China and Russia have both successfully tested their offset hypersonic gliders which they claim are capable of penetrating the American THAAD system (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). The U.S. plans to deploy the THAAD anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea to counter threats from North Korea.
Submitted by John Rubino via DollarCollapse.com,
China’s historic post-2009 debt binge flew largely under the radar - fooling most observers into thinking the global economy was recovering rather than just re-leveraging.
Submitted by George Friedman via MauldinEconomics.com,
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently announced that he would take command of all of China’s armed forces, including the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Xi is already chairman of the Central Military Commission that oversees the army. He is now taking a more direct role as head of the new Joint Operations Command Center, which puts him in operational command of the PLA in times of war.
A Chinese biker waiting at a junction in Nantong City, China, narrowly avoided serious injury or death when he saw an accident pile up approaching his way. The biker saw the danger and abandons the scene on two legs in the nick of time, leaving behind his bike. NBC reports: Chinese Biker Miraculously Escapes Collision With Cargo Truck A biker narrowly escaped certain death after a traffic collision involving a large cargo truck and a small truck took place in Nantong City, China. Toddler Falls Out Of Van On Busy Chinese Road
What until now was mostly effete jawboning over US complaints surrounding China's territorial expansion ambitions in the South China Sea, including the occasional sailing of a US ship deep inside the disputed territorial waters (with zero impact especially now that China may soon start building maritime nuclear power plants in the area), changed dramatically earlier today when China officially denied a U.S. carrier strike group's request for a port visit to Hong Kong next week.
The Stennis strike group