Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 7, 2021

It’s that time of year again. While Americans celebrate independence on July 4, Chinese mourn one month before on June 4, to remember the 1989 Tienanmen massacre. Chinese aren’t allowed to gather. People in Communist China are tightly controlled by programmed groupthink. Like robots, they parrot negativity about Westerners whom they have rarely met and never heard out. Hong Kongers and Taiwanese are a different story. They know. And, they remember.

As if China doesn’t have enough regional enemies, Malaysia says China entered its airspace “flying in tactical formation”. Sixteen Chinese jets were intercepted by Malaysia. China’s Global Times called it a training exercise that did not breech Malaysia’s airspace, then said people only object because of “Western hype”. It’s too bad so many people from so many countries interpret China’s actions as hostile. Regional sentiment against China only grows.

Of course, China showed its level of dedication to its 1984 treaty with Britain through the ban on any Tienanmen vigils. The treaty allows Hong Kong to be under China at all. Britain, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia consider that treaty “permanently shredded“, which means they don’t consider Hong Kong under China and only need a military scuffle to enforce that decision. That is the military action they are actively looking for, the military action which China is helping them to find.

Worst of all for China is yet another increase in support from the global public. Because Microsoft Bing censored the famous photo of “tank man” from its search results—not only in China, but around the world. By playing to China’s apparent tune, Microsoft got to chalk up the blame to “human error” and the world saw China for the history re-writing addict it is. Microsoft would have done China a favor by not censoring “tank man”, even if instructed by China. But, with the Chinese appetite for respect, they’ll never figure out that Microsoft probably meant to do them dirty by going along. This was a test from the West on how far China would overreach unto its own undoing.

China

Hundreds gather near Hong Kong park despite vigil ban // AP

Tiananmen Anniversary: Microsoft Bing blocks ‘tank man’ // Taipei Times

Malaysia

West hypes air force ‘intrusion’ to sow discords in S.China Sea // Global Times (China Govt)

PLA aircraft training in S.China Sea abide by intl law without entering others’ airspace // Global Times (China Govt)

China’s incursions over Malaysia add to South China Sea disputes // Nikkei Asian Review

Military Faceoff

NASA is getting serious about UFOs // CNN

Pentagon UFO report ‘may be cover for hypersonic weapon Cold War’ between US and China // Daily Star

Italian Destroyer joins British Carrier Strike Group // UK Defense Journal

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Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 23, 2020

“Prematurely shredded”—that’s how the “Five Eyes” alliance described the treaty allowing Hong Kong to be ruled by China. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and the United States have decided that China broke the deal, referring to the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. The danger is in how much China can’t understand what this means.

Accusing Confucian-Communists of breaking a promise is like accusing a pig of rooting in its own feces; it doesn’t know, it doesn’t understand, it can’t do differently, and it only feels insulted. The Chinese don’t know what a promise is because they never keep them—ever. They only know what they want and that they want it now. They were never going to keep their end of the deal, and Britain knew that, and China played right along.

Broken treaties are no small matter. In a sense, Western nations see it as a blaring stain on a nation’s permanent record. Far worse than financial bankruptcy is moral bankruptcy. The West played its hand well, waiting until China overreached time and again, to a point where the evidence was overwhelming, past the point where the people had come to the same conclusion long ago. Western governments can’t operate without the will of their people, which is another thing China doesn’t understand.

In its attempt at a hostile takeover of the world, China needed the goodwill of the masses. It’s action in Hong Kong over the past year stirred anything but goodwill. Western governments will be in trouble with their taxpayers if they don’t take action against China.

So, one more stone falls into the arch of Western action against China. With a declared-broken treaty on record, once the Chinese gets their ass handed to them, permanent surrender of Hong Kong—including the New Territories—will be in the growing list of the West’s unconditional terms. And, China made it all possible.

Trade & Tech

Samsung Intensifies Chip Wars With Bet It Can Catch TSMC by 2022 // Bloomberg

Retired Canadian police officer refuses to testify at Meng Wanzhou’s extradition hearing // SCMP

Trump Administration Lets Qualcomm Sell Huawei 4G Mobile Chips // Gizmodo

China

Chinese Missile Launch in South China Sea // YouTube @ China Uncensored

China borrows at negative rates for the first time // CNN

Ex-Raytheon engineer sentenced to prison for giving China military technology secrets // Fox Business

Taiwan

Phoenix approves development deal with TSMC for $12 billion fab // Taiwan News

TSMC could have 2nm process ready for mass production by 2024 // TechSpot

Costco’s planned central Taiwan store will open this month // Taiwan News

Hong Kong

Western allies say China broke Hong Kong deal by ousting lawmakers // Yahoo News

‘Five Eyes’ alliance demands China end crackdown on Hong Kong legislators // Japan Times

Broken treaty!
China broke HK deal by ousting lawmakers: Five Eyes // Taipei Times

Vietnam

Chinese drone flying app includes 9-dash line, angering Vietnamese // Taiwan News

Military Faceoff

Navy Destroyer Shoots Down ICBM: Watch the Historic Test // Popular Mechanics

The US Navy is moving to put more ship-killer missiles on submarines // Defense News

Navy plans 1st submarine dry dock at Pearl Harbor since World War II // Star Advertiser

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