United States Marine General Michael Langley took over as the top U.S. commander for Africa on Tuesday, heading U.S. military operations on the continent. General Langley assumed command from Army General Stephen Townsend who was among the U.S. government’s most outspoken critics of China’s expanding influence in Africa, particularly on the issue of the PLA’s alleged desire to build a military on Africa’s Atlantic coast. It’s not clear if General Langley is as hawkisj about the Chinese presence in Africa as his predecessor was. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The United States and China are exchanging verbal fire in the South Pacific. Washington’s #2 diplomat, Wendy Sherman, spent the weekend in Tonga and the Solomon Islands, where she accused Beijing of seeking to dismantle the international rules-based order. The Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper quickly shot back claiming that Sherman is seeking to “sabotage the region’s close ties with China.” (REUTERS)
