International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
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news
Trump Asks Reporter If She’s Working for Chinese Government After Pro-Beijing Questions
President Donald Trump pressed a reporter on Monday about whether she was working for the Chinese government after she asked a question about medical supplies that Beijing has provided the United States. The reporter, who said she was with Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong-based outlet sympathetic to Beijing, began her question by noting that the… -
opinion
When America Gets Coronavirus Under Control, Africa Will Need Our Help
We know too little about the new coronavirus to say how it will progress in Africa, but we know enough to realize it is likely to pummel the continent. As of April 6, Johns Hopkins University reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 51 of Africa’s 54 countries, with a total of over 9,400 cases. The… -
opinion
Advancing Economic Freedom: Key to Africa’s Future
During his first trip to Africa as secretary of state earlier this year, Mike Pompeo highlighted the importance of economic freedom. In his speech entitled “Liberating Africa’s Entrepreneurs,” Pompeo said: We want basic security for our families. We want opportunity and reward for the hard work that we invest in. And we want the freedom… -
opinion
Decreasing US-China Trade Is Worrisome
It’s sometimes said that China is the world’s manufacturer, but the U.S. is the world’s consumer. When there’s less trade happening between these two giants, it’s not good for either one. Neither are the tariffs on that trade. It’s been a little over two months since China began shutting down its domestic economic activity (restricting travel,… -
news
‘Subservience to Beijing’: Marco Rubio Says WHO Needs to Be ‘Held to Account’
The leaders of the World Health Organization need to be “held to account” for their “subservience to Beijing” during the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in an op-ed Wednesday. WHO, an arm of the United Nations, has provided cover for Chinese authorities as they attempt to shirk responsibility for the global coronavirus pandemic…. -
news
Chinese Journalists Keep Disappearing. This Congressman Wants Answers.
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., has sent a letter to the U.S. State Department requesting an investigation into the disappearances of three Chinese journalists who challenged the communist regime’s narrative in the coronavirus’ early stages. “All three of these men understood the personal risk associated with independently reporting on coronavirus in China, but they did it… -
opinion
For the Chinese, Political Warfare Is War by Other Means
Even amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, China’s efforts at political warfare remain in full swing. China assiduously tries to shape the world’s view of COVID-19, and China’s role in it, by denying any responsibility for the rise and spread of the new coronavirus as well as attempting to shift the blame toward the United States…. -
opinion
This Is Xi’s Virus. The Chinese Ought to Pay for It.
After passing a record $2.2 trillion bill last week to aid millions of Americans who lost their livelihoods as a result of the coronavirus, Congress already is talking about another spending bill. Rather than pouring out another bundle of billions at tremendous cost to the American taxpayer, we should be cashing a check from the… -
news
World Health Organization Spends Twice as Much on Travel as on Medical Supplies
The World Health Organization spends twice as much on travel as it does on medical supplies, according to its most recent financial report. Eight percent of WHO’s budget in 2018 went to travel expenses, while just 4% went to medical supplies and materials, the report shows. “Of total travel expenditure, only 45% was for staff… -
opinion
Western Media Falls Into China’s Propaganda Trap
The idea that some American and European news outlets are giving more credibility to the Chinese party line on the coronavirus than they do to their own governments is nothing less than bizarre. Yet, here we are. Even in this time of national crisis, sheer hatred for the U.S. president causes many in the mainstream… -
opinion
North Macedonia’s Accession to NATO an Important Milestone
North Macedonia is set to officially become the 30th member of NATO this week with the deposit of its “instrument of accession” at the U.S. Department of State. On March 17, the Spanish Senate ratified North Macedonia’s accession protocol, becoming the 29th and final NATO member state to do so. The U.S. Senate by a… -
news
5 Things Americans Should Know About South Korea’s Handling of Coronavirus
This week in South Korea, a 97-year-old woman—well into the age group most susceptible to the coronavirus—fully recovered from COVID-19. This was one more victory for South Korea, a U.S. ally that is viewed as a success story to the world in combating the coronavirus pandemic. The small country of South Korea is close to… -
opinion
South Korea Provides Lessons, Good and Bad, on Coronavirus Response
Early international media reporting on the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in South Korea was both alarming and alarmist. News coverage emphasized that, outside of China, South Korea had the highest number of coronavirus cases, which led 170 other countries to impose travel entry bans on South Koreans. But, after new cases peaked in late… -
opinion
A Government-Managed Alliance With Saudi Arabia Isn’t the Solution for Low Oil Prices
As the world collectively battles with the coronavirus pandemic, leaders on the world stage also are grappling with how to address the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. As prices plummeted, one idea floated is for the U.S. to form an alliance with Saudi Arabia to stabilize prices. Although it’s not clear what… -
opinion
Coronavirus Takes Growing Toll on Latin America’s Economies
The countries of Latin America so far have escaped the worst public health consequences of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Economic damage, however, is already substantial, and has been greatest for Latin America’s most market-oriented countries. Most prominently hurt has been Chile's export-oriented economy, which is ranked No. 15 out of 180 countries scored in The… -
opinion
China Ignores Lessons of the Ebola Outbreak and the World Pays
There are no exact corollaries in history to the coronavirus pandemic gripping the world now. But the response to the disease known as COVID-19 does contain the echo of a mistake that exacerbated the spread of a recent, deadly epidemic. Delays in warning the world of the Ebola outbreak that shook West Africa beginning in… -
news
Is US Too Dependent on China for Medical Supplies?
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, and turned into a pandemic across the globe, should spur America to examine its options as it relates to China’s outsize role in the medical supply chain, some experts say. Amy Anderson, an assistant professor of nursing at Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas, told… -
news
Media Rhetoric on ‘Wuhan Virus’ Echoes Chinese Propaganda
Media rhetoric surrounding what to call the coronavirus echoed the Chinese government’s aggressive propaganda campaign designed to absolve the communist regime of wrongdoing. Both China and members of the establishment media have focused on President Donald Trump’s habit of referring to the virus as a “Chinese virus” or the “Wuhan virus,” which both the communist… -
opinion
There Should Be Nothing Controversial About the Term ‘Chinese Virus’
This week, President Donald Trump came under fire for his use of the phrase “Chinese virus” to describe the coronavirus, the source of the new pandemic that has led to a global economic shutdown as well as lockdowns of citizens in every major Western country. That media have somehow found time to hone in on… -
opinion
The Media’s Appalling Fixation on Trump’s Use of ‘Chinese Virus’
America is in a state of lockdown, the stock market is plummeting, and countless people around the world could get sick and die as the result of a deadly pandemic, but still many in the American press will use their time to give cover to the People’s Republic of China. At a press conference Wednesday,…