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Posted: 4/28/2024 12:40:19 PM EDT
[#1]
The KMT continues to be the KMT:
Majority leader of Taiwan legislature leads KMT delegation to Beijing So now, even more KMT legislators are on the trip than before: TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Majority Leader of the Legislative Yuan Fu Kun-chi ( ) led a delegation of 17 Kuomintang (KMT) legislators to China on Friday (April 26). Details of the lawmakers' schedule in China have not been released. In a pre-departure speech at Taoyuan International Airport, Fu said that Saturday (April 27) would be the "highlight" of the trip, suggesting some joint announcement with Chinese authorities is planned, reported UDN. According to Fu, the purpose of the trip is to "break the ice" between Taiwan and China, and to revitalize cross-strait tourism, reported SETN. Some commentators speculate that Fu Kun-chi may meet with the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office, Song Tao ( ), or possibly with the chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Huning ( ). As to the "highlight" planned for Saturday, it was reported that Beijing may lift the ban on Chinese tour groups visiting Taiwan. Restrictions previously imposed on Taiwan's agricultural products or Chinese students studying in Taiwan may also be topics of discussion during the trip, per UDN. Some protesters were reportedly present at the airport. They criticized the KMT's China trip as kowtowing to Beijing, while some counter-protestors were also there to support the group of KMT lawmakers. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 1:12:27 PM EDT
[#2]
SCMP now leans pro Beijing but still worth reading https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260685/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-step-pressure-philippines-over-rival-claims-or-risk-domino-effect
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Posted: 4/28/2024 1:17:13 PM EDT
[#3]
I firmly believe the PRC will take Taiwan without firing a shot. They already have so many compromised leaders and politicians. The PRC will continue to buy off the people it needs for the door to open voluntarily.
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Posted: 4/28/2024 2:38:16 PM EDT
[#4]
Now I can finish Propagand Friday!!
Climate Change, People!!! First up is that is no matter how many people say GLOBAL WARMING affects the South Pacific and the islands in the Indian Ocean will suffer the most, it turns out it's Europe!!! Who knew that GLOBAL WARMING is so geographic specific? The IPCC does, that's who knew! (Remember people: It's never the weather!!!! It's policies that cause GLOBAL WARMING!!!!) Why climate change is heating Europe faster than the rest of the world The latest five-year averages show that temperatures in Europe are now running 2.3C above pre-industrial levels Climate change is causing Europe to heat up more quickly than any other continent and twice as fast as the global average with recent studies warning of mounting threats to food, water and energy security, human health, the economy and nature. What makes the continent more vulnerable than others? The latest five-year averages show that temperatures in Europe are now running 2.3C above pre-industrial levels, compared to 1.3C globally. Even in the best-case scenario, the European Commission warned that Europe would "have to learn to live with a climate that is 3 degrees warmer". Wait...let me check.........Yes!!! With its developed infrastructure and resources, Europe may be better equipped to adapt to climate change compared to more vulnerable regions, but it still faces unprecedented uphill challenges. In its first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warned the continent was ill prepared for rapidly growing climate risks extreme heat, drought, wildfires and flooding that will affect the living conditions of millions. "Europe faces urgent climate risks that are growing faster than our societal preparedness," EEA executive director Leena Yl -Mononen said when the analysis was published in March, urging governments to get cracking on course-correction policies. Scientists speculate that Europe is warming more rapidly because of its proximity to the Arctic, where climate impacts are more keenly felt, and because of warmer ocean and atmospheric currents. All parts of Europe will warm by more than 2C regardless of future emissions cuts while some regions have been identified as hotspots for multiple climate risks. The EEA found that many of these risks have already reached critical levels and could become catastrophic without urgent action. Separate analysis published this week by Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the United Nations said the number of heat-related deaths in Europe had increased by at least 30 percent over the past two decades. The average sea surface temperature for the ocean across Europe, meanwhile, was the highest on record in 2023. In June of that year, the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland and around the United Kingdom was impacted by an extreme marine heatwave. Agriculture challenge Climate shocks in Europe are happening despite ambitious legislation the European Union hopes will establish it as a global leader on climate. Set in 2021, the goal to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by the end of the decade is a binding commitment under the EU's Climate Law which also commits to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. While Europe is making progress in some areas with more energy generated from renewables than from fossil fuels for a second year running farmer protests have seen a rollback of rules aimed at cutting emissions from agriculture. It promises to be a hot-button issue at Europe's parliamentary elections in June as conservative parties champion the cause of farmers who say the climate measures are not being backed up with support for those working in the sector. Reducing agricultural pollution "should be a priority" to increase Europe's resilience to climate change, the EEA found in its assessment. Taking decisive action after the elections, it said, would be critical. Now, I know what you guys are thinking: "hey zoinks, only one side to this propaganda event? You holding out on us, motherfucka?" No, Gentlefriends!! This is Arfcom!!! Get Both!!!!!!!!! Asia is most climate disaster-impacted region, UN meteorological agency says WMO said that 79 disasters linked to hydro-meteorological events had been reported in Asia in 2023. GENEVA, April 23 (Reuters) - Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region by climate related hazards last year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said, with floods and storms causing the highest number of casualties. In a report published on Tuesday, WMO said that 79 disasters linked to hydro-meteorological events had been reported in Asia in 2023. More than 80% of these were related to floods and storms that caused more than 2,000 deaths. "Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. "Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events." Asia is warming faster than the global average, according to WMO. Last year, high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to central Asia, as well as from eastern China to Japan. What did we learn today?
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Posted: 4/28/2024 3:01:10 PM EDT
[#5]
Trying to find some good information that is timely about the Solomon Island elections is turning out to be a difficult task. It's almost Propaganda Friday worthy except for the fact that it's important.
This is the latest news I could find: Solomon Islands opposition parties combine in race to form government The two major opposition parties in the Solomon Islands have struck a coalition deal as they vie with former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's party to form a government, after an election delivered no clear winner. Last week's election was the first since Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022, inviting Chinese police into the Pacific Islands archipelago and drawing the nation closer to Beijing. The election is being watched by China, the US and neighbouring Australia because of the potential impact on regional security. Election results on Wednesday showed Sogavare's Our Party won 15 of the 50 seats in parliament, two more than the opposition CARE coalition. Independents and micro parties won 15 seats, and courting the independents will be the key to reaching the 26 seats needed to form a government. On Saturday, the CARE coalition of Matthew Wales' Solomon Islands Democratic Party, U4C and former Prime Pinister Rick Houenipwela's Democratic Alliance Party struck an agreement with the second-largest opposition party, Peter Kenilorea Jr's United, to form a coalition with 20 seats. Houenipwela told Reuters the groups had not decided which party leader to nominate as the bloc's candidate for prime minister. Sogavare said last week his party had the support of two micro parties and would woo independents. Solomon Islands opposition parties strike coalition in race to form government The two parties are vying with former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare's party to form a government. The election is being watched by China, the US and neighbouring Australia because of the potential impact on regional security. It was the first election since Mr Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022, inviting Chinese police into the Pacific Islands archipelago and drawing the nation closer to Beijing. The incumbent OUR party won 15 of the 50 seats in parliament, two more than the opposition CARE coalition, which is made up of the Solomon Islands Democratic Party, U4C and the Democratic Alliance Party. On Saturday, CARE struck an agreement with the second-largest opposition party, United, to form a coalition with 20 seats. United has previously said it would scrap the China security pact. Rick Houenipwela of the Democratic Alliance Party said the newly formed coalition had not decided which party leader to nominate as the bloc's candidate for prime minister. "Our group is responding to the cries and wishes of our people to take back Solomon Islands and to bring back confidence in the leadership and the governing of our country," the coalition said in a statement. Independents and micro parties won 15 seats. They will be heavily lobbied in the race to find the 26 seats needed to form a government. Mr Sogavare said last week his party had the support of two micro parties and would woo independents. The Solomon Islands are made up of six major islands and more than 900 smaller ones. Negotiations are taking place in the capital Honiara, where newly elected lawmakers have flown from other islands. Solomon Islands pro-China PM Manasseh Sogavare fails to secure majority Election results on Wednesday showed Sogavare's OUR party won 15 out of 50 seats in the national parliament, while major opposition parties secured 20, and independent and micro-parties 15. United party leader Peter Kenilorea Jr, who has promised to switch ties back to Taiwan, and Democratic Alliance Party leader Rick Hou told the Reuters news agency the situation was fluid as politicians lobbied independents to secure the 26 seats needed to form a government. Now! Before the election, we covered some provocative statements by Sovagare hinting about not winning. We have more courtesy of al-jazeera: Sogavare, who was narrowly re-elected to his seat, said he remained in control of the country, and security. "I exercise full executive power when it comes to security, when it comes to safety of this country, I continue to run the country," he told the Tavuli News in an interview, saying he was concerned about possible riots. Honiara was rocked by rioting in 2021 when protesters targeted businesses in the capital's Chinatown and tried to storm Sogavare's residence. Peace was restored with the help of a contingent of Australian police following a request from the government. Sogavare said his party had the support of two micro-parties, and would woo independents, claiming the opposition parties were divided over who they would back as prime minister. "There's huge competition on the other side, something will break," he said. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 3:10:51 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: SCMP now leans pro Beijing but still worth reading https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260685/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-step-pressure-philippines-over-rival-claims-or-risk-domino-effect Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: SCMP now leans pro Beijing but still worth reading https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260685/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-step-pressure-philippines-over-rival-claims-or-risk-domino-effect 'Ukraine of Asia': pro-Duterte coalition slams Philippines' involvement in US 'proxy war' with China Supporters of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte have formed a coalition opposing the country's growing alliance with the United States in its conflicts with China, which they warn is becoming a "proxy war" that could turn their nation into "the Ukraine of Asia". At the end of the launch event for the Citizens' Coalition Against War in Manila on Wednesday, the group released a petition calling for signatures supporting an end to the proxy war as well as a manifesto criticising the government's position on the Second Thomas Shoal, a highly contested maritime landmark in the South China Sea that the Philippine refers to as Ayungin and Beijing calls Ren'ai Jiao. The coalition, led by Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of the Philippine-Brics Strategic Studies think tank and board chairman of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding, objected to the Philippines defending its territorial rights over the shoal, saying: "The Ayungin incidents have been described as Chinese 'aggression', but appear to be a valid response to the US-BBM EDCA military 'provocations'." BBM refers to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's nickname "Bongbong" while EDCA is the abbreviation for the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, which the Philippine government signed with the US, allowing the latter's troops to have a rotational presence inside Philippine military facilities. The coalition's petition states: "We strongly reject, as the world must reject, the false narrative that China has acted as 'a naked aggressor' in these non-lethal incidents. To begin with, China has been circumspect in making sure that no weapons of war were used, and there were no fatalities in these unfortunate incidents." The text of the petition also argues that the United States' "pivot to Asia" strategy aimed at strengthening Washington's bilateral security alliances with a number of countries in the continent "has led to the escalation of tensions in the region, using the Philippines, among others as a strategic pawn in its dangerous game". One of the speakers at the event, Anna Malindog-Uy, claimed that other countries now perceived the Philippines as being well on its way to becoming "the Ukraine of Asia". Malindog-Uy, who describes herself on her Facebook page as a doctoral candidate in economics at Peking University, acknowledged that "the Philippine's strategic location makes it a pivotal player in any potential military conflict in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in the context of rising geopolitical tension between the US and China". However, the Philippines should not take sides if war should break out since the conflict would be "American-orchestrated", she said. "Why should we allow the Philippines to be dragged into a conflict which is not of its own making and where it should not take part," she argued. Duterte's former spokesman, Harry Roque, also spoke against the presence of US troops at Philippine military facilities, saying these were "a threat to our security because with their presence the country becomes a target by other countries opposed to the US". Former president Duterte himself vowed in a recent interview with Chinese state-run news agency Global Times that should he ever succeed in removing Marcos Jnr from the presidency, he would remove the EDCA bases. During his time in office, Duterte shifted the country's foreign policy towards closer alignment with China and away from the US. He recently revealed that he had made a handshake agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to maintain the "status quo" in the South China Sea, including refraining from missions to reinforce the BRP Sierra Madre's position on the Second Thomas Shoal. Roque had also raised the so-called gentleman's agreement between Duterte and Xi, and suggested China's aggressive actions towards resupply missions to the shoal were because it felt the Marcos Jnr administration had violated the unwritten pact made by his predecessor. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 3:18:02 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SuperSixOne: I firmly believe the PRC will take Taiwan without firing a shot. They already have so many compromised leaders and politicians. The PRC will continue to buy off the people it needs for the door to open voluntarily. They're led by a bunch of "old women." We covered here about the CCP leadership removing the so-called "wolf-diplomate" as well as a number of generals through the PLA and it's branches. Every single one of them was accused of "corruption" of some kind. Incrediable! Is everyone associated with the CCP corrupt? Yes! But don't you dare say that outloud where ever you are on the Planet Earth. The other thing they corrupt officials had in common besides being corrupted is that they were younger. Presumebly, their "youth" led them to be far more agressive in their stances on the question of going to war. Now that they're gone, there's just the usual decay of a communist party running a country into the ground. |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 10:40:45 AM EDT
[#8]
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Posted: 4/29/2024 11:21:47 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: SCMP now leans pro Beijing but still worth reading https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260685/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-step-pressure-philippines-over-rival-claims-or-risk-domino-effect That water cannon video is pretty ugly. IMHO China is itching for a fight, question is will the bully flinch when punched in the nose? |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 10:57:05 AM EDT
[#10]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:02:29 AM EDT
[#11]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:02:56 AM EDT
[#12]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 10:37:32 PM EDT
[#13]
End of the month, Score Card Time!
Taiwan tracks 4 Chinese naval vessels around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked four Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (April 28) and 6 a.m. on Monday (April 29). China sends 7 military aircraft, 7 navy ships around Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. Monday (April 29) and 6 a.m. Tuesday (April 30). The defense ministry said that seven People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft had been detected in the Taiwan Strait. The MND said two of them crossed the median line and three entered the southwest corner of the air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The three PLA aircraft that entered the southwest ADIZ came within 90 km (49 NM) of Eluanbi.  Attached FileSo far this month, the ministry has detected Chinese military aircraft 247 times and naval vessels 176 times. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 10:43:55 PM EDT
[#14]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 10:54:38 PM EDT
[#15]
I won't have time to get to Carmel's good stuff up above tonight, Thursday for sure!!
We've got some follow-ups on stories we've been covering. First up is that the KMT legislators who went to the PRC just got back. Taiwan KMT lawmakers return from China yielding small trade, tourism deals They've received some shiny trinkets from the PRC: TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Kuomintang (KMT) caucus convener Fu Kun-chi ( ) and 16 other KMT lawmakers returned from a three-day visit to China on Sunday evening (April 28), announcing a trade deal on agricultural and fishery products, as well as relaxed travel restrictions allowing Fujian Province residents to visit Matsu Islands. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, Fu and KMT lawmakers spoke with the media. Fu said talks with Chinese authorities led to a breakthrough in trade and tourism. Fu categorized the past eight years as a stalemate in trade negotiations, per CNA. Fu claimed negotiations were carried out in good faith, and would restart cross-strait trade and tourism as soon as possible. "Of course, this is just the beginning, and we will continue to work hard," said Fu. He described the trip as an ice-breaker, giving the KMT more confidence and willingness to engage in future negotiations. Chinese counterparts also said a trade deal was made on agricultural products on Sunday. Zhao Zenglian ( ), vice minister of China's General Administration of Customs, said it would open agricultural imports of pomelos and two types of fishery products from Taiwan. Zhao did not give any timeframe for lifting the ban on these items, per CNA. The Chinese government banned Taiwanese pomelos due to pest and pesticide residue claims, and horse mackerel and largehead hairtail imports after claiming COVID-19 was found on the packaging. The import bans also coincided with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August 2022. Also on Sunday, China's Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Rao Quan ( ) said an easing of travel restrictions would allow residents of Fujian Province to travel to the Matsu Islands. Rao also took the opportunity to welcome Taiwanese to visit China, per CNA. After this occured, here's what comes next: KMT, TPP resolution demands halt to Taiwan electricity rate hike Ministry of Economic Affairs says 11% price hike mandated by law AIPEI (Taiwan News) The Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on Tuesday (April 30) combined forces to pass a resolution calling for a freeze in electricity prices, but the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) countered that the price hike must be implemented. The two parties formed a majority on Tuesday to pass a resolution calling for a halt in power price hikes, reported CNA. However, the MOEA said the current electricity rate review is based on the formula set by the Legislative Yuan in 2015, which has subsequently been written into law and is handled according to Article 49 of the Electricity Act ( ). Would anyone care to guess which Taiwanese political party created, politicked, passed and promolgated the law back in 2015? If you said, "the KMT," you would be absolutely correct. The Democrats here do this trick all the time as well. The DPP didn't become a majority party until 2016. |
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Posted: 5/1/2024 10:02:30 AM EDT
[#16]
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Posted: 5/1/2024 10:54:37 AM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 5/2/2024 12:16:01 AM EDT
[#18]
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Posted: 5/2/2024 12:27:30 AM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 5/3/2024 12:07:44 AM EDT
[Last Edit: zoinks]
[#20]
First up, it's May!!! Inauguration Month in Taiwan. It'll happen in less than 2 weeks. Score Card Time!!
China sends 4 fighter jets, 4 navy ships around Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked four Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. Wednesday (May 1) and 6 a.m. Thursday (May 2). Three of the PLA aircraft crossed the median line and entered the southwest ADIZ and came within 255 km (138 NM) of Eluanbi. One of the fighters entered the northern ADIZ and came within 142 km (77 NM) of Keelung.  Attached FileChina sends 26 military aircraft, 5 naval ships around Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 26 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Thursday (May 2) and 6 a.m. Friday (May 3). Of the 26 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 14 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, according to the MND. Two were detected in the northeast sector of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), while three other fighters entered the southwest ADIZ.  Attached FileThus far in May, the ministry has detected Chinese military aircraft 30 times and naval vessels 16 times. |
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Posted: 5/3/2024 12:19:49 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: China state news https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-04-21/China-to-further-develop-research-on-Pacific-islands-region-1sYQmOV9itG/p.html |
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Posted: 5/3/2024 12:28:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: zoinks]
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryFor all his talk, Sogavare just up and left. I figured there would have been at least a small spontaneous people's demonstration Type E as a farewell, but the guy didn't eve rate that much. The Solomon Islands' pro-China leader has pulled out of the fight to remain as the Pacific nation's prime minister, in a decision sure to be felt in Canberra, Washington and Beijing. Manasseh Sogavare tonight announced his successor as party leader, saying he'd been "vilified in the media" and that his family, including children, had been "subjected to unprecedented verbal abuse". "Our family home has been razed to the ground but that did not weigh on my resolve to continue to serve," he said, at a media conference. Observers expect China to have secretly backed more candidates than Sogavare at the election in a bid to ensure the government change does not diminish Beijing's influence. Sogavare could again return to power during the current four-year term. He was elected prime minister after the last election in 2019. But he has served as prime minister three times before 2019 because his predecessors had quit or were ousted by fellow lawmakers in a precarious political system. Here's another story, different perspective to be sure, and I still think this is from Carmel (I am behind!), so thank you for this, my Brother  :Solomon Islands bids farewell to a polarising PM who became the Pacific's most China-friendly leader As Manasseh Sogavare, the most outwardly China-friendly leader of a Pacific island country, conceded his time as prime minister of Solomon Islands was up, he didn't appear to be quite ready to forgive and forget. Announcing his departure in a post-election press conference on Monday, Sogavare lamented that his government had come "under pressure from the United States and western allies" and had been "accused of many things". Sogavare maintained that his decision to switch Solomon Islands' diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 had been "very important", despite the intense geopolitical tussle that followed.  The first third of this article, The Guardian acts as apologist for Sogavare. The last third, The Guardian pulls some quotes from a Reuters article of a more critical nature. Sogavare's departure will probably come as a relief in western capitals, after he struck a far-reaching security agreement with Beijing in 2022 causing shock waves in the Australian federal election campaign and alarming officials in Washington. However his exit will not necessarily signal any significant change in Honiara's international outlook. His potential successor, Jeremiah Manele, was foreign minister at the time the security deal with China was signed. Manele has vowed to continue Sogavare's "friends to all and enemies to none" foreign policy which in theory means avoiding picking a side in the geopolitical rivalry between the great powers, but in practice has seen a blossoming relationship with China. The 2022 security agreement with China caused alarm in the foreign policy and military establishments in Australia and the US because it was broadly worded and seemed to symbolise a breakthrough in China's outreach to the Pacific. The text of the final agreement is still secret, but the leaked initial version would give China an avenue to "make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands", while Chinese forces could "protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in Solomon Islands". In the face of this diplomatic outreach, Sogavare showed no sign of any second thoughts on his China pivot. He was feted on a trip to Beijing in July last year, joining with Xi Jinping to announce "a comprehensive strategic partnership", including police training and exchanges. China's president hailed friendly ties with Solomon Islands as "a pacesetter for the relations between China and other island countries in the Pacific" a signal that Beijing intends to continue its outreach in the region. For his part, Sogavare pledged to oppose "any actions that contain or aim to contain China's development". Sogavare has been a polarising figure and "a lightning rod for international scrutiny", explained Mihai Sora, a research fellow at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute and a former Australian diplomat in Solomon Islands. Speaking to Reuters about post-election negotiations, Sora said parliamentarians in Solomon Islands "may have decided this time around that a less strident figure would have a better chance of being accepted by an already frustrated community and may reduce some of the recent tensions with international partners". |
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Posted: 5/3/2024 12:56:22 AM EDT
[#23]
Let's meet our new Champion! Tell him what he's won, Johnny!
Solomon Islands chooses China-friendly ex-diplomat Jeremiah Manele as new prime minister Solomon Islands lawmakers have elected as their new prime minister Jeremiah Manele, a former foreign minister who has pledged to continue the Pacific country's policy of embracing China. Manele said outside parliament on Thursday "the people have spoken" and called for calm. "I humbly stand before you, as your elected prime minister. We must respect and uphold the democratic process," Manele said. The previous PM, Manasseh Sogavare, withdrew from the contest this week and backed Manele after failing to secure a majority in last month's election. Manele was foreign minister in 2019 when Sogavare's government turned its back on Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with Beijing. Lowy Institute research fellow Mihai Sora, a former Australian diplomat in Solomon Islands, said Manele had "a strong track record of working well with all international partners", compared with Sogavare who was "a polarising figure". The new prime minister's Our party has pledged to build more infrastructure and won 15 seats, gaining four under a renewed coalition with two micro-parties. In his speech, Manele also flagged a recent report by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI). "We as a country continue on the recovery path after the Covid-19 global pandemic and 2021 riots. "The recent report by CBSI on the state of our economy is concerning and calls for a more focused and aggressive approach. It is not an easy task but we will be reaching out to all relevant stakeholders as we progress on our road to recovery." Reaction to the new government has included calls for a fresh focus on health and education. "We want to see a serious government that is proactive in addressing health issues in the country. Health has been neglected especially in rural clinics where people have to struggle to survive," said Regina Lepping, a youth activist. Junior Kurt Mamaloni, leader of the Makira Youth Council, said he was cautious about growing closer to China. "I would like to see a government that is more people-centred and focused on development. I don't want to see foreign influence trying to shape our country into their geopolitical sphere. "There's nothing wrong with China. After the switch, we see tangible development in just four years. But as a youth, we fear something, nothing is free from China, and there are always strings attached to its projects." With Reuters and Agence France-Presse Manasseh Sogavare was China's man in the Pacific. Will his exit as prime minister reverberate across the region? Here's what having PRC money, construction teams and policitcal influence get you: Potemkin type projects while everything around it fails. Driving down Solomon Islands' main road in the capital city Honiara is a test in patience and skill. The road is so littered with potholes, it's like playing a game of chess on wheels. It has become folklore in the capital, so much so there's a mantra the police follow to spot people breaking the law: "We can tell a drunk-driver from a mile away they just drive straight." Last year, the dichotomy of this situation became almost laughable. As Honiara's residents crawled along at a snail's pace on the road, weaving in and out of the potholes, on the side of the road a huge, wonderful structure was being built. The $120 million national stadium complex, built and paid for by China for last year's Pacific Games, sticks out like a peacock in a paddock. For many, it symbolised the problem with Manasseh Sogavare, the Solomon Islands' now former prime minister. And on Monday night, his reign over the Pacific Island nation officially ended. But experts say, again, this is largely just noise for Solomon Islanders. Director of the Lowy Institute Pacific Islands Program, Meg Keen, said Mr Sogavare's resignation and performance at the election was a rejection of the direction he was taking the country. "But it wasn't about the fact he was aligning the country with China," she said. "It was a rejection of the development benefits, or lack of them, that were flowing to the people. "This election was fought on very local issues, like healthcare and education, and the voting shows Solomon Islanders felt that the government weren't delivering." Mr Sogavare's replacement as leader of his party, Jeremiah Manele, was foreign minister in his government and was a central figure in the country's switch to China. On Monday night, he said if he was elected as prime minister, he would have the "same foreign policy basis friends to all and enemies to none". On Thursday, Solomon Islanders will know who their new government, and prime minister, is after no party gained enough seats to win the election. In Solomon Islands, 26 MPs are needed to form a government. Mr Sogavare's party, the OUR Party, now led by Mr Manele, claims to have as many as 28 though those numbers have not been confirmed. The country's opposition group, led by Matthew Wale with support from the son of the country's first prime minister, Peter Kenilorea Jr claims to have 20 MPs. There were 10 independent MPs elected. But history suggests votes and allegiances could swing at the last minute. Either way, the residents of Solomon Islands navigating the potholes in the capital on Tuesday afternoon or waiting for treatment at the derelict national hospital will be hoping for some answers come Thursday. |
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Posted: 5/3/2024 1:32:49 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Alacran]
[#24]
If the Solomon Islands were so important, wouldn’t there be more articles about it?
 Solomon Islands’ new leader stay close to China? Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party. The party won just 15 of 50 seats in last month’s election. But even though Sogavare declined to stand for PM this week, his party still had the upper hand in the vote after courting independent MPs. So, what kind of leader will Manele be? Will he bring big changes to the country or its relationships with China, Australia and the United States? . . http://www.econotimes.com/Will-Solomon-Islands-new-leader-stay-close-to-China-1676851 Newly elected prime minister in Solomon Islands is likely to keep close China ties MELBOURNE, Australia — Solomon Islands lawmakers elected former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China. Manele used his first speech as leader to promise to govern with integrity and to put his nation's interests first. "I will discharge my duties diligently and with integrity. I will at all times put the interests of our people and country above all other interests," Manele said in a speech outside the National Parliament of Solomon Islands. Manele won 31 votes in a secret ballot of 49 lawmakers who won general elections on April 17, Governor General David Vunagi said, while Matthew Wale, who led the opposition in the previous parliament, received the remaining 18. The withdrawal of pro-Beijing former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare from the contest to make way for Manele as their party's candidate indicated the country could follow a similar direction. Sogavare had hoped to become the first Solomons prime minister to maintain power in consecutive four-year terms following the election. During his previous term, China's influence increased more in the Solomons than anywhere else in the South Pacific. . . https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1248633417/newly-elected-prime-minister-in-solomon-islands-to-keep-close-china-ties |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 1:10:31 AM EDT
[#25]
Originally Posted By Alacran:
If the Solomon Islands were so important, wouldn't there be more articles about it? Solomon Islands' new leader stay close to China? (EDITED OUT to save some space) http://www.econotimes.com/Will-Solomon-Islands-new-leader-stay-close-to-China-1676851 Newly elected prime minister in Solomon Islands is likely to keep close China ties (EDITED OUT to save some space) https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1248633417/newly-elected-prime-minister-in-solomon-islands-to-keep-close-china-ties An answer backed by direction observation says that one path of story generation is based on ad revenue driving stories and their promulgation and distribution, or a second way has governments or large corporations producing their own stories, offering them free of cost to various media for publishing with a suggesting to do so! A Third method of story generation is just simply filling up the printable space around adverts on pages. This method uses "boiler plate" stories created by wire services and purchased from wire services allowing a media company to edit, add to a story, so the media company can add a by-line to the story thus making it "their own." Thank you for opening up Progranda Friday alacran! We start here: Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-04-30/China-expels-Philippine-vessels-from-intruding-waters-adjacent-to-Huangyan-Dao-1tdrUR94cbm/p.html (I'm pretty sure this is the story @2tired2run was talking about.) We'll start with this story that Carmel posted. It's really interesting. The story is written and promulated by the PRC government. There were no accompanying photos of brave heroic actions taken by the Chinese Coast Guard oddly enough!!!!! Just words and words. I found it in multitude articles. What was hard to find was the Philippino side of the action that occured. Shall we begin: The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) on Tuesday expelled a Philippine Coast Guard ship and an official vessel that had intruded into the waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said the operation was carried out professionally, legitimately and lawfully. The CCG, acting in accordance with the law, took necessary measures, including the use of a water cannon, to expel the Philippine vessels. The Philippine action infringed upon China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law, as well as the basic norms of international relations, Gan said, urging the Philippines to immediately cease such behaviors. China indisputably holds sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant maritime areas, he said. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction according to the law and resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Gan said. In case you didn't get the message, the PRC and CCP will provide you a series of in depth articles, so you can learn more, AND parrot the talking points making you look like one of those smart guys. Case in point: Hyping 'fatal' attacks is a political show by the PCG to smear China Now this "news" organization is pure CCP. While I for one certainly miss the days of "yankee running dog imperialism," today's CCP has had the best education and learned well from their Western teachers: "Hollywood, Apple, google, mainstream media, the American university system, Democratic National Committee, etc. Notice, please, we don't hear from the Chinese Coast Guard until paragraph 3: a measured response. On Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) held a press conference, condemning "China's use of brute force to assert its illegal claims." Experts stated that smearing China's "fatal" attacks in the South China Sea has become a common tactic used by the Philippines to provoke incidents. The PCG press conference was a political show that fully demonstrates the political scheme of the Philippines to provoke its dispute in the South China Sea. According to the Philippine media, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela stated that the China Coast Guard (CCG) used a "very fatal" water cannon pressure in a recent incident at the Huangyan Dao, signaling an escalation of China's "aggression" toward Philippine vessels. This statement was in response to the incident on Tuesday, when the CCG took action and expelled Philippine vessels after the latter ignored multiple warnings from the Chinese side. China has already responded to this incident. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said on Tuesday that after Philippine vessels persisted in intruding into the waters off Huangyan Dao despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the CCG's "acts were professional, legitimate, and lawful." China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. "What the Philippines did has violated China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations," he said, urging the Philippine side to immediately stop the infringing action. Funny story: the EEZ was a concept originally created by Peru after WWII and then Championed by Chile under Allende. As the PRC established relations with Allende, guess which country was in favor of it? Click To View SpoilerI'm going to pull out a couple of items out of the article. While I miss "yankee running dog" banter, I do not miss the Leftist tendency to not know when to shut up. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said on Tuesday that after Philippine vessels persisted in intruding into the waters off Huangyan Dao despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the CCG's "acts were professional, legitimate, and lawful." China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. "What the Philippines did has violated China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations," he said, urging the Philippine side to immediately stop the infringing action. Back to the article, the PRC is actually the victim here: The essence of the South China Sea issue is a dispute over territorial sovereignty, but the Philippines is trying to manipulate concepts through cognitive warfare. Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that after provoking in the South China Sea, the Philippines often blurs the essence of the issue, pointing the finger at China as a big country "bullying" the Philippines, thereby inflaming extreme democratic sentiments domestically and further consolidating the US-Philippines alliance. The Philippine government is very clear that Huangyan Dao is not within Philippine territory. Ding stated that before 1997, the Philippines had never questioned China's sovereignty over Huangyan Dao, nor had it made any territorial claims over the island. The territorial boundaries of the Philippines have been confirmed by international treaties, and Huangyan Dao is not within Philippine territory. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has illegally occupied islands and reefs in the South China Sea. It is obvious that the provocative actions of the Philippine government in the waters near the island are premeditated and organized acts of infringement on China's sovereignty. The Philippines' attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is true "infringement and provocation." BUT as we've covered before, the PRC didn't start the take over of submerged shoals and island creation until after 2010 when they, the PRC, gave up piracy in the Malacca Straight. The PRC only had an imaginary "9 Dash Line" that no one took seriously until after the Clinton Admin sold rocket parts and guidance systems to the PRC. Now for the otherside of this equation. I'm going to post stories that have video, so you can see the actions the Chinese Coast Guard took that day. A picture is worth a thousand words unless it runs counter to the narrative of a successful never-failing Biden Administration. How a Philippine coastguard ship ended up being surrounded by 12 Chinese vessels It was a rare window into confrontations most have viewed from afar. We were invited on board the Philippine Coastguard Vessel BRP Bagacay. They were on a resupply mission to Scarborough Shoal (referred to as Huangyan Dao by the Chinese), a submerged reef which China claims as its own but is within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. They were meant to be dropping off food and fuel to fishermen who rely on the lives beneath these waters. But they knew, as did we, that this journey was about far more. It felt as if they wanted to show the world they were willing to stand up to Beijing if Chinese ships tried to block their path. You'll guys have to forgive me for this next one. I read months ago here how to do a twitter feed, but when you're old, you end up with CRS. Have patience with an old man, please. https://x.com/_GioRobles/status/1785151555228082581
We'll see which one works!!! Now for The Diplomat's take on the situation: China Coast Guard Again Fires Water Cannons at Philippine Vessels Near Disputed Shoal Chinese coast guard ships have again fired high-pressure water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine government said yesterday, in the latest in a long line of incidents. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement that the PCG vessel BRP Bagacay and fishery patrol ship BRP Bankaw were carrying out "a legitimate maritime patrol" in the waters near Scarborough Shoal when they "encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction from four China Coast Guard [CCG] vessels and six Chinese maritime militia vessels." Scarborough Shoal, known to Manila as Baja de Masinloc, lies around 198 kilometers due west of Luzon island, well within the Philippines' EEZ. But the triangular shoal fell under China's control after a 10-week stand-off with the Philippines in 2012 and the CCG has maintained a permanent presence there ever since. While the Chinese authorities had for a time permitted Filipino fishermen to visit the shoal, it has moved to restrict this access over the past 18 months, as the two nations have engaged in intense stand-offs across the South China Sea. Tarriela added that the China Coast Guard had "once again installed a 380-meter floating barrier that covers the entire entrance of the shoal, effectively restricting access to the area." Chinese authorities last year installed a similar barrier, which was subsequently removed by the PCG. While the current Chinese actions are calibrated to fall short of acts of war, they have now repeatedly resulted in substantial material damage to Philippine vessels, the prospect that one of these incidents could prompt a more significant clash cannot be discounted. The United States government has affirmed on numerous occasions that any armed Chinese attack on Philippine territory, vessels, or personnel in the South China Sea will oblige it to come to the Philippines' aid under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. To an extent, of course, the distinction between acts of "enforcement" and acts of war is a semantic one a high-pressure water cannon is in many functional senses a weapon but with diplomatic efforts to resolve the stand-off seemingly stalled, this question could determine whether or not the South China Sea disputes ultimately escalate into an armed conflict. This can't be more plain. These acts while short of "war" are very close to it. Is this how the PRC is choosing to humilate the US by showing the US inability to act decively and consequently, how unreliable the US as any kind of "partner"? |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 9:43:23 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By Alacran:Alacran asks a huge question. One that I don't have an evidence backed answer to. An answer backed by direction observation says that one path of story generation is based on ad revenue driving stories and their promulgation and distribution, or a second way has governments or large corporations producing their own stories, offering them free of cost to various media for publishing with a suggesting to do so! A Third method of story generation is just simply filling up the printable space around adverts on pages. This method uses "boiler plate" stories created by wire services and purchased from wire services allowing a media company to edit, add to a story, so the media company can add a by-line to the story thus making it "their own." Thank you for opening up Progranda Friday alacran! We start here: Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: China expels Philippine vessels from waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao (I'm pretty sure this is the story @2tired2run was talking about.) We'll start with this story that Carmel posted. It's really interesting. The story is written and promulated by the PRC government. There were no accompanying photos of brave heroic actions taken by the Chinese Coast Guard oddly enough!!!!! Just words and words. I found it in multitude articles. What was hard to find was the Philippino side of the action that occured. Shall we begin: That is the defacto position of the PRC and CCP. Here's another "organ" (that's what we in the Literati call "news organizations" that push out government propaganda). There were many articles that carried this or portions of this press release out in the Wild. In case you didn't get the message, the PRC and CCP will provide you a series of in depth articles, so you can learn more, AND parrot the talking points making you look like one of those smart guys. Case in point: Hyping 'fatal' attacks is a political show by the PCG to smear China Now this "news" organization is pure CCP. While I for one certainly miss the days of "yankee running dog imperialism," today's CCP has had the best education and learned well from their Western teachers: "Hollywood, Apple, google, mainstream media, the American university system, Democratic National Committee, etc. Notice, please, we don't hear from the Chinese Coast Guard until paragraph 3: a measured response. We've been covering this story about the Scarborough Shoal from almost the beginning the of this thread. In the majority of the stories published, you will only read the Chinese name and that it's sovereign Chinese territory without ever mentioning since when and how. The Shoal itself is decidedly in the 200 mile Philippine's Exclusive Economic Zone. Funny story: the EEZ was a concept originally created by Peru after WWII and then Championed by Chile under Allende. As the PRC established relations with Allende, guess which country was in favor of it? Click To View SpoilerI'm going to pull out a couple of items out of the article. While I miss "yankee running dog" banter, I do not miss the Leftist tendency to not know when to shut up. Here we have a statement that is so authoritative that it doesn't need any references especially since the only references would be the Shoal is far away from the PRC, but much less than 200 miles from the Philippines, plus as we've covered umpteen times, in the only international adjudication that occured, the Philippines won which means the PRC's claims were groundless. You want to have some fun with the internet? Try looking up the distance of the Second Thomas Shoal from the PRC, for example. You can look up the distance to the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia etc., but if you can find the distance to China, please post it. The internet is the information super highway. Back to the article, the PRC is actually the victim here: This next one is a beaut!!!! This is true!!!! BUT as we've covered before, the PRC didn't start the take over of submerged shoals and island creation until after 2010 when they, the PRC, gave up piracy in the Malacca Straight. The PRC only had an imaginary "9 Dash Line" that no one took seriously until after the Clinton Admin sold rocket parts and guidance systems to the PRC. Now for the otherside of this equation. I'm going to post stories that have video, so you can see the actions the Chinese Coast Guard took that day. A picture is worth a thousand words unless it runs counter to the narrative of a successful never-failing Biden Administration. How a Philippine coastguard ship ended up being surrounded by 12 Chinese vessels After this block is the video player. You'll guys have to forgive me for this next one. I read months ago here how to do a twitter feed, but when you're old, you end up with CRS. Have patience with an old man, please. https://x.com/_GioRobles/status/1785151555228082581
We'll see which one works!!! Now for The Diplomat's take on the situation: China Coast Guard Again Fires Water Cannons at Philippine Vessels Near Disputed Shoal But the most important part of the article is right here: This can't be more plain. These acts while short of "war" are very close to it. Is this how the PRC is choosing to humilate the US by showing the US inability to act decively and consequently, how unreliable the US as any kind of "partner"? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By Alacran: If the Solomon Islands were so important, wouldn't there be more articles about it? Solomon Islands' new leader stay close to China? (EDITED OUT to save some space) http://www.econotimes.com/Will-Solomon-Islands-new-leader-stay-close-to-China-1676851 Newly elected prime minister in Solomon Islands is likely to keep close China ties (EDITED OUT to save some space) https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1248633417/newly-elected-prime-minister-in-solomon-islands-to-keep-close-china-ties An answer backed by direction observation says that one path of story generation is based on ad revenue driving stories and their promulgation and distribution, or a second way has governments or large corporations producing their own stories, offering them free of cost to various media for publishing with a suggesting to do so! A Third method of story generation is just simply filling up the printable space around adverts on pages. This method uses "boiler plate" stories created by wire services and purchased from wire services allowing a media company to edit, add to a story, so the media company can add a by-line to the story thus making it "their own." Thank you for opening up Progranda Friday alacran! We start here: Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-04-30/China-expels-Philippine-vessels-from-intruding-waters-adjacent-to-Huangyan-Dao-1tdrUR94cbm/p.html (I'm pretty sure this is the story @2tired2run was talking about.) We'll start with this story that Carmel posted. It's really interesting. The story is written and promulated by the PRC government. There were no accompanying photos of brave heroic actions taken by the Chinese Coast Guard oddly enough!!!!! Just words and words. I found it in multitude articles. What was hard to find was the Philippino side of the action that occured. Shall we begin: The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) on Tuesday expelled a Philippine Coast Guard ship and an official vessel that had intruded into the waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said the operation was carried out professionally, legitimately and lawfully. The CCG, acting in accordance with the law, took necessary measures, including the use of a water cannon, to expel the Philippine vessels. The Philippine action infringed upon China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law, as well as the basic norms of international relations, Gan said, urging the Philippines to immediately cease such behaviors. China indisputably holds sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant maritime areas, he said. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction according to the law and resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Gan said. In case you didn't get the message, the PRC and CCP will provide you a series of in depth articles, so you can learn more, AND parrot the talking points making you look like one of those smart guys. Case in point: Hyping 'fatal' attacks is a political show by the PCG to smear China Now this "news" organization is pure CCP. While I for one certainly miss the days of "yankee running dog imperialism," today's CCP has had the best education and learned well from their Western teachers: "Hollywood, Apple, google, mainstream media, the American university system, Democratic National Committee, etc. Notice, please, we don't hear from the Chinese Coast Guard until paragraph 3: a measured response. On Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) held a press conference, condemning "China's use of brute force to assert its illegal claims." Experts stated that smearing China's "fatal" attacks in the South China Sea has become a common tactic used by the Philippines to provoke incidents. The PCG press conference was a political show that fully demonstrates the political scheme of the Philippines to provoke its dispute in the South China Sea. According to the Philippine media, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela stated that the China Coast Guard (CCG) used a "very fatal" water cannon pressure in a recent incident at the Huangyan Dao, signaling an escalation of China's "aggression" toward Philippine vessels. This statement was in response to the incident on Tuesday, when the CCG took action and expelled Philippine vessels after the latter ignored multiple warnings from the Chinese side. China has already responded to this incident. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said on Tuesday that after Philippine vessels persisted in intruding into the waters off Huangyan Dao despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the CCG's "acts were professional, legitimate, and lawful." China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. "What the Philippines did has violated China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations," he said, urging the Philippine side to immediately stop the infringing action. Funny story: the EEZ was a concept originally created by Peru after WWII and then Championed by Chile under Allende. As the PRC established relations with Allende, guess which country was in favor of it? Click To View SpoilerI'm going to pull out a couple of items out of the article. While I miss "yankee running dog" banter, I do not miss the Leftist tendency to not know when to shut up. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG, said on Tuesday that after Philippine vessels persisted in intruding into the waters off Huangyan Dao despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the CCG's "acts were professional, legitimate, and lawful." China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. "What the Philippines did has violated China's sovereignty and seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations," he said, urging the Philippine side to immediately stop the infringing action. Back to the article, the PRC is actually the victim here: The essence of the South China Sea issue is a dispute over territorial sovereignty, but the Philippines is trying to manipulate concepts through cognitive warfare. Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that after provoking in the South China Sea, the Philippines often blurs the essence of the issue, pointing the finger at China as a big country "bullying" the Philippines, thereby inflaming extreme democratic sentiments domestically and further consolidating the US-Philippines alliance. The Philippine government is very clear that Huangyan Dao is not within Philippine territory. Ding stated that before 1997, the Philippines had never questioned China's sovereignty over Huangyan Dao, nor had it made any territorial claims over the island. The territorial boundaries of the Philippines have been confirmed by international treaties, and Huangyan Dao is not within Philippine territory. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has illegally occupied islands and reefs in the South China Sea. It is obvious that the provocative actions of the Philippine government in the waters near the island are premeditated and organized acts of infringement on China's sovereignty. The Philippines' attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is true "infringement and provocation." BUT as we've covered before, the PRC didn't start the take over of submerged shoals and island creation until after 2010 when they, the PRC, gave up piracy in the Malacca Straight. The PRC only had an imaginary "9 Dash Line" that no one took seriously until after the Clinton Admin sold rocket parts and guidance systems to the PRC. Now for the otherside of this equation. I'm going to post stories that have video, so you can see the actions the Chinese Coast Guard took that day. A picture is worth a thousand words unless it runs counter to the narrative of a successful never-failing Biden Administration. How a Philippine coastguard ship ended up being surrounded by 12 Chinese vessels It was a rare window into confrontations most have viewed from afar. We were invited on board the Philippine Coastguard Vessel BRP Bagacay. They were on a resupply mission to Scarborough Shoal (referred to as Huangyan Dao by the Chinese), a submerged reef which China claims as its own but is within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. They were meant to be dropping off food and fuel to fishermen who rely on the lives beneath these waters. But they knew, as did we, that this journey was about far more. It felt as if they wanted to show the world they were willing to stand up to Beijing if Chinese ships tried to block their path. You'll guys have to forgive me for this next one. I read months ago here how to do a twitter feed, but when you're old, you end up with CRS. Have patience with an old man, please. https://x.com/_GioRobles/status/1785151555228082581
We'll see which one works!!! Now for The Diplomat's take on the situation: China Coast Guard Again Fires Water Cannons at Philippine Vessels Near Disputed Shoal Chinese coast guard ships have again fired high-pressure water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine government said yesterday, in the latest in a long line of incidents. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement that the PCG vessel BRP Bagacay and fishery patrol ship BRP Bankaw were carrying out "a legitimate maritime patrol" in the waters near Scarborough Shoal when they "encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction from four China Coast Guard [CCG] vessels and six Chinese maritime militia vessels." Scarborough Shoal, known to Manila as Baja de Masinloc, lies around 198 kilometers due west of Luzon island, well within the Philippines' EEZ. But the triangular shoal fell under China's control after a 10-week stand-off with the Philippines in 2012 and the CCG has maintained a permanent presence there ever since. While the Chinese authorities had for a time permitted Filipino fishermen to visit the shoal, it has moved to restrict this access over the past 18 months, as the two nations have engaged in intense stand-offs across the South China Sea. Tarriela added that the China Coast Guard had "once again installed a 380-meter floating barrier that covers the entire entrance of the shoal, effectively restricting access to the area." Chinese authorities last year installed a similar barrier, which was subsequently removed by the PCG. While the current Chinese actions are calibrated to fall short of acts of war, they have now repeatedly resulted in substantial material damage to Philippine vessels, the prospect that one of these incidents could prompt a more significant clash cannot be discounted. The United States government has affirmed on numerous occasions that any armed Chinese attack on Philippine territory, vessels, or personnel in the South China Sea will oblige it to come to the Philippines' aid under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. To an extent, of course, the distinction between acts of "enforcement" and acts of war is a semantic one a high-pressure water cannon is in many functional senses a weapon but with diplomatic efforts to resolve the stand-off seemingly stalled, this question could determine whether or not the South China Sea disputes ultimately escalate into an armed conflict. This can't be more plain. These acts while short of "war" are very close to it. Is this how the PRC is choosing to humilate the US by showing the US inability to act decively and consequently, how unreliable the US as any kind of "partner"?  Holy cow!! Your detailed response to my sarcastic comment/question shows why this thread goes well beyond just typical information. Thanks to you and the routine postings of CarmelBytheSea. The way I look at this is the South Pacific could be simply thought of as a canal or passageway from one point t the other. Whoever controls the Panama Canal & the Suez Canal controls commerce in that portion of the world. The same is true for these islands. I also think a reason that the Pacific theater doesn’t get the attention that the European theater gets from WWII is that at Pacific theater was extremely brutal and violent. It’s vast area can’t be overlooked, either. Couple these things with China’s progress in building it’s navy ships to incredible numbers is very alarming for our future. Thanks again for a great thread and continued updates! |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 9:56:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: CarmelBytheSea]
[#27]
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Posted: 5/4/2024 11:37:36 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: Holy cow!! Your detailed response to my sarcastic comment/question shows why this thread goes well beyond just typical information. Thanks to you and the routine postings of CarmelBytheSea. The way I look at this is the South Pacific could be simply thought of as a canal or passageway from one point t the other. Whoever controls the Panama Canal & the Suez Canal controls commerce in that portion of the world. The same is true for these islands. I also think a reason that the Pacific theater doesn't get the attention that the European theater gets from WWII is that at Pacific theater was extremely brutal and violent. It's vast area can't be overlooked, either. Couple these things with China's progress in building it's navy ships to incredible numbers is very alarming for our future. Thanks again for a great thread and continued updates! AND you're absolutely correct about the overall shipping lane choke points. The ice fields off of Antartica have been expanding, putting a lot of "sea way" off limits to navigation, it's been that bad. Not only does that move traffic further North, it forces traffic through the various island archipelagos throughout the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 11:43:36 AM EDT
[#29]
Quick Score Card time:
China operates 9 military aircraft, 5 naval ships around Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Friday (May 3) and the same time Saturday (May 4). The ministry said it monitored the situation with its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, and deployed land-based air defense missile systems. However, at the time of publication, it did not mention whether the Chinese planes had crossed the median line or entered the nation's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).  Attached FileThus far in May, the ministry has detected Chinese military aircraft 39 times and naval vessels 21 times. |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 12:25:49 PM EDT
[Last Edit: zoinks]
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/26/us/politics/us-china-military-bases-weapons.html Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/26/us/politics/us-china-military-bases-weapons.html I'm posting the link for the "reader view," so hopefully you can by-pass the pay wall: U.S. Builds Web of Arms, Ships and Bases in the Pacific to Deter China That didn't work!! "paste and go" failed me!!! You'll have to toggle "reader view" yourselves. Barf bags handy? 'Cause here we go!!! Since the start of his administration, President Biden has undertaken a strategy to expand American military access to bases in allied nations across the Asia-Pacific region and to deploy a range of new weapons systems there. He has also said the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95 billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. And Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken traveled to Shanghai and Beijing this week for meetings with Mr. Xi and other officials in which he raised China's military activity in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, calling it "destabilizing." Mr. Xi told Mr. Blinken on Friday that the United States should not play a "zero-sum game" or "create small blocs." He said that "while each side can have its friends and partners, it should not target, oppose or harm the other," according to an official Chinese summary of the meeting. It's a long read, and the top portion of the article is more of this "pats on the back" figuring that the subscribers of the NYT are satisfied with Biden Admin performance. They do list some things that are "true" even if they haven't happened yet. I'm leaving one thing mentioned early, but saving it for last here: "In 2023, we drove the most transformative year for U.S. force posture in the Indo-Pacific region in a generation," Ely S. Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said in a statement following an interview. For the first time, Japan's military will receive up to 400 of their own Tomahawk cruise missiles the newest versions of which can attack ships at sea as well as targets on land from over 1,150 miles away. The Pentagon has also gained access rights for its troops at four additional bases in the Philippines that could eventually host U.S. warplanes and advanced mobile missile launchers, if Washington and Manila agree that offensive weaponry can be placed there. The United States has bilateral mutual defense agreements with several allied nations in the region so that an attack on the assets of one nation could trigger a response from the other. Bolstering the U.S. troop presence on the soil of allied countries strengthens that notion of mutual defense. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. Mr. Xi has said his nation must eventually take control of Taiwan, by force if necessary. The main change, he said, is having American forces distributed in smaller, more mobile units across a wide arc of the region rather than being concentrated at large bases in northeast Asia. That is largely intended to counter China's efforts to build up forces that can target aircraft carriers or U.S. military outposts on Okinawa or Guam. These land forces, including a retrained and refitted U.S. Marine littoral regiment in Okinawa, will now have the ability to attack warships at sea. Interestingly, the author Yuri Gripas, poses a great question, but doesn't have a single American gov't response to it. What Deters China? I don't want to make it sound all bleak because on paper, at least, the US is extremely formidable, but War is a matter of Will, pure and simple. One word of caution about this article is that it is based on this article where the "hawks" are not actually named: U.S. Hawks Must Finally Get Real About China (This is from Time Magazine's IDEAS section. I'm not making that up, I mean I wish I had thought of something that lame, but apparently I've come up short.) I'm going to describe the article more than post quotes from it, but please feel free to read it. The article makes a lot of assumptions and creates its own defiinitions as proof. It lacks the typical attributed quotes or even a bibliography of previous books or articles as the basis for making the assumptions that it does. It's a lot like hardcore feminists telling you what men are, or communists describing market based economic principles. This ain't working for me, Elbridge! (Elbridge Colby wrote this article.) "Hawks" are the boogiemen in this article. They are unnamed. Oh, but I found the ring leaders!!!!  Attached File Attached File(Fuck! Grandpa hit the wrong button again!)  Attached FileIt's these guys. It's a real CABAL!!!!! Anyway, that's a little red meat for NYT subscribers who couldn't find the cross word page and just decided to read the rest of the article. |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 2:28:55 PM EDT
[#31]
In a continuation of Propaganda Friday, plus I can get rid of some of these book marks) here's a very interesting story:
KMT lawmaker wants references to 'China' amended to 'Mainland' Going back throughout the thread, we've described the KMT as sharing the political father of Sun Yatsen with the Chinese Communist Party. They were also at real War with each other, and the KMT pulled the government of China and brought it to the Island of Formosa which then became known as Taiwan. The KMT (that's the abreviation in Mandarin, in Freedom Chinese (Cantonese) it's the GMT). The KMT brought with them the Chinese government known as the Republic of China while the Chinese Communist Party instituted the People's Republic of China. If You couldn't realize the scale of the take overs of China and Formosa, you'd be hard press to tell the difference between the two take overs. More on that after this article. KMT lawmaker wants references to 'China' amended to 'Mainland' KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi also wants references to 'our country' changed to 'Taiwan' TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Kuomintang (KMT) caucus convener Fu Kun-chi ( ) on Wednesday (May 1) asked the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee to change mention of "China" in a provisional proposal to "Mainland." Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chiao-hui ( ) had proposed that ministries study whether Taiwan should start group visits to China and the scope of such openings, reported UDN. In turn, Fu requested textual modifications, changing "our country" to "Taiwan,""China" to "Mainland," and "our country's restricted navigation area" to "Taiwan's restricted navigation area." On Thursday (May 2), DPP legislators lashed out at Fu for appearing to kowtow to Beijing. DPP Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung ( ) criticized Fu, saying he was "stirring up trouble" and lacked integrity when facing China. I'm going to pause our coverage here of this story (it has a great ending!!) and go into some history of the KMT entering Formosa. We're going to start with a wikipedia article: February 28 incident The February 28 incident (also called the February 28 massacre,[3][4] the 228 incident,[5] or the 228 massacre)[5] was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan in 1947 that was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang led nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC). Directed by provincial governor Chen Yi and president Chiang Kai-shek, thousands of civilians were killed beginning on February 28.[6] The incident is considered to be one of the most important events in Taiwan's modern history and was a critical impetus for the Taiwan independence movement.[7] In 1945, following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, the Allies handed administrative control of Taiwan over to China, thus ending 50 years of Japanese colonial rule. Local residents became resentful of what they saw as high-handed and frequently corrupt conduct on the part of the Kuomintang (KMT) authorities, including the arbitrary seizure of private property, economic mismanagement, and exclusion from political participation. The flashpoint came on February 27, 1947, in Taipei, when agents of the State Monopoly Bureau struck a Taiwanese widow suspected of selling contraband cigarettes. An officer then fired into a crowd of angry bystanders, hitting one man, who died the next day.  Soldiers fired upon demonstrators the next day, after which a radio station was seized by protesters and news of the revolt was broadcast to the entire island. As the uprising spread, the KMT-installed governor Chen Yi called for military reinforcements, and the uprising was violently put down by the National Revolutionary Army. Two years later, and for 38 years thereafter, the island would be placed under martial law in a period known as the "White Terror."During the White Terror, the KMT persecuted perceived political dissidents, and the incident was considered too taboo to be discussed. President Lee Teng-hui became the first president to discuss the incident publicly on its anniversary in 1995. The event is now openly discussed, and its details have become the subject of government and academic investigation. February 28 is now an official public holiday called Peace Memorial Day, on which the president of Taiwan gathers with other officials to ring a commemorative bell in memory of the victims. Monuments and memorial parks to the victims of the February 28 incident have been erected in a number of Taiwanese cities. In particular, Taipei's former Taipei New Park was renamed 228 Peace Memorial Park, and the National 228 Memorial Museum was opened on February 28, 1997. The Kaohsiung Museum of History also has a permanent exhibit detailing the events of the incident in Kaohsiung.[9][10] In 2019, the Transitional Justice Commission exonerated those who were convicted in the aftermath.[11] The wiki article describes the earlier period as well: During the 50 years of Japanese rule in Taiwan (1895 1945), Taiwan experienced economic development and an increased standard of living, serving as a supply base for the Japanese main islands.[14] After World War II, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China to provide stability until a permanent arrangement could be made. Chen Yi, the governor-general of Taiwan, arrived on October 24, 1945, and received the last Japanese governor, Ando Rikichi, who signed the document of surrender on the next day. Chen Yi then proclaimed the day as Retrocession Day to make Taiwan part of the Republic of China. Taiwanese perceptions of Japanese rule were more positive than perceptions in other parts of East and Southeast Asia that came under Japanese imperialism.[15] Despite this, the Kuomintang troops from Mainland China were initially welcomed by the Taiwanese. Their harsh conduct and the corrupt KMT administration quickly led to Taiwanese discontent during the immediate postwar period. As governor-general, Chen Yi took over and sustained the Japanese system of state monopolies in tobacco, sugar, camphor, tea, paper, chemicals, petroleum refining, mining, and cement, the same way the Nationalists treated people in other former Japanese-controlled areas (earning Chen Yi the nickname "robber" ( )).[16] He confiscated some 500 Japanese-owned factories and mines, as well as the homes of former Japanese residents. Continuing: Economic mismanagement led to a large black market, runaway inflation, and food shortages. Many commodities were compulsorily bought cheaply by the KMT administration and shipped to Mainland China to meet the Civil War shortages, where they were sold at a very high profit, furthering the general shortage of goods in Taiwan. The price of rice rose to 100 times its original value between the time the Nationalists took over and the spring of 1946, increasing to nearly four times the price in Shanghai. It inflated further to 400 times the original price by January 1947.[17] Carpetbaggers from Mainland China dominated nearly all industry, as well as political and judicial offices, displacing the Taiwanese who were formerly employed. Many of the ROC garrison troops were highly undisciplined, looting, stealing, and contributing to the overall breakdown of infrastructure and public services.[18] Because the Taiwanese elites had met with some success with self-government under Japanese rule, they had expected the same system from the incoming ruling Chinese Nationalist Government. However, the Chinese Nationalists opted for a different route, aiming for the centralization of government powers and a reduction in local authority. The KMT's nation-building efforts followed this ideology because of unpleasant experiences with the diverging forces during the Warlord Era in 1916 1928 that had torn the government in China. Mainland Communists were even preparing to bring down the government like the Ili Rebellion.[19] The different goals of the Nationalists and the Taiwanese, coupled with cultural and language misunderstandings, served to further inflame tensions on both sides. Then came the crack down! As usual it started out small enough: On the evening of February 27, 1947, a Tobacco Monopoly Bureau enforcement team in Taipei went to the district of Taiheich [zh] ( ), Twatutia (Dadaocheng in Mandarin), where they confiscated contraband cigarettes from a 40-year-old widow named Lin Jiang-mai ( ) at the Tianma Tea House. When she demanded their return, one of the men struck her in the head with the butt of his gun, prompting the surrounding Taiwanese crowd to challenge the Tobacco Monopoly agents. As they fled, one agent shot his gun into the crowd, hitting a bystander who died the next day. 'Kneel and apologize!': 76 years after island-wide massacre, Taiwan continues to commemorate and debate the tragedy (One hell of a title, but again, no different than in the PRC.) From 228 to transitional justice in Taiwan This article is dealing with how to put the history into a cultural context allowing civil society to progress. Now back to our original story: KMT lawmaker wants references to 'China' amended to 'Mainland' On Thursday (May 2), DPP legislators lashed out at Fu for appearing to kowtow to Beijing. DPP Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung ( ) criticized Fu, saying he was "stirring up trouble" and lacked integrity when facing China. Chuang added that if Fu wants to adhere to the KMT's interpretation of the constitution, Taiwan should be referred to as the "Free Area of the Republic of China." Chuang said, "The KMT is afraid to admit that Taiwan is a sovereign independent country." Even when deliberating bills in the legislature, "every word has to be carefully considered for fear of offending China," said Chuang. He then added, "Such an opposition party is without integrity." DPP Legislator Lai Hui-yuan ( ) also criticized Fu for becoming "China's lackey," reported Liberty Times. |
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Posted: 5/4/2024 2:57:06 PM EDT
[#32]
Last one for the day:
US official slams China's use of UN resolution to claim sovereignty over Taiwan (I'm going to break this up as best as possible, so there may be an ETA over it.) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert blasted China's distortion of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 to justify its claim over Taiwan during a discussion at the German Marshall Fund on Monday (April 29). The resolution, passed in 1971, only addresses the issue of the "China seat" at the U.N., transferring representation from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China, Lambert said. China has falsely linked the resolution with its "one China" principle, he said. What all those words mean for us, is that Nixon/Kissinger wanted to make sure that the two largest communist power centers (USSR and PRC) never joined together...ever. (Biden certainly thwarted that plan.) It was a two year process culminating in Nixon/Kissinger going to the PRC to meet Mao and Chou En Lai (in freedom Chinese.) As part of the "deal", the PRC would replace the ROK on the Security Committee as a permanent member. Taiwan would have a status within the UN, but recently the PRC has been trying to destroy that as well. Here's a US State Dept press release from the office of Sec Blinken from a few years back describing the situation: Supporting Taiwan's Participation in the UN System (Please read at your leisure) Taiwan has become a democratic success story. Its model supports transparency, respect for human rights, and the rule of law values that align with those of the United Nations (UN). Taiwan is critical to the global high-tech economy and a hub of travel, culture, and education. We are among the many UN member states who view Taiwan as a valued partner and trusted friend. As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems. This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan. Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one. The fact that Taiwan participated robustly in certain UN specialized agencies for the vast majority of the past 50 years is evidence of the value the international community places in Taiwan's contributions. Recently, however, Taiwan has not been permitted to contribute to UN efforts. Despite the tens of millions of passengers traveling annually through its airports, Taiwan was not represented at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) triennial assembly. Although we have much to learn from Taiwan's world-class response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan was not at the World Health Assembly. Members of civil society from around the world engage every day in activities at the UN, but Taiwan's scientists, technical experts, business persons, artists, educators, students, human rights advocates, and others are blocked from entry and participating in these activities simply because of the passports they hold. Taiwan's exclusion undermines the important work of the UN and its related bodies, all of which stand to benefit greatly from its contributions. We need to harness the contributions of all stakeholders toward solving our shared challenges. That is why we encourage all UN Member States to join us in supporting Taiwan's robust, meaningful participation throughout the UN system and in the international community, consistent with our "one China" policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. Back to our original story: US official slams China's use of UN resolution to claim sovereignty over Taiwan Lambert listed four points regarding the resolution. First, it does not endorse China's "one China" principle or represent international consensus. Second, the relationships between Taiwan and other countries are sovereign decisions of each country and unrelated to the resolution, he said. Third, the resolution does not decide the political status of Taiwan in the U.N., Lambert said. Finally, it does not exclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the U.N. and other international organizations, he said. The official pointed out that when Nauru severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in January, it cited the resolution and the "one China" principle as reasons for its decision. He cited American Institute in Taiwan Chair Laura Rosenberger as saying at the time that the resolution did not determine Taiwan's status, or prevent any country from establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan, nor did it exclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the U.N. system. The world needs to oppose China's distortion of UN Resolution 2758, Lambert said, since Taiwan has valuable expertise and resources it can share with the international community. He specifically brought up Taiwan's contribution to global public health. If Taiwan could have shared information with the World Health Organization (WHO) before the COVID-19 pandemic, the outcome might have been different, he said. |
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Posted: 5/5/2024 1:05:26 PM EDT
[#33]
Propaganda Friday comes to a close today!!! Whew, it was a big one.
I think this is the last of Carmel's assigned tasks!!  But, it's a good one in that this is directly from the CCP, so we can take their word on it:Wang warns against provoking camp confrontation in the South Pacific region during PNG visit Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized Saturday that China's assistance to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) has always been free of political conditions and impositions while warning that the AUKUS trilateral security partnership formed by the US, the UK, and Australia will bring instability to the region. Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a joint press conference after he met with Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, the Xinhua News Agency reported. That's a pretty powerful message made even more powerful as there is no counter-message from the top level political leaders of AUKUS!!!! That alone makes it seem like China is "truthful" in its assessment of the situation, but it also stands to reason that China is "truthful" in the rest of what it says. Here's some more of Wang's remarks: Wang said that China's assistance to PICs has always been free of political conditions and impositions, and China has never issued "blank checks". And he also called on the international community to pay more attention to the special situation and legitimate concerns of the PICs, to focus on issues of the greatest concerns to them, such as climate change and improvement of people's livelihoods, and to come up with more ideas, more solutions, more practical work and more good deeds. The island countries are the homeland of their people, not the "backyard" of any major power, Wang said at the press conference. The senior Chinese diplomat's visit to the PNG, the largest island country among the South Pacific Island countries and home to the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum, showed again China's high regard not only for the PNG but also for Pacific Island countries, sending the message that despite the volatile global situation, China's support for the PICs is steadfast and unwavering, executive director at the Asia Pacific Studies Centre of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Saturday. More importantly, the Chinese Foreign Minister once again reaffirmed China's diplomatic stance, the significance of which extends beyond the scope of this trip itself, contrasting to the US' and West's double standards and the camp confrontation they create in the region. Any attempt to provoke camp confrontation in the South Pacific region does not serve the urgent needs of South Pacific island countries, Wang Yi said on Saturday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has repeatedly emphasized China's commitment to peace and development in the international community during this visit, which is not only an important commitment as a responsible major country but also a clear statement of China's stance on fairness and justice in the international community, in sharp contrast to the US vetoing Palestine's bid for full UN membership, and the AUKUS, essentially a small clique formed by the US targeting China, observers said. Again, all of this went uncountered and probably unnoticed by our current and beloved Administration. |
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Posted: 5/5/2024 1:21:12 PM EDT
[#34]
Here's a new move by the PRC:
China 'normalizes' coast guard patrols around Taiwan's Kinmen TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Beijing announced on Monday (April 29) that it has "normalized" patrols by its coast guard in the waters around Taiwan's outer island of Kinmen. China's Ministry of National Defense said that since April, the Fujian Coast Guard has strengthened "law enforcement patrols" in the waters near Kinmen. It said this "further enhances control over relevant sea areas, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests, as well as the safety of life and property, of Chinese fishermen, including those from Taiwan." The Chinese defense ministry claimed these patrols would "effectively ensure the normal navigation and operational order in the waters of the Xiamen-Kinmen region." On Friday (May 3), Paul Huang, a Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation research fellow, said on X that this normalization of Chinese coast guard patrols means they have been made permanent. He claimed that restricted waters around Kinmen are now "de facto non-existent." Does this mean (it probably does) that Taiwan will now be dealing with more of the following: Video shows Chinese fishing boat on island controlled by Taiwan military (I'll post the youtube video at the end of this) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) A video surfaced last week showing a Chinese fishing boat moored on a Taiwanese island and two Chinese fishers from the vessel were taken into custody on another nearby island. On Thursday (April 25), a Taiwanese fisherman posted a video showing a Chinese fishing boat on the shore of Gaodeng Island, which is only 9 km away from China. The Army's Matsu Defense Command said on Thursday that a Chinese fisherman was found on an uninhabited island near Gaodeng Island and placed under arrest, reported CNA. A fisherman from Lienchiang County's Beigan Township told CNA he spotted the Chinese boat docked on the island. He took a video with his phone, posted it on social media platforms such as Line and YouTube, and informed the military and Coast Guard. Tai Sounds reported the Coast Guard arrested a second Chinese fisherman from the boat at 6:45 p.m. on Friday (April 26). The two Chinese men were sent to Lienchiang County's Nangan Township for questioning. Local fishermen said they frequently see Chinese fishing boats approach Gaodeng Island. They mainly collect sea snails attached to the rocks on the shore during low tide. Kung Chiung-yu ( ), director of Matsu Defense Command's Department of Political Warfare, confirmed to CNA that the video of the incident was from Gaodeng Island, which is off-limits to the public and controlled by the Army. The video shows the boat. It's pretty short. As I can't read nor understand Taiwanese, I have no idea what is said or if there's a larger context that this video "fits" in. However! It's a good time to post the reminder that the PRC "fishing fleet" is quasi-governmental. It's more of a militia. |
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Posted: 5/5/2024 1:27:55 PM EDT
[#35]
Today's Score Card shows a little something different: a drone created a new pattern:
Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese military aircraft, 5 naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Saturday (May 4) and 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 5). Of the seven People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Chinese drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, entering the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.  Attached FileSo far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 46 times and naval vessels 19 times. Next story: Defense ministry says Taiwan in peak period to build 'kill chain' against China This article has two distinct parts, but were included in the same report to the Ministry. Here's the first part: TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) says Taiwan is in the peak period of weapon acquisition to strengthen its integrated kill chain functionality and thwart a Chinese attack. The ministry said it will continue to improve the integration of newly acquired weapons with command and control systems to enhance complete kill chain functionality, thereby doubling combat effectiveness, per CNA. "Kill chain" refers to a sequence of tactical steps or processes in which weaponry finds, engages, and "kills" targets in military operations. On April 26, MND submitted a written report to the Legislative Yuan titled "Taiwan's Latest Defense Military Preparation and Strategic Actions in the Face of the International Warfare Situation." It stated the military is sharing information about the Indo-Pacific with allied countries to construct a regionally integrated deterrence force. The report said that having real-time access to the latest and most accurate battlefield intelligence grants superiority and initiative on the battlefield. The report added that Taiwan and the U.S. have established a task force to accelerate arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense have established a "Tiger Team" to optimize the execution of arms sales to Taiwan. |
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Posted: 5/5/2024 1:40:33 PM EDT
[#36]
This last story I'm including is to show an aspect of Taiwan society and culture that is unknown to most:
Soldier's experience underscores rising Chinese threat towards Taiwan I'm going to post the whole thing, but try and break it up, so it doesn't look like a wall of text. TAIPEI (Taiwan News) A Financial Times report on Thursday (May 2) highlighted the increasing Chinese threat towards Taiwan through the military experience of an Indigenous soldier. At 19, Pa Wen-shan enlisted in the army in 2012 and was deployed in the Aviation and Special Forces Command in Taiwan's southwest. Pa, a member of the Kaaluwan tribe, hailed from Jialan village in Taitung. "I was young. I had joined the special forces because I liked challenges," he said. He was later transferred to an army garrison closer to home after his father's death. More than 900 of the 1,800 soldiers who serve at Taiping are Indigenous, FT reported. "I encouraged the youngsters from my tribe to join the army and brought many of them in here," Pa said. In 2014, the army had Pa enrolled in a one-year business administration program through which he received a university degree. This allowed him to take a qualifying exam that put him on track to become an officer. It was not until March 30, 2015, that a Chinese H-6 bomber flew through the Bashi Channel, and turned northward into the Pacific flying near Taiwan's east coast for the first time. "Previously, I didn't think they could attack at all, and anyway we felt safer here. But I began to understand that the PLA is getting stronger and stronger," Pa said. From then on, cross-strait tensions only increased. In November 2016, several Chinese aircraft circumnavigated Taiwan for the first time. By 2018, China's first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, conducted a drill east of Taiwan. It was not until the war in Ukraine in 2022 that Taiwan began rolling out military reforms to bolster its reserve force and improve training. Target practice and exercises were ordered to be more realistic. "We now go on combat readiness patrols off base four days a week," Pa said. Now, he leads his unit to patrol the entire perimeter of the air base and civilian airport they are assigned to defend. They also test which roads are big enough for their armored vehicles and plan emergency escape routes. Troops have a detailed mental map of the surrounding landscape and can navigate the terrain with maps and a compass. The garrison now supplies 826 rounds per soldier, annually, and mandates varied target practice that includes different firing positions. Instilling a will to fight is the primary challenge Pa will face when he becomes an officer, FT said. He explains to his friends and family how China uses psychological warfare to spread a defeatist attitude among the enemy. Here's some "take-aways" for your pondering enjoyment. First is if it seems like the PRC is upping the pressure/tempo of thing in the area, you are correct. Everyone is responding to PRC actions. They are in control. Second, the original inhabitants are tribal peoples. That's in contrast to the PRC where people are divided in linguistic groups. This is another distinct feature contrasting the Taiwan and the PRC: societies developed distinct from each other. |
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Posted: 5/5/2024 3:24:35 PM EDT
[#37]
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:47:07 AM EDT
[#38]
Xi Jinping talks peace in France at the same time as this after the Philippines incident
Fucking China https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/05/06/asia/china-australia-helicopter-flares-intl-hnk-ml  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 10:48:41 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: China state news https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1311678.shtml https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3959_jpeg-3206263.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3956_jpeg-3206264.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3957_jpeg-3206265.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3958_jpeg-3206266.JPG This is a significant story. I would expect to see more stories/narratives coming from the CCP with this as it's basis. We have a cast of three characters:
We have the words "tactically" and "strategically" being used when describing agreements between US and its allies. Most importantly, we have the word "Ukrainization" specifically regarding the Philippines. As I'm fighting the word processing function here, we'll just have to look at "Ukrainization". Our Cast is not inferring nor implying that the Russian Federation is going to invade the Philippines which is what happened to the Ukraine. Our Cast of Characters is talking about the run up to the invasion. I don't care how you feel about the Ukraine at all. Outside of arfcom, the World sees it this way: Revolution overthrew pro-Russian President. Russia blames Obama Admin. Russia takes over the Crimea and a bunch of ethnic Russian areas of the Ukraine. Biden Admin continually and pubically says the Ukraine will be part of NATO even though the Ukraine is involved in a "territorial dispute" and there were a whole host of agreements since the '90s where the US promised the Russians that the Ukraine will not be a part of NATO. The Russians then "formalize" and make public their invasion of the Ukraine. The CCP is saying that the US is doing to the Philippines what they US did to the Ukrainians, and that the PRC will responds in a similar manner. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 12:15:19 AM EDT
[#40]
Score Card time!!
Taiwan tracks 6 Chinese naval vessels, 3 military aircraft around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked six Chinese naval vessels and three military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 5) and 6 a.m. on Monday (May 6). Of the three People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two entered the southwest corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.  Attached FileTaiwan tracks 10 Chinese military aircraft, 5 naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (May 6) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 7). Of the 10 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Another PLA jet flew into the southwest sector of the ADIZ, while a Chinese helicopter was tracked in the southeast portion of the zone.  Attached FileSo far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 59 times and naval vessels 30 times. There's also another wrinkle in the PRC crosses formerly agreed upon territorial lines, plus it's an update from an article we covered (we're very efficient here!): 4 Chinese coast guard ships enter Taiwan's territorial waters off Kinmen TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Four Chinese coast guard ships entered territorial waters off the coast of Kinmen, before being driven out by Taiwan Coast Guard vessels on Monday (May 6). The Coast Guard said at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Chinese coast guard vessels numbered 14608, 14604, 14512, and 14603 navigated into Kinmen's territorial waters. After the Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats the Chinese vessels withdrew at 4:37 p.m. The Coast Guard said the Chinese coast guard has recently been sailing ships into the waters south of Kinmen. Coast Guard personnel have positioned and dispatched patrol boats to intercept and drive away the Chinese vessels. The Coast Guard said the waters south of Kinmen are busy with maritime traffic, serving as a crucial thoroughfare, with numerous vessels navigating, entering, and departing ports, as well as anchoring while awaiting port entry. The high-speed navigation by Chinese coast guard vessels in these waters has "severely disrupted cross-strait peace and stability, affecting maritime safety and traffic order," said the Coast Guard. It urged China to cease these actions and to "uphold the principle of reciprocity and mutual respect to jointly maintain maritime order and ensure the safety and well-being of people on both sides of the strait." The Coast Guard said it would continuously monitor the situation in response to China's actions. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 1:03:29 PM EDT
[#41]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 1:13:06 PM EDT
[#42]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 3:42:03 PM EDT
[#43]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 4:29:09 PM EDT
[#44]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 7:19:06 PM EDT
[#45]
Oh yeah right.
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Posted: 5/8/2024 7:30:19 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Extra minutes this morning!!! This is a significant story. I would expect to see more stories/narratives coming from the CCP with this as it's basis. We have a cast of three characters:
We have the words "tactically" and "strategically" being used when describing agreements between US and its allies. Most importantly, we have the word "Ukrainization" specifically regarding the Philippines. As I'm fighting the word processing function here, we'll just have to look at "Ukrainization". Our Cast is not inferring nor implying that the Russian Federation is going to invade the Philippines which is what happened to the Ukraine. Our Cast of Characters is talking about the run up to the invasion. I don't care how you feel about the Ukraine at all. Outside of arfcom, the World sees it this way: Revolution overthrew pro-Russian President. Russia blames Obama Admin. Russia takes over the Crimea and a bunch of ethnic Russian areas of the Ukraine. Biden Admin continually and pubically says the Ukraine will be part of NATO even though the Ukraine is involved in a "territorial dispute" and there were a whole host of agreements since the '90s where the US promised the Russians that the Ukraine will not be a part of NATO. The Russians then "formalize" and make public their invasion of the Ukraine. The CCP is saying that the US is doing to the Philippines what they US did to the Ukrainians, and that the PRC will responds in a similar manner. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: China state news https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1311678.shtml https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3959_jpeg-3206263.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3956_jpeg-3206264.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3957_jpeg-3206265.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_3958_jpeg-3206266.JPG This is a significant story. I would expect to see more stories/narratives coming from the CCP with this as it's basis. We have a cast of three characters:
We have the words "tactically" and "strategically" being used when describing agreements between US and its allies. Most importantly, we have the word "Ukrainization" specifically regarding the Philippines. As I'm fighting the word processing function here, we'll just have to look at "Ukrainization". Our Cast is not inferring nor implying that the Russian Federation is going to invade the Philippines which is what happened to the Ukraine. Our Cast of Characters is talking about the run up to the invasion. I don't care how you feel about the Ukraine at all. Outside of arfcom, the World sees it this way: Revolution overthrew pro-Russian President. Russia blames Obama Admin. Russia takes over the Crimea and a bunch of ethnic Russian areas of the Ukraine. Biden Admin continually and pubically says the Ukraine will be part of NATO even though the Ukraine is involved in a "territorial dispute" and there were a whole host of agreements since the '90s where the US promised the Russians that the Ukraine will not be a part of NATO. The Russians then "formalize" and make public their invasion of the Ukraine. The CCP is saying that the US is doing to the Philippines what they US did to the Ukrainians, and that the PRC will responds in a similar manner. Probably wont go well either china had to cross an ocean not walk across the street like russia did. We gonna take bets on how good the chinese are compared to the Russians? |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 3:59:42 AM EDT
[#47]
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Posted: 5/9/2024 12:54:46 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/482001/IMG_0768_png-3209384.JPG They will all be either quietly or very publicly replaced |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 5:07:20 PM EDT
[#49]
Every country surrounding India from Burma and Bhutan to Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka etc has slid into the China camp even Bangladesh one of the last to do so
https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1832479  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 5:47:35 PM EDT
[#50]
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