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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, April 19, 2021

China is over the line. There is no way that a nation which knows its own military limits would act as China is acting. Chinese militarized ships anchoring near the Philippines provide just one example. If China had the power to invade, they would have already. Not having that power, the Chinese keep quietly pressing their luck, creeping sneakily as they have only ever been able to. This time, however, they sneaked too far.

China wants a fight more than anyone. News is the same week by week: More people hate China. China keeps pushing others around. Risk of military conflict escalates in the Western Pacific. So, the Chinese don’t think they need to change one, single thing.

Indo-Pacific

Surigae, the first typhoon of 2021, could become Earth’s first Category 5 this year, now heads towards the northern Philippines this weekend // Severe Weather Europe

Trade & Tech

Jack Ma’s fortune jumps $2 billion after record Alibaba fine // Alarabiya

China forces Jack Ma’s Ant Group to restructure // BBC News

China

From cover-up to propaganda blitz: China’s attempts to control the narrative on Xinjiang // CNN

Taiwan

Typhoon Surigae to bring no drought relief to western Taiwan // Taiwan News

Taiwan’s president says Chinese military activities threaten regional stability // CNBC

Military Faceoff

US-China saber-rattling heightens East Sea tensions, risks: experts // e.vnexpress.net

Nimitz Wins CY2020 Aircraft Carrier Battle ‘E’ // US Navy

As the US Navy scrambles to field more missiles in Asia, a tough decision looms for aging cruisers // Defense News

Beijing has a navy it doesn’t even admit exists, experts say. And it’s swarming parts of the South China Sea // CNN

US and China deploy aircraft carriers in South China Sea // CNN

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, April 12, 2021

China’s getting more flack from more sides—Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines. Vietnamese are furious with H&M for depicting maps with Vietnam-claimed islands as part of China, even though H&M did that because the Chinese told them to. The noose of perceived nuisance tightens.

China won’t back off on military drills and presence. The greatest beneficiaries are Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. They have every reason to hope China continues military drills. A Chinese aircraft recently radioed reference to airspace as “Chinese”, which Taiwan also claims. Weapons dealers are probably clanging champagne glasses over that.

Military activity in the Southeast Asia is on the uptick. No one plans to back down. The question is over which side is reacting how the other side expected. The accurate expector will likely win the next scuffle.

Indo-Pacific

China Tells Japan to Stay Out of Hong Kong, Xinjiang Issues // Bloomberg

H&M faces Vietnam boycott over South China Sea map // Nikkei Asian Review

Philippines warns China of ‘unwanted hostilities’ in sea dispute // Aljazeera

China

$2.78B
China fines Alibaba billions for alleged market abuses // Guardian

Xinjiang cotton: Western brands blurred on China TV // BBC News

Taiwan

Photo of the Day: Taiwan’s Sun Moon desert // Taiwan News

China says US to blame for tensions over Taiwan // Taiwan News

US eases limits on Taiwan contacts // Taipei Times

US bill to pressure China on trade, support Taiwan // Taipei Times

Taiwan education minister supports athletes preparing for Beijing Olympics // Taiwan News

Military Faceoff

Navy Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Passes Through Suez Canal // Military.com

China’s moves in Strait ‘destabilizing,’ US says // Taipei Times

China vows regular carrier group drills // Taipei Times

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 29, 2021

China’s adversaries face a tightly closing decision. America needs to decide whether it can keep playing the role of the world-cop with only its B-game, or if it is ready to bust out its A-game not seen since FDR. More than ever, warnings of “rising China” smatter the presses. Will this result in Americans getting serious about the need to be serious—because they read about it? Or, is this intended to prepare the American public for some event that thrusts the West into an embarrassing scuffle with China?—embarrassing for China now, embarrassing for the West six years later.

Taiwan has its own choices. Many things inside Taiwan still reflect the thinking of Mainland China. While Taiwan’s government claims to seek democracy and a society where all people are respected with equal rights, their Confucian culture still succumbs to autocratic domineering, whether in the workplace, the classroom, or from government. If in their hearts, the Taiwanese want to retain the old ways of the Chinese, there is no American military big enough to help them against any adversary, even the smallest adversary. But, the factor of Taiwanese culture doesn’t seem to make its way into the military reports.

Indo-Pacific

China’s growing firepower casts doubt on whether U.S. could defend Taiwan // NBC News

China

China slaps 5-year tariffs on Australian wine // Taiwan News

Japanese garment retailer MUJI clarifies use of Xinjiang cotton amid boycotting outrage // Global Times (China Govt)

China attacks foreign clothing, shoe brands over Xinjiang // Taiwan News

Xinjiang workers enjoy full freedom and benefits working in Guangdong, academics find through 9-month-long field study // Global Times (China Govt)

Australia

‘Deficient’ shipment of Chinese aluminium forces delay to Navy’s Cape Class patrol boats // ABC News Australia

Military Faceoff

Classified US military war game set to take place as concerns about threats posed by China and Russia increase // CNN

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Encore of Revival: America, March 29, 2021

America faces big changes, but not the changes our conventional political grid might assume. Public trust in cloud platforms like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter failed with the massive censorship surrounding the 2020 election. This week, a new cloud provider, Digital Ocean, went public. The Times has used Digital Ocean for nearly seven years.

Digital commerce shifts while the global supply chain faces more disruptions. Not only do we still lack supplies that were made in factories that are closed. Not only is the cruise ship industry floundering. The Suez Canal is blocked.

What is Democrat-controlled Washington doing?—Business as usual. Binden wants to focus on infrastructure—a digression from the Obama years. Republicans have always been good at spending money while appearing not to, while Democrats appear to spend money when they tighten the purse strings. Marketing is one of the best-kept secret ingredients in American politics.

The one thing unusual about this Democratic Washington is its dedication to a strong military. Russia surfaced three subs in the Arctic this week and, now all of a sudden, Democrats want to do military the same way Trump did. Just how the Bush-Obama years held a contiguous policy progression, the Trump-Biden years seem to reflect the competence, military, and infrastructure of FDR. In many ways, it is as if Trump is still in office. We did get Trump’s $2,000 checks, after all.

Trump

The Unlikely Team of Prosecutors Hunting Donald Trump in Georgia // Daily Beast

Obama Biden Harris

Biden is betting on bigger government. The pandemic may be helping him. // MSN News

Path from Clinton to Biden takes U-turn on debt, trade, more // ABC News America

White House

Trump let OANN in the White House. Now it’s Biden’s problem. // Politico

Washington as Usual

Soc Media, Cybersecurity & Tech

Independent cloud provider DigitalOcean drops in Wall Street debut // CNBC

Markets, Economy & GDP

CDC Rejects Cruise Industry Push To Resume Sailing, Sending Stocks Tumbling // Forbes

Mid East

Syria forced to ration fuel as stricken ship keeps Suez Canal blocked // CNN

The Suez Canal Has Been Blocked and Closed Several Times Since Opening // Business Insider

NATO Focus

Three Russian Ballistic Missile Submarines Just Surfaced Through The Arctic Ice Together // The Drive

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, February 22, 2021

China is mixing its civilian population with military front lines. This new Sansha “City” probably should be called a province and not a “city”. Leave it to the Chinese and Taiwanese governments to garble province-level translation. It’s not anything the West considers a city. But, it was planted in the middle of international waters, is used as a basis for applying Chinese law in more places, is highly contested by neighbors like Vietnam, and has civilians.

At what point does a civilian population bear responsibility for the action of its government? Is it in supporting that government’s action? Is it in turning a blind eye to that government’s action, providing passive support? Is it in accepting one-sided gossip about other people they never met nor heard from? If so, all people across the world are guilty of every war.

China grew its power when Western consumers sent their jobs overseas to save pennies at the store. Western civilians built Sansha as much as Chinese civilians. When Sansha becomes a war zone, will there be such a thing as an “innocent civilian” anywhere in the world? All of us involve civilians in military matters; at least China is upfront about it.

Trade & Tech

Huawei loses attempt to rescue CFO Meng from US clutches despite using 140-year-old law in High Court // The Register

China

CNN Exclusive: WHO panel to recommend ‘deeper’ study of early Covid-19 clues // CNN

South China Sea: Beijing tightens grip on South China Sea with 800,000-square-mile ‘city’ // Times of India

US warns Beijing against using force in South China Sea // Guardian

China Has An 800,000-Square-Mile ‘City’ in the South China Sea // Bloomberg

South China Sea: US steps up challenges to Spratly Islands in freedom of navigation operation // CNN

Taiwan

Four Taiwan ex-intelligence officers charged with spying for China // CNA

Chinese fighters buzz Taiwan’s air defense zone as it appoints new defense minister // CNN

Hong Kong

Why Britain’s anti-immigration politicians are opening the doors to thousands of Hong Kongers // CNN

India

Pangong Lake: India and China complete pull-back of forces // BBC News

Military Faceoff

The US Army is building the most powerful laser weapon in the world // NewScientist

Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to deploy after extended scrimmage // The Virginian-Pilot

With Ships’ Commissioning Delayed, New Mayport LCS to Test Answer to ‘Class Design Defect’ // Military.com

Loved ones of Nimitz sailors making final preparations for their return // Kitsap Sun

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 25, 2021

China thinks they own the American president they helped install. Reportedly, a factory was set up in China to create fake ballots, likely as part of the election fraud network Biden boasted about on TV. But, politicians who steal elections stand against the will of the people by definition. Usually, the public doesn’t find out, which allows those politicians to govern to a limited degree. But, when the public knows a politician willfully stands against the people, that leader can only remain in power with an iron fist.

Iron fists don’t gel with America. That’s something China will eventually figure out the hard way. Biden will figure it out the hard way sooner. China believes chaos in America will work to China’s military advantage. It won’t. When the people turn on Biden, he will turn on China like the forked-tongue politician he is. That will be his attempt to gain unity in the American public against a common enemy. He will pound and shame China harder than Trump would have.

So, in a sense, when the Chinese were set up for disappointment, they not only took the bait; they made it even worse for themselves. They don’t like other countries meddling in their goals, yet they reportedly melded in America’s election. Good old-fashioned honesty and respect would have served them well. Instead, the Chinese gambled on trusting an experienced American politician.

Indo-Pacific

Chinese Survey Ship Caught ‘Running Dark’ Give Clues to Underwater Drone Operations // USNI News

Trade & Tech

Huawei smartphones will lose another Google service soon // GizChina (China)

Trump Halts Huawei Supply in Final China Blow, Reuters Says // Bloomberg

China

Companies are giving up on the United States and betting big on China // CNN

China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels // Aljazeera

PLA troops in South China Sea learn ‘essential’ battlefield English // SCMP

China’s first deep-water oil platform ready to set off for South China Sea // CGTN (China Govt)

Taiwan

U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions // NBC News

Military Faceoff

US Navy halts deliveries of Freedom-class littoral combat ship // Defense News

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 18, 2021

This is a linchpin week. Britain’s new aircraft carrier stands by with courses ready for the South Sea. America has an inauguration scheduled amid more foreseeable chaos, likely greater than Hong Kong. Bad news on China only gets worse—while the Huawei CFO pleas for a life less difficult than her millions of dollars can buy her, she is contrasted to China’s treatment of two arrested Canadians. That doesn’t make China look charitable in the eyes of the five countries that declared the Hong Kong treaty broken late last year.

Diplomats from Taiwan and the US had a diplomat-to-diplomat talk in Switzerland. That’s new. China’s furious. That isn’t new.

A destabilizing United States coupled with swelling Western spite for China make the perfect bait and trap for China to think it should enter a war it couldn’t possibly know it couldn’t possibly win, but should have and would have if someone had only listened.

Trade & Tech

Detained Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou wants bail conditions eased // WA Post

Imploding!
China’s consumers are turning against the homegrown Big Tech giants they once revered // Fortune

Boeing 777 was chartered to fly Meng Wanzhou home, Canada court hears as she seeks to have bail relaxed // SCMP

China

Upbeat Xi Says Time on China’s Side as Turmoil Grips U.S. // Bloomberg

Darned if you do, darned if you don’t if you have anything to do with China
China brings in new law to fight Trump’s sanctions // BBC News

Taiwan

Taiwan representative meets with US diplomat // Taipei Times

CFR rates Taiwan conflict top concern // Taipei Times

Taiwan can fill gap left by Confucius Institutes: AIT // Taipei Times

“We advise people like Pompeo to recognize the historical trends, stop manipulating Taiwan-related issues, stop going against the tides of history, refrain from going further down the wrong and dangerous path, otherwise they will be severely punished by history.”
China warns Trump admin. heading down ‘dangerous path’ with Taiwan outreach // CBS News

Hong Kong

US-China Row: US sanctions pro-China officials // Taipei Times

Korean Peninsula

Kim Jong Un Unveils New Submarine Missile Threat as Trump Exits // MSN News

Military Faceoff

USS Gerald R. Ford Problems: Carrier Can’t Launch Fighters // Popular Mechanics

Lockheed Martin Delivers HELIOS Laser Weapon System to U.S. Navy // Naval News

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 11, 2021

Let’s look past the fact that Chinese state media doesn’t know what it means to be “cowardly”. Pompeo rejecting Chinese Communist preferences on US policy with Taiwan is not “cowardly”, at worst it would be “foolish” or “over-confidence”; but “cowardly” would mean letting someone else tell the US what to do. Likewise, China is not “cowardly” either; it is “foolish” and “over-confident”. But, the Chinese don’t know the difference, just how they don’t know this decision on Taiwan is meant to provoke China to commit strategic folly. Let’s look past all that.

What is Trump doing? Biden’s strings held by China were well known before they were secluded by the socialist-minded media in the US. By lacing up ties with Taiwan, Trump forces any future White House attempts to let China dictate policy to be seen for what they are. No president or secretary of state would be politically allowed to back down on Taiwan relations without being exposed as a Chinese manchurian candidate.

In the past, socialist media in the US—which is nearly all media in the US—acted as mouthpieces for Communist Russian propaganda. Now, they act as Communist Chinese tools to install a president owned by China—Biden—all the while publishing bad news about China. From the US perspective, there is a pregnant need to protect the US government from saboteurs—shoes which fit Biden and the primary failure Harris perfectly. Trump taking action that would force Chinese-owned saboteurs to tip their hands only makes sense. But, that still doesn’t explain what is going on.

We must not assume that America is in a peaceful transition from one undisputedly elected president to the next. But, of course China hoped for that. The bipartisan-orchestrated chaos in Washington and state capitals comes as a surprise to the Chinese. If they knew what was coming, they wouldn’t have wasted their time snuggling up to Biden last month. So, because they think this capital chaos was a surprise to them, it was therefore not part of a rouse to make them think America is weak. But, that still doesn’t explain what is going on.

Follow the money. Who makes money off China thinking America is vulnerable? Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. They don’t need to be part of any conspiracy; only a few stakeholders do—perhaps not even shareholders, perhaps only suppliers of suppliers. However things play out in the dual-fated cities of Washington and Taipei, it will happen that American weapons contractors make the most profit. We are looking at a short and costly skirmish where neither those weapons contractors’ customers are defeated, nor are their profitable enemies. The South Sea is the perfect place. And, China is the perfect dupe to take the bait.

China

The Latest: Scores test positive in China’s Hebei province // AP

China orders military to be ready for war ‘at any second’ as Brit aircraft carrier prepares to sail to South China Sea // The Sun

WHO Covid team blocked from entering China to study origins of coronavirus // CNN

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma suspected missing after calling for economic reform: report // Fox Business

Taiwan

Chinese state media blast latest Pompeo move on Taiwan // AP

Officials welcome Pompeo’s decision to lift restrictions on contact with Taiwan // Taipei Times

US ends limits on Taiwan contact // Taipei Times

Korean Peninsula

South Korea New Aircraft Carrier: Looks Like Royal Navy Carrier // Popular Mechanics

Military Faceoff

UK says aircraft carrier strike group is ready to deploy. China’s already watching // CNN

Marines and Japanese troops train together to capture islands, coastal areas // Stripes

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 4, 2021

The Chinese make one huge gamble based on two doubtful conclusions. They think Biden will be inaugurated in January. They think they have deterred the US military in the Pacific. Both notions have been carefully feigned and crafted by the US. The pieces are in place and China moves its queen to attack the baiting pawn. The US wants China to initiate its own military embarrassment.

Over the years, America has stirred unneeded trouble throughout the world. America will pay the consequences for that, but not according to any itinerary set by China. Something similar could be said for Taiwan concerning its own internal systems of justice, both for the Taiwanese and for resident foreigners. Taiwan will pay the consequences, but not according to any itinerary set by China. We all answer to God, and God the Judge will not share space on His bench. If China—or anyone else—wants to take God’s bench, God may send in His bailiff.

China wants the results of innovation—which come from free thinking—which comes from free speech. But, free speech and rights respected are the two things China will not accept. So, China indirectly rejects the good results which only follow good choices. Trying to live without the very shame the continue to create—trying to defeat the countries with military technology they could only steal from those countries—trying to absorb economies with innovation that only thrived without their tyranny—China only knows how to miscalculate. The embarrassment China is about to bring upon itself is nothing any good person would wish for. That the Chinese wish for it says more on this matter than anything else.

Trade & Tech

Regulation of Ant Group is bad for China economy, fintech: analyst // CNBC

China

China’s Wang says US relations at ‘new crossroads’ // Taipei Times

Trump was briefed that China sought to pay non-state actors to attack US forces in Afghanistan // CNN

We Found The Factories Inside China’s Mass Internment Camps // BuzzFeed News

Taiwan

Chinese incursions highest since 1996 // Taipei Times

Bullish China Vows Continued Push for Taiwan ‘Unification’ in 2021 // Newsweek

Taiwan to bar entry to non-resident foreigners on Jan. 1 // Taiwan News

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 28, 2020

Anymore, it’s not only bad news about China, but continued action in both military and trade. The pressure Washington puts on Beijing keeps finding new ways to keep turning up. Sanctions continue to increase. Military attention rises. And, Japan puts pressure on Biden to decry the “aggressive China”, calling Taiwan the next, likely target.

Just the same, Taiwan continues as the poster boy, especially with the pandemic China takes the blame for. Just when the Chinese government thinks they get a break, the opposition simply moved and grew. Western powers have effectively sneaked up on the Chinese, whose policies isolate them from the experience necessary to understand Western thinking. Western news audiences are being conditioned to support military action against China, no matter which party advocates it. As news watchers, we must see this trend as it has snowballed over the last decade. The Western world is moving toward war against China as Russia remains safely out of the spotlight.

Trade & Tech

Alibaba U.S.-Listed Shares Tumble Most Ever on China Monopoly Probe // Bloomberg

US restrictions on SMIC will strike at the heart of China’s advanced chipmaking ambitions // CNN

China

Singaporean woman faces execution in China as family launches last desperate appeal // CNN

China forces firms like Alibaba to process stolen US data: Report // Business Insider

Taiwan

IHF praises Taiwan’s virus response // Taipei Times

Taiwan imposes new regulations after first Covid case since April // Guardian

China aircraft carrier sails through Taiwan Strait a day after US warship // SCMP

Military Faceoff

Report on Navy Laser, Railgun and Gun-Launched Guided Projectiles // USNI News

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 21, 2020

Readers still can’t get a break from bad news of China. More Chinese companies are added to the notorious “entities list”. The WHO sends a team to China, which isn’t exactly wonderful press. China is the biggest military threat. The US Navy along with the Coast Guard must reshape its strategy to protect against the Chinese. Trump even blames the Chinese for a recent cyber attack.

As China continues in headlines as the villain, Taiwan is evermore adorable. The Taiwanese plan to become their own military supplier and submarine maker, not as much dependent on the US. They hope to get so many awesome weapons of their own, other nations will want to buy weapons from the Taiwanese, who can defend themselves against the great China, after all. As if that’s not enough to irritate Beijing, Washington will start calling Taiwan’s not-embassy by “Taiwan” instead of “Taipei Economic and Cultural”.

But, how serious is Taiwan about its own defense? While Washington cozies up to Taiwan with somewhat more, semi-respectful names, America’s envoy to Taiwan is still called “American Institute in Taiwan”. And, as much as Taiwan claims to want technology and good relations with other nations, xenophobic immigration laws are still on the books. Immigrants to Taiwan vs immigrants from Taiwan have a much more difficult path and the ratios are insultingly low. Very few Westerners can contribute to Taiwan’s economy, technology, and goal of English as a second official language with these unchanged restrictions in Taiwan’s immigration policies. Nearly all changes in Taiwan and in Washington go little beyond symbolic.

Washington is mostly talk. Taiwan is too ambivalent to love actually. And, Beijing is easily insulted. The trends aren’t subtle anymore. They used to be five years ago, but they’re just not subtle anymore—quite the opposite.

Indo-Pacific

HK might cut off student exchanges // Taipei Times

Trade & Tech

US to blacklist dozens of Chinese firms including SMIC, sources say // Fox Business

China

Chinese drone maker says products to remain on sale despite U.S. restriction // Yahoo News

Zoom executive in China charged with disrupting Tiananmen videoconference commemorations // MarketWatch

Trump breaks his silence on huge cyber attack and says China may be responsible not Russia // Daily Mail

Macron infected; China to admit WHO team // Taipei Times

Revealed: China suspected of spying on Americans via Caribbean phone networks // Guardian

The Ghosts Who Haunt the South China Sea // The Atlantic

Taiwan

US warship sails through Taiwan Strait // Taipei Times

Taiwan wants Cathay Pacific to correct wording on documents // Taiwan News

Taiwan’s planned submarine fleet could forestall a potential Chinese invasion // CNN

US lawmakers call to rename TECRO // Taipei Times

Taiwan might be arms supplier: Tsai // Taipei Times

Australia

China-Australia trade tension: How Beijing will derail Canberra in 2021 // News.com.au

Military Faceoff

US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard unveil maritime strategy // Naval Today

New Naval Strategy Zeroes in on China as Biggest Long-Term Threat to the US // Military.com

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 7, 2020

A date which will live in infamy, 79 years ago. The Chinese warned the Japanese not to attack America for fear of waking a sleeping giant. Now, the Chinese are speeding against their own advice. The move will likely be against Taiwan as a remote and indirect attack on the US. But, the fight between China and Taiwan could have been avoided. The wise can learn from foreseeable history, even when that history has not yet happened.

Taiwan and China are both run by governments with histories of cruelty, corruption, and incompetence. Taiwan is an emerging and aspiring democracy; China resists democracy. Taiwan is cleaning up its cruelty of the past; China increases cruelty today. Chinese Communist tanks killed thousands of unarmed protestors at Tienanmen Square in 1989; that party remains in power through today. Chiang Kai-shek led an even larger massacre in Taiwan in 1947; his party remained in power throughout Western trade and still exists today, though without total control. Now, these two face war. Would either have the money to bloody the other had the West simply demanded justice and order within their borders proportionate to any agreements of trade?

American Congress continues to push a bipartisan and unanimous agenda for Taiwan. The US wants Taiwan to import meat from livestock fed with ractopamine, something Taiwanese want no part of. The US sells weapons to Taiwan to defend against China—which builds its weapons with money made from exports to the US. Has the US been friend or enemy?

If we look at US and Western policy toward China and Taiwan over the last 70 years, we see pursuit of money, with a blind eye toward massacre of their own citizens, xenophobia toward their foreigners, all trailed by escalation toward war. That has improved, but only in the last 4 years and too little, too late.

From 1947 through 1989, Taiwan should have had limited trade, China none. Had that been Western policy, today both might be much more progressed in technology, just, orderly, wealthy, and most of all peaceful.

Taiwanese continue to grow and mature as a democracy. China continues to pursue control and alienate its neighbors. They each have their lessons to learn. But, not all help is helpful. It might not have come to war if the West had sooner insisted that nations learn a few lessons before bestowing wealth which Taiwan and China could have gained on their own with simple justice and order 70 years ago. Instead, we’re nearing the end of a path that started with greed and finishes in war.

Indo-Pacific

Japan, France, U.S. plan their first joint military drills in May: media // Yahoo News

Trade & Tech

China-US trade war: Beijing escalates tit-for-tat with Washington // BBC News

China Oil Giant CNOOC Targeted by U.S. After Years of South China Sea Tension // Bloomberg

Huawei hits 5G critical mass with Germany’s approval // Asia Times

Canadian Mountie at centre of Meng Wanzhou extradition storm was elite officer in Hong Kong // SCMP

China

Plans of UK, India to deploy aircraft carriers against China of ‘no military significance’ // Global Times (China Govt)

China’s ‘pure propaganda’ move to rewrite coronavirus history // Yahoo News

CNN exclusive: Vast trove of leaked documents shows China underreported Covid-19 numbers… // Twitter @TheLeadCNN

Taiwan

Taiwanese shut out of UNESCO events // Taipei Times

US, Taiwan join forces to launch education project // Taipei Times

Pork importers say no to ractopamine // Taipei Times

Hong Kong

Agnes Chow, known in Japan as ‘goddess of democracy,’ faces prison in Hong Kong // WA Post

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is stockpiling cash because of US sanctions // CNN

India

How Beijing Has Adopted Its South China Sea Strategy In The Himalayas Resulting In A Massive India-China Clash // EurAsian Times

Military Faceoff

Run Silent, Run Deep: PM Meets the Deadly Seawolf Submarine // Popular Mechanics

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 16, 2020

America is one of the most cunning nations, almost as much so as Britain. Chinese are known for signing contracts early, then negotiating after—something the West calls “reneging”, which breaks the contract. London always knew China wouldn’t be able to keep a promise, let alone a promise to not control and interfere.

But, almost as cunning is the appearance of election-based chaos stirring in America. Republican and Democratic voters have been building mutual hatred for a long time. Fighting within the country is real and believable. It was sparked by ambiguity, the cause of which is easily explained by what appears, for all intents and purposes, as vote fraud. That doesn’t take much manipulation of the masses, only a small push to send society tumbling over the ledge of insanity. And, China was sure to believe it.

But, there is a difference between America and China which the Chinese cannot understand: centralized power. Chinese-based governments, including democratic Taiwan, struggle to think outside the box of micromanagement. China doesn’t know that the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific region is capable of operating and responding, even if all communication is cut off from Washington. That was the purpose of the “boomer” submarines.

The Chinese people are beaten down. It’s a culture-wide mental state akin to groupthink Stockholm syndrome. The Beijing government truly believes the Chinese people will never rebel. So, when they see America in disorder, they will think democracy itself has failed. But, they don’t understand that the people of a nation are always stronger than the institutions they create, including government, which only derives its power from the people who allow it to be so powerful. Not only can America’s government continue to function with American society in a level of chaos, China’s government cannot be stronger than its own beaten-down people.

If China wanted to be strong enough to stand against America, it could have started by living up to the name of its army and actually “liberating” its people from a culture in which everyone is an oppressed-oppressing slave. Yes, America can deal with riots at home and kick China’s ass in the Pacific at the same time. China doesn’t think so; that’s exactly what the Pentagon hopes.

Indo-Pacific

Faulty Chinese Military Hardware Is Paving Way For India To Emerge As A Global Weapons Exporter // EurAsian Times

Trade & Tech

World’s largest free trade agreement signed in coup for China // Yahoo News

Taiwan

Taiwan’s Buckskin beer bags 16 gold and silver medals in 2020 // Taiwan News

Approved! AMD and Nvidia foundry will make tiny things in Arizona desert // pcgamer.com

TSMC to spend US$3.5b on Arizona subsidiary // Focus Taiwan

How post-election US-China ties may affect Taiwan semiconductor sector // DigiTimes

Tainan, Taiwan
Uni-President Lions clinch Taiwan Series title in 7-4 win // Taiwan News

Horde of earthworms scare in eastern Taiwan // Taiwan News

US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979 // Taiwan News

Hong Kong

Swire’s dilemma over Cathay as China tightens grip on Hong Kong // Financial Times

India

Visual explainer: Who has the upper hand in China-India border dispute? // SCMP

Military Faceoff

Ford Carrier Strike Group Commences First-ever Integrated Operations // Naval News

The Air Force Is Putting Death Rays on Fighter Jets. Yes, Death Rays. // Yahoo News

Royal Australian Navy hosts French Navy Submarine and Support Vessel // Naval News

USS Nimitz Leaves Persian Gulf Headed to Exercise with Indian Aircraft Carrier // USNI News

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 9, 2020

China and Taiwan are in a military face-off for a singular reason: xenophobia. Taiwan had everything it needed to counter China without help from the US, but it snubbed foreigners and still continues to do so today. Were it not for the US, neither China nor Taiwan would have limped so far along. China’s “miracle” economy was made of money from the US. Taiwan’s weapons use technology developed primarily by the US.

As much as both China and Taiwan have benefited from the US, these two countries have some of the most strict laws against naturalizing foreigners. That doesn’t include a serious lack of protection against intrusion of immigrants’ rights. When Americans—or any other Westerner—or any other foreigner for that matter—finds work in Taiwan or China, companies impose extra rules to take away what few legal rights they have as foreign employees; then government does nothing, it just sits there and watches. In Taiwan, this largely happens with employment. In China, it happens with entire companies.

Even if foreign workers can find a way to survive the onslaught of attacks against their rights, the most they could expect in the end is an elevated residence status—if they are rich. If they aren’t wealthy, no chance. Without citizenship, foreigners in Taiwan have few rights—they aren’t even allowed a phone and landlords can reject them merely on the basis of being a foreigner.

China aside, if Taiwan allowed, then protected a path to citizenship for Westerners working in Taiwan, those naturalized citizens would have had more rights to work and contribute to Taiwan’s culture, language, economy, and technology. If that had happened, it very well could be the US seeking to buy weapons from Taiwan, and China might be more inclined to behave.

The same could be said of China, which has made itself so desperately dependent on US money by keeping foreigners within their own borders at an arm’s length.

This conflict between Taiwan and China was caused by xenophobia from both sides. By not demanding equal respect toward Americans in their borders, but engaging in trade and weapons sales anyway, the US allowed two kittens to grow into a bobcat and a tiger. And, now the whole world faces a huge cat fight—whenever China decides to take advantage of the election ambiguity in the US and bust a foolish move against Taiwan.

Indo-Pacific

US Super-Carrier Nimitz To Join INS VikramAditya For Next QUAD Drills As Beijing Laments Anti-China Grouping // EurAsian Times

The Philippines Could Start Oil Drilling In South China Sea Without China // OilPrice.com

China

Jack Ma and Ant Financial Are In Trouble! // YouTube @ China Uncensored

China Is TERRIFIED of Economic Decoupling // YouTube @ China Uncensored

China’s yuan has its worst fall in years on fears of renewed US tension // CNN

Taiwan

The Truth in Taiwan by CJayride // YouTube @ cjayride

Most positive over US ties, whoever wins, survey says // Taipei Times

US urges the WHO to invite Taiwan // Taipei Times

National security fears raised over seizure of bullets // Taipei Times

Taiwan TSMC begins hiring campaign in preparation for U.S. fab // Taiwan News

Hong Kong

PLA video shows armoured personnel carriers driving through streets of Hong Kong before conducting live-fire exercise // SCMP

Grandma Wong was a key figure in Hong Kong’s protest movement — until she disappeared // CNN

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