🇨🇳🇵🇭 Chinese, Philippine presidents to have direct hotline to stop clashes at sea

A recently signed agreement will open a direct line of communication between the presidential offices of China and the Philippines to help prevent any new confrontation from spiraling out of control in the disputed South China Sea.

Chinese and Philippine officials dealing with the territorial disputes held talks in Manila on July 2. Both sides signed an arrangement “on improving Philippines-China maritime communication mechanisms.”

The hotline talks could also be done “through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterparts, including at the foreign minister and vice foreign minister levels or through their designated representatives”, it said, and added without elaborating that Philippine officials were “in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this arrangement”.

#China #ThePhilippines

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🇹🇼🇺🇸 Taiwan says committed to strengthening defense after Trump comments

Taiwan is committed to boosting its defenses and working with the United States, the foreign ministry said, days after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was quoted as saying Taiwan should pay to be defended.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Kuoyu Chiao, deputy head of the North America department at Taiwan's foreign ministry, said Taiwan and the United States share the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights, and have a mutually beneficial economic relationship.

"In the future, we will continue to work together with the United States and like-minded countries to strengthen our national defense capabilities and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Chiao added.

#Taiwan #USA

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🇨🇳 Some important news on/about China this week

▪️Chinese authorities will host high-ranking representatives of the Palestinian resistance movements 'Hamas' and 'Fatah' in Beijing next week. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold meetings with representatives of Palestinian movements on July 21 and 23. Between these dates, the parties are expected to hold meetings without Chinese representatives.

▪️A group of American congressmen sent a letter to the White House demanding it to disclose information about whether Russia transmitted information to China about the fight against American weapons, according to Reuters. A bipartisan committee of the US Congress is interested in whether Russia shared information with China on how to defeat US weapons used on the battlefield in Ukraine.

▪️Taiwan's army is planning live-fire exercises on the Kinmen Islands on July 19-20. The training will take place ahead of the Hanguang maneuver, which is the largest military exercise in Taiwan. The practical part of the exercise with live firing will take place from July 22 to 26.

▪️Chinese authorities intend to accelerate the transition to a new model of national development against the backdrop of a difficult situation in the international arena, the State Statistics Administration of the People's Republic of China reported. In the second quarter of 2024, China's economic growth slowed to 4.7% annualized, down from 5.3% in the first quarter. China's official GDP growth target for 2024 is 5%.

▪️China plans to build a power plant and solar panel plant in Tajikistan. Specialists from the Beijing Scientific Research and Technical Institute will also conduct research on the construction of two railway lines in the Sughd region with a length of 171 km.

▪️Problems in Russian business settlements with Chinese banks have brought scammers into the market who pose as agents for settlements with Chinese residents. Fraudsters offer services transfer funds to a Chinese supplier from their local bank account. The importer transfers money to the agent's account, and he must pay for the goods from Chinese funds. However, later intermediaries say that the deal failed and the funds were “stuck” or missing. According to one of the businessmen, the company lost more than ₽50 million.

▪️Chinese experts have developed a technique that allows them to track large warships around the world using low-resolution satellite imagery. The method is based on analyzing the waves that ships leave behind, as different ships create different wave patterns on the surface of the sea.

▪️Beijing Missile Avenue project was launched in China. Its goal is to create a research and manufacturing cluster for the development of the commercial aerospace industry. The project is being implemented on an area of ​​140 000 square meters in the Yizhuang innovation zone in the southeast of the capital. It will host a unified technology platform, production centers, innovative research and development centers, as well as a science and technology showroom.

▪️By 2030, 80% of Chinese electric vehicle brands will disappear due to rapid market consolidation, AlixPartners research shows. The number of brands will decrease from 137 to 19, which will dominate the market with annual sales averaging 835 thousand units each. The remaining brands will become commercially unviable. #China #news

🇻🇳 Vietnam files UN claim to extended continental shelf in South China Sea

Vietnam has filed a claim with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, a month after regional neighbor the Philippines made a similar move, Vietnam's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The submission of the continental shelf beyond the current 200 nautical miles is to exercise the rights and obligations of state parties in accordance to the maritime frame work, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

This is Vietnam's third submission of an ECS, the statement added, including a submission in respect to the North Area of the South China Sea or Vietnam's East Sea and a joint submission with Malaysia in respect to the southern part of the area in 2009.

#Vietnam

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🇵🇭🇨🇳 Philippines, China to set up new channels to handle South China Sea rows

The Philippines and China have agreed to set up new lines of communication to improve their handling of maritime disputes.

Three communication channels would be established specifically for maritime issues, according to a document with highlights of an "Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms", which was signed on July 2.

The first channel would be used by "representatives to be designated by their leaders," with the other for respective foreign ministries at ministerial or vice-ministerial level, or their designated representatives. The third would involve their respective coast guards "which will be set up once the corresponding MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the coast guards is concluded."

#ThePhilippines #China

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🇨🇳🇺🇸 Average Chinese national now eats more protein than an American: United Nations

China has surpassed the US in the amount of daily dietary protein available to its population – an important indicator of a modern quality of life, and one that some commentators and politicians in the West thought would be impossible to achieve.

According to the latest data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), China overtook the US in 2021, reaching a daily supply of 124.61 grams of protein per capita. In the same year, Americans had access to 124.33 grams.

American environmental analyst Lester Brown predicted in his 1995 book Who Will Feed China? that the Asian giant would eventually have to import so much grain to feed its population that it could precipitate an unprecedented rise in world food prices.

The theory gained traction among some politicians, with former US president Barack Obama using it to justify his China policies in an interview on Australian television in April 2010. While Obama’s intention might have been to spur Beijing’s climate change efforts, his comments elicited strong dissatisfaction in China, where they were widely perceived as a justification for containing Chinese growth and development.

#China #USA

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🇺🇸🇵🇭 US military chief meets Filipino counterpart in Manila as intel pact takes shape

The chief of the US military met on Tuesday with Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. to show Washington’s “solid commitment” to its alliance with Manila, ahead of a meeting between the top diplomatic and defense officials of the two countries.

Brown’s visit comes two weeks ahead of the 2+2 “Ministerial Dialogue” in Manila between the foreign and defense secretaries of the two security allies.

The meeting, scheduled for July 30, followed the conclusion of negotiations last month on Manila’s General Security of Military Information Agreement with Washington. The United States has required a security inspection of selected military facilities in the Philippines before it seals that intelligence-sharing pact allowing the exchange of classified information in a timely manner.

Analysts believe that any US involvement in the South China Sea would be viewed in a negative light by Beijing. They warn that Beijing was likely to develop its own countermeasures when it came to intelligence capabilities.

#USA #ThePhilippines

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🇯🇵🇺🇸 Japan, US near deal to develop anti-drone microwave weapons

Japan and the United States are on the verge of signing an agreement on the joint development of high-power microwave weapons designed to protect military personnel and equipment from attacks by drones.

The deal comes as little surprise given the spectacular successes of unmanned vehicles deployed in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, analysts say, with Tokyo particularly keen to develop countermeasures against swarms of drones that are expected to accompany any contingency involving Chinese forces.

A microwave weapon is designed to produce an electromagnetic wave that can cause the internal electronic components of a drone to malfunction. The technology is not new and microwave ovens have been a fixture in kitchens around the world for decades, but weaponising electromagnetic waves is a more recent development.

#Japan #USA

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🇹🇼🇺🇸 Taiwan must rely on itself for defense, foreign minister responds to Trump

Taiwan must rely on itself for defense and is likely to keep increasing spending and modernizing its military given the threat it faces from China, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said, responding to criticism from Donald Trump.

Asked about Trump's comments, Lin told foreign reporters in Taipei that "we pay great attention to" them, and Taiwan-US relations are built on the bipartisan support Taiwan enjoys in the United States.

"I think everyone has a consensus on the main point, which is the China threat," said Lin, who took up his post on May 20 as part of the cabinet of newly elected President Lai Ching-te.

#Taiwan #USA

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🇰🇵🇷🇺 North Korea leader Kim discusses military cooperation with Russian official

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received Russian vice minister of defence Aleksey Krivoruchko and discussed the importance of the two countries' militaries to unite more firmly to defend world peace and justice.

Kim and Krivoruchko shared the need for military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests.

North Korean media report did not provide any other details of Krivoruchko's delegation or the purpose of the visit to North Korea.

#NorthKorea #Russia

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🇰🇷🇰🇵 South Korea conducts loudspeaker broadcasts at North Korea

South Korea's military said on Friday it had conducted a loudspeaker broadcast campaign directed at North Korea overnight in response to the launch of balloons by Pyongyang carrying trash aimed at the South.

After repeated warnings to stop sending trash, South Korea's military resumed broadcasts using large loudspeakers set up at the border directed at the North, blaring propaganda, world news and K-pop music.

The broadcasts, considered by military officials and activists as an effective form of psychological warfare, were stopped under a peace agreement signed in 2018, which both sides have declared null as tensions rose.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea

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🇹🇼🇯🇵 Taiwan, Japan coast guards conduct joint rescue drill

The coast guards of Taiwan and Japan have conducted a joint search and rescue drill, with one of the island's vessels recently making a refueling stop in the country, Taiwan authorities said.

Following the previous one in Japan last year, the refueling stop was made as part of the Taiwan coast guard's high seas patrol mission to protect fishing boats. The patrol vessel, which departed from Kaohsiung Port on June 21, is expected to return to Taiwan on August 14, the coast guard said.

The moves may suggest Taipei has been strengthening cooperation with Tokyo despite the lack of official diplomatic ties amid Beijing's increased pressure on the island.

#Taiwan #Japan

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🇫🇷🇵🇭 France and Philippines elevate defense ties with historic air force mission

For the first time, France has included the Philippines in its annual Indo-Pacific air force mission, a move analysts say underscores Paris’ commitment to the region’s security as well as strategic interests in its trade routes and defense markets.

The Philippines’ stopover under the Pegase 24 – a yearly French Air and Space Force mission to the Indo-Pacific – is the latest in a series of moves by Paris to build closer security ties with Manila since the two countries first began talks on enhancing military cooperation in December.

As part of its annual Pegase mission, this year will see a contingent of French aircraft making a stopover at Clark Airbase, located 93km northwest of Manila. Clark was formerly operated by the US military until 1991.

#France #ThePhilippines

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🇺🇸🇰🇵 Trump says he plans to "get along" with North Korean leader

Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to "get along" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he returns to the White House after winning the presidential election in November.

Trump boasted that when he was previously in office he "got along very well" with Kim and his administration managed to stop the country's missile launches.

"Now North Korea is acting up again, but when we get back, I get along with him. He'd like to see me back too. I think he misses me if you want to know the truth," Trump said, drawing laughs and applause from the crowd.

#USA #NorthKorea

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🇻🇳 Today, July 19, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, passed away. News of his death began to actively spread on the Internet on July 18 - then the Vietnamese media reported that the General Secretary was withdrawing from his duties due to health reasons. His duties are being performed by President To Lam.

Nguyen Phu Trong's tenure will be remembered for several things. Firstly, the economic growth of Vietnam, which was observed even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Secondly, a large-scale anti-corruption campaign. Since 2016, more than 139,000 party members, including 40 members of the Central Committee of the CPV, have been subjected to disciplinary action.

Thirdly, the "bamboo diplomacy" - Nguyen Phu Trong was an active supporter of this concept. It implies that Vietnam's foreign policy should have "strong roots, but flexible branches".

This refers to constructive relations with all players on the international stage, the absence of ideological attitudes in such interaction, and obtaining benefits in accordance with national interests.

▪️It is precisely thanks to the chosen strategy that key global players - US leader Joe Biden in September 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping in December 2023, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024 - visited Hanoi in less than a year. By not choosing sides and balancing between these countries, Vietnam is and will continue to receive political and economic advantages.

Regardless of who takes the position of General Secretary in the future, significant changes in Vietnam's foreign policy are not expected. Although the concept of bamboo diplomacy was formalized under Nguyen Phu Trong, a similar approach to international relations has been observed in Vietnam for a long time.
#Vietnam
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🇺🇸🇵🇭 US to support Philippines' efforts to resupply ship on atoll

The United States "will do what is necessary" to see that the Philippines is able to resupply a ship on the Second Thomas Shoal that Manila uses to reinforce its claims to the atoll, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday.

Sullivan said the US would prefer that the Philippines conducts the resupplies of the small crew on the warship Sierra Madre, which Manila beached in 1999 to reinforce maritime claims in the South China Sea contested by China.

Speaking to the Aspen Security Forum conference in Colorado, Sullivan said the United States has made clear to China that its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines applies to the Sierra Madre.

#USA #ThePhilippines

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🇯🇵🇨🇳 Japan expands continental shelf eastward for rare metals research

Japan extended its designation of its continental shelf to the eastern part of islands some 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, enabling the resource-poor country to start research on extracting maritime natural resources such as rare metals from the region.

A revised Cabinet order took effect designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau sea area as part of its continental shelf, an area of around 120,000 square kilometers. Its move to enlarge the shelf has triggered opposition from China.

The government said it has confirmed the existence of a cobalt-rich crust, including rare metals, in the region. Cobalt is a metal that is used for electric vehicle batteries.

#Japan #China

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🇺🇸🇻🇺 US opens embassy in Vanuatu, latest step in China competition

The United States opened an embassy in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, the latest US move in a long-running competition with China for influence in the Asia Pacific region.

"The opening of the embassy builds upon our efforts to provide more diplomatic presence throughout the region and to engage further with our Pacific neighbors," the US Department of State said in a statement.

The U.S. earlier opened embassies in two other island nations, Solomon Islands and Tonga, and plans to open one more in Kiribati. Washington has been working to boost its diplomatic presence in the Pacific to counter what it sees as a growing threat from China.

#USA #Vanuatu

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🇺🇸🇯🇵 US-Japan Patriot missile production plan hits Boeing component roadblock

A US plan to use Japanese factories to boost production of Patriot air defense missiles - used by Ukraine - is being delayed by a shortage of a critical component manufactured by Boeing.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) already makes about 30 PAC-3 missiles each year under license from defense contractor Lockheed Martin and can increase that number to about 60.

But no expansion at all will be possible in Japan without additional supplies of the missiles' seekers. "It could take several years before MHI is able to raise output" because of the shortage.

Even if enough seekers are available, expanding annual PAC-3 production in Japan beyond 60 would require MHI to build more capacity.

#USA #Japan

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