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Category: China

  • Escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza could spread conflict to wider region, UN official warns

    UNITED NATIONS: Against the backdrop of relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, has warned of a dangerous expansion of the conflict in the wider region at a conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, according to APP.

    Ms. Nakamitsu, addressing the opening session of the conference on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said she came to the Conference “with a heavy heart, anguish, pain and sorrow that I had never felt in my more than 30 years of UN career.” She noted the minute of silence among UN personnel to mourn and honour the 101 brave colleagues from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who have lost their lives in Gaza in service of others.

     

     

    During her address to the Conference last year, she spoke of the increasing geopolitical tensions and conflicts in the world and the strain on multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regimes, she said. “A year on, we are witnessing a crisis of humanity unfolding in front of our eyes in Gaza,” she said.

    The geopolitical and security situation has worsened and relations among major powers have further strained, Ms. Nakamitsu noted.

    She expressed deep concern about clear violations of international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict.

    “Let me repeat the clear, unequivocal position of the United Nations that no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law. Even wars have rules,” she said, calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to allow for life-saving aid to reach those in urgent and desperate need.

    “Cool heads and diplomatic efforts must prevail,” she said, emphasizing that no effort should be spared to help pave the way to peace, to a two-State solution with Israelis and Palestinians living in peace and security.

    Addressing the root causes of the conflict, including through a broader peace and security architecture in the region, is urgent, Ms. Nakamitsu said.

    Given the current crisis in the Middle East, the decision to continue the important work of the Conference demonstrates a collective will to use dialogue and diplomacy in seeking common security and regional peace.

    “Any threat to use nuclear weapons is inadmissible [and] further illustrates the urgency and imperative to achieve the objective of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction,” she said.

    The current session will continue to address key issues for a future Middle East zone treaty. The importance of effective verification cannot be understated, as it ensures compliance and fosters trust among the parties to a future zone, she said.

    “The path towards the establishment of a Middle East zone through the elaboration of a legally binding treaty will not be smooth sailing,” she said. But the incremental approach of the Conference is working well in preparing States for future negotiation of a treaty, she added, reiterating a call for the full participation of all States in the region. “A Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction will significantly contribute […] to peace and security of the Middle East and beyond,” she said.

    Opening the conference, the President of the fourth session of the Conference, Taher El-Sonni of Libya, said the crisis in Gaza and its unpredictable backlash for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond underscores the urgency of the work of the Conference.

    “The grave violations by the Israeli occupation forces must come to an end immediately,” he said. “As long as there are nuclear weapons and other WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) in our region, there will be no hope for sustainable peace in our region,” he said, adding that the provocative statement by a representative of the Israeli Government a few days ago, threatening the use of nuclear weapons against Gaza, is unacceptable.

    The Conference and all parts of the United Nations must condemn that threat, which proves the gravity of the situation, he said.

    The President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, noted that over four decades ago, the Assembly recommended the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

    “The ardent hope for a safer future has not been lost on the sands of time,” he said, highlighting that only two weeks ago, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) reaffirmed its unflinching support for the establishment of this zone, calling for urgent and practical steps for implementation.

    The post Escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza could spread conflict to wider region, UN official warns first appeared on VOSA.

  • China strongly condemns Israeli strike on UN staff in Gaza

    BEIJING: China on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli strike on the staff of the United Nations (UN) in southern Gaza and reiterated its call to immediately stop fighting to prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster.

    “We are shocked by and strongly condemn the strike on the guesthouse for UN staff in southern Gaza,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said during her regular daily briefing, according to APP.

     

     

    She said that the Chinese side “mourns the UN staff members killed in this round of conflict”.

    “Violence does not bring true security. The use of force will not create lasting peace. The safety of UN staff members must be effectively protected,” the spokesperson added.

    China, she said, called on relevant parties to be cool-headed and exercise maximum self-restraint, comply with international law, earnestly implement the UN General Assembly’s resolution adopted on October 27, immediately stop the fighting, and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster.

    The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) Commissioner-General said on Monday that the Israeli forces had struck a guesthouse for UN staff in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

    On the same day, the UN flag flew at half-mast at its New York headquarters in memory of the 101 UN staff members killed in Gaza since the start of the ongoing round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

    About safety of Chinese citizens in Gaza, the spokesperson said that amid the escalating Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the CPC Central Committee attached high importance to the safety of Chinese nationals in the conflict area.

    “China’s diplomatic missions overseas, under directions from home, maintained contact with Chinese nationals in the Gaza Strip all along. With the concerted efforts on various fronts, all the Chinese nationals have left Gaza safely in recent days,” she added.

    The post China strongly condemns Israeli strike on UN staff in Gaza first appeared on VOSA.

  • China and the US: Who is Helping Who?

    File photo: China US
    File photo: China US

    The Politico, on November 8, published a piece on China-US relations. The article stated, “Voters in a rural Michigan town sent a message to their leaders Tuesday: don’t help China.” The article described this as “a potential warning signal” to President Joe Biden.

    During the past year or two, American politicians and media have not hesitated to use the word “help” when discussing relations with China. Used in the past tense, the implication is that the US has assisted in China’s rise, and China is not currently reciprocating, leading to a sense of suffering a great loss. The report discusses the recent elections in Green Charter Township, Michigan, where five local Republican officials were removed from their positions for backing tax breaks for a multibillion-dollar battery parts plant tied to Gotion Inc., a Chinese company.

    According to Politico’s report, this move breaks with the traditional view that “jobs equal votes.”

    During this political event in a rural town, we observe a shift in the American attitude toward the rise of China. This shift has prompted Washington to adjust its strategy toward China, seeing it as its primary challenger.

    Besides creating more than 2,000 jobs in this economically depressed region, this Chinese company’s production and technological capabilities in battery components will help revive the local manufacturing industry and contribute to raising the production level of this industry in the US. But Americans don’t see it like that. To them, America is helping China.

    They believe that US investment in China helps China, and allowing Chinese companies to invest in the US also helps China. No matter how the Chinese and American economies interact, the US is helping China.

    But who is looking out for the American people, including the residents of this town, who have relied on affordable products made in China for decades? And let’s remember how the profits of American companies in China have contributed to the growth of the American economy.

    Of course, this is not to say that help does not exist in bilateral interactions between the two countries, and many stories of mutual help have long been widely circulated on both sides.

    However, Americans, particularly US politicians, now approach economic and trade relations with China with the mindset of “I will not help you any longer,” a narrow worldview based on a superior civilization mentality.

    The trade war with China, initiated by former president Donald Trump, has reached a point where American voters are concerned about how much the US is paying to maintain its “stop helping China” stance. However, American politicians will not disclose the amount being paid to their constituents.

    China’s rapid economic growth has enabled its enterprises to accumulate capital and expand their market size, which cannot be reversed. If mutual investment between enterprises from both countries is increased, it will benefit everyone. However, viewing this cooperation as the US “helping China” will inevitably harm both parties.

    China already possesses top-tier technology and high-quality production capacity in electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and various manufacturing aspects. When Chinese enterprises invest in related areas in the US, it can be seen as China’s assistance to the US. Similarly, many American companies investing in China also contribute to developing China’s manufacturing industry.

    It is now the turn of the Chinese people to take a top-down look at those on the verge of falling into the sunset industry in the US. If Americans are unwilling to “help China,” then they must do what Chinese workers are doing:

    • Work twice as hard.

    • Exert double the effort.

    • Surpass rivals through learning, rather than discussing who helped who.

    Americans are no longer qualified to view China with a benefactor mentality.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • What do we know about forced labour in Xinjiang?

    Beijing says labour transfers are poverty alleviation tool, but research raises concerns schemes are not voluntary

    Xinjiang, a region of north-west China that is about three times the size of France, is an area that has become associated around the world with detention camps. The facilities are referred to by Beijing as vocational education and training centres. But critics say they are used to indoctrinate Uyghurs and other minority ethnic groups with the goal of transforming them into devotees of the Chinese Communist party.

    After unrest in the region and a series of riots and violent attacks by Uyghur separatists between 2014 to 2017, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, launched his Strike Hard Campaign Against Violent Terrorism, leading to the establishment of the camps. The UN has estimated that since then about 1 million people have been detained in these extrajudicial centres.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Khalil Hashmi assumes charge as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China

    BEIJING: The newly appointed Ambassador to Pakistan Khalil Hashmi on Monday assumed charge of his office, according to APP.

    In his first official engagement, Ambassador Hashmi presented a copy of his credentials to Hong Lei, Director General of the Protocol Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Ambassador Hashmi, in his remarks, expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for the warm welcome accorded to him, in keeping with the long-standing tradition of both countries.

    Reminiscing of his previous stint in Beijing from 2008-2010, he expressed his resolve to further solidify the already-robust relationship between the two countries.

    Director General Hong conveyed the best wishes to Ambassador Hashmi for a successful tenure and assured him of full support.

    Earlier on his arrival in Beijing in the weekend, he was by Zhang Maoming, Deputy Director General of Asia Department. He succeeds Ambassador Moin ul Haque who returned to Pakistan on retirement early this month.

    Ambassador Hashmi is a senior Pakistani diplomat with 29 years of experience in both bilateral and multilateral relations.
    Prior to his recent appointment, he served as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from November 2019 onwards.

    He has also worked at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to New York twice, including as Deputy Permanent Representative.

    Ambassador Hashmi joined the Pakistan diplomatic service in 1994. His first diplomatic assignment was at Pakistan’s Embassy in Copenhagen from 1999 to 2002.

    In Islamabad, Ambassador Hashmi served as Director General of the United Nations, European Region and Arms Control Divisions and as Director of South Asia, India and Disarmament Directorates.

    The post Khalil Hashmi assumes charge as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China first appeared on VOSA.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Saab Positions Gripen E for Thailand’s New Fighter Acquisition

    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) released a request for proposals (RFP) in October for new fighters. Two of the frontrunners are Saab’s Gripen and Lockheed Martin’s F-16. Although the latter was unwilling to speak to media at Defense & Security 2023 in Bangkok, Saab executives were able to highlight the suitability of the latest […]

    The post Saab Positions Gripen E for Thailand’s New Fighter Acquisition appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • New Free Trade Zone in the Xinjiang Uyghur Region

    This week’s News on China.

    Sources:
    • Xinjiang free trade zone, Global Times
    • Australian Prime Minister Albanese met with Xi Jinping, Global Times
    SCMP
    • “Why the Philippines is exiting the Belt and Road,” Asia Times
    “Philippines reveals locations of 4 new strategic sites for U.S. military pact,” Reuters
    • “Huawei surges into the 5.5g-lead,” Asia Times
    “State-Backed Lab Picks Huawei Chip to Power Mega AI Computer in China,” Caixin Global
    • New public academic platform, Sixth Tone

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • Gay Games delight Hong Kong amid China’s growing hostility to LGBTQ+ community

    Activists have secured a string of legal victories in Hong Kong but it is a very different story on the mainland

    After months of pandemic-related delays, Asia’s first Gay Games was held in Hong Kong last week, with nearly 2,400 athletes competing. At the opening ceremony, Regina Ip, the convenor of Hong Kong’s executive council, said the competition represented the city’s commitment to “equal opportunity and non-discrimination”, and praised Hong Kong’s courts for the “numerous judgments” handed down in favour of the LGBTQ+ community in the past decade.

    This was met with bemusement by activists and lawyers, who pointed out that Ip’s government has opposed each of those judgments, losing in nearly every single case. Since 2018, there have been at least seven cases relating to LGBTQ+ rights heard by Hong Kong’s courts, with many reaching the Court of Final Appeal, the city’s highest bench. “Why are they still wasting taxpayers’ money fighting these tooth-and-nail litigations when they’re recycling the same arguments and losing?” said Mark Daly, a human rights lawyer who has worked on a number of the cases.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Foolish Exclusions: China and the Bletchley Declaration on AI

    At the conclusion of the Second World War, debates raged on how best to regulate the destructive power of the atom.  Splitting it had been used most savagely against the populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, thereby ending, to date, the globe’s costliest war.  Visions also abounded on the promise and glory of harnessing such energy.  But the competitive element of pursuing nuclear power never abated, and attempts at international regulation were always going to be subordinate to Realpolitik.  Yet even at such a tense juncture in human relations, it would have been absurd, for instance, to have excluded such a major power as the Soviet Union from such discussions.

    Over the first few days of November, at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, we saw something akin to that parochial silliness take place regarding discussions on the safe development of artificial intelligence (AI).  While the People’s Republic of China was not entirely barred from attending proceedings at UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s widely advertised AI Safety Summit, it was given a shrunken role.

    The very fact that China has any role to play was enough to send Liz Truss, Britain’s stupendously disastrous, short-lived former Prime Minister, into a state of spluttering agitation.  In a failed effort to badger her successor via letter to rescind the initial invitation to Beijing, she revealed how “deeply disturbed” she was that representatives from the evil Oriental Empire would be participating.  “The regime in Beijing has a fundamentally different attitude to the West about AI, seeing it as a means of state control and a tool for national security.”

    Seeing the Middle Kingdom was uniquely disposed to technological manipulation – because liberal democratic governments apparently have no interest in using AI for reasons of controlling their subjects – she failed to see how any “reasonable person” could expect “China to abide by anything agreed at this kind of summit given their cavalier attitude to international law.”

    Sunak, to his credit, showed some mettle in parrying such suggestions.  In a speech delivered on October 26, he owned up to his belief that China needed to be invited.  “I know there are some who will say they should have been excluded.  But there can be no serious strategy for AI without at least trying to engage all of the world’s leading AI powers.”

    Despite this, Sunak was hardly going to give Beijing unfettered access to each and every event.  Some minor form of segregation would still be maintained.  As UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden stated with strained hospitality, “There are some sessions where we have like-minded countries working together, so it might not be appropriate for China to join.”  Largely because of that sentiment, Chinese delegates were, for the most part, excluded at public events for the second day of the summit.

    From within the summit itself, it was clear that limiting Beijing’s AI role would do little to advance the argument on the development of such technologies.  A number of Chinese delegates attending the summit had already endorsed a statement showing even greater concern for the “existential risk” posed by AI than either the Bletchley statement or President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI issued at the end of October.  According to the Financial Times, the group, distinguished by such figures as the computer scientist Andrew Yao, are calling for the establishment of “an international regulatory body, the mandatory registration and auditing of advanced AI systems, the inclusion of instant ‘shutdown’ procedures and for developers to spend 30 per cent of their research budget on AI safety.”

    For the Sinophobe lobby, one awkward fact presents itself: China has made giddy strides in the field, having made it a policy priority in its New Generation AI Development Plan in 2017.  The policy goes so far as to acknowledge, in many ways providing a foretaste of the Bletchley deliberations, the need to “[s]trengthen research on legal, ethical, and social issues related to AI, and establish laws, regulations and ethical frameworks to ensure the healthy development of AI.”  Some of this is bound to be aspirational in the way that other documents of this sort are, but there is at least some acknowledgment of the issue.

    Precisely for its progress in the field, China is being punished by that other contender for AI supremacy, the United States.  Despite some forced sense of bonhomie among the delegates, such fault lines were nigh impossible to paper over.  On October 17, the US Department of Commerce announced that further restrictions would be placed on advanced AI chips along with the imposition of additional licensing requirements for shipments to 40 countries to prevent resales to China.  One company, Nvidia, was told directly by the department that it had to immediately cease shipping A800 and H800 chips to the Chinese market without licensed authorisation from the US.

    The final Bletchley Declaration opens with the view that AI “presents enormous global opportunities: it has the potential to transform and enhance human wellbeing, and prosperity.”  With that in mind, the signatories affirmed “that, for the good of all, AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible.”  But the vision risks being irreparably fractured, contaminated by such fears so crudely expressed by Truss.  The view from the signatories present is that the AI frontier presents ecstatic opportunity and potential calamity.  But how that vision is duly realised will depend on what is decided upon and whether those rules will be observed.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • Pakistani delegation visits SCO platform in China

    BEIJING: A Pakistani delegation led by Ali Hussain, vice president of the Pakistan House Economic and Business Advisory Committee, visited the Trade and Economic Multifunctional Platform for SCO Countries in Chongqing, China, according to APP.
    Hu Kaiqiang, the Secretary-General of the Platform, received the delegation and held a meeting.
    During the meeting, Hu Kaiqiang introduced the Platform’s 16 industry working committees covering sectors such as culture, tourism, education and healthcare.
    Ali Hussain hailed the Platform’s efforts in facilitating international collaboration in different sectors and expressed the intention to cooperate.
    “As a research institution specializing in international affairs and policy, we have extensive connections with international think tanks that can provide valuable expertise and insights for collaboration. We also seek to establish connections with the Platform’s think tank, fostering exchanges and cooperation in international affairs.”
    Following the constructive discussions, the Pakistan House and the Platform reached an agreement to further promote cooperation in cross-border settlement and precious metal.
    Both parties also pledged to facilitate nongovernmental exchanges between China and Pakistan, as well as among other SCO member states.

    The post Pakistani delegation visits SCO platform in China first appeared on VOSA.

  • Pakistani delegation visits SCO platform in China

    BEIJING: A Pakistani delegation led by Ali Hussain, vice president of the Pakistan House Economic and Business Advisory Committee, visited the Trade and Economic Multifunctional Platform for SCO Countries in Chongqing, China, according to APP.
    Hu Kaiqiang, the Secretary-General of the Platform, received the delegation and held a meeting.
    During the meeting, Hu Kaiqiang introduced the Platform’s 16 industry working committees covering sectors such as culture, tourism, education and healthcare.
    Ali Hussain hailed the Platform’s efforts in facilitating international collaboration in different sectors and expressed the intention to cooperate.
    “As a research institution specializing in international affairs and policy, we have extensive connections with international think tanks that can provide valuable expertise and insights for collaboration. We also seek to establish connections with the Platform’s think tank, fostering exchanges and cooperation in international affairs.”
    Following the constructive discussions, the Pakistan House and the Platform reached an agreement to further promote cooperation in cross-border settlement and precious metal.
    Both parties also pledged to facilitate nongovernmental exchanges between China and Pakistan, as well as among other SCO member states.

    The post Pakistani delegation visits SCO platform in China first appeared on VOSA.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Exclusive: Vegan Celebrity Chef Matthew Kenney Expands His Plant City Empire to China

    matthew kenney china

    6 Mins Read

    Matthew Kenney, the vegan author and celebrity chef behind Plant Food + Wine, is expanding his empire to China with food halls inspired by his Plant City F&B concept, with the help of global scale-up firm The Wellness Agency.

    The man behind Double Zero, Plant Food + Wine, Besina, New Burger, Make Out and Plant City – whose business spans five continents and 22 major cities – is now embarking on one of his largest projects yet. Teaming up with The Wellness Agency, a firm that helps wellness brands to scale globally, vegan celebrity chef Matthew Kenney is bringing his empire to China.

    Kenney is working on five food halls with a similar concept to his Providence, Rhode Island-based Plant City – touted to be the world’s largest vegan food hall, co-founded with entrepreneur Kim Anderson) – in five markets: Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Macau. Each of the food courts will have 12 to 14 plant-based restaurants, with some individual concepts including VEG’D (vegan fast food), Double Zero (wood-fired pizza) and Ayre (Ayurvedic cuisine).

    In addition to the restaurants, there will be food and lifestyle retail experiences, as well as experiential concepts. “As the public perception of plant-based eating continues to evolve and gain popularity around the world, I look forward to expanding Plant City across China,” said Kenney. “Our goal is to provide a one-stop destination for plant-based eating that will be appreciated by vegans, omnivores and carnivores alike.”

    Celebrating local chefs and flavours

    plant city
    Courtesy: Matthew Kenney Cuisine

    “With talented chefs like Matthew Kenney leading the charge, millions of people around the world are adopting plant-based diets for ethical, environmental, and health reasons,” added The Wellness Agency founder and CEO Jay Faires. “The Chinese market, in particular, is seeing massive growth… We’re excited to expand Matthew Kenney’s Plant City across China, offering an array of new healthful, innovative, and delicious plant-based culinary options to the country’s denizens.”

    Faires said that Kenney will be significantly involved, “if not in operations, then in the partnership”, adding that the chef will be “a big part” of the creative process of the food halls (alongside Anderson), which “will likely integrate some local plant-based chefs”. And there will be a big focus on Asian cuisines through their interpretation. The food courts are set to begin opening by 2025.

    In terms of funding, investors are yet to be determined and may be involved on a project-by-project basis. “We met with several large real estate and retail developers while we were there, specifically in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Chengdu,” said Faires, adding that the project will potentially be open to collaborations with local food brands, chefs and food personalities.

    Matthew Kenney’s celebrity status

    china plant based
    Courtesy: Matthew Kenney Cuisine

    Kenney rose to fame in the 90s with his namesake restaurant Matthew’s, a year after whose opening he was named Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 1994. He opened further restaurants Mezze, Monzu Canteen, Commune and Commissary, which closed down due to the post-9/11 economic crisis.

    A pioneer of the raw food movement, he was a founding partner of Pure Food and Wine, the raw vegan eatery that attracted controversy in the 2010s for failing to pay its staff (Kenney left the restaurant in 2005). Since then, he has established his culinary academies and lifestyle brand Matthew Kenney Cuisine. Most recently, Kenney – who has authored 14 books – partnered with entrepreneur Max Koenig to launch Earth Company, a whole-food plant-based ready meal brand.

    In 2016, Kenney told Green Queen about his ‘Crafting the Future of Food’ mantra. “The work we’re doing is part of something larger… a mission to change the way the world thinks about its food choices,” he explained. “We are educating ourselves and our students to make sound ingredient choices, to support more sustainable processes and to promote a plant-based lifestyle that’s delicious, healthful, innovative and accessible. This is the future of food.”

    Kenney’s Plant Food + Wine at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles is frequented by famous personalities like Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey and James Cameron, while his Double Zero pizzeria counts the likes of Jay-Z and Chris Martin as regulars. Could the China expansion see a touch of celebrity too?

    Faires met with Margaret Zhang, editor-in-chief of Vogue China, who approached Matthew to head up the culinary side of some major events that would involve over 100 celebrities and influencers. Vogue has a new spot in the Forbidden City palace complex in Beijing, where a tentpole event on November 24 is set to be attended by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Kenney has cooked for her events going back to the mid-90s in New York City, said Faires.

    Might there be a rekindling?

    The China plant-based opportunity

    Courtesy: Dicos x Eat Just

    Recent reporting by China Dialogue, a non-profit “dedicated to promoting a common understanding of China’s environmental challenges”, suggests that Chinese consumers are increasingly interested in “safer and more sustainable foods”. A 2022 survey of 579 Chinese consumers in four major cities showed that 85% of respondents had tried plant-based meat alternatives and “were willing to pay more for these products”.

    According to analysis published by Singapore-based social enterprise Asia Research and Engagement, “to align with a climate-safe scenario, by 2060 China would rely on alternative protein sources for 50% of its protein consumption”, which it breaks down as follows: plant-based proteins (24%), fermentation-derived protein (16%), and cultivated meat/seafood (10%).

    Previous data from Euromonitor projected the vegan and vegetarian food sector would be worth $12 billion this year (2023) and a 2020 Dupont study predicted a 200% increase in demand for meat alternatives within five years. These early estimates have not quite materialised and China’s plant-based meat market remains small, with only a handful of plant-based meat alternative brands on shelves.

    However, data about other types of plant-based products is encouraging. In a 2022 report by Asymmetrics Research about China’s Alternative Protein Landscape, the authors identified plant-based milk and RTD beverages, plant-based yoghurts, plant-based ready meals, plant-based functional foods and plant-based “meat” snacks” as the most promising product categories for brands looking to target an urban Chinese consumer demographic that was willing to spend on healthy and safe food products.

    In the same report, Green Monday and OmniFoods co-founder and CEO David Yeung said that Chinese customers love to explore new food products to buy and are looking for new and trustworthy brands, while Haofood CEO Astrid Prajogo said that while consumer awareness about plant-based meat was improving, taste and price remained the major purchasing drivers. Xiaomin Zhang, cofounder and CE) at MetaMeat said that “the combination of plant-based meat products and prepared dishes is an important direction for the B2C market.” This bodes well for Kenney and Co.

    With additional China reporting and research by Sonalie Figueiras.

    The post Exclusive: Vegan Celebrity Chef Matthew Kenney Expands His Plant City Empire to China appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Air Force Modernisation Gathers Pace

    China’s continuing threat to Taiwan and its pressure on islands in the South China Sea, plus North Korea’s long-range missile threats to South Korea and beyond, has led many Asia-Pacific armed forces to reassess their own capabilities and requirements. Thailand is not a claimant in the South China Sea but it is concerned about the […]

    The post Air Force Modernisation Gathers Pace appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • There is No Chinese “Debt Trap” in Sub-Saharan Africa, According to the IMF

    This week’s News on China.

    Sources:
    • “IMF denies ‘debt trap,’” South China Morning Post, 24.10.2023
    “‘Unimpeded trade’: China begins to deliver on US$10 billion promise to African businesses,” SCMP, 28.10.2023

    • “China develops the ‘most advanced memory chip in the world’,” SCMP, 26.10.2023
    “Xiaomi launches home-grown cross-device system with HyperOS, as US-sanctioned Huawei moves further from Google’s Android,” SCMP, 30.10.2023

    • “Eight years of reforming the People’s Liberation Army,” SCMP, 30.10.2023

    • “Pollution alert in northern China,” Reuters, 31.10.2023

  • Pakistan looks forward to further accelerating CPEC construction: Ambassador Haque

    BEIJING: Pakistan looks forward to further strengthening exchanges with China, accelerating the high-quality joint construction of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), deepening economic, trade, cultural, and sub-national exchanges, and pushing bilateral relations to a higher level, Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque said, as reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

    The friendship between Pakistan and China is iron-clad and unbreakable. It is the inevitable trend of history and the aspiration of the people, he said while addressing at a farewell reception.

    He said, in every significant moment, the Chinese people have consistently demonstrated goodwill and empathy towards the Pakistani people. Regardless of external changes and numerous challenges, he added that the friendship between the two countries is enduring and extensive, CEN reported.

    Ambassador Haque said that his mission to China is a highlight of his career, and he deeply felt the sincere friendship between the Pakistani and Chinese people during his stay in China.

    “During my three-year tenure, I have visited Wuhan, Shaoshan, Ningde, Xinjiang, Shandong, and other regions, creating numerous beautiful memories and witnessing the development of China. Especially in the past 40 years, China has made remarkable achievements in economic development, which Pakistan can learn from,” he added.

    At the event, Ambassador Haque expressed his sincere gratitude to friends from all walks of life for their contributions to the friendship between Pakistan and China. He said that Pakistan and China have a long history and a splendid culture.

    The reception was attended by Chang Qide, the United Nations Coordinator in China, ambassadors of Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, and Turkey in China, as well as officials from the Embassy of Pakistan in China and representatives from various sectors who have long supported China-Pakistan friendship.

    The post Pakistan looks forward to further accelerating CPEC construction: Ambassador Haque first appeared on VOSA.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Dual-use ports give PRC proximity to vital shipping lanes

    The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is building and acquiring interests in ports throughout the world with an eye toward using them for commercial and military purposes. The dual-use harbors increase the nation’s influence along vital sea routes and at maritime passages. The highest concentrations of these foreign ports are in the western Indian Ocean […]

    The post Dual-use ports give PRC proximity to vital shipping lanes appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Can Industry Collaboration Help Accelerate the Regulatory Approval of Cultivated Meat in APAC?

    cultivated meat regulatory approval
    5 Mins Read

    Launching this week, a new platform of industry stakeholders across nine Asia-Pacific countries is looking to facilitate collaboration to advance the regulatory approval of cultivated meat in the region.

    Established by the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture and the Good Food Institute APAC, the APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum is described as a platform for cross-border dialogue between cell-cultured food producers, industry associations and think tanks, and government agencies and regulators in multiple jurisdictions.

    Launching at Singapore International Agri-Food Week (October 31 to November 2), the forum aims to help develop nations’ regulatory frameworks via increased data and knowledge sharing between countries, streamlined review processes for companies hoping to enter multiple markets at once, and reduced trade barriers.

    A group of 11 stakeholders from nine countries – including APAC-SCA and GFI APAC – have signed a memorandum of understanding to mark the platform’s formation. These include GFI’s India and Israel chapters, Cellular Agriculture Australia, Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture, Cell AgriTech (Malaysia), University of Brawijaya (Indonesia), Future Ready Food Safety Hub (Singapore), Society for Food Sustainatech (South Korea), and law firm Dentons’ China branch.

    cultivated meat companies asia
    Courtesy: The Good Food Institute

    More companies and organisations may be added as signatories in the future (on an invitation-only basis), pending approval from GFI APAC and APAC-SCA. At least 37 companies are known to be working with cultivated meat and seafood in Asia, according to GFI. Mirte Gosker, managing director at GFI APAC, says global distribution must expand beyond early adopters for cultured meat to reach its full potential. Currently, only two countries allow the sale of cultivated meat in the world. Singapore was the first to do so in 2020, followed by the US earlier this year.

    “By bringing together industry leaders and regulatory officials from countries across Asia Pacific, we are working to reduce duplication of efforts, streamline international approval processes for novel food producers, and create a clear pathway to market for innovative new products,” said Gosker.

    Collaboration on regulatory criteria and ‘fast lanes’

    “Member entities will be invited to participate in regularly scheduled discussion sessions about the latest developments in regulatory processes, as well as unresolved questions in need of further consideration. They will also have access to private discussion platforms where best practices, advice, and confidential insights can be shared among regional stakeholders,” Gosker adds.

    “Through this increased knowledge-sharing and cross-border coordination, we aim to develop clear and effective pathways to commercialisation of cultivated foods, reduce time to market for producers, and create a level playing field when it comes to imports and exports.”

    good meat
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum lays out six key goals in its MoU. The first involves facilitating the coordination of regulatory efforts across APAC to build an effective regulatory environment for cultivated proteins, as well as minimise hurdles and bottlenecks.

    The platform is also seeking to set up a mechanism for continuous, systematic cross-country dialogue between stakeholders. “Our aim is to transparently share information, collaborate on inputs such as data or safety assessments, and provide open discussions and viewpoints between partners across the region,” the MoU states.

    Another goal is mutual recognition of coordinated regulatory frameworks in the region, such as aligning on criteria for safety testing, labelling and inspections. This would help reduce the time and resources needed for approval, and minimise trade barriers and costs for consumers. “These efforts could potentially culminate in the development of trust between authorities to create ‘fast lanes’ for approval of companies already authorised for sale in another regional country.”

    Ensuring religious standards and defining novel approaches

    The APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum wants to ensure cultured meat and seafood adhere to religious rulings and standards (like halal and kosher), where it noted that coordinated efforts are required to build consensus around the topic. Last month, three Shariah scholars told alt-protein leader Eat Just – the parent company of GOOD Meat, the producer that earned regulatory approval in Singapore – that cultured meat can be considered halal if it meets certain criteria.

    The group also aims to standardise regulatory approaches on new approaches yet to be looked into, such as novel cell cultivation technologies and the definition of hybrid and blended meat. Finally, it plans to coordinate information to all participants transparently, bringing each member up to date with current developments and trends in the sector.

    “The regulatory forum is established to bring forth a platform to facilitate open and transparent discussions regarding regulatory matters in cellular agriculture,” said Peter Yu, programme director at APAC-SCA. “We hope to build a repository of information that can aid in regulatory coordination across the APAC region while providing a pathway for new jurisdictions to quickly get up to speed.”

    apac regulatory coordination forum
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    In addition to GOOD Meat, Australia’s Vow Food is another cultivated meat company that has filed for regulatory approval in APAC, applying to the bilateral Food Standards Australia New Zealand for its cell-cultured quail. But it’s unknown if other companies have filed for approval anywhere, as Gosker explains: “Several companies have publicly discussed their submissions for regulatory approval in Singapore (for example, Meatable), but unlike in Australia/New Zealand, this information is not required to be publicly disclosed by the government.”

    She adds: “Japan and South Korea will likely be next in line among APAC countries to develop such frameworks, as both nations are proactively seeking input from industry groups to craft clear and efficient safety review processes. No timeline has been set for when this work will be completed.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Aleph Farms is waiting to hear back from regulators in Switzerland and the UK for its application.

    “The biggest barrier to cultivated meat approvals in emerging markets is the need for regulators to adapt existing regulatory frameworks or develop new standards,” Gosker says. “This will vary country-by-country, based on their existing regulatory regimes, but by sharing best practices and proactively facilitating conversations between industry leaders and regulators, the APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum aims to streamline and accelerate this process in a way that is beneficial for governments and innovators alike.”

    “Ultimately, we envision a clear and effective contingency for the industry as a whole towards commercialisation of cultivated food products across the region,” said Yu. “We encourage the participation of any potential new members vested in these matters, located among any of our APAC member countries.”

    The post Can Industry Collaboration Help Accelerate the Regulatory Approval of Cultivated Meat in APAC? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • China, Russia target US at security forum

    Chinese and Russian military officials at the 10th Beijing Xiangshan security forum have joined each other to criticize the United States for “stirring up trouble around the world” and engaging in “clique politics.”

    The Chinese defense minister is absent from this year’s forum as Li Shangfu was removed from his post last week.

    Vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission and the second highest military official in China, Col. Gen. Zhang Youxia, on Monday gave opening remarks in which he lashed out at “certain countries” that “deliberately create turbulence, meddle in regional affairs, interfere in other countries’ internal affairs and instigate color revolutions.”

    “Wherever these countries go, there is no peace,” Zhang said.

    In contrast, “China President Xi Jinping’s global security initiative shows the world the right direction for common security and lasting peace.”

    “Countries should not build their own security at the expense of other countries’ security,” said the general, adding: “Countries should not deliberately provoke other countries on major and sensitive issues.”

    Zhang Youxia reiterated Beijing’s stance that Taiwan “is the core of China’s core interests” and China’s armed forces will not be “soft-hearted” when it comes to the Taiwan issue.

    The Beijing Xiangshan forum opens amid some renewed efforts to salvage the deteriorating U.S.-China bilateral relations. 

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi went to the U.S. last week for talks with U.S. officials, including on a possible summit between the two countries’ top leaders, but warned that the road to such a summit “will not be a smooth one.”

    The annual Beijing Xiangshan forum hosted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences and the Chinese Institute of International Strategic Studies (CIISS) kicked off on Sunday under the theme ‘Common Security, Lasting Peace.’

    The Pentagon has sent a low-key delegation led by Xanthi Carras, the Country Director for China in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from the Department of Defense, to attend the forum.

    ‘Exemplary model’ 

    The Russian delegation is headed by the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, who is also in China on an official visit.

    “The model of interstate relations between Moscow and Beijing, in fact, can be called ‘exemplary’,” said Shoigu in his speech on Monday.

    The minister added that this model becomes “more attractive” for other countries to follow and that “the circle of our friends and like-minded countries,” who don’t wish to be drawn into the West’s confrontational agenda, is expanding.

    “It clearly showed that more and more countries are in favor of a fair and sustainable multipolar world order,” Shoigu said.

    Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart announced a “no limits” relationship between their countries. Putin has just been to Beijing to attend the 2023 Belt and Road Forum.

    Shoigu accused the West of “seeking to spread the conflict potential to the Asia-Pacific region.”

    NATO is covering up the buildup of military force in the Asia-Pacific region with an ostentatious desire for dialogue, imposing alliances and operational interaction on partners,” he said in a strongly worded speech.

    Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted the minister as saying that “U.S. military biological activities are gaining momentum … a whole network of laboratories has been set up in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and the Republic of Korea,” referring to South Korea by its official name.

    Shoigu warned of “a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences.”

    The minister argued that “there are no real military threats to the security” of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Washington has accused Beijing of aggressive campaigns in the East China and South China seas, as well as in the Taiwan Strait, and vowed to defend its allies in the region.

    “The United States and NATO continue to seriously hope that they will be able to undermine Russia’s security and deprive us of the will to resist.” Shoigu emphasized, saying that the situation in Ukraine shows “the futility of these plans.”

    Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • More US Controls on China’s Chip Industry

    This week’s News on China.

    • More US sanctions against Chinese chip industry
    • China tightens graphite export controls
    • Industrial renaissance in northeast China
    • China approves GM soybeans and corn

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • How Taiwanese Musicians are Fighting Back Against China | Gen Taiwan


    This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Backlash Looms as US Ignores Dutch Interests to Hinder China

    Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

    Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

    The US doesn’t seem to be hesitant for a second to sacrifice its allies so as to contain China. The tightening chip export restrictions show that it is willing to do whatever it takes to hinder China’s technological development. But that doesn’t mean its allies will unconditionally follow such an extreme approach toward China, especially when their own interests will be at greater risk.

    The fact that the subject of the new US export restrictions involving ASML is under heated debate in the Netherlands is the latest example of the conflict of interests. Several Dutch lawmakers on Tuesday challenged the Netherlands’ trade minister over whether the US has acted correctly in unilaterally imposing new rules regulating the export to China of a chipmaking machine made by ASML, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

    Dutch media reports disclosed that Dutch political parties CDA, D66 and Volt called for the cabinet to advocate more strongly for chip machine manufacturer ASML when dealing with the US.

    The US last week announced new rules giving Washington the right to restrict the export of ASML’s Twinscan NXT1930Di machine if it contains any US parts at all.

    As a result, ASML needs to apply for a license from Washington to sell these machines, even though they could be exported without issues under Dutch rules.

    After Huawei Mate 60, a smartphone made by Chinese tech giant Huawei using advanced chips, alarmed the US, Western media reports emerged that the mysterious chips were produced on ASML chipmaking machines that were not on the US export restriction list. So the new US rules are clearly aimed at further tightening restrictions on technology exports to China to stem the potential for Chinese technology companies to break through the semiconductor bottleneck.

    But this has also once again put the Netherlands in an awkward position, as the Dutch government now needs to come up with a reasonable justification for its response to the legitimate demand to protect the interests of domestic businesses.

    AMSL has been prohibited from selling its most sophisticated chipmaking machines to China since 2019. Under US pressure this year, the Netherlands has introduced stricter export controls on high-end chipmaking equipment.

    China has become a major buyer of ASML equipment. In the third quarter, China’s purchase accounted for 46 percent of ASML’s sales, partly because Chinese companies rushed to place orders ahead of looming export controls. But from 2024, when the Dutch restrictions are set to take full effect, ASML will see decreased sales to China. Under such circumstances, further strengthening export restrictions on more equipment is expected to seriously harm the company’s interests.

    Indeed, ASML’s release of lower-than-expected orders and warning of flat sales next year indicates the importance of the Chinese market.

    Based in the Netherlands, ASML has become an important part of the Dutch economy and a symbol of the country’s technology prowess. So the Dutch government knows clearly what a sudden and sweeping cutoff of ASML’s supplies to China would mean for the country.

    So it announced the export restriction but said it would be implemented next year, with the view of taking care of its own company in a flexible way.

    But the Dutch approach is anticipated to face a severe test because the US apparently won’t allow any time or opportunity for Chinese companies to achieve a breakthrough, even at the expense of hurting its allies’ interests.

    Now anger and concerns about the potential damage of the new US rules to the Dutch economy has triggered disputes and debate within the Netherlands. How to protect ASML’s legitimate interests under US pressure will be a test of the Netherlands’ economic independence.

    As for China, it not only needs to speed up its own research and development, but also needs to strengthen communication and cooperation with third parties, such as the Netherlands, which are constrained by US policies.

    By offering them with more favorable and open market access, as well as promoting economic and trade cooperation based on international norms, China, together with other partners, can jointly tackle the US coercion.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • Japan test fired EM railgun at sea

    Japan has successfully performed an at-sea live firing trial of an electromagnetic (EM) railgun, the Ministry of Defense’s Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) announced on 17 October. “ATLA has accomplished ship-board firing test of [a] railgun for first time in the world with the cooperation of the Japanese Marine Self-Defense Force [JMSDF],” the agency […]

    The post Japan test fired EM railgun at sea appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • APAC AgriFood Report: Funding Hits A Low, But Farm Tech & Novel Foods Are On the Rise

    apac food tech funding
    5 Mins Read

    Agrifood tech startups in Asia-Pacific saw an investment of $6.5B in 2022, a 58% fall from the year before – but agtech funding for farmers and primary novel food production increased by 24% year-on-year, according to a new report by AgFunder.

    A new report by AgFunder – in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, venture capital fund Omnivore, and AgriFutures Australia – has revealed that downstream food tech funding in APAC has been hit by the global VC fallout from 2022. However, the financing of startups supporting farmers and primary production (upstream) has increased.

    ‘Upstream’ generally refers to agricultural biotech, farm management and robotics systems, as well as novel farming tech, while ‘downstream’ covers technologies removed from farms and primary production – i.e., food delivery, restaurant, meal kit startups, etc. The latter usually attracts much higher amounts of cash injections in the region, though that is no longer the case.

    Meanwhile, companies working with midstream technologies – which connect farmers and food producers to retailers, agro-processors and other clients – raised $620M million in 2022, with India’s Waycool and China’s Mojia Biotech receiving big checks.

    As for this year’s trends, the report found that total agrifood tech financing in the first half of 2023 ($2.6B) was down by nearly 50% from the same period last year, but the number of deals remains similar.

    Overall funding decline

    AgFunder’s analysis showed that agrifood tech startups received $6.5B in funding in 2022 – a 58% decline from the $15.2B they raised in 2021, which was a record-breaking year. A report published by AgFunder and Temasek earlier this year highlighted that the global agrifood tech sector saw record-breaking raises of $51.7B that year thanks to “cheap money” and “increasingly outlandish tech valuations”.

    In terms of upstream startups, year-on-year funding grew by 24% from 2021-22, marking the first time in years that upstream funding ($3.2B) overtook downstream investment ($2.7B). This is a win for the over 450 million smallholder farmers who are responsible for 80% of APAC’s food production.

    asia food tech funding
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    Within the downstream sector, e-groceries continue to be the largest category, attracting $1.6B in funding. Indian startup Blinkit – an app-based instant grocery delivery service – received an injection of $150M, before being acquired by restaurant aggregator and food delivery giant Zomato.

    The decline in downstream deals mirrors global trends analysis by Pitchbook last month, which found that in Q2 this year, food tech VC funding dropped by 75.1% year-on-year, while the number of deals (1,207) was down by 39.3% annually. But while quarterly funding also dropped by 13.9%, the deal count grew to 268 in Q2.

    Pitchbook suggested that this could indicate a “return of investment activity after a pause due to caution surrounding the closure of Silicon Valley Bank at the end of Q1”. However, the declining deal sizes “may reflect a new, more careful paradigm”.

    According to the AgFunder-Temasek report, the global decline between 2021 and 2022 could be short-lived as many of the world’s macro challenges – including inflation, food insecurity and labour shortages – are driving interest in agri-food tech investments. “With more discipline from founders (and investors too!), the industry can capitalise on the growing interest in using technology to transform our food and agriculture system to be better for people and our planet,” read the report. “[2023] could be a vintage year to invest in agrifoodtech.”

    Upstream on the up

    asia food tech
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    Within APAC, upstream agtech companies attracted 1.6% more investment in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period the year before as well, reaching $1.7B.

    In 2022, agricultural biotech startups received the largest share of upstream financing, commanding $813M of the total – that’s nearly half of the overall investment in this category globally. “While a couple of very large deals contributed to these totals, there was also greater deal activity in this segment, which includes on-farm inputs for crop and animal agriculture, confirming investors’ growing interest in this space,” AgFunder says. China’s Zhongxin Breeding – which provides breeding services for pigs – secured the year’s largest deal with its $327M seed round.

    Meanwhile, Innovative Food – the segment that includes alternative protein – “bucked the global decline in funding to the segment”, with year-on-year investment increasing to $527M, albeit with a smaller deal count. This aligns with industry think tank the Good Food Institute APAC’s recent report that revealed that sector funding in the region grew by 43% from $293M to $562M – though the two largest funding rounds took place in Q1 2021.

    Startups working with farm management software, sensing and IoT ($334m), farm robotics ($252m) and novel farming systems ($254m) – which include indoor farming, aquaculture and insect farming – brought in more investment across fewer deals as well.

    Country-wide figures

    agfunder
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    Across APAC, India ($2.3B) surpassed China ($1.3B) as the country with the highest cash injection in this sector last year, largely due to the loss of downstream mega-deals that propelled China’s agrifood tech industry in 2021. These nations were followed by Indonesia ($716M) and South Korea ($461M).

    But this looks to be short-lived, with China overtaking India to grab the top spot with $861M in investment in the first half of 2023. Indian startups have received $712M, followed by Hong Kong ($400M) and Australia ($146M).

    Overall, Southeast Asian startups commanded $1.7B in funding in 2022, while Australian companies saw total investment reach $316M – a rate that was maintained in the first half of 2023 with $146M in financing. Meanwhile, agrifood tech startups in Japan brought in $212M in 2022.

    Finally, while debt, early and growth-stage deals numbers have increased steadily since 2018, late-stage funding declined from 2021.

    “Few readers will be surprised that funding for Asia-Pacific’s food and agriculture startups has fallen significantly over the past year and a half, much like the rest of the world,” said AgFunder Managing Editor & Head of Media & Research Louisa Burwood-Taylor. But she added: “Seeing the rise of categories like Ag Biotech, which haven’t typically been a strength across the region, as well as growing early-stage deal activity, is promising.”

    Read AgTech’s full Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2023 here.

    The post APAC AgriFood Report: Funding Hits A Low, But Farm Tech & Novel Foods Are On the Rise appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Can China Learn To Live With The Taliban? #china #afghanistan #taliban #podcast


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • US, allies hold naval exercise in South China Sea

    Warships from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand took part earlier this week in a multilateral exercise following a recent spat between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

    Exercise Noble Caribou was held on Oct. 23 in the area between Indonesia and Malaysia “to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation,” Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JDMSF) said in a statement.

    Participating vessels included Japan’s JS Akebono, the U.S. Navy’s USS Rafael Perata, the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Brisbane, the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ottawa, and the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Te Mana.

    Ship-tracking data analyzed by Radio Free Asia also shows two other U.S. naval ships – the USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson – were also operating nearby, adding to the impressive show of force.

    rappahannock henson.jpg
    U.S. vessels USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson were operating near the area of Exercise Noble Caribou. Credit: MarineTraffic

    A day earlier Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines over two incidents near the Second Thomas Shoal, in which Chinese coast guard ships were accused of “dangerously maneuvering,” causing collisions with Philippine ships.

    China said Philippine vessels “trespassed” into its claimed waters.

    “The participating countries in the exercise [Noble Caribou] are maritime nations with long coastlines in the Pacific Ocean, and are like-minded nations that seek to maintain an international order based on the rule of law in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Commanding Officer of JS Akebono Togawa Hisato said.

    “We believe that through this multilateral exercise, we were able to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation with the navies of the participating countries, as well as embody their strong will and ability to create a security environment that does not tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force,” Togawa added.

    The naval exercise “was likely planned long before the recent incidents but it is part of the US’s anti-China strategy,” said Mark Valencia, a senior research fellow at China’s Huayang Institute for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance.

    “Countries should show more restraint in their actions, particularly in their military displays of power,” Valencia told RFA, adding “I am not optimistic as this has become an ever deepening and spreading modus vivendi and will likely end badly.”

    China’s position

    The U.S. quickly spoke out in support of Manila over the incidents at the weekend, vowing to stand “with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions … in the South China Sea.”

    Washington said Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard.”

    After the U.S. comments, France, South Korea, and Japan also voiced their support for the Philippines. 

    Caribou2.jpg
    Caption: Soldiers from participating ships at Exercise Noble Caribou, Oct. 23, 2023. Credit: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JDMSF)

    “In the South China Sea, China has actually exercised a lot of restraint,” said retired Chinese Senior Col. Zhou Bo, who now serves as a senior fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. 

    “We have been too soft on the Filipinos,” Zhou told an international conference on the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday. 

    Chinese maritime experts have been critical of what they call “external forces” in South China Sea disputes.

    Another Chinese analyst – Wu Shicun, president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies – said at the same conference in Vietnam that the U.S. and U.S.-led security groupings all “clearly target China.”

    “Removing the interference of external factors is the only way and only choice if we are to realize long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Wu said.

    Retired Senior Col. Zhou shares a more hawkish view that China is the only country that would “respond militarily to American provocations.” 

    “Probably China and the United States can only cool down after another collision at … sea or in the air, which I don’t look forward to but there’s no other answer to this problem,” he said.

    Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • N Korean leader pushes for anti-US front expansion, courts China

    North Korea made further overtures to China, highlighting their mutual history of opposition to the United States. The move  underscores its leader Kim Jong Un’s strategic push to solidify his anti-American united front as Washington grapples with resource allocation in Asia amidst challenges from Ukraine and the Middle East.

    “The bond forged in blood between the people of the two nations will forever endure,” North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun said Wednesday, as it marked the 73rd anniversary of China’s intervention in the Korean War.

    The state publication labeled the Korean War an “invasion by the allied imperialist forces,” lauding China by saying it had fought “side by side with our armies, sacrificing their blood and lives in the joint endeavor to defeat the common enemy.” The paper also underscored the bilateral “anti-imperialist” alliance.

    China intervened in the Korean War to aid North Korea on Oct. 25, 1950, four months after the North attacked the South in June. Beijing refers to the intervention as “anti-American aid,” and likewise, Pyongyang views this day as a symbolic representation of its enduring friendship with China.

    The message may hold significant weight, as Pyongyang often accentuates its longstanding bond with Beijing for strategic purposes, particularly when facing heightened geopolitical challenges. Historically, North Korea has displayed a tendency to reach out to China during times of international strain or in pursuit of diplomatic advantage, with the intent of amplifying its leverage on the global stage.

    Over the past few weeks, North Korea’s foreign policy has shown signs of a larger strategy at play. From supporting Hamas, which attacked U.S.-ally Israel, to bolstering ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang appears keen on crafting a united front against Washington.

    Radio Free Asia, earlier this month, reported the possibility of Hamas militants using North Korean weapons, and South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff later confirmed the RFA reports with its intelligence assessing that the North appeared to have a military connection to Hamas.

    Last week, a portrait of North Korean leader Kim appeared at an anti-U.S. protest in the West Bank, showing the close emotional connection of Palestine people against the U.S. and its allies standing with Israel. The Middle East conflict was a “tragedy created entirely by the United States,” North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Monday.

    “Kim Jong Un seemingly perceives the emergence of a new Cold War could benefit his regime’s stability.” said Wang Son-taek, director of the Global Policy Center at the Han Pyeong Peace Institute. “At this juncture, circumstances appear conducive for the onset of such a geopolitical climate. Both North Korea and Russia are facing economic sanctions, and China is locked in a strategic rivalry with the U.S. These three nations alone could form a strong foundation for an anti-American alliance.”

    Pyongyang’s primary objective is to establish and expand this alliance, Wang noted. Countries like Iran, Belarus, Syria, and Cuba could potentially join this coalition, and so could other BRICS nations under certain circumstances, he explained, referring to the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and soon to include Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

    “For Kim Jong Un, drawing these countries into the alliance could be a strategic advantage. He seems to be of the opinion that trading with these nations could be sufficient to ensure his regime’s survival and maintain its stability.”

    Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary for South Korea’s presidential office, also said that Kim Jong Un was demonstrating swift adaptability in the face of the emergence of what appears to be a new Cold War dynamic.

    “Amidst the standoff between the U.S. and China, Kim Jong Un’s strategy leans towards a stronger alignment with China. Additionally, he is attempting to leverage the complexities in the Middle East and Europe to his benefit,” said Cheon, noting that the anti-American united front means a “total collapse” of the sanction regimes against North Korea.

    These endeavors are not merely isolated incidents. They echo a larger global trend wherein nations are establishing new alliances in response to Washington’s Asia strategy. For instance, North Korea’s leader Kim and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met at the symbol of Russian space prowess in Russia’s Far East last month, and vowed to form an “anti-imperialist united front.” Pyongyang has been calling the U.S. and its allies  “imperialists.”  

    ENG_KOR_AntiUSFront10252023_2.JPG
    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency. (Source: Reuters)

    The united front against the U.S. is already taking shape. RFA cited analysis by a private U.S. research organization the Institute for the Study of War as saying that the North could have already provided up to 500,000 pieces of ammunition to Russia, which could be used in its invasion against Ukraine.

    That united front is showing signs of being multilateral with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying in Pyongyang last week that Moscow was seeking stronger cooperation with North Korea and China to counter the U.S. and its regional allies, as reported by Russian news organization Tass.

    Tighter cooperation among the non-Western nations may amplify their leverage against the U.S. and its regional partners. The move may enhance their collective bargaining power and operational capabilities against the West, ultimately posing a challenge to Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.  

    “The U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy is facing significant hurdles,” Cheon said, noting that if it is properly implemented, not only the U.S., but also countries like Australia and Western Europe would concentrate on containing China, and consequently, North Korea would inevitably come under focus as well.

    “Ultimately, North Korea would also face political, military, diplomatic and economic pressures. However, these pressures are currently dispersed due to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, indicating a diminished cohesion,” Cheon noted. “Moving towards a new Cold War framework ensures regime survival in the medium to long term. Just as the previous Cold War era ensured Kim Il Sung’s regime stability, the new-Cold War context could secure the tenure of Kim Jong Un.”

    Han Pyeong Peace Institute’s Wang also called for the U.S. and its allies to replace the Indo-Pacific strategy with a global initiative. 

    “Given the U.S.’s role as a global hegemon, its interests should naturally encompass the entire world. Constricting its focus in the Indo-Pacific theater seems like self-imposed limitations on its global leadership,” Wang said. “A broader vision that resonates with the global community is essential.

    He noted that operating under the paradigm of ‘new existence for peaceful coexistence’ and pressuring powers like China and Russia would make other nations more inclined to align.

    “A global strategy, rather than a purely national or regional one, should be the way forward.”

    Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Philippines summons Chinese Ambassador over S China Sea collisions

    Manila summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines on Monday over two incidents in the South China Sea the previous day that analysts say highlight China’s “hypocrisy” but also the Philippines’ increased “assertive transparency campaign” in disputed waters.

    The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that the country has filed a fresh diplomatic protest against China, its 55th this year.

    Philippine authorities said one of their contracted boats on a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila maintains a navy ship as its military outpost, was blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

    During the same mission, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel’s port side was also “bumped by Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00003 (CMMV 00003) while it was lying to approximately 6.4 nautical miles northeast of Ayungin Shoal,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) said, referring to the shoal by its local name. 

    Nobody on board the vessels on either side was known to have been injured.

    The Chinese Coast Guard promptly released on Sunday a statement blaming the Philippine vessels for “unauthorized entry.” 

    Chinese state media quoted the statement as saying that two Philippine transport vessels and two Philippine Coast Guard vessels “trespassed” into the waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ren’ai Reef in Chinese.

    It also said that despite repeated warnings from the Chinese authorities, the Philippine resupply vessel “deliberately crossed the bow of Chinese Coast Guard ship 5203 at 6:14 a.m. in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a minor collision.”

    About two hours later, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 “deliberately stirred up trouble” by reversing and colliding with a Chinese fishing vessel, which was floating in the vicinity, it said.

    The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines “made solemn representations to the Philippine side on Monday … expressing strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the trespassing,” reported the Global Times on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

    Both sides released video clips to back up their claims.

    The Philippine navy in 1999 intentionally grounded the WWII ship BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal to serve as a military and sovereignty outpost, and needs to resupply the troops stationed there regularly. China said the vessel was “illegally grounded.”

    In recent months, the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels have repeatedly shadowed and blocked Philippine ships during resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, including by firing a water cannon at one of the resupply boats in August.

    Manila’s ‘transparency campaign’

    The United States quickly spoke out in support of the Philippines, its treaty ally.

    A statement by the State Department said “the United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing an October 22 Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.”

    The U.S. “reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

    It accused the Chinese vessels of violating international laws and said China’s territorial claims have no basis as the Second Thomas Shoal is “a feature well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the Philippine continental shelf.”

    U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Department of Defense have made a point “to call out the PLAN’s hypocrisy,” said Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, referring to the People’s Liberation Army Navy by its acronym.

    “China claims to have the right to regulate naval activities within its EEZ – which it doesn’t – and then feels free to operate as it pleases in other nations’ EEZs,” Shugart said.

    Another analyst, Ray Powell from Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, noted that Manila “has embarked on a tactic of assertive transparency” in reporting incidents in disputed waters.

    “It has become normal … the idea that a large country can blockade the outpost of a smaller country without serious consequences,” said Powell. “What is new is that the Philippines is now showing the world what has been happening under our noses for many years, and the world will need to decide what to do about that.”

    Chinese ship.jpg
    This videograb taken and released on October 22, 2023, shows a collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship (L) and Philippines’ resupply boat (R) during a resupply mission near the Second Thomas Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea. Credit: The Armed Forces of the Philippines

    Almost immediately after the incidents, the Philippine Armed Forces released on social media platforms photos and video clips recorded by their cameramen, as well as drone footage to accompany official statements.

    One of the photos clearly shows three Philippine ships being surrounded by eight China Coast Guard vessels.

    This tactic will help “strengthen national resilience, build international support and impose reputational costs on China,” Powell said. 

    “If other countries follow suit it will force China to recalculate whether the cost it’s now paying for its gray zone tactics are worth whatever benefits it hopes to receive for them,” the analyst added.

    The South China Sea is claimed by six parties but China’s claims are by far the most expansive. Beijing has refused to accept a 2016 international ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

    Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s Hainan island.

    Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Philippines summons Chinese Ambassador over S China Sea collisions

    Manila summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines on Monday over two incidents in the South China Sea the previous day that analysts say highlight China’s “hypocrisy” but also the Philippines’ increased “assertive transparency campaign” in disputed waters.

    The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that the country has filed a fresh diplomatic protest against China, its 55th this year.

    Philippine authorities said one of their contracted boats on a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila maintains a navy ship as its military outpost, was blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

    During the same mission, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel’s port side was also “bumped by Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00003 (CMMV 00003) while it was lying to approximately 6.4 nautical miles northeast of Ayungin Shoal,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) said, referring to the shoal by its local name. 

    Nobody on board the vessels on either side was known to have been injured.

    The Chinese Coast Guard promptly released on Sunday a statement blaming the Philippine vessels for “unauthorized entry.” 

    Chinese state media quoted the statement as saying that two Philippine transport vessels and two Philippine Coast Guard vessels “trespassed” into the waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ren’ai Reef in Chinese.

    It also said that despite repeated warnings from the Chinese authorities, the Philippine resupply vessel “deliberately crossed the bow of Chinese Coast Guard ship 5203 at 6:14 a.m. in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a minor collision.”

    About two hours later, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 “deliberately stirred up trouble” by reversing and colliding with a Chinese fishing vessel, which was floating in the vicinity, it said.

    The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines “made solemn representations to the Philippine side on Monday … expressing strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the trespassing,” reported the Global Times on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

    Both sides released video clips to back up their claims.

    The Philippine navy in 1999 intentionally grounded the WWII ship BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal to serve as a military and sovereignty outpost, and needs to resupply the troops stationed there regularly. China said the vessel was “illegally grounded.”

    In recent months, the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels have repeatedly shadowed and blocked Philippine ships during resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, including by firing a water cannon at one of the resupply boats in August.

    Manila’s ‘transparency campaign’

    The United States quickly spoke out in support of the Philippines, its treaty ally.

    A statement by the State Department said “the United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing an October 22 Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.”

    The U.S. “reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

    It accused the Chinese vessels of violating international laws and said China’s territorial claims have no basis as the Second Thomas Shoal is “a feature well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the Philippine continental shelf.”

    U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Department of Defense have made a point “to call out the PLAN’s hypocrisy,” said Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, referring to the People’s Liberation Army Navy by its acronym.

    “China claims to have the right to regulate naval activities within its EEZ – which it doesn’t – and then feels free to operate as it pleases in other nations’ EEZs,” Shugart said.

    Another analyst, Ray Powell from Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, noted that Manila “has embarked on a tactic of assertive transparency” in reporting incidents in disputed waters.

    “It has become normal … the idea that a large country can blockade the outpost of a smaller country without serious consequences,” said Powell. “What is new is that the Philippines is now showing the world what has been happening under our noses for many years, and the world will need to decide what to do about that.”

    Chinese ship.jpg
    This videograb taken and released on October 22, 2023, shows a collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship (L) and Philippines’ resupply boat (R) during a resupply mission near the Second Thomas Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea. Credit: The Armed Forces of the Philippines

    Almost immediately after the incidents, the Philippine Armed Forces released on social media platforms photos and video clips recorded by their cameramen, as well as drone footage to accompany official statements.

    One of the photos clearly shows three Philippine ships being surrounded by eight China Coast Guard vessels.

    This tactic will help “strengthen national resilience, build international support and impose reputational costs on China,” Powell said. 

    “If other countries follow suit it will force China to recalculate whether the cost it’s now paying for its gray zone tactics are worth whatever benefits it hopes to receive for them,” the analyst added.

    The South China Sea is claimed by six parties but China’s claims are by far the most expansive. Beijing has refused to accept a 2016 international ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

    Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s Hainan island.

    Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Philippines summons Chinese Ambassador over S China Sea collisions

    Manila summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines on Monday over two incidents in the South China Sea the previous day that analysts say highlight China’s “hypocrisy” but also the Philippines’ increased “assertive transparency campaign” in disputed waters.

    The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that the country has filed a fresh diplomatic protest against China, its 55th this year.

    Philippine authorities said one of their contracted boats on a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila maintains a navy ship as its military outpost, was blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

    During the same mission, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel’s port side was also “bumped by Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00003 (CMMV 00003) while it was lying to approximately 6.4 nautical miles northeast of Ayungin Shoal,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) said, referring to the shoal by its local name. 

    Nobody on board the vessels on either side was known to have been injured.

    The Chinese Coast Guard promptly released on Sunday a statement blaming the Philippine vessels for “unauthorized entry.” 

    Chinese state media quoted the statement as saying that two Philippine transport vessels and two Philippine Coast Guard vessels “trespassed” into the waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ren’ai Reef in Chinese.

    It also said that despite repeated warnings from the Chinese authorities, the Philippine resupply vessel “deliberately crossed the bow of Chinese Coast Guard ship 5203 at 6:14 a.m. in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a minor collision.”

    About two hours later, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 “deliberately stirred up trouble” by reversing and colliding with a Chinese fishing vessel, which was floating in the vicinity, it said.

    The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines “made solemn representations to the Philippine side on Monday … expressing strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the trespassing,” reported the Global Times on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

    Both sides released video clips to back up their claims.

    The Philippine navy in 1999 intentionally grounded the WWII ship BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal to serve as a military and sovereignty outpost, and needs to resupply the troops stationed there regularly. China said the vessel was “illegally grounded.”

    In recent months, the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels have repeatedly shadowed and blocked Philippine ships during resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, including by firing a water cannon at one of the resupply boats in August.

    Manila’s ‘transparency campaign’

    The United States quickly spoke out in support of the Philippines, its treaty ally.

    A statement by the State Department said “the United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing an October 22 Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.”

    The U.S. “reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

    It accused the Chinese vessels of violating international laws and said China’s territorial claims have no basis as the Second Thomas Shoal is “a feature well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the Philippine continental shelf.”

    U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Department of Defense have made a point “to call out the PLAN’s hypocrisy,” said Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, referring to the People’s Liberation Army Navy by its acronym.

    “China claims to have the right to regulate naval activities within its EEZ – which it doesn’t – and then feels free to operate as it pleases in other nations’ EEZs,” Shugart said.

    Another analyst, Ray Powell from Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, noted that Manila “has embarked on a tactic of assertive transparency” in reporting incidents in disputed waters.

    “It has become normal … the idea that a large country can blockade the outpost of a smaller country without serious consequences,” said Powell. “What is new is that the Philippines is now showing the world what has been happening under our noses for many years, and the world will need to decide what to do about that.”

    Chinese ship.jpg
    This videograb taken and released on October 22, 2023, shows a collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship (L) and Philippines’ resupply boat (R) during a resupply mission near the Second Thomas Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea. Credit: The Armed Forces of the Philippines

    Almost immediately after the incidents, the Philippine Armed Forces released on social media platforms photos and video clips recorded by their cameramen, as well as drone footage to accompany official statements.

    One of the photos clearly shows three Philippine ships being surrounded by eight China Coast Guard vessels.

    This tactic will help “strengthen national resilience, build international support and impose reputational costs on China,” Powell said. 

    “If other countries follow suit it will force China to recalculate whether the cost it’s now paying for its gray zone tactics are worth whatever benefits it hopes to receive for them,” the analyst added.

    The South China Sea is claimed by six parties but China’s claims are by far the most expansive. Beijing has refused to accept a 2016 international ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

    Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s Hainan island.

    Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • China Condemns Attack on Gaza Hospital

    This week’s News on China.

    • China condemns “heinous attack” on Gaza hospital
    • 3rd Belt and Road Forum
    • Record number of state visits to China
    • Young people go to community kitchens

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.