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☆ US Coast Guard ship transits Taiwan Strait after Blinken’s trip to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A US Coast Guard ship “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the US Navy. Koh’s database notes two occasions where Coast Guard cutters have sailed the strait with US Navy destroyers. China’s Coast Guard responded on Thursday on their official Weibo account where Gan Yu, the spokesperson of China’s Coast Guard, said that “on June 21 US Coast Guard Stratton sailed through the Taiwan Strait” and accused the US of “hyping up” the matter by announcing it publicly. According to the US, the Chinese ship came within 150 yards of the USS Chung-Hoon – less than the length of the Arleigh Burke-class ship itself. A Chinese military spokesperson later accused Washington of “deliberately stirring up trouble and risks in the Taiwan Strait.”

Persons: “, USCGC, ”, Antony Blinken’s, Xi Jinping, Collin Koh, Xi, Gan Yu, Coast Guard Stratton, Haley Sims, Hoon, USS Chung, Arleigh Burke Organizations: South Korea CNN, Coast Guard, US Navy, Beijing, USCG, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Navy, China’s Communist Party, Taiwan, China’s, Guard, Weibo, China’s Coast Guard, US, CNN, USS Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Taiwan Strait, Canadian, Washington

☆ India demonstrates naval strength with dual aircraft carrier exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Indian aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant lead combined operations in the Arabian Sea. Sanjay Atri/Indian NavyUpon Vikrant’s commissioning last year, India joined only the United Kingdom and China in commissioning a domestically built aircraft carrier in the previous three years. It has operated two aircraft carriers on two previous occasions, between 1987 and 1997, and between 2013 and 2017. But even with the advancements demonstrated by the dual-carrier operation, India’s carrier program still has question marks, said Childs from IISS. It would certainly suggest that the Indian Navy could do with more carrier aircraft,” Childs said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nick Childs, Vikramaditya, INS, “, India’s, Vikrant, Sanjay Atri, Collin Koh, ” Koh, Carl Schuster, ” Schuster, USS Nimitz, Ronald Reagan, Schuster, Childs, ” Childs Organizations: CNN, Analysts, United States Navy, Indian Navy, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Liberation Army, PLA, Navy, PLA Navy, US Navy, Indian Navy India, Australia –, Malabar, USS Locations: India, Russia, United Kingdom, China, Singapore, Soviet, Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian, Hawaii, ”, United States, Japan, Australia, Philippine, IISS

☆ Southeast Asia's digital economy may be set to hit $1 trillion, but roadblocks remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A woman (R) adjusts the Philippines flag before the 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)- Republic of Korea Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on August 3, 2018. Southeast Asia's digital economy has plenty of growth potential, backed by strong fundamentals including over 460 million digital consumers, young and tech-savvy populations, as well as rising internet penetration. The digital economy across six countries within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc — known as ASEAN-6 and comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — is projected to grow 6% annually. From the urban-rural divide to low digital literacy, the region continues to grapple with challenges that could hold back that growth. "ASEAN's digital economy is expanding, but there is the digital divide," said Anthony Toh, research analyst at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, a think-tank within Nanyang Technological University.

Persons: Anthony Toh, Toh Organizations: 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Google, Temasek, Bain & Company, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, & $ Locations: Philippines, Republic, Korea, Singapore, ASEAN, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nanyang, Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia

☆ The US Navy has its eyes on a new submarine base that will help it keep track of China's growing undersea fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

As part of the AUKUS agreement, US and British subs will operate out of western Australia by 2027. The deal on the base comes as rivals, mainly China, increase their submarine activity in the region. Ray Mabus, then US navy secretary, departs a Chinese Yuan-class submarine in Ningbo in November 2012. The Defense Department report also says China's six operational Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile subs are likely already conducting "near-continuous at-sea deterrence patrols," a sign that China's submarine force continues to improve its operational capabilities. For the US Navy, those developments make the ability to base subs closer to the Western Pacific a greater priority.

Landing of aircraft at night and in bad weather, for instance - crucial to regular offshore carrier operations - remain far from routine, several of the attaches and analysts said. "Carrier operations are a very complicated game, and China's got to figure this out all by itself. A new plane, the KJ-600, designed to perform a similar role to the E-2C/D Hawkeye launched from U.S. carriers, is still in testing, according to the Pentagon's latest annual report on China's military. Several countries operate aircraft carriers but the U.S. remains the most dominant, running 11 carrier battlegroups with global reach. A September editorial published in a magazine run by a PLA weapons manufacturer, titled "Four great advantages the PLA has in attacking Taiwan", did not mention the role of Chinese carriers.

The assessment of China's military said China's fleet of six Jin-class ballistic missile submarines were operating "near-continuous" patrols from Hainan Island into the South China Sea. Equipped with a new, longer-range ballistic missile, they can hit the continental United States, analysts say. Communications are crucial and complex for ballistic missile subs, which must remain hidden as part of their mission. The Chinese military has emphasised that the Central Military Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, is the only nuclear command authority. Russia is thought to keep most of its 11 ballistic missile submarines largely in bastions off its Arctic coasts, while U.S., French and British boats roam more widely, three analysts said.

☆ U.S.-sanctioned general to become public face of China's growing military
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the PLA's then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of China's space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then appointed head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's governing defence body, headed by President Xi Jinping. Some security scholars note the sanctions - while not a deal-breaker for future meetings - add a potential complication, and could provide China's military leadership with leverage. Li's term at the Central Military Commission has highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. Some scholars believe Li has close ties to Zhang Youxia, a close military ally of Xi, whom Li replaced as head of the department.

China's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the researchers' findings. Reuters could not determine how closely the conclusions reflect the thinking among China's military leaders. A U.S. defence official told Reuters that despite differences with the situation in Taiwan, the Ukraine war offered insights for China. The conflict has also forged an apparent consensus among Chinese researchers that drone warfare merits greater investment. Beyond the battlefield, the work has covered the information war, which the researchers conclude was won by Ukraine and its allies.

☆ China is 'certainly in no hurry' to provide lethal weapons to Russia, says assistant professor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina is 'certainly in no hurry' to provide lethal weapons to Russia, says assistant professorBenjamin Ho of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies discusses China's position on the Russia-Ukraine war and says it is "playing the long game," though there are many other ways it can assist Russia.

☆ Analysis: China's role as Ukraine peacemaker raises doubt as it 'deepens' Russia ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A year after Russia invaded its southwestern neighbour, its "no limits" partner China is offering to broker peace. It says it will issue a "position paper" on Ukraine and President Xi Jinping is expected to give a "peace speech" this week, Italy's foreign minister said. "At the moment China’s peace effort will stay at the rhetorical level," said Li Mingjiang, associate professor of international relations at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Still, China is unlikely to provide Russia with military aid any time soon, at least not overtly, experts and diplomats said. "China still sees Russia as a central element of its overarching strategy to weaken U.S. power and influence and build a multipolar world," he said.

[1/4] Spectators watch after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast in Holden Beach, North Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Regional analysts and diplomats are closely watching China's response after a U.S. fighter jet shot down the balloon - which Beijing says was an errant weather-monitoring craft - in the Atlantic off South Carolina on Saturday. China on Sunday condemned the attack as an "over-reaction", saying it reserved the right to use the necessary means to deal with "similar situations", without elaborating. But while bilateral tension has risen in the past few days over the balloon incident, Beijing and Washington have been seeking to improve ties. Naval Postgraduate School in California, said any Chinese response would be limited.

It was a rare, candid glimpse of the Chinese leader and a reminder of Beijing's testy relations with the West. Besides Biden, Trudeau and Australia's Anthony Albanese, Xi also met the leaders of South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Holland and France for bilateral talks in Bali. Xi was ferried around Bali in his own Hongqi (Red Flag) limousine - Mao Zedong used an earlier model - China's version of the U.S. presidential "Beast" limo. Returning to in-person diplomacy also gives Xi a platform to push Chinese initiatives that further cement its stature as leader of the emerging world. "I think in the coming years you'll see China indeed making a serious effort to implement its major power diplomacy," he said.

☆ Days after Biden's face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping, Kamala Harris is making a rare trip to a South China Sea hotspot
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Palawan looks over the South China Sea, where Beijing and its neighbors have competing claims. "This is another historic visit, as the vice president is the highest-ranking US official ever to visit Palawan," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday. It divides the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea, where the Philippines is one of several countries that dispute Beijing's expansive claims. The Philippine province of Palawan separates the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea. Asked on Tuesday how China should view the trip, the US official said, "China can take the message it wants.

Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person on Monday for the first time since taking office, with U.S. concerns over Taiwan, Russia's war in Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear ambitions on top of his agenda. Biden and Xi, who have held five phone or video calls since Biden became president in January 2021, last met in person during the Obama administration. Xi's government has also criticized the Biden administration's posture toward Taiwan as undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Biden will also discuss Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and plans to be "unapologetic" in his defence of Ukraine, U.S. officials said last week. Biden will also warn Xi that North Korea's continued pursuit of weapons development will lead to an enhanced U.S. military presence in the region, the White House said.

The two leaders will meet on Monday, the White House said, for their first face-to-face meeting since Biden became president, amid low expectations for significant breakthroughs. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced the plan to brief Taiwan about the talks on Thursday, telling reporters the United States aimed to make Taiwan feel "secure and comfortable" about U.S. support. China is firmly opposed to it," Zhao told a regular briefing, shortly after the ministry announced that Xi would meet Biden and also attend the G20 meeting and a later APEC summit next week. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2021. Biden and Xi last met in person when Biden was vice president during the Obama administration.

☆ Germany's dependence on China is 'overblown,' but critical goods diversification needs to improve: EU Chamber of Commerce
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowThe top European business representative in China downplayed concerns over Germany's economic reliance on China as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes his maiden in-person visit to Beijing. President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China Joerg Wuttke told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday that many of Germany's imports from China are replaceable, when asked if the European country had become dependent on China for many of its goods. Experts largely agreed with Wuttke but warned that Germany needed to step up its diversification from with China. and international relations expert from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, largely agreed with Wuttke's comments, given Wuttke's extensive knowledge of Germany's stakes in China. He said Germany must reduce its dependency so that it is neither susceptible to blackmail by Beijing, nor unable to implement sanctions.

☆ Analysis: Need for speed: China Xi's new generals offer cohesion over possible Taiwan plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Although the Politburo's seven-man Standing Committee would make the ultimate decision on any Taiwan action, the Central Military Commission would forge and execute the battle plan, eight Asian and Western military attaches say. "If Xi Jinping is going to the pull the trigger on Taiwan, then he can't afford any dissent from the Central Military Commission," said Singapore-based strategic adviser Alexander Neill. That has always been Chinese thinking on Taiwan, and the Ukraine stalemate has confirmed the need to avoid getting bogged down in a slow logistical build up." Crucially, Li has experience with the People's Liberation Army's digitised strategic support forces, a body that covers electronic, cyber and space warfare. He was promoted to the position after his command of the reformed Eastern Theatre Command, which is responsible for Taiwan operations.

☆ Analysis: Xi's new generals face tough military challenges post-congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Now come the tricky next steps for his Central Military Commission: implementing sweeping changes to its leadership, which commands China's two million-strong People's Liberation Army, potentially tightening Xi's grip over the military and its modernisation. Among those expected to step down are the body's vice chairmen, Generals Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, both 72. Diplomatic challenges are also mounting, as China's military modernisation confronts the traditional U.S. strategic dominance in East Asia. Who is chosen could shed light on Xi's military priorities. "There is no shortage of senior military officers who internally parrot Xi's 'fight and win' mantra, but the conundrum for the PLA is the lack of operational experience," said Alexander Neill, a private military analyst.

☆ Hu Chunhua: From rural roots to candidate for China premiership
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"For his policy record, I would pick Hu," said Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China at Chatham House. Hu is depicted in state media as a man of action, sometimes shown checking on planting progress in far-flung provinces. YOUTH LEAGUE ROOTS, POVERTY FIGHTERHu got his start in the party training ground of the Communist Youth League. Despite his Youth League roots - the faction was seen to be a rival to Xi's - Hu has proved his loyalty to Xi, promoting many of his initiatives in rural areas, including the campaign to eradicate poverty. Hu also wrote a paean to Xi's "historic achievements" on rural issues published in the party's official People's Daily in July.

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