Originally Posted By zoinks:
And what a submission it is, my Brother!!! An opinion piece without a foundational thesis given to express the opinion, and it was brought to us by the South China Morning Post. That explains a great deal. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. If this was a round of "Stump the Chump," they got me!!

To be sure, there are names of essayists on SCMP that have a "legend" but I can't any real life time history of them. It could be that these people are very insignificant in what they say and do, hence no one will create a wiki page about them. David Dodwell seems to be no exception to the rest of the pantheon of SCMP employees. There is a video of him being interviewed on CNBC back in 2019 about the Honk Kong protests and that they were bad for Trade. And that's it.

In this piece, Dodwell is opining that US think tanks are creating...something atmosperhic or ethereal, I don't know...conditions that will lead the US political elite to change their views on their "China Policy." But then he only talks about the Council on Foreign Relations which is a leftist think tank aligned with the DNC.

Dodwell is using conflation to suggest that all US think tanks are working on this, albiet separately, to come to this same conclusion that the Council on Foreign Relations has. Overall, it's the same bull shit that leftists always do: it's the narrative.

I'm not going to quote a lot from it because everyone's "nonsense" meters will go full alert, but let's do some. After all that's what Propaganda Friday is all about!
Typical leftist double-speak. If I could put James Brown's song "Talking Loud, Saying Nothing" in the background, it would really fit here.

We experience the leftist narrative everyday here regarding both domestic policy and foreign policy, plus our crumbling dysfunctional society. We are not "unaware."

This goes straight back to when Carmel posted the video link on the Congressional Hearing about US policy in the South China Seas. It got a remention up above as well. "We have a strategy."

Now we come to the parts of the essay that has very little relation to his thesis, but one that many people would accept without evidence:
Now, if he had used Mao Tse-tung as an example, I might've found myself agreeing with him.

Dodwell never explains or even just enumerates these "inconvenient truths." In fact, here he does the opposite:
To Leftists of yore, Bretton-Woods was the boogeymen of the day like Project 2025 is now. It meant domination by the West over the peace loving peoples of the East.

Normally, we'd look at prose like this and just wait for the hammer to drop! That doesn't happen. Here's the extent of it:
That whole set up led to a let down. I don't know if any of you are Marx Brothers fans, but the first thing I thought of was when Groucho's "Professor Firefly" character from Duck Soup was called an "upstart."

Let's get to some of the real comedic writing of the piece.
Wow. This guy just shit on over two years of this thread. Are we just going to sit here and take it???? Did we just sit here and take it when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor????

Overall, I rate this 4 out of 10. He drops a lot of names. Got to be worth something.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (July 12) and 6 a.m. on Saturday (July 13).

Of the 30 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 20 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern portions of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 324 times and naval ships 91 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 16 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Saturday (July 13) and 6 a.m. on Sunday (July 14).

Of the 16 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 14 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 340 times and naval ships 100 times.

BEIJING: China said Friday it was conducting joint military drills with Russia along its southern coast, after a US-led Western defense alliance met in Washington and Japan warned of a growing threat from Beijing's strong ties with Moscow.

China's defense ministry said the two militaries had begun the exercises, called Joint Sea-2024, in "early July" and they would last until the middle of this month.

The drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern Guangdong province, are "to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

It added that the exercises "will further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era."

China's defense ministry said the two militaries had begun the exercises, called Joint Sea-2024, in "early July" and they would last until the middle of this month.

The drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern Guangdong province, are "to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

It added that the exercises "will further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era."

NATO leaders said in a declaration on Wednesday that China had "become a decisive enabler" of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn NATO against "provoking confrontation."

China maintains that it is not a party to the Ukraine conflict but has been criticized by Western leaders for giving political and economic support to Russia, including in the trade of goods with both civilian and military uses.

Chinese forces are also staging drills this week with Belarus, another Russian ally, on NATO's eastern border.

And Japan said Friday that joint China-Russia activities near its territory pose a "grave concern from the perspective of national security."

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Japan Strategic Studies Forum (JFSS) held its 4th Taiwan Strait war game on Saturday and Sunday (July 13 14), inviting participation from Taiwan and Japan to play out potential cross-strait conflict.

Conclusions drawn from the exercise include the potential for gray zone tactics to quickly escalate into full-scale military conflict. Another uncertainty is whether an attack on Taiwan would qualify as an "existential crisis" for Japan

Lai I-chung (   ), president of the Prospect Foundation, role-played the Taiwanese president in the war games, noting that the possibility of a Chinese armed invasion of Taiwan in 2027 is high, reported CNA.

"When war is likely, we hope that the U.S. and Japan will clearly express their intention to intervene with China. Another point is that we hope that Japan can respond to a war against Taiwan or a blockade war as an 'existential crisis' for Japan," said Lai.



Lai added that a trilateral coordination mechanism between Taiwan, the United States, and Japan must be established to cope with the possibility of a future war. "And finally, from now on, we need to reserve large amounts of energy, medical supplies, food, and related military ammunition. We hope that the United States and Japan can provide assistance in this area."

Lai said that when Chinese aircraft or ships invade Taiwan's territorial waters or airspace, "we will not hesitate to launch an attack; we hope that both the U.S. and Japan understand this, regardless of whether the other party launches an attack."

According to Lai, Japan needs to be clearer about how it defines an "existential crisis" so that when Taiwan seeks cooperation with Japan, it will be relatively clear about the scope of cooperation that can be initiated. When asked about the "status determination," the Japanese government seems very conservative, he said.

"The status determination is Japan's subjective decision, and we will respect it, but in fact, we must also let Japan know what status determination could have a negative impact on our country. We must express our expectations and needs in this regard."

Lai adds that misinformation and online attacks have also become an important issue, and Taiwan's past experience dealing with fake news is that it originates from sources not associated with platforms or sources owned by Taiwan, requiring more assistance from the U.S. and Japan.

Regarding the biggest difference between the third and fourth JFSS Taiwan Strait war games, Lai said last year's session focused on cyber attacks, while this year's session debated gray zone tactics that could be easily escalated to blockades or an invasion.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   President Lai Ching-te (   ) on Saturday (July 13) toured the Navy's Hsu Chiang corvette during a visit to Keelung.

The stealth ship is the third out of six Tuo Chiang class vessels known as "carrier killers," and was launched in February 2023. Saturday's visit to the 131st Fleet marked the first time Lai had boarded a Navy ship since his May 20 inauguration, per CNA.

In a speech to the crew, the president emphasized that the corvette had been designed and made in Taiwan. He also singled out the ship's strong missile defense capabilities.

The Hsu Chiang is equipped with eight Hsiung Feng II missiles, four Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, and 16 Sea Sword II anti-air missiles. The Navy has ordered five more similar corvettes, as their stealth elements made them harder to track by the enemy.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (July 14) and 6 a.m. on Monday (July 15).

Of the 10 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 350 times and naval ships 106 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 18 Chinese military aircraft, six naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (July 15) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (July 16).

Of the 18 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest and eastern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 368 times and ships 113 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan's domestically built Hai Kun submarine is scheduled to leave dry dock and move to floating platforms in order to load torpedoes on Monday (July 15).

The submarine has been in the CSBC Corporation dry dock for nearly five months, per Liberty Times. It will be towed briefly by a tugboat before moving under its own power.

Nets and naval personnel will be deployed to prevent underwater espionage. Workers equipped with unmanned aerial vehicle jammers will patrol the area.

The floating platform at Pier 91 is hundreds of meters long. Its use will prevent potential collisions.

Unlike its previous transfer from the Hai Chang plant to the CSBC dry dock, Hai Kun will navigate through restricted areas within Kaohsiung Harbor. This means enthusiasts will likely be unable to photograph the submarine using long-range lenses.

Originally Posted By Missilegeek:

Senior Commie third Plenum meetings this week.

What are the odds the real topic is shit or get off the pot regarding Taiwan?

The window appears as wide open as possible.

Or should I say the rooftop is not secure?

Part of me thinks the Dems would give the go ahead, so they get the wartime admin advantages.

I would assume that if they don't go by October (surprise), then they might as well put it off for years.

Originally Posted By Missilegeek:
Senior Commie third Plenum meetings this week.

What are the odds the real topic is shit or get off the pot regarding Taiwan?

The window appears as wide open as possible.

Or should I say the rooftop is not secure?

Part of me thinks the Dems would give the go ahead, so they get the wartime admin advantages.

I would assume that if they don't go by October (surprise), then they might as well put it off for years.

Originally Posted By GoldenMead:


I agree it’s go time now before the next president is elected here.  

I follow the grain markets closely cause I farm.  It doesn’t look like China has bought any new crop soybeans yet. They always have by now. Why buy shit from us that you would take deliver on after November if you plan on being at war with us?

Originally Posted By Missilegeek:
Senior Commie third Plenum meetings this week.

What are the odds the real topic is shit or get off the pot regarding Taiwan?

The window appears as wide open as possible.

Or should I say the rooftop is not secure?

Part of me thinks the Dems would give the go ahead, so they get the wartime admin advantages.

I would assume that if they don't go by October (surprise), then they might as well put it off for years.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 20 Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (July 16) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (July 17).

Of the 20 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, central, southwestern, and eastern sectors of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 388 times and naval ships 119 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan leaders have responded to Donald Trump's suggestion that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for protection, with Premier Chou Jung-tai (   ) saying the country is willing to take on more responsibility, and the foreign ministry declining to comment.

Speaking at a press conference in Taipei on Wednesday (July 17), Chou said that the government had taken note of Trump's statement. He said Taiwan is willing to take on more responsibility to defend itself and ensure its security without providing specific details, per CNA.

Chou noted that Taiwan has increased its defense budget and lengthened its compulsory military service period as part of its commitment to defense. Chou said that Taiwan is grateful for U.S. assistance and that this has increased Taiwan's sense of shared responsibility for regional peace and stability.

Chou was responding to comments made by Trump during an interview with Bloomberg published Wednesday, during which he said, "I think Taiwan should pay us for defense."

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything," Trump said, while repeating complaints that Taiwan had taken semiconductor business from the U.S.

Taiwan's foreign ministry provided a statement to Taiwan News that said it does not comment on statements made by U.S. presidential candidates during the election period. The office of President Lai Ching-te (   ) referred to the foreign ministry response when asked for comment.

Leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus Wu Su-yao (   ) declined to comment directly on the Trump interview. Wu told reporters that strengthening exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. will ensure the relationship remains equal.

Wu said that in addition to Trump, observers may look to his running mate J.D. Vance, who has previously made comments in support of Taiwan. Vance has said that an invasion of Taiwan would "decimate" the U.S. economy when speaking about the need to provide defense.

Speaking to CNA, Kuomintang (KMT) legislators said that Trump has made similar comments regarding U.S. defense commitments to other countries in the past. Trump repeated complaints that South Korea, NATO countries, and others are not paying enough for U.S. military support in an interview with Time Magazine in April.

KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (   ) told CNA that Trump's comments reflect his nature as a "typical businessman." Lai said he believes Trump makes decisions based exclusively on U.S. interests, unlike current President Joe Biden, who wants to act as the "world's police officer" to maintain the current world order.

KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (   ) also said that Trump has long maintained that countries should pay for U.S. protection. She said Trump's comments call into question whether Taiwanese taxpayers will have to pay more in the future to maintain the cross-strait status quo.

Taiwan People's Party caucus leader Han Kuo-chang (   ) told reporters that he believes Trump cannot be blamed for his "America first" position, and that it is a reasonable stance during an election campaign. He said international relationships that are unilateral will not last long, and the main point is how the government handles the Taiwan-U.S. relationship post-election.

China's ruling Communist Party has started its third plenum with tightened security measures in Beijing as it charts China's economic and social development direction for the next decade.

The main focus of the four-day meeting of more than 370 full and alternate members of the party's Central Committee is expected to decide how to reach the country's interim industrial and technological goals by 2035, and ways to cope with the economic challenges facing the country.
Confirming the opening of the plenum in Beijing, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday morning that President Xi Jinping, who is the General Secretary of the party, delivered the Politburo's work report to the plenary session and presented a draft document on the Central Committee's decision on "further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernisation".

The one-paragraph Xinhua report on Monday morning did not offer any further details of the meeting.

The event   formally known as the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee   is expected to close on Thursday with a brief communique summarising key decisions.

According to precedent, this should then be followed within days by the release to the public of the full party document outlining decisions made during the meeting.

The event comes as Beijing tries to assure both foreign business and the domestic private sector about the country's economic prospects, a challenge some of the most significant third plenums have tried to address in the past.

China's economy only grew 4.7 per cent in the second quarter, data showed on Monday, as a protracted property downturn and job insecurity weighed on domestic demand, likely prompting people to keep an eye on the key meeting in Beijing for signs of more stimulus.

Beijing faces other major domestic challenges, including a demographic crisis, sluggish growth and mounting debts among local governments. It is also confronted with increasing pressure from the West following the recent Nato summit that denounced Beijing as a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war in Ukraine.

China has   after some delay   scheduled the much-anticipated third plenum of its Communist Party's Central Committee for Monday, with the four-day meeting expected to shape the country's economic strategy for the next five to 10 years.

Previous third plenums unveiled landmark changes. At the plenum of 1978, the policy of reform and opening up was adopted. In 1993, China's status as a "socialist market economy" was formalised, and the 2013 plenum codified the market's "decisive role" in resource allocation.

1. Will China announce a massive stimulus?

The facts: At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions   or "Summer Davos"   in late June, Premier Li Qiang said in the aftermath of Covid-19 that China's economy, like a patient coming out of illness, needs to gradually recover and return to normalcy.

2. Will China make more changes to personnel?

The facts: Two former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, have been expelled from the Communist Party   fuelling speculation more removals are to come.

3. Will China lay new foundations for housing or land?

The facts: On May 17, China unveiled a suite of policies to stabilise the property sector on both the supply and demand sides, lowering mortgage rates and announcing a 300 billion yuan (US$41.3 billion) relending programme backed by the central bank.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform on February 19   chaired by Xi   a document was approved on the reform of the country's system of land management.

Our take: There is no doubt housing will be mentioned at the meeting, given its importance to the country's economy.

However, contrary to some expectations for the sector's turnaround via a stronger rescue package, we believe the government is more likely to carry out structural reforms to stabilise and eventually reduce the weight of housing in the overall economy. From the government's perspective, the industry's value proposition has changed   from an economic engine to a risk in need of defusing.

We believe the government will determine which industries can serve as new economic growth drivers to fill the void left by the property sector.

In terms of rural land policy   highly correlated with total factor productivity and labour mobility   we believe some policy changes are probable. The question is the magnitude of those changes.
The style of rural land reform undertaken in the central municipality of Chongqing   where use rights for collectively owned agricultural land were allowed to be sold to developers or investors   is a challenging one to roll out nationwide, in our view, as the security of low-income farmers is a major consideration for policymakers.

4. Will China roll out more 'tech support'?

The facts: Beijing has placed innovation on a high pedestal, with "new quality productive forces" appearing more in official rhetoric   a phrase referring to the long-term growth potential of tech and other emerging industries.

5. Will China keep up its sales pitch for private and foreign businesses?

The facts: Xi held a high-profile meeting with business leaders and economists in May, and Premier Li Qiang and Vice-Premier He Lifeng made respective appeals to foreign investment in late June and early July.

Originally Posted By zoinks:
Score Card!
Taiwan tracks 20 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships around nation
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1737/bb8f2178752b402bb067b3a2fcf21e75_jpg-3269898.JPG
This is another "old friend" of a pattern. The PLAAF use to go day after day with this one!!

So, addressing the "elephant in the room" about the Business Insider interview with former Pres. Trump about Taiwan, here's the Taiwanese response:
Taiwan politicians react to Trump's suggestion of paying for US protection
That happened fast! I mean "fast." Plus, it's certainly not the typical European response of "blow it out your ass."

Considering that it was a left of center news organization that uses a lot of "anonymous" sources in its reportage, and these remarks, let's be generous here, were accurate, these were not policy statements. Other venues are used for policy statements, not some USA Today daily that allegedly focuses in on business.
Below is actually the best things to say when a guy that figures himself to be a master at negoiations is working the table:
Bear in mind, the above is from the ruling political party, the DPP.

Here is the opposition parties take:
and
At the end of the day, though...the US owes Taiwan multiple weapon systems. I think it's over $20 Billion now.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 20 Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (July 17) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (July 18).

Of the 20 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 10 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's northern, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 408 times and naval ships 125 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A Japanese government report warns that China's ability to invade Taiwan has improved substantially.

The report outlines a possible timeline of events if Beijing was to fully commit to an invasion of Taiwan. It suggests that if the Chinese government and military coordinate forces effectively, troops could land in Taiwan within one week of initiating hostilities, reported the Yomiuri Shimbun.

The report is based on an analysis of China's military training operations during the summer of 2023 involving naval vessels and missile launches. The findings, which were only reported to the public this week, indicate that China's technical and organizational capacity has improved beyond what many previous analyses have suggested.

In light of the findings, the report says that Tokyo must remain vigilant and boost efforts at deterrence to avoid conflict over Taiwan. The report also notes that China likely considers a rapid assault strategy as its best hope to exploit the situation, before the U.S. has time to organize a response.

The Yomiuri article says that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (    ) saw the contents of the report earlier this year.

The general order of operations for a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan outlined in the reports comports with most analyses of the situation. However, previous reports estimated approximately one month for how long it may take Chinese forces to establish a secure beachhead and supply lines.

The new report describes a much more urgent scenario.

The hypothetical invasion scenario covers four main phases, including: a naval blockade, bombardment of military facilities, an amphibious and aerial assault to establish a beachhead, and finally the mass transport of equipment and ground forces.

The analysts who wrote the report believe that with proper coordination and weather conditions, Chinese forces could potentially begin the fourth phase within four to five days after imposing a naval blockade.

The report also expects China to employ cyberattacks on key infrastructure and agents in Taiwan to cause confusion, limit communications, and access to energy. This "hybrid warfare" strategy could potentially paralyze Taiwan's government during the crucial first days of an invasion campaign.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Many in the Philippines are worried their country is being infiltrated by Chinese military personnel after it was reported that PLA uniforms were found during a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) complex carried out last week on June 4.

The Lucky South 99 complex, located in Porac, Pampanga, north of Manila was raided by multiple police agencies after reports of sex trafficking and torture of captive individuals, reported the Inquirer. On Monday (June 10), it was reported that during the raid, authorities also discovered over a dozen PLA-issued uniforms, along with several pins and medals.

The presence of the uniforms was disclosed to the public by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC). In response to the discovery, and in an effort to calm public concerns, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the uniforms are most likely props used in scams conducted by the illegal POGOs, which often serve as call centers for international scam rings.

The number of POGOs located throughout the Philippines, predominantly operated by Chinese nationals, grew rapidly under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. They have become a source of public concern and alarm, because it is believed that many are not subject to proper government oversight.

In several cases, a POGO may continue to operate illegally even after its official government license to serve as international online gambling and gaming businesses has been revoked. This was the case with the Lucky South 99 complex which was raided in September 2022 and ordered to close, reported the Inquirer.  

The raid last week resulted in the rescue of 186 foreigners and Filipinos being held against their will, along with the arrest of an unpublished number of Chinese nationals who are being detained for further investigation. The chief of the Pampanga Police Office was also removed from office for his failure to tamp down on the illegal activity.

The discovery of the Chinese military uniforms, whether merely props or genuine uniforms of enlisted soldiers, has only heightened public fears of Chinese infiltration in the country via the POGOs and the large number of Chinese nationals in the country who operate them, often with very little oversight. Numerous Philippine politicians and commentators have called these complexes a threat to national security.

At a press briefing on the raid, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy, Roy Vincent Trinidad, said that POGOs do not yet constitute a national security threat, but his comments suggested that the Armed Forces of the Philippines may soon reassess their position. "We haven't yet reached that point. The moment we get there, there will be appropriate announcements to be made," he said.

Taiwan has always paid for U.S. weapons out of pocket

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reaffirmed that Taiwan has always funded its own defense on Wednesday (July 17).

Miller added that Taiwan's purchases of billions of dollars in U.S. weapons contribute to the American economy and its defense industries, per CNA. He clarified that the recent authorization to supply Taiwan with weapons directly from U.S. stockpiles stemmed from the passage of the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Miller emphasized that stability in the Taiwan Strait is vital to the U.S. and global economic health.

Responding to a question about the timing of U.S. military aid to Taiwan, Miller explained it reflected the longstanding U.S. commitment to Taiwan's self-defense capabilities. He said Washington has been continuously evaluating Taiwan's defense needs, and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) is currently a suitable form of assistance.

Originally Posted By zoinks:
US State Department clarifies Taiwan security arrangements
And the US still hasn't sent the weapons.

Update: July 20, 4:47 p.m.:

A total of 20 Chinese aircraft were detected from 7:22 a.m., with 15 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering the north, central, southwest, and eastern parts of Taiwan's ADIZ while conducting joint combat patrol along with military vessels.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 22 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (July 19) and the same time Saturday (July 20).

Of the 22 People's Liberation Army aircraft, 17 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's northern, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the defense ministry.

So far this month, the defense ministry has tracked Chinese military aircraft 447 times and ships 142 times.

A Saildrone used by U.S. Navy in 2022 in the Gulf of Aqaba, similar to the USV found near Penghu. (Wikimedia Commons photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A fisher in Penghu County discovered an unmarked, solar-powered unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operating in the Taiwan Strait on Friday (July 19) off the coast of Mudou Island.

A fishing boat towed the vessel, which was without power, to Jibei Island and turned it over to the Taiwan Coast Guard, who are investigating to find the owner of the USV. The USV resembles technology used by the U.S. Navy to collect hydrographic data for maritime operations, reported LTN.

Based on photos shared online, the USV is similar to those used by the Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Navy in 2022 during the Cutlass Express exercises in the Gulf of Aqaba.

The Coast Guard was expected to send a press release about the USV on Saturday (July 20), but as of press time, a notice had not been posted. Coast Guard Officials have reportedly confirmed the USV is not owned by any marine research organization operating in Taiwan, and it does not have any markings identifying its origin, per UDN.

Although it has yet to be confirmed, the USV found off the coast of Penghu may have been manufactured by the U.S. company Saildrone, which also provides USVs to various research organizations around the world.  

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Chair of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (   ) criticized the Constitutional Court's decision to temporarily injunct several key amendments passed by the Kuomintang (KMT) and TPP that would considerably increase the power of the Legislative Yuan.

Speaking to reporters in Yunlin on Saturday (July 20), Ko said the situation is out of control, reported UDN. According to Ko, the Constitutional Court's Friday ruling (July 19) shows the Judicial Yuan has become an arm of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

On Friday, the Constitutional Court ruled that an injunction issued on the recently passed amendments will be upheld until the court determines the constitutionality of the new laws. The ruling represents a legal victory for the Lai administration and the DPP legislative caucus, who argued at an initial hearing on July 10 that the expanded powers granted to the Legislative Yuan are unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court on Friday upheld an injunction targeting 12 sections of the new laws, which were deemed to represent an "urgent" threat to governance by the Lai administration. Another 32 sections of the legislative reform package were permitted to be implemented.

The articles that have been injuncted include measures that would provide the Legislative Yuan with the power to demand state of the nation addresses from the president, form investigative committees with subpoena power, and hold government officials in contempt of the legislature.

The Constitutional Court has set the next hearing date in the case for Aug. 6.

Ko also raised concern over the statements made by DPP Spokesperson Wu Cheng (  ), before the court's announcement on Friday. Wu knew in advance the court was preparing to issue the ruling on Friday, which Ko says is a serious matter that raises questions about the impartiality of Taiwan's most powerful judicial body, per UDN.

Huang Kuo-chang (   ) of the opposition Taiwan People's Party said that as a law professional himself, he respected the ruling of the court, but believed that the Constitutional Court will have to face the "examination of public opinion and the historical judgment of democracy."

Ko said the Constitutional Court is clearly favoring the DPP and the Lai administration. According to Ko, the court is undermining public confidence in the legal and legislative process, and he called on the DPP to publicly address the matter.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Newly reelected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen came under fire Friday (July 19) from China for standing up for Taiwan.

In her manifesto, the German politician had described the Indo-Pacific as a "decisive region." She also called for "collective efforts to deploy the full range of our combined statecraft to deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means, particularly over Taiwan."

China responded with anger by saying Von der Leyen's policy guidelines constituted "gross interference" in the country's internal affairs, per a Euronews article Friday. The Director General for European Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Lutong (   ), fanned the flames further by saying, "Playing with fire on Taiwan is highly dangerous."

In a further warning, Wang was quoted as saying: "Meddling and even trying to join forces is by no means a right choice for Europe."

Originally Posted By 2tired2run:



This may be an ignorant question but how many do they really need when they're so close?


On another note....Phillipines resupply

Looks like the US has decided to poke the bear....this should be interesting to see if China blinks

Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea:

According to them they want 8 type 076 or was it 075s I have to check my notes but they only had 4 nd rumors were #5 was being sped up and rushed for delivery. I need to check the status on #5

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 22 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Saturday (July 20) and 6 a.m. on Sunday (July 21).

Of the 22 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 15 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's northern, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 469 times and ships 151 times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   After the start of summer recess for the current legislative session, the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Johnny Chiang (   ), left with a delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers for Europe on Saturday (July 20) to kick off a diplomatic tour to multiple countries.

According to various media reports, Taiwanese lawmakers are set to visit the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Japan, and the United States over the next few weeks. The first stop will be the Czech Republic, following the founding of the Taiwan-Czech parliamentary friendship group, which held its inaugural meeting in Taipei on Thursday (July 18), per CNA.

Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Wan Mei-ling (   ), in her role as head of the friendship group will lead parliamentary exchanges on issues related to trade, culture, education, media, and the overseas Taiwanese community in Europe. Wan says that the group will also discuss the possibility of displaying items from the National Palace Museum in the Czech Republic in the coming years, per CNA.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   For the third time this month, Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted waters off the outlying island of Kinmen, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Friday (July 19).

Around 2 p.m., the coast guard noticed four Chinese ships approaching restricted waters south of Kinmen, per CNA. As they entered the restricted area from four different points an hour later, the CGA sent four of its vessels to counter the incursions.

After the CGA broadcast warnings and collected evidence, the Chinese ships left the area at 5 p.m. While this was the third incident since the start of July, China's coast guard has sent ships into restricted waters close to Taiwan's outlying islands a total of 32 times this year.