WEEK IN REVIEW: U.S. Launches New “China House” Initiative to Coordinate Foreign Policy Towards Beijing

The U.S. government drew on its Cold War history on Friday with the launch of a new “China House” initiative that aims to coordinate foreign policy towards Beijing. The new office will house an expanded inter-agency team of China experts who will focus on competition with China in security, technology, and diplomacy, among other realms. The effort is reminiscent of the CIA’s “Russia House” which performed a similar function during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.(CNN)

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning is leading the PLA Navy’s most powerful strike group into the Western Pacific for a year-end exercise.  The carrier was accompanied by both standard and stealth-guided missile destroyers, re-supply ships, and, according to experts, several nuclear-powered attack submarines. Analysts believe the show of force may also be part of the PLAN’s efforts to signal to its rivals that it remains unaffected by the massive COVID outbreak in China. (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)