03a China

Beijing warns UK against ‘provoking tensions’ over South China Sea– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser March 11, 2025 0

Beijing warns UK against ‘provoking tensions’ over South China Sea– www.channelnewsasia.com
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BEIJING: China warned Britain on Tuesday (Mar 11) against “provoking tensions” in the South China Sea after its foreign minister David Lammy called Beijing’s actions in the disputed waters “dangerous and destabilising”.

In a video partly filmed alongside a vessel belonging to the Philippine Coast Guard, Lammy on Monday condemned “dangerous and destabilising activities” by Beijing in the South China Sea.

China claims the strategically important waterway in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

Asked about Lammy’s comments, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said “the UK should respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and refrain from provoking tensions or sowing discord over regional disputes”.

“The South China Sea is currently one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world,” Mao said.

Beijing has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar Manila from crucial reefs and islands in the South China Sea, leading to a string of confrontations in recent months.

In a Saturday meeting with his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo, Britain and the Philippines signed a joint framework to boost defence and maritime cooperation.

The Philippines has similar agreements with the United States, Australia and Japan.

Exposing China’s Legal Preparations for a Taiwan Invasion– warontherocks.com

pgnewser March 11, 2025 0

Exposing China’s Legal Preparations for a Taiwan Invasion– warontherocks.com
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China is systematically building a legal framework for a potential invasion of Taiwan. How can Taiwan’s friends, partners, and allies push back?

We come together as a unique writing team: military lawyers from the U.S. and Taiwanese armed forces. We seek here to explore China’s ongoing legal preparations for the use of force against Taiwan and uncover likely legal maneuvers Beijing will employ in the lead-up to an invasion. On that basis, we outline key steps for Taiwan’s international supporters to strengthen deterrence, including dismantling China’s legal pretext for aggression and implementing coordinated counter-lawfare strategies to challenge Beijing’s lawfare campaign.

Why Does a Legal Framework for War Matter?

Legal frameworks shape the way conflicts are justified, perceived, and responded to — both domestically and internationally. By crafting a legal basis for war, China is not only preparing its domestic landscape for a Taiwan invasion but also seeking to influence global narratives, erode Taiwan’s international support, and reduce the likelihood of foreign intervention.

Beijing understands that modern warfare extends to the legal domain, where the struggle for perceived legitimacy is paramount. By embedding this mindset into its military strategy, China aims to frame an invasion as a lawful internal matter, fostering diplomatic ambiguity that could deter international opposition and delay collective security responses. This is particularly critical in an era where legitimacy plays a central role in shaping geopolitical alignments and the willingness of nations to take decisive action. Through legal instruments like the Anti-Secession Law, Beijing is setting conditions for the use of force by normalizing its legal claims, asserting jurisdictional control, and criminalizing resistance. This incremental approach to lawfare seeks to shift the strategic environment in China’s favor before conflict, making an eventual invasion seem like a reasonable and legally justified course of action.

Taiwan’s president flexes independence in National Day speech – MSN

pgnewser March 11, 2025 0

Taiwan’s president flexes independence in National Day speech – MSN
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Taiwanese President William Lai on Thursday took a shot at mainland China’s claims of sovereignty over self-governing Taiwan, saying, “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.” The remarks, delivered in a closely watched speech marking the 113th anniversary of the revolution that founded the Republic of China (Taiwan’s formal name), won’t sit well with Beijing.

The People’s Republic of China maintains the so-called “One China” policy and sees democratic Taiwan as a rebellious province that will eventually be reunified with the mainland. The only question, from Beijing’s perspective, is whether that happens militarily or politically, and rhetoric like Lai’s seems to make the window for a peaceful resolution even smaller.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly ordered his military to be prepared to retake Taiwan by 2027, although that doesn’t mean he will actually attack that year. Some members of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang Party, including former President Ma Ying-jeou, worry that Lai is endangering Taiwan by antagonizing China.

In response to Lai’s speech, Taiwanese officials expect China to conduct military drills around the island — a demonstration large enough to show Beijing’s displeasure with Lai’s statements. However, China’s economic malaise is occupying much of the leadership’s focus, and the odds of seeing more provocative military measures are low.

China will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

China will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year– abcnews.go.com
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — China said Wednesday it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year, as it continues its campaign to build a larger, more modern military to assert its territorial claims and challenge the U.S. defense lead in Asia.

China’s military spending remains the second largest behind the U.S. and it already has the world’s largest navy.

China Ramping Up Their Military Budget Signals a New Era of Global Power Plays – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

China Ramping Up Their Military Budget Signals a New Era of Global Power Plays – RedState– redstate.com
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While we’re still all enjoying the triumphant tone of President Trump’s Tuesday night speech to Congress and enjoying the Democrats’ discomfiture and their ongoing meltdowns, we should caution the Trump administration not to take their eyes off a couple of other balls. A primary concern remains China. President Trump, however, only mentioned China, America’s primary geopolitical rival, in the context of tariffs and trade. But the People’s Republic has ambitions. Those ambitions run counter to ours, and they aren’t all about trade.

On Wednesday, only hours after President Trump’s triumphant speech, China announced a major increase in their “defense” spending.

China said Wednesday it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year, as it continues its campaign to build a larger, more modern military to assert its territorial claims and challenge the U.S. defense lead in Asia.

China’s military spending remains the second largest behind the U.S. and it already has the world’s largest navy.

The budget, which adds up to about $245 billion, was announced at the National People’s Congress, the annual meeting of China’s legislature. The Pentagon and many experts say China’s total spending on defense may be 40% higher or more because of items included under other budgets.

The boost is the same percentage as last year, far below the double-digit percentage increases of previous years and reflecting an overall slowdown in the economy. The nation’s leaders have set a target of around 5% growth for this year.

 

China’s Two Sessions: Experts warn of intensified pressure on Taiwan – Radio Taiwan International

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

China’s Two Sessions: Experts warn of intensified pressure on Taiwan – Radio Taiwan International
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This week marks China’s annual Two Sessions meetings, a nationwide gathering where thousands of political and community delegates converge in Beijing from across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Taiwanese experts predict that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will escalate its anti-independence efforts toward Taiwan, shifting to strategies focused on shaping a favorable environment for its objectives.

On Thursday, the Institute for National Policy Research hosted a forum in Taipei on China’s 2025 Two Sessions and the evolving dynamics between Taiwan, China, and the U.S.. During the discussion, Director Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁) noted that changes in China’s Taiwan policy reflect its reliance on military pressure, diplomatic alliances, and international legal warfare to advance unification. He emphasized that whether the U.S. can effectively counter China’s strategy depends on the final stance of the Trump administration. Wang urged Taiwan to closely monitor U.S. policy trends, understand the Trump administration’s current priorities, and strengthen its international support network.

International

Corrupt China State-Owned Company to Build Dam in Honduras – Dialogo-Americas.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

Corrupt China State-Owned Company to Build Dam in Honduras – Dialogo-Americas.com
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The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), accused of corruption, bribery, falsification of documents, and labor violations in projects worldwide, is set to build the Man River (río del Hombre) Dam in Honduras’ Amarateca, near Tegucigalpa, Central American investigative journalism platform Expediente Público reported.

The process behind this work, however, is shrouded in questions. The content of the letter of understanding, signed on September 12, 2024, by the Chinese state-owned company and Tegucigalpa’s Mayor Jorge Aldana, remains a mystery. Although Aldana mentioned an estimated value of $550 million for the project during the public signing agreement, he did not provide details on the source of financing.

The project, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank, would consists of diverting the waters of the Man River to Tegucigalpa, through a 21.1-kilometer pipeline and two pumping stations. The reservoir is expected to have a capacity of 90 to 104 cubic hectometers for a flow of 2.12 cubic meters per second.

This and nine other infrastructure projects are part of an emergency decree approved in February 2024, which promotes new works and improvements in the water network and treatment plants, prioritizing investments. In addition, according to the decree, the government of Honduras will be able to carry out direct contracting without going through Congress.

Philippine defense chief warns allies will fight if China restricts flights over South China Sea – Midland Daily News

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

Philippine defense chief warns allies will fight if China restricts flights over South China Sea – Midland Daily News
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The Philippines and its security allies would take measures to counter any attempt by China to impose an air defense zone or restrict freedom of flights over the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Wednesday, following confrontations between Chinese aircraft and those of his country, Australia and the United States.

Teodoro told The Associated Press in an interview that China’s increasing aggression in the disputed waters was now considered the greatest threat to the national security of the Philippines and should also be regarded as a global threat because it could choke a key trade route crucial for global supply chains.

Kim Yo-jung Warns U.S., North Korea Won’t Tolerate Carrier Presence

pgnewser March 4, 2025 0

North Korea warns of ‘renewing records’ in strategic deterrence over US aircraft carrier’s entry to South – Morung Express
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The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday warned of “renewing” the country’s records in strategic deterrence, denouncing the recent arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea as an attempt to “threaten and pressurise” its regime.

Kim Yo-jong made the condemnation as the USS Carl Vinson, a Nimitz-class US aircraft carrier, entered a key naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Sunday, as part of the US commitment to providing extended deterrence against North Korean threats, Yonhap news agency reported.

She accused the US of deploying its strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula at the “constant” level, denouncing the USS Carl Vinson’s South Korea entry as Washington’s expression of its “most hostile and confrontational will” against the North, according to her statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

“As indicated by the regional military situation, the US and its stooges’ heinous ambition to threaten, pressurise and bring the DPRK to its knees by force of arms is developing into a more reckless phase,” Kim argued, referring to her country by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

China’s naval deployment should invigorate Australia’s election debate – The Strategist

pgnewser March 4, 2025 0

China’s naval deployment should invigorate Australia’s election debate – The Strategist
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The Australian government’s underreaction to China’s ongoing naval circumnavigation of Australia is a bigger problem than any perceived overreaction in public commentary. Some politicisation of the issue before a general election is natural in a democracy—and welcome if it means Canberra’s defence and China policy settings feature more prominently in debates ahead of the election due by May.

How times have changed. Fifteen years ago, Australia was worried that the quadrilateral partnership with India, Japan and the US would spook China, making it worry that it was being strategically encircled by the US and its regional allies and partners. Wind the clock forward to 2025 and China’s navy is off Perth, circumnavigating Australia with a potent surface action group.

This is the furthest south that a Chinese naval flotilla has ventured. This one is composed of a cruiser, a frigate and a replenishment ship—above the surface, at least.

Naval analysts have urged Australia to temper its reaction to the deployment because Canberra has a reciprocal interest in freedom of navigation in China’s maritime periphery. This is certainly a factor, and to some extent puts the government in a bind. The Chinese navy has a clear legal right to operate in waters close to Australia, even if it is going very far out of its way to make a point. That includes the right to conduct live-fire exercises.

China criticizes Trump’s tariffs at WTO, U.S. calls Beijing’s economy ‘predatory’ – Profit by Pakistan Today

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

China criticizes Trump’s tariffs at WTO, U.S. calls Beijing’s economy ‘predatory’ – Profit by Pakistan Today
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China condemned tariffs imposed or threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump during a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on Tuesday, warning that such “tariff shocks” could destabilize the global trade system.

The U.S. dismissed the concerns as hypocritical, with U.S. envoy David Bisbee criticizing China’s economic policies.

Trump has announced 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to respond with retaliatory measures and a WTO dispute against Washington. At the closed-door meeting, China’s ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang said, “These ‘Tariff Shocks’ heighten economic uncertainty, disrupt global trade, and risk domestic inflation, market distortion, or even global recession.”

China seeks cooperation with Japan amid tariff row with US – The Mainichi

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

China seeks cooperation with Japan amid tariff row with US – The Mainichi
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 Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Tuesday urged Japanese business leaders to “join hands” with Beijing, as the world’s second-largest economy remains engaged in a tariff war with the United States following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House last month.

In talks with a Japanese business delegation led by Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, and other officials, Wang called for a “rules-based settlement” of the trade conflict between Beijing and Washington, apparently referring to a mechanism under the World Trade Organization.

The world’s two largest economies imposed additional tariffs on each other’s imports earlier this month, with China also filing a complaint with the WTO over the new U.S. duties.

US-China dispute over Afghanistan resolutions intensifies at UNSC – News.Az

pgnewser February 17, 2025 0

US-China dispute over Afghanistan resolutions intensifies at UNSC – News.Az
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The US-China dispute over Afghanistan resolutions has intensified at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The disagreement, which has been simmering since late 2024, has intensified in recent weeks following the return of the Trump administration, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

The dispute could shape not only the U.N.’s engagement with the Taliban-led government in Kabul but also Beijing’s growing influence in the Security Council.

“While the Trump administration has made headlines by pulling out of U.N. mechanisms like the Paris climate pact and the World Health Organization, this argument in the council could be a harbinger of more Sino-American tensions over multilateral security,” the report stated.

At the center of the dispute is which country should serve as the Security Council’s “penholder” on Afghanistan. In U.N. terminology, the penholder is responsible for drafting resolutions, initiating negotiations, and shaping key mandates related to the country in question.

Rare earths, controlled by China, are increasingly driving US geo-strategy – Agencia EFE

pgnewser February 17, 2025 0

Rare earths, controlled by China, are increasingly driving US geo-strategy – Agencia EFE
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United States mediation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine highlights Washington’s concern about the scarcity of rare earths, which have multiple applications in electronic and industrial materials and processes.

In the past five years, the market for critical minerals has doubled to 320 billion dollars and will likely double again by the end of the decade, according to a Goldman Sachs report.

Supply remains concentrated in China, which the same analysts estimate refines 85-90% of rare earths and produces 92% of rare earth magnets.

Enrique Feas, a researcher at the Real Instituto El Cano, told EFE that these materials are crucial for industrial production and that China has used its supply as a “warning” in the face of trade tensions.