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Posted: 5/9/2024 9:56:45 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryThe armed forces of China and France have set up a new inter-theatre cooperation and dialogue mechanism, as tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea. Collaboration between the two militaries' naval and air forces will help to further deepen mutual trust and cooperation, and jointly safeguard regional security and stability, China's defence ministry said in a statement on Friday. Here's some headlines from the past: With China in mind, India and France deepen military cooperation (from 2018) France, the Other Indo-Pacific Power (from 2020) Japan, France seek to deepen security ties amid China's rise (from 2022) China hosts foreign naval officials amid South China Sea tensions (from April. 2024) The four-day event with delegations from 30 countries comes during heightened tensions in the South China Sea, as U.S. treaty ally Manila is in an increasingly fraught standoff with Beijing over the strategic waterway, which could be a potential flashpoint for U.S-China relations. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler will attend the Western Pacific Naval Symposium on behalf of the United States, according to a source familiar with the matter. Other country delegations include Australia, France, India, South Korea, Russia and Britain, state media reported. |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 10:12:30 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 2tired2run: 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? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 2tired2run: Originally 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? You're first time up at bat since declaring to the World that after your invasion of Vietnam utterly failed that the Vietnamese still learned a valuable lesson, you're going to do an amphibious operation that's probably a combination of Tarawa and Okinawa put together. Maybe we should do some sort of pool. That's probably fairer to us. |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 10:37:07 PM EDT
[#3]
Originally Posted By GoldenMead: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/482001/IMG_0768_png-3209384.JPG Originally Posted By Stillnothere: They will all be either quietly or very publicly replaced I don't think I used the NBC story when we covered this, so here it is: Chinese police are working in Kiribati, Hawaii's Pacific neighbor (this was when I was in full bitch mode saying the Kiribati is closer to Australia than Hawaii.) Kiribati has not publicly announced the policing deal with China, which comes as Beijing renews a push to expand security ties in the Pacific Islands in an intensifying rivalry with the U.S. SYDNEY, Australia Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a Pacific Ocean neighbor of Hawaii, with uniformed officers involved in community policing and a crime database program, Kiribati officials told Reuters. Kiribati's acting police commissioner, Eeri Aritiera, told Reuters the Chinese police on the island work with the local police, but that there was no Chinese police station in Kiribati. "The Chinese police delegation team work with the Kiribati Police Service to assist on Community Policing program and Martial Arts (Tai Chi) Kung Fu, and IT department assisting our crime database program," he said in an email. Up to a dozen uniformed Chinese police officers arrived last year on a six-month rotation. "They only provide the service that the Kiribati Police Service needs or request," Aritiera said. "It is about extraterritorial control," he said. Chinese police would also "have eyes on Kiribati's domestic politics and its diplomatic partners." |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 10:51:47 PM EDT
[#4]
Quick Score Card time!!!!
Taiwan tracks 23 Chinese military aircraft, 5 naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 23 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 8) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (May 9). Of the 23 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, four crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, three entered the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and one helicopter was tracked in the southeast ADIZ, according to the MND.  Attached FileA helicopter did the boxed/contained flight pattern on the right. That's new!! They never say where the flight originated from. "That would be good information for us to have," he said for selfish reasons. Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese naval ships, 6 military aircraft around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and six military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (May 9) and 6 a.m. on Friday (May 10). Of the six People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, while one fighter jet and one drone entered the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.  Attached FileAnother new pattern, the box in the lower left near another island (reference point.) So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 104 times and naval vessels 48 times. Here's a story about a possible way that the PRC may initiate an amphibious invasion/assault: 14 Chinese coast guard, fishing ships intrude on Taiwan's waters off Kinmen We've covered this move by the PRC before, but this time it's much bigger, occured over a longer time period, and the Chinese Coast Guard ships were with Chinese Fishing Militia ships: TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Eleven Chinese coast guard ships and three fishing boats intruded into Kinmen's prohibited and restricted waters in two convoys on Thursday (May 9). The Coast Guard detected the Chinese ships south of Kinmen's waters at noon. At 3 p.m., seven Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted waters approximately 7 km (4 NM) southwest of Kinmen, accompanied by three Chinese fishing boats suspected of conducting exercises with them. The Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats to monitor and broadcast warnings to the 10 Chinese ships. At the same time, four Chinese coast guard ships entered the prohibited and restricted waters south of Kinmen. The Coast Guard deployed another three patrol boats to monitor the situation. Shadowed by Coast Guard patrol boats, the Chinese ships exited Kinmen waters by 4:30 p.m. The Coast Guard said this was the fourth intrusion by Chinese coast guard ships into waters around Kinmen this month. The Coast Guard emphasized that the southern waters of Kinmen are vital shipping lanes with heavy maritime traffic. It said the repeated high-speed formations of Chinese vessels have disrupted cross-strait peace and stability and endangered maritime safety, hindering peaceful exchanges between the two countries. |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 11:25:53 PM EDT
[#5]
Now for some Propaganda Phriday stories! (I updated the graphics using a "ph" for an "f." I'm totally cool now.)
The KMT is acting like the Democrats here!!!! Three Stories: Taiwan foreign ministry files legal action against KMT lawmaker after leak TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has filed a legal complaint against a Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker who publicly revealed confidential details of an MOU signed with the Czech Republic. Hsu made the confidential documents public in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 5), after the foreign ministry sent them to all legislators for review. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party also filed legal action against Hsu on Monday (May 6), accusing her of leaking information that may harm national security. According to Hsu's Facebook post, she revealed the content of the documents after a legislative hearing during which she felt Foreign Minister Joseph Wu ( ) failed to adequately respond to her concerns about the MOU. Under the MOU, 30-40% of the NT$323.6 million (US$10 million) aid donation would be used to purchase medical supplies from Taiwanese companies. The documents revealed by Hsu relate to an MOU signed between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in December, which aimed to send aid from Taiwan to Ukraine via a Czech NGO. Hsu questioned if the foreign ministry could adequately monitor the funds, and suggested the arrangement could be used to favor certain businesses for political favors. Hsu questioned whether certain companies would be awarded these contracts based on political favoritism. She also claimed that MOFA sought to "indirectly intervene" in Czech politics via the Czech Health Technology Institute (CHTI), through which Taiwan's aid would be sent to Ukraine. The upshot to all of this is that a KMT legislature revealed classified not-for-puplic information about an agreement between Taiwan, the Czech gov't and a Czech NGO for the Czechs to purchase medical supplies to then hand over to the Ukraine. Now the Memorandom of Understanding (MOU) has not been published, so we don't know the wording of the agreement, but Ms. Hsu is worried about funds being used to pay favored companies by buying medical supplies from them: DPP corruption through band-aids essentially. Here's two ways to look at this violation of the rules (at the minimum) or just publically releasing to the World classified information that the Taiwanese gov't did not want public. Way number 1: We can take Ms. Hsu's word for it that she's so worried about her rival political party's corruption, that she bravely and stunningly violated a law to let the entire World know that she is overwhelmingly concerned over $10 Million out of a $324 Million aid package. Let that one sink in!! Way number 2: Ms Hsu decided that she would bravely and stunningly show how the Taiwan was trying to pull a fast one and violated a law to let the World know that Taiwan was secretly sending $324 Million in aid to the Ukraine which could be seen by the CCP/PRC as Taiwan acting all independent in the World, and thus providing another "nail" in Taiwan's proverbial coffin. Not really much of a contest there. There's actually a third possibility, but this one would require a great deal more evidence that would say China would be the biggest beneficiary of rebuilding the Ukraine when "hostilities cease", as they say. If this were to be the case, the Taiwan is literally taking jobs away from China!! That one is really pushing it. Before filing the lawsuit on Monday, MOFA spokesperson Liu said it was "total nonsense" to suggest the agreement was secret, as details of the MOU were distributed to all legislators. Liu said that portions of the MOU were kept confidential to prevent obstruction from outside actors. Following the accusations of criminal wrongdoing, Hsu doubled down and said she had a clear conscience, per CNA. She said she would continue to reveal what she believed were deliberately concealed government secrets, and launched further attacks against Foreign Minister Wu, highlighting the loss of Taiwan's diplomatic allies during his time in the role, per UDN. |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 11:29:26 PM EDT
[#6]
Following in the same line as above:
KMT lawmakers seek to amend law for recalling elected officials in Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Kuomintang (KMT) members of the Legislative Yuan are reportedly considering amending Taiwan's law governing the recall of elected officials, allegedly in an effort to thwart an ongoing campaign to oust Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang ( ). According to Article 90 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, for a recall vote to be successful, at least 25% of the district's electorate must vote "agree" to the recall vote, while also outnumbering the "disagree" votes. However, some KMT legislators are seeking to change the law, by adding an additional requirement that the "agree" votes must to also surpass the number of votes that originally elected an official to office, reported UDN. Legislator Hsu Yu-chen ( ) is a KMT lawmaker pushing for the amendment. Hsu claims that the current threshold for recall of an elected official is too low. Hsu argues that the law in its current form makes it too easy to expel officials from office, and that the measure has been abused as a partisan political tool that wastes public resource. She also argues that an amendment should be made to forbid launching recall campaigns within the first year of an elected official's term. |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 11:32:54 PM EDT
[#7]
In another brave and stunning move (we need a flacid penis icon here!! pretty sure about that) we have this political stance taken by the Mayor of the capitol city, Taipei:
Taipei mayor will not attend Lai Ching-te inauguration TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an ( ) said on Friday (May 10) that he does not plan to attend the presidential inauguration of Lai Ching-te ( ), an event scheduled for May 20. In what is likely to be seen as a deliberate snub to the incoming Lai administration, Chiang, a member of the opposition Kuomintang, said that he has mayoral matters to attend to that day. Chiang made the remarks at Taipei City Hall when asked by Taipei City Councilor Chin Hui-Chu ( ) if he had received an invite to the inauguration, reported UDN. Chiang was giving updates on several development projects in the city when Chin asked about the inauguration ceremony. Mayor Chiang said that he did receive an invite, but he had other obligations that day. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 12:12:23 AM EDT
[#8]
The last time Taiwan did this, just late last year, the accused walked, and rightly so. We covered it because that's what we do here and that's who we are!!
Taiwan detains businessman, retired officers suspected of spying for China TAIPEI (Taiwan News) A Taiwanese businessman and two retired officers had their detention approved by a court Friday (May 10) on suspicion of spying for China. Chinese security officials allegedly asked the businessperson, surnamed Wen ( ), to invite retired military officers over to China for meetings, per CNA. A former officer named Chu ( ) agreed first and then recruited Chiang ( ) to join him, Kaohsiung prosecutors said. During a visit to China, the three reportedly agreed to expand their organization and persuade more serving and retired officers to join and provide information to Beijing. After completing their investigation, prosecutors raided Wen's home Thursday (May 9) and detained all three suspects. While they all denied the allegations, the investigators said they were highly likely to have broken the National Security Act. In order to prevent them from fleeing the country or from colluding, the prosecutors wanted them to be held incommunicado. The Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court approved the request Friday morning. This is the same exact set up as the last time down to even the number and type of people involved. If that doesn't suggest a pattern.... On the one hand, it could be that groups of three people in this configuration, led by a business man along with two retired/former officers, are extremely susceptable to being turned my the MSS. Could be! We do live in a World of Possibility, nay a Universe of Possiblities!! (See what I did there????) On the other hand, Gentlemen, it could also be that this is a really good mind fuck perpetuated by the PRC (they're not stupid) in showing your everyday Taiwanese that your business leaders and Army guys can't really be trusted when they retire. Can they be trusted when they're on duty????? and ????? Allow me to provide an example, please. Remember way back when the Obama Administration roamed the Earth? In 2011, they announced that any serious "hacks" into US infrastructure networks or classified networks would be considered a phyical attack on the US? This was the much vaunted response to all the Chinese hacking that was going on. I think the PRC successfully got away with information some 600 to 700 times during the first years of the Obama Admin...but I digress. I want to specifically mention the Office of Personel Management hack, a White House Office, where for those of us who had security clearances, copies of our records could be taken for the price of a song! The range of records determined to be compromised was 21 Million to 24 million as if a million is a small incremental number. Why did the Chinese take them? Sure some of those files would be of people still working. That would be quite a prize in and of itself. The vast majority, no! And as the "hack" went on for over a year, IIRC, they could've figured out active record from inactive over that time, and thus made their presence on the network even smaller and harder to detect. Again, the Chinese aren't stupid. They wanted the records for a reason. One of the reasons is the story above: to cast aspersions on people and lower the morale and political will of a target population. (It could be that these three people are guilty...this time.) Other reasons are to be able to track people's movements that you might find to be a threat. They have names, SSN, finger prints, basic background information that definitely discriminates two people with the same name, physical appearance, etc., from each other unobtrusively, just a simple look at a questionaire form, and no one is the wiser that they've been distinguished from the crowd. Another reason is that here in this Country, the people that serve come from families that serve. It was the tradition until very recently. Imagine knowing who was going to be your enemy before they even knew it!!!! That's quite the coup. It's a damn good thing the CCP is run by a bunch of old Women. Otherwise, I know we won't have that Hollywood ending we're known for. Oh, by the way, here's how the Obama Administration "sovled" the PRC hacking problem once and for all: Obama, Xi Reach Agreement to End Cyberattacks And we all lived happily ever after. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 12:20:51 AM EDT
[#9]
Feel good story!!!!!!!!
Hungarians protest Xi's visit by wearing Taiwan flag, playing Pooh  Attached FileTAIPEI (Taiwan News) Hungarians on Thursday (May 9) protested Chinese leader Xi Jinping ( ) by wearing the Taiwanese flag and dressing as Winnie the Pooh. Xi is on an official state visit to Hungary, but upon his arrival in Budapest on Thursday, he encountered demonstrations and protests, reported CNA. Some people waved or wore Taiwanese flags, played the Taiwan national flag anthem loudly, and dressed up as Winnie the Pooh. Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok hosted a welcome ceremony for Xi at Buda Castle in Budapest that day. This is the third stop of Xi's first European trip in five years and is the tour's final leg. Xi then met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, with the primary topics of discussion being Russia's invasion of Ukraine and infrastructure projects. Under Orban's leadership, Hungary has become China's significant trading and investment partner in Europe as he has blocked EU motions condemning China's human rights abuses. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 4:09:56 PM EDT
[#10]
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Posted: 5/11/2024 5:31:07 PM EDT
[#11]
Sure thing numbnuts. Fuck you.
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Posted: 5/12/2024 2:48:56 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By osprey21: Sure thing numbnuts. Fuck you. https://i.postimg.cc/3NMMGyWt/pic660175.jpg The regular news was giddy with these kinds of stories back then. Of course, never mentioning about the two issues pointed out above, or the fact that many of the workers were from the South of our Border instead of across the Pacific, but none the less, don't let these facts diminish from the sacrifice of People, People gentlmen, People who wanted a better future that only democratic party candidates could deliver that extra special promise!!!! By 2020, there was no longer the need for that simplistic charade. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:06:25 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryAnd that's because of the following. Let me quote the headline: Beijing raises 'serious concerns' after US stations Typhon Weapons System in Philippines amid South China Sea tensions -China told Asean officials that the weapons system, which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles, is a serious threat to regional security and stability -The missile system was deployed during a training exercise with the Philippines, which has repeatedly clashed with China in the disputed waters Laura Zhou Published: 7:06pm, 11 May 2024 China has raised "serious concerns" about the US deployment of a mid-range missile system in the Philippines during a meeting with Southeast Asian nations. The United States temporarily stationed the Typhon Weapon System, capable of supporting Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles, in the country during joint military drills last month. Here's the story the PRC wanted released last month: Balikatan 2024: missiles, military aid, China tensions in focus as 'biggest ever' US-Philippines drills begin Here's its by-line: Raissa Robles Published: 12:49pm, 23 Apr 2024 This year's Balikatan drills kicked off as Manila received BrahMos cruise missiles from India and had hopes for US$2.5 billion in US military aid -Manila's armed forces chief says Balikatan is all about 'peace and security'. -Critics call it 'warmongering' by the US in it 'proxy war with China' US accused of 'warmongering' against China as drills with Philippines begin  Attached FileAs we've been following this story, the CCP/PRC has been over the last months setting up the Philippines for a fall and really has been ratcheting up the pressure the Phililppines. Part of that pressure is to make the Philippines the "odd man out" of the ASEAN organization. We've covered the polling before that showed that almost all ASEAN nations when having to take a side would choose China over the US. Let's get last month's perspective on this as well from a Singapore publication that's one of the few foreign owned publications allowed in China: US's 'Typhon' missile system deployed in the Philippines: A dangerous move? Here's the provided summary: Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that the deployment of the US's "Typhon" missile launcher system in the Philippines might lead to heightened tensions with China, as well as the risk of disunity within ASEAN, as alignments may shift. Shortly after the closely-watched US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit, the US Army Pacific Command announced on 15 April that the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1st MDTF) successfully deployed the "Typhon", a new midrange ground-based missile launcher system, in Northern Luzon, Philippines, as part of the US-Philippines joint military exercise "Exercise Salaknib 24". The press release by the US military described the deployment as a "historic first", which would enhance interoperability, readiness and defence capabilities for both the US and Philippines militaries. For China, this is undoubtedly a move by adversaries to position threatening weapons directly at their doorstep. Following the announcement, the defence chiefs for both China and the US, China's Minister of National Defence Dong Jun and US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin, shared a phone call on the night of 16 April, the first between the two in nearly 18 months, which is a proof that China and US militaries have fully resumed dialogue. In the press releases for both sides, there was no mention of "Typhon", but both reiterated their stances with regard to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait issues with strong language, once more demonstrating that the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait have become the most sensitive issues between the two militaries, and that one issue could affect the other. The US military leveraged the joint military exercise to deploy "Typhon" on Luzon, which means the entire South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and China's eastern key coastal cities are all within range. In fact, when US Army Pacific commander General Charles Flynn visited Japan in April, he revealed to the media that the US planned to deploy in the Indo-Pacific region a midrange missile launcher system to strengthen their deterrence against China. External observers have been guessing where the US would deploy the system, as well as which country would be willing to risk directly offending China. When the THAAD missile system was deployed in the Republic of Korea years ago, China retaliated severely. Which country would bear the brunt of "Typhon" this time around? Most commentaries guessed it would be deployed in Guam, or at most in Japan - no one thought it would be the Philippines. "...no one thought it would be the Philippines." Who's in that group of "no one"? It's either a very small group or there's some real bone heads in a very large group. Now we get to the propaganda value of the story: Among the ten ASEAN countries, the Philippines is the most pro-US. The recently concluded State of Southeast Asia survey conducted by ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute found that, if forced to align itself with either China or the US, more ASEAN countries chose China than the US for the first time this year. Yet, it was the opposite for the Philippines - a whopping 78% of Philippine respondents had already chosen the US in 2023, and this figure again rose to 83% this year. Notably, while this survey is not a formal poll, since it is conducted annually, it reflects the geopolitical perspectives of the elites in ASEAN. This will certainly put pressure on the unity of ASEAN. Here's a screen shot of that:  Attached FileHere's an article on the retaliation by the PRC when the THAAD was introduced into South Korea: China, South Korea clash over THAAD anti-missile system Bilateral ties took a significant hit in 2017 when South Korea installed a missile battery employing the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in response to nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. The decision drew an angry reaction from China, which said the anti-missile system could be reconfigured to peer into its territory. Beijing retaliated by suspending Chinese group tours to South Korea and obliterating the China business of South Korean supermarket giant Lotte, which had provided land for the missile system. South Korea's previous president, Moon Jae-in, a liberal who pursued engagement with North Korea, tried to repair relations with Beijing by pledging the "Three Nos" that Seoul wouldn't deploy any additional THAAD systems; wouldn't participate in U.S.-led missile defense networks; and wouldn't form a trilateral military alliance with Washington and Tokyo. Moon's dovish approach has been discarded by his conservative successor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed stronger security cooperation with Washington and expressed a willingness to acquire more THAAD batteries to counter accelerating North Korean efforts to expand its nuclear weapon and missile programs. I'm going to add a bit more of this article for this reason: Give China an inch, and it wants it all. From stories we've covered recently, the PRC is now saying that the agreed upon "One-China Policy" that allowed it to have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council now means that Taiwan has always been a part of China. The PRC also says that some hand-shake agreement with former President Duterte is binding on future Philippino governments regardless of it never being codified into law. Regarding what former President Moon may have said when he was in office by pledging the "Three Nos", the CCP/PRC is taking that as the final word again with it only being a pledge by a President no longer in office and there is no legal authority that says that will happen. We can also compare this Chinese understanding with it's total disregard of the arbitration it lost to the Philippines in 2016. Non-roof top Koreans are also a force to be reckoned with: Commenting on Tuesday's meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in a briefing Wednesday reaffirmed Beijing's stance that the THAAD system in South Korea undermines its "strategic security interests." He added that Seoul had committed to a policy of "Three Nos and One Limit," the latter apparently referring to a pledge to limit the operations of the THAAD battery already in place, something Seoul has never publicly acknowledged. "The two foreign ministers had another in-depth exchange of views on the THAAD issue, making clear their respective positions and enhancing mutual understanding," Wang said. He said the minsters agreed to "attach importance to each other's legitimate concerns and to continue to handle and control the issue prudently" to prevent it from becoming a "stumbling stone" in bilateral relations. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it understands that Wang was referring to the policies of the Moon government with the "Three Nos and One Limit" remark. It said the Yoon government has maintained that THAAD is a defensive tool for protecting South Korean lives and property, and that it's a national security matter that Seoul isn't willing to negotiate with Beijing. It also insisted that the "Three Nos" were never a formal agreement or promise. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 11:54:44 AM EDT
[#14]
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Posted: 5/13/2024 12:15:52 PM EDT
[#15]
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Posted: 5/13/2024 12:23:22 PM EDT
[#16]
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Posted: 5/13/2024 10:34:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: zoinks]
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippine-coast-guard-wont-allow-china-reclamation-disputed-shoal-official-says-2024-05-13/ Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippine-coast-guard-wont-allow-china-reclamation-disputed-shoal-official-says-2024-05-13/ The PRC used some really harsh language at the time, and I wrote that usually means they got caught doing something they did not want anyone to find out about. But perhaps, this is what the Chinese were doing!!!! MANILA/BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Monday that it would keep a closer guard on reefs, shoals and islets in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, as China denied accusations of trying to build an artificial island in the disputed waters. The Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday it had deployed a ship to Sabina Shoal on the Spratly archipelago, where it accused China of building an artificial island, having documented what it said were piles of dead and crushed coral on the sandbars.  Attached FileChina's foreign ministry on Monday dismissed Manila's latest accusation as "groundless and pure rumour". "Recently, the Philippine side has repeatedly spread rumours, deliberately smeared China and attempted to mislead the international community, which is futile," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing. He urged Manila to "return to the right track of properly settling maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation". Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said its presence at the Escoda - or Sabina - Shoal had deterred China from doing small-scale reclamation, but that scientists would have to determine whether the piles of coral were natural or man-made. He said the coast guard was committed to maintaining a presence at the shoal, just over 120 nautical miles from the Philippine province of Palawan. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claims in the South China Sea, a vital waterway, had no basis under international law, a decision that China rejects. The Sabina Shoal is the rendezvous point for vessels resupplying Philippine troops stationed on a grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila and Beijing have had frequent run-ins. Ano has called for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over the alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral about the maritime dispute. On Monday, the Philippine foreign ministry said it would look into reports of "illegal and unlawful activities" by diplomatic officials, but did not name China. Philippines plans military upgrades to disputed South China Sea outposts Perhaps this latest incident will put this plan ahead of some others. ETA: forgot to add this story up above, and it turns out to be at the Sabina Shoal: Philippine Forces Spot 48 Chinese Fishing Vessels Guarded by Warships in Its EEZ Byline: Dzirhan Mahadzir July 7, 2023 1:49 PM The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sighted 48 Chinese fishing vessels around the Philippines Economic Exclusion Zone in the South China Sea on June 30, the service announced Friday. A Philippine Navy (PN) Brittan Norman Islander patrol aircraft spotted a large number of Chinese fishing vessels over the Iroquois Reef during patrols, the AFP Western Command said via Facebook on Friday. There were 48 Chinese fishing vessels around the reef as of the latest air patrol on June 30. "The swarming of Chinese fishing vessels there is quite visible from the air," Lt. Edgard Abogado, pilot-in-command of the PN aircraft, wrote in the post. Co-pilot Lt. Karla Andres wrote on the post that the vessels did not appear to be vessels, just loitering in groups of five to seven. The AFP Western Command also reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime assets at Sabina Shoal. "Three China Coast Guard (CCG) ships and two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels are regularly loitering there compared to two wooden resupply boats from the Philippines and two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels," the command said. WESTCOM included aerial photos taken by the flight, along with photos of the Chinese fishing vessels, China Coast Guard Zhaoyu class patrol cutter CG 3304 and PLAN Type 056 Jiangdao class corvette carrying hull number 629. The hull number identifies the PLAN corvette as CNS Tonglin (629). The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in 2016 that Reed Bank is within the Philippine EEZ and the Philippines had economic rights for the area, although China refuses to recognize the ruling and claims the area as within its territory. The area is said to be rich in hydrocarbon resources, but the Philippines has yet to commence any major extraction efforts due to the Chinese claim on the area. The presence of PLAN and China Coast Guard vessels at Sabina Shoal, known internationally as Escoda Shoal, which is part of the Spratly Islands, is due to China's ongoing presence and blockade operation against the nearby Philippines military outpost at Second Thomas Shoal. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 11:02:38 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://asiatimes.com/2024/05/us-special-forces-to-the-frontline-against-china-russia/ Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://asiatimes.com/2024/05/us-special-forces-to-the-frontline-against-china-russia/ US Special Operations Forces (SOF) are undergoing a transformation from an emphasis on fighting insurgencies to potential great power conflict with China and Russia. This month, Breaking Defense reported that the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeing rising demand for SOF support across the armed services, with demand to support strategic competition up over 30% and for crisis response events over 150%. In a February 2023 US Congress hearing, Representative Jack Bergman highlighted the change in US strategic priorities from counterterrorism to competing with major powers like China and Russia. He explored the relevance of SOFs in addressing irregular warfare and supporting allies in the current geopolitical climate. Representative Ruben Gallego has emphasized the significance of a comprehensive government strategy to tackle great power rivalry while also questioning the preparedness of SOFs to shift from counterterrorism to irregular warfare capabilities like foreign internal defense and information operations. In response to Gallego, Seth Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, has argued for the critical role of SOF in irregular warfare amid competition with state actors like China and Russia. Jones points out that amid restrained conventional warfare among nuclear powers, major global competitors including China, Russia, and Iran are intensively engaging in irregular warfare through military, intelligence and non-state operations. David Ucko, professor and department chair of the National Defense University College of International Security Affairs, has emphasized that SOFs must build resilience against foreign proxies and support resistance in states threatened by foreign invasions. In March 2024, Asia Times reported that US SOFs have been permanently stationed on Taiwan's frontline islands, just ten kilometers from mainland China. Reports have said US military advisers will be stationed long-term at the Taiwanese Army's amphibious command posts in Kinmen and Penghu. Further, The Warzone reported that the US Navy is upgrading its special operations boat fleet, testing a new loitering munition launcher on the Combatant Craft Medium (CCM) and ordering a fourth Combatant Craft Heavy (CCH). This month, The Washington Post reported that US SOCOM is adapting to budget cuts by reducing its forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years while integrating high-tech experts into their teams. The Washington Post mentions that lessons from the ongoing Ukraine war, particularly the experiences of UK SOFs, are shaping the restructuring efforts. It notes that the US Army is facing the most significant reduction, with plans to cut about 4,000 positions. This reduction is influenced by the need to shift focus from counterterrorism to large-scale combat operations and challenges in meeting recruitment goals. Taking a critical view of US military downsizing, Erik Prince opines for Asia Times that US power projection and credibility are in decline, contrasting the US military juggernaut of World War II with its present state. Prince cites US embassy evacuations in Sudan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Ukraine and Niger, US citizens taken hostage in Gaza and the Houthi blockade of commercial shipping in the Red Sea, where US ground and naval forces are shot at with impunity, as symptomatic of US military decline. He traces this apparent decline to the post-Cold War peace dividend, debt and overspending on the Global War on Terror, lack of strategic discipline, and prioritizing revenue for large defense contractors instead of winning wars and building strategic partnerships. That's 7 different sources plus one very recent article by the Asia Times itself for this story. Either the story's author, Gabriel Honrada, https://asiatimes.com/author/gabriel-honrada/ , loves researching subjects, or he's a great parrot for an unnamed research bureau backing him up. |
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Posted: 5/14/2024 10:44:32 PM EDT
[#19]
Alright, alright, alright! Score Card Time!!
Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese naval ships, 2 military aircraft around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and two military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 12) and 6 a.m. on Monday (May 13). The two People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest sector of the nation's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.  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 13) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 14). Of the 10 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and four entered 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 136 times and naval vessels 67 times. |
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Posted: 5/14/2024 10:59:09 PM EDT
[#20]
Another follow up of the fisherman that the Chinese Coast Guard rescued when their fishing boat lost power and was adrift in the fog and dark; then, the PRC has been detaining him:
Taiwan Army completes discharge of officer held by China TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The discharge from the military has been completed for an active-duty officer held by China since he strayed into Chinese waters near the outlying island of Kinmen in March, the Army said Tuesday (May 14). The military called on China to allow the officer named Hu ( ), 25, to return home. The Chinese coast guard detained him and a fellow angler after they got lost in the fog during a fishing trip on March 17. The other man, who was not part of the military, was returned to Taiwan a week later, while China accused Hu of having hidden his background. The Kinmen Defense Command said Tuesday that Hu's relatives had applied for his discharge from the military, with the procedure completed on May 8, per CNA. Discussions will continue with the assistance of the Kinmen County Government to persuade China to let Hu return home for humanitarian reasons, according to the Army. This is interesting due to the secrecy: US and Taiwan navies quietly held Pacific drills in April The U.S. and Taiwan navies conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April that, officially, did not take place, four people briefed on the matter said, as the two militaries boost cooperation amid rising Chinese military threats. Washington and Taipei have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years amid almost daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone and drills by Chinese forces near the island. U.S.-Taiwan military engagement, including visits and training, are kept low-key and are often not officially confirmed because of China's objection to any military contacts between Washington and Taipei. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, which the island strongly rejects. The drills, which were not publicized, took place last month in the Western Pacific, according to the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. Beijing has not renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, while Taipei says the Chinese territorial claims are void as the People's Republic of China has never governed the island. But the biggest difference is that Reuters actually published this: ...the People's Republic of China has never governed the island. In line with those drills, here's some published drills: Taiwan, Philippines plan to deepen coast guard cooperation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taiwan and the Philippines are working to establish a mechanism for coast guard cooperation. Since 2021, Taiwan has been training Philippine coast guard officers despite no formal agreement. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has been trying to finalize an MOU to strengthen cooperation in maritime security but nothing has been signed yet. The CGA confirmed that the Philippine coast guard has sent officers to Taiwan's Central Police University for several consecutive years, which helps enhance friendly ties, Liberty Times reported. When asked whether the training includes how to deal with intruding Chinese fishing and coast guard vessels, the CGA declined to comment. However, the administration said the Philippine Coast Guard fleet commander was invited to observe a coastal drill in Kaohsiung last year. Confrontations between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards in the South China Sea have ramped up in the past year, as neither Beijing nor Manila have relinquished territorial claims over islands in the South China Sea. In April, Chinese coast guard ships rammed a Philippine patrol vessel and fired water cannons near Scarborough Shoal. Chinese coast guard ships have also been spotted near Kinmen Island multiple times in the past few months. On May 7, four Chinese coast guard ships entered the island's prohibited waters for more than an hour before being chased away by Taiwan CGA ships. Just two days later, 11 Chinese coast guard ships intruded into Kinmen's prohibited and restricted waters. They left the area after being shadowed by CGA ships for an hour and a half. |
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Posted: 5/15/2024 8:00:54 AM EDT
[#21]
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Posted: 5/15/2024 10:15:47 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-military-incursions-inch-closer-taiwan-sources-say-2024-05-15/ Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-military-incursions-inch-closer-taiwan-sources-say-2024-05-15/  China military incursions inch closer to Taiwan, sources say Here's the end of the article: Lai is particularly disliked by Beijing, which views him as a "dangerous separatist" and has rebuffed Lai's repeated offers of talks with China. He has been vice president for the past four years and will take over from President Tsai Ing-wen. On Tuesday, Lai again offered talks with Beijing and vowed to safeguard peace across the strait. "The irony is that when the new president vowed to ensure the status quo, Beijing responded with destroying the status quo," the senior security official said. TAIPEI, May 15 (Reuters) - China's military has sailed and flown closer to Taiwan in recent weeks than it has before, and staged mock attacks on foreign vessels ahead of the inauguration of the island's next president on Monday, according to Taiwanese government reports. Taiwan will inaugurate its new president, Lai Ching-te, as Beijing ramps up military and political pressure to assert its sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan - a claim Taipei strongly rejects. Since late April an increasing number of Chinese military planes and vessels have staged drills that have alarmed Taiwan, including close approaches to the island's contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles (44 km) off its coast, according to two Taiwan officials and internal reports reviewed by Reuters. Taiwan had anticipated intensified Chinese military activity, Deputy Defence Minister Po Horng-huei told reporters last week. Reuters reported exclusively on Monday that Taiwan and the U.S. Navy held unpublicised drills in April. On Tuesday evening, 15 Chinese planes, including Su-30 jets, crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone, carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols" in conjunction with warships, according to Taiwan's defence ministry. Some of the planes simulated attacks on foreign vessels entering the southern Taiwan Strait or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, said one of them, a senior security official, citing intelligence gathered by Taiwan. "They are like flies buzzing us everyday," the official said, noting changes in the flight patterns, scale and frequency. |
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Posted: 5/16/2024 10:22:31 PM EDT
[#23]
Man, those lazy fucks were disappointing me!! Score Card Time!!!!!
Taiwan tracks 45 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 45 Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 14) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 15). Of the 45 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 26 aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest and northern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. The noticeable uptick in PLA aircraft on Tuesday comes five days ahead of Lai Ching-te's ( ) presidential inauguration on Monday (May 20).  Attached FileAnd, Taiwan tracks 27 Chinese military aircraft, 7 naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 27 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 15) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (May 16). Of the 27 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, 12 entered the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and one helicopter was tracked in the southeast ADIZ, according to the MND.  Attached FileSo far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 208 times and naval vessels 80 times. Chinese cyberattacks against Taiwan surge ahead of presidential inauguration TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The frequency of China's cyberattacks against Taiwan has surged to 2.5 million a day in the run-up of the presidential inauguration, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said Thursday (May 16). Just after the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections, the nation's top intelligence agency determined that China launched 1 million cyberattacks each day, per CNA. The surge ahead of the May 20 presidential inauguration is mostly directed against government bodies. Responding to questions from lawmakers, NSB officials said disinformation and cyberattacks were frequent. Even so, they would continue to monitor Chinese activities and the possibility of loopholes in Taiwan networks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the authorities were investigating allegations that confidential documents had ended up on a hacker's website. As secret documents at the foreign ministry all bear a watermark or a password, there was no likelihood of insiders having leaked the information, officials said. |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:49:54 PM EDT
[#24]
Taiwan's Presidential Inauguration is about a day and a half away as I write this, and it's Propaganda Friday. Let's see what's happening:
Taiwan tracks 8 Chinese military aircraft, 8 naval vessels around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (May 16) and 6 a.m. on Friday (May 17). Of the eight People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast 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 216 times and naval vessels 88 times. Then there's this: China military says it 'drove away' US destroyer in South China Sea It's been a while since the Chinese have drove off a USN Freedom of Navigation sail. Let's see if they made the ship do a 180 degree turn: BEIJING, May 10 (Reuters) - China's military closely monitored and "drove away" USS Halsey that entered the territorial waters of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 10, the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement on Friday. The U.S. move "seriously infringed on China's sovereignty and security," the military said. "It is yet another iron proof of its navigation hegemony and militarization of the South China Sea," it said, adding its troops would stay on high alert and safeguard national security. The U.S. Navy said in a statement the destroyer asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands "consistent with international law." The USS Halsey exited the area after its operation and continued on in the South China Sea, the statement said. Here's an interesting one. Maybe China can really "bare its teeth: China says it will 'punish' 5 Taiwanese TV commentators for criticizing Beijing Look at that! China will punish Taiwanese Citizens for getting Chinese pronouns wrong on purpose. TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Wednesday (May 15) said it will "punish" five Taiwanese TV commentators for being critical of China. TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua ( ) at a press briefing said China would impose sanctions on five Taiwanese TV commentators, including Wang Yi-chuan ( ), Edward Huang ( ), Lee Cheng-hao ( ), Yu Pei-chen ( ), and Liu Baojie ( ). Chen claimed they "deliberately fabricated false and negative information" about China and "instigated cross-strait confrontations." Chen alleged their "erroneous remarks deceived some Taiwanese people, incited hostility and confrontation across the strait, and hurt the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait." Chen said Beijing would "punish the five individuals and their families under the law." Chen added, "To remain silent and condone evil is to be unjust and harmful to goodness." Public opinion is not outside the law, and any behavior that fabricates, spreads rumors, disrupts social order, and damages national honor and interests will be punished by law, said Chen. When asked about the specific sanctions and whether Taiwan's institutional guarantee of freedom of speech would lead to increasing distance between Taiwan and China, Chen referred to previous measures taken by China against Taiwan's independence and emphasized that freedom of speech is not beyond the law "nor is it a talisman or shield for wrongdoing." Previous measures taken against Taiwanese pro-independence figures included prohibiting them and their families from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau, restricting their affiliated organizations from cooperating with China-related entities or individuals, and not allowing their associated businesses and sponsors to profit in China, reported Yahoo News. All semi-joking aside, this is the CCP saying that the Taiwanese have to start following PRC laws otherwise they will be punished. How's that for some bullshit propaganda! Taiwan response is pretty good: Presidential Office spokesperson Olivia Lin ( ) said Wednesday that Taiwan is a democratic country, and "the Constitution expressly guarantees people's freedom of speech," reported UDN. Lin stressed, "China has no right to interfere." Faced with such personal threats, Lin said the government will spare no effort to ensure the safety of the Taiwanese threatened. Lin pointed out that the Beijing authorities have long lacked institutional confidence and have consistently used various forms of suppression and threats against dissenting voices at home and abroad. "It is common knowledge that people and media reporters have been detained and persecuted, which has consistently kept China's human rights ranking at the bottom," said Lin. Lin said that this time, China's leaders not only showed no signs of improvement but also extended their infringement on democratic freedoms to Taiwan, naming and threatening media personnel and their families. "This arbitrary and overbearing behavior not only deepens the mistrust of Taiwan but also further tarnishes China's international image," said Lin. Lin also called on China, as a major regional power, to align with Taiwanese society and face the values of freedom, democracy, and diversity more confidently. "Only through mutual respect and a pragmatic attitude toward promoting cross-strait exchanges can the relationship between the two sides of the strait be improved and the well-being of the people enhanced," concluded Lin. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 12:02:39 AM EDT
[#25]
Singapore, Singapore, Singapore:
Singapore's new prime minister says Taiwan cannot be compared to Ukraine TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong ( ) said that a Taiwan Strait conflict cannot be compared to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Ukraine is a sovereign nation, but most countries have a "one China" policy regarding Taiwan. Wong became the Singaporean leader on Wednesday (May 15), as the nation saw its first transition of power in 20 years. In an interview with The Economist on May 8, Wong was asked about Singapore's response to a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Singapore has enforced sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and Wong was asked if Singapore would take similar actions against China in a possible conflict over Taiwan. Wong said, "With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we were very clear. This was a very egregious breach of the U.N. Charter, a breach of territorial sovereignty and integrity." However, Wong said Taiwan is not in the same situation as Ukraine. "People try to draw parallels between the two. But in fact, they are fundamentally quite different." "Ukraine is a sovereign country. But Taiwan, the vast majority of countries around the world have a 'one China' policy." "We have long upheld a 'one China' policy and oppose Taiwanese independence, even before we established diplomatic relations with the PRC. It's a long-standing position," according to Wong. "We are very careful when we conduct relationships with both China and Taiwan, that it's consistent with our 'one China' policy." "We do not allow ourselves to be made use of for any causes supporting Taiwanese independence," the prime minister added. This is the new guy!! Fun facts for him: Singapore was Taiwan's sixth-largest trading partner as of 2023, while Taiwan was Singapore's fourth-largest trading partner. Taiwan and Singapore have also cooperated militarily, as Singapore Armed Forces conduct military training in Taiwan under the "Project Starlight" program. Meanwhile in the US Senate: US Senate resolution rejects China's 'misuse' of UN 2758 TAIPEI (Taiwan News) A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Wednesday (May 15) proposed a resolution stating China "misused and misinterpreted" U.N. Resolution 2758, and misrepresented its contents to imply acceptance of Beijing's "one China" principle. Republican Senator Jim Risch and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced the resolution to highlight their position that U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not signify global acceptance of Beijing's claims over Taiwan. Risch pointed out that Washington's "one China" policy is not equivalent to Beijing's "one China" principle. "Chinese leaders know this, but spread this propaganda to deny Taiwan's ability to engage with international organizations. This resolution sets the record straight. The United States can and should push back on China's false narratives at every opportunity," said Risch. Shaheen said the U.S. continues to be "committed to Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and to a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues." He added that he is "proud to help introduce this bipartisan resolution that firmly pushes back on the PRC's dangerous and disingenuous mischaracterization of U.N. Resolution 2758." The seven-page resolution emphasizes that Resolution 2758 does not address Taiwan's final political status, yet China claims it concerns Taiwan's sovereignty. It pointed out that countries supporting Resolution 2758 do not necessarily accept the "one-China" principle. The resolution documents China's actions to limit Taiwan's international standing under the pretext of Resolution 2758, including isolating Taiwan, preventing its meaningful participation in U.N.-related agencies and other international forums, and successfully modifying U.N. historical documents to refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China." In 2005, China's Ministry of Health signed a memorandum with the World Health Organization requiring communication with Taiwan to go through China. Two years later, then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also cited Resolution 2758 to reject Taiwan's U.N. membership bid. The document says China uses Resolution 2758 as a means to "coerce, intimidate, or punish sovereign countries for engagement and partnership with Taiwan." https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/05-15-24_risch_shaheen_taiwan_resolution.pdf And to finish off the article: The resolution opposes China's use of the "one-China" principle to force the U.S., Taiwan, and other countries to accept Beijing's claims over Taiwan. It supports Taiwan's diplomatic allies in maintaining official relations with Taiwan and urges countries worldwide to strengthen their partnerships with Taiwan. In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, which declared the People's Republic of China as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations." Since then, Beijing has expanded this interpretation to mean that "Taiwan is a part of China" and thus does not need separate representation, preventing Taiwan from participating in U.N.-affiliated organizations and activities. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 12:09:50 AM EDT
[#26]
The US Congress isn't the only legislative body that has fights:
 Attached FileDPP lawmaker taken to hospital after clashes at Taiwan Legislative Yuan and TPP and DPP politicians get into shouting match at legislature in Taiwan It's both the KMT and the TPP political parties that lost in the last election ganging up on the DPP, the winners of it all. Actually, the KMT did fairly well in the legislature for being traitors. They are bills that are being proposed to "reform" laws, government procedures etc., but they're the kind of reforms that Clinton/Obama Democrats like to propose that always serve their political party at the expense of Country. The DPP was filibustering when some DPP members were attacked. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 8:46:48 PM EDT
[#27]
No Score Card was posted for this day! Perhaps by our morning.
Here's an interesting Story: Taiwan slams Chinese accusations of dollar diplomacy with Guatemala As the title of the article suggests, China is accusing Taiwan of Dollar Diplomacy. This is certainly one for the "isn't that rich" log book. TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday (May 18) rejected allegations from China about dollar diplomacy with Guatemala. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson alleged that Taiwan had maintained political support from the Central American nation by paying off its politicians. The statement was a ploy by China to use the occasion of the May 20 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te ( ) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim ( ) to try and disrupt Taiwan's foreign relations, MOFA said. It is common knowledge that Beijing uses money and corrupt practices to infiltrate other countries, harming their development by creating "debt traps," according to MOFA. China's latest allegations amount to a grave insult to the leaders of Guatemala, as it implied they were corrupt. Taiwan strongly protests Beijing's accusations, and calls on the global community to condemn China's hypocrisy, MOFA said. Guatemala announced on May 12 it will send Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez to attend Monday's inauguration. Mutual visits by President Lai and by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo would be arranged later, according to MOFA. Speaking of such...LOL...here's this story: Belize PM says Taiwan can help with national development, space cooperation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Taiwan can play a large role in helping Belize achieve its development goals, Belize Prime Minister John Briceno said on Saturday (May 18). "Taiwan can help us in many ways," Briceno told Taiwan News. To create a prosperous future for the nation, his administration has launched the "#planBelize" medium development plan, which he called a "North Star." The first goal is to reduce poverty by 50%, Briceno said. The prime minister also said he hoped to reduce Belize's trade deficit. "We are importing way more than we're exporting," he said. The country is striving to increase production in agriculture and services and light manufacturing, he said. It is negotiating with Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador to open up markets for its products. With such an ambitious plan, Taiwan can share its technology and experience with Belize, Briceno said. It can also open up its market and help the Central American country "in development and facilitate access to cheap financing for development in housing, infrastructure development, and investment in small businesses," he added. Belize is also making its first venture in space development and satellite technology. On May 6, Briceno signed the Constitutive Agreement of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency, facilitating regional space cooperation. Briceno said the decision to join the agency was "quite exciting." The agency would give Belize access to real-time satellite imagery and allow the country to "look at how climate change is affecting us, droughts, forest fires, and border incursions into Belize," he said. "Taiwan having access to this technology, I believe that we can try to partner with them," he added. "Taiwan continues to be one of our most important allies and we certainly appreciate that." As Belize continues to progress, Briceno said his fellow nationals were "warm, caring, and resilient" and that they "always believe that tomorrow is going to be better." The new President will have a new battle with the PRC right from the get-go: China targets Taiwan's Matsu Islands for economic integration TAIPEI (Taiwan News) In Fuzhou, the capital of China's Fujian Province, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) in cooperation with the local government organized the the 26th Cross-Straits Fair for Economy and Trade from May 16 through May 19. At this year's event, Chinese authorities announced a raft of proposals that target Taiwan's Matsu Islands, also known as Lienchiang County, for economic integration. The 10-point plan aims to increase shipping and investment between Fuzhou and the Matsu Islands, which are only separated by about 20 km. The Taiwan authorities have identified these measures as a threat to national security. As an outlying territory so close to China, Beijing hopes that economic links can be used to coerce the local government and population of the county to willingly accept Chinese administration. The proposals would allow Matsu residents to make use of services offered to Chinese citizens in the city, per SCMP. There are also plans for an industrial cooperation zone that will make it easier for Taiwanese citizens in Matsu to establish businesses in Fujian. Additionally, China has pledged US$1.38 billion (NT$44 billion) each year to promote business links and offer Matsu residents the same property rights as Chinese citizens. Fuzhou also seeks to entice young Matsu residents with educational exchange opportunities. Or attract travelers with incentives related to tours and accommodation, such as the Fuzhou-Matsu city passes, which were announced in February. The Chinese authorities are also planning to create a cross-strait distribution center in Fuzhou with an annual budget of US$5.5 million (NT$177 million) to facilitate increased trade, shipping, and economic exchanges with Lienchiang County. The proposals targeting Matsu are a development in China's plan to establish a Fujian Cross-Strait Integration and Development Demonstration Zone, announced last September. China aims to use trade and finance strategies along with infrastructure projects to annex Taiwan's outlying territories of Kinmen and Matsu initially, to be followed by Penghu and then the main island of Taiwan. Over 3,000 people have reportedly applied for the Fuzhou-Matsu City passes which provide RMB300 (NT$1,300) for free to people who travel to Fuzhou. What is more, the local Lienchiang County government is reportedly assisting residents to apply for prepaid cards, which some believe could be a direct violation of Taiwan's law governing cross-strait relations. The Magistrate of Lienchiang County Wang Chung-ming ( ) has been vocal in promoting a 27.2 km bridge directly linking Matsu to Fujian. The magistrate is promoting the infrastructure project as a means to connect Matsu's Nangan Island to Langqi Island and Fujian's highway network, which would also allow the delivery of electricty and natural gas to the islands, linking Lienchiang County to China's power grid. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 1:16:24 PM EDT
[#28]
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Posted: 5/19/2024 11:34:16 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240517_31/ Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240517_31/ Cambodia and China have kicked off their annual military exercises as concerns grow in the US about Beijing's increasing influence in the Southeast Asian nation. Cambodian military officials say this year's "Golden Dragon" drills got underway on May 16 in the country's Kampong Chhnang and Preah Sihanouk provinces. More than 1,300 personnel from Cambodia and 700 from China are taking part in the exercises, which run through May 30. 14 warships will be deployed along with helicopters and other advanced weapons. At Thursday's opening ceremony, China showcased its robotic dogs equipped with machine guns. Officials say the annual drills are focused on boosting counter terrorism operations and humanitarian relief missions. Sound like BS. Meanwhile, two Chinese warships have been docked since last December at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base near the South China Sea. The US and its allies have been increasingly concerned that the base could become a new strategic outpost for the Chinese navy as the two countries strengthen their military cooperation. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 11:37:27 PM EDT
[#30]
It's Inauguration time now! But, here's a score card:
Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese naval vessels, 6 military aircraft around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and six military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 19) and 6 a.m. on Monday (May 20). Six People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest and northern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.  Attached FileSo far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 247 times and naval vessels 106 times. |
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Posted: 5/20/2024 9:39:55 AM EDT
[#31]
 China’s New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary China’s New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary |
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Posted: 5/20/2024 12:30:53 PM EDT
[#32]
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Posted: 5/21/2024 12:27:09 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryDid this "Chen" guy, I'm assuming he's from the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), ever mention what the, well here's the quote: Lai "sent a dangerous signal of seeking 'independence' and provoking and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, fully exposing his true nature as a 'Taiwan independence worker,'" said Chen Binhua, spokesman for the government department in Beijing that handles affairs related to the democratically run island of 23 million people. Speaking of which, let's do a score card!! Taiwan tracks 8 Chinese naval ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (May 20) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 21). In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor the People's Liberation Army (PLA) activity, according to the MND. So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 247 times and naval vessels 114 times. Here's Fox's coverage of the PRC Foreign Minister giving a speech with the translation in the subtitles: China's foreign ministry blasts Taiwan inauguration, Philippines standoff in South China Sea The video is on the page. China's Foreign Ministry warned that Taiwan independence was a "dead-end" on the day of the presidential inauguration of the self-ruled island on Monday. "No matter under what name or excuse, pushing for Taiwan independence is doomed to fail," the ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated at a daily news briefing when asked about the inaugural speech by President Lai Ching-te. In his speech earlier in the day, Lai said China and Taiwan "are not subordinate to each other" and urged Beijing to stop its military threats and intimidation. Lai vowed to continue his predecessor's push to maintain stability with China while beefing up Taiwan's security through imports of military equipment from close partner the U.S. Foreign Minister Wang also had this to say about the US: Wang also criticized the U.S. for what he called its "distortion" of UN General Assembly Resolution 2857 which endorses Beijing's seat at the UN. "This kind of retrogressive act is not only challenging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity but also international justice and conscience and the post-war international order. It is both absurd and dangerous," Wang argued. Separately, Wang urged the Philippines to "reflect on itself" after the Philippines blamed Chinese fishermen for the massive loss of giant clams and degradation of coral reefs in a disputed Island in the South China Sea. At a press conference, the Philippine Coast Guard presented surveillance photographs of Chinese fishermen harvesting large numbers of giant clams for several years in a lagoon at the Scarborough Shoal. CNN actually had a decent article as well as NBC! This is a big change from last year for both of them, but a most welcome change of at least the attempt to be balanced in the coverage. Taiwan's new president calls on China to stop its 'intimidation' after being sworn into historic third term for ruling party Taipei CNN Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called on Beijing to cease its intimidation of the democratic island after he was was sworn in as president Monday, marking the start of a historic third consecutive term for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has championed democracy in the face of years of growing threats from authoritarian China. Lai, 64, a former doctor and vice president, was inaugurated alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan's top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan's sovereignty. China's ruling Communist Party says the self-ruling democracy is part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to take the island, by force if necessary. China's ruling Communist Party says the self-ruling democracy is part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to take the island, by force if necessary. Lai used his 30-minute inaugural speech to broadcast a message of peace and declare that a "glorious era of Taiwan's democracy has arrived," describing the island as an "important link" in a "global chain of democracies," while reiterating a determination to defend its sovereignty. "The future of the Republic of China Taiwan will be decided by its 23 million people. The future we decide is not just the future of our nation, but the future of the world," Lai said, using the formal name for Taiwan. Lai emerged victorious over rivals in the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party and the Taiwan People's Party in a January election, which was fought over a mixture of livelihood issues as well as the thorny question of how to deal with its giant one-party state neighbor, China, which under leader Xi Jinping has grown more powerful and bellicose. Then, voters shrugged off warnings from Beijing that the DPP's re-election would increase the risk of conflict. The DPP holds the view that Taiwan is a de facto sovereign nation that should bolster defenses against China's threats and deepen relations with democratic countries. In his inaugural address, Lai called on China "to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war." A soft-spoken political veteran, Lai hails from a more radical wing of the DPP, and was once an open supporter of Taiwan independence a red line for Beijing. Though his views have tempered since then, China never forgave him for his comments from six years ago, in which he described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence." Lai has now said he favors the current status quo, proclaiming that "Taiwan is already an independent sovereign country" so there is "no plan or need" to declare independence, in a deliberately nuanced stance that mimics the one held by outgoing Tsai. |
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Posted: 5/21/2024 12:50:41 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPvA6u8I-oChina's New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPvA6u8I-oChina's New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary Here's Deutsche Welle's synopsis: For years, good relations with China guaranteed the German economy healthy profits and cheap goods. But over time, that relationship has become a dependency. The documentary "In the Jaws of the Dragon - How to Deal with China?" explores the nature and extent of this reliance. At a summit meeting to discuss the "New Silk Road" infrastructure project in October 2023, China's President Xi appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether in Asia or the Middle East - China is evidently pushing for a new world order, with offensives directed against the West. Germany is already feeling the consequences. For a long time, trade with China flourished: From 1984, Volkswagen flooded the Chinese market with cars, ultimately exporting one in every three VWs to China. But now, Chinese companies like BYD are dominating the market with e-cars. And Germany's reliance on China for computer chips, antibiotics and solar cells can now be seen as downright reckless. This dependence is becoming more evident as China increasingly comes up trumps both politically and economically. Whether regarding the Ukraine war, in its relations with Russia or its continued saber rattling in the conflict with Taiwan: Where China would have once conducted itself with restraint, it now demands its slice of global power. In Berlin, politicians are rubbing their eyes in disbelief: what was once a healthy relationship is now a codependency. And there's no easy way out. Gentlemen, it's a small world after all. It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; It's a world of hopes and a world of fears; There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware; It's a small world after all. I think we've all learned something here. |
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Posted: 5/21/2024 2:01:47 AM EDT
[#35]
WTF is shit for brains gonna do? Take Xi Jinping off the white house Christmas card list?
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Posted: 5/22/2024 1:24:15 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By nowgrn4: WTF is shit for brains gonna do? Take Xi Jinping off the white house Christmas card list? So far, the Administration has been stalling for time mostly. They don't have a political plan. They don't have an economic plan. Any plan that would have a chance of success would mean the Administration and the Democratic Party would have to change their ideological bent. Not going to happen. They'll see us destroyed before they would change direction which would mean that they were wrong to begin with. Pick a topic in the last three 3 years, and ask yourself if they were to reverse their actions/decisions on a specific matter, the "anti-Left" would say that the Democrats failed, were wrong, and that's why they changed direction. You can pick the Border, limiting oil production, the green "agenda" etc. There's nothing they're going to change on even though all of it has failed. They will just say that it is succeeding, and the rest of us are wrong and spreading mis-information. The hard-core Democrat has always been at War with East Asia. |
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Posted: 5/22/2024 1:28:21 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Going to watch this one later on! I was intrigued by all the Chinese people who took time out of their busy day to watch a German production on the German economy, then comment on it in English while it's on youtube. That's totally awesome. Here's Deutsche Welle's synopsis: Gentlemen, it's a small world after all. It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; It's a world of hopes and a world of fears; There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware; It's a small world after all. I think we've all learned something here. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By Alacran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPvA6u8I-oChina's New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary Here's Deutsche Welle's synopsis: For years, good relations with China guaranteed the German economy healthy profits and cheap goods. But over time, that relationship has become a dependency. The documentary "In the Jaws of the Dragon - How to Deal with China?" explores the nature and extent of this reliance. At a summit meeting to discuss the "New Silk Road" infrastructure project in October 2023, China's President Xi appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether in Asia or the Middle East - China is evidently pushing for a new world order, with offensives directed against the West. Germany is already feeling the consequences. For a long time, trade with China flourished: From 1984, Volkswagen flooded the Chinese market with cars, ultimately exporting one in every three VWs to China. But now, Chinese companies like BYD are dominating the market with e-cars. And Germany's reliance on China for computer chips, antibiotics and solar cells can now be seen as downright reckless. This dependence is becoming more evident as China increasingly comes up trumps both politically and economically. Whether regarding the Ukraine war, in its relations with Russia or its continued saber rattling in the conflict with Taiwan: Where China would have once conducted itself with restraint, it now demands its slice of global power. In Berlin, politicians are rubbing their eyes in disbelief: what was once a healthy relationship is now a codependency. And there's no easy way out. Gentlemen, it's a small world after all. It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; It's a world of hopes and a world of fears; There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware; It's a small world after all. I think we've all learned something here. DW certainly has turned up their emotions like the BBC does!!! I'd start watching it at the 28:00 mark. It gets really interesting at that point up to almost the end. The one thing that DW or the rest of German media won't do, like the MSM here, is criticize the leftest political parties whose policies and rhetoric brought Germany to the point where they now have to consider coal as a green energy source. That's just some food for thought. |
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Posted: 5/22/2024 1:53:44 AM EDT
[#38]
They did not publish a "score card" for us today! Really bummed over that. I'm curious as to what the PRC is doing. Let's move on.
Interesting Story about the PRC establishing sanctions on three US Defense contractors who have a research presense and selling organizations in the PRC: China sanctions 3 US defense companies over arms sales to Taiwan Wait until you see who the are!!!!!! TAIPEI (Taiwan News) China announced sanctions against Boeing and two other U.S. defense companies on Monday (May 20) for arms sales to Taiwan, the same day Taiwan inaugurated its new president, Lai Ching-te ( ). China's Ministry of Commerce placed Boeing's Defense, Space & Security unit, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and General Dynamics Land Systems on its "unreliable entities" list, AP reported. The move forbids their further investment in China. The Ministry of Commerce said senior executives from the three U.S. companies are prohibited from entering China, while their work permits will be revoked, along with their visitor and residential status. Meanwhile, related applications they submit will not be approved, according to Reuters. In April, Beijing froze General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems assets within China, per AP. According to corporate filings, General Dynamics operates six Gulfstream and jet aviation services operations in China. General Dynamics also makes the Abrams tank, which Taiwan has purchased to replace its aging tank fleet. Meanwhile, General Atomics manufactures Predator (MQ-1) and Reaper (MQ-9) drones used by the U.S. military. Taiwan has purchased four of the MQ-9B "SeaGuardian" variants. Here's another very interesting story from a couple of American "think tanks" who held a symposium about the PRC taking over Taiwan. There's an accompanying video that's about an hour and 20 minutes long. It's pretty dry for the most part. US think tanks say China may try to coerce Taiwan into signing "peace" deal by 2028 TAIPEI (Taiwan News) U.S. think tanks warned that China may try to coerce President Lai Ching-te ( ) to sign a peace or annexation deal by 2028. On May 13, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned in a report that China has a strategy to annex Taiwan. The report postulated that in Lai's first term, China will implement four "pulses" that include "coordinated actions in the air, sea, information, cyber, economic, cognitive, and other domains." It said a four-year time frame would enable Beijing to "obscure the larger unification campaign that each set of actions actually serves." The report suggested Beijing would increase its coercion during each year of Lai's term to pressure the Taiwanese government and further isolate the country. It added China would then try to force Taiwan to sign a "peace agreement" or "unification framework" around 2028. China will implement four "pulses" that include "coordinated actions in the air, sea, information, cyber, economic, cognitive, and other domains." It said a four-year time frame would enable Beijing to "obscure the larger unification campaign that each set of actions actually serves." One of the report's authors, Dan Blumenthal, a senior fellow at AEI, said at a symposium on May 16 that the U.S. and its allies are too focused on deterring or repelling the People's Liberation Army (PLA), neglecting China's "nonwar military activities." He believed Beijing's goals were to create enough pain to make many Taiwanese desire peace and isolate the country from the international community. Blumenthal said it is crucial to prevent China from redefining the legitimacy of its aerial and maritime boundaries in the Taiwan Strait. Blumenthal suggested that instead of tracking and monitoring every Chinese military exercise, aircraft, and naval movement, or responding with equivalent military actions, the international community should focus on political actions that target Beijing's real concerns with "political asymmetry." For example, increasing Taiwan's civil aviation cooperation with other countries or promoting Taiwan's inclusion in regional air defense frameworks would be more effective responses. Beijing may also try to carry out economic and cyber warfare, enforce inspections of ships importing goods into Taiwan, enact air and sea closures, and disseminate more Chinese propaganda against Taiwan. A country goes to War to create a political change, but it always comes at a cost. As long as the cost of war is cheap, you'll go to war. You'll go to war until the cost is so high that the victory isn't worth the cost. That's what Taiwan is aiming for. I have no idea what the PRC and the CCP think they'll get from it. The military build up that they're going through now hasn't been cheap in terms of the economy of their politics. Any small failure will probably signal the end of Xi's political life. He can't afford to lose. |
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Posted: 5/22/2024 2:22:50 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Watched the video!! DW certainly has turned up their emotions like the BBC does!!! I'd start watching it at the 28:00 mark. It gets really interesting at that point up to almost the end. The one thing that DW or the rest of German media won't do, like the MSM here, is criticize the leftest political parties whose policies and rhetoric brought Germany to the point where they now have to consider coal as a green energy source. That's just some food for thought. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By Alacran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPvA6u8I-oChina's New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary Here's Deutsche Welle's synopsis: For years, good relations with China guaranteed the German economy healthy profits and cheap goods. But over time, that relationship has become a dependency. The documentary "In the Jaws of the Dragon - How to Deal with China?" explores the nature and extent of this reliance. At a summit meeting to discuss the "New Silk Road" infrastructure project in October 2023, China's President Xi appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether in Asia or the Middle East - China is evidently pushing for a new world order, with offensives directed against the West. Germany is already feeling the consequences. For a long time, trade with China flourished: From 1984, Volkswagen flooded the Chinese market with cars, ultimately exporting one in every three VWs to China. But now, Chinese companies like BYD are dominating the market with e-cars. And Germany's reliance on China for computer chips, antibiotics and solar cells can now be seen as downright reckless. This dependence is becoming more evident as China increasingly comes up trumps both politically and economically. Whether regarding the Ukraine war, in its relations with Russia or its continued saber rattling in the conflict with Taiwan: Where China would have once conducted itself with restraint, it now demands its slice of global power. In Berlin, politicians are rubbing their eyes in disbelief: what was once a healthy relationship is now a codependency. And there's no easy way out. Gentlemen, it's a small world after all. It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; It's a world of hopes and a world of fears; There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware; It's a small world after all. I think we've all learned something here. DW certainly has turned up their emotions like the BBC does!!! I'd start watching it at the 28:00 mark. It gets really interesting at that point up to almost the end. The one thing that DW or the rest of German media won't do, like the MSM here, is criticize the leftest political parties whose policies and rhetoric brought Germany to the point where they now have to consider coal as a green energy source. That's just some food for thought. The main thing I took from the video is that Germany and probably much of the West ain’t gonna do shit if China invades Taiwan, simply because of their deep dependence on China. |
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Posted: 5/22/2024 11:53:23 PM EDT
[#40]
Finally!! Some damn Score Cards!!!!!!!!
Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese naval ships, 4 coast guard vessels around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and four coast guard ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 21) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 22). In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor the People's Liberation Army (PLA) activity, according to the MND. This was the first time Taiwan's defense ministry differentiated between Chinese naval and coast guard vessels in its daily reports. When asked by the media if this was the first time Chinese coast guard vessels had come so close to Taiwan, the MND said it was not and that they just wanted to provide clearer information to the public. Taiwan tracks 12 Chinese ships, 1 military aircraft around nation China also announced it is carrying out two days of military exercises around Taiwan starting Thursday TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 12 Chinese ships and one military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 22) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (May 23). One People's Liberation Army (PLA) drone flew along the southern portion of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Of the 12 Chinese ships, eight were PLA Navy vessels and four were Chinese coast guard ships.  Attached FileSo far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 248 times and naval/coast guard vessels 137 times. |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 12:03:42 AM EDT
[#41]
China launches military exercises around Taiwan for two days
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday (May 23) announced that it is holding military exercises around Taiwan and its outer islands as "punishment" for those seeking independence. The PLA's Eastern Theater Command is organizing a military exercise involving land, sea, air, and rocket forces. The exercises started Thursday morning and will continue until Friday (May 24), taking place around Taiwan and its islands closest to China. The Eastern Theater Command said that from 7:45 a.m., the PLA will conduct joint exercises called "Joint Sword-2024A" in the Taiwan Strait, around northern, southern, and eastern Taiwan, and Kinmen and Matsu.  Attached FileIn a map uploaded to the Eastern Theater Command's Weibo page, five large exclusion zones have been marked to Taiwan's northwest, east, southeast, southwest, and west. In addition, the four circles have been drawn over Kinmen's main cluster of islands, Wuqiu, Matsu's main cluster of islands, and Dongyin. The Eastern Theater Command said this is "a strong punishment for 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces seeking 'independence' and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces." The Eastern Theater Command is a geographical military command just like US Southern Command or US European Command. Let's look at the Red Sea where Houthi Rebels are still launching rockets and drones at sea going vessels. (The Trump trials have knocked them off the news.) Do you ever think you would hear from the O-5 Spokesperson, that the Eisenhower Strike Group is "a strong punishment for 'Yemeni indepenence' separatist forces seeking 'independence' and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces"? The PRC has just delivered a different type of message. |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 12:13:29 AM EDT
[#42]
Taiwan's military slams Chinese drills as 'irrational provocation'
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) Thursday (May 23) condemned the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) exercises around Taiwan and its outer islands as an "irrational provocation." At 9 a.m., the MND said the PLA's Eastern Theater Command announced that it would conduct the "Joint Sword-2024A" military exercise in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan. The MND said the exercises are an "irrational provocation that undermines regional peace and stability." The ministry emphasized the armed forces are prepared. It stressed that it upholds the principle of "preparing for war, not asking for war, responding to war, and not avoiding war." The MND said the nation's armed forces have the "capability, determination, and confidence to ensure national security." At the same time, the ministry urged Taiwan's citizens to "serve as solid support and to unite and form a consensus during these tense times in the Taiwan Strait." The ministry closed by saying that by working together, the military and civilians can build a vital defensive force to "jointly safeguard our beautiful homeland." The PRC/CCP is playing a goofy game right now. They're not North Korea. CCP leadership has a lot to lose if they don't achieve any sort of real success rather than pyrrhic success. Right now, they're spending a lot of money on just bluffing. It seems to me that they're trying to pull Taiwan on an "offsides" penality when it's Fourth Down and 3 yards. But it's not Fourth Down!! WTF! |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 12:25:08 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: The main thing I took from the video is that Germany and probably much of the West ain't gonna do shit if China invades Taiwan, simply because of their deep dependence on China. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: Originally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By zoinks: Originally Posted By Alacran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPvA6u8I-oChina's New World Order - How dependent is the West? | DW Documentary Here's Deutsche Welle's synopsis: For years, good relations with China guaranteed the German economy healthy profits and cheap goods. But over time, that relationship has become a dependency. The documentary "In the Jaws of the Dragon - How to Deal with China?" explores the nature and extent of this reliance. At a summit meeting to discuss the "New Silk Road" infrastructure project in October 2023, China's President Xi appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether in Asia or the Middle East - China is evidently pushing for a new world order, with offensives directed against the West. Germany is already feeling the consequences. For a long time, trade with China flourished: From 1984, Volkswagen flooded the Chinese market with cars, ultimately exporting one in every three VWs to China. But now, Chinese companies like BYD are dominating the market with e-cars. And Germany's reliance on China for computer chips, antibiotics and solar cells can now be seen as downright reckless. This dependence is becoming more evident as China increasingly comes up trumps both politically and economically. Whether regarding the Ukraine war, in its relations with Russia or its continued saber rattling in the conflict with Taiwan: Where China would have once conducted itself with restraint, it now demands its slice of global power. In Berlin, politicians are rubbing their eyes in disbelief: what was once a healthy relationship is now a codependency. And there's no easy way out. Gentlemen, it's a small world after all. It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; It's a world of hopes and a world of fears; There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware; It's a small world after all. I think we've all learned something here. DW certainly has turned up their emotions like the BBC does!!! I'd start watching it at the 28:00 mark. It gets really interesting at that point up to almost the end. The one thing that DW or the rest of German media won't do, like the MSM here, is criticize the leftest political parties whose policies and rhetoric brought Germany to the point where they now have to consider coal as a green energy source. That's just some food for thought. The main thing I took from the video is that Germany and probably much of the West ain't gonna do shit if China invades Taiwan, simply because of their deep dependence on China. But, in the over all scheme of things, everyone is going to get hurt badly if the PRC moves militarily against Taiwan, and it doesn't matter if they (PRC) take the islands in two weeks, or two days, or two years. It just doesn't matter. The PRC has already done a lot to control what it does export in order to increase prices. With the help of the WEF and leftist fucks in governments throughout the World, not much gets done in the World that is not China or Russia or Iran. There's always a shortage. There's always a series of regulations preventing something from moving forward. There's always a social movement that demands resources, time and attention at the cost to the rest of the society. World War III is going to be off the hook, yo! |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 10:32:43 AM EDT
[#44]
Here’s a graphic of the Chinese exercise around Taiwan.
 Attached FileAlso there is reports that over a dozen civilian ferry’s are participating in this and commercial Roll-on/roll-off ships. Definitely would need these types of ships for a invasion since their military doesn’t have enough yet. |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 7:59:34 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Here's a graphic of the Chinese exercise around Taiwan. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/482001/IMG_0802_jpeg-3221443.JPG Also there is reports that over a dozen civilian ferry's are participating in this and commercial Roll-on/roll-off ships. Definitely would need these types of ships for a invasion since their military doesn't have enough yet. I've been trying to find some, any information of what sort of "order of battle" the PLA is using, but there's not really a lot. We may have to wait a couple of weeks when everyone wants to publish the "post-mortem" of the exercise. |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 8:16:34 PM EDT
[#46]
Score card!!
Taiwan tracks 49 Chinese military aircraft during first day of PLA drills TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 49 Chinese military aircraft on the first day of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) exercises around Taiwan between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday (May 23). Of the 49 PLA aircraft, 35 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, central, and southwest sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Seven Chinese fighter planes were monitored in the northeastern portion of the ADIZ, while seven stayed on the Chinese side of the median line. The MND said the PLA aircraft included Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, Shenyang J-16 fighter planes, and KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft. They were carrying out joint exercises with Chinese warships as part of Beijing's "Joint Sword-2024A" exercise around Taiwan.  Attached FilePresident Lai Ching-te's ( ) administration condemned the Chinese drills and said they threatened regional peace and stability. "In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend democracy," said Presidential Office Spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui ( ). So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 297 times. We're going to quote this 3-star a couple of times: US military official says Taiwan Strait conflict not inevitable (It's a useless statement to make. If Taiwan surrenders right at this moment, "conflict" will not happen.) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) A Taiwan Strait conflict is avoidable, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka said on Thursday (May 23). "I don't think that conflict is inevitable. I really don't," Sklenka said at Australia's National Press Club. He mentioned that Chinese leader Xi Jinping ( ) previously told the People's Liberation Army to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Thus, proper preparatory measures must be taken, he said. "When your adversary says that they want to be ready by a certain time frame, my personal philosophy is I probably should be ready when he's going to be ready," he added. When asked if he thought Australia's AUKUS submarines were part of Indo-Pacific command planning, the deputy commander said it was "too far down the path" to say. He said the U.S. did share plans with Australia but "there's no expectation of anybody participating in any conflict with us because those decisions are national sovereign decisions." Key quotes about China's military drills around Taiwan We're going to separate the non PRC quotes from the PRC quotes and Non-PRC quotes have won the toss and elected to go first: LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEPHEN SKLENKA, DEPUTY COMMANDER US INDO PACIFIC COMMAND, IN CANBERRA: "The normalisation of abnormal actions, that's what's happening. Just because we expect that behaviour doesn't mean we shouldn't condemn it. We need to condemn it publicly and it needs to come from us but it also needs to come from nations in the region ... it is far more powerful when it comes from nations in this region. It is concerning but I also believe in my heart of hearts that conflict between our two nations is not inevitable and its not a foregone conclusion." YOSHIMASA HAYASHI, CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY, JAPAN: "We hope for the issues over Taiwan to be resolved peacefully through dialogue; that has been our consistent position. It is important to clearly communicate the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait directly to China, and work closely with allies including the United States and clearly communicate the shared position of each country." TAIWAN'S DEFENCE MINISTRY: "The launch of military exercises on this occasion not only does not contribute to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, it also highlights (China's) militaristic mentality." COLLIN KOH, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE INSTITUTE OF DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC STUDIES IN SINGAPORE: "The drill is not meant to accomplish anything more than warn the just-inaugurated Lai administration that they are more than ready to react, and to deter any moves towards so-called Taiwan independence. "These opposing forces could actually be operating in pretty close proximity. The Taiwan forces are not just shadowing the individual Chinese assets... that brings them into direct contact with Chinese forces... there is the risk of inadvertent or accidental military clashes." China's up: VICTOR GAO, CHAIR PROFESSOR AT SOOCHOW UNIVERSITY, CHINA: "I believe Lai Ching-te's May 20 speech is a declaration of war because he clearly distinguished China from Taiwan and completely destroyed the one-China principle. China wants to show that if Lai still wants to take the path of Taiwan independence... it can make Taiwan collapse without a war within a week or two, which will deal a fatal blow to the people of Taiwan. I think cross-Strait relations have reached a watershed, if Lai dares take a wrong step forward then there will be a cataclysm." SONG ZHONGPING, CHINESE MILITARY EXPERT, IN HONG KONG: "Due to the aggressiveness of Taiwan independence forces in recent days, the PLA is trying to tell both the 'Taiwan independence' forces and external forces that it is capable of eliminating the 'Taiwan independence' force with the speed and momentum of a thunderbolt through this large-scale drill." WU XINBO, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR AMERICAN STUDIES AT FUDAN UNIVERSITY IN SHANGHAI: "The drills encircling the island, is giving him (Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te) a blow on the head in order to shock and awe Lai and Taiwan independence forces on the island. This is also certainly a blow to the U.S. This year's Joint Sword-2024A drills are very strong in intensity, showing that the mainland is willing to increase its deterrence towards Taiwan independence forces and strengthen its capability to mould the Taiwan Strait situation in response to the domestic changes in Taiwan. I believe that the shock and awe military drills from today onwards will be a routine occurrence." CHINA'S STATE BROADCASTER: "Throughout his speech Lai Ching-te used the word 'China' to refer to mainland China, and used the word 'country' to refer to Taiwan. He promoted separatist fallacies such as the so-called sovereignty, independence, and non-subordination of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command carried out a joint drill around Taiwan Island, which was a firm punishment for Lai Ching-te's provocation." |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 8:31:30 PM EDT
[#47]
Here's a sampling of some of the stories out there. Some are videos.
China Conducts 'Joint Sword 2024A' Drills Around Taiwan After Lai's Inauguration - TaiwanPlus News (video) Chinese Military Conducts War Games Around Taiwan as 'Punishment' for New Leader's Rhetoric (There's also a selection of news stories just below this one.) China's Military Surrounds Taiwan as 'Punishment' (this story is throwing some "shade" at History.) China 'PUNISHES' Taiwan: Huge military drills are launched around the island three days after the island's new president - detested by Beijing - took charge (This is by the Daily Mail, and it's typically Daily Mail: long, pictures, and little snippets of bikini clad women on the right hand side. That's the real reason I posted it.) Taiwan scrambles jets, puts forces on alert as China calls new war games "powerful punishment" for the island (CBS News! Ha! It's both words and video. I really wanted to trash it as it's CBS News and they have allergies to valid facts, but it's on the whole, a balanced story much to my chagrin. I'll call them fuckheads in the privacy of my main room here.) An additional note: CBS did cover the death of Old Crow's Pilot, Bud Anderson: Bud Anderson, last surviving World War II triple ace pilot, dies at 102  Attached FileThe last surviving World War II triple ace pilot died at age 102 this week, more than 75 years after serving in the U.S. Air Force and flying missions over Europe, the Washington Post reported. Brigadier General Clarence E. Anderson, better known as "Bud," died peacefully in his sleep on May 17, his family said in a statement on his website. "We were blessed to have him as our father," the statement read. "Dad lived an amazing life and was loved by many." Anderson is survived by his two children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His wife, Eleanor, died in 2015. Anderson, who was born in California and learned to fly at 19, served two combat tours during World War II, according to his website. He escorted heavy bombers over Europe from November 1943 to January 1945, flying 116 combat missions and destroying over a dozen enemy aircraft in aerial combat as part of the 357th Fighter Group, nicknamed the "Yoxford Boys." He was the highest scoring ace in his squadron, according to his website. Anderson's other military service included serving as the commander of a squadron in post-war Korea and as the commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing during combat in Southeast Asia. During his military service, Anderson earned 25 medals, including two Legion of Merits, 16 Air Medals and "many campaign and service ribbons," according to his website. He has also been recognized as a fighter ace, or a pilot who has destroyed five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat, three times over. When not overseas, Anderson was a fighter test pilot and served multiple roles, including as the deputy director of flight test operations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In total, Anderson logged over 7,500 flying hours in more than 130 types of aircraft. Anderson retired from the Air Force in 1972, and joined the McDonnell Aircraft Company and spent 12 years serving as the manager of a test facility at Edwards Air Force Base in in California. He retired fully in 1984, published an autobiography in 1990, and quit flying at 90 years old but continued to lecture on the topic and consult on computer flying games, according to his website. Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008 and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2013, according to his website. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015. In December 2022, he was given an honorary promotion to Brigadier General at the Aerospace Museum of California.  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/23/2024 11:51:53 PM EDT
[#48]
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Posted: 5/24/2024 8:37:28 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/482001/IMG_0805_jpeg-3221969.JPG )I had to live at Nellis AFB for 4 years, 3 months and 22 days once. We could have 600 planes in total for a red flag. Still it's quite a bit of sound and fury aimed at the Taiwanese citizen. At some point, every PLAAF sortie will be generating a Taiwanese enemy. This is what's known as being "counter-productive." |
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Posted: 5/24/2024 8:54:51 PM EDT
[#50]
So, it's Saturday in Taiwan. Joint Sword 2024A (those guys watch too many American movies with that name) should be over right now.
Just as a reminder, yesterday's Score Card had 49 aircraft with 35 crossing the Median line. Let's "hit it!!!!" Taiwan tracks 19 Chinese naval vessels, 7 coast guard ships around nation TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 49 Chinese military aircraft, 19 naval ships, and seven coast guard vessels on the first day of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) exercises around Taiwan on Thursday (May 23). Of the 49 PLA aircraft, 35 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, central, and southwest sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Seven Chinese fighter planes were monitored in the northeast portion of the ADIZ, while seven stayed on the Chinese side of the median line. So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 297 times and naval/coast guard vessels 163 times. However, here's an interesting side affect of the PRC's tough talk and provocations: Philippines opens coast guard station close to Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The Philippines opened a coast guard monitoring base on an island just 150 kilometers from Taiwan's southern point as China conducted large-scale military exercises, reports said Friday (May 24). Japan to join US 'Valiant Shield' exercises for 1st time The Japanese Ministry of Defense (JSDF) said Friday (May 24) that it will participate in the large-scale, live-fire exercises for the first time. This will include activities at Japan's military bases. Japanese media outlet NHK reported that since 2006, the U.S. military has conducted the Valiant Shield exercise every two years in locations such as Guam. The maneuvers involve over 10,000 personnel from the U.S. army, navy, air force, and marines. This year's Valiant Shield exercise locations include areas around the Philippines, Hawaii, and Guam. Additionally, some training will be conducted at JSDF facilities in Japan, though it will not include Okinawa or Shikoku. This will mark the first time that JSDF bases will be included as training sites for Valiant Shield. This move reportedly aims to strengthen the rapid response capabilities of Japan and the U.S. to address possible "contingencies" around Japan, per Nippon.com. The U.S. reportedly invited the JSDF to participate in this Valiant Shield exercise and proposed that some training be conducted within Japan. About 4,000 personnel from Japan's Ground, Maritime, and Air SDFs, along with approximately 130 vehicles and 60 aircraft, will participate in the exercise from June 7-18. |
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