Day: January 14, 2023

Call for PLA to use AI for ‘smart deterrence’ against US over Taiwan

Chin@Strategy

He suggested the PLA could become a leader in future intelligent warfare, drawing on capabilities in AI, cloud computing, big data, cyber offence and defence, and unmanned equipment. Ni also called for the PLA to normalise military drills that cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait – the de facto sea border separating mainland China from Taiwan – and that approach the baseline of the island’s territorial waters and cut off transport. Advertisement It comes after the PLA staged unprecedented live-fire exercises that encircled the self-ruled island amid heightened…

China reports nearly 60,000 COVID deaths since dropping restrictions: Reuters

Chin@Strategy

China said that nearly 60,000 have died from COVID-19 and related complications since authorities lifted harsh restrictions in December after nationwide protests, Reuters reported Saturday. Jiao Yahui, the head of the Bureau of Medical Administration under China’s National Health Commission, told a media briefing that 59,938 people had died in hospitals across the country as a result of the virus outbreak.  Some 5,503 of those were directly the result of COVID-19, she added, while others were the result of complicating factors and other diseases alongside the virus infection.  The weekend…

Vatican Funeral for Cardinal Who Decried Francis’ Rule

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VATICAN CITY —  The Australian cardinal who decried the papacy of Pope Francis as a “catastrophe” was given a funeral Saturday and hailed by some fellow churchmen at St. Peter’s Basilica, with the pontiff imparting a final blessing for the once high-ranking Vatican prelate. Cardinal George Pell, 81, died on Tuesday, shortly after undergoing hip surgery in a Rome hospital. As the Vatican’s finance minister for three years, Pell had been a key player in the early years of Francis’ papacy, whose goals included reforming the Holy See’s finances, which…

Chinese bombers, fighter jets in new year military drills appear to have boosted combat capacity

Chin@Strategy

The H-6K is considered a strategic bomber, and designed for long-range and stand-off attacks. It can carry nuclear weapons, and is held up as being capable of attacking US carrier battle groups in the Pacific. Daily exercises had become routine for this bomber division, the PLA Daily report revealed. China’s largest military transport aircraft, the Y-20, was also part of a new year’s exercise by the air force, according to its social media account, which did not identify the unit. Advertisement “Recently, several military transport planes of a squadron of…

China Reports 60,000 COVID-related Deaths, Says Peak Passed

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BEIJING —  China reported Saturday nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December following complaints it was failing to release data, and said the “emergency peak” of its latest surge appears to have passed. The toll included 5,503 deaths due to respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 and 54,435 fatalities from other ailments combined with COVID-19 since Dec. 8, the National Health Commission announced. It said those “deaths related to COVID” occurred in hospitals, which left open the possibility more people also might have died at home. The…

US Nears New Cooperation Deals with Pacific Island Nations

Chin@Strategy

WASHINGTON —  The Biden administration is nearing deals with two Pacific Island nations to extend ties that are considered critical to maintaining balance in the U.S.-China rivalry for influence in a region where the Chinese are rapidly expanding their economic, diplomatic and military clout. This week, the U.S. signed memorandums of understanding with the Marshall Islands and Palau that administration officials hope will pave the way for the quick completion of broader agreements that will govern the islands’ relations with Washington for the next two decades. Those ties grant the…

Japan PM: East Asia Could Be Next Ukraine

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WASHINGTON —  As he urged a united front on a rising China and bellicose North Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Western powers that East Asia could be the next Ukraine. Kicking off Japan’s year as head of the Group of Seven, Kishida visited leaders of all members of the elite club except Germany, where he plans to go soon. Closing his trip in Washington, Kishida said on Saturday that he shared with G-7 leaders his “strong sense of crisis regarding the security environment in East Asia.” “Ukraine may…

Asia Fact Check Lab: Is Paxlovid too expensive for China to purchase?

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In Brief China’s National Healthcare Security Administration recently broke off talks with Pfizer to include Paxlovid among the medications eligible for reimbursement under the country’s national health insurance system. Officials said the company was charging too much for the antiviral medicine.  Many netizens on popular Chinese social media sites WeChat and Weibo have further blamed the joint World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool for not including China amongst the upper-middle income countries eligible to receive generic COVID medications at cheap prices. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) found…

China Reports Nearly 60,000 Covid Deaths Since Lifting Restrictions

Chin@Strategy

China said on Saturday that it had recorded nearly 60,000 fatalities from the coronavirus in the month since the country lifted its strict “zero Covid” policy and accelerated an outbreak that is believed to have infected millions of people. It was the first time China had disclosed a significant amount of Covid-related deaths since the pandemic began. Until Saturday, it had reported a total of only 5,241 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. China has faced mounting criticism from other countries and from the World Health Organization for…