Read Part 1 of this series here.

Why is the U.S. refusing to call a halt to the Ukraine madness? Why can’t an era of “Peaceful Coexistence” in Europe and the world be declared or at least sought? How about détente with Russia? With Russia and China? What is wrong with that?

We’ll start peeling the onion by looking at the U.S. military-industrial complex.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Wednesday that the purpose of recent large-scale Chinese military drills around Taiwan is to “combat the arrogance” of Taiwan “separatists,” referring to recent actions by Taipei to boost ties with the US and other Western countries.

“The purpose is to resolutely combat the arrogance of Taiwan independence separatist forces and their actions to seek independence,” said Taiwan Affairs spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian.

Georgia Congressman Austin Scott gives his reaction to breaking news released today by the House Ways and Means Committee that James Biden, the brother of President Joe Biden told the FBI last year that the Biden family, including himself and Hunter Biden unsuccessfully tried to help a Chinese company buy U.S. energy assets that included a liquid natural gas port in Louisiana also admitting to the FBI that the family believed that this Chinese company was directly tied to the Communist Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The American soldier who fled into North Korea two months ago is in US custody on a plane that has departed Chinese airspace, a senior Biden administration official told DailyMail.com.

Army Private Travis King, 23, was transferred to US custody in China on Wednesday, and is being flown to an undisclosed US military base, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss King's status. 

The Philippines is taking steps to retake Scarborough Shoal, a disputed chain of rocks and reefs in the South China Sea that has been effectively controlled by China since 2012.

“Since the new administration took office, we have already strategized how we can take control once again of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), especially the lagoon,” Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

Hong Kong increased its gold imports from Russia by more than five times year-on-year to $746 million in July, and by 1.5 times month-on-month, according to data from Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department analyzed by Sputnik.

The data also showed that since the beginning of 2023, Hong Kong has purchased $2.6 billion worth of gold, which is 12 times higher than last year's figure of $218 million.

The House Oversight Committee shared with Fox News Digital that Hunter Biden received $250,000 in wire transfers from the CEO of BHR Partners CEO Johnathan Li.

The address listed on the transfer as the beneficiary address was the primary Delaware residence of Joe Biden.

“BREAKING: Hunter Biden received wires originating in Beijing for over $250,000 from Chinese business partners during the summer of 2019 that listed the Delaware home of Joe Biden as the beneficiary address”

Beijing warned Manila on Tuesday not to "stir up trouble" after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipino fishermen from the area.

Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea has long been a source of tension between the countries. China seized the ring of reefs from the Philippines in 2012 and has since deployed patrol boats.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer on Tuesday revealed Hunter Biden received two bank wires from China and Joe Biden was listed as the beneficiary address for both wire transfers.

“The first wire sent to Hunter Biden, dated July 26, 2019, was for $10,000 from an individual named Ms. Wang Xin. There is a Ms. Wang Xin listed on the website for BHR Partners. It is unclear if the wire came from that Wang Xin,” according to Fox News.

The Taliban are creating a massive CCTV network covering Afghan cities, which could repurpose a plan drawn up by the Americans before their withdrawal in 2021, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Reuters, as authorities try to replenish thousands of cameras which have already been set up in the capital Kabul. .