#Ryan Hass

[sinoeurovoices]

卜睿哲：台大選將影響兩岸關係 台海戰爭非不可避

美國在台協會（AIT）前理事主席卜睿哲（Richard Bush）表示，台海兩岸之間的戰爭並非不可避免，而台灣2024年大選結果也將影響兩岸關係的走向。 卜睿哲在1997年至2002年間擔任美國在台協會理事主席，離任後前往布魯金斯研究院擔任東亞政策研究中心主任，目前仍然擔任該中心的高級研究員。他在與另一位布魯金斯研究院研究員何瑞恩（Ryan Hass）以及美國的德國馬歇爾基金會亞洲部主任葛來儀（Bonnie…

[quinnigallagherjones]

🌟 GIF MAKERS YEAR IN REVIEW 2024 🌟

tagged by @uhhrellys (thank you ily !!!!! 🤍)

RULES: pick 8 (or more!) of your favourite gifsets of 2024 and then pick 8 (or more) gifsets of someone else’s from 2024!

getting back into making gifs this year has been so much fun and there are a few gifsets of mine that i adore but here are my top 8:

daybreakers gifset

cabin in the woods gifset

final destination gifset

knives out gifset

quinni + amerie + darren gifset

talk to me gifset

chicken run gifset

pride and prejudice and zombies gifset

some of my favourite gifsets of the year from others (in no particular order):

robert sean leonard in married to it by @queenofthekings

dead on arrival by fob — buddie by @girldadbuckley

corner of the sky by ben platt — evan buckley by @aaronstveit

the good place — michael and janet by @benoitblanc

series appreciation: orphan black by @userhalsey

dan and phil and tiny horse by @ncutii-gatwa

mary elizabeth winstead in final destination 3 by @swkywalker

this is the last moment of my life — eddie diaz by @uhhrellys

horror comedy movies: happy death day by @queenofthekings

spooky musicals — the nightmare before christmas by @vinnymauro

sabrina carpenter's tours through the years by @shortnsweetgf

amanda lehan canto by @uhhrellys

damien hass by @miwtual

eddie diaz in 9-1-1 — portrayed by ryan guzman by @daisyjohnsn

there are so many more i could list but i am going to stop so this post isn't really long lmaooo

tagging: @queenofthekings @aaronstveit @benoitblanc @girldadbuckley @vinnymauro @shortnsweetgf @ncutii-gatwa @miwtual @swkywalker @daisyjohnsn @userhalsey (no pressure as alwaysss <3333)

[the-lokal-homo]

I'm gonna watch the new episode now, here are my thoughts:

THEY ARE GETTING MEDALS IM SO FUCKING HAPPY. THEY DESERVED IT. HEN LOOKS SOOOO GOOD

Bobby got a medal :) It's so sad how he does not except it :(

Ravi :))) MY BOY

FUCK THAT RASIST HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLE.

WHAT IS THE COUNCIL WOMEN GOING TO DO! WHY DO I FEEL LIKE SHE WILL TAKE THERE KIDS AWAY

WHAT DO YOU MEAN RESIGNATIONS

Wanna be dead wife was on a TV show?

Sad montage moment

"MOTHER HEN"

...did Bobby just give Eddie a book of prayers?

🚨HOUSE WIFE BUCK, I REPEAT HOUSE WIFE BUCK🚨

Bobby is in dad mode

OUTING TALK GAY (gay as a umbrella term, he is bi)

Shit is hitting the fan about the dead wife double and Eddie situation

This episode is breaking my heart in every possible place

Alter ich bin so wütend wegen der council women Sache, alter ich hasse diese Frau so sehr wie kann sie das machen (angry german)

Eddie talking about his feelings? That's new!

I actually really like dead wife double. She is smart, nice and all that

Eddie talking about his feelings? That's new! (A second time)

The parents are fighting. I don't like this.i am crying I am scared about what Bobby is going to do.

I. Hate. The council woman.

Not even a single happy thing happened yet. The whole Mara situation is a nightmare

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING WITH EDDIE?!?

Ryan's acting is just chefs' kiss. Rent was due god damn.

CHRIS SAW THEM

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING.

The house...

IS HE HAVING A HEART ATTACK!??!

THAT'S IT ?!?? THEY CAN'T, WHAT!??

[companion-showdown]

Best companion to get intoxicated with: Round 0 Masterpost

the elimintation numbers on the posts themselves are largely wrong because I made a mistake and only realised when it was too late, its two per group except 14 and 15 which is 3

Day 2

Elimination Groups:

Group 8 (2 eliminations)

God the Computer

Hallan

Hass

Hebe Harrison

Hex Schofield

Irving Braxiatel

Jack McSpringheel

Group 9 (2 eliminations)

Jane Austen

Jason Kane

John (Another Girl, Another Planet)

Joseph (Oh No it Isn't)

Joseph (The Doomsday Manuscript)

Koschei

Laura Tobin

Group 10 (2 eliminations)

Lola Denison

Mark Seven

McQueen!Master

Miranda Who

Mother Francesca

Mother Mathara

Mr Crofton

Group 11 (2 eliminations)

Ms Jones

Narvin

Pandora

Peter Summerfield

Preacher!Master

Renee Thalia

Romana III

Group 12 (2 eliminations)

Ruth Leonidus

Sabbath Dei

Sam Bishop

Scarlette

Stratum Seven Agent

Tameka Vito

The Black Dalek Leader

Group 13 (2 eliminations)

The Earl of Sandwich

The Original Golden Dalek Emperor

The War King

Unnamed Courtesan (In the Year of the Cat)

V.M.McCrimmon

Valarie Lockwood

Wolsey

Group 14 (3 eliminations)

Ianto Jones

Toshiko Sato

Owen Harper

Andy Davidson

Gwen Cooper

Banana Boat

The TARDIS

Missy

Group 15 (3 eliminations)

Sally Sparrow

Larry Nightingale

Bannakaffalatta

Vincent van Gogh

Madam Vastra

Psi

Saibra

Beep the Meep

Seeding Groups

Group 8

Charley Pollard

Evelyn Smythe

Lucie Miller

Liv Chenka

Group 9

Bernice Summerfield

Fitz Kreiner

Frobisher

Iris Wildthyme

Group 10

Rose Tyler

Mickey Smith

Jack Harkness

Martha Jones

Group 11

Donna Noble

Wilfred Mott

River Song

Amy Pond

Rory Williams

Group 12

Clara Oswald

Bill Potts

Nardole

Yasmin Khan

Group 13

Graham O'Brien

Ryan Sinclair

Dan Lewis

Ruby Sunday

day 1 under the cut

Day 1

Elimination Groups:

Group 1 (2 eliminations)

Sara Kingdom

Bret Vyon

Delgado!Master

Morbius

Sutekh the Destroyer

Cessiar of Diplos

Duggan

Group 2 (2 eliminations)

Erato

Pangol of Argolis

Deedrix of Tigella

Soldeed of Skonnos

The Three who Rule

Varsh

Group 3 (2 eliminations)

Keara

Tylos

Tremas of Traken

Panna

Karuna

Aris

Group 4 (2 eliminations)

Richard Mace

Kamelion

King Yrcanos

Sabalom Glitz

The Kandyman

Karra

Group 5 (2 eliminations)

Adrien Wall

Alan Turing

B-Aaron

C'rizz

Captain Black

Captain Magenta

Carmen Yeh

Group 6 (2 eliminations)

Chris Cwej

Clarence the Angel

Compassion

Cousin Anastasia

Cousin Gustav

Cousin Intrepid

Cousin Justine

Group 7 (2 eliminations)

Cousin Octavia

D'eon

Death's Head

Eliza

Elspeth (Where Angels Fear)

Emilie Mars-Smith

Father Kreiner

Seeding Groups

Group 1

Susan Foreman

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

Vicki Pallister

Group 2

Steven Taylor

Dodo Chaplet

Ben Jackson

Polly Wright

Group 3

Jamie McCrimmon

Victoria Waterfield

Zoe Heriot

The Brigadier

Sergeant Benton

Group 4

Liz Shaw

Mike Yates

Jo Grant

Sarah-Jane Smith

Harry Sullivan

Group 5

Leela

K9

Romana I

Romana II

Group 6

Adric

Nyssa

Tegan Jovanka

Vislor Turlough

Group 7

Peri Brown

Mel Bush

Ace McShane

Chang Lee

Grace Holloway

[takeeachdayonebookatatime]

Why did you elbow me? 78

Out of breath

Kate: pov Lanie hand motions for me to come over towards her I know what it means. She wants me to take a few minute break so she can check on me ugh. Luckily there is a picnic table that we can sit at. The owner Dave is sitting at it, Lanie helps me out of my vest, Dave has an employee get me a water bottle. Lanie's medical bag is already on the table. I check the app on my phone that monitors my heart rate. I notice Ms Hass walking towards us, did she follow us? Lanie checks my pulse and blood pressure then pulls out a stethoscope and listens to my heart and lungs. Ms Hass starts talking about how I should stay away from her husband, and not hit him with the paintballs. I did not know she brought her husband with her, so I apologize to her. She just keeps going on, Is she talking about Castle because this lady sounds crazy. Lanie says everything is great and I can get back to the paintball game. It makes me so excited, plus I want to get away from this lady.

Lanie: pov it happens so fast I have no time to react while I'm putting my stuff back in my medical bag Ms Hass pulls out her paintball gun and shoots Kate a few times in the chest. Kate managed to use her arm to cover a few of the hits. The owner Dave immediately grabs Ms Hass and her paintball gun. I can tell Kate is freaking out, she is starting to hyperventilate, I tell Dave to announce over the loudspeaker that we had an incident between two players. Which he does, I'm trying to calm Kate down. I think this is turning into a PTSD episode. I hand the employee who just came with the water Kate's phone and ask him to keep an eye on her heart rate. Another employee is explaining to the players what happened.

Alexis: pov we hear over the loudspeaker that there was an incident between two players. Hmm I know Kate went with Lanie to take a break. Let's hope it's not a fight. The employee explains to everyone that Ms Hass walked up to captain Beckett and intentionally shot her in the chest with the paintball gun. Until further notice all paintball games are suspended. Everyone else at the paintball place looked mad that their game was ruined. The other people playing on other courses do not know how bad the situation actually is.

Kate: pov it happened so fast at first i did not realize what had happened. All I felt was pain, then I saw the red on my shirt which then freaked me out.

Lanie: pov Kate is totally out of it, she probably thinks she got shot and is having a bad flashback to it. I grab her hand to check her pulse, I tell her to breathe slowly. It's okay you were not shot, I can see the panic on her face. The owner Dave asks if she has PTSD. I tell him yes certain things are very triggering. Dave says he had it after the war. Tears are now running down her face, I can tell Kate is in severe pain and distress. An employee runs inside to get a few ice packs for Kate. The rest of our group has now arrived back to the picnic tables. I grab my stethoscope again and listen to her heart and lungs. Her breathing is fast and her heart rate is elevated. I also take her blood pressure. The employee Sara is now back with the ice packs.

Castle: pov A group is now starting to hover around Lanie and Kate. An employee named Ken mentioned the police and an ambulance is on the way. Ryan and Esposito mention they are the police, Ken says a report has to be filed for legal reasons they take this stuff seriously. I'm holding Kate's hand and talking to her. Lanie mentions that she needs to lift up Kate's shirt to check her chest area and put the ice packs on.

Kate: pov I can hear Lanie talking to me and feel Castle holding my hand, the pain is just too much for me. Everything is pounding inside of me, and it's getting harder to breathe.

Dave: pov DR parish starts to lift Kate's shirt so she can put some ice packs on her chest to stop it from swelling. That is when I see the angry red spots across her chest and on her arm from the paintballs.They look very swollen already. On her left side is a massive scar. Dr parish did say earlier that Kate had previous chest trauma from a shooting that massive scar must be from it.

Esposito: pov the cops and medics arrive around the same time. Since we did not witness it they were interviewing the staff. Lanie is telling the medics and the police officers what happened. Kate is so out of it and panicked, the medics are starting to freak her out even more. The medic is suggesting she might be in some type of shock. The female medic Connie is inserting an iv into Kate's arm, she is whimpering in pain. She is also checking her vitals.

Lanie: pov I explain to the medics that Kate was shot in the chest on the left side at a funeral by a sniper a few years ago causing her to flat line in the ambulance on the way to the hospital they had to use the paddles on her. I performed CPR the whole way to the trauma room. The bullet nicked her left inferior pulmonary vein causing Tension pneumothorax on her left side requiring a chest tube to be inserted. They did emergency thoracotomy surgery on her, to gain access to the area. The trauma Caused her pericardium to distend falling up with blood compressing her heart.The Bullet also grazed her left ventricle causing Kate to bleed into her heart causing a cardiac tampon. The cardiac surgeon Dr Kovacs had to cut some of her pericardial sac to let the blood out, the chest trauma resulted in her going into vfib which then caused her to go into cardiac arrest during the emergency surgery on her heart. They had to use the internal paddles twice and manual heart massages to get it starting again. To be continued……..

[afaimsblog]

Keine Überraschung im Film und eine Überraschung im Fernsehen - Vom Oscar und einer geretteten Serienstaffel

Wie es zu befürchten war, war die diesjährige Oscar-Verleihung so enttäuschend, dass man sie sich gleich hätte sparen können. Dass überhaupt irgendein anderer Film als "Oppenheimer" mit einer goldene Statue nach Hause gegangen ist, liegt im Grunde nur daran, dass sie "Oppenheimer" nicht in allen Kategorien nominieren konnten und ein-, zweimal jemand anderen den Oscar zugeschoben haben, damit es nicht so auffällig ist, dass die Elite von Hollywood der klaren Meinung ist, dass im letzten Jahr nur ein guter Film in die Kinos kam, und das eben "Oppenheimer" war. "Poor Things" ist der einzig andere Film, dessen Macher etwas davon hatten zur Verleihung zu gehen, alle anderen wurden eher enttäuscht als belohnt. Der Hass auf alles, was mit Superhelden zu tun hat, wurde einmal mehr zementiert, indem nicht nur Godzilla die Guardians besiegt hat, sondern auch Studio Ghibli der Vorzug vor "Across the Spiderverse" gegeben wurde. Jetzt kann man natürlich sagen, dass Animation Geschmackssache ist, aber bei allem Respekt vor Studio Ghibli und deren konstante Leistung, die Animation die in "Across the Spidervese" gesteckt wurde ist doch eine ganz andere Stufe als jene, die "The Boy and the Heron" zum Leben erweckt hat. "Barbie" wurde übrigens auch in beinahe jeder Kategorie übergangen, bis auf den Song, und der Sieg dort ging eigentlich an Billie Eilish und nicht den "Barbie"-Film.

Highlight beschränkten sich dieses Jahr auf kurze Momente dazwischen. Und zwar genau drei: Erstens war die Live Preformance von "I am just Ken" das absolute Highlight des Abends, trotz spür - und hörbarer Nervosität von Ryan Gosling, und hatte einen Special Guest Star zu bieten, der neben allen Kens und den entsprechenden Damen des Filmes Partizipant des Auftritts sein durfte. Zweitens durfte Michael Keaton ein letztes Mal Batman sein, als er in dieser Funktion von ehemaligen Penguin und Mr. Freeze Danny DeVito und Arnold Schwarzenegger (der ja genau genommen gegen George Clooney und nicht Michael Keaton angetreten ist, aber bitte) "erkannt" wurde. Und Drittens war John Cena so nackt wie möglich auf der Bühne um einen historischen Oscar-Flitzer zu gedenken. Allen drei Momenten ist gemeinsam, dass sie von dem Charisma und der rührenden Ernsthaftigkeit der Beteiligten leben und im Grunde nichts mit dem Oscar an sich zu tun haben. Was mich wie jedes Jahr erneut anregen lässt, dass doch bitte der verstaubte versnobbte überholte männlich-weiß dominierte überschätzteste Filmpreis der Welt endlich abgeschafft und durch irgendetwas anderes ersetzt werden sollte, bei dem endlich mal zur Abwechlsung tatäschliche Leistungen honoriert werden könnten. Doch das wird natürlich nie passieren.

Der Oscar hat verwechselte Kuverts, eine Pandemie, Ohrfeigen und diverse (wahre) Vorwürfe über die Politik hinter Nominierung und Vergabe überlebt, wir werden ihn niemals los werden, weil im Grunde alle den einen Filmpreis haben wollen, der von weißen männlichen US-Amerikanern für weiße männliche US-Amerikaner erfunden wurde und von der Möglichkeit auf das Ergebnis zu wetten lebt und von nichts anderem. Und weil jeder, der nicht diesem Schema entspricht und dann doch mal einen Award für irgendwas bekommt nachher das Gefühl hat wirklich etwas geleistet zu haben, weil er von der herrschende Elite anerkannt wurde. Also nein, es wird so langweilig und unbedeutend wie dieses Jahr über Jahrzehnte hinweg weitergehen, und alle werden damit zufrieden sein, weil es ja genau da ist, was sie wollen: Eine Unterstützung der herrschende Elite, die sein muss, damit sich ja nichts am Status Quo ändert.

Während wir nun langsam aber sicher in die Periode von 2024 kommen, in der es dann auffallen wird, dass es weniger Filme gibt, als es geben sollte, gibt es fernsehtechnisch endlich neuen Stoff für uns. Die Networks können endlich mit ihren aktuellen Seasons beginnen, und das, was lange währt, doch noch gut werden kann, zeigt, dass die 4. Staffel von "Snowpiercer" nun nach über einem Jahr [!] doch noch ein neues Zuhause gefunden hat und zwar bei AMC. Die werden diese finale Staffel der Serie zwar erst 2025 zeigen (bis dahin sind wir vermutlich alle tot, aber na ja man kann nicht alles haben, schätze ich), aber immerhin werden sie sie zeigen. Ob die Staffel dann bei uns auf Netflix, woanders, oder gar nicht zu sehen sein wird, wird die Zeit zeigen, aber zumindest illegal streamen könnte man sie dann endlich weltweit. Dass die Folgen nach über einem Jahr endlich eine neues Zuhause gefunden haben, ist insofern ein gutes Zeichen, da das zeigt, dass nicht alles, was Warner verschwinden lassen will, wirklich verschwinden muss. Natürlich haben wir es hier mit etwas zu tun, was bereits fertig gedreht war, als beschlossen wurde, dass es niemand zeigen wird. Noch nicht gedrehte Enden für Serien wie "This Flag means Death" oder "Legends of Tomorrow" wird es dadurch nicht auf magische Weise geben (sondern niemals, damit müssen wir uns abfinden). Aber immerhin gibt es Hoffnung für die nie gezeigten Episoden von "The Nevers" und ähnlichen Serienprojekten.

2024 mag in jeder Hinsicht ein Entertainment-dünnes Jahr sein, was die Einseitigkeit der Oscar-Verleihung deutlich unterstrichen hat, doch zumindest verspricht man uns eine bessere Zukunft für 2025. Die kann natürlich von vielem verhindert werden, doch die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt. Also sollte man manchmal vielleicht doch wagen zu hoffen. Manches ändert sich dann vielleicht ja doch.

[fuojbe-beowgi]

"Xi Jinping May Be Souring on His ‘Best, Most Intimate Friend’" by Ryan Hass via NYT Opinion https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/06/opinion/xi-putin-relationship-china.html?partner=IFTTT

[mariacallous]

Ideologues prefer to understand the U.S.-China relationship as a contest between good versus evil. They take comfort in clean divisions between democracies versus autocracies. They like parallels between the current U.S.-China great power contest and the U.S.-Soviet Union Cold War. The United States triumphed over the Soviets in the Cold War, after all, so why not repeat the cycle again now with China, they ask.

To be clear, there is much to find reprehensible about the Chinese government’s gross human rights abuses at home and its growing assertiveness abroad. Even so, outrage is an ineffective emotion for advancing strategic objectives. Distilling the relationship down to a morality play between good versus evil does not bring solutions to challenges posed by China’s actions and ambitions within closer reach. Similarly, invoking Cold War analogies misdiagnoses the nature of the U.S.-China relationship and creates a false hope that the United States has the capacity to compel the collapse of China. After all, the Soviet Union was a military power with an anemic economy. China, by contrast, is both a military power and a global economic power who is determined not to repeat Moscow’s mistakes.    

Any American attempt to treat China as its existential enemy (a la the Soviet Union during the Cold War) would isolate the United States from its friends and allies, none of whom have any enthusiasm for joining an anti-China containment coalition. If the United States travels down a new Cold War path on its own, it will struggle to resist the temptation to view its relationships with partners through the prism of great power competition. Countries will come to be seen as either with the United States in seeking to undermine China’s rise or against us by resisting such requests. And if the United States seeks to silo the global economy into an American-led order versus an authoritarian-led economic system, it will undermine its own strength and expose the limits of its appeal. Not even America’s closest partners in Europe or Asia would sign up for a role in erecting such a global economic partition.

Meanwhile, China certainly is advancing efforts to increase its self-reliance and reduce vulnerabilities to outside pressure. Trade data does not support arguments that China is seeking to bifurcate the global economy, though. Over 150 countries view China as their largest trading partner, making China the world’s largest trading power. Even as Beijing pursues more statist economic policies at home, it continues to look for opportunities to gain leverage by locking in other countries’ dependence upon China for future economic growth.  

Looking beyond ideological caricatures to evaluate the deeper structures of the U.S.-China relationship requires analysts to hold two competing thoughts in their head at once. The first is a recognition that the bilateral relationship is deeply competitive. There are near-daily reminders of this reality, from images of Chinese spy balloons penetrating American airspace to news of near collisions between U.S. and Chinese military planes in international airspace over the South China Sea. Both countries also are battling each other to dominate the frontiers of innovation in technological fields that will define the coming century, such as quantum computing, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and clean energy.

At the same time, the U.S.-China relationship also is deeply and inescapably interdependent. In spite of mounting bilateral tensions and growing calls in the United States for “decoupling” from China’s economy, bilateral trade in goods hit a record in 2022, nearing $700 billion. Similarly, by virtue of their positions as the world’s two most powerful countries, the United States and China also face planetary interdependence. From climate change to the global economy and pandemics, they both are harmed or helped by their (in)ability to pool capabilities to confront shared threats.

The sooner leaders in Washington and Beijing embrace the framework of competitive interdependence for understanding the nature of U.S.-China relations, the better they will be able to compete without resort to conflict. The framework pushes both sides to coexist within a heightened state of competition, not out of amity but rather a sober recognition of the parameters within which the relationship operates. The hard truth is that neither the United States nor China would be able to achieve their national ambitions if they end up in conflict with each other.

Ultimately, the goal of strategy is to minimize risks and maximize benefits. The current trajectory of U.S.-China relations is moving in the opposite direction. Risks of conflict are rising, while benefits from the relationship for American and Chinese citizens are receding.

A different path for the relationship is available. Realizing it would require leaders in Washington and Beijing to take a long-term view of their national requirements and how the U.S.-China relationship relates to them. It would require a degree of strategic maturity that has been in short supply in recent years. It also would require shared buy-in from leaders in both countries to view their interests as best served by a competitive coexistence, where the goal is to outperform the other on a level playing field, rather than focusing on hindering the other’s progress to protect one’s own gains. Each side will run its own race. The goal is to run your own race better.

There is no guarantee that one or both leaders will embrace the framework of competitive interdependence for understanding the nature of the relationship, either now or in the future. There are significant risks in choosing not to do so, however. The current downward trajectory of the relationship, if not arrested, will continue to generate sharp incidents of growing intensity. Expecting that U.S. and Chinese leaders would manage all such future incidents wisely and calmly requires the triumph of hope over reason.

The stakes of the U.S.-China relationship now are too high for flimsy ideological arguments about America triumphing over China. What is needed now is clear-eyed, evidence-based, interest-driven thinking about how the world’s two most powerful countries can compete without resort to conflict, both now and in the future.

[osamu-jinguji]

My favorite books in Feb-2023 - #10 Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence – March 9, 2021 by Ryan Hass (Author) An examination of how America can strengthen its approach to China by building on its existing advantages “This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how the United States can renew its advantages in its competition with China.”—Ambassador Susan E. Rice, former U.S. National Security Advisor “Ryan Hass has provided an indispensable and timely contribution to understanding our critical path forward with China.”—Jon M. Huntsman, former U.S. Ambassador to China and Russia Ryan Hass charts a path forward in America’s relationship and rivalry with China, a path rooted in the relative advantages America already possesses. Hass argues that while competition will remain the defining trait of the relationship, both countries will continue to be impacted—for good or ill—by their capacity to coordinate on common challenges that neither can solve on its own, such as pandemic disease, global economic development, climate change, and nuclear nonproliferation. Hass makes the case that the United States will have greater success in outpacing China economically and outshining it in questions of governance if it focuses more on improving its condition at home than on trying to impede Chinese initiatives. He argues that the task at hand is not to stand in China’s way and, in the process, turn a rising power into an enemy but to renew America’s advantages in its competition with China.

[xtruss]

Biden Admin May Regret Shunning China’s FM as Ambassador! Shut Him Out For 500 Days When He Was "Just" an Ambassador

— January 05, 2023 | Politico | By Phelim Kine | Anti-Empire

The Biden administration shut out outgoing Chinese ambassador Qin Gang for much of his more than 500-day tenure in Washington, D.C. But that all changed last week when Chinese leader Xi Jinping appointed Qin as the country’s new foreign minister 😂😂😂, creating a headache for the administration at a time of high tension between Washington and Beijing. The problems will be front and center in the coming weeks when Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China as the countries clash over trade, Chinese military intimidation of Taiwan and access to technology.

“I think that there are probably those within the administration that feel chagrined that they did not extend the courtesies [to Qin] that normally would be extended to an ambassador,” said Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council.

Qin didn’t get all of the meetings he requested with senior administration officials over the past 17 months, although the administration did relax its restrictions on Qin’s access in the run-up to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial trip to Taiwan in August. But he returns to Beijing this week to helm China’s foreign ministry stung by failed efforts to connect with the Biden administration.

Qin’s promotion confirms he has Xi’s trust, something the president signaled in October by appointing Qin to the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. Qin replaced Wang Yi, whom Xi appointed to lead the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission last week. Beijing will name Qin’s successor “after completing due procedures,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

Months after arriving in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, Qin was limited to meetings with just a handful of U.S. officials, according to two people with knowledge of the interactions. That narrow access came despite repeated requests to meet with more senior administration officials, said those people, who were granted anonymity to share private conversations.

The White House rejects this characterization. “Senior White House officials — along with senior officials from across the administration — have engaged regularly with Ambassador Qin since his arrival in Washington,” spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a written statement. The statement included a list of eight senior officials, including Blinken, Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who had met with Qin while he was ambassador.

The Chinese embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment regarding Qin’s access to U.S. officials during his tenure.

Qin responded to the restrictions on high-level access by relying on lower-level interactions with other foreign ambassadors and state and municipal-level officials. He even hung out with the NBA’s Washington Wizards.

That experience may work to his advantage as foreign minister. Qin’s “broad exposure to the United States outside the Beltway … will give him an appreciation of the broader forces informing America’s foreign policy,” said Ryan Hass, former director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the National Security Council.

If Qin resented his treatment in Washington, his farewell messages didn’t show it. He expressed “sincere gratitude” for the “great support and assistance from all sectors of the American people” in a tweet thread published on Monday.

The test of Qin’s sincerity will be his management of Blinken’s trip to China. “Our understanding is that Secretary Blinken will be traveling to Beijing in February right after the Chinese New Year,” said USCBC president Allen. If Qin is still nursing a bruised ego — and if the visit occurs after a promised trip to Taiwan by GOP leader Kevin McCarthy — Blinken may hit a diplomatic brick wall in Beijing.

Blinken has yet to release an agenda for that trip. But he’ll need Qin’s help to address a growing list of issues including counternarcotics cooperation and China’s growing nuclear weapons arsenal. Qin has signaled such cooperation is possible. In a tweet published on Sunday, Qin thanked Blinken for “constructive meetings” and said he looks forward to “continuing close relations” with Blinken.

Blinken marked Qin’s promotion with a tweet that confirmed the two men discussed “maintaining opening lines of communication” in a farewell phone conversation on Sunday. Blinken “expects to continue a productive working relationship with Foreign Minister Qin in his new role,” a State Department spokesperson unauthorized to speak on the record told POLITICO in a statement.

Qin’s history of bare-knuckled pushback of foreign criticism of China may have worked against his success in D.C. In his public debut in September 2021, he reinforced his reputation as a prickly avatar of Chinese diplomacy with a speech that excoriated U.S. “wrong beliefs” and cautioned against violating Beijing’s “red line” of core interests in areas including the South China Sea, Taiwan and Xinjiang. He spiked those comments with an ominous reference to China’s nuclear weapons capability and warned of “disastrous consequences” if the U.S. seeks to suppress China using a “Cold War playbook.”

Time didn’t dull those sharp edges. A year later, Qin used a near-90-minute press briefing to decry perceived U.S. transgressions against Chinese sovereignty. He also expressed frustration that his best efforts to engage with the Biden administration had failed to prevent Pelosi’s Taiwan trip. But the structure of China’s diplomatic corps may limit Qin’s influence on bilateral relations.

[reportwire]

US-China ties ‘stable’, but no end in sight to rivalry: analysts

US-China ties ‘stable’, but no end in sight to rivalry: analysts

The United States and China seem to have retreated into a state of “mutually tolerable friction” but opposing positions on Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea could turn the tide, regional observers said at a forum in Singapore on Thursday.Ryan Hass, senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings think tank, said US-China ties had “stabilised” since US President Joe Biden took office last…

[dontpaintwonderfulliesonme]

I just have a soft spot for boys with brown hair and an amazing fashion choice.

[hayatiente]

[smarmybouquet]

If you look like this don’t talk to me, unless you are BJ Novak or anyone who is nice, and good to people, and doesn’t manipulate you or ghost you because you still don’t know the reason (they’ll claim is was an acid trip gone wrong but that timeline doesn’t add up) so yeah if you are a good person and look like this hit me up 🤙 if you suck and look like this you are god awful and make me want to rip my eyes out every time I see you :)

[artisticlegshake]

1st: Brianna Keingatti- ‘Mine’

2nd: Kiarra Waidelich- ‘Exist Without Breath’

3rd: Ava Wagner- ‘I Don’t Trust You Anymore’

3rd: Michelle Cheng- ‘Sinking’

3rd: Cydney Heard- ‘Vast and Unattainable’

4th: Tristan Ianiero- ‘Don’t

4th: Anna Miller- ‘Ode to Dance’

5th: Julia Lowe- ‘Ripples In the Sand’

6th: Holden Kunowski- ‘Slow, Slow’

7th: Sofia Benning- ‘Hurt’

7th: Grace Gontarek- ‘To Resist Conformity’

8th: Kaliyah Williams- ‘Be My Husband’

8th: Brooke Judge- ‘Forever Seeking’

8th: Mercedes Lorentz- ‘Human Frequency’

8th: Ava Geske- ‘I’m Home’

8th: Ellie Weimer- ‘In This Room’

8th: Ryan Evans- ‘Mi Mundo’

8th: Sydney Ishaug- ‘My Performance’

8th: Sara Allen- ‘Vienna’

9th: Kennedy Barry- ‘Bloodline’

9th: Emma Hellenkamp- ‘Empty Promise’

9th: Bella Mills- ‘Oh Me, Oh Life’

9th: Emily Fluker- ‘Time After Time’

9th: Courtney Chiu- ‘We Fall’

10th: Mady Justin- ‘Easy Does It’

10th: Victoria Paggiossi- ‘Routine Unisil’

10th: Adare Hass- ‘Sleep’

THANKS!!!

[twins2994]

Tigers Best Twins 17-14.

Tigers 17 Twins 14 W-Holland (2-2) L-Happ (5-6) 

The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers have played some weird games at Target Field lately. Today’s game was even weirder in the finale between the two clubs. It all started in the second inning when Willi Castro lined a one-out single to center. Harold Castro singled to right and Grayson Greiner hit a run-scoring single to left. Later in the inning, Derek Hill hit an RBI single to first and the Tigers took a two-run lead after two innings. The Tigers got back to work in the fourth with eight runs on six hits. The Twins bats got hot in the fourth as Miguel Sano blasted a Wily Peralta fastball out to center for a solo homer. The next three batters singled and Ryan Jeffers blasted a Peralta fastball out to center for a grand slam. This pulled the Twin within four after four frames. The Tigers got back to work in the sixth when the first two batters singled. Zack Short doubled home a run and Willi Castro hit a sac fly to plate another run. Grayson Greiner doubled home one more run and the Tigers had a 13-6 lead after six innings of play. The Twins bats got back to work in the eighth. Max Kepler led-off and crushed a Buck Farmer offering out to right for a solo homer. Brent Rooker smacked a change-up out to left for a solo blast and the Twins kept inching closer. Jorge Polanco walked and Miguel Sano smoked a Joe Jimenez fastball out to left for a two-run homer. Willians Astudillo doubled and Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run homer out to left. The Twins pulled within a run after eight innings of play. The Tigers added some insurance runs in the ninth as Grayson Greiner walked and Derek Hill singled. Robbie Grossman walked to load up the bases and Eric Hasse unloaded the bases with a triple to center. Jeimer Candelario doubled him home to put the Tigers up 17-12. The Twins wouldn’t give up in the ninth. Brent Rooker led-off with a walk and Jorge Polanco took Gregory Soto deep. The Twins were within three runs, but Soto retired the next three batters to end the game. The Tigers took two out of three games in a wild series at Target Field. 

-Final Thoughts- JA Happ got roughed up today. He went three innings and allowed nine runs on ten hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Beau Burrows gave up four more runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout. Juan Minaya gave up four runs over three innings of work. Miguel Sano and Willians Astudillo had three hits each. Brent Rooker, Jorge Polanco, Nick Gordon, and Ryan Jeffers had two hits all. The Twins hit 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. The Twins are the first team to out-homer their opponent 7-0 and still lose a game. The Twins will have tomorrow off before heading to St. Louis. Jose Berrios will face Wade LeBlanc on Friday night at Busch Stadium. 

-Chris Kreibich-