A Pentagon report on China’s military power says Beijing is exceeding previous projections of how quickly it is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal and is “almost certainly” learning lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine about what a conflict over Taiwan might look like. The report released on Thursday also warns that China may be pursuing a new intercontinental missile system using conventional arms that, if fielded, would allow Beijing “to threaten conventional strikes against targets in the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska.” The China report comes a month…
Day: October 19, 2023
New US export limits on AI chips won’t affect PLA immediately, analysts say
On Tuesday, the US Commerce Department further tightened its existing export restrictions for advanced computing semiconductors, chipmaking tools and other cutting-edge items that would support AI applications and end-uses in advanced weapon systems. The new measures came just weeks after Huawei Technologies developed its own advanced seven-nanometer chip Kirin 9000s. Huawei has not disclosed how the chip was built, but industry sources say it was based on chips made by Nvidia, based in Santa Clara, California. Such consideration appeared to have prompted Washington to further tighten the types of chips…
Kim Jong Un vows to bolster Russian ties, testing Biden’s strategy
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signaled the “new era” of North Korea-Russia ties, hinting that his regime will leverage Moscow in addressing complex regional and international issues – a step which could complicate U.S. President Joe Biden’s global security approach amidst Washington’s involvement in the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. Kim met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang Thursday and vowed to “faithfully implement the agreements of the DPRK-Russia summit, and lay a stable foundation for the new era of the DPRK-Russia relations,” North Korea’s official…
US Army Charges Private with Desertion for Dash into North Korea
The U.S. Army has charged Private Travis King with crimes ranging from desertion for running into North Korea in July to assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography, according to documents obtained by Reuters. The Army’s case against King, which has not been previously reported, includes eight distinct charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, setting up a substantial legal battle for the 23-year-old soldier after his release from North Korean custody in September. The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a…
Chinese Netizens Post Hate-Filled Comments to Israeli Embassy’s Online Account
Washington — After the Hamas attack on Israel, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing began posting on China’s social media platform Weibo. The online effort to gain popular support appears to be backfiring as comments revile the Jewish state, applaud Hamas and praise Adolf Hitler. The embassy’s account, which has 24 million followers, shows almost 100 posts since the Oct. 7 attack. Some are disturbing, such as an image of a baby’s corpse burnt in the attack. Others suggest Israeli resilience, such as the story of one person who was wounded…
US Engages in Israel-Hamas Crisis as China, Russia Forge Deeper Ties in Beijing
President Joe Biden returned to the United States from Israel without meeting Palestinian or Arab leaders. With the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifying, Washington’s ability to prevent a wider war is becoming more complicated. Cindy Saine reports. Contributor: Calla Yu. Camera: Yiyi Yang. Voice of America
China megacity to build US$30 billion hi-tech infrastructure cluster by 2026, and investors will be key
Shanghai is setting out to construct the world’s largest innovative infrastructure cluster – with the most comprehensive components and the strongest services – by the end of 2026, according to details of a new three-year plan released on the government’s website on Thursday. The hi-tech endeavour – including 5G networks and amped-up computing power to cultivate a supercharged digital economy – comes as the central government has been putting the onus on computing power, given that its tech war with the US shows no sign of abating. And China’s regional…
Zhanyuan Yang, shot dead after crashing car into Chinese consulate, was armed with knife and crossbow, San Francisco police say
San Francisco police said on Thursday that a man killed by police after intentionally crashing a car at the Chinese consulate earlier this month was armed with a knife, and a crossbow and arrows, offering the first official details of the attack. San Francisco Police Acting Commander Mark Im said at a virtual town hall that Zhanyuan Yang stood against a wall hiding a knife in his right hand. He says Yang then rotated toward a police sergeant and the security guard, exposing the knife and made “multiple, rapid, downward…
Scientists say Western sanctions against China ‘toothless’ without better supply chain data
Researchers in Europe and the US have called for the creation of an international map of supply connections between firms to improve transparency in global trade and help Western companies comply with sanctions. “As policymakers increasingly recognise, supply chains are critical for ensuring compliance with tax laws, human rights and environmental standards,” the researchers said in an article published in the journal Science on Friday, citing US legislation to ban imports from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the draft European Union Supply Chain Act as examples. But “without better supply…
FirstFT: Pentagon accuses China of rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Global Economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Good morning. China appears to be accelerating the expansion of its nuclear arsenal, according to an annual Pentagon report on Chinese military capabilities. Beijing’s stockpile of operational nuclear warheads had reached 500 by May 2023, putting it on track to exceed previous projections, according to the report. It forecast that China would probably have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030. The report added that China may be exploring…