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CNN —Ukrainian troops have started firing the cluster munitions provided by the US as part of their counteroffensive against Russia, according to two US officials and another person briefed on the matter. The UK, France, Germany and other key US allies have outlawed the munitions under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but the US and Ukraine are not signatories to the ban. The US sent the M864 and M483A1 models of cluster munitions, CNN has reported, which the administration said were tested in recent years to ensure they had a lower than 2.35% dud rate. The US decided to send the cluster munitions primarily to help alleviate a potential shortage of ammunition on the frontlines. In March, the United Nations said it had compiled credible reports that Russian forces had used cluster munitions in populated areas at least 24 times.

Persons: John Kirby, ” Kirby, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, ” Tarnavsky, Defense Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, National Security, US, Cluster Munitions, Defense, United Nations, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Brig, Ukraine, France, Germany, Europe, Russian, ”, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s

☆ The US soldier who darted into North Korea was accused of punching a man and hurling insults at Koreans and the Korean army while damaging a police car while in custody months earlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US soldier who crossed into North Korea has been accused of assault and damaging a police car. Travis King is believed to be in North Korean custody after he crossed a border into the country. He had been held in a South Korean prison over assault charges before the incident. He was accused of repeatedly punching a man in the face at a club on September 25 of last year, Reuters reported, citing court records in Seoul, South Korea. Meanwhile, King's mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC News that she was shocked to learn that her son had crossed into North Korea.

Persons: Travis King, Soldier Travis King, Defense Lloyd Austin, King, King's, Claudine Gates, Travis, Gates Organizations: Service, US Army, Defense, Associated Press, Reuters, Authorities, Korean, Court, ABC News, Daily Locations: North Korea, North, Korean, Wall, Silicon, South Korea, Seoul, profanities, Fort Bliss , Texas

☆ This is the moment just before a US soldier on a tour group made a mad, chaotic dash into North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A photo shows the moment just before US Army soldier Travis King bolted into North Korea. King had joined in on a civilian tour in South Korea before he made a mad dash over the border into the communist country. US officials now believe that King is in North Korean custody. King — who's now thought to be in North Korean custody — "willfully and without authorization" crossed from South Korea over the heavily fortified border into North Korea, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said. "This man gives out a loud 'ha ha ha,' and just runs in between some buildings," a witness on the tour told CBS News.

Persons: Travis King, King, Sarah Leslie, King — who's, —, Defense Lloyd Austin, Leslie Organizations: US Army, Service, Associated Press, Reuters, Joint Security, Defense, CBS News Locations: North Korea, South Korea, North, Wall, Silicon, Panmunjom

☆ A tourist thought a US soldier's mad dash into North Korea was so 'stupid' it had to be a TikTok prank until the guards started shouting 'get that guy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A woman who saw a US soldier run into North Korea from South Korea said she thought it was a prank. Sarah Leslie told the AP that soldier Travis King's stunt was "the most stupid thing you could do." King is believed to be in North Korean custody after he crossed a border into the country. King, who is now believed to be in North Korean custody, "willfully and without authorization" crossed from South Korea over the heavily fortified border into North Korea, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said. "I probably only saw him running for like a few seconds and that's all it would have taken to get across the board," Leslie told Reuters.

Persons: Sarah Leslie, Travis King's, Travis King, Leslie, King, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, Army, Associated Press, Defense, Joint Security Area Locations: North Korea, South Korea, North, Wall, Silicon, New Zealand

The US began ramping up ammunition production last year when it became clear that the war would drag on far longer than anticipated. But the ammunition will still take “years” to mass produce to acceptable levels, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Sunday. Ukrainian troops now typically fire between 2,000 and 3,000 artillery shells per day at Russian forces, a US defense official told CNN. It was necessary, though, because of how low US stockpiles are, Sullivan told CNN Sunday. “All of us have had to struggle stimulating our supply chains, some of which went to sleep,” he told CNN.

Persons: Ben Wallace, that’s, Jake Sullivan, haven’t, –, Defense Lloyd Austin, John Kirchhofer, Mark Milley, Joe Biden, Sullivan, Biden, “, ”, ” Sullivan, ” Nebraska Republican Sen, Deb Fischer, Lockheed Martin, Fischer, ” Fischer, I’m, ‘, Ellen Lovett, ” Lovett, ” Wallace, ” Said, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rishi Sunak, Murat Kula, Charles Q, Brown, Jr Organizations: Washington CNN, NATO, CNN, US, National, CNN Sunday, Pentagon, The Defense Department, EyePress, Reuters, Defense, Defense Intelligence Agency’s, Joint Chiefs, Staff, National Press Club, ” Nebraska Republican, Senate’s Armed Services, Lockheed, “, Britain's, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European Union, EU, DoD, US Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Industrial Base Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Berlin, Swiss, Germany, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Kreminna, Luhansk, “, United States, Vilnius

☆ The US military's most advanced fighter jets and a warship are going to work in the Middle East to stop Iran from seizing commercial ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US military is deploying fighter jets and a warship to the Middle East to deter Iran's forces. Iranian boats have repeatedly harassed and tried to seize commercial ships transiting the region. AP Photo/Petros KaradjiasCENTCOM's area of responsibility encompasses several million square miles of land across or 21 countries in the Middle East and Central and South Asia. Tehran's naval ships tried to capture two oil tankers on July 5 as they were transiting through international waters and even opened fire on one of them. The US and Iran have maintained a contentious relationship throughout the Biden administration, and Washington has repeatedly accused Tehran of threatening regional security in the Middle East and even harming American service members.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Thomas Hudner, Sabrina Singh, Singh, Elizabeth, Petros Karadjias, Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Defense, US, AP, US Navy, US Air Force Locations: Wall, Silicon, Strait, Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Petros Karadjias CENTCOM's, East, Central, South Asia, Iran, Iranian, US, Washington, Tehran, Syria, State, Yemen

☆ US soldier laughed as he ran across the DMZ in North Korea, witness says, and was reportedly in trouble with the military
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US soldier crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on Tuesday. The soldier, identified as Travis King, was also in trouble with the US military, according to reports. The soldier, initially identified as a junior enlisted named Travis King, was also in trouble with the US military, according to reports. US officials told CBS News that the soldier was being flown back to the US from South Korea for disciplinary reasons. The Washington Post reported that the soldier was punished for some kind of misconduct while serving in South Korea.

Persons: Travis King, didn't, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Service, Army, CBS News, Military, Reuters, Washington Post, Washington, US State Department, Department of Defense, Defense Department, Pentagon, Defense, United Nations Command, Security Area, UN Command, Korean People's Army Locations: South Korea, North Korea, Wall, Silicon

Dnipro, Ukraine CNN —The much-anticipated and controversial American-made cluster munitions that the United States agreed to supply to Kyiv are now in Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian general and the Pentagon. On Thursday afternoon the Pentagon confirmed the presence of the munitions in country, saying “There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time.”Tarnavsky is commander of the “Tavria” Joint Forces Operation, which is operating on a large section of the southern Ukraine front. But they are very worried.”Eyebrows were raised at the US delivery of these cluster munitions, which are banned in over 100 countries. The general says Ukraine is carrying out “large scale offensives,” while also admitting Ukrainian troops have made modest gains, especially in the south. Russian lossesA rising star in the Russian military, Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, was injured and killed in the Russian-occupied city of Berdyansk, on the Azov Sea.

Persons: Oleksandr Tarnavsky, Tarnavsky, Defense Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “, ”, ” ‘, ” Tarnavsky, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Tarnavskiy, He’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Pentagon, CNN, ”, Forces, Russian, Defense, ” Kyiv, Russian Telegram, Military Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, United States, Kyiv, Ukrainian, ” Brig, Austin, Russian, Berdyansk, Azov

☆ Chinese military’s three-day show of force increases headache for Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activity has a range of implications, none of them positive for Taiwan or cross-strait stability, analysts say. The PLA aircraft detected this week included fighter jets, H-6 bombers, anti-submarine warning aircraft and reconnaissance drones, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said. Their response underscores the problem that increased PLA activity poses to Taiwan, said Carl Schuster, a Hawaii-based analyst and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. “Beijing hopes Taipei will just accept unification as inevitable and allow Chinese forces in without resistance. A Chinese fighter jet refuels during military exercises near Taiwan on April 12, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, China’s, Carl Schuster, ”, “, –, Joe Biden, ” Schuster, hasn’t, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: CNN, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, Communist Party, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Taiwan Relations, Washington, PLA buildups, US, AP, ” “ Forces, Times, US Navy, Fleet, United, Eastern Theater Command, Defense Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Taipei, Washington, Xinhua, Taiwan Strait China, Japan, States, United States, China

☆ A showdown with one senator over hundreds of generals and admirals is set to ripple through the US military
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Waiting to replacing him is Gen. Eric Smith, and he will continue waiting until one senator lifts holds on the promotions of more than 250 generals and admirals. Tuberville's hold targets uniformed military officers over a policy set by the US military's civilian leadership, diverging from the longstanding manner in which members of Congress have expressed displeasure with such policies. Kelsey Dornfeld"Uniformed military officers do not set policy. 'We will lose talent'Maj. Gen. Eric Smith receives his three-star rank insignia during a ceremony in Okinawa in August 2018. "It is the personal development, it is the family understanding and predictability" that will be affected, Adm. John Aquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, told senators in April.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, David Berger, Eric Smith, Biden, —, Katherine Kuzminski, Sergeant, Marine Corps Troy Black, Kelsey Dornfeld, They're, Kuzminski, Berger, It's, Defense Lloyd Austin III, Austin, that's, Smith, Olivia G, Ortiz, Benjamin Northcutt, Christopher Cavoli, Michael Gilday, Lisa Franchetti, MCS2 La’Cordrick Wilson, John Aquilino, James McConville, McConville, Frank Kendall, Charles Brown Jr, Kendall, Brown, Drew Angerer, Mitch McConnell, Jack Reed's, Defense Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, Alex Wong, Reed, Elizabeth Warren Organizations: Service, US Marine Corps, Pentagon, Department, US, Military, Veterans, Center, New, New American Security, Marine Corps, Staff, Uniformed, Defense, United States, Washington DC, Senate Armed Services Committee, US Army Europe, US Army, US European Command, NATO's Military, Naval Reactors, US Navy, Pacific Command, " Air Force, Savannah, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Capitol, Republican, CNN, Joint Chiefs Locations: Wall, Silicon, New American, Okinawa, Germany, Cavoli, Pacific, California, South Korea, Alabama

☆ House Republicans want political payback for COVID vaccine mandates for troops, but the White House is refusing to back down
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The White House signaled it will defend the fallout from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Biden administration blasted House Republicans for trying to speed the reinstatement of troops who refused the shot. More than 8,000 active-duty service members were kicked out for refusing to get vaccinated. Republicans have repeatedly pushed for the reinstatement of service members that were discharged as a result of defying the mandate. These types of statements are how the White House influences ongoing legislative fights.

Persons: Biden, Military.com, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Republicans, Service, House Republicans, Pentagon, White, Service Academy, Management, House, Military Records, Republican, Senate, Defense, Force Locations: Wall, Silicon, COVID

☆ German Defense Minister Vows Stronger Geopolitical Role Ahead of U.S. Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Erika Solomon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In an interview before his first official visit to Washington, Germany’s defense minister staked out a broad geopolitical vision, taking pains to indicate that his country is ready to assume a more assertive stance in the face of growing international instability. The defense minister, Boris Pistorius, laid out plans for Germany to increase its arms deliveries and take a more robust role in both the Indo-Pacific region and in military leadership in Europe. He spoke to The New York Times before traveling to meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, on Wednesday in Washington. The minister has been a part of Germany’s effort to change allies’ perceptions of his country as reluctant to take up leadership in Europe in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — a view fostered by its slow initial pace in delivering weapons to Kyiv and its stumbling efforts to fulfill a pledge to revitalize its own military. Mr. Pistorius’s candor when discussing such topics has made him one of Germany’s most popular politicians, even when he sometimes goes further than some Germans, still haunted by their country’s World War II history, find comfortable.

Persons: Boris Pistorius, Defense Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Pistorius’s Organizations: New York Times, U.S ., Defense Locations: Washington, Germany, Europe, Ukraine

☆ How Wagner's short-lived mutiny could shape the direction of Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty ImagesUkrainian forces can look to take advantage of the Wagner Group's short-lived armed rebellion, analysts said, with confusion among Russia's military leadership expected to considerably weaken their war effort. A weekend of mayhem has left observers of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine questioning what could happen next. Tony Brenton, former British ambassador to Russia, agreed that the Wagner mercenary group had been the most effective component of Russia's military in Ukraine to date. watch nowUltimately, Barranco said the recent turn of events is likely to provide Ukraine's military leadership with something of an opportunity after more than 16 months of fighting. Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Persons: Sergei Supinsky, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, John Barranco, Wagner Barranco, Barranco, Tony Brenton, Brenton, CNBC's, Putin, Roman Romokhov, Oleksii Reznikov, Defense Lloyd Austin, Reznikov, Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Afp, Getty, Belarusian, . Marine Corps, Strategy, Security, CNBC, Southern Military, Southern Military District, Ukrainian Defense, U.S, Defense, Twitter, Wagner Group, Stringer, Anadolu Agency Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, British, Russia, Rostov, Belarus, Don, U.S, Bakhmut

I think neither side wants to look as if they’re accepting or acquiescing to the other’s actions,” she said. But hope might not turn into reality, and relations might become worse after the visit,” he added. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”Blinken would not predict whether his visit would pave the way for continued high-level engagements between the US and China. “As to what comes next, let’s see how the visit goes,” the top US diplomat said Friday, referencing comments from his Singaporean counterpart. “This is an important but, in a sense, insufficient step because there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe, Biden, Xi, ” Blinken, Vivian Balakrishnan, Blinken, “, Daniel Kritenbrink, “ we’re, ” Patricia Kim, ”, ’ Blinken, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, David Lin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Shen Dingli, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Shen, ” Shen Organizations: CNN, senior State Department, Singaporean, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Brookings Institution, Saturday, Defense, Chinese Defense, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: Beijing, United States, China, Bali, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vienna, Washington, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Tensions rise between Russian mercenaries and Kremlin; Ukraine allies focus on air defenses for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine and its allies are meeting Thursday to discuss Kyiv's ongoing military needs and requirements, with Kyiv's military command saying that strengthening air defense, artillery and counter-battery capabilities are "important objectives." The meeting of the so-called Ukraine Defense Support Group in Brussels, Belgium, will "focus on bolstering Ukraine's air defense and other near-term capability priorities, as well as training and sustainment to enhance Ukraine's enduring strength over the long term," according to a readout of a phone call between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov earlier this week. The Ukraine Defense Support Group includes 54 countries, ranging from those in the NATO military alliance to non-members such as Australia, Japan, South Korea and Ireland.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Defense Oleksii Organizations: Ukraine Defense Support, U.S, Defense, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Ukrainian, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Ireland

☆ Blinken to travel to China this weekend as US looks to reset relations after spy balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend, the State Department announced on Wednesday – a significant trip that comes as the Biden administration navigates its complicated relationship with China. Blinken was originally set to travel to Beijing in early February, but postponed his trip due to a Chinese spy balloon transiting the US. Blinken will be the first Cabinet official to travel to China under the Biden administration, and the first since 2019. Blinken will ‘advocate strongly’ for military to military communicationsPrior to the public announcement of the trip, Blinken spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Campbell told reporters that Blinken will “advocate strongly” for the need for appropriate military to military communications.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, “, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, ”, Jake Sullivan, Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell, Matthew Miller, Xi Jinping, Campbell, Qin Gang, Qin, ” Kritenbrink, ” Campbell, National Defense Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, “ We’ve, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: CNN, State Department, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, National, “, Foreign, Ministry, China’s, National Defense, Defense Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Singapore

Washington CNN —China has been operating military and intelligence facilities in Cuba since at least 2019 and is continuing to expand its intelligence gathering capabilities around the world, a Biden administration official and two other sources told CNN Saturday. The administration official said China “conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019” under the Trump administration and described the challenge as “inherited.”“This is well-documented in the intelligence record,” the official said. CUBA, HAVANA - AUGUST 02 : Aerial view of the city of Havana on August 02, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. Former US Ambassador to China Max Baucus said Saturday he was “surprised” the Biden administration initially denied reporting that China has operated intelligence and military facilities in Cuba and acknowledged China has long had a “presence” in Cuba. The Chinese military and intelligence sites monitor maritime traffic, the US Guantanamo naval base and communications, the source familiar with the intelligence said.

Persons: China “, Trump, “, ”, John Kirby, Frédéric Soltan, Frédéric, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, China Max Baucus, Biden, Baucus, Obama Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, CNN, White House, Wall Street, National Security Council, South China, Getty, Corbis, CIA, Defense, Guantanamo Locations: China, Cuba, ”, South, CUBA, HAVANA, Havana, Havana , Cuba, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

☆ Cuba gives China permission to build spying facility on island, US intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Cuba has agreed to allow China to build a spying facility on the island that could allow the Chinese to eavesdrop on electronic communications across the southeastern US, a source familiar with the intelligence told CNN. It would not be the first time China has attempted to spy on the US’ electronic communications, known as signals intelligence. In that case, the US took steps to protect sensitive sites and censor intelligence signals before shooting down the balloon. But it is unclear what the US can do to stop the construction of a Chinese spying facility in Cuba. But last week, China’s defense chief refused a meeting request by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and warned the US to stop operating near Chinese waters and airspace.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, ”, Obama, – Organizations: CNN, Street Journal, CIA, US, Defense, “, Trump Locations: Cuba, China, Beijing, Cuban, Washington ,, Chinese, South China, Singapore, Havana

☆ U.S. and China trade barbs at top security summit as Taiwan Strait tensions simmer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, when Austin took to the stage at the summit where global defense leaders gathered, he called out China for refusing to engage in military dialogue. China believes that a major country should behave like one," Li said Sunday in a translation provided by summit organizers. China claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and regards any foreign presence near the island as a form of interference in its domestic affairs. China's Minister for National Defense, General Li Shangfu, delivers his plenary session Sunday at the 20th Asia Security Summit in Singapore, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. Calls for dialogueYet, even as the U.S. and China defense chiefs talked past each other, so-called middle powers such as Australia urged the two feuding powers to reestablish dialogue.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Lloyd Austin, Austin, China's Li, Li, Defense Lloyd Austin, Roslan Rahman, Philippines —, General Li Shangfu, Anthony Albanese Organizations: American, Defense, China's Defense, Afp, Getty, Pacific Command, Delegates, China's, National Defense, 20th Asia Security Summit, Australian Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, Beijing, China, U.S, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, South China, Asia, Pacific, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, France

☆ New US Navy video clearly shows Chinese warship cutting off a US destroyer during 'unsafe' encounter in the Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new video, clearer than an earlier one, of a close call between US and Chinese destroyers in the Taiwan Strait has come out. The US Navy video shows the Chinese ship cutting off the US vessel. This incident follows another in the air in which a Chinese fighter jet flew directly in front of a US plane. "This is wildly unprofessional and provocative behavior on the part of the Chinese Navy," he said. American and Chinese naval vessels have had other close calls like this in the past, such as when a Chinese destroyer sailed dangerously close to the US destroyer USS Decatur near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea five years ago.

Persons: —, Arleigh Burke, Hoon, James Stavridis, Barry, Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Li Organizations: US Navy, Service, Fleet, 052D, Suzhou, Pacific Command, People's Liberation Army Navy, American, Twitter, Chinese Navy, PLA Navy, US, South China, US Air Force, Defense Locations: Taiwan, American, Montreal, Chinese, Decatur, Spratly, South, China, Singapore

☆ China seeks dialogue, says clash with U.S. would be 'unbearable disaster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu said on Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an "unbearable disaster" but that his country seeks dialogue over confrontation. "It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. will be an unbearable disaster for the world." In their latest row, China's military criticised the United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after the countries' navies staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin rebuked China in a speech at the security meeting in Singapore on Saturday for refusing to hold military talks, leaving the superpowers deadlocked over their differences. Reporting by Chen Lin, Greg Torode; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Joe Biden's, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Chen Lin, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Chinese Defence, People's Liberation Army, U.S, National Defence, . U.S, Defense, Saturday, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South, Canada, ., Singapore, Russia, Asia

☆ World's spy chiefs meet in secret conclave in Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Senior officials from about two dozen of the world's major intelligence agencies held a secret meeting on the fringes of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend, five people told Reuters. A spokesperson for the Singapore Ministry of Defence said that while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, "participants including senior officials from intelligence agencies also take the opportunity to meet their counterparts." The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand operate what is called the Five Eyes network to gather and share a broad range of intelligence, and their intelligence officials meet frequently. Ukraine's deputy defence minister, Volodymr V. Havrylov, was at the Shangri-La Dialogue but said he did not attend the intelligence meeting. Haines was among the official U.S. delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Persons: National Intelligence Avril Haines, Samant Goel, Volodymr, Anthony Albanese, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Haines, William Burns, Biden Organizations: Reuters, National Intelligence, Research, Singapore Ministry of Defence, U.S, Embassy, New Zealand, Australian, Defense, Chinese Defence, CIA Locations: Singapore, U.S, China, United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New, Ukraine, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Beijing

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Senior officials from about two dozen of the world's major intelligence agencies held a secret meeting on the fringes of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend, five people told Reuters. "Participants have found such meetings held on the sidelines of the (dialogue) beneficial." The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand operate what is called the Five Eyes network to gather and share a broad range of intelligence, and their intelligence officials meet frequently. Ukraine's deputy defence minister, Volodymr V. Havrylov, was at the Shangri-La Dialogue but said he did not attend the intelligence meeting. Haines was among the official U.S. delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Persons: National Intelligence Avril Haines, Samant Goel, Volodymr, Anthony Albanese, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Haines, William Burns, Biden, Xinghui Kok, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, National Intelligence, Research, Singapore Ministry of Defence, U.S, Embassy, New Zealand, Australian, Defense, Chinese Defence, CIA, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, U.S, China, United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New, Ukraine, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Beijing

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told Asia's top security summit on Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an "unbearable disaster" but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation. "It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. will be an unbearable disaster for the world." China's military criticised the United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after their warships staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive strait. Canadian defence minister Anita Anand said that Canada would continue to sail where international law allows, including the Strait, and that "actors in this region must engage responsibly”. In his speech, Li said China would not allow such freedom-of-navigation patrols by the United States and its allies to be "a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation."

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Joe Biden's, Anita Anand, Richard Marles, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Cui Tiankai, Chong Ja Ian, ”, Chen Lin, Greg Torode, Xinghui, Ben Blanchard, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Chinese Defence, U.S, National Defence, People's Liberation Army, U.S . Navy, Pacific Command, Defense, Reuters, National University of Singapore, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, Singapore, China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South, Chinese, Taiwan Straits, Canada, Britain ., Russia, Xinghui Kok, Taipei

☆ A conflict with China over Taiwan would impact the global economy 'in ways that we cannot imagine,' US Defense Secretary warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had some harsh words for his Chinese counterparts on Saturday. At Asia's top security summit, Austin said a possible US-China conflict over Taiwan could "affect the global economy in ways that we cannot imagine." It was part of a broader address that rebuked China for not being willing to meet at the summit. "The whole world has a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the whole world," said Austin. The comments were part of a broader address that saw Austin rebuke China for not engaging in military talks.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, —, National Defense Li Shangfu —, Shangfu, Matthew Pottinger, Trump, Tesla, Elon Musk Organizations: Defense, Service, Bloomberg, —, National Defense, Reuters, CNBC Locations: China, Taiwan, Singapore, Taiwan Strait, Austin, Canadian

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