European navies should patrol the disputed Taiwan Strait, the EU foreign policy chief has said, echoing earlier comments stressing how crucial Taiwan is to Europe. Josep Borrell wrote in an opinion piece in the Journal Du Dimanche that Taiwan “concerns us economically, commercially and technologically”. “That’s why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show Europe’s commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area,” he wrote. Two weeks ago, China launched three days of military exercises around Taiwan – simulating targeted strikes and a…
Day: April 22, 2023
Myanmar Election Official Killed; Military Blames Rebels
YANGON, MYANMAR — The deputy head of Myanmar’s election commission was shot dead in Yangon on Saturday by rebel fighters, the military said, in the latest killing of a high-profile individual linked to the country’s junta. Myanmar’s military has led a bloody crackdown on dissent after seizing power in a coup more than two years ago, sparking social unrest and an economic crisis. Self-declared civilian “People’s Defense Forces” have sprung up in opposition to the junta, with their fighters targeting officials perceived to be working with the military. Deputy director…
China Ready to Resolve Differences with Philippines, Diplomat Says
MANILA, Philippines — China’s foreign minister said Saturday his country is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve their differences as tensions rise over Beijing’s behavior in the disputed South China Sea and Manila’s deepening military cooperation with the U.S. Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, and was scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days before he travels to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden. China has warned that a deepening security alliance between the United…
Has China just finalised the world’s first hyperloop destinations?
The assessment team was led by Zhang Yunjiao, a senior engineer with the state-owned China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group in Beijing. An ultra-high speed pipeline maglev system – more commonly known as a hyperloop – was first proposed by entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2013. The transport system uses vacuum-sealed tubes to transport passengers and cargo. Advertisement China has taken the idea seriously because it has the potential to revolutionise transport and provide a faster, more efficient way to move people and goods. 01:27 China is researching a 1,000km/h…
Lawmakers Stage War-Game ‘Conflict’ with China, Hoping to Deter Real One
WASHINGTON — It’s April 22, 2027, and 72 hours into a first-strike Chinese attack on Taiwan and the U.S. military response. Already, the toll on all sides is staggering. It was a war game, but one with a serious purpose and high-profile players: members of the House select committee on China. The conflict unfolded on Risk board game-style tabletop maps and markers under a giant gold chandelier in the House Ways and Means Committee room. The exercise explored American diplomatic, economic and military options if the United States and China…
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell asks European navies to patrol Taiwan Strait
On Tuesday, in a speech opening a debate on China at the European Parliament, he said: “Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace. “It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors,” he said. Advertisement Macron’s comments, coming after a visit to China, sparked criticism from some politicians in both…
France Seeks to Calm Diplomatic Storm Over Macron’s China-Taiwan Comments
France is trying to limit the diplomatic fallout after President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe should reduce its dependence on the U.S. and avoid ‘getting caught up in crises that are not ours’ after a state visit to China earlier this month. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. VOA
War of words: Australia can expect a hostile response from China to strategic defence review
Australia’s strategic defence review, to be made public on Monday, is likely to spark a hostile response from China and set off a new round of claim and counterclaim about the precarious relationship between the two countries. Sir Angus Houston, the former head of the Australian military who led the review with the former defence minister Stephen Smith, said when it was launched last year the strategic circumstances were “the worst I have ever seen in my career and lifetime”. “Clearly, our circumstances have changed dramatically over the recent past.…
Baltic countries fume as China’s envoy in France Lu Shaye questions sovereignty of post-Soviet states
“Taking into account the unacceptable statements of the Chinese ambassador in France about international law and national sovereignty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has summoned the authorised charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Riga to provide explanations on Monday. This step is coordinated with Lithuania and Estonia,” Rinkēvičs wrote on Twitter. He had earlier said that the remarks were “completely unacceptable”, and that Riga demanded an “explanation from the Chinese side and [a] complete retraction of this statement”. Advertisement The row comes ahead of a meeting of…
‘Ogre’ battalion uses brutality to instill terror in Myanmar
Eds Note: Some readers may find the content of this article disturbing. They lop off people’s heads and mutilate bodies to instill terror. They torture victims to death. They seem fearless in battle, surging forward when under fire. Officially, they make up part of the 99th Light Infantry Battalion of the Myanmar military. But to most people, they are known as the “Ogre” column, a unit of killers notorious for their cruelty in a military already known for its brutality. And they have been criss-crossing Myanmar’s heartland, killing rebel fighters…