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017 but has said it could resume such testing with denuclearisation talks with the United States stalled. read more Amid a flurry of now-moribund diplomacy in 2018, North Korea used explosives to demolish the entrances to some underground tunnels at Punggye-ri, its only known nuclear test site. mages captured by commercial satellite...

The Biden administration confirmed Thursday that North Korea recently conducted two tests of a relatively new intercontinental ballistic missile system, ratcheting up tensions between leader Kim Jong Un and the U.S. at a precarious time in world politics. A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to share details of the government’s threat assessment, said the tests were carried out in February and March. North Korea conducted its last ICBM test in November 2017. World leaders first learned of this particular ICBM system, which can carry nuclear weapons, during North Korea’s Workers’ Party parade, which...