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An armored vehicle escorting a MINUSMA logistic convoy from Gao to Kidal, is parked as trucks pass by, Mali February 16, 2017. Shortly after the last U.N. convoy rolled out, the ethnic Tuareg rebels announced they had taken over the base. The Tuareg rebels signed a 2015 peace agreement brokered by MINUSMA but maintained control of much of the north from Kidal. The first sign of trouble came in early August, when fighting broke out between Mali's army and Tuareg rebels around the U.N.'s camp in Ber in the north. As in Kidal, peacekeepers destroyed equipment before leaving that could have been transported in trucks earlier, if the government had allowed.

Persons: MINUSMA, Sylvain Liechti, jeopardising U.N, couldn't, Fatoumata Sinkoun Kaba, Yvan Guichaoua, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Mahamat, Alexandra Zavis, Daniel Flynn Organizations: UN, DAKAR, United Nations, U.N, Reuters, Authorities, Security, Islamic State, Department of Peace Operations, Department of Operational, Wagner Group, MINUSMA, University of Kent's Brussels School of International Studies, Thomson Locations: Gao, Mali, Kidal, West Africa, Malian, al Qaeda, Algeria, Mauritania, Ber, Tessalit, Algerian, Bamako, Dakar, Nairobi, New York, N'Djamena

☆ China chases US and Russia guided-missile submarine capabilities with new vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Pentagon report, published Oct. 20, marks the first apparent confirmation that modified submarines seen in Chinese shipyards over the last 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines. The confirmation comes amid an intensifying submarine arms race as China constructs a new generation of nuclear-armed boats as part of its evolving deterrent force. Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said the SSGNs were an important new capability for the Chinese navy. Naval War College in May noted that the PLA was close to breakthroughs in making its nuclear-powered submarines far quieter and more difficult for the U.S. and its allies to track. "But we know the submarine force is a priority for Xi Jinping, and this is one more sign they are getting there."

Persons: Jason Lee, Collin Koh, Koh, Xi Jinping, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberation Army Navy, REUTERS, Pentagon, Reuters, U.S . Navy, Cruise, Libyan, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies . Research, U.S . Naval, College, U.S, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, China, HONG KONG, U.S, Huludao, Soviet Union, Florida, Singapore, Asian

[1/4] Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 16, 2023. Ten years on, the most senior EU leader expected to attend the third Belt and Road (BRI) Summit this week is Hungary's populist Viktor Orban, who will join guests including Russia's Vladimir Putin and a minister of the Afghan Taliban. Other analysts say economic slowdown both in China and globally, and rising commodity prices, have also cast a pall over the initiative. Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization think tank, said the BRI had "greatly pushed forward global awareness about the infrastructure deficit". "It's not perfect, but it’s a process, and people are gradually realising it's so important: we need to build infrastructure.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Ken Ishii, Putin, Orban, Britain's, Viktor Orban, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Xi, Jinping, Matthew Erie, they've, Raffaello Pantucci, Ruby Osman, Tony Blair, Osman, Wang Huiyao, Wang, Joyce Zhou, Vineet Sachdev, Antoni Slodkowski, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Beijing Capital International Airport, Forum, REUTERS Acquire, Initiative, University of Oxford, Reuters, Washington, American Enterprise Institute, S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Tony, Tony Blair Institute for Global, Global Development Initiative, Monetary Fund, Sri, Center for, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Italy, Xi's, BEIJING, Western Europe, EU, Taiwan, United States, Ukraine, Erie, CHINA, America, Africa, Russia, Kazakhstan, Congo, Singapore, China's, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Center for China

[1/4] Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 16, 2023. Ten years on, the most senior EU leader expected to attend the third Belt and Road (BRI) Summit this week is Hungary's populist Viktor Orban, who will join guests including Russia's Vladimir Putin and a minister of the Afghan Taliban. Such Western doubts have coincided with Xi's assertive leadership and a deterioration in ties over trade, human rights, COVID-19 and Taiwan. Other analysts say economic slowdown both in China and globally, and rising commodity prices, have also cast a pall over the initiative. "It's not perfect, but it’s a process, and people are gradually realising it's so important: we need to build infrastructure.

☆ Exclusive: Combat veteran is likely replacement for China's missing defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

China's defence ministry and State Council information office did not respond to requests for comment. If his departure is confirmed, Li will be the second senior minister to lose his job in recent months. Qin Gang was removed as foreign minister in July, one month after he was last seen in public. U.S. defence officials have long wanted to reestablish routine communications with counterparts directly involved in command decisions. Qin was made foreign minister in Dec. 2022 and Li became defence minister in March.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Liu Zhenli, Liu, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Qin, Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Xi, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Neill, Willy Lam, Chang Dingqiu, Katerina Ang, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Political Consultative, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Reuters, Russia, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, State, U.S . Department of Defense, ., CMC, Xiangshan, National, Committee, Communist Party's, U.S, Pentagon, People's, Army, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Washington, PUBLIC, National Defence, Joint Staff Department, Pacific Forum, Jamestown Foundation, Xinhua, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, U.S, Taipei, ., Singapore, Honolulu, Vietnam

☆ Inside Asia's arms race: China near 'breakthroughs' with nuclear-armed submarines, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But the Type 094s, which carry China's most advanced submarine-launched JL-3 missile, are considered relatively noisy - a major handicap for military submarines. The paper notes that the Type 096 submarine will compare to state-of-the-art Russian submarines in terms of stealth, sensors and weapons. That puts construction on schedule to have the boats operational by 2030, the timeline stated in the Pentagon's annual reports on China's military. Even if China's submarine force reaches technological parity, it will need to train aggressively and intensively over the next decade to match AUKUS capabilities, he added. Vasily Kashin, a Moscow-based Chinese military scholar at HSE University, said it was possible Chinese engineers had made the breakthroughs described in the report.

Persons: Jason Lee, Christopher Carlson, Carlson, Collin Koh, Koh, Alexander Neill, Neill, Vasily Kashin, Kashin, Greg Torode, Guy Faulconbridge, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberation Army Navy, REUTERS, Research, U.S . Naval War College, China Maritime Studies, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, U.S, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Reuters, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, New Zealand, Hawaii's, HSE University, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, China, HONG KONG, Russian, Asia, Hainan, South China, United States, Britain, Russia, France, Singapore, Soviet, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, South Korea, New, U.S, British, Western Australia, Moscow, Soviet Union, Beijing

☆ 'Narwhal' ship: Taiwan unveils first domestically built submarine as China threat grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It is also important equipment for our naval forces in developing asymmetric warfare strategies.”“In the past, many people thought building an indigenous submarine would be an impossible task. Taiwan's president gives a speech at the launch ceremony of Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, in Kaohsiung on September 28. Tsai said the indigenous submarine project was “a top priority” of her administration. Video Ad Feedback Taiwan's military is preparing in case China attacks. But Taiwan’s indigenous military procurement program remains a lynchpin of its defense strategy, particularly when it comes to systems like anti-ship missiles that could defend against a potential invasion.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Kun, ” Tsai, “, Tsai, Taiwan's, Eric Cheung, Sandra Oudkirk, Washington’s, Admiral Huang Shu, kuang, Huang, ” Huang, Collin Koh, ”, Admiral Huang, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Nancy Pelosi, Lee Teng Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan, CNN, National Security Council, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, PLA Navy, Party, US Pacific Fleet Locations: Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Taipei, Beijing, China, ”, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Philippine, United States, Taiwan Strait, South Korea, India

☆ Turbulence in China’s top ranks raises questions about Xi Jinping’s rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for three weeks, sparking speculation he is under investigation. Both Li and Qin serve among China’s five state councillors, a senior position in the cabinet that outranks a regular minister. Li also sits on the Central Military Commission, a powerful body headed by Xi that commands the armed forces. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu gives a speech during the Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15. Last week, as speculation mounted over the whereabouts of the defense minister, Xi called for unity and stability within the military during an inspection in China’s northeast.

Persons: China’s, Li Shangfu, Weeks, Qin Gang, Xi, Li, Qin, outranks, “ What’s, ”, Drew Thompson, Xi Jinping, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Nemenov, Xi’s, Deng Yuwen, ” Rahm Emanuel, Agatha Christie’s, “, –, Craig Singleton, General Zhang Youxia, Zhang, He’s, Thompson, they’re, ” Thompson, Mao Zedong, Char, …, ” Char, Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Defense, Foreign, Central Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, Wall Street Journal, Communist Party, National University of Singapore, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Belarus ’, US, Singapore’s Navy, China's, Conference, International Security, Getty, Twitter, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington DC, Development Department, Rocket Force, Equipment Development Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Beijing, Singapore, Moscow, Belarus, Minsk, AFP, Japan, Soviet, Sichuan, “

But part of Xi's drive to improve his fighting force has been to stamp out corruption that has long plagued China's military and other state institutions. A leader China's space and cyber warfare development and then head of military procurement, Li, 65, was elevated to defence minister in March. He also has a more public role than others on the Central Military Commission, China's top defence body, commanded by Xi. Li's term at the Central Military Commission highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. A bigger question is what priority Beijing will continue to place on China's military diplomacy amid ongoing regional tensions.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Lloyd Austin, James Char, Russian Su, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Central Military Commission, West, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Strategic Support Force, Equipment Development Department of, Communist Party Congress, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Washington, U.S, Singapore, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Hong Kong

☆ The Public Face of China's Military Under Corruption Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Greg Torode, Laurie Chen BEIJING, Li Shangfu, Li, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Lloyd Austin, James Char, Russian Su, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Laurie Chen, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Central Military Commission, West, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Strategic Support Force, Equipment Development Department of, Communist Party Congress Locations: United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Washington, U.S, Singapore, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Hong Kong

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this year’s host, has pledged not to let Ukraine overshadow the needs of the mostly developing nations in the so-called “ Global South,” but many of those issues are closely affected by the war. Russia's attack on Ukraine and China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region have added friction, pitting some of the most powerful G20 countries directly against each other diplomatically, Lesser said. About half of the G20 countries are found in the Global South — depending on how one defines it — and Modi hopes to add the African Union as a bloc member. In preparation, he held a virtual “Voice of the Global South” summit in January and in working groups has targeted issues critical to developing nations, including alternative fuels like hydrogen, resource efficiency, developing a common framework for digital public infrastructure and food security. “While a yearlong presidency cannot solve all the problems of the Global South, India has managed to set the ball rolling on some of these issues, and individual G20 countries can carry forward the work,” she said.

Persons: — It’s, Narendra Modi, ”, Nazia Hussain, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi, Joe Biden's, Justin Trudeau, Zelenskyy, “ I’m, Ian Lesser, Lesser, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Xi, —, ” Hussain, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Biden, Putin, Hussain Organizations: DELHI, Group, Indian, Global, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, European Union, White, German Marshall Fund, United Arab, Foreign Ministry, U.S, Union, . National, World Bank, International Monetary Fund Locations: Ukraine, “ New Delhi, Russia, China, Bali, India, Brussels, U.S, Canada, Britain, Japan, Germany, Asia, Pacific, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Beijing, BRICS, Moscow

Tensions have soared between the two neighbours over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. China's embassy in Manila criticised Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident. "South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Rommel Ong, Ong, Collin Koh, There's, Koh, Jonathan Malaya, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: South China, coastguard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Philippines National Security Council, China, U.S . Defense, Philippines Defense, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, Manila, South, Philippine, United States, China's, Washington, Sierra Madre, BRP Sierra, Spratly, Beijing, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, U.S, Japan, France

Images from the Philippine Coast Guard also showed the Chinese ship moving dangerously close in front of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels as they escorted the resupply boats. Manila’s claims are backed by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. “Two Filipino supply vessels and two coast guard vessels illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Renai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands,” Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard, said according to the statement published on its website Sunday. Gan reasserted Chinese territorial claims on the islands and the South China Sea and vowed to continue law-enforcement activity within the region. And on Monday, China’s coast guard, in a statement, accused Manila of trying to “permanently occupy” Chinese sovereign territory.

Persons: Thomas, Renai, Matthew Miller, Ottawa “ unreservedly, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, Collin Koh, ”, Koh, Philippine Sen, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gan Yu, Gan, Jeffrey Ordaniel, Blake Herzinger, Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Jonathan Malaya, ” Koh, Ordaniel Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, South China, Philippines Mutual Defense, US State Department, Canadian Embassy, Ottawa, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard Philippine, Philippine Foreign Ministry, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Court, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, CNN Philippines, China Coast Guard, Facebook, Pacific Forum, Tokyo International University, United States Studies Center, US, Philippine, Monday’s, National Security Council Locations: China, Philippine, South, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, Australia, Japan, Germany, South China, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, BRP Sierra, Hague, Singapore, China’s Nansha, China’s, “, Malaya

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. "Beijing will not want to be absent from other credible peace initiatives that are led by non-Western countries." China did not attend the talks in Copenhagen in late June, despite being invited and having proposed its own 12-point plan for peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Li's involvement a "considerable breakthrough", according to Ukrainian media. While China's move was good for its image, Singapore-based analyst Li Mingjiang said Beijing would be looking to fine-tune its positions.

Persons: Yun Sun, Li Hui, Xi Jinping, Qin, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Shen Dingli, Shen, China's, Li Mingjiang, Li, Geng Shuang, Moritz Rudolf, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: NATO, Stimson, Qin Gang, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, U.S, Ukrainian, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, United Nations, Security, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Denmark, Russia, China, Washington, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ China unveils sweeping foreign policy law as Xi consolidates power — and aims to counter the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has unveiled a sweeping foreign relations law enshrining its right to impose “countermeasures” against actions that it deems a threat – in Beijing’s latest bid to bolster its position amid strained relations with the West. “This is the first comprehensive foreign relations law … but it (reads) more like Xi Jinping’s foreign policy declaration,” Zhao said, adding that its release comes at a moment when Xi is focused on countering what it sees as US efforts to contain China. “The party, not the government, runs China’s foreign relations. The law also includes China’s pledge to promote “high-level opening-up” of its economy, development of foreign trade and and encouraging and legally protecting foreign investment. In recent months, a campaign against consulting and due diligence firms has unnerved foreign businesses in China.

Persons: enshrining, Antony Blinken, Jinping, –, Zhao Leji, “, Xi, Washington, Lockheed Martin, Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver’s Josef, ” Zhao, ”, China’s, Sung, Li Qiang, Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, Global Times, Lockheed, Raytheon, Communist Party, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver’s, University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing’s, Beijing, China’s, United States, Ukraine, Taiwan, Center for China, Tianjin, Europe, Denver

Mali, where military authorities seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling a years-long Islamist insurgency. It has said Russian forces there are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia. In February, French President Emmanuel Macron described the deployment of Wagner Group troops in Africa as the "life insurance of failing regimes in Africa" that will only sow misery. A suspension of Wagner operations in Africa could impact the group's finances. The group has cemented strong ties with several African governments over the past decade with operations in at least eight African nations, according to leaked U.S. documents, including Mali, Central African Republic, and Libya.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Bassirou Doumbia, Wagner's, Vladimir, Putin, Yvan Guichaoua, insurgencies, Emmanuel Macron, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Central African Republic, Kremlin, United Nations, Brussels School of International Studies, Central African, Wagner Group, West, United, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Mali, Central, Africa, BAMAKO, BANGUI, Moscow, Malian, Russian, Central African Republic, Francophone Africa, France, United States, Ukraine, Libya

☆ 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

And it has also helped to placate Tuareg-led rebels in northern Mali who halted their separatist uprising with the 2015 Algiers Accord. Mali, Russia and Wagner deny wrongdoing in Moura or targeting civilians anywhere in Mali. RESTRICTIONSMINUSMA launched in 2013 after the separatist rebels and al Qaeda-linked insurgents occupied northern Mali. Bamako and the Kremlin say Russian troops, not Wagner mercenaries, are present in Mali but only to train the army and supply equipment. As a result, MINUSMA has struggled to counter a tide of anti-U.N. posts online, losing the battle for public opinion in Mali.

Persons: Wagner, Ahmedou Ould, Abdallah, MINUSMA, General Antonio Guterres, Abdoulaye Diop, U.N, Fatoumata Sinkoun Kaba, Souleymane Dembelé, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Ould Mohamed Ramdane, Ramdane, Yvan Guichaoua, Friedrich, Ebert, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Tiemoko Diallo, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, CMA, Malian Foreign, Security, Reuters, El, Kremlin, French, Department of Peace, UN, U.S, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, NAIROBI, Russian, West Africa, Gao, Timbuktu, Mali, Algiers, Bamako, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Mauritanian, Sahel, Moura, Russia, U.N, Burkina Faso, Niger, Central African Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Egypt, Brussels, U.S, Dakar, Nairobi

☆ 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

Relations between the superpowers are increasingly acrimonious, with friction over issues from Taiwan and China's military activity in the South China Sea to U.S. efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry. China's leaders, by contrast, have been slow to establish military contacts and quick to shut them down during periods of diplomatic tension. This has frustrated the United States. Then there is China's view of how military talks fit into the broader U.S.-China relationship. From that perspective, military talks are something to bargain with.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, China's, ", Ely Ratner, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, Zhu Feng, Zhu, Jacob Stokes, Yun Sun, ”, Daniel Russel, William Burns, it’s, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Yew Lun Tian, Martina Pollard, Laurie Chen, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell Organizations: Pentagon . U.S . Defense, U.S . Army, U.S, National Defense, School of International Studies, Nanjing University, Center, New, New American Security, Stimson, East Asia, Obama, Asia Society Policy Institute, CIA, Washington, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BEIJING, Singapore, Beijing, United States, China, Taiwan, South, U.S, Austin, New American, East Asia, Washington, Ukraine, States, East, Hainan

☆ 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

☆ Malaysia investigating possible looting of World War II British shipwrecks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Police, the Malaysian Marine Department and the National Heritage Department would investigate to see if the shells are from World War II, according to the report. Authorities are investigating whether shells found on the ship are from World War II, Malaysian state media said. Murky lawSalvaging of sunken World War II wrecks around the Pacific is not a new problem. In 2017, Dutch, British and US authorities reported that naval vessels sunk in the World War II Battle of the Java Sea had been salvaged without permission. Steel from World War II shipwrecks can have special value because it is was produced before the first nuclear explosions on Earth.

☆ 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.

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