Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (09-08-2014)

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 19 Dec 2014 16:30

deejay, in fact, I would say that it is the Vietnamese who have been working very hard on this matter. The countries bordering the Champa Sea look forward to India's leadership in containing the hegemony of and harassment by China. Projection of naval power by India is very important. China will have 78 sub-surface platforms by c. 2020 and this will equal the American numbers (though not in quality or seamanship), what will we have? We neglected, at a great peril for ourselves and the region, our Navy, especially the submarine arm. The Hainan underground pen for the Chinese SSBNs at the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin is a source of great threat. By c. 2020, China would be able to project sea power into Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean and that would tie in with their Maritime Silk Route as well.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 19 Dec 2014 16:36

RajeshA wrote:. . . I think the first countries to bring on board should be Vietnam and Philippines.

I agree. Perhaps, Singapore could play a very quiet role too.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 19 Dec 2014 16:44

Published on Nov 06, 2014
By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung
Singapore troops in China cast cloud on Taiwan military ties: Taipei Times

The 40-year cooperation between the Republic of China Army and the Singapore Army may be at risk after the city-state sent 70 soldiers to China to an eight-day joint exercise with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday.

The Singaporean soldiers sent to China are from “Project Starlight,” an agreement reached between former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and then-Singaporean prime minister Lee Kwan Yew (李光耀) in 1974 and ratified in 1975 under which Taiwan’s military helps train Singaporean troops in the so-called Starlight Exercises.

The government will closely monitor the joint exercises between the PLA and the Singaporean troops, the Ministry of National Defense said.

Whether the presence of the city-state’s troops at the Chinese military exercise signifies the termination of the Starlight agreement or that Singapore is changing partners from Taiwan to China remains to be seen, the ministry said.

To date, the Singaporean government has not made any changes to the pact and is continuing joint training with Taiwan, it added.

The ministry said it would try to ascertain whether the exercises with China are a one-off event, or if they represent the beginning of normalized joint military training between the two countries.

Ministry officials said that while the Singapore Army joined anti-terrorism exercises with China in 2009 and 2010, there was a significant difference between those drills and a string of recent ones.

Ministry officials said there has been a subtle shift in Singapore’s policy that has seen its army increase dialogue with its Chinese counterpart. The two sides conducted a joint military exercise in April, another in August and in September, the Singapore Army sent a company of troops to conduct joint exercises in the PLA’s Nanjing Military District, they said.

In addition to the increasing familiarity between the Singaporean and Chinese armies, the ministry said the Republic of Singapore Navy has also been reaching out to its Chinese counterpart.

According to the ministry, the Republic of Singapore Navy had sent one of its Formidable-class frigates — a derivative of the French Lafayette class — to attend an exercise with China, adding that as the Formidable-class is an upgraded Lafayette derivative equivalent to the Republic of China Navy’s Kang Ting-class, this interaction could affect future upgrades of the Taiwanese frigates.

The RSS Formidable attended a multinational naval exercise off Qingdao, China, in April, while the RSS Steadfast visited the People’s Liberation Army Navy South Sea Fleet.

The ministry said the nation’s Kang Ting-class frigates are nearing the time for crucial upgrades, which include increasing their vertical missile launch systems and replacing the MIM-72 Chaparral missiles they carry with domestically manufactured Sky Sword II missiles.

The Sky Sword II anti-aircraft missile system can be carried by platforms across all the military’s branches. The Chaparral missiles were originally made to be surface-launched anti-aircraft missiles and were developed by the US Army.

The possibility of China increasing its familiarity with Lafayette-class ships through interaction with Singapore’s Formidable-class vessels is a huge factor in determining if Taiwan’s navy will maintain its current upgrade plans or seek alternatives, the ministry said.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 19 Dec 2014 16:49

SSridhar wrote:
RajeshA wrote:. . . I think the first countries to bring on board should be Vietnam and Philippines.
I agree. Perhaps, Singapore could play a very quiet role too.

A coincidence is that the capital of Chams, the Ārya Kingdom in Vietnam, was Simhapura, the same as the name of Singapore, Simhapura.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 19 Dec 2014 17:07

SSridhar wrote:deejay, in fact, I would say that it is the Vietnamese who have been working very hard on this matter. The countries bordering the Champa Sea look forward to India's leadership in containing the hegemony of and harassment by China. Projection of naval power by India is very important. China will have 78 sub-surface platforms by c. 2020 and this will equal the American numbers (though not in quality or seamanship), what will we have? We neglected, at a great peril for ourselves and the region, our Navy, especially the submarine arm. The Hainan underground pen for the Chinese SSBNs at the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin is a source of great threat. By c. 2020, China would be able to project sea power into Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean and that would tie in with their Maritime Silk Route as well.

India has definitely come late to the party but I believe since the new NDA govt a definite emphasis on Vietnam has been on display. Presently, there is a lot we will have to do to convince the Vietnamese that our days of fence sitting are over.

On the whole cooperation with ASEAN and far-east countries issue, what is encouraging SoKo to ask India for a pro active role may be our own recent initiative with both Australia and Japan.

As an additional effort from our side we may look at sending positive vibes for the pro - democracy supporters of Hong Kong though as of now it seems the Chinese have a fair grip on the protests.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 19 Dec 2014 17:37

deejay wrote:As an additional effort from our side we may look at sending positive vibes for the pro - democracy supporters of Hong Kong though as of now it seems the Chinese have a fair grip on the protests.

I think we should remain distant from all this "democracy" pushing. That is a Western-led agenda, with their own people on the ground, doing the organization and public relations. Let them do it.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 19 Dec 2014 18:42

Tibets and the Khampas. The Chams and the Champa sea. Nothing belongs to China.

Let there be peace.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Dec 2014 12:00

Australia wants a ‘quadrilateral dialogue’ - Suhasini Haider, The Hindu

Australia had formally requested for a “quadrilateral dialogue” with the intent of joining the “India-U.S.-Japan” trilateral talks as part of the “Asia dialogue” that has been going on all week, sources say. The country wanted to join the Indo-U.S. ‘Malabar’ naval exercises annually, along with Japan.

The request was reportedly made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in November and the issue may raise “tripwires over the China factor,” according to some officials.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Dec 2014 12:02

deejay wrote: . . .India has definitely come late to the party . . . On the whole cooperation with ASEAN and far-east countries issue, what is encouraging SoKo to ask India for a pro active role may be our own recent initiative with both Australia and Japan.

Let me post a more detailed reply in a day or two. I have to collect thoughts and find some time.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Dec 2014 14:22

China sets stage for Silk Road extension into South East Asia - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China is setting the stage for linking southeast Asia with its New Silk Road initiative, through a railway corridor that would connect the country’s Yunan province with Thailand and Laos.

China’s visiting Prime Minister Li Keqiang is expected to sign an agreement with Thailand on setting up two strategic dual-track lines covering 734 km and 133 km. Once completed, these lines will connect Bangkok with Thailand’s Nong Khai and Rayong provinces. Mr. Li is in Thailand to participate in the meeting of leaders of Mekong River region countries — Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The new railway project “will offer a new channel for bilateral trade, and also help form a potentially-lucrative tourist route starting from China’s Yunnan province, to Laos’ Vientiane and Thailand’s Bangkok,” said Huang Bin of Thailand’s Kasikorn Research Center, as quoted by Xinhua.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has earlier said that the railway tie ups with Beijing were meant to amplify China’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been relentless in pushing for a Silk Road Economic Belt — a giant project that would connect Asia with Europe along the Eurasian corridor through rail, road, fiber optic highways and energy pipelines.

Analysts point out that the growing ties between China and Thailand are not accidental. Beijing is apparently cashing on the sourness that has developed between Thailand and West following a military coup on May 22.

The military takeover in Bangkok was apparently prompted by the death of 30 people in sporadic violence that encompassed protests against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Gen. Prayut is now expected to visit Beijing next week.

Chinese academics are pointing out that the infrastructure gaps in southeast Asia, which would be revealed during the conference, will highlight the potential of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a China-sponsored initiative.

It is expected that participating countries in Bangkok will further pursue the scope of the AIIB in developing infrastructure in the region.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Dec 2014 07:33

Colombo opposition takes anti-China stand - Meera Srinivasan, The Hindu

Amidst concern in India over the growing Chinese presence in Sri Lanka, the joint opposition platform here has begun questioning China’s role in the island nation ahead of the January 8 presidential election.

Earlier this week, leader of the United National Party (UNP) and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe pledged to scrap the $1.34-billion Chinese-funded Colombo Port City Project, citing threats to the environment, once the joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena comes to power.

Beijing’s investments

The port city — Sri Lanka’s largest single foreign investment inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September — is being built alongside an existing Chinese-built container terminal, visible from Colombo’s famous Galle Face green stretch. China, as per the agreement with Sri Lanka, will gain ownership of a third of the nearly 580 acres of reclaimed land where the port city is to come up.

Recently, Champika Ranawaka — leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya or National Heritage Party, a party predominantly of Buddhist clergy — had warned that Sri Lanka was heading towards bankruptcy due to heavy reliance on borrowing from other countries.

In an interview to a local daily, the former Minister said the cost of many of the Chinese-funded projects in Sri Lanka, including the expressway connecting Colombo city to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, was overestimated. Critiquing President Rajapaksa’s development projects, he said: “The south of the country will be given away to China and the North to India.”

India vis-a-vis China

On Friday, Mr. Sirisena in his election manifesto said his government would maintain equal relations with India and China, as if to allay fears over Sri Lanka’s apparent tilt towards China.

On the joint opposition upping its anti-China rhetoric ahead of polls, foreign policy commentator and former diplomat Dayan Jayatilleka said it was a “crude attempt” to secure New Delhi’s support.

It was, he said, with a utilitarian purpose of “seeing whether the decision-making circle in New Delhi, equidistant as it is at the moment, would tilt in favour of the joint opposition.”

Irrespective of the party in power, Sri Lanka has historically had good relations with China, recognising the need to have support from a big power, Mr. Jayatilleka said, with a few exceptions on the part of the UNP. The current idea, however, may backfire for the joint opposition, he said, if sections of voters fear that the dramatically large projects may be halted. “Voters may regard China as the patron of the ruling family,” he said.

Explaining his leader’s comments, UNP spokesman on economic affairs Harsha de Silva said the party had nothing against China, but was critical of the lack of transparency in how the projects were carried out {But, that is the Chinese tactic in order to get their foothold in these small countries} along with “those close to the regime”.

Pointing to findings stated in Mr. Ranawaka’s recent publication on the Sri Lankan economy, Mr. De Silva said a benchmark of $600,000 was set as the cost of constructing a kilometre of railway line in the country.

Tilt toward India?

While India’s IRCON was executing it in the island’s north at a cost of $2.5 million per km “with additional features”, a Chinese firm was constructing railway lines in the south at a cost of $10.5 million, he said.

“In all these mega deals, the loans come from a Chinese bank. The question we are asking is, can such huge costs be justified?” UNP parliamentarian asked.

The joint platform, he said, was for a strong economic bond with India to leverage its huge market. Given the geographic proximity to India, “Sri Lanka should become the gateway to India,” he said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Dec 2014 08:42

U.S. asks China to help on North Korean cyberattacks - Japan Times

The United States has asked China to help block cyberattacks from North Korea as it weighs a response to the crippling hack of Sony Pictures, a U.S. official said Saturday.

“We have discussed this issue with the Chinese to share information, express our concerns about this attack and to ask for their cooperation,” a senior U.S. administration official said.

The U.S. blames the isolated state for the hacking, which prompted the cancellation of the Christmas Day release of “The Interview,” a madcap romp about a CIA plot to kill leader Kim Jong Un that infuriated the North.

North Korea called Saturday for a joint investigation with the U.S. into the crippling attack on Sony, denouncing Washington’s “slandering” after President Barack Obama warned Pyongyang of retaliation.

China is North Korea’s closet ally and has long-standing influence with the leaders of the hermit state.

The U.S. administration official said that in “our cybersecurity discussions, both China and the United States have expressed the view that conducting destructive attacks in cyberspace is outside the norms of appropriate cyberbehavior.”

The U.S. and China last year set up a special panel to discuss cybersecurity.

But earlier this year, in an unprecedented move Washington charged five members of a shadowy Chinese military unit with hacking U.S. companies to winkle out their trade secrets.

In the first-ever prosecution of state actors over cyberespionage, a federal U.S. grand jury indicted the five on charges of breaking into U.S. computers to benefit Chinese state-owned companies, leading to job losses in the United States in steel, solar and other industries. The five remain at large.

It is unclear how the United States will choose to retaliate against North Korea.

Addressing reporters after the FBI said Pyongyang was to blame, Obama said Washington would never bow to “some dictator.”

“We can confirm that North Korea engaged in this attack,” Obama said. “We will respond. We will respond proportionately and we’ll respond in a place and time and manner that we choose.”

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 21 Dec 2014 19:04

SSridhar wrote:
Explaining his leader’s comments, UNP spokesman on economic affairs Harsha de Silva said the party had nothing against China, but was critical of the lack of transparency in how the projects were carried out {But, that is the Chinese tactic in order to get their foothold in these small countries} along with “those close to the regime”.

In the "Shame" way China is trying to interfere in Nicaragua currently. The dubious canal and Wang the HK billionaire. He promised that McK, ERM and other prestigious consulting firms are working on reports and everything is environmentally safe etc etc. Also mentioned something to this effect: "I have told my men that they will be banished from the history books of Nicaragua if they pollute the Cocibolca". Heh. I never knew that this statement is enough to capture the pop and try to start a canal.

Grande Canal starts in a few days or so they claim. The show goes on. One thing to always remember: try China and Chinese stuff with a ton of salt.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Dec 2014 10:44

China sources say military building facilities on islands near Senkakus

China’s military is building large-scale base facilities on islands near the Senkaku Islands, several Chinese sources said Sunday.

Construction is underway in the Nanji Islands in Zhejiang Province, lying about 300 km to the northwest of the Japanese-administered, uninhabited Senkakus in the East China Sea. China calls the islands Diaoyu.

The base is expected to enhance China’s readiness to respond to potential military crises in the region as well as to strengthen surveillance over the air defense identification zone it declared over part of the East China Sea in November last year, the sources said.

According to the sources, several large radar installations have been built at high points on the main Nanji Island. Several landing strips have been paved, likely for use by aircraft based on warships or patrol vessels, and more landing strips are set to be built on an island adjacent to Nanji Island from around next year.

As the archipelago of 52 islands and islets is located about 100 km closer to the Senkakus than Okinawa’s main island, home to bases of the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, the new base is likely to shake up Japan-U.S. security strategies relating to the Senkakus’ defense.

The continued expansion of China’s interests in the East China Sea comes after Japan-China relations, tainted by territorial and wartime historical issues, were somewhat thawed by a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in November.

Military expansion may necessitate the relocation of the roughly 2,500 civilians who live in the archipelago, most engaged in fishing, as well as the restriction of tourism at the summer vacation spot.

UNESCO listed 15 of the islands as a biosphere reserve in 1998, reflecting the diversity of the archipelago’s marine life.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Dec 2014 10:45

On the re-naming of the South China Sea, I realize that the intrepid Vietnamese have been calling it the East Sea for a long time.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Dec 2014 19:05

Japan, Australia, US start new era with F-35 service agreement

The U.S. decision for Japan and Australia to host the Asia-Pacific service hubs for the F-35 stealth jets marks a new phase in their trilateral cooperation on military equipment and maintenance.

"This is a meaningful development when considering securing a support system for the F-35s, maintaining the foundations of our domestic defense industry and strengthening Japan's alliance with the U.S.," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told the press on Thursday.

The high-tech F-35 fighters were developed jointly by the U.S. and the U.K., among other contributors, and will be acquired in the Asia-Pacific by Japan, Australia and South Korea. The hub in Australia will service aircraft in the southern Pacific, while the one in Japan will handle jets in the northern Pacific.

Both locations with the ability to repair and update the fighters' airframe will open by early 2018. Australia will also start providing engine maintenance around that time, followed by Japan three to five years later. The three countries will communicate closely over service information for the F-35s to prepare for any emergencies in the region.

Japan also hopes to acquire cutting-edge technology through maintenance of the stealth fighters, such as on body design and engines with low-heat signatures. The Defense Ministry is mulling developing stealth fighters domestically, and is looking to build up know-how on basic design and necessary features.

In addition, Japan and the U.S. are considering involvement in Australia's next-generation submarines. Japan could contribute to developing the body, including the engine, while the U.S. could provide expertise on information systems and weaponry such as torpedoes.

The three countries issued a joint statement at a November summit pledging to strengthen their security cooperation, such as in joint military exercises and defense equipment. They are looking to expand cooperation beyond traditional areas such as joint military drills and disaster relief.

(Nikkei)

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 23 Dec 2014 00:54

SSridhar wrote:On the re-naming of the South China Sea, I realize that the intrepid Vietnamese have been calling it the East Sea for a long time.

It is just that nobody in the world would adopt that nomenclature. "East Sea" could be anywhere, to the East of any land on Earth. They need a better name.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Dec 2014 05:08

China offers to help Russia...and wean the world off the dollar
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-s-g ... 22063.html

It’s been a tough year for Russia. The sliding ruble, plunging oil prices and economic sanctions have all cut a swathe through the economy. China, Russia’s biggest economic partner is now offering to help. Think of it as an olive branch filled with yuan leaves. Henry Blodget says this is an example of the changing global economy: “The world is realigning. This is the big picture. China is getting stronger and stronger. Russia is in trouble.” Don’t tell that to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin doesn’t consider his country’s current economic state as a crisis and he remains defiant that the Ruble will bounce back.China and Russia are both trying to decrease dependence on the U.S. dollar in international trading. In October, the countries agreed on a $24 billion currency swap to strengthen the ruble and make trading easier between the two partners.Perhaps, not looking to offend Putin, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says they would only help Russia, if they needed it and that he believes Russia has the wherewithal to get out from under its problems. Blodget disagrees and sees some bumpy roads ahead: “You’re going to get destabilization. China and Russia are cozying up. China is playing it both ways. Saying not too much help here and keeping their options open.”China and Russia both need each other. Earlier this year China signed a 30-year $400 billion deal to buy Russian gas and shore up their energy supplies. Western economic sanctions placed on Russia after its meddling in the Ukraine have also forced the country to import more from China. China’s exports to Russia are up over 10% from last year.Russia’s struggles are also a prime opportunity for China to showcase its economic prowess. China’s buying power and global emergence is altering the global landscape. “This idea that the U.S. and Europe control the whole world is starting to change,” says Blodget. Look for China to continue to find ways to assert its economic power in the coming year.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Dec 2014 08:06

Jhujar wrote:China offers to help Russia...and wean the world off the dollar
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-s-g ... 22063.html

Look for China to continue to find ways to assert its economic power in the coming year[/b].

In fact, many believe that China's goal is to 'Finlandize' most countries around it, if not all of them, so that the countries would be nominally free but totally under the control of China. Normally, this process applies to smaller countries around a big, powerful one as it happened to Finland from USSR. Russia, though big and powerful and technologically superior to China in the military-industrial complex and in terms of natural resources especially energy, is falling on bad ways and is coming to the mercy of China unfortunately. The policies of the West led by the US are actually counterproductive becuase they are driving Russia deeper into Chinese hands.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Dec 2014 08:23

More China make moves like this toward Moscow, more India become relevant and important to balance PRC. Japan, SOKO, Philippine , Vietnam, Indonesia ,Singapore , all refuse to be Finnlands of China. With little support from India plus Massa, they will remain independent of China. China wont be able to evolve to become Dragon and remain Serpent till it settle with India.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 23 Dec 2014 10:46

China carried out a long-range missile flight test on Saturday using multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs, according to U.S. defense officials.

The flight test Saturday of a new DF-41 missile, China’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, marks the first test of multiple warhead capabilities for China, officials told the Washington Free Beacon.

China has been known to be developing multiple-warhead technology, which it obtained from the United States illegally in the 1990s.

However, the Dec. 13 DF-41 flight test, using an unknown number of inert maneuvering warheads, is being viewed by U.S. intelligence agencies as a significant advance for China’s strategic nuclear forces and part of a build-up that is likely to affect the strategic balance of forces.

China’s nuclear arsenal is estimated to include around 240 very large warheads. That number is expected to increase sharply as the Chinese deploy new multiple-warhead missiles.

The current deployed U.S. strategic warhead arsenal includes 1,642 warheads. All 450 Minuteman III missiles have been modified to no longer carry MIRVs. However, Trident II submarine-launched missiles can carry up to 14 MIRVs per missile.

Additionally, the development of China’s multiple warhead technology was assisted by illegal transfers of technology from U.S. companies during the Clinton administration, according to documents and officials familiar with the issue.

“The DF-41, which could be deployed as early as 2015, may carry up to 10 MIRVs, and have a maximum range as far as 7,456 miles, allowing it to target the entire continental United States,” the report said. “In addition, some sources claim China has modified the DF–5 and the DF–31A to be able to carry MIRVs.”

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-2 ... merican-se

WOW.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2014 11:20

Myanmar: protester shot dead - AFP, The Hindu

A woman protesting against a controversial Chinese-backed copper mine in Myanmar has been shot dead, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, announcing an investigation into how police handled the latest clash at the site.

The woman, believed to be in her 50s, was gunned down on Monday when the police opened fire as protesters tried to stop workers from erecting fences near Letpadaung mine in the northwestern town of Monywa.

“We see it as a sad moment because a woman died during this conflict,” Information Minister Ye Htut told AFP.

He said police had opened fire but did not immediately confirm that their bullets killed the woman.

The Minister said he believed some protesters had used slingshots to attack workers at the mine and had briefly detained 10 members of staff. — AFP

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 24 Dec 2014 11:39

vijaykarthik wrote:
China carried out a long-range missile flight test on Saturday using multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs, according to U.S. defense officials.

The flight test Saturday of a new DF-41 missile, China’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, marks the first test of multiple warhead capabilities for China, officials told the Washington Free Beacon.

China has been known to be developing multiple-warhead technology, which it obtained from the United States illegally in the 1990s.

However, the Dec. 13 DF-41 flight test, using an unknown number of inert maneuvering warheads, is being viewed by U.S. intelligence agencies as a significant advance for China’s strategic nuclear forces and part of a build-up that is likely to affect the strategic balance of forces.

China’s nuclear arsenal is estimated to include around 240 very large warheads. That number is expected to increase sharply as the Chinese deploy new multiple-warhead missiles.

The current deployed U.S. strategic warhead arsenal includes 1,642 warheads. All 450 Minuteman III missiles have been modified to no longer carry MIRVs. However, Trident II submarine-launched missiles can carry up to 14 MIRVs per missile.

Additionally, the development of China’s multiple warhead technology was assisted by illegal transfers of technology from U.S. companies during the Clinton administration, according to documents and officials familiar with the issue.

“The DF-41, which could be deployed as early as 2015, may carry up to 10 MIRVs, and have a maximum range as far as 7,456 miles, allowing it to target the entire continental United States,” the report said. “In addition, some sources claim China has modified the DF–5 and the DF–31A to be able to carry MIRVs.”

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-2 ... merican-se

WOW.

Wow, what?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2014 12:57

Sino-India ties set to soar after roller coaster 2014

Sino-India relations experienced both highs and lows in 2014 which saw President Xi Jinping's visit to India amid concerns over Chinese border incursions but bilateral ties are set to soar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slated trip to Beijing in the coming months.

Modi is expected to make a high-profile visit here in the next few months following up on September trip of President Xi to India during which the two countries signed several agreements including setting up of two industrial parks in India with $20 billion Chinese investment besides cooperation to modernise Indian railways.

He is expected to formally inaugurate a new route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim which would for the first time enable Indian pilgrims to travel to highly popular religious places by buses without undertaking an arduous journey by trekking or on mules.

Indian Ambassador to China, Ashok K Kantha accompanied by top Chinese officials has already made a tour of Tibet to finalise the arrangements before Prime Minister's visit here.

This year has ended on a positive note with an Indian railways team holding comprehensive talks with Chinese counterparts on conducting a feasibility study of the high speed rail line between Delhi and Chennai besides track up-gradation.

India currently is considering two corridors for high speed trains. While Japan is conducting a feasibility study for the bullet train project on the Mumbai-Ahmadabad corridor, China will do the same for the Delhi-Chennai route which is expected to begin by early next year.

If it materialises, the Indian bullet train project is a major gain for China which is making an aggressive pitch to market its high speed train technology outside the country.

Besides the high speed train, India and China have agreed to cooperate to identify the technical inputs required to increase speeds on the existing railway line from Chennai to Mysore via Bangalore.

All these projects are expected to take shape during Modi's visit, including the operationalisation of the two industrial corridors that China has agreed to set up in Gujarat and Maharashtra with an investment of $20 billion.

India is asking China to step up investments as a measure to address the trade deficit which averages around $35 billion a year. Last year the trade volume reached $66.47 billion with balance heavily tilted in China's favour.

More importantly, the two sides are preparing to hold the 18th round of boundary talks to be conducted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the newly appointed Special Representative for Sino-India border talks, and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

The talks are expected to be held in the next few weeks, well ahead of Modi's visit.

Doval succeeded former NSA Shivshankar Menon, who during a visit here this month said all the spade work needed for the resolution of the boundary dispute has been done and the two countries can quickly resolve it as India and China have governments with strong mandates to reach an agreement.

Are these to be taken as contributing to the 'soaring' of India-China relationship?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2014 13:27

Hawkish Gen Nakatani to be new Japan defence minister - govt spokesman - Straits Times

Gen Nakatani has been named Japan's new defence minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.

Nakatani, 57, a former defence minister, is in favour of Japan having the ability to hit enemy bases pre-emptively in the face of imminent attack.

He replaces Akinori Eto, who faced questions over his use of political funds.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2014 13:33

South Korea seeks China's cooperation in probe into cyberattack on nuclear operator

South Korea is seeking the cooperation of Chinese authorities in a probe into a cyberattack on its nuclear power plant operator after tracing multiple Internet addresses to a northeastern Chinese city, a prosecution official said on Wednesday.

The location of the Internet addresses, which were used to connect to a network in South Korea for the attacks, did not prove the source of the hack was China, the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Dec 2014 09:24

China readies sea-based nuclear deterrent against U.S. - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China is set to reinforce its nuclear second-strike capability by mounting on some of its submarines long-range ballistic missiles, which could target the U.S.

So far, China could strike the U.S. only with land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. But with western advancements in surveillance that could track their location and movements, these weapons had become vulnerable to a U.S. first strike, gravely undermining Beijing’s nuclear deterrence.

However, China is on the verge of a course correction, says a report submitted in November to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The commission has concluded that the Chinese are set to acquire a reliable, hard-to-destroy sea-based deterrent.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Dec 2014 17:16

China a likely factor in North Korea cyber prowess: experts - Japan Times

North Korea may be facing explosive hacking accusations, but analysts are questioning how an isolated, impoverished country with limited Internet access could wage cybersabotage — and many experts believe China plays a role.

The U.S. has accused Pyongyang of hacking Sony Pictures, which was intimidated into initially canceling the comedy film “The Interview” that mocks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, before deciding to release it online and in selected U.S. cinemas on Christmas Day.

While much of the focus has been on the so-called cyberwarfare between Washington and Pyongyang — especially after North Korea’s Internet temporarily went down — many analysts speculate China is a necessary partner in facilitating any attack by the North.

“North Korea’s cybercapacity relies on Chinese support in terms of both hardware and software,” Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP.

“Through this support the Chinese can maintain a certain level of control, he added.

“They want to maintain that position, so they won’t pull their support because of the hacking scandal.”

Experts say telecommunications giant China Unicom provides and maintains all Internet links with the North, and some estimate that thousands of North Korean hackers operate on Chinese soil.

Pyongyang angrily insisted that it had nothing to do with the theft and leaking of Sony company secrets or threats against moviegoers, and was silent on why its Internet went down for hours this week.

Attention has also turned to North Korea's ability to mount such an attack from its territory, given its limited cyber infrastructure.

“The capacity of the Internet connection in North Korea is very poor, given the number of IP addresses in the country,” Masahiko Iimura, spokesman of Tokyo-based cybersecurity service company LAC, told AFP.

The number of Internet protocol (IP) addresses — which correlates with the number of online devices — in North Korea is believed to be just over 1,000 ,compared with 1.5 billion in the United States and 200 million in Japan, he added.

The population of North Korea is about 25 million.

Nonetheless, North Korea has an estimated 6,000 hackers, according to Lim Jong-in, a cyberexpert at Korea University’s Center for Information Security Technologies, who described it as “one of the world’s top five countries” in cyberwarfare capability.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Dec 2014 17:23

China urges Japan to pursue peaceful path under new defense chief - Japan Times

China on Thursday called on Japan to pursue “peaceful development” under its new defense minister as tensions simmer over a territorial dispute and wartime history.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday appointed Gen Nakatani, 57, to replace Akinori Eto at the defense portfolio after Eto declined reappointment in the midst of a political funding scandal.

Nakatani headed the defense agency — later upgraded to a ministry — in 2001-2002 and is said to agree with Abe on the need for the nation to beef up its national security.

“It is our position that whoever serves as the defense minister of Japan, the Japanese side should follow the path of peaceful development,” Chinese defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a monthly briefing.

Yang also asked Japan to implement a bilateral agreement reached in November aimed at improving strained ties.

rajrang · Post by **rajrang** » 26 Dec 2014 22:14

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 652472.cms

India should respond aggressively, by quietly/secretly encouraging the US and NATO to "get into" Nepal and S Lanka - possibly establishing air and naval bases etc. India should not fall into the trap of countering China alone given China's much greater economic power. If India tries to go it alone, then it can result in embarrassment and set backs similar to the weaker SU relative to the much stronger NATO during the cold war.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 26 Dec 2014 22:31

Or we can just let Nepal form alliance with India directly. As such, after Nepal Civil war and demise of Nepal royal rule as Hindu rule, till now the revolutionaries are not able to form a coherent book of constitution while the Hindu population has reduced to about 80%. Inviting NATO will only make it worse for Nepalis.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 27 Dec 2014 05:36

China raises Nepal aid 5-fold to compete with India - Saibal Dasgupta, ToI

In what appears to be a straight competition for influence with India, China has increased its official aid to Nepal by more than five times. China has also promised to build electricity infrastructure in Nepal worth $1.6 billion to counter an Indian offer of soft loan for the power sector.

Chinese aid to the Himalayan nation will rise from the present level of $24 million to $128 million in 2015-16. The announcement came after talks between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and his Nepali counterpart Mahendra Bahadur Pandey in Kathmandu on Friday.

Besides, Beijing is building a police academy for Nepal as a special gift. This is probably because Nepalese police help control the flow of Tibetan refugees trying to enter India through Nepal.

"As neighbors China and Nepal have common security needs ... we need to work together to crack down on illegal border crossings and transnational crimes," Wang said.

Nepali elite have for sometime complained that India has taken its relationship with the country for granted, and has not done enough to meet its development aspirations. China appears to be filling in the gap besides competing with Indian companies in Nepal's power sector.

India has announced a $1 billion soft loan to built the country's infrastructure including power projects. Nepal's hydropower sector has a potential to generate up to 42,000MW of electricity.

China has responding with a $1.6 billion power project, which will be built by the government-owned Three Gorges International Corp over the Seti River in western Nepal. It is expected to generate 750MW of electricity.

"Nepal has power shortages and electricity is essential for Nepal's efforts to industrialize, to create more jobs, to build its capacity in independent development and to raise quality of lives of its people," Wang told reporters in Katmandu, Nepal's capital.

Relationship between the two neighbors is expected to further intensify as Chinese president Xi Jinping is due to visit the Himalayan nation next year.

Direct train connection from Nepal to Tibet in China is expected to become a reality in a year or so. China has begun extending the Tibet rail line in the 167km stretch from Lahsa and Xigaze, which brings it closer to the Nepal border.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Dec 2014 09:27

Protests against China-backed mining project - The Hindu

Around 500 people, including dozens of Buddhist monks, protested near the Chinese consulate in Myanmar’s central city of Mandalay on Saturday demanding the closure of a flashpoint copper mine.

It was the largest protest since the fatal shooting of a woman demonstrating against the Letpadaung mine in the town of Monywa — a Chinese backed venture dogged by complaints of land grabbing and environmental damage.

— AFP

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 01 Jan 2015 04:15

Will 2015 be the year of the dragon? - G.Parthasarathy, Business Line

The year 2014 ended with China not so covertly seeking and obtaining a measure of support for its attempts to gatecrash into Saarc during the Kathmandu summit in November. New Delhi will now face sustained attempts from Sri Lanka and Nepal, trying to enhance Chinese influence and power across India’s land and maritime frontiers.

Sri Lanka is headed for presidential elections on January 8 and Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has served notice that he is determined to adopt a new constitution by January 22, whether or not there is parliamentary consensus on its provisions.

Koirala is evidently ready to use the huge majority in the legislature that he and his coalition partners, the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML), command, brushing aside demands from the Madhesi people who are looking for a federal set-up which reflects the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the country.

Sri Lankan tilt

On India’s eastern Indian Ocean shores, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse has sought re-election two years before the end of his second term. Rajapakse was swept back to power in 2010 in the wake of the popular upsurge in his favour, after he successfully brought an end to three decades of ethnic conflict, crushing the LTTE and eliminating its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

But the years thereafter have been troublesome domestically for Rajapakse, who has also faced serious international challenges arising from excesses allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the last days of the civil war.

This has led to moves by the US and its western allies to censure Sri Lanka and demand action against those allegedly guilty of killing innocent Tamils.

Rajapakse faces challenges not only from the opposition UNP led by former prime minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, but also from within his own Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), mounted by former president, Chandrika Kumaratunga. The presidential election is being held when Rajapakse’s popularity appears to be waning, with his party candidates recording a distinct fall in their vote share in the recent provincial elections.

Recent communal violence directed at Muslims by the Buddhist clergy has raised concerns. There is disappointment among Tamils at the manner in which the Northern Province government has been denied any meaningful powers for governance, contrary to what Rajapakse had assured earlier. All this is creating a situation wherein the president could well lose the support of minority communities constituting 25 per cent of the electorate.

Despite these developments, the Rajapakse family, now holding virtually all key positions in government and the legislature, is a formidable force. This is, moreover, reinforced by a generally submissive and compliant judiciary and a formidable State machinery. It would be unrealistic to presume that they will not be returned to office.

What India cannot overlook is the growing military and economic cooperation that the Rajapakse dispensation has developed with China. Apart from the massive development of Hambantota and Colombo ports, China is now a major player in key sectors such as telecommunications, rail transport, petroleum refineries, offshore oil and gas exploration, power and energy. Such economic cooperation with China is understandable, given western antipathy to the Rajapakse dispensation.

The Pakistan hand

India cannot, however, ignore either the growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, with berthing facilities for Chinese submarines in Colombo twice in recent months, or the enthusiastic backing for Prime Minister Xi Jinping’s proposal for a maritime silk route in the Indian Ocean. A senior Sri Lankan diplomat spoke recently in India about the need for a South Asian security architecture that includes China and the need to admit China to Saarc.

These are issues that India needs to deal with not just bilaterally, but in consultation with Japan, the US and major European powers.

Koirala’s recent moves on facilitating Saarc membership for China are not very different from the direction taken by the Rajapakse government. He has rightly taken note of a gratuitous comment by an errant British ambassador, calling for Nepal to include the “right to change religion” in its constitution, now being drafted. One wonders if British ambassadors in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia would render such gratuitous advice to their host governments.

But what one cannot ignore is a recent report by a senior Nepali journalist that during a recent visit to Nepal, China’s vice-foreign minister Chen Fengxiang argued that Nepal should reject federalism based on ethnicity and language. Like Sri Lanka, Nepal appears to be very keen on China’s admission to Saarc — a proposal that’s been turned down by India.

China’s greater visibility

The driving force behind these moves is China’s ‘all-weather friend’ Pakistan. Moreover, India cannot ignore China’s growing economic and strategic profile within Nepal.

China is now constructing a high altitude railway line from Lhasa to the second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse, located close to the China-Nepal border. A road link from Lhasa to Kathmandu is also under construction. Nepal has also been pressurised by China to clamp down on Tibetan refugees fleeing from persecution.

The time has perhaps come for New Delhi to tell its eastern Saarc neighbours that given Pakistan’s obduracy, India sees very little prospect for economic integration within Saarc. Bilateral economic integration with these neighbours can be reinforced not through Saarc but through Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), which brings together landlocked and coastal South Asian States, across the Bay Bengal, with Asean members, Myanmar and Thailand.

Bimstec should become the key organisation linking and integrating South and Southeast Asia economically.

The writer is a former High Commissioner to Pakistan

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 06 Jan 2015 10:18

Joint New Year Celebration on India-China border - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

Beijing has confirmed that troops from India and China celebrated the New Year together — a step that reinforced confidence of long-term stability along the border.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the joint celebration in the western part of the border had been pre-decided. The gesture showed the determination and willingness of the two sides to strengthen peace and stability in the border area.

The spokesperson said China was confident in maintaining long-term peace along the border based on the series of cooperation and communication mechanisms that the two countries had adopted in recent years.China was willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries to constantly improve and promote relations between the two frontier guards, Ms. Hua said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Jan 2015 12:39

From NightWatch for the night of January 06, 2015

China: On 5 January, a new supply ship set sail from Hainan Island for Sansha in the Paracel Islands on its maiden voyage to China's island territories in the South China Sea. Sansha City on Woody Island is the prefecture center for China's South China Sea territories which fall within the administration of Hainan Province.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that the ship Sansha I is the largest and most advanced ship to supply the islets in the South China Sea, helping with efforts to defend China's "blue territory" and protecting its interests.

"The Sansha I can cover all of the South China Sea and reach more islets and reefs in the remote Zhongsha and Nansha groups," said Feng Wenhai, vice mayor of Sansha City. (Note: Zhongsha includes the Scarborough Shoal. Nansha is the Chinese term for the Spratly Islands.)

Xinhua reported that Sansha I is 122 meters long and 21 meters wide and displaces 7,800 tons. It is a rollon-rolloff ship that can accommodate up to 456 people and carry 20 standard containers. It can cover 6,000 nautical miles without docking and has a top speed of 19 knots. It has a helicopter pad to help in rescue missions.

Comment: China has built a small government town on Woody Island. Its survival depends on regular resupply. The city of Sansha reportedly has four desalinization plants for fresh water, a hotel for tourists, a bar and a café plus a military-grade airstrip. Chinese engineers have steadily enlarged and consolidated the island through reclamation projects. It is the center of Chinese administration of its South China Sea territories.

The significance of the new, more efficient and faster supply ship is that it shows that the Chinese government is serious about enforcing its claim to most of the South China Sea, outlined in the red dotted lines. China rejects international mediation and compromises over conflicting sovereignty claims. Unlike other claimants China continues to take physical actions that demonstrate that it is the rightful and capable owner of a large sea area, its islands and its sea bed resources.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Jan 2015 15:36

China think tank warns of India's new arms potential under PM Narendra Modi - PTI, Economic Times

With India pitching for self- reliance in defence sector, Chinese strategic analysts have cautioned the government about India's new arms potential especially its growing military cooperation with Vietnam and the Philippines in China's backyard.

"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has ambitions to strengthen his country. Keen to ramp up India's economy, Modi launched the 'Make in India' campaign in a bid to attract international businesses to invest and manufacture in his country. But his vision of forging a strong India goes beyond that," an article by a think tank in state-run Global Times said today.

Modi made a strong pitch for a comprehensive self-reliance in national defence production while dedicating India's second aircraft carrier INS Virkamaditya in June last year.

"What's more, even given the fact that India is the world largest arms importer accounting for 14 per cent of the global arms imports, Modi thinks big and is trying to reverse the trajectory and turn India into an arms exporter," the article titled 'Stay alert to India's new arms potential' said.

"Toning up India's muscle for self-defence is one thing, but perhaps Modi has other motives by selling made-in-India weaponry," it said, referring to the sale of India's first indigenously made warship to Mauritius which it said has evoked interest to Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.

Both Hanoi and Manila are currently pitted against China over the South China Sea dispute.

While keeping a wary eye on India's forays into East Asia, Chinese strategic analysts play down China's big push into South Asia, especially the Indian Ocean where Beijing built up significant influence in Sri Lanka and Maldives with aid and military assistance.

"Kolkata-based defence shipyard is gearing up to build four offshore patrol ships for Vietnam, a new step of military cooperation beyond submarine and fighter training.

"What's more, it is bidding for a USD 400 million project to build two frigates for the Philippines. Targeting its potential consumers in Southeast Asia, India is trying to kill two birds with one stone," the article said.

The think tank said that "New Delhi's 'Look East' policy is shifting to 'Act East', and it wants to pivot to the Asia-Pacific region."

India's growing military cooperation with Vietnam and the Philippines, though still at a low level and without solid strategic purpose at present, is part of its effort to seek such a pivot, it said.

"However, given that it is exporting less advanced weaponry to these countries, India is being prudent in increasing its military presence in this region. India must have realised that the export of highly advanced arms such as strategic missiles will pose real threats to China's security," it said.

The article said that so far "India has no capability to get seriously involved in the South China Sea issue. Otherwise, such an aggressive push will only meet China's countermeasures."

"Therefore, for now, India's arms export, although directed to Hanoi and Manila, is fundamentally a business-driven activity. It sees developing countries needing to update their weaponry as the biggest potential customers," it said.

"As ambitious as it is, India is much less qualified as a real arms exporter compared with the US, Russia and even China. The crux rests on its vulnerable industrial system and manufacturing capability. But it doesn't mean that India won't be a competitive player in this field in the future," the article said.

"In this case, China should stay alert to India's moves in the South China Sea because of the possibility that India can transfer the business-oriented arms trade into a strategic action aimed at China," it said.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 07 Jan 2015 16:24

Indian view of Chinese think-tank report:
http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/i ... 14297.html

India's different attitudes toward China in strategy and economy show its mentality over the bilateral relations: It views China as its competitor in Indo-Pacific geopolitics though it longs to take advantage of the Asian powerhouse to boost its economy, it said.

Moreover, New Delhi is deluded in its own position, thinking that it can play a role of a strategic lever in Asia and the world at large, it said.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Jan 2015 17:21

China's typical double-speak.It pushes and pushes and pushes its envelope and territorial "rights", until it meets a hard unyeilding force. in Asia,India has to be that unyielding force.

http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opi ... ic-Desktop

President Xi Jinping's recent speech on China's foreign policy offered a bit of something to everyone. He lent credence to those who, of late, have started to view Beijing's approach to its neighbourhood as more conciliatory.

Between the lines, one could sense a tacit acknowledgement by Xi that China's assertive maritime actions have been detrimental to its international standing. At the same time, those who remain sceptical of any change in Beijing's approach can point to Xi's message that China will resolutely defend sovereignty and its maritime rights.

The speech was similar in tone and substance to the one Xi gave a year ago about China's peripheral diplomacy. Xi said neighbours are to be treated "as friends and partners, to make them feel safe and to help them develop". No doubt Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, the three neighbouring countries that have borne the brunt of China's provocative maritime behaviour, wonder how China would treat non-friends.

Xi's statements are intentionally ambiguous. He wants to assure neighbours, others in the region and the US in particular, that the "big guy" - as he called China in Australia last month - is not a bad guy. Why? Because to continue to grow more powerful, China needs the outside world. But at the same time, Xi wants outsiders to realise - and accept as inevitable - that big guys do things their own way.

Chinese leaders rely on vaguely formulated guidelines - so vague that a guideline can be used to justify an array of sometimes competing policy objectives.

Take, for example, the way Xi has outlined the direction in which China should pursue its maritime interests: China should "plan as a whole the two overall situations of maintaining stability and safeguarding rights". Previously, during the Hu Jintao era, preserving stability was paramount. Xi has elevated safeguarding rights to an equally important position, giving rise to a feverish "rights consciousness" that fits well with the prevailing nationalist undercurrents in China.

But Xi has not provided specific guidelines on how the two objectives should be balanced. This leaves room for a diverse set of maritime security actors to shape the policies and decide on specific actions, often motivated by their own narrow interests.

Besides the coast guard, the most important maritime security actors are senior officials in coastal provinces, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Oceanic Administration and the National Development and Reform Commission, and senior People's Liberation Army officers as well as senior executives in the national oil companies. In China's stovepiped, non-transparent political system, one that breeds fierce competition over government money and political power, these groups grasp every opportunity to gain commercial advantage, prestige or government funding.

Because of these unpredictable actors, China's provocative behaviour in the maritime domain will continue to take place unsystematically and organically. There is no evidence of a central-government-approved "grand plan" that mandates different actors coercing other claimants in a tailored way towards a mutual goal.

For international policymakers, a "grand plan" would in fact be less threatening than the uncertainty caused by a situation in which various Chinese actors are pursuing ad hoc measures in their own interests. In the present nationalistic atmosphere, Xi cannot denounce an action taken in the name of protecting China's rights.

On the positive side, Xi has made it clear that stability must be maintained. China does not seek conflict over its maritime rights.

At the same time, those who foresee Beijing stepping back from defending what China perceives to be its maritime rights are bound to be disappointed. The volatile situation on China's maritime periphery will continue. China's innumerable maritime security actors will not cease to push their own agenda.

Linda Jakobson is a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy and a visiting professor at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as China has too many hands steering its maritime policy

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 12 Jan 2015 03:14

Xinjiang province bans burqa for Muslim women

BEIJING: The legislature of northwest China's disturbed region of Xinjiang has banned the wearing of Burqa by Muslim women. This is a significant decision in Muslim inhabited province, which also borders Muslim countries in Central Asia and Pakistan.

The Communist Party leadership in Urumqi, provincial capital of Xinjiang, decided to ban the Burqa last month. Communist leaders feel Xinjiang is going through a phase of rising Islamic fundamentalism, which plays a role in the growth of separatism.

Discussing the legislature's decision, the official Xinhua news agency said that "The regulation is seen as an effort to curb growing extremism that forced Uygur women to abandon their colourful traditional dress and wear black burqas". Xinhua also noted that the Burqa has been banned in Belgium and France, and that it is "not a national dress of Muslims".

Xinjiang province is witness to regular terror attacks and clashes with security forces by separatists fighting to create an independent East Turkmenistan nation.
Cheers