"'[China sees] Trump's alienation of American allies, his kind of obsession with trade numbers, and ignorance of broader economic... and new technology issues, his vulnerability to flattery, and so on,' the former Obama administration official said. 'You know, they see that as creating an unparalleled opportunity, and admittedly that price they have paid is a lot of headaches—a lot of tariffs, a lot of economic pressure and so on.' "'If Trump goes ahead with retaliatory moves, 'Xi Jinping will be absolutely [...]

"The weeks of rumors showed how 'unprepared' the outside world remains 'for a potential political crisis caused by something like the sudden, unexpected death of the dictator in a country bristling with dozens of nuclear weapons,' said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. "'We got a glimpse of the danger of loose nukes and worse if the death of Kim Jong-un had unleashed a destabilizing power struggle' in the North, where Mr. Kim had no designated adult [...]

"The former top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, said the pieces of the puzzle of Kim’s disappearance would take time to assemble. "They rumours had, however, served to focus attention on North Korea’s succession plan, which 'in a monarchical and cult-like dictatorship is filled with risk, and the absence of a designated adult heir compounds that risk many times over,' he said..." Read the full article here: Full Article

"'There is really nobody who does not want to see China held to account for the political coverup attempt, which slowed down international awareness and allowed the virus to spread. There is a resentment around the world,' said Danny Russel, an Obama-era State Department official in charge Asia Pacific policy. 'But I think you would be hard pressed to find a political leader in Asia or Europe who does not believe this anti-China push by the Trump administration is an entirely [...]