USC US-China Institute
Mike Chinoy is a non-resident senior fellow at the USC US-China Institute and the author of Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
Chinoy is a former senior fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy, and a senior Asia correspondent and Beijing Bureau Chief for CNN.
North Korea's nuclear weekend There were wins and losses this weekend for Kim Jong-un. The missiles displayed in a massive parade in Pyongyang were reportedly "jaw-dropping" -- if they were real, but the failed missile launch was an embarrassment, and the nuclear test some people predicted never happened. In South Korea, Vice President Pence repeated the implicit threat that the US has lost its "strategic patience." But, what's to be done? The Trump Administration is faced with familiar alternatives: war, diplomacy, cyber-action… or doing nothing at all.
Hong Kong Protests Pro-democracy protests continued in Hong Kong today, with office workers joining student demonstrators. The protests grew violent over the weekend, with police firing tear gas into the crowd yesterday. We get the latest update from the ground.
North Korea's Provocative Satellite Launch Just two weeks after agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for food aid from the United States, North Korea announced today it will launch a satellite this month to commemorate the 100th birthday of its founder, Kim Il Sung. The State Department calls that "highly provocative," and says the food aid may be in jeopardy. Mike Chinoy, at the University of Southern California's US-China Institute is author of Meltdown : the Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
The Sudden Death of Kim Jong Il Bill Clinton tried to establish relations with Kim Jong Il. George W. Bush called that “appeasement,” and made North Korea part of his “axis of evil.” Kim Jong Il responded by building—and testing—nuclear weapons. Now the big question is whether his young son and heir apparent can maintain control. China has urged economic reform on a country that can’t feed its people. South Korea worries about military action and the possibility of collapse. North Koreans were shown weeping openly in the streets today at news that their “Dear Leader” has died. We look at the prospects for transferring power in a country whose instability could have dangerous consequences.
The Sudden Death of Kim Jong Il Bill Clinton tried to establish relations with Kim Jong Il. George W. Bush called that “appeasement,” and made North Korea part of his “axis of evil.” Kim Jong Il responded by building—and testing—nuclear weapons. Now the big question is whether his young son and heir apparent can maintain control. China has urged economic reform on a country that can’t feed its people. South Korea worries about military action and the possibility of collapse. North Koreans were shown weeping openly in the streets today at news that their “Dear Leader” has died. We look at the prospects for transferring power in a country whose instability could have dangerous consequences.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula Soar after North Attacks For the first time since the Korean War, North Korea fired artillery shells on South Korea's civilian territory today, killing two soldiers, wounding residents and setting fire to houses on Yeonpyeong Island. North Korea says it was responding to shells fired at sea during a South Korean military exercise. Mike Chinoy is Senior Fellow at the US-China Institute at the University of Southern California and author of Meltdown : The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
North Korea's Attack on South Korean War Ship South Korea is showing signs of trying to cool tensions with North Korea, despite the international conclusion that a North Korean torpedo sunk a South Korean ship last month, leaving 46 sailors dead or missing. One of many unanswered questions is why China has had so little to say. China was quick to condemn the Israeli attack on the aid ships, saying it was "shocked" and "appalled," and demanding "a quick response" from the UN Security Council. We have updates from Seoul, the UN and Washington.
South Korea Seeks UN Action against Pyongyang South Korea today severed trade with North Korea and asked the UN Security Council to punish the north for deliberately sinking a South Korean ship, killing 46 sailors. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon agreed that measures must be taken and Secretary of State Clinton said in Beijing that South Korea has the full support of the United States. Mike Chinoy, senior fellow at USC's US-China Institute, is author of Meltdown : the Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
China Protests the Dalai Lama’s White House Visit China spoke out again today against President Obama's upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama next week at the White House. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the US and China have always discussed their disputes and will continue to do so. Mike Chinoy, senior fellow at the US-China Institute at the University of Southern California, is a former Beijing Bureau Chief for CNN.
North Korea Pardons Jailed Journalists Los Angeles has seen street demonstrations demanding release of two American journalists sentenced to 12 years for stepping over the border from China to North Korea. Today, they were pardoned. The announcement came shortly after former President Bill Clinton arrived in North Korea and pictures of him with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il were published all over the world. Mike Chinoy, who's covered Asia for CNN , is with the Pacific Council on International Policy.
North Korean Missile Test Yesterday's nuclear test by North Korea got an angry response from the United Nations Security Council, even including China and Russia. After today's test of two short-range missiles, the US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, called North Korea's actions "provocative and destabilizing" and "a threat to international peace and security," and said the Security Council would pursue " a new resolution , a strong resolution with teeth."
The Obama Administration Meets China On her last day in China , Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Beijing to continue buying US bonds. In addition to the economy, she emphasized global warming, having said in advance that a public confrontation over human rights would interfere with those priorities.
Secretary of State Clinton Makes Her First Trip to China Hillary Clinton's first trip as Secretary of State took her to China , where the government is comfortable with Republicans. Instead of making demands about human rights and currency manipulation, she urged Beijing to continue buying American bonds. Worries about the world economy shared the agenda with global warming, energy and national security, including North Korea's nuclear weapons. Clinton told the Chinese, “We are truly going to rise and fall together.” We get several assessments of her visit and what lies ahead.
Secretary Clinton Seeks to Strengthen Ties in Asia Hillary Clinton has arrived in Tokyo on her first trip outside the country as Secretary of State. Clinton, who received an elaborate reception, says her week-long visit to four far-eastern nations will demonstrate the Obama Administration's “ new approach ” to foreign policy. Mike Chinoy, who covered Asia for CNN for many years, is now senior fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy and author of Meltdown : the Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
North Korea Says It Will Re-Start Nuclear Plant After dismantling its plutonium-making reactor and blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon, North Korea expected to be removed from the US list of countries that support terrorism. That hasn't happened. Now, at Pyongyang's request, the International Atomic Energy Agency has removed seals and surveillance cameras from Yongbyon. North Korea says it'll go back to the business of making nuclear weapons. What's happened to what appeared to be progress in disarmament? Mike Chinoy is the author of Meltdown : the Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
The Curious Case of Kim Jong-Il's Illness On Tuesday, Kim Jong Il did not attend a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of North Korea amid reports that the country's leader may be seriously ill. American intelligence officials in Washington said that he had probably suffered a stroke several weeks ago and was under the care of doctors in the capital city of Pyongyang. Mike Chinoy, senior fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy, is the author of Meltdown : The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
