Danish Warship Extends Operations Off the Coast of Somalia, Italian Air Force Deployed in Afghanistan Trains in Israel for Desert Combat, U.S. Military’s Africa Command Gets New Leadership, U.S. Carrier Group to Join Exercise With South Korea, Chinese Navy Arrives in Pakistan for Naval Exercise, Chinese Naval Fleet Will Sail to the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Resident Arrested for Passing on Defense-Related Projects to China, Japan Regrets China Gas Drilling, Russia Hopes to Make $9.5 Bln in Arms Sales, French Nuclear Submarine Put Under British Command in the Far North “to Monitor the Russians”
Danish Warship Extends Operations Outside Somalia
Denmark’s largest warship, Esbern Snare, will continue its hunt for pirates off the coast of Somalia for another three months, reports public broadcaster DR.
Lene Espersen, the foreign minister, announced the news this morning after a meeting with the Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee.
[...] Esbern Snare is part of the international Operation Ocean Shield anti-piracy effort and was due to have ended its mission with the force on March 1.
The warship’s journey home to Denmark was, however, temporarily postponed when a yacht with seven Danish passengers was hijacked by Somali pirates on February 24.
This is not the first time that Esbern Snare has been told to prolong its mission. The vessel was to have returned to Denmark in December 2010, but was ordered to continue its mission until March 1.
Continue Reading >> The Copenhagen Post | March 9, 2011
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Italian Air Force Trains in Israel
The Italian air force will continue to use facilities in Israel to train its pilots for desert combat and to defend themselves against surface-launched threats, according to Israeli sources.
With the Italian air force’s continued deployment in Afghanistan, it believes Israel offers the best training for the environment it will encounter.
Continue Reading >> Flight Global | March 8, 2011
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U.S. Military’s Africa Command Gets New Leadership
The U.S. military command responsible for humanitarian aid and any prospective military responses to the violence in Libya is swearing in a new commander.
He is Army Gen. Carter Ham, a former commander in Iraq and most recently the top U.S. Army officer in Europe.
Ham is taking charge of Africa Command, succeeding Army Gen. William Ward, who is retiring. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is presiding at the change-of-command ceremony.
Africa Command, created in 2008, is responsible for U.S. military operations in most of Africa, including Libya – which has no formal military-to-military relations with the United States.
The Washington Post | March 9, 2011
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U.S. Carrier Group to Join Exercise With South Korea
The United States says a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has entered the western Pacific Ocean and will join an ongoing military exercise with South Korea.
The U.S. military said Wednesday that the giant carrier is accompanied by a guided missile cruiser and a destroyer squadron. The ships will join in the annual Foal Eagle exercise which began early last week involving about 200,000 South Korean and 13,000 U.S. troops.
South Korea has described the drill as a routine defense exercise, but North Korea says it will respond to any provocation by turning South Korea’s capital, Seoul, into a “sea of fire.”
China strongly objected last year when the United States announced plans to send another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, into the Yellow Sea for an earlier joint exercise with South Korea.
Continue Reading >> Voice of America | March 9, 2011
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Chinese Navy Arrives in Pakistan for Naval Exercise
The Chinese naval fleet, comprising the Wenzhou missile frigate and Maanshan missile frigate, arrived in the southern Pakistani port of Karachi on Monday to participate in the “Aman 2011″ multi-national naval exercise.
Chinese Navy fleet commander Colonel Han Xiaohu said China has participated in the naval exercises to promote exchanges and cooperation with other navies and jointly safeguard security and stability at sea.
Upon completion of this exercise, Wenzhou and Ma’anshan will sail directly to the Gulf of Aden as the 8th Chinese naval escort taskforce to undertake the escort mission there.
Organized by Pakistan, the “Aman” multi-national maritime military exercise is held once every two years since 2007.
This year’s exercise will be held from March 8 to March 12 at the open sea near Karachi.
Chinese Military Attaché Senior Colonel Wang Jiliang said the “Aman 2011″ exercise on the Indian Ocean is mainly directed against piracy, terrorism and other non-traditional security threats. It aims to strengthen coordination and cooperation in search and rescue and helicopter operations in the sea.
People’s Daily | March 8, 2011
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U.S. Resident Arrested for Passing on Sensitive Military Data to China
Federal agents arrested on Tuesday a Chinese-born permanent resident of the U.S. for allegedly passing on sensitive defense-related data to China.
Sixing Liu, a 47-year-old former employee of a New Jersey-based technology company, allegedly exported hundreds of documents related to his firm’s defense-related projects, according to reports.
Continue Reading >> International Business Times | March 9, 2011
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Japan Regrets China Gas Drilling
Japan has expressed regret in connection with China’s efforts to develop gas fields in the East China Sea.
As reported by the Japanese Asahi newspaper citing a spokesperson for the Chinese oil and gas company, China has begun drilling off the Shirakaba gas field.
According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, the drilling runs counter to an agreement on the joint production of gas in the East China Sea signed in 2008.
The Voice of Russia | March 9, 2011
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Russia Hopes to Make $9.5 Bln in 2011 Arms Sales
Rosoboronexport, said on Wednesday it expects to make up to $9.5 billion in arms sales this year.
“Rosoboronexport’s portfolio [of orders] is about $38.5 billion; this is the target we hope to meet in three years,” company head Anatoly Isaikin said.
Last year Russian arms exports totaled $8.6 billion.
RIA Novosti | March 9, 2011
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Interview With Admiral Pierre-François Forissier Chief of Staff of the French Navy
[...] “Récemment, le Charles-de-Gaulle était dans l’océan Indien, et une frégate britannique s’est jointe au groupe aéronaval français. Un sous-marin français est passé sous commandement britannique dans le grand Nord, pour surveiller de plus près les Russes.
[...] “Recently, the Charles de Gaulle (Aircraft Carrier) was in the Indian Ocean, and a British frigate joined the French carrier battle group. A French submarine has come under British command in the Far North, to monitor the Russians.”
Continue Reading >> Le Télégramme | March 5, 2011
Russia Demands Punishment for Japanese Radicals Who Desecrated Flag, to Build Bangladesh’s First Nuclear Plant, Mongolia to Build Railway Link to Russian Port to Avoid “Overdependence on China”, Russia Ratifies Deal with U.S. Allowing Transit for Military Equipment and Personnel Across Russia to NATO Forces in Afghanistan Easing Reliance on Convoy Routes through Pakistan, Former Pakistan Chief of Army Staff : Nuclear Scientist AQ Khan is “Next Target of U.S. Agents”, India Rated “High Risk” Economy for Investors, Chinese Envoy : Pakistan Can Be Economic Powerhouse, China and Pakistan to Enhance Military Co-operation, “Have Strategy to Invade India and Nepal”, Sarah Palin to Visit India, Bangladesh’s Army Chief in Sri Lanka on “Goodwill Visit”
Russia to Demand Punishment for Japanese Radicals Who Desecrated Flag
The Russian embassy in Tokyo is preparing a note to the Japanese foreign ministry demanding to launch criminal investigation into the recent desecration of the Russian flag, a diplomat said.
Japanese right-wing campaigners dragged the Russian flag along the ground outside the Russian Embassy in Tokyo on February 7, demanding the return of a group of disputed Pacific islands. The embassy sent a protest note to the Japanese Foreign Ministry just after the incident.
Later that day, the Russian embassy in Tokyo had also received an envelope containing a bullet and a letter which said “The Northern Territories are Japanese land.”
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | February 22, 2011
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Russia to Build Bangladesh’s First Nuclear Plant
Russia has agreed to build energy-starved Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant, which will generate a total of 2,000 megawatt of electricity.
Bangladesh’s decades-old gas-fired power plants are unable to generate enough electricity for the country’s 150 million people. Businesses complain that the shortages interfere with production.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 25, 2011
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Mongolia to Build Railway Link to Russian Port
Land-locked Mongolia will build a 1,000 km (620 mile) railway to enable it to export its vast but largely untapped mineral wealth via a Russian port.
[...] Analysts say Mongolia’s government plans to build the Russian route because it is worried about overdependence on China, its southern neighbour and a huge market for Mongolia’s resources.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 22, 2011
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Russia Ratifies Military Transit Deal with U.S.
Russia’s parliament approved a deal with the United States on Friday to allow transit for military equipment and personnel across Russia to the NATO force in Afghanistan, easing reliance on Pakistan as a transit route.
[...] Currently, about 80 percent of NATO’s supplies cross through Pakistan. But NATO has been trying to reduce its dependence on convoy routes through Pakistan where they are prey to Islamist militant attacks.
[...] The transit deal stops short of opening the Russian route for weapons for the NATO mission in Afghanistan, where Moscow fought a disastrous 1979-89 war which still haunts Russia and which killed 15,000 Soviet troops.
Russia’s NATO envoy has said the deal would not allow NATO to ship tanks or combat-ready armored personnel carriers (APCs) through Russian territory.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 25, 2011
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Former Pak Army Chief Claims Nuclear Scientist AQ Khan is “Next Target of U.S. Agents”
Former Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (r) Mirza Aslam Beg has claimed that the American agents’ network is spread throughout the country, and that their next target is disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
[...] Khan is known as the architect of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, and is accused of illegally transferring nuke know-how to China, North Korea and Iran.
Continue Reading >> Sify | February 26, 2011
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India Rated ‘Extreme Risk’ Economy for Investors
India – along with Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines – has been rated a ‘high risk’ growth economy for investors. In a ranking of 175 countries by the Global Risks Atlas 2011 released this week, Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan have been dubbed ‘extreme risk’ nations because of weak governance, internal conflicts and regional instability.
Continue Reading >> Sify | February 25, 2011
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Pakistan Can be Economic Powerhouse : Chinese Envoy
Pakistan is a gifted nation that fulfils all the prerequisites to become an economic power, a diplomat said on Friday.
Addressing business community at the residence of Raza Khan, Chairman Coordination Committee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Ambassador of China to Islamabad Liu Jian said that improved law and order coupled with continuity of enabling economic policies can attract huge investment in this great business destination.
[...] The ambassador said that the current bilateral trade volume between the two countries stood at $8.7 billion, up by $2 billion from last year, which is unsatisfactory as it can be increased manifold.
Continue Reading >> The News International | February 20, 2011
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China and Pakistan Pledge to Enhance Military Co-operation
[...] China attaches great importance and is devoted to pushing forward relations between the two militaries, Chen Bingde, Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, told visiting General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan.
China is willing to work with Pakistan to develop the mechanism of defense and security talks, deepen strategic cooperation and contribute to the peace, stability and common development in the region and the world, Chen said.
[...] The Pakistani army is willing to continue to strengthen friendly communication and cooperation with the Chinese army, and make more efforts to safeguard the two countries’ development and security interests.
Continue Reading >> Defence Professionals | February 24, 2011
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China, Pakistan Have Strategy to Invade India: Mulayam Singh
Alleging that China and Pakistan are having “a strategy to invade India,” Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give an assurance to Parliament that the country is safe from a possible external aggression.
“China and Pakistan can invade India. They are having a strategy to invade India. The House must be assured that India is safe, when PM gives reply,” Yadav said in the Lok Sabha participating in a discussion on the motion of thanks to the President for her address to Parliament.
Referring to developments in Ladakh, Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh where China is allegedly building Army threatening India’s sovereignty, he said, “They are occupying one inch of territory every day. We could not regain our lost territory. They are claiming our land.”
The former defence minister said he was aware that China is ready to attack India.
“China is our No 1 enemy. It is time to save our country,” he said.
“Their armed forces are ready. They may invade at any time. Nepal would also be occupied,” Mulayam feared and called for a “Himalayan policy” to check a possible Chinese invasion.
[...] Criticising the country’s foreign policy, he said, it is in the hands of the US.
“Who are our friends? We don’t have any friends like USSR,” said the leader, whose party has 22 MPs who support the government from outside.
[...] He said both Nepal and Sri Lanka used to enjoy good relations with India in the past but that is not so now.
Continue Reading >> The Times of India | February 22, 2011
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Sarah Palin to Visit India Next Month
Republican leader Sarah Palin will make her first trip to India next month to attend a conference and speak on her vision of America.
Continue Reading >> The Economic Times | February 24, 2011
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Bangladesh’s Army Chief Here on Goodwill Visit
General Mohammed Abdul Mubeen, Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff, at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, arrives in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (23) on a five-day goodwill visit.
Continue Reading >> Ministry of Defence | February 22, 2011
Russia Summons U.S. Envoy Over Japan Islands Dispute, Restates Kuril Position, Japan “Shrugs its Shoulders”, Creates Spy Agency Targeting North Korea and China for First Time After Second World War, China Calls for Talks on North Korea, Rejects American’s Appeal of Spy Charge, U.S. Dismisses Bilateral Talks with Pyongyang, Wikileaks Cables Show China Using Debt to Pressure U.S. on Taiwan, Chinese Regime Portrayed as Clamping Down to Prevent Middle-East-Style Protests, Former U.S. Defense Chief Backs Sale of F-16 Jets to Taiwan, North Korea Reportedly Showing Signs of Nuclear Test, Building New Missile Launch Site, Conflict Looms Over U.S. Military Presence in Australia, U.S. to Boost Naval Forces in Asia, Warns China on Pacific Provocation as China Develops Aircraft Carrier, South Korea Spied on Indonesian Delegation, Indonesia Denies Report, to Observe Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict, Turkey to Sell Armoured Combat Vehicles to Malaysia
Russia Summons U.S. Envoy Over Japan Islands Dispute
The Russian foreign ministry on Monday summoned the US ambassador to Moscow over comments in which Washington reportedly backed the Japanese position in a simmering territorial row with Russia.
[...] “In this connection, the Russian Federation once again laid out it principled and unwavering position on Russia’s sovereignty over the south Kurils.”
Continue Reading >> AFP | February 21, 2011
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Russia Restates Kuril Position While Japan Shrugs its Shoulders
[...] Tokyo-based Moscow News reader Keiran Drea said that the issue was making little impact on most Japanese people – despite scenes of violence outside the Russian embassy, which got significant coverage in Russia.
Continue Reading >> The Moscow News | February 22, 2011
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Japan Creating Spy Agency for First Time After Second World War
Japan is creating an espionage agency for the first time since the end of the Second World War, amid growing tensions with its superpower neighbour China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
[...] The new unit, modelled on MI6 and the CIA, will also be tasked with gathering information to prevent terrorist attacks against Japanese targets, according to a US government cable obtained by WikiLeaks.
[...] worsening of relations with China and the unpredictability of the North Korean regime means that Tokyo can no longer rely on its allies for intelligence about the activities of its enemies.
China and Japan clashed over the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea last year, and Japan has become increasingly apprehensive of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 21, 2011
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China Again Calls for 6-Party Talks Soon
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi again emphasized the need for the resumption soon of the stalled multinational talks on North Korea’s denuclearization, indicating the lingering opinion gap with Seoul over how to deal with the North’s ongoing nuclear ambitions.
Continue Reading >> Korea Herald | February 23, 2011
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China Rejects American’s Appeal of Spy Charge
A Chinese court on Friday rejected an appeal by American geologist Xue Feng against his eight-year jail sentence for spying, despite a long-running campaign by Washington to free him, including a personal plea by President Obama.
[...] Mr. Xue’s sentencing last summer sent a chill through foreign investors in China and the people who make their money analyzing its economy. He was found guilty of obtaining and trafficking in state secrets after he unearthed information on Chinese oil wells for his former employer—U.S. petroleum research firm IHS Inc.
Continue Reading >> The Wall Street Journal | February 18, 2011
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U.S. Dismisses Bilateral Talks with Pyongyang
The United States Tuesday dismissed any bilateral dialogue with North Korea on easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, urging the North to first improve ties with South Korea.
Continue Reading >> Korea JoongAng Daily | February 24, 2011
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Wikileaks Cables Show China Used Debt to Pressure U.S. on Taiwan
China has sought to use its massive U.S. debt holdings to influence American financial policy and deter arms sales to Taiwan, according to diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks.
Continue Reading >> National Journal | February 22, 2011
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China Clamping Down to Prevent Mideast-Style Protests
A previously unknown group has called on the Chinese to replicate the popular protests in the Middle East by staging their own peaceful “jasmine rallies” in cities across China every Sunday afternoon, to demand an end to corruption, greater accountability and an independent judiciary.
Continue Reading >> The Washington Post | February 23, 2011
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Former U.S. Defense Chief Backs Sale of F-16 Jets to Taiwan
Washington, Feb. 22 (CNA) Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that he supports the sale of U.S. F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
[...] But Rumsfeld said that if a cross-strait conflict erupts, it would be an example of terribly handled diplomacy, because such a conflict would be totally unnecessary.
However, he said, he thinks there is little possibility that such a conflict will occur since both Taiwan and China have been engaged in economic and tourist exchanges.
Rumsfeld said he believes Taipei and Beijing can solve their differences with good behavior and wise diplomacy.
Continue Reading >> Focus Taiwan | February 23, 2011
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North Korea Shows Signs of 3rd Nuke Test
Seoul is closely monitoring activities at a North Korean nuclear site amid signs that Pyongyang is preparing for a third nuclear test, government sources said Sunday.
The vigilance comes after South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities spotted the North digging additional tunnels at the Musudan-ri Launch Facility for a possible underground atomic test, a source told Yonhap News Agency.
Continue Reading >> Korea Times | February 20, 2011
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North Korea ‘Building’ New Missile Launch Site
North Korea appears close to finishing a new missile launch site, according to analysis of satellite images taken in the last month, which show an almost completed 100ft tall launch tower, suggesting a step forward in Pyongyang’s inter-continental ballistic missile programme.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | February 16, 2011
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Conflict Looms Over US Military Presence in Australia
For two decades, the issue of US bases in Australia has remained dormant. The Government and community seem to have become comfortable with their presence, as long as they are perceived as passive.
[...] Nevertheless, the issue of US bases might be about to re-emerge as a hot-button political issue.
Continue Reading >> ABC | February 22, 2011
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U.S. to Boost Naval Forces as China Develops Carrier
The U.S. navy will continue to upgrade its military capabilities in the Pacific given its steadfast commitment to the region, a U.S. vice admiral said on Monday, while urging China’s growing navy to avoid provocation.
[...] “It is our sincere hope that as China continues to develop a blue-water navy, one which may soon include an aircraft carrier, it will employ that navy in a way that is responsible and constructive,” said Vice admiral Scott Van Buskirk during a visit to Hong Kong.
[...] Following on from Gate’s comments that China’s military advances in cyber and anti-satellite warfare technology could challenge the ability of U.S. forces to operate in the Pacific, Van Buskirk said the United States would upgrade its hardware there.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 21, 2011
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Alleged Espionage Attempt Embarrasses South Korea
[...] It was reported earlier this week that three unidentified people who broke into a hotel room of visiting Indonesian presidential envoys last week were actually officials at South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The intruders intruded into the hotel room in downtown Seoul in an apparent attempt to steal laptops and fled after being walked in on by a member of the Indonesian delegation.
The Indonesian delegation, led by Indonesia’s coordinating economic minister Hatta Rajasa, was visiting Seoul last week at the invitation of President Lee Myung-bak. The delegates, six of whom are ministerial-level officials, asked for support of the South Korean government and local firms for their major economic projects.
Continue Reading >> People’s Daily | February 22, 2011
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Indonesia Denies Report South Korean Spies Stole Military Data
The South Koreans who entered the hotel room of Indonesian officials visiting Seoul didn’t steal military data, Indonesia’s Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said, denying a report by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
The incident occurred on a different floor than the one officials from the Indonesian Defense Ministry were staying, Yusgiantoro told reporters in Jakarta today. An official from the Indonesian Industry Ministry saw the South Koreans in his room and a laptop that was taken from the room was returned, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said.
Chosun reported today South spies broke into the Lotte Hotel room in Central Seoul on Feb. 16 to find out what price Indonesia may bid for weapons and trainer jets. The report cited an unidentified South Korean government official, and didn’t say how the person knew the details of the case.
Bloomberg | February 22, 2011
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Indonesia to Observe Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict
Amidst the recent border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, both countries have accepted Indonesia to observe both sides of the border, officials said Tuesday.
An Indonesian team of observers will be deployed to the region where they will observe and report accurately, as well as impartially on complaints of violations and submitting its findings to each party, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said.
Continue Reading >> Channel 6 News | February 22, 2011
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Turkey to Sell Armoured Combat Vehicles to Malaysian Military
Turkish defense industry company FNSS signed Tuesday a $600 million deal with Malaysia’s DEFTECH to sell armoured combat vehicles to Malaysian military.
[...] The deal is important for Turkish defense industry as it is the largest amount in defense industry exports of the country at one time.
Continue Reading >> World Bulletin | February 23, 2011
U.S. and Kyrgyzstan Sign Air Base Fuel Supply Deal, Moscow to Help Kyrgyzstan Enter Customs Union, Russia and Tajikistan Debate Sharing Military Base, Japan Eyes Uzbekistan’s Rich Natural Resources
Kyrgyzstan and the United States signed an agreement on Tuesday on jet fuel supplies to a U.S. air base in the Central Asian state, replacing previous deals with a more transparent system.
The new government in Kyrgyzstan, which also hosts a Russian air base, has tried to remove opaque supply schemes which it says favoured the clan of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, deposed in a popular uprising last April.
The Manas base, located at Kyrgyzstan’s main civilian airport outside the capital Bishkek, is a vital transit point for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 8, 2011
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Russia to Help Kyrgyzstan Enter Customs Union – Russia’s Customs Chief
Russia could share experience with Kyrgyzstan on entering the Customs Union, currently made up of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Andrei Belyaninov, the head of Russia’s Customs Service said on Thursday.
In late December, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev said the country was interested in joining the Customs Union.
[...] The creation of a common economic space stipulating the free movement of goods, assets and labor force between the countries is to become the next stage of their integration.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | February 10, 2011
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Russia and Tajikistan Debate Sharing Ayni Base
Russia and Tajikistan continue to negotiate over the use of the Ayni military airport near Dushanbe. And the key issue under debate now is whether the base would be a solely Russian facility, or a joint Tajikistan-Russia operation. That’s according to Tajikistan political analyst Alexander Sodiqov, writing on Jamestown’s Eurasia Daily Monitor.
Continue Reading >> EurasiaNet | February 9, 2011
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Japan Eyes Uzbekistan’s Rich Natural Resources
Japan and Uzbekistan agreed Wednesday to strengthen their strategic bilateral partnership in a wide range of fields, including the development of natural resources such as uranium and rare metals.
[...] “Uzbekistan . . . is geopolitically a very important country to Japan, and at the same time it is a strategically important partner from the viewpoint of energy and resources,” Kan told Karimov at their summit.
Continue Reading >> The Japan Times | February 10, 2011
China to Station Troops in North Korea
China is in discussions with North Korea about stationing its troops in the isolated state for the first time since 1994, a South Korean newspaper reported Saturday.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an anonymous official at the presidential Blue House as saying that Beijing and Pyongyang recently discussed details of stationing Chinese soldiers in the North’s northeastern city of Rason.
The official said the soldiers would protect Chinese port facilities, but the location also gives access to the Sea of Japan (East Sea), while a senior security official was quoted as saying it would allow China to intervene in case of North Korean instability.
AFP | January 15, 2011
China Changing Nuclear Rules of Engagement
The Chinese military would consider a pre-emptive nuclear strike if it had no other way to defend itself in a war against another nuclear-armed state, Kyodo News said on Wednesday, citing Chinese documents.
The policy, called ‘Lowering the threshold of nuclear threats’ may indicate a shift from China’s pledge not to first fire nuclear weapons under any circumstances, the report said. It may also fan concern in the United States, Japan and other regional powers, according to the Japanese news agency, which obtained the internal documents.
Daily Times | January 6, 2011
Taiwan to Reconsider Sharing Intelligence with the U.S. and Japan
For decades, there has hardly been a place more suitable to monitor the rising China than Taiwan. In close proximity to People’s Liberation Army (PLA) military bases along China’s southeastern coast, the island has long been amassing electronic hardware at air-defense radar stations on top of Yangmingshan, Taipei’s iconic recreation mountain.
Being one of the world leaders in information technology, Taiwan arguably has what it takes to field one of the world’s most advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. But also when it comes to the gathering of intelligence on the soil of mainland China, the Taiwanese have always had a sizable edge over other countries.
Like Israeli agents who blended into Arab societies in the run-up to the Gulf wars, Taiwanese spies with their shared ethnicity, language and culture can keep a much lower profile in mainland China than their foreign counterparts – with nearly 1 million Taiwanese businesspeople living there making for ideal cover. Yet, after almost three years of relatively Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou having the say in Taipei, there is speculation that Taiwan is beginning to renounce its role of being other countries’ eyes and ears.
Ma, who heralds the concept of “honest diplomacy” when dealing with China, is not only suspected of having stopped recruiting agents to operate on the other side of the Taiwan Strait but also of planning to put the brakes on the sharing of intelligence with the US and Japan, its longtime allies.
Asia Times | January 4, 2011
Egyptian authorities arrest members of alleged Israeli spy ring
Egyptian security forces have arrested several people suspected of belonging to an Israeli spy network operating in Egypt. The alleged network reportedly consists of two fugitive Israeli officers and four Egyptian nationals.
The State Security apparatus is currently conducting a highly secretive investigation of the suspects.
Investigations have so far revealed that network members had succeeded in establishing two communications offices, one in Cairo and one in the UK, through which they recorded telephone calls made by prominent Egyptian government officials. The calls were then allegedly transferred to a communications office in Israel.
Investigations have further revealed that one of the Israeli officers had managed to recruit a female Egyptian public relations director working at a tourism company to supply him with information, in return for money, about places frequented by certain groups of tourists–including those from China and Japan–near the border region of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Al Masry Al Youm | December 19, 2010
Japan Throws Aside its Pacifist Post World War II Military Doctrine
The Japanese government encouraged by the United States round-the-clock show of military capabilities against global adversaries has just decided to switch its own long-held post WWII pacifism into a more confrontational one.
Tokyo cited the rise of China’s military and its military presence around disputed islands as the reason behind change in its military doctrine. Japan’s claims on the Kuril Islands are also increasing tensions with Moscow. The Japanese economy experienced rapid growth after WWII devastations until a decade ago when the last Asian financial crisis seem to have permanently damaged its once innovative export-driven economy under the merci of China or even South Korea.
On Friday the administration of Naoto Kan, decided to confront Chinese military buildup and North Korea’s progress in the field of nuclear technology. Tokyo plans almost 24 trillion yen defense spending for five years. Like most Western industrial nations’ blind pursuit of US-led casino capitalism, Japan today suffers under huge public debt that is at least twice the size of its GDP.
Apparently, since it would be difficult to harness a behemoth like China, both Tokyo and Washington may be seeing the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula as a lifetime opportunity. Elimination of South Korea’s industrial exports after a devastating war with powerful North Korea would ensure that both Japan and U.S. could have the chance to fill in after South Korean exports, thus giving themselves some temporary comforts. That might explain why recently Washington and Tokyo drew up joint military agreement to counter China, while at the same time US and South Korea separately conduct their joint military maneuvers near disputed areas.
A newly published report by the Japanese military reflected the growing anxiety over China’s rising power, rapid modernization of its military and maritime activities. It noted, ‘These movements, coupled with the lack of transparency in its military and security matters, have become a matter of concern for the region and the international community’ The reported also viewed North Korea’s rapid development in the field of nuclear technology as a present and grave destabilizing factor to the security of our country and the region.
Hamsayeh | December 17, 2010
Japan Economy Continues to Slide
The Christmas shopping season has arrived in Tokyo, but there is little good news to be heard when it comes to the Japanese economy. Two new economic surveys paint a picture of weakening growth: Core machinery orders fell a greater-than-expected 1.4% in October; and bank loans to companies fell 2.0% in November. And Slower growth in key overseas markets has cooled export demand.
Press TV | December 8, 2010
Two Russian Anti-Submarine Aircraft Interrupt US-Japanese War Games
A joint U.S.-Japanese military exercise in the Sea of Japan was suspended when two Russian Il-38 May anti-submarine aircraft flew over the area, the NHK channel said on Wednesday citing the Japanese defense ministry.
The biennial Keen Sword drills were suspended amid fears that the Russian aircraft may obtain top-secret data, the channel reported.
Around 34,000 Japanese military personnel with 40 warships and 250 aircraft joined more than 10,000 U.S. troops with 20 warships and 150 aircraft in the drills in the Sea of Japan, off the southern island of Okinawa.
The agenda of the exercises, which will continue until December 10, include integrated air and missile defense, base security, close-air support, live-fire drills, maritime defense and search and rescue missions.
RIA Novosti | December 8, 2010
North Korea as a Buffer State for China
Lawrence Wilkerson: Wikileaks cables may show that China no longer need North Korea as a buffer state.
TheRealNews | December 5, 2010
China Considers Options After North Korean Strike
China Director Jennifer Richmond examines Beijing’s diplomatic options with Pyongyang after the Nov. 23 artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
Stratfor | November 30, 2010
Philippines prepares for possible mass evacuation from South Korea
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has held talks with Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura in Manila on the possible immediate evacuation of some 50,000 Filipinos from South Korea to Japan, NHK television reported on Saturday.
President Aquino’s concerns come after reports of a U.S. naval task force led by the George Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that will join South Korean warships in naval exercises on November 28-December 1.
The drills will be held in the wake of a recent military clash between North Korea and South Korea. The South claimed it returned fire after the North opened artillery fire on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea on Tuesday, killing at least two South Korean marines and two civilians. Sixteen others were injured, along with three civilians.
Aquino held an extraordinary meeting with government officials to inform them of the need to be prepared for the evacuation of Filipinos living and working in South Korea, adding that their evacuation to the Philippines would take much time and “the closest country to South Korea is Japan.”
THK television neither reported on how such an evacuation would occur nor on Japan’s actions should it need to accept 50,000 Filipino refugees.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense and South Korea has boosted its military presence on Yeonpyeong Island.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Friday said, citing the upcoming U.S.-South Korean naval drills in the Yellow Sea, that China strongly opposes any foreign states’ military maneuvers in its exclusive economic zone.
China has always remained a close ally to North Korea.
The USS George Washington, which carries 75 combat aircraft and a crew of over 6,000, has left its naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, and will arrive in the Yellow Sea on Sunday to begin military maneuvers with South Korea, which many see as irritating the already tense situation between the North and South.
RIA Novosti | November 27, 2010
U.S. Tactical Nukes May Return to South Korea
If North Korea’s going to flaunt its new uranium-enrichment facility to the world, South Korea isn’t going to sit back and take it. Seoul is considering a request for the U.S. to return tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula for the first time in 15 years. Remember when President Obama was going to put the world on a “path to zero” nukes?
Over the weekend, a U.S. scientist revealed that North Korea took him on a tour of its new “ultra-modern” uranium-enrichment plant at Yongbyon, ending longstanding doubts about Pyongyang’s home-grown capabilities at turning uranium into nuclear fuel. (Though it’s unclear whether the plant is already enriching uranium.) South Korea’s defense minister quickly cooked up a response, the Korea Herald reports: consider asking the U.S. to bring its nuclear weapons back.
Wired | November 22, 2010
Iran’s Adventures In Latin America
As the United States continues to isolate Iran over its nuclear program, the Islamic regime is engaging in a foreign policy counter-attack with profound strategic consequences. The theater of strategic warfare between the United States and Iran has expanded well beyond the Middle East.
Under immense short-term pressure from both within and without, the Iranian leadership has chosen to pursue a grand strategy in the most unlikely corners of the world. From sub-Saharan Africa to Latin America, Iran is selling arms, offering aid and investments, and otherwise establishing a new pattern in south-to-south relations as it battles what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls “Western arrogance.”
Iran’s greatest achievement in Latin America is its strong ties with oil-rich Venezuela and its burgeoning friendship with rising great power Brazil. This bid for greater influence in the U.S. backyard has not yet led to a direct confrontation. But with a nuclear agreement still up in the air, Iran’s “Latin connection” may well pose an unwelcome challenge to the Obama administration.
Eurasia Review | November 19, 2010
Sneaking Chinese Subs into Waters off the US West Coast?
Pentagon and its embedded media covering up Chinese show of force off LA
China flexed its military muscle Monday evening in the skies west of Los Angeles when a Chinese Navy Jin class ballistic missile nuclear submarine, deployed secretly from its underground home base on the south coast of Hainan island, launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from international waters off the southern California coast. WMR’s intelligence sources in Asia, including Japan, say the belief by the military commands in Asia and the intelligence services is that the Chinese decided to demonstrate to the United States its capabilities on the eve of the G-20 Summit in Seoul and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Tokyo, where President Obama is scheduled to attend during his ten-day trip to Asia.
The reported Chinese missile test off Los Angeles came as a double blow to Obama. The day after the missile firing, China’s leading credit rating agency, Dagong Global Credit Rating, downgraded sovereign debt rating of the United States to A-plus from AA. The missile demonstration coupled with the downgrading of the United States financial grade represents a military and financial show of force by Beijing to Washington.
The Pentagon spin machine, backed by the media reporters who regularly cover the Defense Department, as well as officials of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and the U.S. Northern Command, is now spinning various conspiracy theories, including describing the missile plume videotaped by KCBS news helicopter cameraman Gil Leyvas at around 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time, during the height of evening rush hour, as the condensation trail from a jet aircraft. Other Pentagon-inspired cover stories are that the missile was actually an amateur rocket or an optical illusion.
Experts agree that this was a ballistic missile being fired off of Los Angeles. Pentagon insists it was a jet aircraft or model rocket.
There are no records of a plane in the area having taken off from Los Angeles International Airport or from other airports in the region. The Navy and Air Force have said that they were not conducting any missile tests from submarines, ships, or Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Navy has also ruled out an accidental firing from one of its own submarines.
Missile experts, including those from Jane’s in London, say the plume was definitely from a missile, possibly launched from a submarine. WMR has learned that the missile was likely a JL-2 ICBM, which has a range of 7,000 miles, and was fired in a northwesterly direction over the Pacific and away from U.S. territory from a Jin class submarine. The Jin class can carry up to twelve such missiles.
Navy sources have revealed that the missile may have impacted on Chinese territory and that the National Security Agency (NSA) likely possesses intercepts of Chinese telemetry signals during the missile firing and subsequent testing operations.
Japanese and other Asian intelligence agencies believe that a Chinese Jin-class SSBN submarine conducted missile “show of force” in skies west of Los Angeles.
Asian intelligence sources believe the submarine transited from its base on Hainan through South Pacific waters, where U.S. anti-submarine warfare detection capabilities are not as effective as they are in the northern and mid-Pacific, and then transited north to waters off of Los Angeles. The Pentagon, which has spent billions on ballistic missile defense systems, a pet project of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is clearly embarrassed over the Chinese show of strength.
Likely route of Jin-class submarine from Hainan base (Map).
The White House also wants to downplay the missile story before President Obama meets with his Chinese counterpart in Seoul and Tokyo. According to Japanese intelligence sources, Beijing has been angry over United States and allied naval exercises in the South China and Yellow Seas, in what China considers its sphere of influence, and the missile firing within the view of people in Southern California was a demonstration that China’s navy can also play in waters off the American coast.
For the U.S. Navy, the Chinese show of force is a huge embarrassment, especially for the Navy’s Pacific Command in Pearl Harbor, where Japan’s December 7, 1941 attack on the fleet at Pearl Harbor remains a sore subject.
In 2002, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice reportedly scolded visiting Chinese General Xiong Guankai, the deputy chief of staff for intelligence of the People’s Liberation Army, for remarks he allegedly made in 1995 that China would use nuclear weapons on Los Angeles. Xiong denied he made any such comments but the “spin” on the story helped convince Congress to sink billions of additional dollars into ballistic missile defense, sometimes referred to at “Star Wars II.”
Wayne Madsen Report | November 11, 2010
Currency War and the G-20
Analyst Peter Zeihan examines the potential for currency war between the United States and China and what is expected to emerge from the G-20 summit.
Stratfor | November 10, 2010
Washington’s South Asia Balancing Act
Analyst Reva Bhalla looks at U.S. President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to South Asia and the United States’ managing relations with India and Pakistan.
Statfor | November 4, 2010
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