Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Xi, Putin snub high-stakes U.N. climate summit, momentum lags among world’s major polluters
President Biden says he'll be in attendance "with bells on." But while his administration is pledging unprecedented emission cuts and has vowed to double U.S. funding to help poorer nations fight climate change, reality finds momentum for COP26 lagging amid an ongoing global energy crisis and continued COVID-19 fallout around the world. Published October 27, 2021
Biden administration backs Taiwan’s ‘participation’ at United Nations
The Biden administration is calling on the United Nations to embrace Taiwan's "participation" in the world body -- a plea likely to outrage China, which denies the island democracy's autonomy. Published October 26, 2021
U.N. ‘not doing its job’ on North Korea sanctions, U.S. ambassador says
The Biden administration responded to North Korea's test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile this week by lamenting that the United Nations is "not doing its job" of implementing and enforcing Security Council sanctions that were leveled years ago against Pyongyang. Published October 21, 2021
China wipes Celtics games from internet after Kanter calls Xi Jinping a ‘dictator’
China's government stripped Boston Celtics games from the internet in the country on Thursday, after outspoken Celtics player Enes Kanter called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "brutal dictator" and criticized Beijing's autocratic policies in Tibet. Published October 21, 2021
North Korea believed to have tested sub-launched missile in latest provocation
North Korea on Tuesday carried out what authorities believe was the isolated nation's third submarine-launched ballistic missile test, a fresh provocation at a moment when the Biden administration is pleading with the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to reenter stalled talks over its nuclear programs. Published October 19, 2021
Pence calls on Biden to show ‘strength’ on North Korea and China
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday said the Biden administration should apply "maximum pressure" on North Korea but keep open the possibility of talks with its leader Kim Jong-un, replicating the approach President Trump used to engage the dictator. Published October 16, 2021
U.S. ready, but Iran stalls in nuclear talks, Biden envoy says
President Biden's point man on Iran policy said Wednesday that the administration has spent more than six months telling Iran that Washington is prepared to remove sanctions former President Trump imposed on Tehran when he pulled the U.S. out of the Obama-era nuclear deal, as long as the Iranians agree to return to the agreement that curbs their suspect nuclear programs. Published October 13, 2021
‘Pretty alarming’: Biden administration ignored Pentagon concerns with Chinese drone purchase
The Biden administration ignored an explicit warning from the Pentagon about "cybersecurity concerns" tied to Chinese-made drones and drone parts, proceeding with the purchase of just such materials from a top Chinese company the Trump administration had previously blacklisted for national security reasons. Published October 12, 2021
‘Build Back Better World’: U.S. races to counter China’s ‘predatory’ Belt and Road initiative
America and its allies are scrambling to establish a global infrastructure funding mechanism to counter the trillions of dollars China has spent to build projects and buy influence through what U.S. officials describe as Beijing's "mercantilist" and "predatory" Belt and Road development lending initiative. Published October 11, 2021
‘Must be fulfilled’: Xi Jinping calls for Taiwan annexation as tensions rise
Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose military has been engaging in unprecedented provocations against Taiwan recently, said over the weekend that China's goal of absorbing the tiny island democracy "must be fulfilled" -- an assertion that has triggered swift pushback from Taiwan's leaders. Published October 10, 2021
Iraqis go to polls in low numbers; outcome could impact Iran’s influence
Voter turnout was down and security tight, but the overall scene was one of relative peace Sunday as Iraq held its fifth parliamentary election since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and created an opening for democracy in the nation. Published October 10, 2021
Taiwan says it will bolster defenses in response to China’s bullying
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen vowed Sunday to fight any attempt by China to annex or militarily absorb Taiwan. Published October 10, 2021
Iran smuggling high-tech drones to militant allies, opposition group says
Iran's theocratic regime has ramped up its drone manufacturing operation in recent years and is now smuggling an increasingly sophisticated slate of the weaponized remote control aircraft to allied militant groups around the Middle East, according to intelligence gathered by a leading Iranian dissident group. Published October 6, 2021
Pyongyang ‘disappointed’ with Biden, former CIA North Korea chief says
The former top U.S. intelligence official on North Korea says Kim Jong-un's regime is "disappointed" with Biden administration policy so far, saying Pyongyang likely hoped the new U.S. administration would have delivered a "concrete roadmap" for restarting stalled nuclear talks by now. Published October 5, 2021
‘Unease’: NATO faces uncertainty amid Afghanistan withdrawal, China’s rise
The West's inglorious exit from Afghanistan has sparked a long-awaited reckoning for NATO and has fueled major questions about the role the alliance is capable of playing in the 21st century -- and to what degree it can rely so heavily on U.S. leadership and U.S. military assets. Published October 4, 2021
Blinken and Kerry headed to France in wake of Aussie sub deal friction
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will aim to ease the U.S.-France diplomatic rift with a trip to Paris next week, amid ongoing French outrage over President Biden's recent inking of a nuclear-powered submarine deal with Australia that undercut a previous $65 billion deal Canberra had signed with France. Published October 1, 2021
North Korea’s Kim snubs U.S. on talks, accuses ‘petty’ Biden administration of deception
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has lashed out at the Biden administration this week, claiming its repeated offers of direct diplomatic talks are merely part of a deceptive plot designed to distract from America's ongoing "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang. Published September 30, 2021
Military brass dodge blowback, consequences from Afghanistan withdrawal debacle
Britain's foreign secretary faced a severe demotion. The Dutch defense minister resigned. But the Pentagon has seen no firings or high-level resignations in the wake of the hasty and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan. Published September 29, 2021
China’s Belt and Road saddles nations with billions in ‘hidden debt,’ study finds
China's massive "Belt and Road" global infrastructure funding strategy is based on a "secretive overseas development finance program" that has saddled dozens of poor countries with nearly $400 billion worth of "hidden debt," according to a new study published Wednesday. Published September 29, 2021
Russia’s offer of bases for Afghan strikes puts spotlight on Ukraine tensions
The Biden administration indicated Tuesday that it is weighing an offer from Moscow to use Russian military bases in Central Asia for future counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan and the region, even as U.S.-Russia tensions soar on other fronts -- most notably in Ukraine. Published September 28, 2021