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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/3/2021 8:03:11 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 219845

Alaska meeting foretold ... And should the script work out, mega bullish for gold and bitcoins, or iow physical tokens and metaphysical gold Irrespective that the universe shall spin out metaverse Or that matter meets anti-matter Recommend considering a different view, and if view correct, foretells failure of Team Biden The reporter MC opening questions at 50-min mark gives the hint about the MSM bias, and given that MSM holds the view, marks its view as suspect If so, BTC to 500,000 ordained

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/5/2021 4:15:23 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 219845

CNN seems quite gungho to champion conflicts over Crimea, Ukraine, S China Sea, China / Taiwan, East China Sea, and the Russian Arctic - that is quite a palette of busy-ness requiring I wonder how many trillions of MIC staking. I note that the Russians do seem to cotton to science fiction type of weapons The Poseidon was developed specifically in response to USA development of ballistic missile defence, that which was intended to neuter Russia strategic capabilities. Poseidon iiss.org At some juncture perhaps Nato might get the drift that active defence (iow attack) against mother Russia is a waste of time, and money, and more time. I do not know that Russia would not have developed the Poseidon otherwise, and we do not know that USA did not and is not developing same. Am sure N Korea would develop such a device. At some juncture I believe the pygmy small nation-states would opt-out as the game for them is hopeless for losing is the only outcome. But, yes, China China China is the primary existential strategic competitor because the China economy is growing growing growing, and that is a bad thing :0), and of the two, easier to take down China. Let us see how Team Biden gets all the jobs done. edition.cnn.com Satellite images show huge Russian military buildup in the ArcticBy Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Updated 0506 GMT (1306 HKT) April 5, 2021 (CNN) — Russia is amassing unprecedented military might in the Arctic and testing its newest weapons in a region freshly ice-free due to the climate emergency, in a bid to secure its northern coast and open up a key shipping route from Asia to Europe. Weapons experts and Western officials have expressed particular concern about one Russian 'super-weapon,' the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo. Development of the torpedo is moving fast with Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting an update on a "key stage" of the tests in February from his defense minister Sergei Shoigu, with further tests planned this year, according to multiple reports in state media. Images show build up of Russia's military presence in the Arctic 04:15 This unmanned stealth torpedo is powered by a nuclear reactor and intended by Russian designers to sneak past coastal defenses -- like those of the US -- on the sea floor. The device is intended to deliver a warhead of multiple megatons, according to Russian officials, causing radioactive waves that would render swathes of the target coastline uninhabitable for decades. In November, Christopher A Ford, then assistant secretary of state for International Security and Non-Proliferation, said the Poseidon is designed to "inundate U.S. coastal cities with radioactive tsunamis." An "onyx" anti-ship cruise missile launched by the Northern Fleet in Alexandra Land, near an Arctic "trefoil" base. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense Experts agree that the weapon is "very real" and already coming to fruition. The head of Norwegian intelligence, Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, told CNN that his agency has assessed the Poseidon as "part of the new type of nuclear deterrent weapons. And it is in a testing phase. But it's a strategic system and it's aimed at targets ... and has an influence far beyond the region in which they test it currently." Stensønes declined to give details on the torpedo's testing progress so far. Satellite images provided to CNN by space technology company Maxar detail a stark and continuous build-up of Russian military bases and hardware on the country's Arctic coastline, together with underground storage facilities likely for the Poseidon and other new high-tech weapons. The Russian hardware in the High North area includes bombers and MiG31BM jets, and new radar systems close to the coast of Alaska. The Russian build-up has been matched by NATO and US troop and equipment movements. American B-1 Lancer bombers stationed in Norway's Ørland air base have recently completed missions in the eastern Barents Sea, for example. The US military's stealth Seawolf submarine was acknowledged by US officials in August as being in the area. A senior State Department official told CNN: "There's clearly a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic," including their refitting of old Cold War bases and build-up of new facilities on the Kola Peninsula near the city of Murmansk. "That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic," the official said. Source: Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Graphic: Henrik Pettersson, CNN The satellite images show the slow and methodical strengthening of airfields and "trefoil" bases -- with a shamrock-like design, daubed in the red, white and blue of the Russian flag -- at several locations along Russia's Arctic coast over the past five years. The bases are inside Russian territory and part of a legitimate defense of its borders and coastline. US officials have voiced concern, however, that the forces might be used to establish de facto control over areas of the Arctic that are further afield, and soon to be ice-free. "Russia is refurbishing Soviet-era airfields and radar installations, constructing new ports and search-and-rescue centers, and building up its fleet of nuclear- and conventionally-powered icebreakers," Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, told CNN. The 50 Let Pobedy (50 years of victory) icebreaker moving through the Arctic ice, said to be in January this year, in a first transit of the eastern seas in deep winter. Credit: Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation "It is also expanding its network of air and coastal defense missile systems, thus strengthening its anti-access and area-denial capabilities over key portions of the Arctic," he added. Campbell also noted the recent creation of a Quick Reaction Alert force at two Arctic airfields -- Rogachevo and Anadyr -- and the trial of one at Nagurskoye airfield last year. Satellite imagery from March 16 shows probable MiG31BMs at Nagurskoye for what is thought to be the first time, bringing a new capability of Russian stealth air power to the far north. High-tech weapons are also being regularly tested in the Arctic area, according to Russian officials quoted in state media and Western officials. Campbell added that in November, Russia claimed the successful test of the 'Tsirkon' anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile. A Russian army demonstration video of its new ski sled for the Arctic. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense The Tsirkon and the Poseidon are part of a new generation of weapons pledged by Putin in 2018 as strategic game changers in a fast-changing world. At the time US officials scorned the new weapons as technically far-fetched and improbable, yet they appear to be nearing fruition. The Norwegian intelligence chief Stensønes told CNN the Tsirkon as a "new technology, with hypersonic speeds, which makes it hard to defend against." On Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS cited a source in the military industrial complex as saying there had been another successful test of the Tsirkon from the Admiral Gorshkov warship, saying all four test rockets had hit their target, and that another more advanced level of tests would begin in May or June. The climate emergency has removed many of Russia's natural defenses to its north, such as walls of sheet ice, at an unanticipated rate. "The melt is moving faster than scientists predicted or thought possible several years ago," said the senior State Department official. "It's going to be a dramatic transformation in the decades ahead in terms of physical access." Source: Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Graphic: Henrik Pettersson, CNN US officials also expressed concern at Moscow's apparent bid to influence the "Northern Sea Route" -- a shipping lane that runs from between Norway and Alaska, along Russia's northern coast, across to the North Atlantic. The 'NSR' potentially halves the time it currently takes shipping containers to reach Europe from Asia via the Suez Canal. Russia's Rosatom state nuclear company released elaborately produced drone video this February of the 'Christophe de Margerie' tanker completing an eastern route across the Arctic in winter for the first time, accompanied by the '50 Let Pobedy' nuclear icebreaker for its journey in three of the six Arctic seas. Campbell said Russia sought to exploit the NSR as a "major international shipping lane," yet voiced concern at the rules Moscow was seeking to impose on vessels using the route. "Russian laws governing NSR transits exceed Russia's authority under international law," the Pentagon spokesman said. "They require any vessel transiting the NSR through international waters to have a Russian pilot onboard to guide the vessel. Russia is also attempting to require foreign vessels to obtain permission before entering the NSR." The senior State Department official added: "The Russian assertions about the Northern Sea Route is most certainly an effort to lay down some rules of the road, get some de facto acquiescence on the part of the international community, and then claim this is the way things are supposed to work." Elizabeth Buchanan, lecturer of Strategic Studies at Deakin University, Australia, said that "basic geography affords Russia the NSR which is increasingly seeing thinner ice for more of the year making it commercially viable to use as a transport artery. This might yet transform global shipping, and with it the movements of 90+% of all goods globally." The State Department official believes the Russians are mostly interested in exporting hydrocarbons -- essential to the country's economy -- along the route, but also in the resources being uncovered by the fast melt. The flexing of their military muscles in the north -- key to Moscow's nuclear defense strategy, and also mostly on Russian coastal territory -- could be a bid to impose their writ on the wider area, the official said. "When the Russians are testing weapons, jamming GPS signals, closing off airspace or sea space for exercises, or flying bombers over the Arctic along the airspace of allies and partners, they are always trying to send a message," the official added. Among these new weapons is the Poseidon 2M39. The plans for this torpedo were initially revealed in an apparently purposeful brandishing of a document discussing its capabilities by a Russian general in 2015. It was subsequently partially dismissed by analysts as a 'paper tiger' weapon, meant to terrify with its apocalyptic destructive powers that appear to slip around current treaty requirements, but not to be successfully deployed. A Russian Delta IV submarine photographed on top of ice near Alexandra Island on March 27, during an exercise, with a likely hole blown in the ice to its left from underwater demolition. Yet a series of developments in the Arctic, including, according to Russian media reports, the testing of up to three Russian submarines designed to carry the stealth weapon, which has been suggested to be 20 meters long, have now led analysts to consider the project real and active. The Belgorod, a key submarine intended to be armed with the torpedo, will undergo important testing in May, according to a TASS report, although officials in the report stressed that it would not be related to the Poseidon's development. Russia insists motives are peaceful and economic Russia's foreign ministry declined to comment, yet Moscow has long maintained its goals in the Arctic are economic and peaceful. A March 2020 document by Kremlin policymakers presented Russia's key goals in an area behind 20% of its exports and 10% of its GDP. The strategy focuses on ensuring Russia's territorial integrity and regional peace. It also expresses the need to guarantee high living standards and economic growth in the region, as well as developing a resource base and the NSR as "a globally competitive national transport corridor." Putin regularly extols the importance of Russia's technological superiority in the Arctic. In November, during the unveiling of a new icebreaker in St. Petersburg, the Russian President said: "It is well-known that we have a unique icebreaker fleet that holds a leading position in the development and study of Arctic territories. We must reaffirm this superiority constantly, every day." Putin said of a submarine exercise last week in which three submarines surfaced at the same time in the polar ice: "The Arctic expedition ... has no analogues in the Soviet and the modern history of Russia." Manash Protim Boruah, a submarine expert at Jane's Fighting Ships, said: "The reality of the weapon is clear. You can absolutely see development around the torpedo, which is happening. There is a very good probability that the Poseidon will be tested, and then there is a danger of it polluting a lot. Even without a warhead, but definitely with just a nuclear reactor inside." Boruah said some of the specifications for the torpedo leaked by the Russians were optimistic and doubted it could reach a speed of 100 knots (around 115 miles per hour) with a 100MW nuclear reactor. He added that at such a speed, it would probably be detected quite easily as it would create a large acoustic signature. "Even if you tone it down from the speculation, it is still quite dangerous," he said. Source: Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Graphic: Henrik Pettersson, CNN Boruah added that the construction of storage bays for the Poseidon, probably around Olenya Guba on the Kola Peninsula, were meant to be complete next year. He also expressed concerns about the Tsirkon hyper-sonic missile that Russia says it has tested twice already, which at speeds of 6 to 7 Mach would "definitely cause a lot of damage without a particularly having big warhead itself." Katarzyna Zysk, professor of international relations at the state-run Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said the Poseidon was "getting quite real," given the level of infrastructure development and testing of submarines to carry the torpedo. "It is absolutely a project that will be used to scare, as a negotiation card in the future, perhaps in arms control talks," Zysk said. "But in order to do so, it has to be credible. This seems to be real." Stensønes also raised the concern that testing such nuclear weapons could have serious environmental consequences. "We are ecologically worried. This is not only a theoretical thing: in fact, we have seen serious accidents in the last few years," he said, referring to the testing of the Burevestnik missile which was reported to have caused a fatal nuclear accident in 2019. "The potential of a nuclear contamination is absolutely there."

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/5/2021 4:32:28 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 219845

At this rate BTC mining cost should drop drastically even as we are way past peak-BitCoins bloomberg.com China, U.S. Made 2020 a Record Year for Renewable Power Growth Verity Ratcliffe 3 April 2021, 18:32 GMT+8 A record amount of renewable energy capacity was built last year, thanks largely to investments in China and the U.S., according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Renewables -- mostly in the form of wind and solar -- accounted for 82% of new electricity installation in 2020, said Abu Dhabi-based Irena, which advises governments on clean power. China added 136 gigawatts, more than half the total and a similar amount to Spain’s overall power production. “These numbers tell a remarkable story,” said Irena Director General Francesco La Camera. “Despite the difficult period, as we predicted, 2020 marks the start of the decade of renewables. Costs are falling, clean tech markets are growing and never before have the benefits of the energy transition been so clear.” Renewables still lag dirtier forms of electricity generation, with their share of total capacity rising two percentage points from 2019 to 36.6%, Irena said in a report. The organization said there was still “a huge amount to be done.” Decarbonization to limit the worst effects of climate change will require a 10-fold expansion in renewable energy through 2050, or investment of $4.4 trillion a year, Irena said earlier this month. China, which is both the largest market for clean power and the world’s biggest polluter, built 72 GW of wind energy and 49 GW of solar in 2020, according to Monday’s report. The U.S. installed 29 GW of renewables, almost 80% more than in 2019. Read: Renewables Beat Fossil Fuels in EU for First Time Last Year While renewable capacity grew, there was a net decommissioning of fossil-fuel power generation in Europe, North America and nations such as Russia and Turkey, the report said. Total fossil fuel additions fell to 60 GW in 2020 from 64 GW the previous year, it said. Highlights: Renewable capacity grew by 260 GW, or 10.3%, in 2020 to 2,799 GW; solar power accounted for 49% of additions Hydropower makes up 43% of renewable capacity, though it grew by just 2%, or 20 GW, in 2020; wind and solar each account for 26% Asia, the Middle East and Africa continued to build traditional power plants in 2020

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/5/2021 7:03:48 PM
From: TobagoJack	2 Recommendations Recommended By Arran Yuan Maurice Winn Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 219845

On the issue of China and Xinjiang, or Han and Uighurs, or whatever spun latest by spinners, it is difficult to argue genocide when hardly anyone died at boots-on-the-ground Xinjiang or we-are-keeping-it Tibet, and therefore am wondering what sort of game the MSM is playing at, as none seems to utter a nay re Yemen, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc etc etc, and war criminals are pardoned in Washington, and de-investigated in Sydney. In any case China is not bombing Muslims ... scmp.com Checking on history, for I was wondering why the Hans are even in Xinjiang, and discovered that Han China was invaded by tribes of Xinjiang, who presumably wished to exercise freedom-of-migration into the farms of Han China per the same VVV freedom-of-navigation that created the historical accidents that be Taiwan and Hong Kong. One outfits freedom is another outfits unfreedom. I am going to guess there shall be a united Ireland and a free Scotland in the future. Events happen in history, throughout history, because there is no end to history, albeit there might be an end to humans in history. Let's see how the Boyz play history. Putin just set himself up to play until 2036, barring intervening possibilities. Biden might not make it. Trump has a chance unless he is done via the courts. No matter, there will always be others of like-minded. In the meantime the 'experts' would have us believe that China is isolatable and isolated, by the like-minded or otherwise, worth a try when out of true options short of full withdraw from the ME, and particularly on the issue of treatment of muslims, and that all believe the spinners ... the Olympic boycott movement should be interesting and telling

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)

4/5/2021 8:02:10 PM

From: TobagoJack

Respond to of 219845

Sometimes the Boyz play rougher but without bombing people and taking over oilfields and deploying assassination drones, by just moving in and establishing settlements with a small 's', per ancestral calling and some such, with little boats instead of bigger ships

but lots and lots of little boats, supposedly, and yet I have failed to locate any photos other than the one used in the Bloomberg article that had been repeatedly used, of five boats and not 40

wonder which is true, 6 or 40?

But never mind, the Neo-liberals claim Team Biden is being tested, by China, and not by the Neo-liberals

The Philippines deep-state is infused w/ Ivy League types, and so not difficult to source quotes from that puppet lot ...

"As long as President Duterte is in power there are very limited options for the Navy,” said Rommel Ong,

Mr Ong attended US Naval War College. Surprise surprise.

Duterte is not one of the deep-state, like Trump, and was similarly popular-mandated to break old structures. Hard to do, generally, but in the case of Philippines, might be easier than in USA.

bloomberg.com

China Tests Biden With South China Sea Tactic That Misled Obama
Andreo Calonzo

Chinese vessels moored at Whitsun Reef on March 27, 2021.

Source: National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP

Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it's going next.

Based on the official view from Beijing, the Philippines has no reason to worry about Chinese fishing boats sitting along a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

The vessels -- initially numbering in the hundreds -- were simply “taking shelter from the wind” and the Philippines should view the situation in a “ rational light,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on March 22 when the news first broke.

Two weeks later, more than 40 boats are still at Whitsun Reef and the statements are getting more and more terse. The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department on Monday warned China it would issue daily diplomatic protests as long as the “maritime militia” remains in place, using the same language as the U.S. to describe the fleet stationed in an area known as Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines and Niu’e Jiao in China.

“If your goal is to take over a sea space and atoll without fighting for it, this is a brilliant if dishonest tactic,” said Carl Schuster, a former operations director at U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. “Only professional seamen know it’s a lie -- no one ‘shelters’ their ships in a storm area weeks ahead of a storm. If they truly are commercial craft, it is costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars a day having them sit idly lashed together.”

All in all, it’s beginning to look more and more like Beijing is probing whether President Joe Biden will take any action after pledging to work with allies in the region to deter Chinese assertiveness. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin has blamed the Obama administration for failing to stop China during a similar incident in 2012 at the Scarborough Shoal, a precursor to President Xi Jinping’s move to build military installations throughout the South China Sea.

“It is a test to see what the administration is willing to do,” said Schuster, who is now an adjunct faculty member of Hawaii Pacific University’s diplomacy and military science program. “How the U.S. reacts will determine the next test. Right now, everything we have done is more rhetorical than substantive.”

Read more on South China Sea tensions:

Where a U.S.-China Clash May Occur in the South China Sea Philippines Warns China of Daily Protests If ‘Militia’ Stays China Coast Guard Law May Raise Risk of Clash in Disputed Seas Why the South China Sea Fuels U.S.-China Tensions: QuickTake

The U.S. last month said it stands by the Philippines while accusing China of using a “maritime militia to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations.” Asked about Chinese relations at a press briefing last month, Biden said his administration was “going to hold China accountable to follow the rules” in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

One big problem is how to calibrate the response. China’s use of commercial fishing boats amounts to a “gray zone” tactic that allows Beijing to deny anything is amiss. Sending an aircraft carrier or other warships near the reef risks appearing like an overreaction that would make the U.S. look like the aggressor.

On the other hand, doing nothing could look weak. Over the past few years the U.S. has stepped up challenges to Chinese sovereignty in the waters, increasing the frequency of so-called freedom of navigation operations around disputed territory. The Biden administration also reaffirmed that the U.S.-Philippine defense treaty covers any attacks in the South China Sea, a clarification made under President Donald Trump that came after decades of official ambiguity.

Another major complication for Biden is Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has undermined the alliance while hailing closer ties with Beijing.

“As long as President Duterte is in power there are very limited options for the Navy,” said Rommel Ong, a retired rear admiral in the Philippine Navy who is now a professor at Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Government. “Bereft of any coherent strategy it is limited to filing diplomatic protests and pronouncements against China’s through social media.”

The Philippine statement on Monday used some of the strongest language yet, saying a 2016 international arbitration award made clear China has no historic rights to fish in the area, which falls within the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive economic zone. It also denounced the Chinese Embassy for criticizing Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who has said the weather is fine and the boats have no reason to stay. “I am no fool,” he said over the weekend.

‘Irrational Emotions’
Duterte’s government was reacting to an April 3 statement by China saying the waters had been “a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen for many years” and reiterating that it was “completely normal” for the vessels to “take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions.” China has denied the boats constitute a maritime militia and said it hoped Philippine officials would “avoid any unprofessional remarks which may further fan irrational emotions.”

Duterte has so far personally stayed quiet, though his spokesman Harry Roque said his view of the situation hasn’t changed.

“The president’s stand is that we will stand by our rights, but this is not a reason to resort to violence,” Roque said. “He is confident that because of our close friendship with China, we will be able to resolve this.”

Credibility Damaged
One factor restraining Duterte from a tougher stance may be the need to secure vaccines: Metro Manila was locked down again last week amid the nation’s worst coronavirus surge. The Philippines currently sources most of its vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., with Duterte attending a March 29 ceremony in which Chinese Ambassador Huang Zilian said the jabs were testament of a “closer partnership in the new era.”

The U.S. “isn’t so naive” this time around after its failed 2012 effort to strike a deal for a mutual withdrawal at the Scarborough Shoal “caused immense damage to U.S. credibility in Southeast Asia,” said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia.

“The Americans are wary of wading into this and not knowing if they’ll end up being blamed for escalating the situation, which is a real possibility with the capricious leadership in Manila,” he said. “A perfunctory response -- that’s all that’s available to the Philippines.”

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.
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To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/5/2021 8:17:59 PM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 219845

Failing photos of hundreds of ships, try another quotation from a Harvard alum. I wonder when Bloomberg is going to re-spin the spy chip tale for the third time? Looks like the Neo-people are throwing Biden under the political bus for failing to do anything substantive re fishing boats taking respite on sandy shoal Arguably, China has N Korea and America has the old Philippines elite who are fearful as they lost relative economic power against the incoming elite aligned with the Returning Sovereign; American MSM is spearheading the move to turn Philippines into a N Korea ... arguably :0) Oddly, if it is a strategy and not idiocy then swarming accomplishes nothing; they were doing this in consonance with claim of traditional fishing. Chinese were doing this in 1s, 2s and 3s. Coming and going fishing makes no claim of possession per se; it is only when Chinese… https://t.co/CgdqR7ab9a — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 4, 2021 bloomberg.com Philippines Warns China of Daily Protests If ‘Militia’ Stays Andreo Calonzo 4 April 2021, 16:10 GMT+8 The Philippines warned Beijing it would face a barrage of diplomatic protests if Chinese vessels believed to be part of a “maritime militia” do not leave disputed South China Sea areas, escalating the spat between the two nations. “For every day of delay, the Republic of the Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Monday. It also repeated its call for the Chinese vessels to immediately withdraw from Whitsun Reef, which it maintained is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The latest statement came after China said on April 3 the waters had been “a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen for many years” and it was “completely normal” for the vessels to “take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions.” China pledged to safeguard peace and said it hoped Philippine officials would “avoid any unprofessional remarks which may further fan irrational emotions.” The Foreign Ministry in Beijing didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on the latest Philippine statement. The presence of China’s vessels near the reef shows Beijing’s intent to occupy more disputed areas, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement Sunday. China has “done this before” in other contested areas like Scarborough Shoal and is “brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty,” Lorenzana said. He was reacting to a statement from China’s embassy in Manila, which on Saturday described waters around the Whitsun Reef -- where hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted early last month -- as “traditional fishing grounds” and “part of China’s Nansha Islands.” The embassy’s statement “contained blatant falsehoods,” the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said, citing its 2016 international arbitration victory against Beijing. The agency also reminded Chinese embassy officials that they are guests who must respect Philippine officials. Philippines Says China ‘Militia’ Spreads to Other Disputed Reefs The latest in global politicsGet insight from reporters around the world in the Balance of Power newsletter. The remarks from the Defense and Foreign Affairs Departments signal a tougher stance from the Philippines government, which had initially issued a formal diplomatic protest to China saying the ships raised concerns on overfishing and safety of navigation. In a separate statement on Saturday, Lorenzana also refuted China’s earlier response that those vessels were sheltering from the wind, saying the weather in the area has been good. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin separately said on Sunday that he is “considering a demarche” following the Chinese Embassy’s claim that Whitsun Reef is part of China’s territory. He also said on Twitter that “swarming accomplishes nothing.” The Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte, has in recent years been building friendly ties with China while keeping its alliance with the U.S. The Biden administration in late March expressed concerns over the presence of Chinese fishing vessels near the disputed reef, saying Beijing uses “maritime militia to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations.” — With assistance by Ditas B Lopez (Updates with China statement in third paragraph) Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. LEARN MORE

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (169937)	4/6/2021 3:45:45 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 219845

Full dress rehearsal likely shall be the Diaoyu island The article and articles of same ilk always note <<Japan laying claim to the islands since 1895>> ... but never ever mention with whom did Japan lay the claim to. It is not as if the matter is a secret en.wikipedia.org The positions of all the claimants are hard. Should be interesting, the sorting out. Wondering how many fleets of fishing boats the parties shall throw at the problem. By reading the map, the islands might belong to Taiwan, and no administration of Taiwan would survive an episode of giving up the claim. OTOH, the islands are within reach of PRC truck bombs designated DF17, DF21, and DF26, and are at the extreme edge of PRC land-launched Russian S400 anti-air missiles, and under full-wrap protection by rare earths protocol. Very complicated simple situation, and no local population to vote as yet. The article is silly, given that Japan could not even hold on to a kidnapped fishing boat captain, and therefore shooting several seem ambitious. Of course no telling what Neo people shall try. So, as noted earlier, need not worry about Taiwan and such as yet. zerohedge.com Japan Poised To Allow Coast Guard To Fire On Chinese Vessels In New Legislation New legislation being considered that would radically alter current Japan Coast Guard policy toward how it engages foreign vessels in Japan's waters could inadvertently hurl the region toward a hot conflict involving China. The new proposed law comes at a moment of more frequent and heightened incidents between Chinese and Japanese vessels around the contested Senkaku islands near Taiwan (and which happen to also be claimed as Taiwan's). Currently Japan doesn't have a mechanism which would activate its Self-Defense Forces in any entanglement with Chinese fishermen landing on the islands, which might escalate to involve Chinse military patrols. But that could change, especially after Beijing recently allowed its own coast guard to be militarized at a moment it attempts to stave off regional rivals' claims to islands in the East and South China Seas. Tokyo is preparing to beef up is own ability for an immediate and rapid response, as Nikkei details of the new legislation: "The Japanese government says the Police Duties Execution Act allows ships to fire on vessels to halt an unauthorized landing," Further it explains, "If the police or coast guard is unable to mount an adequate response, then a phone call and a snap decision by the Cabinet would mobilize the Self-Defense Forces to a police operation." Via Japan Coast Guard/NY TimesAnd here's more on why Japan considers the beefing up of its rules of engagement necessary, according to Nikkei: Unconvinced, LDP lawmakers involved in defense policy last week put together a proposal for legislation that "fills the gap." The document calls for amending Japan's coast guard law. The changes would allow coast guard vessels, within the bounds of international law, to use arms against foreign ships that refuse to comply with expulsion orders. The caucus is also pushing for rules that would allow the deployment of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force to remote islands in advance to cut down on the response time in the event of a hostile situation. It would take current potential conflict situations that previously were dubbed 'gray-zone' matters - which fall short of allowing for hostile engagement - and would effectively allow for the weaponization of the coast guard to stave off a surprise takeover of an island (such as in the Senkakus). Senkakus, known in China as the Diaoyu IslandsThe Nikkei report describes that one common emerging view among Japanese officials is that China is indeed preparing to dramatically scale-up its presence in the Senkakus and other contested islands in a bid to assert control. This, the report says, is likely to lead to a "nightmare scenario" for the Japan Coast Guard, which goes something like this: A Chinese fishing boat breaks down near Japan's Senkaku Islands. China, which claims the islands and calls them the Diaoyu, instructs its own coast guard to protect the boat. The fishermen land on one of the islands to wait for repair parts, ignoring warnings by Japan. Amid tension and confusion, alarmed China coast guard personnel start firing at their Japanese counterparts. Amid repeated Chinese incursions in waters near the Senkakus, such scenarios are not out of the question any more. Discussions within Japan's ruling party have reignited regarding the need for legislation that explicitly lays out the rules of engagement in such cases. China has spent years warning Tokyo over the islands which have been contested for over a century, with the United States officially recognizing Japan's claims over the uninhabited islands, and with Biden previously reiterating America's commitment to protective them in accord with Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty. [url=][/url] Despite Japan laying claim to the islands since 1895 China began strongly reasserting claims especially in the 1970s, triggering a crisis which became more acute after in 2012 when Japan's government purchased three of the disputed islands from a private owner. The area is considered potentially resource-rich, including likely oil and gas reserves, along with being considered excellent fishing grounds and close to key shipping lanes.