If Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) gets his way the Pentagon will set up a Cold War-style hotline to provide direct communication with its Chinese counterpart agency. Kirk, who recently returned from a China trip, told the Washington Times that the idea was one of several that were discussed with Chinese officials during the visit. Kirk’s delegation also visited the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in Inner Mongolia—becoming the first foreign delegation to visit the Chinese site where the country launched its first two manned spaceflights.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.