China’s first landing of a plane on one of its new island runways in the South China Sea shows Beijing’s facilities in the disputed region are being completed on schedule and military flights will inevitably follow. Increasing military presence could effectively lead to a Beijing-controlled air defense zone. Source: Reuters
HSBC Holdings PLC plans to add more than a 1,000 jobs this year at its technology development centers in China, as the Asia-focused lender seeks to bolster its presence in the world’s second largest economy. Source: Reuters
Israeli security officials met recently with the U.S. counterparts to discuss the recent escalation between Washington and Tehran and shared sensitive intelligence on Iran, a report on the news site Independent Arabia claimed on Sunday. According to the report, the Israeli delegation told the American officials that in the case of a full-fledged confrontation between Iran and the United States, Jerusalem would not play an active role and would only join the fighting if it was attacked by Iran or its proxies. Source: Israelhayom
Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday that he believes Iran is behind recent attacks on pipelines and ships around the Middle East, and warned that Tehran should expect “an overwhelming military response” if it harms “American personnel and interests” in the region. Source: Politico
