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US-China Relations
Reports: Pentagon Expanding Overseas Espionage

The US plans to expand its overseas espionage operations and establish an entirely new intelligence program under the Department of Defense, according to several sources familiar with the plans who spoke to The Washington Post.

The intention is for intelligence agents to pose as businesspeople or hold roles within the private sector. Sources indicate that the goal is to bolster the Pentagon’s espionage capabilities, thereby enabling more effective economic warfare against the nation’s competitors—primarily China.

There is no information suggesting that the program has already begun, the newspaper reports. The Pentagon denies that such plans exist. 

Claims in the Arctic
China Criticizes EU’s New Arctic Strategy as “Cold War Mentality”

China has expressed strong disapproval of the new security strategies for the Arctic presented by the EU this week, AFP reports.

“Employing a Cold War mentality to form blocs and fuel geopolitical tensions does not serve the peaceful development of the Arctic,” stated Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged the union to take security in the North more seriously, citing China’s growing ambitions in the region and its cooperation with Russia.

The polar region is highly sought after by Europe, China, Russia, and the US—not least due to it strade routes. 

Protests in France
Expert: Protests spreading – but not to Sweden

The protests in France—centered on schools—have grown and spread beyond the country’s borders. According to experts consulted by DN, a common thread is the mounting frustration among young people, fueled by increasingly bleak future prospects.

Katrin Uba, a professor of political science at Uppsala University, does not believe similar protests will emerge in Sweden. One reason is the lack of a "protest culture."

"Furthermore, the conditions for Swedish pupils and students are nowhere near as poor as they are in parts of Southern Europe," says Uba.

Security in Europe
Germany: New combat aircraft should be developed with Sweden

The German Ministry of Defence is advising the government to enter into a new partnership with Sweden and Spain to develop a new combat aircraft for the country’s air force, according to internal documents reviewed by Politico.

This approach is described as "more advantageous and promising" than joining the existing Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which includes the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.

In June, the Franco-German project known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) collapsed following years of internal friction between the two nations' respective industrial sectors. FCAS—launched in 2017 and later joined by Spain—was intended to replace Germany’s Eurofighter jets from around 2040.

At least 16 dead following powerful earthquake in Tibet

At least 16 people have died and 32 have been injured following a powerful earthquake in Tibet, reports the state news agency Xinhua, according to the AP.

At least 339 buildings have collapsed in the northern city of Nakchu, according to local authorities. The earthquake’s epicenter was located 190 kilometers outside the city, in a mountainous, sparsely populated part of Tibet.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 and occurred at a depth of ten kilometers.