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☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

☆ A 2020 hack of the Japanese military was tied to cyberspies from China's People's Liberation Army
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Washington Post reported on a 2020 hack on the Japanese military conducted by Chinese cyberspies. The hack gave Chinese spies access to Japanese military plans, capabilities, and shortcomings. The Post on Monday detailed a previously unreported hack into Japanese military networks by China's People's Liberation Army in 2020. The hack offered Chinese cyberspies access to Japanese military plans, capabilities, and shortcomings, the outlet reported. The news, coupled with reports from May of China installing malware into US military systems, signals a significant escalation in how the People's Liberation Army — the military arm of China's ruling communist party — is targeting foreign adversaries.

Persons: Fumio Kishida Organizations: Washington Post, Service, The Washington Post, China's People's Liberation Army, Post, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, U.S, Japan, United States, East Asia, Japanese

☆ Analysis: US institutional investors could face restrictions on Chinese stock ownership
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese companies including Tencent (0700.HK) and Alibaba (9988.HK) accounted for 31% of the MSCI Emerging Markets index (.MSCIEF) in July. RED-FLAGGED COMPANIESMSCI and rivals removed seven Chinese companies from global indexes in 2020 because of U.S. ownership restrictions. The committee's letters this week cited contractors to China's People's Liberation Army it identified in BlackRock funds or MSCI indexes. Some of the companies have been flagged such as appearing on the U.S. Treasury's "Chinese Military-Industrial Complex" companies list. For companies on it, U.S. persons and asset managers face purchase and sale restrictions but not divestment requirements.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Biden, Jo Ritcey, Donohue, there’ll, BlackRock, MSCI, RUSH, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Todd Rosenbluth, Rosenbluth, Russell, Ross Kerber, Karin Strohecker, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Selena Li, Megan Davies, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Waterdrop Inc, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, BlackRock, Washington, Chinese Communist Party, HK, Vanguard FTSE, Vanguard, FTSE Russell, People's, Ritcey, Department of, Thomson Locations: U.S, New, Beijing, China, BlackRock, Washington, Taiwan, Ukraine, MSCI, Boston, London, Hong Kong

[1/2] The BlackRock logo is pictured outside their headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., May 25, 2021. BlackRock has said all of its investments in China and around the world comply with U.S. law, and that it will continue engaging with the select committee on the issues it raised. Republicans formed the select committee when they took control of the House in January, part of an effort to raise awareness about issues behind growing tensions with China. A hard line toward China is one of the few policies with bipartisan support in the deeply divided U.S. Congress. The committee does not write legislation, but makes policy recommendations and can subpoena executives and officials.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, BlackRock, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, MSCI, Raja Krishnamoorthi, They're, Krishnamoorthi, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Don Durfee Organizations: REUTERS, BlackRock, Reuters, Republican, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Republicans, Congress, FBI, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, China, MSCI, Dysart , Iowa, Washington, Iowa

☆ China complains to US about 'dangerous' weapons aid to Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Aug 1 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it has complained to the United States about a weapons aid package to Taiwan, urging Washington to refrain from going further down a "wrong and dangerous" path. The U.S. unveiled an aid package for Taiwan worth up to $345 million on Friday as Congress authorised up to $1 billion worth of weapons aid for the island as a part of the 2023 budget. A spokesperson for China's defence ministry, Tan Kefei, said the U.S. must stop all forms of "military collusion" with Taiwan. The top U.S. general said in July it and allies should speed up weapons delivery to Taiwan in coming years to help the island defend itself. China's People's Liberation Army is paying close attention to the situation in the Taiwan Strait and is always on high alert, Tan said.

Persons: Tan Kefei, Tan, China's, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Army, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, Taiwan, Washington, U.S, Beijing, Taipei

☆ Chinese navy makes rare foray into West Africa with Nigeria visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 3 (Reuters) - A naval fleet of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by the destroyer Nanning arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, in a rare visit by the Chinese military to Africa's Atlantic coast, where Beijing has long made efforts to grow its influence. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria hailed the five-day visit as a milestone in ties, while the Nigerian navy expressed willingness to work with China to tackle maritime security threats and maintain stability in the Gulf of Guinea, the Chinese embassy said in a statement on Monday. Oil-rich West Africa is an important global exporter of crude. The region, mostly Angola and Nigeria, is among China's top oil suppliers. Major Chinese oil explorer CNOOC Ltd also engages in deep-sea production off the coast of Nigeria.

Persons: Nanning, CNOOC, Ryan Woo, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Liberation Army, PLA, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Nigeria, Beijing, Nigerian, China, Gulf, Guinea, Africa, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Taiwan, Djibouti

[1/3] A person walks past a show venue of stand-up comedy company Xiaoguo Culture Media Co that has closed its business, in Beijing, China May 19, 2023. "Stand-up comedy has been the last bastion in which people ... can still enjoy entertaining commentary about public life," said Beijing-based independent political analyst Wu Qiang. "After this, the space for stand-up comedy and public expression in general will inevitably keep shrinking." China's comedy scene rose quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic as people spent more time indoors watching viral streamed comedy shows. The most popular were produced by Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, the firm at the centre of the current uproar.

☆ Chinese authorities slap comedy firm with $2 mln fine after military joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The incident has strongly divided the Chinese public over what sort of jokes are inappropriate as performances such as stand-up comedy become increasingly popular and also highlighted the limits of appropriate content in China where authorities say it must promote core socialist values. In response to the fine, Xiaoguo Culture blamed the incident on "major loopholes in management" and said it had terminated Li's contract. Reuters could not immediately reach Li for comment and Weibo appears to have banned him from posting to his account there. Founded in Shanghai in 2015, Xiaoguo Culture's popularity has grown in sync with China's embrace of stand-up comedy and had known for raising the profile of hundreds of local comedians. (This story has been refiled to add a dropped word in the headline and fix a typo in paragraph 1)($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/4] Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki shake hands as they attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/PoolBEIJING, May 15 (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang told visiting Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Monday their countries should "deepen mutually beneficial win-win cooperation and continuously enrich their strategic partnership" at a meeting in Beijing. Eritrea also shares a border with Djibouti, where China's People's Liberation Army set up its first overseas military base in 2017. The "marginalised continent of Africa and the rest of the world will heavily defend and expect more contributions from the People's Republic of China," Afwerki said. Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's aircraft carrier Shandong returns to home port after show of might
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

This year, the Shandong has been spotted in the Taiwan strait, the Bashi channel between Taiwan and the Philippines, and even as far as Guam. "The Shandong carrier group, for the first time, in a formation and of scale, went to the waters of the western Pacific," it added. The carrier, commissioned in 2019, has featured prominently in China's military propaganda. During the April drills, China showed extensive images of the Shandong and its fighter jets being launched from the carrier. In March 2022, the Shandong, one of China's two operational carriers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait just hours before the Chinese and U.S. presidents were due to talk.

☆ Australian police searched pilot's home for China fighter jet records
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, May 2 (Reuters) - Australian police searched the home of a British former test pilot for documents related to China's J-16 strike fighter, Australia's intelligence partners, and China's biggest aviation company, a court judgment shows. The search in November was part of an investigation into Western military pilots training China's military at a time of growing tension between China and the United States and its allies. Federal police searched Hartley's home on suspicion he had broken the law by providing military style training directed or funded by China between 2018 and 2022, the Federal Court heard. The judgement shows police had searched for documents and digital records including emails and encrypted messages relating to TFASA, the PLA, four models of PLA fighter jets and fighter training aircraft including the J-16 strike fighter and J-11 fighter, AVIC and two individuals whose names were redacted. It states conduct capable of constituting an offence, and it does so with a reasonable degree of precision," she wrote.

☆ Leaked US assessment says China readying supersonic spy drone unit - Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - A leaked U.S. military assessment says the Chinese military may soon deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday. The newspaper cited a secret document from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The Washington Post said it obtained the assessment of the program from a trove of images of classified files posted on the Discord messaging app, allegedly by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, who was arrested last week. The FBI on Thursday arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard, over the leaks online of classified documents that embarrassed Washington with allies around the world. The leaks first became widely known earlier this month, setting Washington on edge about the damage they may have caused.

☆ Photo catches Taiwan pilot with a patch of Winnie the Pooh getting punched in the face — a jab at China's Xi as Beijing ups the pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid this, Taiwan's defense ministry published a photo of a patch worn by fighter pilots. The patch depicts a cartoon Winnie the Pooh getting punched by a bear — a dig at Xi Jinping. Her visit stoked ire in Beijing, with China's defense ministry calling it "provocative." Beijing's defense ministry said the war games — dubbed "Joint Sword" — are meant to be a "stern warning" to Taiwan, which sharply criticized the exercises. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," Taiwan's defense ministry wrote in a statement posted to social media.

Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERSTOKYO/TAIPEI, April 10 (Reuters) - Japan has been following China's military drills around Taiwan consistently and "with great interest", a top government spokesperson said on Monday, on the last scheduled day for the exercises where Beijing has simulated striking the island. China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control. Japan has long worried about China's military activities in the area given how close its southern islands are to Taiwan. The United States has said it is also watching China's drills closely. China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in the second day of drills around the island on Sunday.

SummarySummary Companies China starts three days of drills around TaiwanTaiwan says 71 Chinese planes crossed Taiwan Strait median lineTaiwan says it will respond calmlyChina angered by Taiwan president meeting U.S. House SpeakerAnnouncement comes shortly after French president left ChinaFUZHOU, China/TAIPEI, April 8 (Reuters) - Seventy-one Chinese military aircraft crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as China began drills around Taiwan in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The People's Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, having said earlier it would be holding them in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan "as planned". SITUATION 'AS EXPECTED'There was no broader sense of alarm in Taiwan about the drills, where people are long accustomed to Chinese threats. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, also in China this week to meet Xi, said stability in the Taiwan Strait was of paramount importance. The Taiwan security source said China's recent efforts to charm foreign leaders proved in vain after the announcement of the drills.

☆ As Chinese military exercises, US lawmaker pledges training for Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Michael McCaul, Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, who is leading a delegation of US lawmakers visiting Taiwan, speaks during a news conference at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan April 7, 2023. "As the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, I sign off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, and I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," he said. "And we will provide training to your military - not for war, but for peace," he added, without giving details. The United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, two U.S. officials told Reuters in February. China describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

☆ China says U.S. 'endangered' peace with Taiwan Strait fly-through
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/TAIPEI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - China accused the United States of "endangering" peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance military plane flew through the sensitive waterway on Monday. Beijing has been incensed by U.S. military missions through the narrow strait, most frequently of warships but occasionally of aircraft, saying China "has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction" over the waterway. Taiwan and the United States dispute that saying it is an international waterway. "The U.S. side's actions deliberately interfered with and disrupted the regional situation and endangered peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The United States has previously said such missions show the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

☆ FBI says Chinese balloon analysis effort is in early stages
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Officials said the FBI still did not have access to the majority of the balloon's "payload" where most of the onboard electronics were likely carried. The FBI said much of the evidence remains underwater, and that it has begun decontaminating some of its remains by removing salt and seawater. "We have not identified any sort of any energetic or offensive material," one of the FBI officials said, when asked whether any explosives or other harmful components had been identified from the balloon. The FBI officials said they did not yet have information on where some of the balloon components were manufactured, but that such evidence when recovered could be used for intelligence purposes or possible criminal charges.

☆ India’s aircraft carriers are key to Indo-Pacific strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A naval personnel stands guard on India's largest naval ship the INS Vikramaditya as she anchors in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Jan. 21, 2016. "This is significant in terms of India's power projection capabilities, primarily within the Indian Ocean," said Viraj Solanki, a London-based expert on Indo-Pacific defense with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "This really gives India an option to display its ability to counter China within the Indian Ocean, which is the Indian navy's priority." China has not yet sailed an aircraft carrier into the Indian Ocean but is expected to do so within the next few years. "New Delhi sees Beijing as encroaching into its traditional sphere of influence, especially in the Indian Ocean region," said Ridzwan Rahmat, a Singapore-based analyst with the defense intelligence company Janes.

☆ India expects more clashes with Chinese troops in Himalayas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Krishn Kaushik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A security assessment by Indian police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh says there could be more clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their contested frontier there as Beijing ramps up military infrastructure in the region. A fresh clash erupted between the two sides in the eastern Himalayas in December but there were no deaths. The report said the assessment was based on intelligence gathered by local police in the border areas and the pattern of India-China military tensions over the years. China's foreign ministry spokesperson's office on Saturday said China was maintaining close communication and dialogue through diplomatic and military channels with India. India and China share a 3,500 km (2,100 miles) border that has been disputed since the 1950s.

☆ Taiwan to extend compulsory military service, official says, as China shows air power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Soldiers regroup after an amphibious landing drill during the Han Kuang military exercise — which simulates China's People's Liberation Army invading the island — on July 28, 2022 in Pingtung, Taiwan. A plan to extend compulsory military service in Taiwan to one year from the current four months will be announced on Tuesday, a senior government official said, as the island deals with rising Chinese military pressure. Tsai's security team, including high-level officials from the defense ministry and the National Security Council, has been reviewing Taiwan's military system since 2020 amid increasing threats from China, according to the official. China also staged war games near Taiwan in August following a visit to Taipei by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "China's various unilateral behaviors have become a major concern for regional security," said the official, who took part in the high-level security discussion and declined to be named.

☆ China stages 'strike drills' around Taiwan, citing provocation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Taiwan flag can be seen at Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan, July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangBEIJING, Dec 25 (Reuters) - China's military said it had conducted "strike drills" in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to unspecified "provocation" from the democratically-governed island and the United States. "This is a resolute response to the current escalation of collusion and provocation from the United States and Taiwan," it added, without giving details. The ministry publishes a daily report at 9 a.m. (0100 GMT) of Chinese military activities near the island over the previous 24 hours. The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

☆ Eye of the storm: Taiwan at the centre of Sino-U.S. tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China likewise views Tsai as a separatist for refusing to accept Beijing's long-standing position that China and Taiwan both belong to "one China". Since Pelosi's visit, China has continued with its military activities near Taiwan, though on a reduced scale. WHY IT MATTERSA newspaper front page reporting about U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pictured in Taipei, Taiwan, August 2, 2022. The United States has long stuck to a policy of "strategic ambiguity" and not making clear whether it would respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan. Anti-China sentiment continues to build in the United States, and in its newly Republican-controlled House, along with support for Taiwan.

☆ The US's experimental 'lighting carriers' are 'much more capable' than China's current carriers, top US admiral says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Lighting Carrier conceptAn F-35B launches from USS Tripoli in April 2022. A light aircraft carrier embarks with fewer jets than a fleet aircraft carrier — as many as 20, compared to more than 50 on a fleet carrier — but it costs much less and is more versatile. US Marine Corps F-35Bs approach and land on USS Tripoli during an exercise in June. "There is no comparison between a J-15 and an F-35B," Thomas said, referring to China's main carrier aircraft. US Marine Corps F-35Bs aboard USS Tripoli on June 10.

☆ China's military has been spending a lot more time working on how to forcefully capture an island, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's military has been increasingly practicing seizing islands, the Pentagon says. The US has accused China of engaging in aggressive behavior around Taiwan and in the South China Sea. As an extensive assessment of China's military might, the report outlines the threat that China poses to the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan. In addition to Beijing's longstanding focus on Taiwan, China also holds competing claims to islands and reefs in the South China Sea, where China has been building military outposts and strengthening its position. Earlier this month, Vice President Kamala Harris made a rare trip to a South China Sea hotspot, specifically the Philippine island of Palawan, which overlooks contested areas in the strategic waterway.

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