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

[SSridhar]

Karmapa visit to Arunachal Pradesh likely to irritate China

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Urgyen Trinley Dorje, is presently visiting Arunachal Pradesh. The visit has been enabled by a recent decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security, to lift restrictions on the Karmapa's travel within India. The visit may be expected to rile China, which not only claims Arunachal as its own territory+ but also saw the Karmapa flee from its custody 17 years ago.

Urgyen Trinley Dorje had dramatically fled to India in 1999 to escape Chinese government restrictions on his religious studies.

However, despite the discomfort over the optics of the Karmapa's visit to Arunachal Pradesh under the watch of the Indian government, China is unlikely to react to the visit, as it is likely to find itself isolated over the issue.

His visit to Arunachal was made possible by a recent decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security, that lifted restrictions on the religious head's travel within India.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju met the Karmapa in Arunachal and tweeted, "Massive reception to His Holiness The 17th Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje who is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh to spread love & compassion. After 900 years, HH The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa could again visit Mon region in Arunachal Pradesh. The last visit was by The 3rd Karmapa."

Urgyen Trinley's visit to Arunachal Pradesh+ began on Monday, when he was received at the airport by Chief Minister Pema Khandu. On Friday, he visited the war memorial for Indian soldiers at Nyukmadung and paid tribute.

The last visit to Arunachal Pradesh by a Karmapa was about 900 years ago, by the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, who died in 1339.

The Karmapa's travel within India has been restricted, especially since a 2011 raid by Himachal Pradesh Police on a trust backed by Urgyen Trinley found cash amounting to about Rs 6 crore, in the currencies of 25 countries including China. He had at the time been suspected of being a Chinese government agent, following which the Centre increased restrictions on his travel.

Religiously and culturally, Urgyen Trinley's visit is significant as he is one of the two major claimants to the seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. A majority of the Karma Kagyu monasteries and leaders have already accepted him as the Karmapa. However, a significant minority recognises Trinley Thaye Dorje instead.

The Chinese government broke with its track record of denying reincarnation when it backed Urgyen Trinley's claim to the seat of the Karmapa. It however placed extremely tight restrictions on his activities and studies, prompting him to flee to India at the age of 14.

India's extension of hospitality to Tibetan leaders, especially the Dalai Lama and Karmapa has come up as a repeated irritant in relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

[Prem]

Donald Trump risks China rift with Taiwan call
https://www.ft.com/content/fd19907e-b8d ... acd97f622d

Donald Trump risks opening up a major diplomatic dispute with China before he has even been inaugurated after speaking on the phone on Friday with Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan.The telephone call, confirmed by four people, is believed to be the first between a US president or president-elect and a leader of Taiwan since diplomatic relations between the two were cut in 1979.The Trump team did not initially respond to multiple requests for comment, but after the FT first published news of the call confirmed that ​the president-elect had spoken with Ms Tsai and “noted the close economic, political, and security ties” between Taiwan and the United States.
“The Chinese leadership will see this as a highly provocative action, of historic proportions,” said Evan Medeiros, former Asia director at the White House national security council.“Regardless if it was deliberate or accidental, this phone call will fundamentally change China’s perceptions of Trump’s strategic intentions for the negative. With this kind of move, Trump is setting a foundation of enduring mistrust and strategic competition for US-China relations.”Douglas Paal, who as head of the American Institute in Taiwan from 2002 to 2006 was the de facto US ambassador, said he was not aware of any such phone calls between US and Taiwan presidents since 1979.“There is no indication so far that a Trump administration would change US policy towards Taiwan,” said Mr Paal, who also held senior positions in the Reagan and George HW Bush White Houses.Dennis Wilder, former top White House Asia adviser during the Bush administration, said “it would be a mistake for Beijing and others to over-interpret the meaning of a phone call between President-elect Trump and the President of Taiwan.”
He said Mr Trump was “not steeped in the diplomatic history of US-China relations and probably has not been briefed by the Department of State on the US-China understandings on our unofficial ties to Taiwan.” He added: “We are in uncharted territory with Trump foreign policy, and nations should give him some latitude as he forms his foreign policy team.”The call with Ms Tsai is not the first controversy that Mr Trump has courted with his conversations with world leaders since the election.The Philippines government said on Friday that Mr Trump invited the country’s president, Rodrigo Duterte, to visit the White House next year during a call between the two men. Since taking office earlier this year, Mr Duterte has threatened to tear up major parts of the military alliance with the US, and a meeting with Barack Obama at a summit earlier this year was cancelled after he called the American president a “son of a whore”. The Trump transition team confirmed the call on Friday evening but made no mention of an invitation to Washington.In a readout provided by the Pakistani government of a call between Mr Trump and prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the president-elect called the country “amazing” and “fantastic” and appeared to suggest he might visit Pakistan — remarks which caused consternation in some quarters in India.

[SSridhar]

Xi Jinping calls for downsizing Chinese military, but making it more combat capable - PTI

President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for further downsizing 2.3 million-strong Chinese military and improving its combat capabilities, after his last year's move to cut 300,000 troops from the world's largest military.

Speaking at a two-day conference on military reform, Xi, also chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) which is the overall high command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said China's military needs to put more focus on technology rather than force of numbers.

"This is a major, inevitable change. We must seize the opportunity and make breakthrough," he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

The Chinese President stressed on further military reform by downsizing the army while improving its combat capabilities and optimising the structure, Xinhua said.

Last year in September, Xi had announced that Chinese military will see a 300,000 troop reduction, which is expected to take place from next year, the fourth military downsizing by the communist giant since 1980s.

The troop reduction is regarded as part of efforts by the PLA to streamline its force as it launched unprecedented modernisation with new weapons and technology.

Xi's comments were reported to have caused murmurs of dissent over his military reforms.

He has already reconstituted its administrative and command structure after carrying out an anti-corruption drive in which several retired and servicing top military officials were indicted.

He has also been calling on armed forces to adhere to the leadership of ruling Communist Party of China's (CPC) absolute leadership.

[SSridhar]

China urges India not to 'complicate' border dispute as Tibetan religious leader visits Tawang - Reuters

China called on India on Monday not to do anything to complicate their border dispute after a senior exiled Tibetan religious leader visited a sensitive border region controlled by India but claimed by China.

The Karmapa Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's third-most-senior figure who fled into exile in India in 2000, last week went to Tawang in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, in the remote eastern Himalayas.

China disputes the entire territory of Arunachal Pradesh, calling it south Tibet. Its historic town Tawang, a key site for Tibetan Buddhism, was briefly occupied by Chinese forces during a 1962 war.

Asked about the trip, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said India was clear about China's position on the eastern end of their border.{I am sure that China is also clear about India's position about the Indian state Arunachal Pradesh}

"We hope the Indian side can respect the relevant consensus of both sides, and not take any actions that may complicate the border issue," Lu told a daily news briefing.

Maintaining peace and stability on the border and the healthy development of relations was in both parties interests, he added.

[SSridhar]

India to train Vietnam’s Sukhoi fighter pilots - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu

In a further boost to its growing defence ties with Vietnam, India has agreed to train the southeast nation’s Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots.

The agreement was reached during bilateral discussions between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich, here [New Delhi] on Monday.

Details under discussion

India and Vietnam have been steadily stepping up their cooperation, especially in the defence sector, against the backdrop of the growing assertiveness of China in the region.

Bilateral ties recently received a further fillip when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vietnam in September, on his way to the G-20 Summit in Guangzhou.

Both India and Vietnam operate Russian Su-30 jets and the two countries’ models differ slightly in their configuration.

India already trains Vietnamese sailors in operating Kilo class submarines, which Hanoi had begun inducting since January 2014. India operates over 200 Su-30MKI fighters and nine Kilo-class diesel electric submarines.

“Details are being worked out. Their pilots will be trained here. The two Air Forces will now sit and work out the numbers and scope. It should start fairly quickly,” a defence source said.

The cost of training is being worked out. However, it will not be paid through the $500 million Line of Credit (LoC) extended by Delhi to Hanoi for defence procurements.

“The terms and conditions of the LoC have been agreed upon. Vietnam has sought some concessions, to which we agreed. Some of it will be for modernisation of the existing equipment and the rest for new platforms,” sources said. An agreement would soon be signed by Exim Bank, after which the projects would be identified.

MoU signed

A programme for cooperation between the Air Forces was also signed. A senior official said that it covered a cross-section of activities, including training of pilots and exchange of experts. “Vietnam is interested in our experiences in repair and maintenance,” the official said.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on peacekeeping as well as exchange of delegations. Mr. Parrikar offered “India’s partnership as a reliable player in terms of transfer of technology and building a local defence industry”. The two Ministers were learnt to have discussed the regional situation and taken note of their converging interests.

Officials said Gen. Lich was positive on the progress made following Mr. Parrikar’s visit to Hanoi in June. Underscoring the importance of the visit, the Minister is being accompanied by a 30-member delegation, the largest so far to have accompanied him on a foreign visit. It includes the chiefs of the Air Force and the Navy and the Deputy Chief of General Staff.

[Peregrine]

X Posted on the STFUP Thread

Want to treat us like your fat lamb? Forget about it: China's state-run media to Trump

NEW DELHI: Just days after US President-elect Donald Trump ranted against Beijing using his favourite medium, Twitter, Chinese media, which is a mouthpiece for its government, has a message for the American: "Trump wants to treat China as a fat lamb... Forget about it!"

It might as well have said 'fuggedaboutit!' ,which is how New Yorkers say that phrase, and which essentially means 'won't happen' or 'ain't happening".

That's what the state-run Global Times actually meant in its editorial, which starts with the line, "US president-elect Donald Trump threw a tantrum against China Sunday night."

China initially took a harder line against Taiwan for Trump's diplomatic gaffe in taking a congratulatory phone call from its President, than it did on Trump himself. Beijing media went so far as to say that Trump is inexperienced in diplomacy, so it was really Taiwan that tricked Trump and it's Taiwan that needs to be taught a lesson.

Not any more. Now that it seems Trump is being deliberately provocative, it appears Bejing's cast off its gloves. No more excusing Trump for his inexperience in diplomacy.

Not after what he said Sunday, on Twitter - "Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the US doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!"

Beijing now appears convinced Trump wants to bleed China dry. That's what today's Global Times editorial says.

"Trump's China-bashing tweet is just a cover for his real intent, which is to treat China as a fat lamb and cut a piece of meat off it. Trump wants to revive US economy, but he knows that his country is not as competitive as it used to be. He is trying to pillage other countries for the prosperity of the US," says the editorial.

Then there's a warning from China, in the editorial.

"No matter what the reasons are behind Trump's outrageous remarks, it appears inevitable that Sino-US ties will witness more troubles in his early time in the White House than any other predecessor. We must be fully prepared, both mentally and physically, for this scenario...We should stand firm and remain composed."

And there's a message for the US President-elect too.

"He may ... believe that if China, the biggest power after the US, is awed by Washington, it will solve all other problems. China must be determined to upset his unreasonable requests at his early time in office, and fight back if his moves harm China's interests, regardless of the consequences to the dynamics of the Sino-US relationship. If China behaves soft-heartedly for the greater good of the bilateral ties, it will only embolden Trump to be more aggressive," says the editorial in the Global Times.

That's the sound of the gloves coming off.
Cheers

[svinayak]

X Posted on the STFUP Thread

Want to treat us like your fat lamb? Forget about it: China's state-run media to Trump

NEW DELHI: Just days after US President-elect Donald Trump ranted against Beijing using his favourite medium, Twitter, Chinese media, which is a mouthpiece for its government, has a message for the American: "Trump wants to treat China as a fat lamb... Forget about it!"

It might as well have said 'fuggedaboutit!' ,which is how New Yorkers say that phrase, and which essentially means 'won't happen' or 'ain't happening".

That's what the state-run Global Times actually meant in its editorial, which starts with the line, "US president-elect Donald Trump threw a tantrum against China Sunday night."

China initially took a harder line against Taiwan for Trump's diplomatic gaffe in taking a congratulatory phone call from its President, than it did on Trump himself. Beijing media went so far as to say that Trump is inexperienced in diplomacy, so it was really Taiwan that tricked Trump and it's Taiwan that needs to be taught a lesson.

Not any more. Now that it seems Trump is being deliberately provocative, it appears Bejing's cast off its gloves. No more excusing Trump for his inexperience in diplomacy.

Not after what he said Sunday, on Twitter - "Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the US doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!"

Chinese lobby is dominant in the US and also in the US media. The other campaigns were funded by Chinese lobby and business

There was a chinese who did the Attack on Trump during the election campaign. Most of the media attack on Trump had received money from Chinese Lobby. The Chinese lobby knew that they would lose the privileged status in the US once Trump is elected.

This election was not about Trumps vs Clinton but
Trump vs the China.

Check the media even now and you see supporters of China defending China and former officials of Bush also defending China.

[Rudradev]

https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... na/509600/


‘Trump Has Already Created Lots of Chaos’

A Chinese scholar [Shen Dingli] argues that the U.S. shouldn’t touch Taiwan—just like China wouldn’t back separatists in Texas or Hawaii.

The amount of taqleef expressed is instructive, regarding the level of self-delusion the Chinese are willing to countenance to save "face".

India should open full diplomatic relations with Taiwan if China does not immediately desist from constructing CPEC through Indian territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

Uri Friedman: You’ve studied U.S.-China relations for a long time. What was your initial impression of Trump’s Taiwan call?

Shen Dingli: I think the president-elect is still a private citizen. Any American private citizen has the right to say anything that goes against the U.S. government, [including] policy on China. The U.S. government can only make the government itself observe the line.

Friedman: Why do you make the distinction between a private citizen and the president? In just a couple months, Trump is going to be president.

Shen: Any bullshitter can say bullshit things. So I don’t care what he says. But if [and when] he is president, I really care.

Taiwan is a part of China, so the U.S. should not touch [it]. Like how the Hawaii independence movement, the Texas independence movement, [should be considered] U.S. internal affairs that China should not touch.

Friedman: What is your sense of how the Chinese government is processing Trump’s call to Taiwan so far?

Shen: [Chinese leaders] are downplaying it, [suggesting that] he has been played by Taiwan. The Washington Post is saying no, he played Taiwan. China has been hurt by Trump, but the Chinese government wants to protect Trump by saying no, he did not place the call, he is just inexperienced, so why do we care?

Friedman: Why do you think the Chinese government wants to protect Trump?

Shen: Because what can you do? Can you really cut off the official relationship with the U.S.? No, you cannot. You [may] hurt yourself more than America. So the Chinese government does not want to hurt China by hurting Trump. But I don’t care. I’m not the government.

Friedman: In the days after the U.S. election, you cheered Trump’s victory. People might be surprised to hear that, since Trump bashed China during the campaign and talked about imposing a 45-percent tariff on Chinese imports, which could risk a trade war. What made you say that at the time?

Shen: Trump does not care about human rights; he traded with China [as a businessman]. Democrats care more about human rights—sometimes, they place values above trade. The Republicans, oftentimes, care more about trade. For trade, Obama created the [Trans-Pacific Partnership] that excludes China, that makes China less able to export competently. Trump would abolish the TPP, which would give China some breathing space.

Friedman: You said after the election that you thought a trade war between China and the United States was inconceivable. Do you still have that view today?

Shen: A trade war is not conceivable. China exports $440 billion [worth] of goods to America. If the U.S. imposed a 45-percent tariff then China couldn’t export that much, so lots of Chinese would lose their jobs. But China would retaliate against America. Hundreds of thousands of Americans would lose their jobs as well. Therefore, a mature leader would not develop a confrontational trade relationship to that extent. They would use negotiation [and] eventually everybody would make some concessions, but each party would get a lot in return.

Friedman: So you expect Trump to be a mature leader in that respect?

Shen: I think Trump would ultimately use bilateral negotiation and [World Trade Organization] arbitration, which is a multilateral process, to deal with China-U.S. trade unfairness and disputes.

Friedman: You’ve been a vocal critic of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Can you explain, for those who may be unfamiliar with the issue, why Taiwan is such a sensitive topic in China? Why has the Chinese government so far tolerated U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan but not diplomatic recognition of Taiwan? In other words, what’s so bad, from a Chinese perspective, about the U.S. president calling the leader of Taiwan?

Shen: Taiwan is a part of China, just like the mainland is a part of China, which is the consensus of the international community. The UN [shares] this consensus, so Taiwan was expelled from the UN and [China] entered the UN to replace Taiwan. The U.S. used to recognize one China before 1949, but after [Mao Zedong’s revolution in] 1949 the U.S. government recognized the tiny island of Taiwan, [where Mao’s rival Chiang Kai-shek had fled], to represent the entire China. That seemed ridiculous because Taiwan had a small territory, a small population: How could it represent the entire China? That ridiculous argument was replaced by Jimmy Carter in 1979. From that time on, the U.S.’s official statement has been that there is one China, [with its capital in] Beijing, and Taiwan is a part of [China].

You cannot count on Taiwan to stop North Korean nuclear weapons. You cannot count on Taiwan to stop the Iranian nuclear program. You cannot count on Taiwan to help America [fight] terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan. You cannot count on Taiwan to counter global climate change. You need to count on working with Beijing. It’s your choice. We do not force your choice. We just tell the U.S.: Once you choose Taiwan, you cannot choose us. But if you choose us, you cannot maintain an official relationship [with Taiwan]. You can have an unofficial relationship. That’s our position. This paragraph gives a lot of information about the levers of blackmail that Beijing believes it has against the United States.

Because we represent Taiwan, you are free to sell weapons to us or not to sell weapons to us. You cannot sell weapons to Taiwan without our permit. But [the U.S.] has three governments [in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches]. Congress has made a foreign policy that is the Taiwan Relations Act, which says, “We have the right to sell weapons to Taiwan.” On the same issue, each government says different things. We don’t have three governments. We only have one government. The whole branch of the Chinese government would have the same policy with the U.S. So we are struggling to deal with the three governments in the U.S. In order to [have access to] U.S. capital, markets, and technology, we tolerated it for a long time. But there will be a time when [China is] strong enough that we will not tolerate a policy to recognize Beijing as representing China, but to sell weapons to a part of China without the government of China [approving].

Friedman: What’s the best-case scenario for U.S.-China relations during Trump’s presidency?

Shen: Let’s look at Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton allowed the Taiwanese president, Lee Teng-hui, to visit the U.S. [in 1995]. So what happened? China launched a missile exercise against Taiwan, and the U.S. sent two aircraft carriers into the Taiwan Strait. In Bill Clinton’s second term, he had a more stringent, tough policy on Taiwan. He came to China to deliver the “three no’s,” [which included declarations that] the U.S. does not think Taiwan [should] have statehood, which means he would never call Taiwan’s leader “president,” and the U.S. would not change its “One China” policy.

George W. Bush, in April 2001, after Chinese and U.S. aircraft collided, said the U.S. would do whatever it took to defend Taiwan. That [went] beyond the limits of the Taiwan Relations Act. The next day, his spokesperson clarified that the U.S. position on “One China” had not changed—the president did not mean what he said.

So a future good case would be that Trump would not repeat his bullshit argument and would apologize to China for what he has already mistakenly stated. Or each time when he makes a bullshit statement, his press secretary would come out to say, “The U.S. position on ‘One China’ has not changed.” Now he is not a president. He does not need a [press] secretary to say, “He did not mean what he said.” Every day he tweets to say, “I mean what I said.” Fine. You are not a president. But if you are president, Shen Dingli’s China would cut off the [diplomatic] relationship with the U.S. completely so the U.S. cannot sell $120 billion [worth of] goods to China.


[A breakdown of U.S.-China relations could mean] 2 million U.S. workers lose jobs, no more 3 million Chinese tourists coming to the U.S., each spending $10,000. Not many Chinese students would come, and U.S. universities would close.

Friedman: So that’s a worst-case scenario?

Shen: [In addition, China would] not cooperate on Iran, on North Korea, on climate, on IS. America would have to take on all the burdens by itself.

Friedman: In the U.S., people are wondering whether foreign governments and foreign leaders are taking Trump literally, whether they’re taking Trump seriously. Do you think the Chinese government is taking him seriously? Literally?

Shen: We really don’t know about him. We could not have predicted that he would be elected. We prepared for how to work with Hillary Clinton. So we’re still probably reflecting on who Trump is.

Friedman: You’re a physicist by training. Do you worry that the Trump Era will bring entropy—systemic uncertainty and disorder—to international affairs?

Shen: Already. Already. Already. He was a critic of TPP, and TPP would have given more order to the world. [As part of the agreement], the U.S., Japan, and the other 10 countries can better trade. He has said that he would quit the Paris climate-change agreement. If the U.S., the [world’s] number-two CO2 emitter, will not cooperate, the world will have chaos. He already has created lots of chaos. And now with calling the Taiwanese leader “president,” he has created more chaos.

Friedman: Do you expect the United States to remain the most powerful country in the world and to lead the world under President Trump?

Shen: No. The U.S. will [experience] further decline. The Republican President George W. Bush mistakenly sent troops to Iraq. That made the U.S. decline. And Trump’s quitting of TPP will make the U.S. decline. Trump’s promise to quit the climate-change agreement will make the U.S. decline. When Trump campaigned, he said, “I want to make the U.S. great again.” But actually, he [seems to] want to make the U.S. decline more.

[GShankar]

India should open full diplomatic relations with Taiwan if China does not immediately desist from constructing CPEC through Indian territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

Yes, of course. Even with all the courage modi has, he was not able to go that far with anyone yet. Be it pakis or lizard. I think modi is practicing statecraft with just threat perception for the time being. As in we seem to be in mild "bhed" state. We have to move heavy duty bhed and soft dhand as needed.

[Prem]

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/12/ch ... iesel.html
China builds worlds largest diesel submarine but almost three times smaller than nuclear US Ohio and seven times smaller than nuclear Russian Typhoon

China builds worlds largest diesel submarine but almost three times smaller than nuclear US Ohio and seven times smaller than nuclear Russian
China's Qing class submarine displaces 6,628 tons submerged and measuring exactly the length of a football field at one hundred yards long (ninety-two meters), it is by most accounts the largest diesel submarine ever built.The Type 032 can fire not only long-range cruise missiles, but submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with the capacity to send a nuclear warhead across the ocean.Only a single Type 032 has been built. It was intended as an affordable testing platform for missile armament. It appears to have replaced the sixties-era Type 031 Golf-class sub used to test the JL-2 ballistic missile. In addition to its crew complement of eighty-eight, it claimed that the Type 032 can carry an additional one hundred “scientists and technicians.” The sub has also reportedly been used to test submarine-launched surface-to-air Missiles and a new underwater escape pods. Some suggest the Type 032 may be applied to deploying undersea drones.Diesel submarines are about $100-500 million each while nuclear submarines are $2-5 billion each.The French built an 4,750 ton diesel submarine called the SMX OceanThe Ohio class is a class of nuclear-powered submarines currently used by the United States Navy. The navy has 18 Ohio-class submarines: 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and four that were later converted to guided missile submarines (SSGN).The Ohio-class submarines are the largest submarines (18,750 tonne submerged) ever built for the U.S. Navy. Two classes of the Russian Navy's submarines have larger total displacements: the Soviet-designed Typhoon-class submarines have more than twice the total displacement (48000 tons submerged) , and Russia's Borei-class submarines have roughly 25 percent greater displacement (24,000 tons submerged), but the Ohio-class boats carry more missiles than either: 24 Trident missiles per boat, versus 16 missiles for the Borei class (20 for the Borei II) and 20 for the Typhoon class.

[Austin]

Shen: No. The U.S. will [experience] further decline. The Republican President George W. Bush mistakenly sent troops to Iraq. That made the U.S. decline. And Trump’s quitting of TPP will make the U.S. decline. Trump’s promise to quit the climate-change agreement will make the U.S. decline. When Trump campaigned, he said, “I want to make the U.S. great again.” But actually, he [seems to] want to make the U.S. decline more.

TPP was not helping the US in any way , it would have offshored more jobs from the US.

Trump is doing the right thing going for more bilateral agreement ..... multilateral trade deal are passe

[SSridhar]

Mongolia seeks support against China’s ‘blockade’ - Kallol Bhattacherjee, The Hindu

Mongolia has asked for “clear support” from India against a transport-obstruction imposed by China.

After Ulan Bator hosted the Dalai Lama in November, China has hiked tariffs on Mongolian trucks passing through Chinese territory, the Mongolian envoy said on Tuesday.

“India should come out with clear support against the difficulties that have been imposed on Mongolia by China, which is an overreaction to the religious visit by His Holiness Dalai Lama. We have not changed our ‘One China’ policy, so Beijing’s response to Mongolia hosting the spiritual leader is really not justifiable,” said Ambassador Gonchig Ganbold.

He said Mongolian vehicles were being arbitrarily charged for over-land transit and China’s province of Inner Mongolia had begun to charge trucks carrying minerals a provincial tariff.

“With winter temperature already around minus-20 degrees, transport obstruction by China is likely to create a humanitarian crisis in Mongolia as these measures will hurt the flow of essential commodities,” he said. The Ministry of External Affairs had been briefed about the bilateral difficulties with China that erupted following Dalai Lama’s visit.

China accused Mongolia of taking an “erroneous” step after the visit of Dalai Lama. Speaking to the media, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on November 23: “The erroneous action taken by the Mongolian side on Dalai’s visit hurt the political foundation of China-Mongolia relations and exerted negative impact on the development of bilateral relations. The Chinese side requires the Mongolian side to genuinely respect China’s core interests and major concerns, take effective means to remove the negative impact caused by its erroneous action and bring China-Mongolia relations back to the track of sound and steady growth.”

Transit obstacles

Mr. Ganbold said Mongolia at present was dependent on Russian transit rights. “The transit obstructions have imposed a kind of blockade-like situation which will take a toll on our economy and society.” {China can force a very dependent Russia to also cause problems for Mongolia. Mongolia must take this matter up with the UN. There is no way India can do anything except for sympathising with it.}

[svinayak]

India’s Rebuff To China On Arunachal Pradesh – OpEd

Massive reception to the Karmapa

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was the first to the area in the past 900 years, since the third Karmapa visited it. During his first visit to Arunachal Pradesh , he toured West Kameng district and preached to the Tibetans at Gyuto Monastery at Tenzingang before leaving for Kalaktang. Massive reception was accorded to the 17th Karmapa and he spoke about the need for love and compassion.

In a typical arrogant tone that China is now known for, China has given unsolicited advice to India not to” complicate the boundary question”. China’s foreign ministry’s spokesman said with an air of false innocence that “we should ensure peace and stability of border areas and sound and steady development of bilateral relations serves the common interests of the two sides”

“Superiority complex”

In the last few decades, it appears that China has developed sort of “superiority complex” in dealing with its neighbors and it is giving an impression that it thinks that due to its massive size, population and economy, the neighbouring countries have no alternative other than bowing to the dictates of China and succumbing to it’s pressure.

China’s occupation of Tibet several decades back and many countries meekly accepting China’s aggression in Tibet as a fact of life , appears to have given China confidence that it can have it’s way everywhere and at all times. Such attitude of China has already sent alarming signal among its neighbors, who have started thinking that some concerted efforts have to be made to put China in it’s place, so that China would deal with them in an appropriate manner. One only hopes that China would read the signal properly and reshape its policies which appear to be expansionism in style and substance.

Can be a turning point

Modi government should be congratulated for standing up to China and permitting the visit of 17th Karmapa to Arunachal Pradesh and also sending a minister to accompany 17th Karmapa. This is a bold attempt by government of India to call the bluff of China and emphatically rejecting it’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh.

India’s rebuff to China by encouraging the visit of 17th Karmapa to Arunachal Pradesh can be a turning point.

[svinayak]

China Rattled By Karmapa’s Visit To Arunachal, Says It Will 'Complicate Boundary Dispute'

[svinayak]

Anti-China sentiments reopen 1962 wound for Arunachal chieftain


China Fomenting Trouble In Northeast To Help Pakistan

[svinayak]

China Massively Boosting Military Build-up at Xinjiang Near Border with India

China is vigorously strengthening its air and missile forces in the troubled province of Xinjiang close to the border with India to enable the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to stage a massive counterattack in the event of a war against India.
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The warplanes and missiles are being deployed in western Xinjiang and in Tibet along the border with India.
The unexpected ramping-up of Chinese military power is seeing a steady deployment of front line fighter and attack jets of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and ballistic missiles operated by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF).
Chinese media reveal the PLAAF is stationing an increasing number of Shenyang J-11 air superiority fighters; Chengdu J-10 multirole fighters; Xian HK-6 strategic bombers and Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft at different airbases in Xinjiang.

On the other hand, India has also been strengthening its military forces, especially Indian Air Force (IAF) units, along the border.
In September, India said it had upgraded four IAF airfields 100 km or less from its border with China at Arunachal Pradesh state -- which China claims to own and will try to seize in the event of a war. India said it will finish the construction of two more airfields within the year as it tries to match an equally massive Chinese build-up of its air and missile power.
Despite the Indian military build-up, the military balance along the border is heavily against India.
China has deployed 300,000 men of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force along its border with India.
The Chinese have also built airfields at Hoping, Pangta and Kong Ka to support six existing airfields in the Tibetan Autonomous Region that can handle fighter jets and heavy transport aircraft.
Arrayed against these forces are 120,000 Indian Army soldiers that will soon receive 90,000 reinforcements. Supporting these men are two IAF Su-30MKI squadrons from Tezpur in Assam.
Also counted in India's favor is the forthcoming deployment of a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile regiment to the state.


Read more: http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/1075 ... z4SDVynBRH

[svinayak]

US Sanctions Against China Over the East and South China Seas: A Serious Proposal?
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill that would force U.S. sanctions against China over its maritime behavior.

[svinayak]

The Challenge Posed by China’s Military Posture in Tibet

By 1971 the first known nuclear weapon was brought to Tibet and installed at Tsaidam Basin in northern Amdo (Ch:Qinghai). Today the defence arsenal is believed to include 17 top secret radar stations, 14 military airfields? 11 of which are now being lengthened for new long-range combat aircraft ? eight missile bases, at least eight intercontinental ballistic missiles, plus 70-medium range and 20 intermediate-range missiles.

China's own nuclear programme was partially pioneered on the Tibetan Plateau at the Northwest Nuclear Weapons Research and Design Academy (the "Ninth Academy") 100 kms west of Amdo's capital, Siling (Ch:Xining). The Academy worked on nuclear bomb prototypes from the early 1960s, and the first batch of nuclear weapons produced there were stationed at two nuclear missile deployment and launch sites at Tsaidam Basin by the early 1970s.

Today China's DF-4 intercontinental ballistic missiles with ranges of 4,000 7,000 kms are stored at the Tsaidam sites. Further DF-4 missiles are deployed 217 kms southeast of Tsaidam at Terlingkha (Ch:Delingha) headquarters of a missile regiment with four launch sites. A fourth new nuclear missile station, located in southern Amdo bordering Sichuan, houses four CSS-4 missiles with ranges of 12,874 kms.

The 1970s also saw work on a missile base near Nagchuka in the 'TAR' ('Tibet Autonomous Region') where underground complexes now house intermediate and medium-range ballistic missiles at a site which was selected as an alternative to Xinjiang's Lop Nor for possible nuclear testing. Another underground complex close to Lhasa stores ground-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles which are paraded through the capital annually on Chinese Army Day. Further stockpiles of these missiles are kept at Kongpo in southeast 'TAR'. With China rapidly expanding and modernising its defence arsenal, and continuing its programme of nuclear stockpiling, Tibet's strategic value for military deployment and proliferation can only escalate this century.

A news analysis in 2008 revealed: “More than 50 launch pads for nuclear ballistic missiles have been identified scattered across a 2,000 square kilometer (772 square miles) area of central China, according to analysis of satellite images.” It showed a much larger deployment area than previously known, covering the northern parts of Qinghai province around Delingha and Da Qaidam where 58 launch pads have been identified.[ii]

[SSridhar]

India responds to Mongolia's SOS on Chinese sanctions

Assuring Mongolia that India is sympathetic to the problems being faced by it, Delhi has said it will help the country utilise the $1 billion financial assistance offered in 2015 to tide over the economic sanctions imposed on Ulan Bator by China in retaliation for inviting Dalai Lama.

Answering questions, the MEA spokesperson said: "We are ready to work with Mongolian people in this time of their difficulty. During the visit of the PM to Mongolia in May 2015, he had conveyed to the Mongolian leadership that India will extend support in diverse fields. We had announced a credit line of US$ 1billion. We are closely working with the Mongolian government to implement the credit line in a manner that is deemed beneficial to the friendly people of Mongolia by its leadership".

However, India is careful to steer clear of the Mongolia-China spat, mentioning that Mongolia's crisis owes as much to its debt-servicing problems as to other factors. "We have a long spiritual relationship with India," Gonchig Ganbold, Mongolia's ambassador, told TOI.

"Its important India raises its voice against China's unilateral measures which are hurting our people, specially when severe winter is upon us." Silence, he said, could be construed as giving China a "pass" for its behaviour.

The envoy held talks with Pradeep Rawat, MEA joint secretary (east Asia). But it is not yet clear what kind of support India can give Mongolia, whose two biggest neighbours are China and Russia. Government sources said India was committed to support Mongolia, without clarifying whether that would entail a public statement sure to anger the Chinese. After the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia for the ninth time in November, which Ulan Bator allowed in the teeth of official Chinese opposition — Mongolia suddenly found all official interactions with Chinese officials cancelled.

Trucks crossing into China's autonomous province of Inner Mongolia are now charged 10 yuan each, and 0.1% of the worth of the cargo if it is beyond 10,000 yuan. China's actions hold unhappy portends for China's One-Belt-One-Road policy, if countries on its periphery can be arbitrarily subjected to sanctions. Mongolia has a long history of defying the Chinese system, despite them being so dependent on Beijing for transit. But China is more able to enforce its views on Mongolia now, as a superpower. Russia is unlikely to be of much help because Moscow does not at present feel the need to disagree with Beijing.

[anupmisra]

India responds to Mongolia's SOS on Chinese sanctions

PART X; RIGHT OF ACCESS OF LAND-LOCKED STATES TO AND FROM THE SEA AND FREEDOM OF TRANSIT- UNited Nations

http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_ ... part10.htm

Land-locked States shall have the right of access to and from the sea for the purpose of exercising the rights provided for in this Convention including those relating to the freedom of the high seas and the common heritage of mankind. To this end, land-locked States shall enjoy freedom of transit through the territory of transit States by all means of transport

[SSridhar]

China's official media warns Mongolia over seeking Indian help - PTI

Chinese official media today warned Mongolia that it is "politically harebrained" to seek India's help as the move will further complicate bilateral ties, amid reports that Ulan Bator sought New Delhi's support to overcome financial difficulties arising out of many factors including the imposition of border tariffs against it by China.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang yesterday declined to respond to a question on Mongolian envoy to New Delhi Gonchig Ganhold's reported comments on seeking India's support to counter Chinese measures, saying he has not heard of any such remarks.

However, state-run Global Times today criticised Mongolia for approaching India.

"Sandwiched between Russia and China, Mongolia vows to remain a neutral state to benefit from both sides without having to get involved in a major-power competition," it said in an article.

"However, it also hopes it could seek a third neighbour, which can enable the country to reap more profits by gaining more bargaining chips. But Mongolia should be alerted that it cannot afford the risks of such geopolitical games," it said.

"Mongolia seems naive about the way international relations work - you cannot harm a country's interests while hoping it can reciprocate nicely," it said, adding "Mongolia should know that mutual respect is the precondition to develop bilateral relationships and hitch a ride on China's economic development".

"It is even more politically harebrained to ask for support from India, a move that will only complicate the situation and leave a narrower space to sort the issue out. We hope the crisis-hit Mongolia will learn its lessons," it said.

Mongolia caught China by surprise by hosting the Dalai Lama last month for four days, saying that it was purely religious visit.

China protested with its Foreign Ministry spokesman saying the Tibetan spiritual leader is a "political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China".

The spokesman, however, didn't confirm or deny a number of countermeasures including hiking over-land transit charges cancelling key bilateral talks to punish Mongolia for its "erroneous action" in defiance of China's warning.

Buddhism, which is widely followed in Mongolia, derives much of its characteristics from Tibetan Buddhism.

While Mongolia says it is purely a religious visit by Dalai Lama and there was no political strings attached to it, "since he fled to India in 1959 after his separatist revolt was upset, the Dalai Lama has become a political advocate calling for the separation of Tibet under the guise of religion," the article said.

"In China's narrative, he is much more a separatist than a religious figure. Receiving him implies endorsement of his deeds, which is highly disapproved of in both government and public discourses in China," it said.

"Whether China's countermeasures are real or not, Mongolia should reflect on its ill-considered handling of the case, lacking diplomatic sophistication and making trouble for in-depth cooperation between both sides," it added.

[SSridhar]

Let’s work together, India tells China - The Hindu

Speaking to delegates at a conference to mark the launch of India-China think tanks forum, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said India and China must work towards convergences to dispel the idea that they were competing with each other.

The think tanks forum between the two countries is the latest initiative to create understanding across differences that have in recent months defined India’s ties with China.

Elaborating on the issue of India’s quest for nuclear energy, Mr. Jaishankar said, “In India’s case, predictable access to civilian nuclear energy technology is key. The broadbasing of the nuclear technology control group is also helpful to a more representative international order. Keeping in mind this solidarity of major developing states, “it is important that China view it [NSG] as a developmental aspiration and not give it a political colouring,” the Foreign Secretary said.

Earlier, inaugurating the think tanks forum, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said India and China had no other option apart from collaborating with each other for creating peace and prosperity in the world.

India has been unable to blacklist Pakistan-based terror mastermind Maulana Masood Azhar due to China’s ‘technical hold’. In a subtle jibe to China-Pakistan ties, Mr. Akbar said, “a mature friend is far, far, better than a hysterical partner.”

[SSridhar]

Do not give political colour to our bid for nuclear technology, India tells China - Indrani Bagchi, ToI

India's search for access to civilian nuclear technology+ is key to its development and climate change goals, and China should not raise political obstacles. Addressing a forum of Indian and Chinese think tanks here, foreign secretary S Jaishankar said India and China should give each other "sufficient space" and not be trapped in a 'balance of power' cycle.

"The broad basing of the nuclear technology control group is helpful to a more representative international order. Keeping in mind this solidarity of major developing states, it is important that China views this as a developmental aspiration and not give it a political colouring," Jaishankar said.

He observed while India and China had many things in common, including their views of the world, the two countries have ended up taking opposing sides, in a spirit of competitiveness. "As diverse and pluralistic societies, we both face threats from fundamentalist terrorism. Yet, we do not seem to be able to cooperate as effectively we should in some critical international forums dealing with this subject."

Pointing out the similarities between "India as a leading power" and the "China Dream", the foreign secretary said, "We are both old civilizations and proud countries that are retaking our positions in the global order. Let us at least respect each other's strong sense of independence and legitimate aspirations while seeking accommodation and building trust."

[Prem]

http://www.defencenews.in/article.aspx?id=159565
China warns India of 'Endless Trouble' if India opposes China-Nepal Cargo Service Project

[Prem]

https://www.ft.com/content/84f74bd2-c00 ... 93a6856354
Beijing hits back at Donald Trump over Taiwan stance

China has warned Donald Trump that the two countries will have “nothing to discuss” if his incoming administration discards the four-decade-old “One China” policy.“Adherence to the One China policy is the political bedrock for development of [bilateral] relations,” Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday. “If compromised, there will be nothing to discuss on co-operation in major fields.”Mr Geng was responding to comments that the president-elect made on Sunday in which he questioned whether his administration would continue to respect the One China policy and shun official contacts with Taiwan over which Beijing claims sovereignty.Mr Trump’s remarks dramatically raised the stakes with China just a week after he broke diplomatic precedent by accepting a phone call from Taiwan’s leader, Tsai Ying-wen.Both incidents have sorely tested the Chinese government’s patience. “We urge the new [US] leadership to recognise the sensitivity of the Taiwan question and to deal with it in a prudent manner,” Mr Geng said. “Upholding the One China policy was America’s promise and we want them to fulfil this promise.”
Earlier on Monday, a stinging editorial in the Global Times, an offshoot of the official People’s Daily, urged Mr Trump to “listen clearly, the One China policy cannot be traded”.“China needs to wage resolute struggle against [Mr Trump],” it added, warning the president-elect that China “cannot be bullied easily”.Last week, the Chinese government lodged an official protest over the call with Ms Tsai but was otherwise restrained, urging the incoming administration to respect principles that have guided Sino-US relations since diplomatic ties were formally re-established in 1979.
On Sunday, Mr Trump said he fully understood the One China policy, but was unconvinced by the logic. “I don’t know why we have to be bound by a One China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,” he told Fox News.China experts in the US remain unsure whether Mr Trump really intends to end the One China policy, or whether he is simply using the threat as a bargaining chip. It is also unclear whether Mr Trump was fully aware of the implications. While some Trump aides have claimed that Mr Trump had been considering the issue for weeks, the president-elect said he only found out about the call hours in advance.Mr Wilder added that China had many ways to retaliate, against both Taiwan and Washington, if Mr Trump did decide to abandon the decades-old diplomatic formula.Beijing has for decades required countries wishing to establish formal diplomatic relations to acknowledge that there is only one China and cut off official ties with Taiwan..“The fundamental assumption in Sino-US bilateral relations has always been that there can be tensions, there can be friction, but no one makes a sudden move,” said Yanmei Xie at Gavekal Dragonomics, a Beijing consultancy. “Right now that paradigm is in doubt.”The Global Times warned of severe consequences if the incoming US administration dispensed with the One China policy. In that case, the paper asked, “why should the Chinese government prioritise ‘peaceful reunification’ [with Taiwan] over ‘reunification by force’?”According to Mr Trump, “other things” could include currency policy, Beijing’s military build-up in the South China Sea and improved co-operation in containing North Korea.“Look, we’re being hurt very badly by China with [currency] devaluation, with taxing us heavy at the borders when we don’t tax them, and building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea,” Mr Trump said. “And frankly, they’re not helping us at all with North Korea.”China’s currency, the renminbi, strengthened by 30 per cent against the dollar in the decade to 2014, but has since lost about 15 per cent of its value against the greenback.The International Monetary Fund and most analysts believe the renminbi’s value is largely market-driven, although China’s central bank regularly intervenes to prevent the currency from falling even further against the dollar.

[svinayak]

Endless Trouble' For India If China-Nepal Project Opposed: Chinese State Media

More threats to India

Highlighting China's efforts to step up rail-road connectivity with Nepal, an article in the state-run Global Times said India is also boosting its relations with China's neighbour Mongolia with a USD one billion "bribe".

It emphasised that India reportedly said last week that it would help Mongolia use $1 billion of aid offered in 2015 to overcome its current financial and economic crisis after Mongolia sought clear support from India against 'China's blockade', in reaction to the visit of the Dalai Lama to Ulaanbaatar.

"China won't be overly sensitive about India's cooperation with Mongolia, and won't mistake India's assistance as a counter to China," the article said.

"Mongolia's economy is highly dependent on China, with more than 90 percent of its imports and exports traded directly with China. As such, China's influence on Mongolia's economy cannot be replaced by India in the short run, and efforts will be in vain if India attempts to 'bribe' Mongolia's loyalty with only USD one billion," it said.

The $1 billion credit line was offered to Mongolia during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in May last year which is expected to be availed by Ulaanbaatar.

Defending the new rail-road cargo route via Tibet to Nepal which launched on Friday, the article said it will boost trade with Nepal as China pushes forward with its Belt and Road (Silk Road) initiative.

Last Friday, dozens of trucks carrying USD 2.8 million worth of products such as clothes, appliances, electronics and building materials left the Chinese border for their destination in Nepal. The new rail and road cargo service, links Guangdong, Tibet and Nepal, official media reported.

"But the move doesn't mean that Chinese goods will push Indian products out of the country. In fact, when it comes to cooperation with other countries, both China and India should refrain from excessive sensitivity," the article said.

"Additionally, in May, China started a rail and road cargo service to the South Asian country as a means to shorten the time spent in sea transport," it said.

"There may be endless trouble in the future if India views efforts to facilitate the export of goods from China's enterprises as a potential threat to the sale of India-made products in Nepal," it added.

Last week, another article in the same daily had warned Mongolia that, "It is even more politically harebrained to ask for support from India, a move that will only complicate the situation and leave a narrower space to sort the issue out. We hope the crisis-hit Mongolia will learn its lessons."

Mentioning the construction of a new railway line, the article stated, "Strategic suspicion has prompted some people to overly interpreted China and India's respective cooperation with another country," it said.

"China is likely to welcome India to expand its influence through more active participation in regional economic affairs to promote positive development of areas around China. Hopefully India could also adopt an open-minded attitude toward China's cooperation with South Asian countries," it added.

[sanjaykumar]

How much can Mongolia leverage by not offering the US a base in Mongolia?


China's mandarins need to talk less and attend to its primitive political system. Or do the Chinese think they do not deserve democracy? There is an undercurrent of self-disgust. Please see the classic The Ugly Chinaman by Bo Yang.

[Prem]

Australia 'slaughtered' without Beijing links under Trump, Huang Xiangmo warns
http://www.afr.com/news/australia-slaug ... ign=buffer

Chinese-Australian businessman Huang​ Xiangmo​,who has strong links to the Chinese embassy and paid a personal bill of Labor senator Sam Dastyari​, has warned Australia will be "slaughtered" like a sheep if it does not build relations with Beijing in a post-Trump world.
The comments come as Donald Trump suggested his future US government would consider walking away from the "One China policy" or using it as bargaining chip over their currency and trade – a move likely to antagonise Beijing.The comments published in an opinion piece on a Mandarin-language website said Mr Trump's controversial call with Taiwan's President Tsai​ Ing-wen signalled the US President-elect may continue to "intensify the inflammatory situation in Asia"."We should be aware of the uncertainties that Trump brings to Asia and protect Australia's national interest when we are confronting these uncertainties," Mr Huang wrote.
Mr Huang then said if US President-elect Donald Trump followed through with his protectionist program, unconventional diplomacy and with cutting military assistance to Japan, Australia could be threatened and become the next "lamb to the slaughter".He said Australia should avoid this by strengthening ties with China and being a "bridge" between Washington and Beijing. "Australia should avoid walking up to the slaughter stand, and most importantly we should promote Australia-China-US trilateral relations."Even a trade war that occurs between US and China will generate great loss to Australia, not to mention the prospect of political or military confrontation," Mr Huang wrote. He congratulated Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on reiterating that Australia would comply with the One China policy – where Australia does not officially recognise Taiwan.
"After the Trump-Tsai call, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop timely responded that Australia did not support Trump on the his stance to Taiwan.
"This is a very sensible comment and in line with Australia's national interest. For now, Australia needs to cooperate with Asian countries in particular China more than ever in seeking to maximise national interest," he said. Mr Huang was the centre of a political storm after it was revealed that NSW Labor Senator Sam Dastyari supported China in the South China Sea standing next to Mr Huang while Mr Huang had paid a legal bill for the Senator.He is often a key guest speaker at Chinese embassy functions, and speaks in favour of Chinese government policy as head of the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China. Mr Huang, who has donated to both political parties, is heavily involved in the Australian-Chinese community, frequently attending events alongside NSW Labor MP Ernest Wong who also pledged to respect China's position on the South China Sea, rather than the position his party holds.Meanwhile on Monday the Department of Foreign Affairs released follow up information from Senate estimates, which revealed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been lobbying Manila over extrajudicial killings that have taken place under President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. "The Minister for Foreign Affairs has raised the issue with her Philippine counterpart, Foreign Secretary Yasay, on two occasions," a DFAT statement said.

[svinayak]

Don't like China's rise? To bad, China is exactly what we have allowed it to become.

Bill Clinton's administration worked to bring China into the newly created World Trade Organization and to put unconditional MFN treatment for China on a permanent basis. This culminated in an agreement of 15 November 1999 to make China a full member of the WTO.

Obama and Congress can repeal China's MFN (Most Favored Nation) Trade status and bring 8 million lost jobs back to the USA anytime they wish. That was Clinton's gift to America in 1999 in exchange for laundered Chinese campaign contributions.

Let's make North Korea China's problem to solve. Revoke MFN trade status with China and ban trade with them until they disarm North Korea and jail dear leader.

China is an unfair trading partner that has manipulated its currency for the last 20 years. MFN created the trade deficit that threatens to bankrupt our nation.

Chinese Military Capability Demands in the Next 20 Years

Forward Basing: The issues facing potential operations in Africa, and even in the Middle East, could be further alleviated by the establishment of credible forward-basing facilities in the region. Establishing a small naval-resupply base in Djibouti is an important first step for the PLA in the development of this capability; however, the facility is not large enough to sustain any meaningful continental operation and remains solely geared towards naval anti-piracy operations at this time. Within the next 20 years, this facility would have to be upgraded and expanded. Other forward-basing facilities would also likely need to be established. Iran and its inclusion into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offer China a potential avenue for regional basing on the SCO’s auspices. Iran would also be a favorable third-party basing location in regards to a paranoid India. These forward bases will greatly enhance the ability of the PLA to project power far away from the mainland. They will allow the PLA to rapidly carry out HADR and non-combatant evacuation operations (NEOs) in the region, while also allowing it to rapidly respond to conflicts with Chinese peacekeepers. Furthermore, forward basing can contribute significantly to the PLAN’s ability to conduct sea lanes of communication (SLOC) protection operations.[x]

[SSridhar]

Construction in Spratlys will benefit all: China - Straits Times

BEIJING • China's construction in the South China Sea has transformed some islands in the Spratlys into well-equipped bases, a military newspaper has claimed.

The disputed Spratly island chain now boasts airports, hospitals and even 4G coverage, reported the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily earlier this week.

In what appeared to be another attempt to bolster China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, the PLA Daily on Monday shared via its Weibo account pictures of recent developments on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys. They included a lighthouse and a new hospital.

Fiery Cross Reef, or Yongshu Reef in Chinese, is also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. According to some estimates, China's dredging and reclamation efforts have increased the size of Fiery Cross Reef by 11 times. It has eclipsed Itu Aba, or Taiping Island, as the largest island in the Spratlys.

Chinese experts told newspapers that civilian facilities, such as a newly opened hospital, will benefit local residents and soldiers stationed at the disputed islands as well as foreign fishermen and merchant vessels plying one of the world's busiest waterways for trade.

The new facilities will service every country around the South China Sea and ships crossing the region, Mr Liu Feng, an expert on South China Sea studies, was quoted as saying by the Global Times.

The completion of the 16,000 sq m hospital on Fiery Cross Reef will give Chinese residents and those aboard merchant vessels in the surrounding waters quicker access to medical services during emergencies, experts say.

Professor Zhou Wei from Hainan University told China Daily the new hospital "shows China's role as a responsible nation".

China also recently completed the construction of lighthouses on Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef, bringing the total number of lighthouses in the Spratlys to five.

China has said that the lighthouses, though partly for military purposes, will serve the public by providing meteorological information for rescue operations as well as helping fishermen to find their way home.

[SSridhar]

US 'ready to confront' China over S. China Sea - Straits Times

SYDNEY • The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the US Pacific fleet said, in comments that threaten to escalate already heightened tensions over words by Mr Donald Trump.

Admiral Harry Harris warned that Washington would not accept Chinese control of the waterway, despite Beijing's rapid development of artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The US has called on China to respect the findings of the arbitration tribunal at The Hague earlier this year which invalidated its vast territorial claims in the sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia are also claimants.

But Beijing continues to act in an "aggressive" manner, to which the US stands ready to respond, Adm Harris said yesterday in a speech at the Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank.

"We will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea," he said. "We will cooperate when we can, but we will be ready to confront when we must."

The comments threaten to stoke tensions between the US and China, already heightened by President- elect Trump's suggestion that Washington could jettison its decades-old "one China" policy, as well as his decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan's President on Dec 2.

On Adm Harris's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the situation in the South China Sea was currently stable, thanks to the hard work of China and others in the region.

"We hope the United States can abide by its promises on not taking sides in the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea," he told a daily news briefing.

The US estimates that Beijing has added more than 1,300ha of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.

In response, the US has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, the latest of which took place in October. The patrols have angered Beijing, with a senior Chinese official in July warning that the practice may end in "disaster".

But Adm Harris signalled that the operations will continue.

"The US fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation, and we did that when we were weak and small," he said.

The admiral added that Washington would not make Australia choose between the US, its traditional ally, and China, a rising world power.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said last month that Canberra and Jakarta were considering joint patrols in the disputed region.

The Australian navy has already conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea with India and the US.

[SSridhar]

Philippines says won't protest China actions in Spratlys - Straits Times

The Philippines would not protest China's moves to militarise its man-made islands in the South China Sea, Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said on Friday, amid Manila's efforts to improve ties with Beijing.

China has deployed anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems on the artificial islets it has built in the disputed Spratly Islands, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in findings reported by Reuters this week.

Speaking to reporters in Singapore during an official visit by President Rodrigo Duterte, Yasay said the government will not issue any diplomatic protest to China via a "note verbale".

"We will make sure that there will be no further actions that will heighten the tensions between the two countries, particularly in the Scarborough Shoal," Yasay said, referring to another group of disputed islets.

"Let them take whatever action is necessary in the pursuit of their national interest... and we will leave it at that, for the Philippines, we have our bilateral engagements with China,"he said, adding that other countries could deal with any issues.

Whereas the Scarborough Shoal was disputed solely by China and the Philippines, several countries, including China and the Philippines, have rival claims in the Spratly Islands.

Since his election six months ago, President Duterte has sought to strengthen previously strained relations with Beijing, while cooling ties with long-time ally, the United States.

Yasay's remarks contrast with those of Defence Minister Delfin Lorenzana, who on Thursday described China's latest actions in the Spratly Islands as a "big concern" for the international community .

Every year, about US$5 trillion worth of maritime trade passes through the sea, which is believed to hold deposits of oil and gas. Aside from China and the Philippines other countries with maritime claims in the sea include Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

"We cannot stop China... there is nothing that we can do about that now," Yasay said, adding improving relations with Beijing had paid off because Filipino fishermen can now fish around Scarborough Shoal.

In Manila, coast guard officials from the Philippines and China concluded two-day of talks to draw up an action plan to cooperate in fishing, environmental protection and humanitarian assistance in the South China Sea.

Coast guard spokesman, Commander Armand Balilo, said the two sides also discussed joint law enforcement operations as well as adopting a set of protocols to avoid accidents.

[SSridhar]

South China Sea row: China's first aircraft carrier conducts maiden live-fire drills - PTI

China's first aircraft carrier battle group has carried out its maiden live-fire exercises on a massive scale, in a show of strength amid increasing tensions with the US+ over the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Aircraft carrier 'Liaoning' conducted the mammoth drills with live ammunition in the Bohai Sea involving dozens of ships and aircraft as well as several air-to-air, air-to-ship and ship-to-air missiles, the PLA Navy said in a statement.

The exercise was aimed at testing combination of various types and numbers of ships to optimise the carrier's combat ability, the navy said.

The carrier, destroyers and frigates carried out exercises covering air interception, sea-based attacks and air-defense as well as reconnaissance, early warning and anti-missile systems.

The carrier's original design allows it to carry about 30 fixed-wing aircraft.

The time and exact location of the exercises were not disclosed accept that they were held in the Bohai Sea which is located between Chinese coast off Dalian and North and South Korea.

Earlier reports said the aircraft carrier would be deployed in the disputed South China Sea+ when it is ready.

It was the first time that the weapons used on the carrier were displayed in public since it entered service in 2012.

Videos of the Liaoning's J-15 fighters firing missiles were broadcast on China Central Television, the first time images of J-15 live-fire exercises have been shown to the public.

Rear Admiral Chen Yueqi, commander of the Liaoning carrier battle group, said the exercise is a "milestone" for the unit.

"It enabled us to explore how to organise a carrier battle group exercise and to test the training levels of our sailors and pilots. It can also boost the battle group's efforts to become combat ready as early as possible," he told CCTV.

The exercises were conducted as China struck a more aggressive posture over the disputed South China Sea issue and braces to have a showdown with US President-elect Donald Trump, who questioned 'One-China' policy+ and held an unprecedented phone talk with Taiwanese President+ Tsai Ing-wen, which drew strong diplomatic protests from Beijing.

Though the Navy did not disclose components of the carrier battle group, Zhang Junshe, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told China Daily that the battle group would have three Type 052C or Type 052D destroyers, both of which have advanced vertical-launch missile systems and cutting-edge air defence radar, three Type 054A frigates, one replenishment ship and one attack submarine.

"The recent exercise is really a landmark for the carrier battle group because it means the group's ships and aircraft have achieved a high level of integration and cooperation and that the unit is closer to gaining combat readiness," Zhang said.

"Next, the group would focus on honing its air defence and counter-submarine capabilities."

Wu Peixin, an aviation industry observer in Beijing, said the news indicates that the J-15 fighter force has obtained initial operational capability.

"The J-15 is as mighty as the United States' F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It is capable of carrying out multiple operations such as fleet air defense and anti-ship strikes," he said.

"Given that dozens of ships were used in this drill, the aircraft carrier was likely to be accompanied by submarines, depot ships and fast combat support ships, in addition to guided missile destroyers as well as two guided missile frigates," Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told state run Global Times.

Liaoning is a refitted vessel based on an unfinished Russian-made carrier and delivered to the Chinese Navy on September 25, 2012.

Its battle group took shape in December 2013, when the carrier and several escort vessels, including two guided missile destroyers, two guided missile frigates and an attack submarine took part in a long-range formation drill in the South China Sea.

[g.sarkar]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/po ... &smtyp=cur
U.S. Demands Return of Drone Seized by Chinese Warship
By HELENE COOPERDEC. 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said on Friday it had issued a formal protest to Beijing demanding the return of an underwater drone seized by a Chinese warship in the South China Sea, an incident that risked increasing tensions in a region already fraught with great-power rivalries.
A Defense Department official said that the unmanned underwater vehicle was discovered missing on Thursday when the crew of the United States Navy vessel Bowditch tried to retrieve it.
The Bowditch, an oceanographic ship, was operating in international waters and carrying out scientific research, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a potentially delicate international incident.
American officials said they were still trying to determine whether the seizure was a low-level action taken by Chinese sailors who spotted the drone or a strategic-level action ordered by more senior Chinese leaders.
.......

The underwater drone will be reverse engineered now.
Gautam

[SSridhar]

With an eye on China, India & US to upgrade Malabar Navy drill - Rajat Pandit, ToI

India and the US are planning to further upgrade their already expansive and top-level Malabar annual naval exercise, in which Japan has now become a regular participant, with a renewed thrust on anti-submarine warfare operations.

This comes at a time when the Indian security establishment in keeping a close watch on the increasing forays by Chinese nuclear and conventional submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The Indian Navy has tracked at least six Chinese submarines in the IOR, with an operational turn-around stop mainly at Karachi, over the last four years, as was earlier reported by TOI.

After meeting Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and other top officials here on Friday , the commander of the US Seventh Fleet Vice Admiral Joseph P Aucoin said, "We want to make the 21st Malabar exercise, which will be held in the IOR next year, bigger and more complex."
Malabar series. Japan took part in the exercise held in Bay of Bengal in October 2015 as well as in the western Pacific in June this year.

Vice Admiral Aucoin, on his part, said that while he felt that "multi-lateral exercises" were "very good" to build interoperability in the Asia-Pacific, it was up to the Indian and US governments to take a call on whether the Malabar should be expanded to include other countries as well. "I am happy at the way Malabar has become a tri-lateral, with the navies of three democracies working closely together," he said.

India has been cranking up the strategic partnerships with both US and Japan, with maritime cooperation emerging as a major thrust area.With the US a new bilateral maritime security dialogue as well as navy-to-navy talks on anti-submarine warfare have been set in motion now.
Noting that the Indian Navy now also operates the P-8I Poseidon long-range maritime patrol aircraft, a variant of the US Navy's P-8As, Vice Admiral Aucoin said the two sides "can hunt submarines together" as part of the several missions undertaken during the Malabar exercise."Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is one area I think would be very beneficial. So, I am looking forward to it in the Malabar," he said.

India is extensively using its P-8I aircraft, which are packed with radars and armed with deadly Harpoon Block-II missiles, MK-54 lightweight torpedoes, rockets and depth charges, to keep tabs on Chinese submarines in the IOR.

The US, of course, would like to include other countries like Australia in the Malabar wargames on a regular basis to build interoperability in the Asia-Pacific region. But China views any such "naval grouping" as a move to contain it, and had lodged a strong protest against the Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal in 2007 when it had been expanded to include Japan, Australia and Singapore.

The UPA government had then restricted the Malabar to just a bilateral endeavour with the US whenever it was held near Indian waters. Japan was included only when the exercise was held in north-western Pacific in 2009 and 2014. But after it came to office in 2014, the NDA government has made Japan a permanent fixture in the

[chanakyaa]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/po ... &smtyp=cur
U.S. Demands Return of Drone Seized by Chinese Warship
By HELENE COOPERDEC. 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said on Friday it had issued a formal protest to Beijing demanding the return of an underwater drone seized by a Chinese warship in the South China Sea, an incident that risked increasing tensions in a region already fraught with great-power rivalries.
.......

The underwater drone will be reverse engineered now.
Gautam

What a creative way of transferring technology to Chinese.

[SSridhar]

China focuses on nukes as tensions with U.S. rise - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China appears to be engaged in rapidly developing a long-range bomber, to fortify its nuclear deterrent — a move that is acquiring sharper focus after the United States President-elect Donald Trump questioned Washington’s unqualified support for Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

The state-run Xinhua news agency is relaying comments attributed to China’s Air Force Commander Ma Xiaotian that Beijing is developing the next-generation long-range bombers. The report said that the remarks by Gen. Ma confirmed the development of the “legendary H-20” bomber.

So far, it hasn’t done it

The report quoted Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo, director of the PLA Navy’s Expert Consultation Committee, as saying that China has so far not developed a large-tonnage, and long-range strategic bomber. The existing H-6 bomber that is in service is medium-sized, and not a strategic bomber. He added that China’s new range of strategic bombers will be at par with B-2 bombers of the United States, and have difficult-to-spot stealth features.

Admiral Yin noted that China has three specific advantages in developing the H-20 bomber. First, the developers can derive stealth technology from the J-20 and J-31 fighters — two China built stealth fighters. Second, China has already manufactured large transport aircraft such as the Y-20 and C-919, which can yield know-how to build big-sized strategic bombers. Besides, the new generation bombers can be armed with cruise missiles, nuclear and other weapons, which are already available in the Chinese arsenal. As a result of these advantages in materials, design and weaponry, the time lines for developing the H-20 can be shortened, though a typical cycle for making strategic bombers is around 10 years.

Trump may change status quo?

Following Mr. Trump’s election and his perceived inclination to change the status quo with Beijing, an op-ed in Global Times, affiliated with the Communist Party of China (CPC), had advocated the rapid development of the land based DF-41 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The DF-41 missile, which is undergoing trials, can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads. With a range of around 12,000 kilometers, it can target the entire U.S. mainland, if launched from eastern China.

The Washington Free Beacon — an online newspaper — is quoting experts as saying that China is reconfiguring its entire range of land based atomic missiles, by enabling them to carry multiple warheads. That includes changes in the single warhead DF-5 as well as the DF-31 missiles.

Besides, China is modernising its more survivable sea based deterrent-necessary for a retaliatory nuclear second strike — by adding multiple warheads to its JI-2 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM). The new missile will be either called JL-2C or JL-3.

Drone seizure deepens rift

The seizure of a U.S. underwater drone by China on Thursday near Subic Bay in the South China Sea has added to the growing friction between Beijing and the Trump administration-in-waiting.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the incident took place when the U.S. oceanographic survey ship Bowditch was about to retrieve the drone, which was used to collect data on salinity and water temperature.

But Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun defended China’s action. “We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel,” he said in a statement issued late on Saturday night. He added that the drone would be returned “in an appropriate manner.”

Trump’s tweet and tit-for-tat

Mr. Trump has waded into the drone controversy with a tweet, which said that, "We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back — let them keep it!”

His tweet triggered a cyberstorm in the Chinese social media. “Next time we will capture the US aircraft carrier without asking, since boss Trump is so generous,” said a posting on Sina Weibo, Chinese equivalent of Twitter. “What are you so arrogant for? We will return it once it is disassembled,” commented another on the micro-blogging site.

[svinayak]

China focuses on nukes as tensions with U.S. rise - Atul Aneja, The Hindu
China appears to be engaged in rapidly developing a long-range bomber, to fortify its nuclear deterrent — a move that is acquiring sharper focus after the United States President-elect Donald Trump questioned Washington’s unqualified support for Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

What else do they have. They have tried to provoke the neighbors with land and sea expansion and provoked major powers.
They may even go on the wrong side of Russia.

PRC has to be ready with their defence readiness

[Singha]

informative writeup on the hijacking of the uuv
its not a tethered ROV but a fully autonomous ER UUV which periodically transmits data via balloon and tether antenna....sophisticated...so PLAN wanted a look at its payload suite.

http://www.atimes.com/drone-piracy-south-china-sea//

[IndraD]

Russia throws its weight behind China-Pakistan corridor, keeps India on tenterhooks http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 053869.cms

Russia's nebulous public position on its growing ties with Pakistan continues to give sleepless nights to Indian policymakers who have sought to isolate Islamabad on the issue of terrorism.
After it officially denied reports+ that it had shown any interest in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Moscow has not just declared strong support for the China-funded project but also announced its intention to link its own Eurasian Economic Union project with CPEC.
CPEC, which will link Gwadar in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province to Xinjiang in China, remains a major bugbear for Indian foreign policy as it passes through the Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan administered Kashmir claimed by India. Beijing has shown scant regard for India's concerns despite PM Narendra Modi himself having taken up the issue of Chinese involvement in the disputed territory with President Xi Jinping.
Moscow last month emphatically denied Pakistan media reports that it was looking to involve itself in CPEC by acquiring access to the port built by China at Gwadar+ . Russia's ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Y Dedov has now been quoted as saying that Russia and Pakistan have held discussions to merge Moscow's Eurasian Economic Union project with the CPEC.

Dedov said Russia "strongly" supported CPEC as it was important for Pakistan's economy and also regional connectivity.
The mixed signals emanating from Moscow, as strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said, are injecting uncertainty in the direction of the Russia-India relationship whose trajectory long epitomized constancy and stability.
"It is as if Moscow no longer sees India as a reliable friend or partner. Indeed, by seeking common cause with India's regional adversaries — including by supporting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through internationally disputed territory and engaging with the Pakistan-backed Taliban — Russia is challenging India's core interests," said Chellaney.

India continues to officially maintain that it doesn't see any "downward trend" in relations with Russia even as it works behind the scenes to convince Moscow that Pakistan remained the fountainhead of terrorism in the region. For India though, Russia further queered the situation in Afghanistan by declaring that it regarded Afghan Taliban as a national military-political movement. Russia is looking to engage the Taliban apparently to defeat IS but, as the MEA spokesperson warned last week, India wants any engagement with Taliban to respect the internationally recognized red lines, including giving up violence and severing ties with al-Qaida.
The comments made by Dedov are only the latest in a series of Russian doublespeak on Pakistan this year. As it officially conveyed to Moscow, India was disturbed by Russia's decision to hold its first ever joint military exercise with Pakistan days after Uri terror strike which left 19 Indian soldiers dead. The Russians justified it by saying that the exercise was meant to help Pakistan deal with terrorism.

At the Brics Goa summit in October, Russia chose not to help India publicly name Pakistan based terrorist outfits like Lashkar and Jaish in the official declaration in the face of Chinese resistance.