内容摘要：But Beijing does have aspirations to be the number one economic power in the world.

But Beijing does have aspirations to be the number one economic power in the world.

There are also major concerns in the region over China's attempts to turn the entire South China Sea into what some have called a "Chinese lake".The PLA Navy has established military bases on reefs, many artificially dredged, across the strategically important South China Sea, an area through which an estimated $3 trillion's worth of maritime trade passes annually.

Today China deploys a vast, industrial fishing fleet across the South China Sea, backed by its fleet of coastguard ships and warships. These vessels clash frequently with Filipino fishermen, fishing close to their own country's shores.China frequently challenges planes and ships transiting the South China Sea, warning them they are entering Chinese territory without permission, when the rest of the world considers this to be international waters.Donald Trump, when asked during his first presidency if North Korea could ever develop nuclear missiles that could reach the continental United States, vowed "it's never going to happen". But it has.

In what amounts to a serious CIA intelligence failure, Pyongyang has demonstrated that it now possesses both the nuclear know-how and the means to deliver those warheads across the Pacific Ocean.Successive US presidencies have failed to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions and this isolated, economically backward yet militarily powerful nation is thought to have at least 20 nuclear warheads.

It also has an enormous, well-armed army, some of which its autocratic leader Kim Jong Un has sent to help Russia fight Ukraine.

Defence analysts are still dissecting the recent, brief but alarming conflict between these two nuclear-armed neighbours. India's military far outnumbers Pakistan's and yet the latter was allegedly able to land an embarrassing blow against India's air force, when Pakistan's Chinese-made J10-C jets went up against India's advanced, French-made Rafales.Top priorities for improvement included the cost of living, hospital waiting lists and housing.

Guernsey residents said they were mainly concerned about housing, with 80% saying it was important, as well as the economy.Top priorities for improvement were affordable housing, the cost of living and infrastructure.

More than 70% of islanders rated their quality of life as being 6 or higher out of 10 and most believed their lives were better in the islands than in the UK.A selection of news photographs from around the world.