A: Hey there, any news from back home?
B: Not much, just that our Defense Secretary Pete talked about US defense priorities.
A: Oh, really? What did he say?
B: Well, he wants to focus on deterring China and getting allies to share more of the defense burden.
A: Deterring China? What does that mean exactly?
B: I think it means making sure China doesn't get too powerful in the Indo-Pacific region. He said a balance of power is needed for peace, but not confrontation.
A: Makes sense. But isn't he trying to weaken China?
B: No, he said they're not trying to strangle China's growth. They just want to make sure the US and its allies are strong enough to balance China's power.
A: Got it. And how does he plan to get more help from allies?
B: He urged them to take on a larger share of defense spending, especially since free riding won't be tolerated anymore.
A: I see. And what about NATO's defense spending?
B: He commended NATO for spending five percent of GDP on defense and said he hopes other allies in the Indo-Pacific will follow suit in a few years using NATO's formula.
A: Sounds like a tough job, but someone has to do it!
1. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized four main priorities: defending the US and western hemisphere, deterring China without confrontation, increasing defense burden sharing among allies, and strengthening the US defense industrial base.
2. Hegseth called for a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure peace, stating that the US is not aiming to hinder China's growth but to counterbalance its growing power.
3. The Defense Secretary urged US allies to contribute more to defense spending, commending NATO's 5% GDP commitment and expressing optimism that other Indo-Pacific allies will follow this model in the coming years.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has outlined US defense priorities that focus on deterring China and increasing defense burdens of US allies and partners.
Hegseth was delivering a speech at a forum in California on Saturday.
He listed four high priority areas: defending the US homeland and the western hemisphere; deterring China through strength, not confrontation; increased burden sharing for US allies and partners; and super-charging the US defense industrial base.
Referring to deterring China, Hegseth said a balance of power will enable all countries to enjoy a "decent peace" in the Indo-Pacific region.
He also said the United States is not trying to "strangle China's growth."
He said the United States along with its allies should be postured strongly enough in the Indo-Pacific region to balance China's growing power. He added the US and its allies should be so strong that aggression is not even considered and that peace is preferred and preserved.
Hegseth urged US allies to take on a larger share of defense spending, saying that the United States will no longer tolerate "free riding."
He commended NATO's commitment to spend five percent of GDP on defense. He said the United States is optimistic that other Indo-Pacific allies will follow suit in a few years through the use of the NATO formula.
Quiz 1:
What was one of the four high priority areas outlined by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his speech?
A. Strengthening the US economy
B. Increasing defense burdens of US allies and partners
C. Exploring new galaxies for colonization
D. Reducing the global carbon footprint
Quiz 2:
According to Hegseth, what is the aim in deterring China?
A. To strangle China's growth
B. To confront China forcefully
C. To maintain a balance of power for a 'decent peace' in the Indo-Pacific region
D. To provoke conflict with China
Quiz 3:
What did Hegseth encourage US allies to do regarding defense spending?
A. Increase defense spending to match the United States
B. Decrease defense spending to reduce burden sharing
C. Maintain current defense spending levels
D. He did not urge any action about defense spending
A: Hey there! Heard anything interesting lately?
B: Nah, just the usual stuff. What's up?
A: You know about that tragic fire in Hong Kong last month, right? Well, guess what's happening now?
B: Uh, they're removing the condolence message board there? Is that right?
A: Yep! They're taking it down on Sunday. Remember where it was? Park near the high-rise complex, right? It's been a place for people to express their sympathy after the fire.
B: Oh wow, I can't believe it. So many messages demanding justice and criticizing the government response...
A: Yeah, exactly! The volunteers running the location decided they had to remove it by Sunday. They wanted to avoid any content that might upset the authorities.
B: That makes sense. Too bad some people are sad about it being taken down, ten days after the fire.
A: Totally understandable. One woman in her 20s said the messages were a way for many Hong Kong people to show their support and help those affected by the disaster heal.
B: Makes me feel a bit emotional just thinking about it... I hope they find peace soon.
1. The condolence message board near the site of the deadly Hong Kong fire will be removed on Sunday.
2. The board, which was set up in a park near the high-rise complex where 159 people died, has been a place for visitors to leave messages demanding punishment for those responsible and expressing criticism of the government's response.
3. People visited the park on Sunday to pay their respects, with some expressing regret over the removal of the board as it serves as a symbol of support from Hong Kong people, helping those affected by the disaster recover.
A message board near the site of last month's deadly fire in Hong Kong is set to be removed on Sunday.
The board where visitors can leave condolence messages was set up in a park near the high-rise complex where 159 people died. Many others remain unaccounted for.
Volunteers who manage the location decided to remove the board by the end of Sunday.
Some of the messages demanded severe punishment for those responsible for the fire and criticized the Hong Kong government's response.
The volunteers had urged people not to post content that the authorities might deem extreme or hateful.
People visited the park on Sunday to pay their respects. Some expressed regret that the board would be removed over ten days after the fire.
A woman in her 20s said the messages convey the support of many Hong Kong people, and help those affected by the disaster to recover.
Quiz 1:
Where was a message board set up for condolences regarding last month's deadly fire?
A. Central Park, New York
B. A park near the high-rise complex where the fire occurred in Hong Kong
C. The high-rise complex where the fire occurred in Hong Kong
D. Victoria Park, Hong Kong
Quiz 2:
What was the original purpose of the message board set up near the site of last month's deadly fire?
A. To post content that authorities might deem extreme or hateful
B. To provide updates on the number of people accounted for after the fire
C. To allow visitors to leave condolence messages regarding the fire
D. To demand severe punishment for those responsible for the fire and criticize the Hong Kong government's response
Quiz 3:
When was the message board set up near the site of last month's deadly fire scheduled to be removed?
A. The day after it was set up
B. Three days after it was set up
C. Ten days after it was set up
D. Two weeks after it was set up
A: Hey, Yuki-chan! Did you check out the news lately?
B: Nope, not yet. What's up?
A: Turns out China told their people not to visit Japan, and it looks like they haven't changed their minds yet. That means places like Osaka could be hit hard since they have a lot of Chinese tourists.
B: Oh, really? I didn't know that! So, what's going on in Osaka now?
A: Well, our friend Haruka went to the famous canal district, Dotonbori, and it seems that there are still a lot of tourists, but fewer Chinese ones compared to before. It used to be full of shady-looking folks and pushy salespeople, but now it's cleaner and has more Asian and European visitors.
B: Interesting! What about the shops? Are they doing okay?
A: Well, there are a lot of drugstores around because Japanese cosmetics are popular with Chinese tourists, but they're not selling as much now since there are fewer Chinese shoppers. There's also overcapacity in terms of stores, which could hurt their business in the long run.
B: Wow, that sounds tough. What about the food places? Are people still going there?
A: Yeah! Places like takoyaki and cheesecake shops are still packed with tourists from all over. It's just the shopping stores that seem to be affected more. Haruka felt like the consumerist touristy stores were getting less attention, though.
B: That makes sense. So, it seems that Osaka is not empty, but there are definitely fewer Chinese tourists. Let's hope things get better soon!
1. Travel advisory from the Chinese government has significantly affected tourist numbers in Osaka, Japan's third-largest city.
- The majority of foreign tourists in Dotonbori, a popular tourist area, are from Southeast Asia and other Asian countries, with Chinese tourists being a minority.
- Many drugstores in the Namba neighborhood, which typically cater to Chinese tourists due to their low prices and high-quality products, are experiencing a drop in customers. This could potentially impact their long-term business sustainability.
1. Several startups, including Airtable, Handshake, and Opendoor, have announced they are "refounding" recently, indicating a significant change or shift in their business models or AI product launches.
2. Airtable's co-founder and CEO, Howie Liu, clarified that this is not a pivot but a "refounding moment," as it involves building upon the existing platform rather than changing direction due to past mistakes.
3. Handshake's chief marketing officer, Katherine Kelly, explained that their aim is to reintroduce startup culture into an established business. This could mean increased work hours and office presence requirements for employees.