Free Republic

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Ireland’s policy on China and Taiwan has not changed, despite reports in Chinese state media following his meeting in Dublin with Chinese premier Li Qiang. Earlier, CGTN quoted Mr. Varadkar as saying that Ireland “will always abide by the one-China principle, and hopes that China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date”. However, Mr. Varadkar said Ireland supported the One China “policy” on Taiwan, which is distinct from the One China “principle”. He said: “I reaffirmed our policy, which is the One China policy, that we recognize that Taiwan is part of China....

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally. Its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made it a key strategic outpost for the U.S. military. But that loyalty is being tested amid a dispute with Washington over the terms of its “Compact of Free Association” agreement, which expires soon. The U.S. is refusing to engage the Marshallese on claims for environmental and health damage caused by dozens of nuclear tests it carried out in the 1940s and ’50s, including a huge thermonuclear blast on Bikini Atoll.... ... China...