New York Times Op-Ed: China, Japan, America (Paul Krugman)
If discussion of Chinese currency policy seems confusing, it’s only because many people don’t want to face up to the stark, simple reality — namely, that China is deliberately keeping its currency artificially weak.

New York Times: China Explores a Frontier 2 Miles Deep 
When three Chinese scientists plunged to the bottom of the South China Sea in a tiny submarine early this summer, they did more than simply plant their nation’s flag on the dark seabed. The men, who descended more than two miles in a craft the size of a small truck, also signaled Beijing’s intention to take the lead in exploring remote and inaccessible parts of the ocean floor, which are rich in oil, minerals and other resources that the Chinese would like to mine. And many of those resources happen to lie in areas where China has clashed repeatedly with its neighbors over territorial claims.

Defense News: Japan Defense Paper Highlights China's Growing Military Reach 
Japan voiced concern over China's growing military muscle in a defense paper Sept. 10, as a right with Beijing continued over the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain in disputed waters.  In its annual Defense of Japan report, Tokyo pointed to increased Chinese naval activities near its shores, including tense incidents this year in which Chinese helicopters staged close fly-bys of Japanese warships.

Defense Tech: The Asia-Pacific Submarine Buildup; Do They Know Something We Don’t? 
Naval strategist and historian Geoffrey Till, whose recent paper on the balance of naval power in Asia we linked to last week, notices a significant boost in Asia-Pacific submarine builds and buys. Total submarine numbers are expected to increase markedly over the next two decades in Asia-Pacific waters, particularly among smaller powers where small and stealthy submarines are seen as a “force equalizer,” he writes.

New York Times: China Moves to Ease Strain with U.S. 
Top Chinese officials are calling for quiet discussions instead of open friction with the United States, after a summer marked by bilateral disagreements over the value of China’s currency, American military exercises off the Korean Peninsula and American efforts to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Washington Post: As China finds bigger place in world affairs, its wealth breeds hostility 
In a spasm of violence this spring, an angry mob toppled the Kyrgyzstan president, torched his office and ransacked other buildings associated with his hated authoritarian regime. The crowd then turned on a less obvious target: a popular Chinese-owned shopping mall stuffed with cheap clothes and electronics from China.

Defense Tech: Chinese Media Calls For Carrier Killing Missile, Other Weapons 
China not only must develop an anti-ship ballistic missile but it should develop a range of carrier killing weapons to protect the country’s strategic interests, says an editorial in China’s Global Times. The Naval War College’s Andrew Erickson writes that while the Global Times is not an official government mouthpiece, it is sponsored by and produced by the People’s Daily, which is the official community party paper.

Defense News: Chinese Puzzle 
It took at least six separate sets of maneuvers over nine weeks for Chinese satellite controllers to coax a satellite about the size of a household refrigerator into position beside a slightly smaller spacecraft.  The slow-motion ballet performed 375 miles above the Earth began June 12, when the larger satellite, called SJ-12, began methodically creeping closer and closer to the smaller satellite, SJ-06F. Finally, on Aug. 16, the satellites were flying in tandem. SJ-12 may even have nudged 06F, causing a slight change in the smaller satellite's orbit.

This chart shows an alarming truth – nearly half of our public debt is owned by foreign nations, like China.

I believe this is wrong. That’s why I have not only voted against all of the bailouts and stimulus packages that have added to our skyrocketing debt, but also cosponsored the Cap the DEBT Act. The premise of this commonsense bill is a simple – require a two-thirds vote by the House and the Senate to raise the debt ceiling. You can read more about it in this post.

Days after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince Haiti, we are still learning the full extent of the devastating situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and with those who have relatives or loved ones in Haiti.  

The United States is joining with others across the globe to offer civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian and medical assistance to the people of Haiti and others in the region who have been impacted by the devastating situation. The following sites will provide you with important information on relief efforts in Haiti: 

Relief Efforts 

The following agencies and organizations are organizing relief efforts to support the people of Haiti. For more information, visit the Haiti relief web pages on the following sites: 

U.S. State Department
American Red Cross 
Center for International Disaster Information 
InterAction 
USAID 

U.S. Citizens in Haiti 

U.S. citizens are urged to contact the Embassy via email at ACSPaP@state.gov to request assistance.  U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy's Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.  The U.S. State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency. 

If you are seeking information about family members in Haiti, please call the U.S. State Department at 1-888-407-4747 or email haiti-earthquake@state.gov. 

FBI Fraud Alert 

Unfortunately, with an increase in need for charitable contributions comes an increase in scams. Before making a donation of any kind, the FBI has noted that consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following: 

• Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.  
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.  
• Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.  
• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.  
• Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.  
• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Banner photo credit: M. Dormino