Day: August 19, 2021

The new US Air Force secretary wants to ‘scare China’

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WASHINGTON — After being sworn in as the U.S. Air Force’s top civilian, Frank Kendall went straight to the budget books. Kendall, a former Pentagon acquisition chief who is well-acquainted with the world of military technology, immediately immersed himself in the Air Force’s fiscal 2023 budget and directed a number of last-minute adjustments to the plan. The goal, Kendall told Defense News in an exclusive Aug. 13 interview, should be to field the kinds of leap-ahead technologies that “scare China.” But whether the Air Force can do that depends on…

China state media issues war warning after GOP senator tweets about troops in Taiwan

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The Global Times, a Chinese state-run media outlet, warned the United States that an “all-out war” would break out if it sent American troops to Taiwan after Senator John Cornyn mistakenly tweeted that there were 30,000 troops stationed on the island. On Monday, Cornyn compared how many troops were in Afghanistan in recent months to those stationed elsewhere, including 30,000 he said were in Taiwan. People were quick to point out that the number was incorrect and Cornyn deleted the tweet, but Chinese state media accused him of “testing” China…

China’s 47-mile-long problem with the Taliban

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Press play to listen to this article Afghanistan looms larger in the mindset of China’s leadership than you’d imagine from the countries’ mere 47-mile stretch of shared border — a curly line that you’ll easily miss if Google Maps is not sufficiently zoomed in. While China has enjoyed poking its archrival the U.S. in the eye over its humiliation in Afghanistan — with state media even gleefully warning Taiwan that America will similarly desert its friends in Taipei — Beijing also has deep fears about the security risks posed by…

China’s propaganda firehose is going after the BBC

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Chinese trolls and fake news websites have been attacking the BBC in a bid to undermine its credibility, new research published today claims. The online influence operation, which is being linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is seemingly a response to the BBC’s reporting on human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and state-backed misinformation campaigns. The new research from analysts at cybersecurity company Recorded Future claims that the “likely state-sponsored” operation used hundreds of websites and social media accounts to attack the BBC’s reporting. In particular the network has…

6 Reasons China, Not Just Taliban, Benefits From US Afghan Exit

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The U.S. abandonment of Afghanistan presents an opportunity for China, but one that the communist regime likely will take cautiously.  Beyond Afghanistan, a major Chinese propaganda organ already has used the U.S. defeat there to warn Taiwan (which the communist regime claims as part of China) and potentially other countries.  China’s diplomats met late last month with Taliban leaders before the U.S. exit. Although Beijing is about 3,400 miles from Kabul, the two countries share a 50-mile border and China is expected to give early diplomatic recognition to a Taliban…

China cautions Japan against holding party-led security talks with Taiwan

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China has told Japan to be “especially cautious” in its relations with Taiwan, following reports of a planned party-level security dialogue between Tokyo and Taipei. China opposes all exchanges between Taiwan and any country with diplomatic relations with Beijing, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a regular press conference in Beijing. “The Taiwan question concerns the political foundations of China-Japan relations,” she said, adding: “Japan must and should be especially cautious with its words and actions, given historic crimes committed against the Chinese people in relation to the…

China pushes adoption of language, cultural symbols in Tibet

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BEIJING (AP) — A top Chinese official said Thursday that “all-round efforts” are needed to ensure Tibetans speak standard spoken and written Chinese and share the “cultural symbols and images of the Chinese nation.” Wang Yang made the remarks before a handpicked audience in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the home of Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leaders, at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese invasion of the vast Himalayan region. China’s ruling Communist Party says it “peacefully liberated” Tibetan peasants from an oppressive theocracy and restored…

China Threat? Former French Diplomat Says No

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Is China a threat? Not by nature, but perhaps by reaction, said former French diplomat Lionel Vairon at the launch of the English version of his book, “China Threat?” last Thursday at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He believes that the fear of a rising China results from the inability of Western countries to recognize China’s legitimate national interests. China will become problematic only if dominant powers attempt to contain it and deny its place in the international society. Former French Diplomat Lionel Vairon (Second To Right)…

In Sierra Leone, a Chinese port-building plan raises ire

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Aug 19th 2021 BLACK JOHNSON, SIERRA LEONE TITO GBANDEWA sweeps a hand across a beach in Sierra Leone that many call one of the most beautiful in west Africa. The bark of nearby trees can cure a child’s cough, locals say. The nectar of its palms comes “from God to man”. In the distance, a boy fishes for grouper; children play in the surf. If the government has its way, all this will be gone, says Mr Gbandewa, who runs a small resort on the beach. In its place will…

China’s Political Calculations and Potential Options in Afghanistan

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Advertisement The Afghan government backed by the United States collapsed after losing its military protection, and the speed was jaw-dropping. While international political stakeholders have rushed to respond, China seems to have made arrangements earlier than other countries. Still, its future options in Afghanistan are under scrutiny. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Taliban representatives in Tianjin. This was an important event following the direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban in 2018, as it greatly enhanced the Taliban’s international standing and signaled that the group…