Over the past few years, China has turned reefs in the South China Sea into artificial islands. Rival countries in the region have disagreed about who owns the islands. Satellite images show that China is possibly militarizing those islands by building ports, landing strips and military aircrafts. New images indicate China is building large hangars for aircraft. Listen to the story to hear about this possible militarization and what it could mean for the region.
Story Length: 3:22
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April 8, 2016
3:00
World leaders gathered recently in Washington D.C. to ensure terrorists never get access to a nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, Russia has a large stock of nuclear weapons and is not attending this summit. North Korea and Iran have never been invited. There’s concern nuclear materials will fall into the hands of terrorists, and there is concern about the large stockpiles dedicated to military purposes. The past three Nuclear Security Summits have helped more than a dozen countries get rid of nuclear materials, and began steps toward Obama’s goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. Listen to hear how world leaders are working to prevent nuclear terrorism and debate with your students other ways to prevent this.
Read MoreNovember 2, 2015
3:00
For 35 years, the Chinese government limited families to having one child. This week that policy changed and most families now have the option of having two children. The Communist party declared the previous policy a success. Population control was part of a political plan to reduce the number of people and raise the per capita income. Families who want to have more children welcomed this announcement. Others were more cynical, asking if the government will now force them to have more children. Listen to this story to hear various opinions about this policy change in China.
Read MoreJune 9, 2015
5:11
Since the end of World War II, the United States has served as a dominant military and political power in Asia. The enormous economic growth of China has some former U.S. diplomats worried. When China’s economy shifted from pure government control to a more mixed model they widened their international impact and their scope of interest. Should we continue to see China as a solid ally in the region or as a powerful potential rival? Listen to hear why to former diplomats argue that China is a threat.
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