Ongoing Events in China

President Xi is still cracking down on corruption. None, not even Interpol are "too big" to fall.

Chinese court jails former Interpol chief for 13-1/2 years over graft
FILE PHOTO: INTERPOL President Meng Hongwei poses during a visit to the headquarters of International Police Organisation in Lyon, France, May 8, 2018. Picture taken May 8, 2018.   Jeff Pachoud/Pool via Reuters
A court in China on Tuesday jailed former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for 13-1/2 years and fined him 2 million yuan ($290,000) for receiving bribes and abuse of official positions.

China has declined to get involved with the Nuclear Treaty.

U.S. urges China to join nuclear arms talks with Russia
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
The United States urged China on Tuesday to join trilateral nuclear arms talks with Moscow, calling Beijing's secrecy around growing stockpiles a "serious threat to strategic stability".

China says Pompeo spoke 'irresponsibly' in Costa Rica remarks
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on during a joint news conference with Costa Rica's President Carlos Alvarado (not pictured) at the Presidential house in San Jose, Costa Rica January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
China said on Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke "irresponsibly" in remarks he made criticizing Chinese economic cooperation during a visit to Costa Rica.

Don't shun China, urges Merkel at American prize ceremony
Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend the American Academy's Henry A. Kissinger Prize award ceremony at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Germany, January 21, 2020.  REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday urged Western global powers to include China in their multilateral system and treat Beijing equally rather than freeze it out and risk slipping into a Cold War-style bipolar order.

China says Taiwan's role in international bodies must be under 'One China' principle
FILE PHOTO: A Chinese flag flutters at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo - RC2LJE9RAKHZ
China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the central government cares for the health and well-being of its Taiwan compatriots more than anyone else.
 
Bumping this up, just a hunch there may be a connection.

RCMP investigating possible policy breaches at National Microbiology Lab
National Microbiology Laboratory

The National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is shown in a Tuesday, May 19, 2009 photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

RCMP officers are investigating an administrative matter at the National Microbiology Labratory, after the Public Health Agency of Canada notified them on May 24 of potential policy breaches.

The Public Health Agency said no employees from the lab have been arrested or are confined to their homes, and it is working to resolve the matter "expeditiously".

There is no threat to public safety and the lab is continuing its work, officials said.

RCMP and the Public Health Agency both said they have no further information to provide at this time.

Canadian University Ends Relationship With Chinese Researcher Who Was Booted From Virology Lab, As Disturbing Possible Foreign Espionage Concerns Swirl
NEWSSPENCERFERNANDO
JULY 15, 2019
Xiangguo Qiu

Dr. Xiangguo Qiu had been an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba.
I recently wrote about how Chinese researcher Dr. Xiangguo Qui, her husband, and some students from China were booted from Canada’s only Level 4 Virology Lab:
“In what is a very disturbing revelation, it has been revealed that Dr. Xiangguo Qiu, her husband Keding Cheng, and some students from China, were removed from Canada’s Level 4 virology lab in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The lab is Canada’s only level 4 virology lab, where the most deadly diseases are held and analyzed. Among the diseases held at the lab is the deadly Ebola virus.”
Qui had also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba.
Not anymore.
According to CBC, The UofM has cut their ties with her.
In an email, UofM spokesman John Danakas said he position with the University “has ended and all students she supervised have been reassigned, pending the RCMP investigation.”
Some have raised the specter of possible foreign industrial espionage and possible attempts to steal secret Canadian information and give it to the Chinese Communist State. At this time, there is no word on whether or not that is the case.
Those concerns are swirling however, something which was even addressed by the head of NATO – Jens Stoltenberg:
“Jens Stoltenberg, who toured CFB Petawawa on Monday and met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said at a news conference he couldn’t comment on this specific case, but appeared to suggest the possibility of espionage. “What I can say in general is that we have seen increased efforts by the nations to spy on NATO allies in different ways,” he said.”
Others have discussed similar concerns, as noted by expert Gordon Houlden – the head of the University of Alberta’s China Institute – said, The National Microbiology Laboratory would have some pretty sensitive biological research material that … could be shared either with or without authorization with foreign countries. All of this is unproven, but even microbiology, sometimes especially microbiology, can have issues that involve national security.”
We need to stay on this story, to ensure that the government can’t sweep it under the rug. With China continually escalating their aggression against us, it seems possible threats are emerging everywhere.
Spencer Fernando

Virologist Who Visited Wuhan Says Coronavirus Epidemic Situation “Out Of Control”
NEWSSPENCERFERNANDO
JANUARY 23, 20203
Wuhan Virus Spread

The expert said “I’ve experienced so much and I’ve never felt scared before. But this time I’m scared.”
According to a top virologist who was involved in the response to SARS is saying the coronavirus is spreading “out of control,” and says it’s the first time he’s been “scared.”
As reported by the Globe & Mail, Dr. Guan – the director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infections Diseases at the University of Hong Kong – explained his concerns:
Dr. Guan, however, left Wuhan convinced that “the epidemic situation was out of control.”
Most viral outbreaks ”are controllable,” he said. He pointed to SARS, H5N1 and swine fever.
“I’ve experienced so much and I’ve never felt scared before,” he said. “But this time I’m scared.”

And as if that wasn’t enough, Guan said “Conservative estimates suggest that the scale of infection may eventually be 10 times higher than SARS.”
The number of infected individuals and deaths from coronavirus continues to grow, and as I wrote earlier, China’s government appears to be in full blown panic mode.
China has already locked down 4 cities, with a whopping 20 million people now quarantined.
Yet, those measures – the largest quarantine in human history – may not be enough, says Guan:
“When these people returned to their hometowns, they took the virus to all parts of the country,” he said. In Wuhan, doctors told Caixin that the number of infected people could reach 6,000. Using computer modelling, researchers at Imperial College London now estimate there could be as many as 4,000 cases in Wuhan alone.
Given the incubation period of the virus, Dr. Guan estimated that symptoms may begin to appear more broadly across China beginning Jan. 25.”
Spencer Fernando
 
As reported by the Globe & Mail, Dr. Guan – the director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infections Diseases at the University of Hong Kong – explained his concerns:
Dr. Guan, however, left Wuhan convinced that “the epidemic situation was out of control.”

Dr. Guan's concerns might give some explanation to this? Instead of having patients scattered in different hospitals, it does sound reasonable to have a specialized hospital that deals exclusively for epidemic outbreaks. China already went through SARS.

China building 1,000-bed hospital over the weekend to treat coronavirus

Wuhan to build designated hospital to treat coronavirus patients: Beijing News


Then, there is this report? Maybe, so people don't panic?

Wuhan virus does not appear to be as deadly as SARS, Singapore PM says
FILE PHOTO: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong attends the 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, November 4, 2019. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Singapore's prime minister said on Friday that the city-state was well prepared to tackle the Wuhan flu virus, adding that it did not appear to be as deadly as the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic.
 
The United States on Thursday condemned attempts by China-linked "cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated" to steal U.S. intellectual property and data related to coronavirus research, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

U.S. says it condemns China-linked 'cyber actors' trying to steal COVID researchFILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., May 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool
May 14, 2020 -
“The PRC’s behavior in cyberspace is an extension of its counterproductive actions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pompeo said in a statement.

“While the United States and our allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives, the PRC continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis,” he said.

Pompeo’s comments came a day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement to raise awareness against what they called threats to coronavirus-related research from actors related to China.

It said the FBI was investigating digital break-ins at U.S. organizations by China-linked “cyber actors” that it had monitored “attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research.”

The FBI-Homeland Security statement offered no further details on the identities of the targets or the hackers. The Chinese Embassy in Washington condemned the allegations as “lies.”

Pompeo on China: The Diabolical US Blame Game - Global Research
May 06, 2020 - Blaming others for its own failings, wrongdoing, and high crimes is longstanding US policy


Calling COVID-19 the “Wuhan virus” is part of the Trump regime’s deceptive blame game scheme — despite no credible evidence linking its origin to China.

Falsely blaming the country is all about wanting it vilified, weakened and isolated on the world stage — US war by other means waged against numerous nations on its target list for regime change, how the scourge of imperialism operates.

Most people believe managed news misinformation and disinformation because it’s fed to them repeatedly by establishment media, notably on television propaganda reports masquerading as news.

On Sunday, Pompeo repeated his often stated Big Lie, falsely claiming the following:

“We can confirm that the Chinese Communist Party did all that it could to make sure that the world didn’t learn in a timely fashion about what was taking place (sic).”
“There’s lots of evidence of that (sic)” — none cited because it doesn’t exist.

Time and again, China, Russia, Iran, and other sovereign independent countries the US doesn’t control are falsely blamed for all sorts of things they had nothing to do with.

When no credible evidence backs accusations made, they’re groundless.

It’s true for phony claims about Russian US election meddling, blaming victim of US/NATO/Israeli state terrorism Iran for committing it, calling model democratic state Venezuela a dictatorship, and now falsely blaming China for a global COVID-19 public health crisis that most likely was made in the USA.

Pompeo:
“We’re going to hold those responsible (in China) accountable (sic), and we’ll do so on a timeline that is our own.”
“China has a history of infecting the world (sic)…These are not the first times that we’ve had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a Chinese lab (sic).”
“(T)here is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan (sic).”
Again, none was cited, just Pompeo’s spurious claim, contradicting the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). See below.

In response to whether he believes China intentionally released the coronavirus or if its spread was accidental, Pompeo said:
“I don’t have anything to say about that.”
China’s Foreign Ministry slammed false Trump regime accusations, on Friday its spokesman Geng Shuang saying:

“The US government has ignored the facts, diverted public attention and engaged in buck-passing in an attempt to shirk its responsibility for incompetence in the fight against the epidemic.”

Separately according to reports, the CIA and Britain’s MI6 prepared their own blame game report directed at China, falsely accusing its authorities of a COVID-19 cover up.

Phony anti-China accusations are reminiscent of Saddam Hussein’s WMDs that didn’t exist and the Big Lie that won’t die claim of Russian US election meddling.

In the run-up to US November elections and their aftermath, the falsified blame game against China and other nations on the US target list for regime change will no doubt continue unabated.

China calls U.S. accusation of hacking in COVID-19 research "slander"
China's foreign ministry, asked about China-linked hackers breaking into U.S. COVID-19 research, said China opposed what it called slander from the United States.

A World Health Crisis? So Ramp Up Confrontation and Deploy Nuclear Bombers against China, Russia, Iran and North Korea - Global Research
May 14, 2020 - The Pentagon is excelling itself in its enthusiastic march to war. There are countless thousands suffering from the effects of the Covid-19 virus, including hundreds of members of the U.S. armed services, while the world’s despots are relishing their freedom to persecute minorities, and the poor and downtrodden are dying in hideous misery because of starvation and lack of medical care. But the propaganda war against China continues, concurrent with ramping up of anti-China confrontation by Washington in its ongoing deployment of nuclear attack warships and bombers to the Western Pacific and the South China Sea.

The focus of the latest barbs is aimed at convincing the western world that China is responsible for the spread of Covid-19 – what the President of the United States and his Secretary of State refer to as the “China virus” – and it is not surprising that the major outlet for the latest Goebbels’ gambols is News Corp [sic; chaired by the egregious Rupert Murdoch] whose Australian Saturday Telegraph headlined on 4 May that “China deliberately suppressed or destroyed evidence of the coronavirus outbreak in an ‘assault on international transparency’’ that cost tens of thousands of lives, according to a dossier prepared by concerned Western governments on the COVID-19 contagion. The 15-page research document, obtained by The Saturday Telegraph, lays the foundation for the case of negligence being mounted against China.”

The report was given much cover by Fox News in the U.S. (owned and directed by Rupert Murdoch) which noted that “A research dossier compiled by the so-called ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance, that reportedly concludes China intentionally hid or destroyed evidence of the coronavirus pandemic, is consistent with U.S. findings about the origins of the outbreak so far, senior U.S. officials told Fox News on Saturday [ May 2].” The reporter who produced the Telegraph story, ‘National Political Editor’ Sharri Markson, declared on Fox News next day that “It’s very clear from this 15-page dossier that has been prepared by concerned western governments that China deliberately covered up evidence of the virus early on in a pure case of negligence… this directly contributed to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people getting sick and dying.”

It was utter nonsense, of course, and was therefore seized upon by the UK’s gutter tabloid the Daily Mail which informed its millions of readers that “Bombshell ‘Five Eyes’ Western intelligence dossier claims China lied about coronavirus.” To give them their due, the majority of the UK media declined to spread such garbage, but the stink has lingered in spite of the revelation on 7 May that “Australia has determined the report is not a Five Eyes intelligence document. It is not believed to include original intelligence from human sources or electronic intercepts.” Of course not. But that doesn’t matter to the propaganda-meisters who scored a victory over truth and decency.

And even supposedly respectable organisations are not averse to slanting information when there is an opportunity. As pointed out by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, “United States Strategic Command, the branch of the U.S. military responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons, recently released an imperially misleading infographic on Twitter. The graphic is confused – not only about when to use bold typeface, but also about the facts.”

The graphic claims that “Russia, China, North Korea and Iran pursue new nuclear weapons and delivery systems to threaten the world” while, as the Bulletin points out “there’s no mention of Russia’s dramatic reductions [in numbers of nuclear weapons], which have outpaced those of the United States. Since 1990, the Russian stockpile has declined from roughly 37,000 warheads to 4,310 – an 88 percent decrease.” But the head of U.S. Strategic Command, Admiral Charles Richard, tweeted on 3 May that “The threats we face today and in the future are real, and have not changed during the pandemic. While we continue to seek and provide for a safe and secure world, others continue to act provocatively and irresponsibly.”

Perhaps nobody told Admiral Richard that the U.S. has 3,800 nuclear weapons while China has 300. And while his Command is alleging provocation and irresponsibility by China he should bear in mind the report on 30 April that “The U.S. military continued its weeklong show of force in the South China Sea with a sortie over the contested waters by two Air Force bombers. The B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., flew a 32-hour round trip to conduct operations over the sea as part of a joint bomber task force by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Strategic Command.” Not only this, but in the waters of the South China Sea “The guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill sailed near the Spratlys on Wednesday as part of its so-called freedom-of-navigation operations” and “on Tuesday, the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry sailed near the Paracel Islands.” Provocation, anybody?

The Pentagon’s 2019 Report to Congress about China’s ‘Military and Security Developments’ notes that the Chinese navy’s “latest surface and subsurface platforms enable combat operations beyond the reach of China’s land-based defences. In particular, China’s aircraft carrier and planned follow-on carriers, once operational, will extend air defence coverage beyond the range of coastal and shipboard missile systems and will enable task group operations at increasingly longer ranges.” But nobody can believe that China will “follow-on” in the foreseeable future to the extent that it will have anything like the eleven nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed aircraft carriers that the U.S. Navy deploys all over the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a world crisis that should have resulted in all nations getting together and cooperating in every possible way to control the spread of the virus, combat its physical and economic consequences, and produce and administer an immunity vaccine.
Instead, the priority of Trump Washington has been to denigrate China in every way possible. The exchange between Secretary of State Pompeo and Martha Raddatz on ABC television made this clear, when he was asked “Do you believe coronavirus was man-made?” to which he replied that “the best experts seem to think so.” Martha Raddatz wasn’t going to let him get away with that and pointed out that “the Director of National Intelligence says the consensus is it wasn’t.” Pompeo’s lame but most revelatory counter to her line of questioning was “What’s important is the Communist Party could’ve prevented this.”

And to further challenge the Communist Party, the Pentagon’s aggressive operations around China’s shores include the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group along with “the amphibious assault ship USS America, smaller than the Reagan but carrying F-35B Lightning II stealth strike fighters” and the USS Nimitz Strike Group is about to leave San Diego for an undisclosed Indo-Pacific mission. The health crisis affected the U.S. fleet, and there will be yet more instances of virus infection, but the Chief of Naval operations, Admiral Gilday declared that in spite of the world health emergency the U.S. navy has “a duty to ensure we are ready to respond. We cannot simply take a knee or keep everyone in port until this enemy is defeated. We are America’s away team. The uncertainty caused by [the coronavirus] makes our mission of protecting America at sea more important than ever. That is why the U.S. Navy continues to operate forward every day.”

So now we know. Forget the world health crisis. Concentrate on confronting China. The “away team” is considered to be Washington’s route to a peaceful and prosperous future.

Wuhan residents brave rain, queues for COVID-19 mass-testing campaign
Residents in Wuhan braved pouring rain in queues of more than an hour to take part in a government-led exercise to test the city's 11 million people for the novel coronavirus, a scale health experts describe as unprecedented.
 
WASHINGTON - The United States called on China to respect Hong Kong's autonomy in response to an upcoming national security law that would tighten Beijing's control over the territory, as outraged lawmakers in Washington lined up legislation that could sanction Chinese officials and banks over the new law.

US warns that China's Hong Kong law could jeopardise its special status
US and Chinese flags displayed outside a hotel in Beijing on May 14, 2019.

US and Chinese flags displayed outside a hotel in Beijing on May 14, 2019.PHOTO: AFP

Proceeding with the legislation could jeopardise Hong Kong's special trade status under American law, the State Department warned.

The national security law, which is on the agenda of China's highest law-making body when it meets on Friday (May 22), will ban seditious activities against the central government.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Beijing’s decision to bypass Hong Kong’s legislative processes “a death knell for the high degree of autonomy” it promised Hong Kong under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The US stands with Hong Kong and strongly urges Beijing to reconsider its “disastrous proposal”, he said in a statement on Friday.

“Any decision impinging on Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory,” added Mr Pompeo.

The US treats Hong Kong differently from China in matters of trade and commerce, under the 1992 Hong Kong Policy Act. This exempted Hong Kong exports from tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese goods under the US-China trade war.

But under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act introduced by the US last November in support of the protest movement, the Secretary of State is required to annually re-certify that the territory remains sufficiently autonomous from mainland China to warrant its special status.

Mr Pompeo said on May 6 that this year's review would be postponed, to take into account any actions by Beijing in the lead-up to the annual meeting of the National People's Congress.

President Donald Trump, when asked by reporters for his reaction to the national security law on Thursday, said: "I don't know what it is because nobody knows yet. If it happens, we'll address that issue very strongly."

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill took a stronger stance, urging the White House to hold Beijing accountable and act to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy in a rare show of bipartisan unity.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell called the national security law unacceptable, saying: "A further crackdown from Beijing will only intensify the Senate's interest in re-examining the US-China relationship."

Democrat Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said on Twitter that the Trump administration should use the powers of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and "lead a global coalition to support the people of Hong Kong".

Said Republican senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a China hawk who introduced and pushed for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, said on Twitter: "It's in the best interest of all for China and the US to have a balanced relationship. But that will not be possible if it requires ignoring or silently accepting repeated violations of their commitments on Hong Kong's autonomy and attacks on basic rights."

On Thursday, Republican senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland introduced a Bill to sanction those who undermine Hong Kong's autonomy.

This could include police officers who crack down on Hong Kong protests, or Chinese Communist Party officials who impose the national security law on Hong Kong.

Banks that transact with such individuals or entities would also be sanctioned under the proposed legislation, titled the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.

"The communist regime in Beijing would like nothing more than to extinguish the autonomy of Hong Kong and the rights of its people," said Mr Toomey in a statement.

"In many ways, Hong Kong is the canary in the coal mine for Asia. Beijing's growing interference could have a chilling effect on other nations struggling for freedom in China's shadow," he added.

The flight comes amid escalating friction between China, the U.S. and various countries in the South China Sea, as well as Taiwan.

Navy P-8 With Secretive Radar Pod Surveils Massive Chinese Naval Base In South China Sea

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On May 15, 2020, online plane spotter and Twitter user Golf9 spotted the P-8A, which carries the Navy Bureau Number 169010, flying a route through the South China Sea that took it around Hainan and into the Gulf of Tonkin. The Poseidon then turned around and exited the area along a similar path. The plane came within approximately 30 miles of the southern coast of the island, including passes by the sprawling Yulin Naval Base.

Golf9 also pointed out that 169010 is one of at least seven P-8As that have been observed carrying the AN/APS-154 in the past. The Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) is a large podded system that requires the installation of a special mount on the underside of the fuselage

Raytheon developed the AN/APS-154 almost under a large degree of secrecy and its exact capabilities remain highly classified. The radar inside the pod is known to be an active electronically scanned array (AESA) type that can capture highly detailed imagery, even at night or in bad weather, while operating in a synthetic aperture mode and has a moving target indicator (MTI) functionality.

The AAS is also specifically designed to work in complex littoral regions and scan sea and land areas at the same time with extreme fidelity. Traditional surface search radars are generally configured to spot and track objects of interest in one of these environments or the other, or have dedicated modes for both, and have trouble functioning in both simultaneously. The Navy acquired the AN/APS-154 as a direct follow-on to the AN/APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System (LSRS), an earlier and equally secretive Raytheon-developed podded radar that some of the service's P-3C Orions carry. You can read more about the AN/APS-149 and the AN/APS-154 here.

Hainan is exactly the kind of target area that the AN/APS-154 was designed to scan. The P-8As also have signals intelligence capabilities, which allow them to detect, geolocate, and classify emissions, including from radars and other air defense nodes, which can help in building a so-called "electronic order of battle" of a potential opponent's defensive networks.

The island has long been an intelligence target for the U.S. military and the U.S. Intelligence Community. Notably, in April 2001, a Navy EP-3E Aries II spy plane made an emergency landing at Lingshui Airfield on the Island after suffering serious damage after a mid-air collision with a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) J-8II fighter jet. The Chinese jet was destroyed, killing the pilot, Lieutenant Commander Wang Wei, in what became a major international incident.

The AAS-equipped P-8A on this latest flight past the island would certainly have been able to peer into Yulin with its underslung radar while flying a slanted flight path, as well as other potential areas of interest along the coast. One particular objective might have to gather information about the state of the People's Liberation Army Navy's growing Type 094 Jin class ballistic missile submarine fleet.

There were reports in April that the PLAN had taken delivery of two more Type 094s, which, if true, would bring the total number of these submarines in service to six. In February, the Office of Naval Intelligence told members of Congress that China only commissioned four of these submarines so far, though it expected six ballistic missile submarines to be in Chinese service by 2025 and eight by 2030. This total could eventually include some number of new Type 096 ballistic missile submarines, a follow-on class to the Type 094 that is reportedly in development.

The Type 094s represent an important and expanding second-strike nuclear capability for China and, together with reported work on the H-20 stealth strategic bomber, is evidence that the country is moving closer to deploying a true deterrent triad of land, sea, and aerial delivery platforms. In addition, Chinese authorities just recently highlighted continued work on the JL-3 solid-fuel submarine-launched ballistic missile, development of which first began as a companion to the Type 096.

Yulin is a major base for the PLAN's steadily larger and more modern submarine force, as well as its surface fleets, as well, and famously features a large network of underground facilities, including pens that submarines can sail in and out of directly.

The Chinese have also expanded military facilities above ground in the same general area, including around nearby Sanya Harbor, in recent years, notably adding a pier capable of accomodating the country's growing fleet of aircraft carriers.

As the U.S. military turns its attention from the Middle East to conflict with Russia and China, American war planners are advising that the United States greatly expand its own online “psychological operations” against Beijing.

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological War on China
May 18th, 2020 - A new report from the Financial Times details how top brass in Washington are strategizing a new Cold War with China, describing it less as World War III and more as “kicking each other under the table.” Last week, General Richard Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, said that the “kill-capture missions” the military conducted in Afghanistan were inappropriate for this new conflict, and Special Operations must move towards cyber influence campaigns instead.

Military analyst David Maxwell, a former Special Ops soldier himself, advocated for a widespread culture war, which would include the Pentagon commissioning what he called “Taiwanese Tom Clancy” novels, intended to demonize China and demoralize its citizens, arguing that Washington should “weaponize” China’s one-child policy by bombarding Chinese people with stories of the wartime deaths of their only children, and therefore, their bloodline.

A not dissimilar tactic was used during the first Cold War against the Soviet Union, where the CIA sponsored a huge network of artists, writers and thinkers to promote liberal and social-democratic critiques of the U.S.S.R., unbeknownst to the public, and, sometimes, even the artists themselves.

Manufacturing consent
In the space of only a few months, the Trump administration has gone from praising China’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to blaming them for the outbreak, even suggesting they pay reparations for their alleged negligence. Just three years ago, Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, the same polls show that 66 percent of Americans dislike China, with only 26 percent holding a positive opinion of the country. Over four-in-five people essentially support a full-scale economic war with Beijing, something the president threatened to enact last week.

The corporate press is certainly doing their part as well, constantly framing China as an authoritarian threat to the United States, rather than a neutral force or even a potential ally, leading to a surge in anti-Chinese racist attacks at home.

Retooling for an intercontinental war
Although analysts have long warned that the United States gets its “ass handed to it” in hot war simulations with China or even Russia, it is not clear whether this is a sober assessment or a self-serving attempt to increase military spending. In 2002, the U.S. conducted a war game trial invasion of Iraq, where it was catastrophically defeated by Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper, commanding Iraqi forces, leading to the whole experiment being nixed halfway through. Yet the subsequent invasion was carried out without massive loss of American lives.

The recently published Pentagon budget request for 2021 makes clear that the United States is retooling for a potential intercontinental war with China and/or Russia. It asks for $705 billion to “shift focus from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a greater emphasis on the types of weapons that could be used to confront nuclear giants like Russia and China,” noting that it requires “more advanced high-end weapon systems, which provide increased standoff, enhanced lethality and autonomous targeting for employment against near-peer threats in a more contested environment.” The military has recently received the first batch of low-yield nuclear warheads that experts agree blurs the line between conventional and nuclear conflict, making an all out example of the latter far more likely.

A bipartisan affair
There has been no meaningful pushback from the Democrats. Indeed, Joe Biden’s team has suggested that the United States’ entire industrial policy should revolve around “competing with China” and that their “top priority” is dealing with the supposed threat Beijing poses. The former vice-president has also attacked Trump from the right on China, trying to present him as a tool of Beijing, bringing to mind how Clinton portrayed him in 2016 as a Kremlin asset. (Green Party presidential frontrunner Howie Hawkins has promised to cut the military budget by 75 percent and to unilaterally disarm).

Nevertheless, voices raising concern about a new arms race are few and far between. Veteran deproliferation activist Andrew Feinstein is one exception, saying:

“Our governments spend over 1.75 trillion dollars every year on wars, on weapons, on conflict…If we could deploy that sort of resource to address the coronavirus crisis that we’re currently living through, imagine what else we could be doing. Imagine how we could be fighting the climate crisis, how we could be addressing global poverty, inequality. Our priority should never be war; our priorities need to be public health, the environment, and human well being.”

However, if the government is going to launch a new psychological war against China, it is unlikely antiwar voices like Feinstein’s will feature much in the mainstream press.
 
"Coronavirus: 2nd Wave Hits China"
Included China blaming on outside sources of new cases (Russia) End question asks if Trump was 1st President hard on China and could do more:
 
American Foreign Policy is a MESS, putting it mildly! It's not just a trade war with China - the U.S. has to drag in Hong Kong and Taiwan, two Countries that the U.S. has invested considerable time and $-resources-$ into, for it's own advantages. The U.S. would like nothing better then to cause division and separation between China and Hong Kong-Taiwan.

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U.S. weighs options 'across the spectrum' to punish China over Hong Kong
May 27, 2020 - The Trump administration is crafting a range of options to punish China over its tightening grip on Hong Kong, including targeted sanctions, new tariffs and further restrictions on Chinese companies, according to U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions.

Such moves could mark the opening salvoes of the U.S. response as President Donald Trump weighs how far he is prepared to go after the State Department’s assessment on Wednesday that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous enough from Beijing to deserve special treatment here under U.S. law that helped make it a global financial hub.

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U.S. weighs options 'across the spectrum' to punish China over Hong Kong

Two pro-democracy lawmakers removed from Hong Kong Legislative Council

Two pro-democracy lawmakers were removed from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Thursday where lawmakers were debating a bill that would make disrespect of China’s national anthem a criminal offence.

Tensions have ramped up in the global financial centre after Beijing proposed national security legislation that has stoked concerns over freedoms in the Chinese-ruled city.

U.S. and China fight at United Nations over Hong Kong
The United States and China clashed over Hong Kong at the United Nations on Wednesday after Beijing opposed a request by Washington for the Security Council to meet over China’s plan to impose new national security legislation on the territory.


The U.S. mission to the United Nations said in a statement that the issue was “a matter of urgent global concern that implicates international peace and security” and therefore warranted the immediate attention of the 15-member council.

China “categorically rejects the baseless request” because the national security legislation for Hong Kong was an internal matter and “has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council,” China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun posted on Twitter.

Hong Kong no longer deserves special U.S. status, Pompeo says
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress on Wednesday that Hong Kong no longer qualifies for its special status under U.S. law, potentially dealing a crushing blow to its status as a major financial hub.

“No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground,” he said.

He said he certified to Congress that Hong Kong no longer warrants treatment under U.S. laws “in the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997,” when Britain ended its administration of the territory and returned it to China.

“It is now clear that China is modeling Hong Kong after itself,” Pompeo said.

Asked to comment on Pompeo’s statement, China’s embassy in Washington repeated past statements from Beijing and Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed government that the security law is no threat to the city’s high degree of autonomy and will be tightly focused.

“As for foreign meddling in Hong Kong affairs, we will take necessary countermeasures in response,” it said, echoing previous Chinese statements.

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Premier Li: China always opposes external interference on Taiwan

May 28, 2020 - China always opposes external interference when it comes to the issue of Chinese-claimed Taiwan, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday as his annual news conference.

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China premier says security law will support HK stability, security

May 28, 2020 - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday that national security legislation, which China’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose on Hong Kong, would benefit the territory’s long-term stability and prosperity.

Democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear the legislation could endanger Hong Kong’s special autonomy and freedoms under the “one country, two systems” model in place since its 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule.

China and U.S. should respect each other's core interests: Premier Li
May 28, 2020 - China and United States should respect each other’s core interests and manage their differences, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday, adding that a decoupling of their economies is not good for the world.

“I believe both countries should respect each other and develop a relationship on the basis of equality, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns and embrace cooperation,” Li said in his annual news conference after the close of the annual meeting of parliament.

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Taiwan pledges help for fleeing Hong Kongers, riles China
May 28, 2020 - Taiwan promised on Thursday to settle Hong Kongers who flee the Chinese-ruled city for political reasons, offering help from employment to counseling, and prompting angry condemnation from Beijing as it pushes security legislation for Hong Kong.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen this week became the first world leader to pledge specific measures to help people from Hong Kong who may leave the former British colony because of the new legislation.

Chen Ming-tong, head of Taiwan’s top China-policy maker, the Mainland Affairs Council, told parliament the government will establish an organization to deliver “humanitarian relief” that includes settlement and employment in a joint effort with activists groups.


He said counselling services will also be available for Hong Kongers, some of whom may take part in increasingly violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

“Many Hong Kongers want to come to Taiwan. Our goal is to give them settlement and care,” Chen said, urging the public not use the word refugee as it could be “emotionally harmful” for people from the city.

Chen did not give details, such as scale and timing of the relief when pressed by lawmakers, saying the government is still working on the program.

U.S. planning to cancel visas of Chinese graduate students: sources
May 28, 2020 - The United States is planning to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduate students believed by President Donald Trump’s administration to have links with China’s military, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

The move, first reported by the New York Times, could impact 3,000 to 5,000 Chinese students and could be announced as early as this week, according to the sources, including a current U.S. official and another individual who was briefed on the administration’s internal discussions.

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U.S. may now need to treat Hong Kong like China: White House adviser
May 28, 2020 - U.S. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said on Thursday that Hong Kong may now need to be treated like China when it comes to trade and other financial matters, given Beijing’s move to enact a new law Washington warns would undermine the city’s autonomy.

“We can’t let this go unnoticed and they will be held accountable for that,” National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC. “If need be, Hong Kong now may have to be treated the same way as China is treated, and that has implications for tariffs and that has implications for financial transparency and stock market listings, and related matters.”

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Trump will hold news conference on Friday on China
May 28, 2020 - President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will give a news conference on China on Friday, as his administration moves to pressure Beijing over its treatment of Hong Kong.
 
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China says opposes U.S. THAAD defence system in South Korea
May 29, 2020 - China’s foreign ministry said on Friday it firmly opposes the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system in South Korea and urged the U.S. not to harm bilateral relations between Beijing and Seoul.

American and South Korean troops brought replacement THAAD missiles to a base in South Korea overnight, Yonhap news agency reported, citing unnamed officials who described it as a routine resupply operation.

The missiles were to replace older ones and the number of weapons at the base did not increase, the report said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that Beijing and Seoul have reached a clear consensus on a phased resolution to the THAAD issue and said China hopes Seoul will adhere to that agreement.

China, responding to Trump, says no need for a third party in border dispute with India
May 29, 2020 -China said there was no need for a third party to mediate between China and India in an ongoing border dispute, when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the comments a daily briefing Friday.

China calls U.S. Uighur bill a 'smear' and severe interference
May 29, 2020 - The U.S. bill proposing to sanction Chinese officials over their treatment of the Uighur minority blatantly smears China’s anti-terrorism efforts and severely interferes in China’s internal affairs, said China Foreign Ministry Friday.

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China public security ministry pledges to 'direct and support' HK police
May 29, 2020 - China’s public security ministry pledged to “direct and support” the Hong Kong police force after China’s parliament approved a decision to impose a national security law on the semi-autonomous territory, highlighting Beijing’s intention to take a more hands-on law-enforcement role in the city.

China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) - the national police force - would use “all efforts to direct and support the Hong Kong police to stop violence and restore order”, it said in a statement released late on Thursday.

Hong Kong’s police force is independent from China and the MPS currently has no enforcement powers in the former British colony.

“This is the clearest indication yet that the Public Security Ministry will have the authority to supervise Hong Kong police in matters of national security,” said Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

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China says Canada is an accomplice of U.S. in Huawei case
May 29, 2020 - China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Canada is an accomplice to the U.S. government’s efforts to bring down Chinese tech giant Huawei and said Canada should immediate release Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

Meng has been under house arrest in Canada and trying to avoid extradition to the United States.

China plans to extend curbs on international flights until June 30: U.S. embassy
Chinese civil aviation authorities plan to extend until June 30 their curbs on international flights to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said in a travel advisory on Friday.

China has drastically cut such flights since March to allay concerns over infections brought by arriving passengers. A so-called “Five One” policy allows mainland carriers to fly just one flight a week on one route to any country and foreign airlines to operate just one flight a week to China.

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Hong Kong media tycoon vows to stay and 'fight' China, backs U.S. pressure
May 29, 2020 - Embattled Hong Kong publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai - one of the financial hub’s most prominent democracy activists - said on Friday he would fight till the last against Beijing’s imposition of national security laws and keep publishing.

“What I have, this place gave me, I will fight on till the last day. It will be (an) honour if I ... sacrifice,” Lai told Reuters in his office, choking up at times.

The pugnacious Lai, a thorn in the side of China, has been identified by observers as one of the main potential targets of the new laws that will outlaw subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign interference.

While details of the law haven’t yet been finalised by Beijing, some critics say new sedition regulations could make it easier to muzzle media outlets like Lai’s.

Lai’s remarks came before U.S. President Donald Trump was due to announce fresh action against China.

“Definitely outside support, the so-called foreign influence is our only salvation … I think if the Americans support us very strongly the other countries will follow through. America has to take the lead,” said Lai, tanned and sporting a crew-cut, track-suit bottoms and sneakers.

Next Digital publishes Apple Daily, a popular tabloid, known for its feisty and critical coverage of China and Hong Kong, that has been hit by dwindling advertising revenues as well as frequent attacks by pro-Beijing voices in the city.

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Former HK leader calls out HSBC following UK criticism of security law

May 29, 2020 - Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying on Friday called out banking group HSBC Holdings plc (HSBA.L) for not making its “stance” clear on China’s imposition of a new security law on the city, after the United Kingdom’s criticism of the move.

“One week has passed, HSBC still hasn’t expressed their stance on the national security legislation,” Leung, Hong Kong’s chief executive from 2012-2017, wrote in a Facebook post.

“(The) UK government is following the US government; whether or not HSBC will follow UK govt is something we need to be highly concerned about,” he wrote. HSBC declined to comment.

The comments from Leung, a vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a top advisory body, underscore the risk for foreign businesses of becoming caught in the political crossfire amid fresh civil unrest over a law that many Hong Kongers fear will reduce their city’s freedoms.

The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China for imposing the law.

Leung said HSBC should not do things that hurts “China’s sovereignty, dignity and people’s feelings”, while making money in that country.

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EU seeks tougher China policy, concerned by Hong Kong law

May 29, 2020 - European Union foreign ministers agreed to toughen their strategy on China on Friday to counter Beijing’s increasingly assertive diplomacy against a backdrop of concern about China’s new security law for Hong Kong.

Amid European criticism of Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, EU foreign ministers met via video link for their first discussion before two EU-China summits this year, one expected at the end of June and another in September.

“We need and are ready to have an open and honest dialogue with China,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after the meeting, where ministers expressed “grave concern” over China’s plans to curtail freedoms in Hong Kong.

“There’s a lack of progress on negotiations (on market access for European companies in China),” said Borrell, who said the bloc would now prepare a new EU strategy document on China.

The EU is trying to find a middle path between U.S.-Chinese rivalry, but the bloc is also divided internally over China, with some countries benefiting from its largesse.

Three senior diplomats said there was increasing frustration with what the EU says is Beijing’s failure to make good on an April 2019 agreement that China reciprocate the broad market access that Chinese companies enjoy in Europe.

Next month, the European Commission, the EU executive, is expected to come forward with guidelines on ways for EU governments to potentially limit China’s access to public tenders in Europe, seen as a way to pressure Beijing.

This week, German ambassadors told their counterparts at two separate meetings that host Germany could delay the summit between European Union leaders and China’s President Xi Jinping in September because of the impasse in investment negotiations.

However, another EU diplomat said Berlin is working on hosting a summit in the town of Leipzig on Sept. 14. A German government spokesman declined to comment. Borrell said the Leipzig summit was “still on the agenda.”
 
Stability at Three Gorges Dam


What the Potential Crisis on the Yangtze Means for China and the World​


UPDATE 12-02-2021


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Against the backdrop of deteriorating US-China relations, the navies of the two countries have moved frequently in East Asian waters. The latest development is the announcement of the Ministry of Defense of Japan on April 4 that six Chinese naval vessels including the Liaoning ship were found traveling south on Okinawa. At the same time, the Chinese think tank "South China Sea Strategic Situational Awareness Program" social media platform disclosed on the 3rd that the US Navy "Marstin" (DDG-89) appeared at the Yangtze River Estuary in the East China Sea and said it was "clearly targeted."

According to a report by the Nikkei Asian Review, the Ministry of Defense of Japan’s Integrated Staff and Supervision Department disclosed that the Liaoning carrier battle group was discovered on the morning of the 3rd from the main island of Okinawa and Miyakojima, and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. Among the six PLA warships, in addition to the Liaoning ship, the other five warships are the 055 destroyer Nanchang, the 052D destroyer Chengdu and Taiyuan, the 054A frigate Huanggang, and the 901 integrated supply ship Hulunhu. The Ministry of Defense of Japan has judged that the voyage of the six Chinese ships is part of Beijing's enhanced maritime operations in the East China Sea, and Japan is stepping up monitoring of the movements of these six ships.

  • U.S. warships appeared at the mouth of the Yangtze River
  • Canadian warship passes through South China Sea, China expresses dissatisfaction
  • Japanese media: Asian version of NATO is ready to be released
  • Chinese ships and military aircraft cause controversy near Japan

In addition, the “South China Sea Strategic Situational Awareness Program” of the Institute of Oceanography of Peking University, a Chinese think tank, was released on Weibo on the 3rd. According to AIS signals, the USS “Marstin” (DDG-89) appeared on The waters near the mouth of the Yangtze River in the East China Sea, and all the way south. The post stated that the "Mustine" departed from the Japanese port of Yokosuka on March 27 and headed straight for the East China Sea, which was "clearly targeted."

The platform once again issued a statement on the 4th that the USS "Roosevelt" aircraft carrier strike group-"Roosevelt" aircraft carrier, "Russell" destroyer, "Bunker Hill" cruiser-entered the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca. This is the third time the Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea this year.

The article quoted the think tank director Hu Bo as saying, “The actions of US aircraft carriers in the South China Sea and other waters around China have become abrupt and more regular since 2020, and the significance of actual deployment has increased significantly. The frequency of US aircraft carriers’ entry and exit in the South China Sea will increase significantly. To about dozens of times a year."

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India, other Quad nations join France in mega naval drill in Indian Ocean​


India, other Quad nations join France in mega naval drill in Indian Ocean

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India and three other Quad member nations on Monday joined France in kick-starting a three-day naval wargame in the eastern Indian Ocean in reflection of their growing maritime cooperation amid China's growing efforts to expand influence in the region.

Officials said the Indian naval ships Satpura and Kiltan along with P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft are participating in the French Navy-led 'La Perouse' exercise.


Besides India, other Quad member nations participating in the first such exercise are the US, Japan and Australia, they said.

The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical for India's strategic interests. China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region.

Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said the exercise will witness complex and advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises.

He said it will also feature weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations and tactical manoeuvres among others.

"The exercise will showcase high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the friendly navies," he said.

"Participation by the Indian Navy in the exercise demonstrates the shared values with friendly navies ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order," Madhwal said.

The French Navy has deployed its amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre and frigate Surcouf while the US Navy is being represented by amphibious transport dock ship Somerset, officials said.

The Royal Australian Navy has deployed Anzac, a frigate, and tanker Sirius while Japanese Navy is being represented by the destroyer Akebono, they said.

India has been expanding cooperation with navies of the US, Japan, Australia and France in the last few years.

On March 28 and 29, India and the US navies carried out a two-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region.

The Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the 'PASSEX' exercise while the US Navy was represented by USS Theodore Rosevelt carrier strike group.

A carrier battle group or carrier strike group is a mega naval fleet comprising an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a large number of destroyers, frigates and other ships.

 
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