A U.S. underwater drone seized by a Chinese warship in the South China Sea has just been returned to the United States by China.
President-elect Donald Trump angered China when he spoke to the president of Taiwan after his election. Trump indicated he might scrap the "one-China" policy the United States has pursued since the Nixon administration.
Cuba
In March, Obama made a historic visit to Cuba, the first by a U.S. president since 1928. Obama and Cuban president Raul Castro forged a pact in December 2015 to work toward normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. They have concluded bilateral agreements connecting the two countries by direct telephone service, postal service and commercial air travel. The U.S. State Department removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
"American patients are getting access to a lifesaving Cuban lung cancer vaccine, Cubans are getting greater access to the internet, and Cuban entrepreneurs are getting greater access to U.S. travelers," observed Sarah Stephens of the Center for Democracy in the Americas.
Iran
Obama certified Iran's compliance with its initial obligations under the nuclear deal and the corresponding lifting and/or waiver of international sanctions on Iran. Additionally, Iran released five Americans detained in Iran and the U.S. and Iran settled a long-standing financial dispute.
Looking Ahead
Phyllis Bennis has proposed "a massive reduction of the military budget," slated at $619 billion this year. The U.S. must also "demand to replace the so-called global War on Terror with nonmilitary solutions," since "killing people simply creates more terrorists." And we must "broaden efforts to end the U.S. support " military, economic and diplomatic " for Israeli occupation and apartheid."
Trump may oppose the perilous movement toward war with Russia, but his provocation of China and hints that he may abandon the US's long-standing "one-China" policy pose serious dangers.
Trump's threat to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would undermine any hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The president-elect has promised to "destroy ISIS," but has given no details about how to accomplish that goal. He opposes the Iran nuclear deal, although the United States and Iran are not the only parties to that agreement. Trump favors expanding U.S. nuclear capability until the "world comes to its senses." He pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexico border to keep out immigrants he has called "criminals" and rapists." And he continues to reiterate his pledge to ban Muslims from the United States and build a Muslim "registry."
Original published in Truthout(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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