China - the next superpower

[Dropbear]

US remains Asia's dominant power as pandemic hurts China's growth, analysis says

The Lowy Institute report ranks Japan as the third most powerful country in Asia, with India following in fourth place, and shows the pandemic has slowed China's rise over the last two years.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Fwiffo]

Military experts provide frank assessment of US shortcomings in potential China conflict

The main issues the U.S. military would face are the "tyranny of distance," which hands China a major "home-field advantage" and a potential shortage of munitions.

www.foxnews.com

"Anderson also highlighted that the U.S. would likely run out of its sophisticated, conventional missiles 'in probably a matter of days.' U.S. officials announced in October 2022 that they could not maintain the same pace of supply for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion because of the risk posed by reduced stockpiles of high-end munitions."

"The fact that they have geography on their side, the fact that the Chinese economy and businesses are integrated into Chinese war plans as well. So, for instance, the Chinese have, in fact, exercised with commercial roll-on, roll-off vessels with commercial airliners,"

 

[Fwiffo]

China accuses U.S. of using ‘indiscriminate’ force as military searches for balloon remnants

Officials lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, saying Washington had overreacted in shooting down the suspected spy balloon over the weekend.

www.nbcnews.com

“U.S. politicians are trying to make the Chinese threat bigger, using the Chinese factor to intensify Americans’ sense of crisis and promote domestic cohesion,”

“'China doesn’t want a new cold war between the two sides, much less a complete decoupling,' he said. 'What China wants more is to develop its own economy and the lives of its people.'”

And sometimes the definition of "its people" might extend to Taiwan or other places of interest to China..

 

[The Shooman]

China is in a lot of trouble, and its military and tech industry is threatened to fall decades behind within 5 years. Why? Because all countries have followed America's lead and banned selling of chips to China, and countries have also banned selling equipment that makes computer chips. This is big news, but as usual the mainstream media don't report on it.

See this video at the start, also from about 17 minutes in and the last 10 minutes. It is very interesting. It could well be that China as a global powerhouse days are coming to an end.


I have said for years numerous times that China will never be the superpower it wants to be for numerous reasons. You can't be the top dog if you don't have the mandate, and you can't rule the world if everything is built on a lie. Countries are waking up and putting China our in the cold because the CCP ruins there good country.

 

[Fwiffo]

China says it rejected U.S. call over balloon because ‘atmosphere’ wasn’t right

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also criticized a unanimous resolution by House lawmakers condemning China’s use of the suspected spy balloon.

www.nbcnews.com

"Given that this irresponsible and seriously wrong approach by the U.S. did not create a proper atmosphere for dialogue and exchanges between the two militaries,”

The air can be thin up there in the superpower stratosphere

 

[The Shooman]

There is no room for dialogue between the U.S govt and the Chinese regime, it is a one way street, China's way. The U.S govt did the right thing by shooting the balloon down.

Remember, the CCP's goal is to steal intellectual property, indoctrinate the world's countries with CCP ideology/socialism and to use the Belt & Road to weaken the countries of the world and especially the strategic position of the U.S so China becomes the ultimate superpower. Why? Because the CCP is authoritarian and a killer by nature, and it wants to rule the world where everything is censored and everyone fears the regime. It plays by a different set of rule to most governments, it is China's way; that is how it's becoming a global superpower and why it is now running the United Nations through the BRI agreements.

The media and politicians still don't understand the CCP. They need to cut the BRI agreements and diversify trade with other countries and less with China, ie, undermine China's strategic position because the CCP regime can't be trusted to do the right thing. if it rules the world there will be a lot of bloodshed; it already has killed millions of the Chinese people in China. Recently the Chinese govt have run out of Falun Gong people to kill for their organs (hearts livers etc), so it is now killing the Christians and Urghurs in China for its illegal organ transplant market, and it looks like ordinary Chinese students are also being killed for their organs. This is a regime which does not compromise, hence why the U.S is taking a hard line stance. The CCP is pushing the U.S to see how far they can take things.

 

[Fwiffo]

China says US balloons breached airspace at least 10 times

"It's not uncommon for the US to illegally enter the airspace of other countries," says a spokesman.

www.bbc.com

"Since last year alone, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times without any approval from Chinese authorities."

"The first thing the US side should do is start with a clean slate, undergo some self-reflection, instead of smearing and accusing China,"

 

[Fwiffo]

South China Sea: Philippines says China used 'military-grade' laser against boat

The "military-grade" laser temporarily blinded the Filipino crew in the South China Sea, it says.

www.bbc.com

"The laser glare temporarily blinded the crew of the Filipino coast guard boat, forcing it to retreat."

 

[The Shooman]

China says US balloons breached airspace at least 10 times

"It's not uncommon for the US to illegally enter the airspace of other countries," says a spokesman.

www.bbc.com

"The first thing the US side should do is start with a clean slate, undergo some self-reflection, instead of smearing and accusing China,"

The man who you quoted is Wang Wenbin, he is a member of the Foreign Ministry which is responsible for the foreign interference operations going on in the U.S. Not good for the BBC to be quoting those types of people. Then again, the media have a long trail of links where they have been captured by the CCP as mouthpieces for the regime, and such a classic instance of that is here.

China Is National Security Threat No. 1

"As Director of National Intelligence , I am entrusted with access to more intelligence than any member of the U.S. government other than the president. ......... the People’s Republic of China poses the greatest threat to America today, and the greatest threat to democracy and freedom world-wide since World War II". (John Ratcliff)

Party faithful: How China spies Anne-Marie Brady

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government has an extensive spy network - it has the world’s largest number of personnel engaged in intelligence-gathering, counter-intelligence and espionage”


(Note: Dr Brady is a world respected expert on CCP foreign interference)

The retired Asio chief Duncan Lewis has reportedly warned that the Chinese government is seeking to use “insidious” foreign interference operations to “take over” Australia’s political system...... Chinese authorities are trying to “place themselves in a position of advantage” by winning influence in political, social, business and media circles, Lewis said. ......“Espionage and foreign interference is insidious,” he said.

 

[Fwiffo]

China warns U.S. against escalation as balloon saga spirals

Beijing hit back anew Thursday over what it has framed as Washington’s overreaction. But the response has undermined China’s efforts to signal a diplomatic softening, experts told NBC News.

www.nbcnews.com

"On Thursday, the Chinese commerce ministry imposed new sanctions on the U.S. defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon over arms sales to Taiwan in what appeared to be an unrelated action."

"The crisis has already drawn in other countries such as Japan, which said this week that three objects detected in its airspace in 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 'strongly presumed to be unmanned reconnaissance balloons flown by China.'

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded that Japan 'needs to be objective and impartial on this instead of following the U.S.’s suit in dramatizing it.'"

 

[The Shooman]

^^^

this is exactly why trade needs to be diversified away from China; the regime is highly volatile unreliable, and if relied upon too much for trade they can cause problems for countries if the regime doesn't get its own way. The fact is, the Chinese regime undermines a countries sovereignty (independent voice) and democratic processes because they try to influence a countries decision making at high levels. The U.S needs to continue to form international alliances with allies to minimize trade consequences from China.

 

[Fwiffo]

^^^

this is exactly why trade needs to be diversified away from China; the regime is highly volatile unreliable, and if relied upon too much for trade they can cause problems for countries if the regime doesn't get its own way. The fact is, the Chinese regime undermines a countries sovereignty (independent voice) and democratic processes because they try to influence a countries decision making at high levels. The U.S needs to continue to form international alliances with allies to minimize trade consequences from China.

But we need markets to sell stuff to. 1.4b people is hard to ignore

 

[The Shooman]

But we need markets to sell stuff to. 1.4b people is hard to ignore

Yes, but the rewards comes with its problems. Countries are being coerced by the regime and parliamentarians are scared to speak out about China's human rights abuses and bad practices. What has it lead to? Recently the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to avoid discussing the U.N high commissioners report detailing China's human rights abuses; this was very significant because it was the first time China had been selected by the U.N to appear for their human rights abuses, yet most of the BRI countries voted against having the panel discuss the abuses.

You see Fwiffo , it is not just about markets and money. It is about putting consequences on countries that abuse the citizens, and it also about upholding the democracy and sovereignty of countries: if this system break down we get the new world order run by China. What happens then is that we lose our freedoms because countries become vassal states of China. It is all about maintaining a healthy balance where we have some trade with China, but it needs to be in the minority in order to buffer against any volatility from the aggressive and unpredictable regime.

Lesser profits for better stability, that would be a good balance to reach. The politicians may not like that, but it is better for the citizens.

 

[Fwiffo]

The ballooning U.S.-China rivalry has countries reluctant to pick sides

The escalating dispute over a downed Chinese surveillance balloon has once again left many countries stuck in the middle of the world's two largest economies.

www.nbcnews.com

"That may explain why Southeast Asia, at the forefront of the tensions, has been relatively silent on the balloon incident, said Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

'Even if you consider that some countries might have encountered similar sightings, they are not inclined to talk about it,” he told NBC News, “because they do not want to be drawn into what they see as a largely Sino-U.S. rivalry.'"

Pick a side or no F-16s for you.

"Balakrishnan, the Singaporean foreign minister, argued for a new 'nonaligned movement' at a conference late last year, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation for science, technology and supply chains.

'I don’t believe any self-respecting Asian country wants to be trapped, or to be a vassal, or worse, to be a theater for proxy battles,' he said. 'Whether we will actually achieve this, only time will tell.'"

 

[The Shooman]

^^^

this is the problem, countries are not banding together and speaking out on CCP foreign interference, and this is why the regime has been able to take over the United Nations. See...one of the key strategies of the regime is to divide and conquer, ie, pick individual target countries, coerce the country, have a fight, introduce trade restrictions or withhold investment and use this example to other countries to stay silent. This is one of many reasons why China has been able to get more powerful and get away with human rights abuses, no countries nor the U.N are willing to step up for fear of consequences from China. The common excuse is `it is not our fight', but it is everyone's fight, because without forming alliances these countries will quickly lose their democracies and independence because China will pick them off one by one. I can give numerous examples, but l won't here.

The problem we have is that politicians don't understand the nature of the CCP; i've been talking to politicians years about this; they make out they understand, but they only look at the short term profits instead of the long term consequences of self censorship. You wouldn't believe the number of countries now bought off by China, l could gives dozens of examples.

 

[Fwiffo]

You wouldn't believe the number of countries now bought off by China, l could gives dozens of examples.

Like this one?

China looms large over Nigeria's presidential election

President Buhari has defended closer ties with Beijing amid opposition allegations

asia.nikkei.com

"Chinese companies have contracts to build $47 billion of new infrastructure, including trains, expressways, power plants and airport terminals, according to International Republican Institute.

Huawei has announced that it will train 1000 civil servants on cybersecurity strategy and has signed an agreement to set up an electronic surveillance system at the nation's borders. In 2022, Huawei set up 27,500 mobile phone towers and laid up to 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable in Nigeria, working closely with the federal government. The company was involved in $650 million worth of projects in Nigeria, all funded by Chinese banks."

 

[The Shooman]

Like this one?

China looms large over Nigeria's presidential election

President Buhari has defended closer ties with Beijing amid opposition allegations

asia.nikkei.com

"Chinese companies have contracts to build $47 billion of new infrastructure, including trains, expressways, power plants and airport terminals, according to International Republican Institute.

Huawei has announced that it will train 1000 civil servants on cybersecurity strategy and has signed an agreement to set up an electronic surveillance system at the nation's borders. In 2022, Huawei set up 27,500 mobile phone towers and laid up to 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable in Nigeria, working closely with the federal government. The company was involved in $650 million worth of projects in Nigeria, all funded by Chinese banks."

A large percentage of Huawei employees are ex PLA employees and ex mid level intelligence agents of the CCP. Why do you think that is? Because Huawei is designed as a surveillance network used for espionage, spying and tracking, and this is why numerous countries banned Huawei from setting up in their country. Huawei was set to take over the world and bring make big brother global in a way never seen before, however one of the great accomplishments of Donald Trump that few people know is that he convinced dozens of countries to not sign up with Huawie. Trump broke Huawei's path to global dominance under the BRI. Just that action alone makes him a legend, none of the establishment politicians dared to do it.

Huawei along with Biedou are the two pillars of the great power of the CCP, it is the digital silk road that is being used to enable China to establish fully global C4ISR capabilities through forward operating military bases in BRI countries. I shared this with the Australian Prime Minister and numerous politicians, and many were completely shocked by what was really going on, the BRI was banned shortly afterwards.

Beidou and 5G can allow (under certain conditions) Beijing to dictate CCP policies abroad in host countries and used tracking and surveillance to compromise the actions of the Chinese disapora and compromising the sovereignty of local citizens and governments. It is basically bringing the matrix to countries abroad where the CCP pulls the strings, and this is why most Western countries won't sign up to BRI, and why numerous poor countries are now pulling away from it. This is the big secret.

People have no idea of the intellectual property that has also been stolen (espionage) by the CCP under the BRI, but politicians don't understand the government contracts because they are usually dumb. Some African countries have benefit enormously, but they are now controlled by China to a great degree.

 

[Fwiffo]

Canada's military tracked Chinese surveillance in the Arctic

The military has said it is "fully aware" of efforts by China to conduct surveillance in the north.

www.bbc.com

Does China even border the arctic? A quick glance says no so unfortunately they can't be part of the Arctic Circle squabbling club of nations.

 

[Fwiffo]

China discusses military budget while warning of escalating threats

Beijing says it will increase spending in line with previous years, while warning of "escalating" threats.

www.bbc.com

"Beijing's stated military budget - around $225bn (£186bn) - is dwarfed by that of the United States, which is four times greater."

A 400 percent increase is required.

 

[Fwiffo]

Suppressing China won't make America great - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang

The US seeing China as a primary rival is "like putting the first button in the shirt wrong".

www.bbc.com

"It [the US] regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong,"

...uhm..okay.

"The US called for establishing 'guardrails', but what it really wants is for China to not hit back with words or actions when provoked, Mr Qin added.

Mr Qin said: 'If the US does not put on the brakes and continues to roar down the wrong road, no amount of guardrails can stop the derailment and overturning, and it is bound to fall into conflict and confrontation. Who will bear its disastrous consequences?'"

...is this a dig on the Ohio train derailments?

"Why should the US demand that China refrain from supplying arms to Russia when it sells arms to Taiwan?"

Why indeed...

 

[The Shooman]

Canada's military tracked Chinese surveillance in the Arctic

The military has said it is "fully aware" of efforts by China to conduct surveillance in the north.

www.bbc.com

Does China even border the arctic? A quick glance says no so unfortunately they can't be part of the Arctic Circle squabbling club of nations.

They can be part of the Artic Circle club of nations because numerous club members are in the BRI, so China can use them to access resources and [according to this article] access new additional trade routes caused by melting ice.

The big plan?? China can use the Arctic to circle entire none BRI nations, and they can use trade routes to cut off trade to these nations, especially if trade routes and BRI countries have Chinese military bases set up in the ports. They can at least set up the maritime trade routes with military force, however China can't do too much more about it at the moment until the U.S loses power through China gaining more control over United States' allies through economic coercion.

The long term plan would be for China to militarise numerous BRI maritime ports on key trade routes, set up sister cities in BRI countries to control at the local level, and to economically coerce federal governments; when they do this they will then be able to play their trump card and make demands from governments by locking up trade to those nations if they don't comply. China will also run the digital silk road, so they can cut off services if countries don't comply. This is the ultimate agenda of the BRI, however China's plan has been ruined and countries have become spooked and are pulling away slowly from China.

 

[The Shooman]

China discusses military budget while warning of escalating threats

Beijing says it will increase spending in line with previous years, while warning of "escalating" threats.

www.bbc.com

"Beijing's stated military budget - around $225bn (£186bn) - is dwarfed by that of the United States, which is four times greater."

A 400 percent increase is required.

A 400% increase? So what!

Has China ever fought a war? No.
Do their generals have any experience in wars? No.

China runs things by the top down method (give the orders from the top...middle and lower ranks just follow orders) due to their communist upbringings, this greatly increases the chances of them losing any war they fight.

How can the CCP command so many soldiers using the top down method, especially with no experience or war pedigree? Me thinks they would make a mess of it and lose quickly to the U.S.

 

[Fwiffo]

China’s Xi wants bigger global role after Saudi-Iran deal

The National People’s Congress on Sunday cemented the president's dominance by endorsing the appointment of his loyalists as government leaders in a once-a-decade change.

www.nbcnews.com

"Xi called Monday for faster technology development and more self-reliance in a speech loaded with nationalistic terms. He referred eight times to 'national rejuvenation,' or restoring China to its rightful place as an economic, cultural and political leader.

He said that before the ruling party took power in 1949, China was 'reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country, subject to bullying by foreign countries.'

'We have finally washed away the national humiliation, and Chinese people are the master of their own destiny,' Xi said. 'The Chinese nation has stood up, become rich and is becoming strong.'"

 

[Fwiffo]

Has China ever fought a war? No.
Do their generals have any experience in wars? No.

Vietnam 1979?

 

[Fwiffo]

Xi arrives in Russia to show solidarity with Putin amid Ukraine war and ICC arrest warrant

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit could serve as an even greater show of solidarity after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

www.nbcnews.com

"His ambitions for China as a responsible great power were advanced this month with the surprise announcement of a deal it brokered to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the first time in seven years.

'It’s a low risk, high-reward move that boosts Chinese legitimacy and prestige and Xi Jinping in particular as someone who personally, according to Chinese sources, facilitated this détente,' said Tuvia Gering, a researcher with the Diane and Guilford Glazer Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Fan Hongda, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, said he didn’t think the deal on its own would upend the global order.

'But to a certain extent, this is indeed a testament to the rising influence of China,' he said. 'Therefore, the United States is likely to take China more seriously.'”

 

[The Shooman]

Xi arrives in Russia to show solidarity with Putin amid Ukraine war and ICC arrest warrant

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit could serve as an even greater show of solidarity after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

www.nbcnews.com

"His ambitions for China as a responsible great power

🤮

'It’s a low risk, high-reward move that boosts Chinese legitimacy and prestige and Xi Jinping in particular as someone who personally, according to Chinese sources, facilitated this détente,'

🤮

this is indeed a testament to the rising influence of China,' he said. 'Therefore, the United States is likely to take China more seriously.'”

🤮

This Jett woman who wrote this pro CCP article sounds like a real communist party shill. Checked some of her other articles too, pure propaganda. The United Front Work department specialise in capturing agents in the media to do their propaganda work; peer reviewed papers with high citations by world experts in this field have been written exposing all this activity. Not surprising given the dubious source, NBC.

 

[The Shooman]

Vietnam 1979?

A good point you make on the surface, but how significant was their contribution in that war? I am not suspecting much. I don't recall China being known as a great military power in the 70's. I think their experience would have been limited, and their war pedigree probably isn't much better today.

 

[Fwiffo]

Honduras forms diplomatic ties with China after breaking relations with Taiwan

Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally that Taipei has lost to Beijing since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen first took office in May 2016.

www.nbcnews.com

Winning hearts and minds.

 

[Fwiffo]

A good point you make on the surface, but how significant was their contribution in that war? I am not suspecting much. I don't recall China being known as a great military power in the 70's. I think their experience would have been limited, and their war pedigree probably isn't much better today.

You said which war have they won so all I could think of in post WW2 memory was that one unless you call beating up a few Indians around Kashmir a victory.

This Jett woman who wrote this pro CCP article sounds like a real communist party shill. Checked some of her other articles too, pure propaganda. The United Front Work department specialise in capturing agents in the media to do their propaganda work; peer reviewed papers with high citations by world experts in this field have been written exposing all this activity. Not surprising given the dubious source, NBC.

I would classify NBC as to the left of centre in US media.

 

[Fwiffo]

Chinese balloon got intel from U.S. military sites, despite efforts to block it

The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel.

www.nbcnews.com

"The balloon had a self-destruct mechanism that could have been activated remotely by China, but the officials said it’s not clear if that didn’t happen because the mechanism malfunctioned or because China decided not to trigger it."

Maybe it lost 5G connectivity.

 

[Fwiffo]

China-Taiwan: Aircraft carrier 'seals off' island on third day of drills

Beijing's military simulates further attacks after President Tsai met US House Speaker McCarthy.

www.bbc.com

"Taiwan had earlier said it had spotted another 70 warplanes and 11 ships in its surrounding waters."

You only need 11 ships and 70 planes to seal off Taiwan? It looks pretty big on the map.

 

[Fwiffo]

The dove or the dog: China makes peace while baring teeth

As Beijing tries to play peacemaker, its actions over Taiwan threaten to undercut its goals.

www.bbc.com

"China often highlights US foreign policy failures in Iraq and Afghanistan while projecting itself as a country without blood on its hands, implying it is a better candidate to lead the world. A common line in Chinese rhetoric is that Communist China has never invaded another country nor engaged in proxy wars."

 

[Fwiffo]

China appears to be ramping up construction on its new Antarctic station

Beijing is “undertaking the most significant expansion of its footprint there in a decade," according to a new report based on satellite images.

www.nbcnews.com

“'If they see themselves as an incoming superpower with global ambitions, why would they not want to” expand their presence there?' said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London. 'Why should the Antarctic be any different?'"

 

[Fwiffo]

China says size isn't everything as it loses population top spot

New data this week said that China will soon no longer be the world's most populous country.

www.nbcnews.com

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stressed that it was important 'to look at not just the size, but also the quality of its population.'

'The population is important, so is talent,' he told a daily briefing this week."

You mean Indians aren't quality or talent?

 

[Fwiffo]

China rejects U.S. request for a meeting of the defense chiefs

Beijing blamed U.S. sanctions on its defense minister for its rejection of an invitation to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Singapore.

www.nbcnews.com

“If the United States says it wants to communicate while suppressing and containing China by any means and imposing sanctions on Chinese officials, institutions and enterprises, what is the sincerity and meaning of such communication?”

 

[Fwiffo]

Li Shangfu: War with US would be unbearable disaster, says China defence minister

Defence Minister Li Shangfu says Beijing is open to dialogue in his first major speech in the role.

www.bbc.com

"The Chinese defence minister's 'moderate' tone signals that talks with his US counterpart are possible, but Washington has to lift sanctions against him, said Zhou Bo, a retired officer of the People's Liberation Army.

Gen Li was sanctioned in 2018 over the acquisition of military hardware from Russia. His five-year term as defence minister started earlier this year, but the sanctions prevent him from travelling to the US, and also make it difficult for him to invite Gen Austin to China, Mr Zhou added.

'If the sanction is there, how can we talk? The sanctions are very much consequential,' said Mr Zhou, now a senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Centre for International Security and Strategy in Beijing."

Less sanctions = more talk.

 

[Fwiffo]

Anxious neighbours sigh in relief as US and China talk

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit reassures a region caught between the rival sides.

www.bbc.com

"This is no longer playground politics. It has even gone well beyond concerns about global trade and semiconductor supplies. It has become a battle for influence that is forcing countries in the region to make tough choices about their own security.

South Korea and Japan have been American allies for decades, but historical grievances have kept them apart. Now Beijing's growing assertiveness, coupled with North Korea's record missile launches, has produced a necessary thaw as they face the same escalating threats.

Driven by a similar urgency, the Philippines has allowed the US access to more military bases. Tokyo is also reportedly preparing military aid for Manila - a move that could bring the Japanese back to Philippine shores for the first time since World War Two.

The ripples go as far as the Pacific Islands, where the US and China are trying to gain a strategic foothold. Washington signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea in May after Beijing did the same with the Solomon Islands."

China - the only guarantor of peace in the Asia Pacific.

 

[Fwiffo]

New images show Chinese spy balloons over Asia

BBC Panorama worked with an artificial intelligence company to sift through millions of satellite pictures.

www.bbc.com

Taiwan's response: "The Taiwanese government told Panorama that it believed it was a weather balloon but Mr Jakolski disagrees."

Japan's response: "Yuko Murakami, from the Japanese ministry of defence, told the BBC that the government was 'taking all precautions to monitor the situation on a daily basis' and would even be willing to shoot down balloons to protect the 'lives and property of people in the territory of Japan'"

 

[Fwiffo]

‘Barbie’ movie banned in Vietnam over map of disputed South China Sea

The U-shaped “nine-dash line” is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast areas of a potentially energy-rich stretch in the South China Sea.

www.nbcnews.com

Reminds me a bit of calling it Arabian Gulf instead of Persian Gulf.

 

[Fwiffo]

China-based hackers breached email accounts, Microsoft says

Microsoft said late Tuesday a known group that primarily focuses on hacking Western governments to spy on them had successfully breached some accounts.

www.nbcnews.com

China conducts second day of exercises nearby, Taiwan says

The large-scale drills included fighter jets, bombers and warships, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruling island democracy it claims as its territory.

www.nbcnews.com

No response because most Western nations are giving each other NATO hand jobs in Lithuania.