North Korea, Newsbud, and China Watch

Readers of China Matters may have noticed there hasn’t been too much to read lately.  That’s because since  the beginning of the year I’ve been doing a weekly video reports for Newsbud, an online indy media outfit run by Sibel Edmonds.

It started with China Watch, a weekly newsprogram that covers key China-related international affairs.  It’s quite good, if I do say so myself, thanks in large part to the skilled and enthusiastic efforts of the Newsbud production team.

China Watch can be viewed on the Newsbud website, and also on Youtube.  For free.

Here’s my two most recent episodes of China Watch.

This one is, in my biased opinion, the best objective take on the US strategy for North Korea currently available.   FP practitioners—who were largely blackballed from the Trump administration for signing those “Trump is unfit to be president” public letters—and their media friends appear unwilling to take an objective and informed look at Trump’s Korea play. It’s not a Trump in his bathrobe yelling at clouds; there’s a legitimate effort with a good amount of institutional buy-in, albeit none from Obama era pivoteers, who are embarrassingly avid to see the initiative fail. 

If Trump gets a win, he not only gets to vaunt over the Obama administration and its failed “strategic patience” policy; the idea that genuine US interests cannot be promoted through “transactional diplomacy” also takes a knock.  

So I’ve got the NK policy corner pretty much to myself.  And you can join the fun by watching my vid!

My current video follows up on developments in North Korea, Admiral Harry Harris, and the current international man of mystery, Miles Kwok.  All good stuff, as I think you’ll see when you watch the video.

In addition, for Newsbud community members, i.e. people behind the paywall, I’m now doing a second weekly feature covering backstory and context on Asian stories.  It’s called Asia Brief, and it focuses on formative events and key history in Asian affairs, like my reporting on the notorious failure of the George W. Bush administration to execute a financial sanctions strategy on North Korea in 2006-7.

Between China Watch and Asia Brief, I’ve basically tripled my workload so I haven’t had that much time and fresh material to put on China Matters or write up for outlets like Asia Times.  Sorry! 

However, I’m keeping China Matters active because I try to write for it as much as I can and, who knows, maybe text will become king again.

Newsbud needs subscribers and supporters for its current kickstarter campaign.  So, if you appreciate my work and you’ve always said to yourself, gosh, China Hand has never asked for support & I’ve always felt guilty reading his stuff for free for ten years, now’s your chance to make amends!

Here’s a link to the Newsbud subscriber page.  By joining Newsbud, you get not just me but access to an entire stable of knowledgable and personable analysts like Filip Kovacevich, Kurt Nimmo, and John Whitehead dishing out indy news in professional-quality video.

Also, the kickstarter, which is to support expansion of news operations to build the subscriber base.  Newsbud doesn’t run ads or solicit institutional support or investment and is making a go of it as a community-based subscriber-supported outfit.  

Please support it.  Thanks!

And whatever you do, please watch the videos.  I love the clicks!