Stephen McDonell

Extra $40 billion dollars to be spent on #Taiwan’s defence: given #Ukraine war, not surprisingly going towards more missiles and drones + #Israel style advanced anti-missile systems. Lai Ching-te said compromise over #China’s aggression would only bring war.

Now looks like a straight out mistake by the likes of the Wall Street Journal not only reporting that #Xi requested the call with #Trump but then analysing what it meant. Some have said the absence of the readout line “ #US requested the call” meant incorrect assumption jump was made. Can’t do that.

NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker admits "there's some truth" to the criticism that Putin hasn't made a single concession during negotiations

In addition, all the earlier analysis should have attributed the claim that #Xi requested the call with #Trump. Who said #China asked for it? #US government sources? Who?

So we had all that analysis earlier today of the significance of the #China side requesting the call between #Trump and #Xi. Now the Chinese government has said it was the #US side which actually requested it. This is the problem jumping the gun with analysis before confirmation.

Very interesting question. Over to the space experts. Anyone know?

#China's 3 astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station will, no doubt, be relieved that the rocket carrying their new ride home has successfully taken off. They'd been potentially stranded, in event of an emergency, following damage to another return capsule, following a suspected space debris hit.

Why China Can’t Sort Out Its Property Market Mess Once one of the country’s biggest growth drivers, China’s property market has been in a downward spiral for four years with no signs of abating. Real estate values continue to plummet, households in f...

China’s property market has been in a downward spiral for four years with no signs of abating. Real estate values continue to plummet, households in financial distress are being forced to sell properties www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

A toy making factory in Shanghai run by the Commercial Press (primarily a printer and bookstore operator), c.1925, by Paul Hutchinson. Many of these toys were for export.

Steve… DG! Now’s your time to shine! ;-)
Seriously though what a great letter to have received. Brilliant that he took the time to give you such a fantastic response.

If this is true, it would suggest that #Russia has considered dangling some sort anti- #China alliance with the #US, as part of a #Ukraine war resolution:

YouTube video by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Carny (Official Audio)

Not enough creepy xylophone you say?
Well…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=bl89...

YouTube video by Edwyn Collins Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You (Official Video)

What? You want more xylophone? Oooookkkk!!!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqJ...

Cool!

YouTube video by PsychedelicFursVEVO The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way (Official Video)

Xylophone, electric guitar and keyboards combining for this eerie sound…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LGD9...

Two photographs by Sha Fei (沙飞, 1912–1950), one of China’s first photojournalists.
📷 Eighth Route Army recapturing Pingxingguan Pass, Shanxi, 1937 — University of Bristol, Historical Photographs of China, ref. ML02-d145
📷 Eighth Route Army fighting on the Futuyu Great Wall, Laiyuan, Hebei, 1938

Photos by Xu Xiaobing (1916–2009), a key photographer for the Chinese Communist Party from the 1930s–1960s.
Xu documented Red Army and PLA soldiers during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Civil War; the third image here is of Peng Dehuai, PRC defence minister (1954–1959).

Join the Cambridge University China Forum for a Fireside Chat and Q&A session with Paul French on Nov 25th The event is free & open to all. Please sign up via the QR code or the link below

🗓️ Tuesday 25th November

🕕 18:00-19:00

📌 Blue Boar Common Room, Trinity College

🔗 fixr.co/event/firesi...

YouTube video by Jaheim Hines Siouxsie And The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden (Official Video)

And how about this one!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJx...

YouTube video by ViolentFemmesVEVO Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone

Friday music this week we’re going tracks with a xylophone! Starting with maybe the best ever…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMJ...

YouTube video by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Carny (Official Audio)

Not enough creepy xylophone you say?
Well…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=bl89...

YouTube video by Edwyn Collins Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You (Official Video)

What? You want more xylophone? Oooookkkk!!!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqJ...

Can’t hear the xylophone there?

YouTube video by PsychedelicFursVEVO The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way (Official Video)

Xylophone, electric guitar and keyboards combining for this eerie sound…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LGD9...

YouTube video by Jaheim Hines Siouxsie And The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden (Official Video)

And how about this one!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJx...

YouTube video by ViolentFemmesVEVO Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone

Friday music this week we’re going tracks with a xylophone! Starting with maybe the best ever…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMJ...

Senior Service Cigarettes ad, 'Loch Class Frigate at anchor in Hong Kong Harbour', by John S. Smith, c.1950 (art school graduate who served in the Royal Navy in WW2).

Trump describes the Saudi government brutally murdering a journalist as “things happen”…

Reporter: Is it appropriate for your family to do business with Saudi Arabia while you’re president? The us intelligence concluded you orchestrated the murder of a journalist…

Trump: Who are you with?

Reporter: ABC News

‘We need stability’: China and Germany strive to reset trade ties in Beijing German finance minister’s trip follows a tense period for China-Europe relations, with Berlin gripped by supply chain anxieties.

China and Germany strive to reset trade ties in Beijing: ‘we need stability’ – SCMP: ‘Klingbeil said he had received assurances from his Chinese counterpart that Berlin’s concerns over export restrictions would be taken seriously’