Today’s News 01 July 2021 (Thursday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 Taal smog reaches Metro H Flores P Star 1 COVID Programs hang as Bayanihan 2 PDI A1 2 lapses

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

D. INDO-PACIFIC Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page 3 PAF helicopter crash victims identified M Punongbayan P Star 7 4 Chopper crash victims retrieved M Sadongdong M Bulletin 3 V Reyes Malaya A12 5 Gov’t watching W. Mindanao private armed groups

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page Diskwalipikasyon vs Kabataan partylist D Franche Ngayon 2 6 inihain Arming civilian volunteers only for NPA- R Cabrera P Star 3 7 infested areas – DILG

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 8 Aquino and the arbitration against China A Carpio PDI A6 M Samonte M Times A6 9 On the centenary of China’s communist party: My last hurrah 10 Non-lethal AFP role P Journal 4

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Diokno sees inflation easing down in https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/diok 11 June no-sees-inflation-easing-down-in-june/ P6.5B remained unspent before https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/p6- 12 Bayanihan 2 lapsed—DBM 5b-remained-unspent-before-bayanihan-2- lapsed-dbm/ Schools in race vs. time to stop BIR rule https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/scho 13 on higher tax rate ols-in-race-vs-time-to-stop-bir-rule-on-higher- tax-rate/ House panel consolidates bills boosting https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145520 14 FOI Solidum says haze in NCR due to Taal, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145525 15 'human activities' ‘Laws never required elective officials to https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/01/laws-never- 16 be immaculately free from a troubled required-elective-officials-to-be-immaculately- past’ — SC free-from-a-troubled-past-sc/ Final community quarantine for July: 20 https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/final- 17 areas under MECQ, 30 under GCQ community-quarantine-for-july-20-under-mecq- 30-under-gcq/ Hospitals may shut down soon unless https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/imee-hospitals- 18 PhilHealth pays debts may-shut-down-soon-unless-philhealth-pays- debts/ Pabillo sees appointment to Taytay as https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pabillo-sees-his- 19 opportunity to be with the poor appointment-to-taytay-as-opportunity-to-be- with-the-poor/ PH needs vaccine for dengue as disease https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1453753/ph- 20 remains a threat despite drop in cases – needs-vaccine-for-dengue-as-disease- expert remains-a-threat-despite-drop-in-cases-expert LPA enters PAR, Pagasa sees no major https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1453871/lpa- 21 threat enters-par-pagasa-sees-no-major-threat 1 to 3 cyclones may enter PH monitoring https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/7/1/PH- 22 area in July storms-July-2021.html NAVY NEWS Taal Volcano’s emissions reach MM, 8 https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 23 provinces stories/358531/taal-volcano-s-emissions- reach-mm-8-provinces.html Marina optimistic on maritime tourism https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/30/busin 24 ess/maritime/marina-optimistic-on-maritime- tourism/1805145 Gabriela sees sexism, misogyny in https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio 25 PCG's 'angels' ops in West Philippine n/793583/gabriela-sees-sexism-misogyny-in- Sea pcg-s-angels-ops-in-west-philippine-sea/story/ PCG’s BRP Gabriela Silang starts https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/look-pcgs-brp- 26 maritime exercise in Panay Island gabriela-silang-starts-maritime-exercise-in- panay-island/ PCG, DICT to strengthen vessel https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pcg-dict-to- 27 monitoring capability in Misamis strengthen-vessel-monitoring-capability-in- Oriental misamis-oriental/ PCG conducts water search and https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pcg-conducts- 28 rescue, maritime inter-agency training in water-search-and-rescue-maritime-inter- Mindanao agency-training-in-mindanao/ AFP RELATED PAF finally retrieves bodies of 6 https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/paf-finally- 29 personnel in Tarlac chopper crash retrieves-bodies-of-6-personnel-in-tarlac- chopper-crash/ PAF helicopter crash victims identified https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/07/01/21 30 09284/paf-helicopter-crash-victims-identified Controversial Army general to retire from https://news.tv5.com.ph/top- 31 active duty service stories/read/goodbye-parlade-controversial- army-general-to-retire-from-active-duty-service Medal of valor awardee named new https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/06/30/me 32 SOLCOM chief dal-of-valor-awardee-named-new-solcom- chief/ More counter-terrorism collaboration https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145556 33 vital for PH, Saudi Arabia Arming civilian volunteers only for NPA- https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/01 34 infested areas — DILG /2109326/arming-civilian-volunteers-only-npa- infested-areas-dilg Review stand on Joma, group urges https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145507 35 Dutch gov’t Reds can never claim belligerent status: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145521 36 AFP official AFP urges victims: File human rights https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/afp-urges- 37 cases vs NPA victims-file-human-rights-cases-vs-npa/ Over 130 armed groups monitored for https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/06/30/ov 38 possible violence er-130-armed-groups-monitored-for-possible- violence/ SM Foundation, The Body Shop promote https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/01/public 39 self-care among frontliners -square/sm-foundation-the-body-shop- promote-self-care-among-frontliners/1805230 INDO-PACIFIC NEWS WFP warns of 'biblical' famine without https://www.philstar.com/world/2021/06/30/210 40 action 9296/wfp-warns-biblical-famine-without-action Water outage in Metro Manila expected http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000- 41 to end as -China dam project 9866804.html breaks ground Philippines, Sri Lanka vow to further https://globalnation.inquirer.net/197429/philippi 42 strengthen ties nes-sri-lanka-vow-to-further-strengthen-ties https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/covi 43 America’s pandemic stockpile struggles to ramp up d-stockpile-medical-supplies-497071 Biden’s cyber warning to Russia may https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/bid 44 have to be backed by action ens-cyber-warning-to-russia-may-have-to-be- backed-by-action/ The Impact of Misperceptions About https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/06/30/gra 45 Russia on U.S. Policy nd-illusions-impact-of-misperceptions-about- russia-on-u.s.-policy-pub-84845 Washington and Beijing set out https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 46 competing visions of international article/3139317/china-us-relations-washington- cooperation at G20 meeting and-beijing-set-out-competing Taiwan and US restart trade talks https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/busin 47 despite China opposition ess/taiwan-us-restart-trade-talks-china- opposition-15124124 US’ resuming talks with the island of https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1227 48 Taiwan severely disturbs cross-Straits 507.shtml stability: experts China's Communist Party to celebrate https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas- 49 100th birthday in show of pomp and communist-party-celebrate-100th-birthday- power show-pomp-power-2021-06-30/ Grand gathering to celebrate CPC https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07- 50 centenary starts 01/Grand-gathering-to-celebrate-CPC- centenary-starts--11x6RAJPY4w/index.html China will stick to and continuously http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000- 51 improve its political party system 9866736.html China State TV Documentary Inspires https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/uyghu 52 Sympathy For Jailed Uyghur Poet r-poet-06292021114037.html Voices From The CCP's Past Lauded https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/voices- 53 Democratic Politics, Free Speech 06292021135549.html The CCP Can’t Take Credit for China’s https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/the-ccp-cant- 54 Phenomenal Economic Growth take-credit-for-chinas-phenomenal-economic- growth/ Xi set to issue rallying cry for China’s https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/artic 55 future on party’s centenary le/3139357/chinese-communist-party- centenary-president-xi-jinping-set-lead Factbox: A hundred years on, how the https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 56 Communist Party dominates China pacific/hundred-years-how-communist-party- dominates-china-2021-06-30/ Chinese students in Australia face https://www.scmp.com/week- 57 surveillance by Beijing for views: report asia/politics/article/3139289/chinese-students- australia-face-surveillance-intimidation-views https://asiatimes.com/2021/06/chinas-new- 58 China’s new Tibetan line tracks the Indian border tibetan-line-tracks-the-indian-border/ China's UN envoy calls for 'equal footing' http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000- 59 in cyberspace 9867036.html Hong Kong returns to right track under https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1227 60 national security law: Foreign Ministry 503.shtml 117 people arrested in Hong Kong in a https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/ 61 year under national security law 117-people-arrested-in-hong-kong-in-a-year- under-national-15122668 Hong Kong Journalists Expect More https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongko 62 Media Arrests, Say Freedom 'in Free ng-journalists-06292021082646.html Fall' Hong Kong democracy activist re- https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- arrested on eve of sensitive pacific/hong-kong-democracy-activist-re- 63 anniversaries arrested-eve-sensitive-anniversaries-2021-06- 30/ Law vs. Liberty in Hong Kong: The https://www.cato.org/blog/law-vs-liberty-hong- 64 National Security Act One Year Later kong-national-security-act-one-year-later Negative views of China continue to https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 65 dominate its international image, survey article/3139241/negative-views-china- finds continue-dominate-its-international-image Taiwan says will be ‘force for good’ after https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/06/taiwan- 66 unprecedented G7 support says-will-be-force-for-good-after- unprecedented-g7-support/ may extend COVID-19 curbs into https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/ 67 Olympics period: Report covid-19-tokyo-may-extend-curbs-into- olympics-period-report-15122178 What the Imperial House Tells Us About https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/what-the- 68 ’s Demographic Crisis imperial-house-tells-us-about-- demographic-crisis/ Japan calls for international cooperation https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/30 69 to resolve North Korean abductions /national/north-korea-abductions-un-meeting/ Korea's parliamentary committee passes https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 70 resolution demanding removal of Dokdo /07/120_311368.html from Tokyo Olympics map S. Korea-US relationship moved beyond http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=202 71 security alliance to comprehensive, 10630001018 global partnership: Moon South Korean ex-chief prosecutor to https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/s 72 challenge Moon's party for presidency outh-korean-ex-chief-prosecutor-to-challenge- moon-s-party-for-presidency-15117392 South Korea Fails to Recognize Its https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/south-korea- 73 Capacity to Shape the Indo-Pacific fails-to-recognize-its-capacity-to-shape-the- indo-pacific/ Clock ticking for Seoul's last-ditch efforts https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 74 to thaw inter-Korean ties /07/103_311393.html North Korea Launches Investigation to https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/thin- 75 Stop Gossip about Kim Jong Un’s Health 06292021155851.html Kim Jong Un berates North Korean https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19- officials for 'crucial' virus lapse coronavirus-kim-jong-un-berates-north-korean- 76 officials-for-crucial-virus- lapse/KRW66FGPNLTZKKBKVPJ3WZILT4/ Top North Korean officials sacked after https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/k 77 COVID-19 'grave incident' im-jong-un-sacks-officials-covid-19-incident- north-korea-15121928 Malaysian parliament leaders propose https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/ 78 special sitting before Aug 1, following malaysia-parliament-sitting-before-august-1- king's decree king-sultan-decree-15123898 Indonesia calls for unity, inclusiveness at https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/06/ 79 G20 meeting 30/indonesia-calls-for-unity-inclusiveness-at- g20-meeting.html Myanmar Court Dismisses Objection to https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/trial 80 ‘Evidence’ in Aung San Suu Kyi -06292021193917.html Incitement Trial Myanmar's army rulers threaten those https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 81 who call them junta pacific/myanmars-army-rulers-threaten-those- who-call-them-junta-2021-06-30/ Myanmar junta releases thousands of https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 82 anti-coup protesters from jail asia/article/3139361/myanmar-junta-releases- thousands-anti-coup-protesters Groups Urge Thailand to Step Up https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/pro 83 Action to Protect Foreign Fishermen tect-06292021153241.html China's control over Sri Lankan https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and- 84 infrastructure reignites fears Road/China-s-control-over-Sri-Lankan- infrastructure-reignites-fears Finding Australi https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/finding- 85 a’s asymmetric advantage in big data australias-asymmetric-advantage-in-big-data/ Biden Needs an International https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/29/biden- Organizations Strategy china-russia-international-organizations- 86 strategy-czar-united-nations-multilateral- agencies-control/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/29/biden- 87 Biden’s “Build Back Better World” Is an Empty Competitor to China build-back-better-world-belt-road-initiative/ Out-Trumping Trump on China https://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign- 88 policy/out-trumping-trump-on-china High road to China? A road to the https://www.9dashline.com/article/high-road- 89 Afghan-Chinese border is not what it to-china-a-road-to-the-afghan-chinese-border- might seem is-not-what-it-might-seem India, China and the Quad’s Defining https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/202 90 Test 1/06/30/india_china_and_the_quads_defining_ test_783563.html Why is Russia worried about the Quad? https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-is- 91 russia-worried-about-the-quad/ China-Russia: A Strategic Partnership https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/china-russia- 92 Short on Strategy a-strategic-partnership-short-on-strategy/ To the West: Your Hegemony Is Over https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/lavrov-to- 93 the-west-your-hegemony-is-over-your-rules- don39t-apply Five Forms of Competition https://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign- 94 policy/five-forms-of-competition The Case Against the Concept of Great https://thestrategybridge.org/the- 95 Power Competition bridge/2021/6/30/the-case-against-the- concept-of-great-power-competition DEFENSE NEWS Threat is real’: Wescom chief says PH https://globalnation.inquirer.net/197425/threat- 96 sovereignty at stake in bid for more is-real-wescom-chief-says-ph-sovereignty-at- military assets stake-in-bid-for-more-military-assets The Philippines hopes the voices of this https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/0 97 all-female coast guard unit will keep 6/30/philippines-southchinasea-gender- Chinese ships away women/ INDO-PACOM Used Ground-based https://news.usni.org/2021/06/29/indo-pacom- Aegis Combat System Prototype to used-ground-based-aegis-combat-system- 98 Target Missile Threats, Surface Targets prototype-to-target-missile-threats-surface- targets Budget Priorities Prompted Navy Cut to https://news.usni.org/2021/06/29/panel- 99 Forces to Prevent Hollow Fleet budget-priorities-prompted-navy-cut-to-forces- to-prevent-hollow-fleet https://cimsec.org/one-fleet-one-fight-four-fs- 100 One Fleet, One Fight: Four “Fs” To Give About Sealift to-give-about-sealift/ Electric Boat could benefit from https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021- problems with Navy submarine parts 06-30/Electric-Boat-could-benefit-from- 101 problems-with-Navy-submarine-parts- 2002628.html Naval Expert: North Korea Could https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/naval- 102 Probably Sink a U.S. Aircraft Carrier expert-north-korea-could-probably-sink-us- aicraft-carrier-188873 USS Theodore Roosevelt Heading to https://news.usni.org/2021/06/30/uss- 103 Bremerton After Back-to-Back theodore-roosevelt-heading-to-bremerton- Deployments after-back-to-back-deployments American Strategic Sealift In Peer-To- https://cimsec.org/american-strategic-sealift-in- 104 Peer Conflicts: A Historical peer-to-peer-conflicts-a-historical- Retrospective, Pt. 2 retrospective-pt-2/ Naval Special Warfare in a ‘Race for https://news.usni.org/2021/06/30/naval- 105 Relevancy’ as Mission Shifts to High-end special-warfare-in-a-race-for-relevancy-as- Conflict mission-shifts-to-high-end-conflict The Navy Must Hide in Plain Sight https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 106 021/july/navy-must-hide-plain-sight Gradually and Then Suddenly: https://warontherocks.com/2021/06/gradually- 107 Explaining the Navy's Strategic and-then-suddenly-explaining-the-navys- Bankruptcy strategic-bankruptcy/ The Next-Generation Air Combat https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2 Training System 021/06/29/new-air-combat-training-system- 108 highlights-need-to-speed-modernization-of- ranges/?sh=a81234c263d2 Lockheed’s F-35 topples competition in https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/06/30/l 109 Swiss fighter contest ockheeds-f-35-topples-competition-in-swiss- fighter-contest/ Space Force selects first 50 transfers https://www.upi.com/Defense- 110 from Army, Navy, Marine Corps News/2021/06/30/ussf-spaceforce- transfer/6511625067019/ How the US and Australia can be real https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-the-us- 111 partners in the Indo-Pacific grey zone and-australia-can-be-real-partners-in-the-indo- pacific-grey-zone/ Satellite images show China building https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite- 112 what appears to be over 100 new silos images-china-building-more-than-100-new- for its nuclear missiles, analysts say missile-silos-2021-6 Chinese navy fleet returns from escort https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1227 113 missions 445.shtml https://defenceview.in/chinas-confusing-tank- 114 China’s confusing tank development on the path of Soviet Union development-on-the-path-of-soviet-union/ 70 years after taking wings, China's first http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000- 115 fighter jet maker cruises high 9866800.html Why China’s PLA Keeps Putting up https://www.voanews.com/east-asia- 116 Posters to Threaten War Against Taiwan pacific/voa-news-china/why-chinas-pla-keeps- putting-posters-threaten-war-against-taiwan Be Nervous, China: India Sending https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/be- 117 Additional 50,000 Troops to Border nervous-china-india-sending-additional-50000- troops-border-188852 India’s second aircraft carrier has China https://www.scmp.com/week- 118 in its sights asia/politics/article/3139340/indias-second- aircraft-carrier-ins-vikrant-has-china-its-sights PM Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh discuss https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de 'futuristic challenges' in defence sector fence/pm-modi-shah-rajnath-singh-discuss- 119 futuristic-challenges-in-defence- sector/articleshow/83956634.cms Drone Attacks on Military Installation https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/drone- 120 Rattle India’s Security Establishment attacks-on-military-installation-rattle-indias- security-establishment/ With eye on island defense, Japan https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/With-eye-on- 121 strengthens community outreach island-defense-Japan-strengthens-community- outreach SK: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=202 122 ‘Clumsy probe bred conspiracy theory, disinformation campaign’ 10630001070 Probe under way into hacking attempts https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 123 against aircraft manufacturer KAI /07/251_311376.html South Korea Has A New ‘Mini’ Aircraft https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/south- 124 Carrier That Will Soon Have F-35s korea-has-a-new-mini-aircraft-carrier-that-will- soon-have-f-35s/ The North Korean Nuclear Arsenal https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/202 125 1/06/30/the_north_korean_nuclear_arsenal_78 3604.html New Taiwan Navy missile corvette to be https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 126 delivered early ves/2021/07/01/2003760108 Taiwanese coast guard receives second https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 127 Anping-class patrol boat detail/taiwanese-coast-guard-receives-second- anping-class-patrol-boat Taiwan deploys 6 new Black Hawk https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106300010 128 helicopters for rescue operations Indonesia plans U.S. $125 billion https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/06/indonesia 129 defense modernization -plans-u-s-125-billion-defense-modernization/ Singapore Army showcases Veloce 15 https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 130 VTOL mini-UAV detail/singapore-army-showcases-veloce-15- vtol-mini-uav Thailand Shipbuilder Launches 2 New T- https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/202 131 997-Class 41-Meter Coastal Patrol 1/06/thailand-shipbuilder-launches-2-new- Boats t.html Brunei outlines military development https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 132 plans detail/brunei-outlines-military-development- plans_18667 Sri Lanka: Israel Aerospace to Upgrade https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29923/Isra 134 Sri Lankan Air Force's Kfir Aircraft el_Aerospace_to_Upgrade_Sri_Lankan_Air_F orce_s_Kfir_Aircraft Sri Lanka Defence Secretary asks https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de China's embassy to 'educate' Chinese fence/lanka-defence-secretary-asks-chinas- company employees not to wear military- embassy-to-educate-chinese-company- 135 camouflage uniforms employees-not-to-wear-military-style- camouflage- uniforms/articleshow/83985132.cms Getting out of our defensive crouch: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/getting-out- 136 developing Australia’s asymmetric of-our-defensive-crouch-developing-australias- warfare capability asymmetric-warfare-capability/ Fear of Military Conflict on Rise in https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/fear- 137 Australia military-conflict-rise-australia Putin: U.S. aircraft involved in Black Sea https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/j 138 incident un/30/putin-us-aircraft-involved-black-sea- incident/ Russian Jets Showed Missiles, Bombs https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29924/Rus 139 to Intimidate Dutch Warship in Black Sea sian_Jets_Showed_Missiles__Bombs_to_Inti midate_Dutch_Warship_in_Black_Sea Why The Russian Navy Is Testing The https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/why-the- 140 West In The Black Sea And russian-navy-is-testing-the-west-in-the-black- Mediterranean sea-and-mediterranean/ Russia is far behind from the US and https://defenceview.in/russia-is-far-behind- 141 China in newest strategic bomber from-the-us-and-china-in-newest-strategic- bomber/ Russia and China Could Team Up to https://www.airforcemag.com/russia-china- 142 Challenge U.S. Space Superiority team-up-challenge-us-space-superiority/ Afghan civilians take up arms as U.S.-ld https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 143 forces leave pacific/afghan-civilians-take-up-arms-us-led- forces-leave-2021-06-30/ Strategic Failures Are Often Failures of https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 144 Imagination 021/july/strategic-failures-are-often-failures- imagination Doubt and Failure Are the Key to https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/doubt- 145 Success in Military Innovation and-failure-are-key-success-military- innovation-188872 Escaping the Innovation Bunker https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 146 021/july/escaping-innovation-bunker Drones Are Transforming War — We https://thehill.com/opinion/national- Need a Doctrine security/560130-military-drones-are- 147 transforming-war-we-need-a-doctrine-to-use- them?rl=1 Advancing Decision-Centric Warfare: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/202 Gaining Advantage Through Force 1/06/30/advancing_decision- 148 Design and Mission Integration centric_warfare_gaining_advantage_through_f orce_design_and_mission_integration_783579 .html Great Power Competition Requires https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 149 Theater Deterrence 021/july/great-power-competition-requires- theater-deterrence COVID NEWS Beta variant of COVID-19 has reached https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1453854/beta- 150 Puerto Princesa – local officials variant-of-covid-19-has-reached-puerto- princesa-local-officials All jabs undergo vigorous experts' https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145526 151 review: Galvez Lancet study: Sinovac vaccine is 'safe https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/lancet-study- 152 and effective' for children, adolescents sinovac-vaccine-is-safe-and-effective-for- children-adolescents/ Pandemic Surges Again in Many Parts https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/world/asi 153 of the World, Fueled by Variants a/virus-delta-variant-global.html Thai study into whether animal drug can https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general 154 treat Covid /2141283/study-into-whether-animal-drug-can- treat-covid Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccines likely to https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19- produce long-lasting immunity: study coronavirus-pfizer-moderna-vaccines-likely-to- 155 produce-long-lasting-immunity- study/BWUQEB5UZPPRLJAUGLN6L2BEVE/ COVID-19 Deaths Mount in Myanmar’s https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/cov 156 War-Torn Kalay as Hospitals Lack id-06292021192623.html Medical Staff Myanmar aims to buy more Russian, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/ 157 Chinese COVID-19 vaccines as cases myanmar-buys-covid-19-vaccines-china- rise russia-sputnik-15123616 Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 158 Across the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus Covid map: Where are cases the https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 159 highest? Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid- 160 vaccine-tracker-global- distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 161 Might is ‘right’ https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/migh t-is-right/ 162 Aquino and the arbitration against China https://opinion.inquirer.net/141650/aquino-and- the-arbitration-against-china 163 Armed civilians for peace? https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/ov er-sight-by-danilo-suarez/358487/armed- civilians-for-peace-.html 164 Screwed unconscious https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/01/scr ewed-unconscious/ 165 Sovereign immunity the shield against https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/01/opinio ICC meddling in PH affairs n/columns/sovereign-immunity-the-shield- against-icc-meddling-in-ph-affairs/1805319 166 A.I. and facial recognition https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/01/a-i- and-facial-recognition/ 167 How great powers should compete https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/ 30/commentary/world-commentary/great- powers-compete/ 168 What if Quad, G7 and NATO unite https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/01/opinio against China? n/columns/what-if-quad-g7-and-nato-unite- against-china/1805220 169 The CCP Strategy for Crafting Its Own https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/colum Narratives ns/chinese-communist-party-centenary-xi- jinping-7381784/ 170 Pro-China ‘Engagement’ and Genocide https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/06/pro- Denial Go Hand in Hand on Communist china-engagement-and-genocide-denial-go- Party’s 100th hand-in-hand-on-communist-partys-100th/) 171 Coronavirus and China’s geopolitical https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/ rollercoaster 30/commentary/world- commentary/coronavirus-chinas-geopolitical- rollercoaster/ 172 Taiwan More Important Than Ever to https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/ U.S.-Japan Ties 29/commentary/world-commentary/japan- taiwan-clause/ 173 How Indonesia and China can learn to https://www.scmp.com/week- get along asia/opinion/article/3139258/how-indonesia- and-china-can-learn-get-along

Diokno sees inflation easing down in June

BYBIANCA CUARESMA JUNE 30, 2021 “The BSP will continue to monitor emerging price developments to ensure that its primary mandate of price stability conducive to balanced and sustainable economic growth is achieved.”—BSP Governor BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno believes inflation will start showing signs of slowing down in June this year as prices of key food items trended down during the month.

In a message to reporters on Wednesday, the BSP chief said inflation likely hit 4.3 percent in June, with a projection band of 3.9 percent to 4.7 percent.

Diokno’s projection for the month is a slight deceleration from the 4.5-percent inflation print in March, April and May for this year. It is still, however, above the ceiling of the annual government target range of 2 to 4 percent.

According to the BSP governor, higher prices of domestic petroleum products, along with the upward adjustment in Meralco electricity rates and a slightly weaker peso, continue to put upward pressures on the price basket during the month.

However, these could be partially offset by the decline in prices of key food items such as rice, meat and fruits due to improved supply conditions. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/diokno-sees-inflation-easing-down-in-june/

P6.5B remained unspent before Bayanihan 2 lapsed—DBM

BYBERNADETTE D. NICOLAS JUNE 30, 2021 2 MINUTE READ ABOUT P6.5 billion in funds remained unspent a few days before the expiration of Bayanihan to Recover as One law or Bayanihan 2, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

Latest data from the budget department showed there was still an unobligated amount of P6.487 billion out of the total P141.59 billion released allotment for special appropriations under Bayanihan 2 as of June 25 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/p6-5b-remained-unspent-before-bayanihan-2-lapsed-dbm/

Schools in race vs. time to stop BIR rule on higher tax rate BYBERNADETTE D. NICOLAS JUNE 30, 2021 THE Department of Finance (DOF) backed the passage of the proposed Senate bill seeking to clarify the issue on the tax rate applied to private schools, but it has yet to give a firm response to appeals to suspend in the meantime the implementation of the tax regulation.

Finance Assistant Secretary Dakila Elteen Napao expressed DOF’s support for the proposed Senate Bill 2272 during the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday

“The DOF is not against the proposed measure, which aims to subject all proprietary educational institutions to the reduced preferential rate of 10 percent, which is now 1 percent until 2023,” Napao said. “By removing the qualifier, ‘nonprofit’ for proprietary educational institutions in Section 27 [B] of the Tax Code as amended, private non-stock, non-profit educational institutions falling under Section 27 [B] and private stock, for- profit educational institutions will now be both subject to the 10-percent preferential rate under Section 27 [B] of the Tax Code, provided that 50- percent threshold on gross income is satisfied and achieved.” https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/schools-in-race-vs-time-to-stop-bir-rule-on-higher-tax-rate/

House panel consolidates bills boosting FOI By Filane Mikee Cervantes June 30, 2021, 7:44 pm

MANILA – The House Committee on Public Information has consolidated several measures seeking to strengthen the country’s freedom of information (FOI).

In an online meeting on Tuesday, the panel, through its technical working group (TWG), tackled and consolidated various proposals strengthening the people's right to information; implementing the constitutional policies of full public disclosure and honesty in the public service; ensuring public access to official records, documents and any other information of public concern; and enabling the people's constitutional right of access to information.

KABAYAN Party-list Rep. Ron Salo, who heads the TWG, said the legislators agreed to use House Bill 5776, authored by Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, as the working draft.

“We hope that we’ll be able to thresh out some of our concerns and come up with a proposed measure that would really address the concerns of our citizenry,” Salo said.

The panel went through the entire draft substitute measure to ensure that all comments and suggestions by concerned government agencies and other stakeholders are heard and considered in finalizing the bill.

Vargas highlighted that one distinct feature of his bill that cannot be found in other bills is the creation of a Freedom of Information Commission, which shall oversee the implementation and enforcement of FOI in all branches of government.

“The establishment of a commission will promote the exercise of the right of access to information. It will help in the redress in cases of violation of this right by virtue of an appeal remedy. The commission may also perform technical assistance and guidance to government agencies in the implementation of the right of access to information,” he said.

“Since it is the gatekeeper of government information, it will have a clear understanding of what information may not be released because of the exceptions under the law,” he added.

Another particular aspect of his filed bill is to make available all statistical data on budgets, appropriations, contracts and the like in machine-readable format.

“This means giving jpeg and pdf files is a no-no. This will ensure that researchers and analysts will have a quicker and easier time in processing and analyzing data especially with regard to people’s money,” he added.

The bill provides that government agencies must respond to an FOI request within 15 days from the receipt thereof.

However, Salo said the lawmakers would look into how the period for compliance can be gradually reduced for the convenience of Filipinos, while considering capabilities of various agencies (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145520

Solidum says haze in NCR due to Taal, 'human activities' By Ma. Cristina Arayata June 30, 2021, 6:50 pm

(PNA file photo by Robert Oswald Alfiler) MANILA – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) acknowledged on Wednesday that the Taal volcanic smog (vog) has reached Metro Manila and nearby provinces, aside from "human activities" that contributed to the haze observed in these areas.

On Tuesday, Phivolcs released a statement, saying the haze in Metro Manila was not from Taal Volcano. On Wednesday, however, it said that based on open satellite data information for volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2), it was learned that plumes have actually spread over , Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, , Bataan, Zambales, and the National Capital Region.

"Satellite detection on June 29, 2021 showed an even larger coverage of Luzon." it added.

"In view of the scientific data from the above satellite platforms, the DOST-Phivolcs stands to acknowledge evidence of the wider extents that volcanic SO2 have actually spread over the NCR and adjoining provinces and gives credence to the many observations that the public have communicated," Phivolcs said Wednesday.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum, Jr. noted the timing of the occurrence of smog in Metro Manila and when the SO2 got dispersed from the volcano.

"It is clear that vehicle emission and other human activities significantly contribute to the occurrence of pollution in urban areas. (It was) clearly seen that smog was rising from the ground up. We could see this especially in the morning when smog was all over Metro Manila," he said.

The pollution in Metro Manila due to vehicle emissions and other human activities was worsened by the presence of warmer air as a result of temperature inversion which, he said, started last June 26 and ended June 30 based on the weather bureau's record.

"This warm air prevents the rise of cold and heavier air with pollutants. The pollution and smoke have been trapped from the ground and below the warm air layer helping promote the accumulation of smog over NCR and nearby provinces," Solidum explained.

The official added the air quality in NCR has worsened starting June 26 even though there was no SO2 dispersion over Metro Manila as seen in satellite images.

"SO2 emission from Taal Volcano last June 28 measured 14,326 tonnes per day and the volcanic plume reached 3 kilometers and drifted to the northeast based on observations. However, satellite information from NASA released yesterday afternoon and evaluated last night showed that SO2 was dispersed last June 28 over NCR and nearby provinces contributing to the hazy condition in the air mass above the ground," Solidum said.

He also clarified that Phivolcs has based its statements on actual observation of smog in Metro Manila, and data that they have on hand.

"With recent data gathered, there was a need to provide a complete scenario, with smog due to pollution made worse by temperature inversion, and additional contribution to haze with SO2 gas dispersed over NCR and other provinces," Solidum said.

Vog is a type of air pollution caused by volcanoes. It consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas such as SO2 which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract in severities depending on the gas concentrations and durations of exposure.

Phivolcs on Monday and Tuesday said vog has been observed over the Taal caldera. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145525

‘Laws never required elective officials to be immaculately free from a troubled past’ — SC

Published July 1, 2021, 6:30 AM by Rey Panaligan Philippine laws “never required our elective public officials to be immaculately free from a troubled past.” “As a matter of fact, the mere imposition of an administrative penalty does not automatically disqualify a public officer from running for public office,” the Supreme Court (SC) said. These SC declarations were contained in a resolution, written by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, which denied the motions to reconsider the court’s ruling that allowed Edgardo A. Tallado to run for Camarines Norte governor, a post he won in the 2019 elections. On May 9, 2019, Tallado was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and cancelled his certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for governor in the 2019 elections with a ruling that he had served fully his three terms. But on May 10, 2019, the SC issued an order that effectively stop the Comelec from enforcing its decision. Tallado won in the May 13, 2019 elections. On May 16, 2019, he was proclaimed as duly elected governor of Camarines Norte.

Finally, on Sept. 10, 2019, the SC granted Tallado’s petition as it nullified the May 9 ruling of the Comelec. Both the Comelec and Norberto B. Villamin and Senandro M. Jalgado who sought Tallado’s disqualification filed their motions to reconsider the SC ruling. Case records showed that Tallado was elected governor in the 2010, 2013 and 2016 elections. He served his full term in 2010 to 2013 and in 2013 to 2016. It was during his 2016-2019 term when controversies arose that led the Comelec to cancel his COC for the May 13, 2019 elections. The controversies stemmed from the three administrative cases filed against Tallado before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) On Jan. 28, 2013, an administrative case was filed against Tallado for grave misconduct, oppression or grave abuse of authority. While the case was pending, he won the 2013 elections.

On Oct. 2, 2015, while he was serving his 2013-2016 term, the OMB found him administratively liable and ordered his suspension for one year. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) implemented the suspension. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/01/laws-never-required-elective-officials-to-be-immaculately-free-from-a- troubled-past-sc/

Final community quarantine for July: 20 areas under MECQ, 30 under GCQ

Published June 30, 2021, 6:16 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos Malacañang has announced the final community quarantine classifications for the month of July, placing 20 areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and 30 others under the general community quarantine (GCQ).

Commuters in Philcoa, Quezon City are forced to wait in line after public utility vehicles (PUVs) were only allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity during the implementation of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR)-plus bubble. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) In a statement, Presidential Spokesman said the following areas are under MECQ from July 1 to 15, 2021:

1. Cagayan 2. Bataan 3. Lucena City 4. Puerto Princesa 5. Naga City 6. Iloilo City 7. Iloilo 8. Negros Oriental 9. Zamboanga del Sur 10. Zamboanga del Norte 11. Cagayan de Oro City 12. Davao City 13. Davao Oriental 14. Davao Occidental 15. Davao de Oro 16. Davao del Sur 17. Davao del Norte 18. Butuan City 19. Dinagat Islands 20. Surigao del Sur

Meanwhile, Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Rizal are under GCQ with some restrictions; while Cavite and Laguna are under GCQ with heightened restrictions from July 1 to 15, 2021.

The province of Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be under GCQ from July 1 to 15, 2021, after the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved its appeal to be de-escalated from MECQ. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/final-community-quarantine-for-july-20-under-mecq-30-under-gcq/

Imee: Hospitals may shut down soon unless PhilHealth pays debts

Published June 30, 2021, 5:25 PM by Mario Casayuran Senator Imee R. Marcos on Wednesday, June 30 warned that delayed reimbursements by Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to government and private hospitals would weaken their capacity to deal with the mutating Covid-19 virus, if not risk their outright closure.

“Complaints reaching our office show that at least P26 billion remains unpaid to private hospitals alone, while government hospitals are still owed hundreds of millions. Let’s not wait for them to shut down nor leave them ill-prepared to deal with the possible spread of the dreaded Delta variant,” Marcos said. Philhealth recently announced that it had released some P6.3 billion through a new system of settling hospital claims, known as the Debit Credit Payment Method (DCPM) that was put in place in April. However, Marcos said hospitals were being shortchanged because the DCPM did not cover still unpaid hospital claims for Covid-19 treatment last year.

“Nor was the DCPM fully settling the 60 percent of hospital claims for reimbursement as directed in the government agency’s own circulars in April and May,” Marcos added. Marcos, chairwoman of the Senate economic affairs committee, cited the case of one private hospital that was reimbursed only P430 million out of the P1.2 billion it is claiming, “which is 60 percent of 60 percent – in effect, only 36 percent – of what Philhealth said it would pay through the DCPM.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/imee-hospitals-may-shut-down-soon-unless-philhealth-pays-debts/

Pabillo sees appointment to Taytay as opportunity to be with the poor

Published June 30, 2021, 10:27 AM by Leslie Ann Aquino thanked for his appointment as vicar apostolic of Taytay in Palawan, a mission territory, saying it’s an opportunity to be with the poor.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo (CBCP NEWS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “I thank the Holy Father Pope Francis for his trust in entrustng to my care the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay in Palawan,” he said during the Pope Day’s Mass at the in Intramuros, Monday, June 29.

“It is one of the biggest ecclesiastical jurisdictions within the Metropolitan of Manila. Barely 19 years old and I would say the poorest in terms of material resources as church. It is also challenging in terms of the location of the Christian communities crossing mountains and seas to reach them. In a word, it’s a mission territory,” added Pabillo.

“I thank the Holy Father that in the twilight of my life, I’m still given a chance to work on a mission territory and to live poor among the poor, the fisherfolks, the subsistence farmers and the indigenous peoples,” he said.

Pabillo admits it will be a totally different engagement for him from what he has been doing for the last 15 years in the Archdiocese of Manila, but he knows God will be there for him.

“As God is here in Manila, He is also there in northern Palawan. This is the basis of my confidence,” he said.

“My saying yes to this assignment is my small way of living out the Missio Ad Gentes (Mission to thr world),” added Pabillo.

In his speech, he also thanked the people in the Archdiocese of Manila and the past archbishops of Manila namely; Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales and Cardinal for the privileged of working by their side as auxiliary bishop.

Pabillo said although he will miss the opportunity to work directly under newly installed Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, he knows they will continue to get his care and support in Taytay as the Metropolitan archbishop. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pabillo-sees-his-appointment-to-taytay-as-opportunity-to-be-with-the- poor/

PH needs vaccine for dengue as disease remains a threat despite drop in cases – expert

By: John Eric Mendoza - @inquirerdotnet INQUIRER.net / 11:46 PM June 30, 2021 MANILA, Philippines Dengue fever cases dramatically decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the tropical disease remains a threat to the Philippines, especially during the rainy— season, with outbreaks always a possibility.

in an online interview on Wednesday, the last day of June, which was National Dengue “WeAwareness need a Month.vaccine for dengue,” Dr. Lulu Bravo, a vaccine expert, told INQUIRER.net

“Vaccines, are the ones that can control, prevent and hopefully, eliminate, and last but not the least, eradicate the disease… Only the vaccines can do that,” Bravo added. “Without vaccination, any disease will come back, until such time the disease will get eradicated.”Bravo is a professor emeritus of the College of Medicine at the University of the Philippines-Manila, a steering member of the Asian Dengue Voice and Action (ADVA), executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.

There are currently no dengue vaccines available in the Philippines since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permanently revoked the certificate of product registration of Dengvaxia, which is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.

The vaccine figured in controversy after being linked to the deaths of several young children who had been inoculated with it. Dengvaxia was the first dengue vaccine to be licensed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is has been approved for use in 20 countries, including the United States and Thailand.

Bravo said. “It’s really unfortunate, with what happened with Dengvaxia. It is a good vaccine,”

Still,Dengue the by country’s the numbers dengue incidence has remained manageable so far. The Department of Health (DOH) reported a steep drop in dengue cases and deaths for the first quarter of 2021.

There were only 21,478 cases of dengue from Jan. 1 to April 17 a 56 percent decrease from the 49,135 cases reported in the same period last year. — https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1453753/ph-needs-vaccine-for-dengue-as-disease-remains-a-threat-despite- drop-in-cases-expert

1 to 3 cyclones may enter PH monitoring area in July By CNN Philippines Staff Published Jul 1, 2021 8:42:38 AM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) — One to three tropical cyclones are likely to enter the Philippine area of responsibility or PAR this month, the state weather bureau said Wednesday. Once inside the PAR, they will be named Emong, Fabian, and Gorio, respectively, PAGASA weather specialist Ariel Rojas said in a briefing. Meantime, the weather agency is monitoring a low-pressure area inside the PAR, but there is a slim chance this LPA will intensify in a tropical depression, PAGASA weather forecaster Benison Estareja said separately.

"Nakikita din natin iyong scenario na within the next 48 hours na malusaw ito while inside the Philippine area of responsibility," he said in a briefing.

[Translation: We are also seeing a scenario in which in the next 48 hours, it will dissipate while inside the Philippine area of responsibility.]

The LPA was seen east of extreme northern Luzon at 3 a.m. on Thursday.

On Thursday, the country may have partly cloudy-to-cloudy skies, with isolated rain or thunderstorms due to other weather systems, PAGASA said. https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/7/1/PH-storms-July-2021.html

Taal Volcano’s emissions reach MM, 8 provinces posted July 01, 2021 at 01:10 am by Rio N. Araja

Volcanic sulfur dioxide from Taal Volcano in Batangas has reached other parts of Batangas Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, and even Metro Manila, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

VOLCANIC HAZE. Satellite photo from NASA shows the volcanic sulfur dioxide from Taal Volcano has dispersed over NCR and nearby provinces. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology director Renato Solidum Jr. says this contributed to the hazy condition in the air mass above the ground. Volcanic smog or vog consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract. The Department of Science and Technology-Phivolcs acknowledged evidence of the extent the volcanic sulfur dioxide had reached, adding in a statement there was need for close citizen observation given the limited date the ag ency had.

“We would like to reassure the public that we are committed to provide the best and most current volcano monitoring data available, especially that these have important safety and health implications,” it said in its advisory.

“We hope that in putting forward the above information, the public is better guided and assured that accurate, responsive, transparent and honest information service by our institute remains our top priority.” Netizens posted that the volcanic smog or vog from Taal Volcano had reached the NCR, but Phivolcs on Tuesday said the haze in Metro Manila came from pollution, and not from Taal Volcano.

Phivolcs, in its June 30 press release, said “the plumes extend from the planetary boundary layer or PBL, representing near-ground surface levels, to the upper troposphere at almost 20 kilometers above sea level and mostly spread over the Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales provinces, and the National Capital Region. Satellite detection on 29 June 2021 showed an even larger coverage of Luzon Island.” The agency was flooded by inquiries about the presence of sulfur dioxide and vog in Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces based on the observations of haze. https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/358531/taal-volcano-s-emissions-reach-mm-8-provinces.html

Marina optimistic on maritime tourism By Genivi Verdejo

June 30, 2021 The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has set its sight on enhancing maritime tourism, after the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international tourism.

Marina Administrator Vice Admiral Robert A. Empedrad is seeing trends and opportunities that will define the future demands of maritime tourism. The agency has crafted a national cruise shipping development strategy and action plan.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) sets out strategic actions to promote the Philippines as a regional cruise center in Asia. Marina supports this plan by developing shipping services for maritime tourism. "By 2028, we anticipate the increase of maritime tourists by 25 percent and the number of recreational boat accidents to remain at zero," Marina said. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/30/business/maritime/marina-optimistic-on-maritime- tourism/1805145

Gabriela sees sexism, misogyny in PCG's 'angels' ops in West Philippine Sea By MA. ANGELICA GARCIA, GMA News Published June 30, 2021 10:29pm

The Gabriela party-list has criticized the Philippine Coast Guard's 'Angels of the Sea' operations, claiming that it "trivialized" the dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas made the remark came following the PCG's plan to deploy over 80 female radio operators in the area to tell off intruders.

The PCG hoped that the female voices would be "soothing" and appeal to the "maternal" senses of those in the foreign vessels. "It's infuriating how the government continuously shrugs off the intensifying foreign military operations in our very own territory," Brosas said in a statement.

"Kahit pa boses ni Moira Dela Torre ang gamitin ng gobyerno, hindi masosolusyonan ang isyu sa West Philippine Sea kung 'piece of paper' lang para kay President Duterte ang historic arbitral ruling laban sa China," she added. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/793583/gabriela-sees-sexism-misogyny-in-pcg-s-angels- ops-in-west-philippine-sea/story/

LOOK: PCG’s BRP Gabriela Silang starts maritime exercise in Panay Island

Published June 30, 2021, 12:05 PM by Richa Noriega After the successful anti-piracy and anti-terrorism drills in Mindanao last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) has proceeded in conducting maritime exercise off Panay Island, Western Visayas on Tuesday, June 29.

Personnel of the BRP Gabriela Silang have conducted general quarters drill to ensure the maximum readiness of the ship and crew members on board for unprecedented situations. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/look-pcgs-brp-gabriela-silang-starts-maritime-exercise-in-panay-island/

PCG, DICT to strengthen vessel monitoring capability in Misamis Oriental

Published June 30, 2021, 11:38 AM by Richa Noriega The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have joined forces to strengthen vessel monitoring capability in Sipaca Point, Misamis Oriental.

In a statement on Tuesday, June 29, the DICT Region 10 has offered its facility tower and equipment in Sipaca Point, Talisayan, where the PCG District Northern Mindanao personnel will install the radio repeater with a maximum range of 50 nautical miles. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pcg-dict-to-strengthen-vessel-monitoring-capability-in-misamis-oriental/

PCG conducts water search and rescue, maritime inter-agency training in Mindanao

Published June 30, 2021, 11:15 AM by Richa Noriega Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have conducted a series of trainings on water search and rescue, and maritime interagency exercises to enhance their skills in conducting maritime law enforcement operations in Mindanao.

At least 40 students of the PCG District Northern Mindanao have participated in water search and rescue training in preparation for their deployment in Coast Guard stations and substations in northern Mindanao on Monday, June 28. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/pcg-conducts-water-search-and-rescue-maritime-inter-agency-training-in- mindanao/

PAF finally retrieves bodies of 6 personnel in Tarlac chopper crash

Published June 30, 2021, 11:29 AM by Martin Sadongdong The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has finally retrieved all the remains of the six personnel who died in a tragic helicopter crash in Capas, Tarlac last June 23.

The six Philippine Air Force personnel who died in a tragic helicopter crash in Capas, Tarlac on June 23, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service) Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano, PAF spokesperson, said Tuesday night, June 29, that the retrieval operation for the aircrew of the crashed S70i Blackhawk #100 helicopter was completed on June 27. However, the recovery of the aircraft was still on-going at the crash site.

The victims were earlier identified as Lt. Col. Rexzon Pasco, the instructor pilot; Majors Jayrold Constantino and Erano Belen, student pilot; Master Sgt. Ronnie Reducto, instructor scanner; Technical Sgt. Maricar Laygo, student scanner; and Sgt. Leonardo Tandingan, student scanner. All of them were members of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing.

Belen was the topnotcher of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Masidlak” Class of 2010; Constantino was a member of the PMA “Maragtas” Class of 2007; and Pasco was a product of PMA “Maliyab” Class of 2004.

The PAF previously said that the uneven terrain at the crash site and bad weather posed as challenges to the retrieval operation.

Mariano said the remains of the aircrew arrived at Clark Air Base on June 28 and were accorded with full military honors.

“The Commanding General Philippine Air Force, Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, condoled with the families with utmost respect to the fallen airmen,” Mariano said.

Meanwhile, Defense Sec. personally visited the wake of the deceased PAF personnel and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families.

In a separate statement on June 28, Lorenzana grieved the passing of the six aircrew. “Grief is unexplainable. You think you know how you’ll feel after experiencing it, but in reality, it doesn’t get easier abd I don’t think it ever will be. It’s not a fleeting emotion you can push aside, it goes deeper,” he said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/paf-finally-retrieves-bodies-of-6-personnel-in-tarlac-chopper-crash/

PAF helicopter crash victims identified Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star ) - July 1, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF)has identified the crewmembers of a brand new S-70i Black Hawk helicopter who died when the aircraft crashed in Capas, Tarlac last week. The fatalities were identified as instructor pilot Lt. Col. Rexzon Pasco, student pilots Majors Jayrold Constantino and Eraño Belen, instructor scanner M/Sgt. Ronnie Reducto and student scanners T/Sgt. Maricar Laygo and Sgt. Leonardo Tandingan.

PAF public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said retrieval operations for the victims ended on Sunday, but recovery operations for the aircraft are ongoing.

Mariano said the remains of the victims arrived at Clark Air Base on Monday, where they were accorded full military honors.

The military assured the families of the victims that it would extend the necessary assistance and support.

Investigation into the accident is ongoing. The entire Black Hawk fleet was grounded pending the results of the probe.

Three air mishaps involving PAF helicopters have claimed the lives of 14 pilots and airmen since January. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/07/01/2109284/paf-helicopter-crash-victims-identified

GOODBYE PARLADE | Controversial Army general to retire from active duty service

June 30, 2021 , 07:42 PM By Manny Mogato, News5 editor-at-large

(June 30, 2021) – The army’s most controversial army general who has red-tagged lawmakers and celebrities as secret members of the Communist movement fighting to overthrow the government will retire next month. Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, commander of the Southern Luzon Command in Lucena, Quezon will hang his uniform on July 26 when he reaches 56 years old, the mandatory retirement age for soldiers and police officers in the Philippines.

But President has announced his replacement, a decorated army general who, like the armed forces chief of staff, was awarded the highest military decoration for courage in combat.

Major General Bartolome Bacarro, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in Tanay, Rizal will assume Parlade’s command later this month and will subsequently get his third star. Parlade belonged to the Philippine Military Academy class 1987, a classmate of military chief, General .

It is uncertain if Parlade will also relinquish his other position as spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, the government’s counter-insurgency task force.

Parlade has gained notoriety for linking government critics to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, its armed wing, creating a lot of enemies in the legislature and activist groups. https://news.tv5.com.ph/top-stories/read/goodbye-parlade-controversial-army-general-to-retire-from- active-duty-service

Medal of valor awardee named new SOLCOM chief

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed medal of valor awardee Maj. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro as next head of the Armed Forces’ Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM), Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed.

Bacarro will be replacing Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, who is set to reach mandatory retirement age in late July.

Aside from his current duties as SOLCOM chief, Parlade is also serving as one of the spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF- ELCAC).

“He (Parlade) resigned from NTF-ELCAC weeks ago. Whether he will be hired by NTF- ELCAC after his retirement or will he consider it, I have no idea,” Lorenzana said. Bacarro, one of only a few soldiers who received the military’s highest award like current AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, will be coming off as commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division which oversees counter-insurgency operations in the Southern Tagalog sub-region, Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.

He also previously served as the AFP’s internal auditor and commandant of cadets at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

It can be recalled that Bacarro was one of the officials who quit their posts at the PMA following the death of Cadet 4th class Darwin Dormitorio in a case of hazing at the institution in 2019.

Before this, Bacarro served as commander of an Army brigade in Northern Luzon, held some posts at the Army headquarters, commanded a battalion in Laguna, and once served as the AFP’s public affairs chief.

He earned the medal of valor for actions while serving as commander of a paramilitary unit that fought off about 150 communist rebels in Isabela for 10 hours in January 1991. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145556

More counter-terrorism collaboration vital for PH, Saudi Arabia June 30, 2021, 8:36 pm

GREATER COLLABORATION. Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy to Saudi Arabia Robert E. A. Borje (3rd from right) poses with Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) Secretary General Mansour Al Shammari (4th from right) and other officials after their meeting in Riyadh on June 30, 2021. The Philippines and Saudi Arabia underscored the need for greater cooperation to fight violent extremism. (Contributed photo)

MANILA – The Philippines and Saudi Arabia underscored the need for greater cooperation to fight violent extremism as the two countries continue to find ways to intensify tie-ups.

During their meeting in Riyadh on June 23, Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy to Saudi Arabia Robert E. A. Borje and Mansour Al Shammari, the secretary general of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal), recognized the necessity of sharing best practices in countering the threat posed by violent extremism.

Among the concerns they discussed include the use of cyber space and social media platforms to advance violence and violent ideologies.

Borje visited Etidal in Riyadh as part of the Duterte administration’s thrust of working with other countries and organizations to fight terrorism and violent extremism.

He received a briefing on the center’s approach to analyzing social media and digital activity to detect extremism ideology generation and to promote tolerance and moderation.

During the meeting with Etidal’s secretary general, Borje noted President Rodrigo Duterte’s deep resolve to combat extremist ideology given the Philippines’ experience in Marawi City in 2017.

He said the Philippines understands very clearly that terrorism is not a problem of religion, race or culture, emphasizing the need to continue to promote dialogue, understanding and cooperation among religions, cultures and civilizations to achieve peace and stability between the two countries and the world.

Borje also noted the possibility of triangular cooperation between the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) as well as the academe and research organizations.

The Special Envoy’s tour at Saudi Arabia’s facility was part of a string of activities during his official visit to the Kingdom from June 19 to 24. (PND) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145556

Arming civilian volunteers only for NPA-infested areas — DILG

Romina Cabrera (The Philippine Star ) - July 1, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Arming civilian force multipliers as espoused by President Duterte only applies to volunteer groups in communities under the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said there is a “necessity” to arm civilians, particularly barangay officers, in areas under the influence of the NPA or even those that have been cleared of rebels but may still need to defend their villages.

“The President has clarified what he meant when he said he is in favor of arming civilians. During our meeting he made the clarification. He said he was referring to the areas under the influence of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines- NPA,” he said at a virtual briefing.

Año said these isolated barangays are located mostly in ancestral domain areas that are being exploited and victimized by the NPA.

He said that arming civilian volunteers will help capacitate the move to defend these barangays in coordination with local military troops or local police. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/01/2109326/arming-civilian-volunteers-only-npa-infested- areas-dilg

Review stand on Joma, group urges Dutch

By Marita Moaje June 30, 2021, 7:19 pm

MANILA – Non-government organization Yes for Peace-Bayanihan ng Bayani (Y4P-BnB) has asked gov’tthe government of The Netherlands to review its position on Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison.

In its June 28 letter sent to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte through Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Brinks, the Y4P-BnB expressed disappointment over the continuous harboring of the communist terrorist group (CTG) leader.

The group said it is exasperated over the pervading extremist violence in the country by the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the CPP.

“The violence we speak of is the result of continued human rights atrocities and international humanitarian law violations perpetrated by the New People's s Army on orders from Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines,” the letter read.

The Yes for Peace said it still does not understand why the Dutch government still gives protection to Sison.

In February this year, the group said the European Union has renewed the terror listing of the CPP -NPA through the EU Council Implementing Regulation 2021/138.

The listing of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group is based on numerous evidence reports of crimes by the CTG against the poor and powerless.

The United Nations, in its Secretary General’s Report on Children in Armed Conflict dated June 20, 2019, said the NPA has been listed alongside other international terrorist groups such as the Daesh, ISIS, Taliban, and Al-Qaeda.

“Is it within Dutch laws to shelter leaders of an organization that the EU has declared as a terrorist group? The last time we looked, The Netherlands is a member of the EU. So, why does it continue to harbor a terrorist in the person of CPP founding father Sison? What will it take to convince the Dutch government to cancel the asylum it granted to Sison and other CPP leaders who are with him?” the group said.

Sison’s argument that it is not safe for him to return and stay in the country because of the violent condition is ridiculous as he is the main orchestrator of the violence most especially in the countryside, it added.

The group said Sison has been directing the CPP-NPA and its legal front organizations “by remote control from Utrecht”.

Continuous coddling of Sison puts The Netherlands as an accomplice in the spread of terrorism in the country, the group said.

It added that it has given Sison the benefit of the doubt in the pursuance of its peace-related agenda through a peace negotiation.

The group in 1992 declared all campuses of the University of the Philippines as zones of peace, freedom, and neutrality where peace negotiations may be held between the government and all non - State armed groups.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines listed the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145507

Reds can never claim belligerent status: AFP official By Priam Nepomuceno June 30, 2021, 5:09 pm

MANILA – The International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is all about protecting civilians during armed conflict and will not grant a status of belligerency to the communist terrorists, a ranking military official said.

Maj. Gen. Edgardo de Leon, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Operations, during the June 28 episode of "Tagged: Debunking Lies by Telling the Truth", was responding to questions on whether the series of communist terrorist attacks nationwide is being done to create an impression of civil war and thus, give them a status of belligerency.

"Iyong isyu ng status of belligerency ay matagal ng gustong impluwensiyahan ng mga tagapagsalita, ng mga pamunuan ng CPP-NPA-NDF, ang behavior natin, behavior nating lahat, behavior ng gobyerno, behavior ng taumbayan para hindi natin gamitin ang IHL laban sa kanila. Ginawan nila ng isang kaisipan na ang IHL ay patungkol sabelligerency; iyon po ay isang kasinungalingan (The leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic and its spokesperson has been wanting for so long to influence this issue of the status of belligerency as to influence our behavior, the behavior of the government, behavior of the public so that IHL cannot be used against them. They made it appear that IHL is all about belligerency; that is a big lie)," de Leon said.

De Leon added that when the IHL was introduced, its spirit and the primary object was to protect civilians as stated in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention.

This law offers international minimum protection to persons taking no active part in hostilities, including members of armed forces in certain situations specifically stated in the article which is applicable in cases of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the contracting parties to the 1949 Conventions.

Humane and non-discriminatory treatment are two important protections offered under this provision.

"Kaya po nakalagay doon sa Common Article 3 ng Geneva Convention, sinasabi po doon na, it will not change the political status of the parties to the conflict, the mere application of the law will not change the political status. Ito po, the application of the provision shall not affect the legal status of the party to the conflict. (It is stated in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention that it will not change the political status of the parties in the conflict, the mere application of the law will change the political status. The application of the provision shall not affect the legal status of the party to the conflict)," he said.

The IHL, he added, is all about protecting civilians from armed conflict and protecting the properties of these individuals from being destroyed.

"Sa ilalim po noong Republic Act 9851, nakalagay din po doon, Section 2, Article Letter G, the state or meaning the Philippines recognizes that the application of the provisions of the law shall not affect the legal status of the party to the conflict, nor give an implied recognition of the status of belligerency. Very clear po iyan. Nakalagay po iyan sa batas (Under Republic Act 9851, Section 2, Article Letter G, the state or meaning the Philippines recognizes that the applications of the provisions of the law shall not affect the legal status of the party to the conflict, nor give an implied recognition of the status of belligerency, that is very clear, it is stated in the law)," he said.

Republic Act 9851 is also known as "An Act Defining and penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts and for Related Purposes".

"So, ang sinusulong lamang po natin ay huwag idamay ang civilian, na kapag idinamay ninyo, mayroon kayong criminal liability. At sino ang may criminal liability? Iyong mismong gumawa ng krimen at iyong pamunuan na nag-uutos at nagto-tolerate sa kanilang mga tagapasunod sa paggawa ng krimen na iyong pagpatay sa civilian, pagsira ng property ng civilian, pag-atake sa mga komunidad na non- defended, pagpatay doon sa mga persons deprived of liberty, meaning iyong tinalian, ginapos, kinulong, hindi iyan prisoner-of-war (So what we are pushing for is that they do not target civilians and that if they do, they will have criminal liability. And who will have criminal liability? They are the ones who committed the crime, and the leadership who ordered and tolerated it among their followers and members who kill civilians, destroy civilian property, attacked communities of non-dependent, killed persons deprived of liberty, meaning those persons tied up and kept locked, those are not prisoners-of- war)," de Leon said.

Based on IHL, he added, a non-state armed group cannot declare that they have taken prisoners of war. He said neither the United Nations will declare the CPP-NPA belligerent.

"Iyon pong IHL ay pabor sa mga estadong katulad ng ating bansa, tayo po ay state, pabor po ang IHL. Nakalagay po doon, binibigyan ng precedence and due respect ng Geneva Convention ang domestic law ng ating bansa. So, wala pong dapat katakutan, hindi belligerency ang usapin sa IHL, at ang belligerency po, iyan po recognition na ibinibigay ng isang bansa, hindi po natin bibigyan ng recognition na idedeklara o ikaw ay NPA-CPP, belligerent ka na. Hindi po tayo magde-declare. Ang United Nation hindi rin po iyan magde-declare na, ‘oh, ikaw CPP-NPA, belligerent ka na’ (IHL favors states like our country. It is stated there that the Geneva Convention gives precedence and respects the domestic laws of our country. So there is nothing to be afraid of, belligerency is not a feature of IHL, and belligerency is a recognition given to a state. We will never just declare the (CPP-NPA) a belligerent. We will never declare that and the United Nations will never declare the CPP-NPA a belligerent)," he said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145521

AFP urges victims: File human rights cases vs NPA

Published June 30, 2021, 3:41 PM by Martin Sadongdong The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has called on victims of human rights violations of the New People’s Army (NPA) to file cases against the communist group to help end their decades-long reign of terror.

Citing military records, AFP Chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said a total of 532 incidents of destruction to private properties were perpetrated by the NPA from 2010 to 2020.

In 2017, 87 cases of NPA destruction were recorded by law enforcers, the most number in a year. Meanwhile, the most number of NPA attacks were recorded in Caraga (Region 13) with 107 cases.

“The AFP enjoins all stakeholders and the rest of the Filipino people to actively participate in our peace and security efforts. Let us act together for a peaceful and progressive nation because all Filipinos deserve to enjoy life to the fullest,” Sobejana said.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon, AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, said the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) should be “answerable to the humanitarian crimes they have been continously committing” against the Filipinos. The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.

“We call on all the civilians including business owners who are victims of humanitarian crimes perpetrated by the NPA to lodge their complaints with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR),” De Leon said.

Last Monday, De Leon attended a virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) where he listed down six communist attacks allegedly perpetrated by the NPA this month which constituted 10 violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

“The CPP led by Joma Sison should be answerable to the humanitarian crimes they have been continuously committing, particularly the instruction to produce, stockpile, and use anti-personnel mine that are destroying the human body and the dignity of our people, not only combatants but also th e non- combatants,” De Leon said.

Among these attacks were the burning down of privately-owned heavy equipment in Barangay Hagpa, Bukidnon on June 3; use of anti-personnel mines against civilians that killed athlete Keith Absalon and his cousin Nolven Absalon, and wounding of the latter’s 16-year-old son in Masbate on June 6; killing of a certain Ray Labustro in Masbate on June 8; and the recruitment of minors and use of child combatants in Agusan del Sur on June 14 and 15. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/afp-urges-victims-file-human-rights-cases-vs-npa/

Over 130 armed groups monitored for possible violence

More than 130 armed groups in Mindanao are being monitored for possible violent activities come election period, authorities said Wednesday. Operations of private armed groups, or PAGs, are “likely to spread” ahead of next year’s elections as candidates have been tapping gun-wielding groups against political rivals to advance their interest, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said.

“We will not allow politically-motivated killings to happen anymore,” Año said in a briefing of the National Task Force on the Disbandment of PAGs (NTF-DPAGs).

In the same briefing, Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, head of the National Police’s Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Western Mindanao, said his office is already monitoring two PAGs that are “active” in SOCCSKARGEN and five in the Bangsamoro.

Those seven groups have a total of 363 members and an estimated 237 firearms.

“There are also 126 potential PAGs, or those that are not yet activated or being used by some politicians or businessmen,” he said.

According to Malayo, 10 PAGs were previously disbanded in SOCCSKARGEN and the Bangsamoro.

Año said armed groups that have the potential to become PAGs are prevalent in those regions primarily because of a low level of human security, gun culture, and “rido” or clan wars.

An intelligence task group under the NTF is monitoring all active and potential PAGs with an aim of “neutralizing” them, he said.

According to Año, member-agencies of the NTF are communicating with politicians to discourage them from employing PAGs, though the DILG has yet to call the attention of any for actually engaging in such activities.

Most politicians who are known to have used PAGs in the past were also implicated in drug trafficking and have been dismissed from their posts, Año said.

The DILG chief warned that people maintaining or employing PAGs stand to face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, the law on explosives, and even the Anti-Terrorism Act, depending on the situation.

Elected officials can also be slapped with administrative charges that could lead to their dismissal from government service, he added. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/06/30/over-130-armed-groups-monitored-for-possible-violence/

SM Foundation, The Body Shop promote self-care among frontliners July 1, 2021 TO show their appreciation to our courageous frontliners, SM Foundation (SMFI) and The Body Shop recently distributed several hygiene kits to frontliners in Metro Manila. Each hygiene kit contains a facial wash, shower cream, and shampoo.

"The Body Shop has been campaigning strongly on self- love, and part of having self-love is prioritizing self-care. We believe that by donating Self Care hygiene kits to those who have been selflessly caring for others, we are able to show how much we appreciate and care for them because they too deserve a lot of pampering and care. Our frontliners have been protecting us non-stop since the pandemic started," the Body Shop Marketing Head Emily Koa said.

When asked what fuels their goal of extending help to our frontliners, Koa acknowledged that SM Foundation has always been at the forefront when it comes to the coronavirus response and added: "What better way to send out these Self Care kits but through our SM Family."

"The Body Shop has always believed that business should be a force for good. And we have made it as our goal to help communities by helping them thrive. This, I believe, has been the same mission that SM Foundation has been embarking with its main principle of people helping people. And it has been a great collaboration knowing that both brands have the same goals and principles in which we live by," Koa further said. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/01/public-square/sm-foundation-the-body-shop-promote-self-care- among-frontliners/1805230

WFP warns of 'biblical' famine without action

(Agence France-Presse) - June 30, 2021 - 9:00pm ROME, Italy — The head of the UN's World Food Programme warned Wednesday there could be "unprecedented famine of biblical proportions" in dozens of countries without further action to address food shortages.

Speaking at a G20 event on humanitarian aid in Brindisi, Italy, WFP chief David Beasley said world leaders had stepped up last year with funds to help those already struggling when the coronavirus pandemic hit -- but must now do so again.

"We thought COVID would be in our rearview mirror by the end of 2020, only to see it recycled, with Delta and other variants taking place, devastating particularly and especially low-income and developing nations around the world who have been catastrophically smited by this perfect storm," he said. The WFP, which won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its work, is appealing for $6 billion to help 41 million people it says are on the edge of famine in 43 countries.

It says famine-like conditions already exist in Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen, while Nigeria and Burkina Faso are of particular concern. https://www.philstar.com/world/2021/06/30/2109296/wfp-warns-biblical-famine-without-action

Water outage in Metro Manila expected to end as Philippines-China dam project breaks ground

(Xinhua) 10:30, June 30, 2021

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Senior Undersecretary Rafael Yabut (3rd L) and Tan Qingsheng (2nd R), charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kaliwa Dam project in Rizal Province, the Philippines on June 29, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

MANILA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Trina Reyes, 34, who lives in Makati City of Metro Manila, felt joyful as the much-awaited Kaliwa Dam Project broke ground on Tuesday in Rizal province in the Philippines. For Reyes and the other 13 million Metro Manila residents, unexpected water supply cut-off was their constant headache.

"Life is hard without water because water is everything. We have experienced water shortage, especially during summer, and it is really inconvenient," Reyes, a worker at a call center and a mother of a toddler, told Xinhua.

However, the Kaliwa Dam Project, officially named the New Centennial Water Supply Project on the Kaliwa river, located about 35 km northeast of Metro Manila, would hopefully end Reyes' frequent nightmare of a water outage.

The project, which China Energy Engineering Corporation will construct, would help meet the increasing water demand of Metro Manila by supplying some 600 million liters of water per day. The project is expected to be completed by June 2025.

"Anything that will sustain the water supply in Metro Manila is a welcome development. It feels good to have a steady supply of water in the faucet. The project is a boon to us," said Reyes.

Vince Dizon, Philippine Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs and Projects, said the commencement of the Kaliwa Dam Project signifies a decades-long dream finally coming true. http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000-9866804.html

Philippines, Sri Lanka vow to further strengthen ties By: Krissy Aguilar - Reporter / @KAguilarINQ

INQUIRER.net / 03:53 PM June 30, 2021

Screengrab from PCOO

MANILA, Philippines The Philippines and Sri Lanka have agreed to further enhance their cooperation as the two nations marked 60 years of diplomatic relations. — made in a telephone conversation between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Sri Lankan President GotabayaThe commitment Rajapaksa to boost held on the Monday, two countries’ June 28, ties Malacañang was said.

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Duterte“Over the said, last as six quoted decades, in a we Malacañang have pursued statement fruitful on relations. Wednesday We look. forwar sustaining this and exploring further the full potential of our cooperative ties,” The President also thanked the Sri Lankan government for assisting in the repatriation of Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the safe return of Filipino seafarers from the oil tanker MT New Diamond that caught fire in Sri Lanka in September 2020.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/197429/philippines-sri-lanka-vow-to-further-strengthen-ties

U.S. medical stockpile running low as Delta variant threat looms

The nation is still short hundreds of millions — or more — surgical masks, gloves and gowns.

Engineers from La Sabana University demonstrate low-cost ventilators for patients with Covid-19 in Bogota, Colombia, on July 6, 2020. | AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

By ERIN BANCO 06/30/2021 04:30 AM EDT

Supplies of critical medical products in the Strategic National Stockpile are still well below federal targets more than 18 months after the coronavirus first emerged in the United States, according to internal data obtained by POLITICO.

The federal government has built up the stockpile significantly over the last year. There are more than 35 times more N95 respirators and 10 times more ventilators available now than at the start of the pandemic. But the nation is still short hundreds of millions — or more — surgical masks, gloves and gowns.

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services show the stockpile targets include 265 million gowns, 400 million surgical face masks and 4.5 billion gloves. But the current inventory includes only 17.5 million gowns, 273 million surgical masks and 525 million gloves, according to an HHS spokesperson. That’s anywhere from 6.6 to 68 percent of the recommended stock, depending on the item.

At the same time, the Biden administration is struggling to fulfill its commitments to other countries to provide supplies to combat the virus, including oxygen for the sickest patients. The U.S. has only been able to fill a fraction of the requests it has received for the gas and the materials needed to administer it, recently shipping out 1,500 oxygen cylinders and other components to India and 1,000 cylinders to Nepal. Nepal had originally requested close to 20,000 cylinders, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the matter said. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/covid-stockpile-medical-supplies-497071

Biden’s cyber warning to Russia may have to be backed by action U.S. President Joe Biden (left) meets with Russian President Valdimir Putin at the Villa la Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. (Denis Balibouse/Pool/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

JUNE 30, 2021 GOPAL RATNAM - CQ-ROLL CALL

President Joe Biden last week warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the “significant cyber capability” the United States possessed to retaliate in case Moscow didn’t curb cyberattacks stemming from its territory that have crippled key American companies.

The warning may have to be backed by action to convince the Kremlin of America’s seriousness. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/bidens-cyber-warning-to-russia-may-have-to-be-backed-by- action/

Grand Illusions: The Impact of Misperceptions About Russia on U.S. Policy Source: Getty Summary: Getting Russia right—assessing its capabilities and intentions, the long-term drivers of its policy and threat perceptions, as well as its accomplishments—is essential because the alternative of misreading them is a recipe for wasted resources, distorted national priorities, and increased risk of confrontation. Listen to Aaron David Miller, Eugene Rumer, and Richard Sokolsky discuss the importance of getting Russia right for U.S. foreign policy.

A critical examination of U.S. policy misfires in dealing with Russia and its intentions and capabilities over the past several decades is long overdue. Three factors largely account for this problem. All of them continue to affect contemporary policymakers’ approach to a deeply troubled relationship with Moscow. By unpacking the analytical assumptions that underlie these misconceptions, President Joe Biden’s administration and other important policy players will be better equipped to ensure that U.S. policy going forward is grounded in the most realistic understanding of the challenge that Russia poses and the right kinds of tools that the United States should use to contend with it. https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/06/30/grand-illusions-impact-of-misperceptions-about-russia-on- u.s.-policy-pub-84845

China-US relations: Washington and Beijing set out competing visions of international cooperation at G20 meeting

The United States has told the G20 foreign ministers that “effective and accountable” international institutions are needed as Beijing pointedly warned against empty calls for multilateralism and “vaccine hoarding” by richer countries. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3139317/china-us-relations-washington-and-beijing- set-out-competing

Taiwan and US restart trade talks despite China opposition

The United States and Taiwan on Jun 30, 2021, restarted trade talks after five years. (File photo: AFP/Sam Yeh) 30 Jun 2021 05:24PM(Updated: 30 Jun 2021 09:43PM) TAIPEI: The United States and Taiwan on Wednesday (Jun 30) restarted trade talks after five years as Washington moves to boost its ties with the island despite China's objections. The talks resumed after the two sides reconvened the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council, which under former US president Barack Obama was in charge of finding ways to deepen commercial relations.

The council last met in 2016 before the election of Donald Trump, who switched gears and focused on reaching a mega-deal with China, although relations between Washington and Beijing deteriorated sharply by the end of his turbulent term.

Wednesday's talks "focused on enhancing the longstanding trade and investment relationship between the United States and Taiwan", a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said.

Held virtually, they were co-led by top trade officials from Washington and Taipei.

Taiwan's Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng described the talks as "very fruitful" and "a very critical step for Taiwan's foreign trade" at a press briefing in Taipei. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/taiwan-us-restart-trade-talks-china-opposition- 15124124

US’ resuming talks with the island of Taiwan severely disturbs cross-Straits stability: experts

Taiwan Photo: Unsplash

After a five-year hiatus, the island of Taiwan had the video meeting with the US for the Trade Investment Framework Talks (TIFA) on Wednesday, which have been criticized by experts and residents of the island as a platform to bow to the US’ endless demands at the cost of the people in Taiwan and may further disturb the cross-Straits stability.

Yang Jen-Ni, deputy trade representative of the “Office of Trade Negotiations” of the “Executive Yuan,” led the talks with Terrence J. McCartin from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday, and Taiwan media said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority talked on issues of simplifying the process for vaccine imports.

The US and the island of Taiwan signed TIFA in 1994 but to signal displeasure with Taiwan’s ban on imports of US pork and beef due to their containment of ractopamine, USTR suspended TIFA talks and after Taiwan conceded, the talks resumed from 2013 to 2016. It was suspended again in 2017. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1227507.shtml

China's Communist Party to celebrate 100th birthday in show of pomp and power

Reuters 3 minute read

1/5 A woman walks past an installation marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party of China, in Beijing, China June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

BEIJING, June 30 (Reuters) - China will mark the centenary of the founding of its ruling Communist Party on Thursday with pomp, spectacle, and what state media described as an "important" speech by President Xi Jinping in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Xi, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, and the party are riding high as the country recovers briskly from the COVID-19 outbreak and takes a more assertive stand on the global stage. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-communist-party-celebrate-100th-birthday-show-pomp- power-2021-06-30/

China advances towards rejuvenation as CPC celebrates its centenary

Updated 14:15, 01-Jul-2021

China will achieve the goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and fulfill the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation under the firm leadership of the Party and the great unity of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, announced during a gathering in Beijing celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC that China has realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Great achievements over past 100 years

After helicopters flew in the formation of "100," representing the 100 years of the Party, and military aircraft flew over Tian'anmen Square in echelons, the grand gathering began.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-01/Grand-gathering-to-celebrate-CPC-centenary-starts-- 11x6RAJPY4w/index.html

China will stick to and continuously improve its political party system

(People's Daily) 09:08, June 30, 2021

On the occasion of the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the State Council Information Office of China recently issued a report on the country’s political party system, which demonstrated China’s determination and efforts to uphold CPC leadership, develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and improve its political party system.

The report, which looked back on how the system has been created, developed and improved, and elaborated on the distinctive characteristics and strengths of the system in political and social life, will effectively help people understand that China’s political party system is the result of a historical process as well as a structure of enormous strength, creativity and vitality. A country’s political party system is a major component of its political framework and makes a critical contribution to democracy. The system best suited to a country is determined by its history, traditions, and realities, the report pointed out.

The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is a new type of party system growing from China’s soil, and plays a unique role in building consensus, optimizing decision-making, coordinating relationships among parties and maintaining political stability, stressed Xi Jinping, general secretary of CPC Central Committee.

Following the principles of long-term coexistence, mutual oversight, sincerity, and sharing the rough times and the smooth, the CPC and eight other political parties in China have created a multiparty cooperation system in which the CPC exercises state power and the other parties participate fully in the administration of state affairs under the leadership of the CPC.

Besides, the CPC has worked in solidarity with other political parties and non- affiliates, and traveled an extraordinary and glorious journey together, registering remarkable achievements in multiparty cooperation. http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000-9866736.html

China State TV Documentary Inspires Sympathy For Jailed Uyghur Poet Wahitjan Osman was arrested for incorporating content in government-approved textbooks that was later branded ‘radical’ and ‘separatist.’ 2021-06-29

A graphic from CGTN's short documentary "Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang: The Textbooks" shows senior editors Yalqun Rozi and Wahitjan Osman, accused of allegedly spreading extremist ideas. The documentary aired on April 2, 2021.

Video screenshot/CGTN Supporters of Wahitjan Osman have launched a social media campaign for the famous Uyghur poet arrested in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) for allegedly incorporating extremist “separatist thoughts” into school textbooks, highlighting his case after a Chinese state TV documentary linked him to terrorism. Wahitjan's arrest in October 2016 came amid a deepening crackdown by Chinese authorities on intellectuals in the XUAR that Uyghurs say is part of a deliberate campaign to undermine their culture, religion, and language under the pretext of fighting extremism. In early April, state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) broadcast a documentary titled “Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang: The Textbooks” about the arrests of former Uyghur publishing officials and two senior editors of the Xinjiang Education Publishing House for including “separatist thoughts” in Uyghur- language textbooks. Wahitjan, 58, a prolific poet who has penned hundreds of works admired in both the XUAR and the rest of China, was a senior editor at Xinjiang Education Publishing House at the time of his arrest. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/uyghur-poet-06292021114037.html

Voices From The CCP's Past Lauded Democratic Politics, Free Speech Party newspapers regularly lauded the benefits of democratic government and deplored attacks on press freedom under the Kuomintang regime, which ended in 1949.

2021-06-29

People dance during a Cultural Performance as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, June 28, 2021.

AFP The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which came to power with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong in 1949, and which marks its centenary on July 1, spent much of its early life talking about democracy. "China has a shortcoming, and it is a big one. This shortcoming, in a nutshell, is the lack of democracy," ran an article in the June 13, 1944 edition of the party's Liberation Daily newspaper. It was taking aim at the Kuomintang regime, formed in the wake of the 1911 revolution under Sun Yat-sen that toppled the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). "Do not reject democracy because of the low level of education of citizens: apply democratic politics to educate and improve the people's level of education," a commentary in the Xinhua Daily opined on Feb. 25, 1939. Another editorial in the same paper warned: "Substituting one-party dictatorship for democracy may be clever, but it is far from being what the people want: the Chinese people are watching." In September 1943, the paper warned against "fascist news theorists" who wanted to restrict and destroy progressive newspapers. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/voices-06292021135549.html

Chinese Communist Party centenary: Xi Jinping set to lead celebrations and issue rallying cry for future

President Xi Jinping is expected to use his keynote address marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on Thursday to cement his position in history and rally the nation to face a monumental set of challenges ahead. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3139357/chinese-communist-party-centenary- president-xi-jinping-set-lead

Factbox: A hundred years on, how the Communist Party dominates China Yew Lun Tian 5 minute read

Performers take part in a show commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China at the National Stadium in Beijing, China June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

BEIJING, June 30 (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding on July 1.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE PARTY?

The Communist Party of China (CCP) was founded in 1921, holding its first congress in Shanghai, with the help of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, during a turbulent period after the country had a decade earlier cast off 2,000 years of dynastic rule. Its founders took inspiration from Marxism, after seeing how other political models had failed in China.

WHAT WAS MAO'S ROLE IN THE FOUNDING?

At the initial congress, Mao Zedong was the representative for Hunan province. He rose to become the commander of the Red Army in 1935, and became the founding leader of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

WHO MAKES UP THE PARTY?

The CCP's ranks have risen roughly in line with China's population, totalling 95.2 million members as of this month, or 6.7% of the Chinese population.

Initially founded as a party for peasants and workers, the CCP has become increasingly diverse. In 1982, it shifted its focus to recruiting university students, and in 2002 began to welcome private entrepreneurs.

Men dominate the party, with women making up only 28.8% of members. All seven members of top party leadership are men.

More than half the members have tertiary-level education.

Ethnic minorities make up 7.5% of members, slightly less than their share in China's population. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hundred-years-how-communist-party-dominates-china-2021- 06-30/

Chinese students in Australian universities face surveillance, intimidation by Beijing for views: rights group

Chinese students living in Australia have faced surveillance and intimidation by Beijing for advocating for democracy, with universities failing to uphold their academic freedom, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Wednesday. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3139289/chinese-students-australia-face-surveillance- intimidation-views

China’s new Tibetan line tracks the Indian border

High mountain railway to Nyingchi will promote trade and tourism but could also move PLA troops in any conflict scenario

By FRANK CHENJUNE 29, 2021Print The new railway from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to China’s border area has been up and running since last week. Photo: Xinhua

Tibet’s first fully electrified rail corridor extending from its capital Lhasa to the alpine region’s southwestern outpost of Nyingchi has been up and running since last week, a development that has likely contributed to an escalation of border tensions with India.

Chinese bullet trains will roar along the new link at 160 kilometers per hour less than 16 kilometers from the troubled and increasingly militarized Himalayan border region, according to a train dispatching and scheduling plan prepared by China Railway Corp (CRC) leaked over social media.

The new line cuts through rugged snow-capped terrain and huge swathes of permafrost at an average elevation of about 3,000 meters. Beijing’s pedal-to-the-metal construction spree for Tibet also includes expanding the capacities of existing railway stations in Lhasa and Nyingchi.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/06/chinas-new-tibetan-line-tracks-the-indian-border/

China's UN envoy calls for 'equal footing' in cyberspace

(China Daily) 20:06, June 30, 2021 Countries should be able to pursue their own path of internet development without "hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism" and participate in cyberspace governance on an "equal footing", China's ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

"It is essential to respect the rights of all countries to independently choose the path of internet development and internet management model, and to participate in the governance of cyberspace on an equal footing. The application of the law of armed conflict in cyberspace should be dealt with cautiously, and arms races in cyberspace should be prevented," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council high-level open debate on cybersecurity.

"We should promote security through the maintenance of peace and prevent cyberspace from becoming a new battlefield," he said.

Countries not only enjoy shared opportunities and common interests in cyberspace, but also face common challenges and assume shared responsibilities, the envoy pointed out.

Nations are increasingly becoming a shared community through weal and woe. They should work together in a joint effort to protect cybersecurity and maintain international peace, Zhang said.

The ambassador stressed that the international community should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, in particular "the principles of sovereign equality, prohibition of the use of force, non-interference in internal affairs, and peaceful settlement of disputes".

The ambassador underscored the importance of promoting security through exchanges and cooperation and creating a favorable environment for cyberspace.

"Hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism in cyberspace will only intensify confrontations and poison the atmosphere of cooperation, which should be rejected and opposed jointly by the international community," he said.

The envoy stressed that security should be promoted through improved governance and promote fairness and justice in cyberspace.

All countries should uphold effective multilateralism, establish an open, inclusive and sustainable cyber security governance process under the framework of the UN, Zhang said. http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000-9867036.html

117 people arrested in Hong Kong in a year under national security law

FILE PHOTO: Graffiti has been removed off a fence in Hong Kong's financial district, the site of many 2019 protests, Hong Kong, China, April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Lam Yik

30 Jun 2021 11:49AM(Updated: 30 Jun 2021 12:02PM) HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities have arrested 117 people under a national security law imposed one year ago, charging more than 60, mostly democratic politicians, activists, journalists and students.

On Jun 30, 2020, Beijing imposed the security law in Hong Kong following months of often violent pro-democracy protests, effectively ending the unrest.

Advertisement The law punishes acts which China considers as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

It entered into force as soon as it was published, just before midnight ahead of the Jul 1 anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule in 1997. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/117-people-arrested-in-hong-kong-in-a-year-under-national- 15122668

Hong Kong democracy activist re- arrested on eve of sensitive anniversaries

Reuter 2 minute read

Vice-chairwoman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Chow Hang-tung holds a candle beside the "Pillar of Shame", mourning those who died during the June 4 military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, inside the campus of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China May 2, 2021. Picture taken May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

HONG KONG, June 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong police re-arrested pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung after revoking her bail on Wednesday, on the eve of the anniversaries of the former British colony's handover to Beijing and the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Chow, a barrister and vice-chairwoman of the group that organises annual vigils for the victims of China's 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, was arrested and released from custody earlier this month for promoting an unauthorised assembly on June 4. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-democracy-activist-re-arrested-eve-sensitive- anniversaries-2021-06-30/

Law vs. Liberty in Hong Kong: The National Security Act One Year Later

By James A. Dorn

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In the late hours of June 30, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, passed “The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.” The National Security Law (NSL) was enacted without consulting Hong Kong, and its details were kept secret until the official text was released.

The Pretense of National Security

China justified the NSL—which criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces—on the pretense of protecting national security. But the real purpose is to maintain the Chinese Communist Party’s monopoly on power by restricting basic human rights, particularly freedom of the press.

President Xi Jinping places “stability” above freedom. He has argued that “Freedom is the purpose of order, and order the guarantee of freedom.” While there is some truth to his statement, the real meaning is that China’s ruling elite will not tolerate dissent. Individuals may be free to communicate ideas, but only those consistent with “socialist principles.” This dictum is made clear in Article 51of the PRC Constitution, which states: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China, in exercising their freedoms and rights, may not infringe upon the interests of the State, of society or of the collective.” https://www.cato.org/blog/law-vs-liberty-hong-kong-national-security-act-one-year-later]

Negative views of China continue to dominate its international image, survey finds

Unfavourable views of China among the world’s most advanced economies stand at or near record highs, despite improving assessments of how the country has handled the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new public opinion poll. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3139241/negative-views-china-continue-dominate- its-international-image

Taiwan says will be ‘force for good’ after unprecedented G7 support IPDForum June 29, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

Reuters

presidential office said, after the Chinese-claimed island won unprecedented backing from the Taiwan will be a “force for good” and continue to seek even greater international support, its Group of Seven (G7) bloc of major democracies.

The G7 leaders in mid-June 2021 criticized China over human rights in Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. (Pictured: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) member nations, joined by European Union officials, attend the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, in June 2021.)

communique has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the strait and the first time Taiwan presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang said this was the first time a G7 leaders’

Changsince the expressed group’s thanksfounding for that the theresupport, was adding “content that friendly Taiwan to and Taiwan.” G7 member countries share basic values such as democracy, freedom and human rights.

“Taiwan will certainly adhere to its role as a responsible member of the region, and it will also Taiwanfirmly defend will continue the democratic to deepen system its partnership and safeguard with sG7hared states universal and like-minded values,” Chang countries said. and

-Pacific strive for greater support from the international community, he said. Taiwan will also “firmly region. contribute the greatest force for good” for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/06/taiwan-says-will-be-force-for-good-after-unprecedented-g7-support/

Tokyo may extend COVID-19 curbs into Olympics period: Report

People walk past a Tokyo Olympics logo in Tokyo, Jun 25, 2021. (Photo: AP/Shuji Kajiyama)

30 Jun 2021 09:26AM(Updated: 30 Jun 2021 09:52AM) TOKYO: Japan is considering an extension of its COVID-19 prevention measures in Tokyo and other areas by two weeks to a month, Japanese media said, with less than a month to go until the Tokyo Summer Olympics are set to open.

The Japanese capital and other areas are currently under a "quasi" state of emergency set to be lifted on Jul 12, but a recent uptick in coronavirus cases has officials concerned and could affect the number of spectators allowed in to Olympics venues.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun daily, the government is considering extending the measures by two to four weeks, a period that would overlap with the Olympics, already delayed a year, that open on Jul 23.

A government meeting on coronavirus measures is set to be held later on Wednesday (Jun 30) to discuss ways of dealing with signs of an impending surge in coronavirus numbers that has experts worried, along with concern about the spread of more highly transmissible variants. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/covid-19-tokyo-may-extend-curbs-into-olympics-period- report-15122178

Korea's parliamentary committee passes resolution demanding removal of Dokdo from Tokyo Olympics map Posted : 2021-06-30 14:45 Updated : 2021-06-30 18:25

A South Korean parliamentary committee on Wednesday passed a resolution denouncing Japan's renewed claim to sovereignty of Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo on the Tokyo Olympics website.

Dokdo, located in the East Sea, has appeared on the map of the route of the torch relay, posted on the Tokyo Olympics website, in an apparent territorial claim to the South Korean islets by the Japanese government.

The National Assembly's culture committee held a plenary session and passed the resolution condemning the Japanese Olympic Committee for including Dokdo as part of Japan on its Olympics map. The resolution was endorsed by a group of 234 bipartisan lawmakers.

In the resolution, lawmakers described the inclusion of Dokdo on the map as a move that violates the sovereignty of South Korea and which regresses the Seoul-Tokyo relationship, and called for the immediate removal of Dokdo from the map.

The resolution also called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take proactive measures against the map controversy, and also stressed the need for the South Korean government to engage in diplomacy with Japan and the IOC on the matter.

Dokdo has long been a recurring source of tension between the two neighbors, as Tokyo continues to lay claim to the East Sea islets, which have been under the effective control of Seoul since the Korean liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. (Yonhap) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/07/120_311368.html

S. Korea-US relationship moved beyond security alliance to comprehensive, global partnership: Moon

By Yonhap

Published : Jun 30, 2021 - 17:00 Updated : Jun 30, 2021 - 17:00 President Moon Jae-in assessed Wednesday that South Korea's relationship with the United States has evolved from a traditional military-and-security-based alliance to that of a comprehensive and global partnership.

Moon shared his views on the state of the Seoul-Washington alliance in a lunch meeting with the heads of constitutional institutions -- the National Assembly speaker, the Supreme Court chief justice, the Constitutional Court chief and the prime minister -- at Cheong Wa Dae. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210630001018

South Korean ex-chief prosecutor to challenge Moon's party for presidency

FILE PHOTO: South Korea's President Moon Jae-in looks on during a joint news conference with U.S. President Joe Biden (not pictured) after a day of meetings at the White House, in Washington, U.S. May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

30 Jun 2021 SEOUL: A former South Korean prosecutor-general announced on Tuesday (Jun 29) his candidacy in next year's presidential election with a fierce attack on what he called the "corrupt and incompetent" administration of President Moon Jae-in.

Moon is limited to just one term under the constitution and his liberal Democratic Party has yet to nominate its presidential candidate.

Former top prosecutor Yoon Suk-youl, 60, criticised Moon's failure to curb rising house prices and accused his government of incompetence and hypocrisy.

"This regime destroyed the foundation of the country by abandoning common sense, fairness and the rule of law," Yoon told a news conference. "We have to stop the corrupt and incompetent ruling forces' attempt to extend their term and plunder people."

Moon has rejected accusations of corruption. His office declined to comment on Yoon's remarks or his presidential bid.

Moon's approval ratings have hit record lows amid skyrocketing house prices, an insider land trading scandal and deepening inequality, which contributed to his party's heavy defeat in key mayoral elections in April. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/south-korean-ex-chief-prosecutor-to-challenge-moon-s- party-for-presidency-15117392

Clock ticking for Seoul's last-ditch efforts to thaw inter-Korean ties Posted : 2021-06-30 17:00 Updated : 2021-07-01 09:21

S. Korean President's term nearing end; no major factors seen to bring North Korea back to negotiations

By Nam Hyun-woo

The clock is ticking for President Moon Jae-in's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, as North Korea remains reluctant to talk while South Korea is bracing for a transfer of power before the presidential election slated for March next year.

The Moon government had seen June as the optimal time to set the mood for inter- Korean or trilateral dialogue involving the U.S., and engage Pyongyang amid the Tokyo Olympics or other international events in the second half of this year.

While North Korea is lukewarm about a dialogue, Seoul and Washington are in talks over holding a combined military exercise scheduled for August, which North Korea strongly opposes. Experts say when the military drill takes place and South Korea enters into preparations for the presidential election, Moon's bid to thaw inter- Korean relations may lose momentum.

"There are no big event that could bring a change to the current stalemate between the two Koreas," said Go Myong-hyun, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "With South Korea bracing for the presidential election next year, chances are lowering for North Korea to flip on its stance in the near future." https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/07/103_311393.html

North Korea Launches Investigation to Stop Gossip about Kim Jong Un’s Health Government spins leader’s slimmer appearance as evidence that he suffers along with his people. 2021-06-29

This combination of file photos provided by the North Korean government, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Workers' Party meetings in Pyongyang, North Korea, on May 24, 2020, left, and June 15, 2021. North Korean state TV has cited an unidentified resident as saying that citizens are heartbroken because of leader Kim's “emaciated looks.” The comments are a rare acknowledgment of outside speculation that Kim has recently lost a considerable about of weight. Photos: AFP North Korea has launched an investigation into gossip about the health of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, after he appeared on state media looking thinner after a lengthy absence, sources in the country told RFA. Kim resurfaced in public this month and North Korea watchers noted that he had noticeably lost weight, even analyzing photographs to see if he was using a different notch on his wristwatch band, the New York Timesreported Tuesday. Although the reasons for his apparent weight loss are unknown, state media have used it for propaganda purposes, saying that Kim is suffering alongside his people, who are struggling in a country plagued by chronic food insecurity exacerbated by the effects of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Last week North Korean state TV cited an unidentified male resident as saying ordinary people were heartbroken at the sight of a leaner Kim.

“Our people’s hearts ached most when we saw (Kim’s) emaciated looks,” the man said. “Everyone says their tears are welling up in their eyes naturally.” But discussion of the North Korean leader’s health can be considered treason, so authorities are launching investigations nationwide to stop people from spreading rumors about Kim, called the “Highest Dignity” in official communication. “I was informed that the Ministry of State Security issued an order to each region’s State Security Department last week to secretly investigate rumors related to the health of the Highest Dignity,” a resident of the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA’s Korean Service June 27. “I heard about it from a state security agent in Tongrim county who I am close with,” said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely. According to the source, the investigation will occur simultaneously in all cities and counties in the province and will target government officials and residents alike. “There is a rumor spreading around that the Highest Dignity has health problems, and the State Security Department is trying to find out the source of the rumor,” the source said.

“In fact, some residents, as well as government officials, are saying these days that the highest dignity is still young, but he will not live long due to various diseases including high blood pressure,” said the source. According to the source, the public suspects Kim might have a health problem because when he appeared on state TV a few days ago, he was much thinner than when they last saw him in May.

“Since even mentioning the health of the highest dignity is considered treason in North Korea, the rumor has not been widely spread or publicized yet,” the source said. “The Ministry of State Security sees the spread of even the slightest word about the health of the Highest Dignity as a case related to the stability of the regime, so not only government officials, but also the people are extremely careful about their words because they don’t want to get caught in an investigation.” In South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, the head of a neighborhood watch unit told RFA that the State Security Department is ordering each unit to report on residents who mention even trivial matters about Kim Jong Un’s health. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/thin-06292021155851.html

Covid 19 coronavirus: Kim Jong Un berates North Korean officials for 'crucial' virus lapse

30 Jun, 2021 04:22 PM4 minutes to read

AP By: Kim Tong-Hyung North Korean leader Kim Jong Un berated top officials for failures in coronavirus prevention that caused a "great crisis", using strong language that raised the spectre of a mass outbreak in a country that would be scarcely able to handle it.

The state media report today did not specify what "crucial" lapse had prompted Kim to call the Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, but experts said the North could be wrestling with a significant setback in its pandemic fight.

So far, North Korea has claimed to have had no coronavirus infections, despite testing thousands of people and sharing a porous border with China. Experts widely doubt the claim and are concerned about any potential outbreak, given the country's poor health infrastructure.

At the Politburo meeting, Kim criticised senior officials for supposed incompetence, irresponsibility and passiveness in planning and executing anti-virus measures amid the lengthening pandemic, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-kim-jong-un-berates-north-korean-officials-for- crucial-virus-lapse/KRW66FGPNLTZKKBKVPJ3WZILT4/

Malaysian parliament leaders propose special sitting before Aug 1, following king's decree

The declaration by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah allows for the suspension of parliament and political activities AFP/NAZRI RAPAAI

30 Jun 2021 05:12PM(Updated: 30 Jun 2021 05:53PM) KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Senate President Rais Yatim and House of Representatives Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun on Wednesday (Jun 30) proposed that a special sitting be held before Aug 1, following a decree by the king.

The parliament leaders made the proposal to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin following their audience with King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr Azhar and Mr Rais said the king had decreed for parliament to convene before Aug 1 during the meeting.

“Both the Senate president and Dewan Rakyat speaker, as well as their respective deputies uphold His Majesty’s decree and have pledged the parliament’s commitment and preparedness to hold parliament sitting as decreed by the king,” according to the statement issued by the Malaysian Parliament. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-parliament-sitting-before-august-1-king-sultan- decree-15123898

Myanmar Court Dismisses Objection to ‘Evidence’ in Aung San Suu Kyi Incitement Trial The defense vows to appeal, saying the two documents were never signed by the former state counselor.

2021-06-29

A Myanmar protester holds a poster with an image of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a candlelight vigil to honor those who have died during demonstrations against the military coup, in Yangon, March 13, 2021.

AFP A court in Myanmar on Tuesday dismissed an objection by former State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi to documents presented by military prosecutors as evidence in her trial on “incitement” charges, although her defense team vowed to fight the decision in an appeal.

Myanmar’s military detained Aung San Suu Kyi in the aftermath of a Feb. 1 coup it orchestrated in the aftermath of a November landslide election victory by her ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). The junta claims the ballot was marred by widespread voter fraud but has yet to produce evidence of its allegations and has violently cracked down on demonstrations calling for an end to military rule. Aung San Suu Kyi has been indicted in six cases and faces charges that include spreading information that could cause public unrest, violating COVID-19 restrictions under the National Disaster Management Law, illegally importing two-way radios, and the unlicensed use of radios. The most serious of the charges she faces—violating the Official Secrets Act—carries a punishment of up to 14 years in prison. On Tuesday, a special court in the capital Naypyidaw’s Zabu Thiri township dismissed an objection by her legal team to documents presented by the prosecution as evidence in her trial on charges of incitement under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for allegedly issuing reports with intent to cause public fear. The incitement charge under Section 505(b) carries a maximum two-year prison sentence. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/trial-06292021193917.html

Myanmar's army rulers threaten those who call them junta

Reuters 2 minute read

Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

June 30 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military authorities threatened on Wednesday to take legal action against foreign news organisations that describe them as a junta and their seizure of power in February as a coup d'etat.

Many foreign publications, including Reuters, have used the terms to describe the army-led State Administration Council and the overthrow of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The military-controlled Ministry of Information published the warning in its Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

"Some foreign news agencies were warned not to further apply the usage of military council/military junta/junta for the government in the future and not to quote and exaggerate the false news," the statement said. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmars-army-rulers-threaten-those-who-call-them-junta- 2021-06-30/

Groups Urge Thailand to Step Up Action to Protect Foreign Fishermen Labor violations are still rampant, with many fishermen facing dangerous conditions on their ships and not being paid for months at a time, experts say.

2021-06-29

Migrant workers sort fish and seafood unloaded from a fishing ship at a port in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, Jan. 22, 2018.

Reuters Advocacy groups representing foreign workers in Thailand’s seafood industry called on the government Tuesday to ensure that employment contracts are made transparent, and to act to prevent workplace exploitation or abuses aboard Thai-owned fishing boats.

A new survey by the Fishers’ Rights Network found that about nine out of 10 foreign migrants working on fishing boats in Thailand had not had their contract translated or explained in a language they can understand. Tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring countries, including Myanmar and Cambodia, work in Thailand’s fishing sector. At an online news conference where survey results were presented, the network and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) urged Bangkok to do much more to implement Convention No. 188 (C188) of the International Labor Organization. The convention, which came into forcein November 2017, aims to shield employees in the seafood industry from abuses or exploitation.

“Number one, we would like to call on the Royal Thai Government to effectively enforce C188 and ensure that all fishers have a copy of their contracts in their own language,” Jon Hartough, the Thailand project lead at the federation, told reporters. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/protect-06292021153241.html

China's control over Sri Lankan infrastructure reignites fears First foreign company to own highway highlights rising Chinese influence

The Colombo Port City project in November 2018: China Harbor Engineering Company, the developer, recently won a new highway project that it will own and operate for 18 years. © Getty Images MUNZA MUSHTAQ, Contributing WriterJune 30, 2021 18:10 JST COLOMBO -- China's de facto control of high-profile Sri Lankan infrastructure projects has renewed fears that the island nation may soon become a Chinese colony.

As China steadily expands its footprint across the island, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), won a new development project last month when the government approved CHEC's proposal for a 17-km elevated highway on the outskirts of Colombo.

But the terms of the deal allow CHEC to own the highway, recover the principal, earn profits, and then after 18 years -- finally -- hand it over to the Sri Lankan government, making CHEC the first foreign company to own a highway in Sri Lanka. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/China-s-control-over-Sri-Lankan-infrastructure-reignites- fears

Biden Needs an International Organizations Strategy A U.S. State Department czar should lead a campaign to stop China and Russia from gaining control of multilateral agencies.

By Richard Goldberg

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet removes her face mask before a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva on Dec. 9, 2020. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

JUNE 29, 2021, 11:02 AM

When U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. intelligence community to dig deeper into the possibility that COVID-19 might have spread from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, he underscored a basic truth: Multilateral agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) are frequently blocked or manipulated by authoritarian regimes and increasingly incapable of protecting either U.S. or global interests. The Biden administration and U.S. Congress face a fundamental question: What is the United States’ strategy to counter the systematic exploitation of international organizations by hostile countries while defending U.S. sovereignty, national security, allies, and democratic values? https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/29/biden-china-russia-international-organizations-strategy-czar-united- nations-multilateral-agencies-control/

Out-Trumping Trump on China Jun 30, 2021

There have been some mixed signals in China-U.S. relations recently. Talks have resumed between Liu He, chief of the Chinese side of the comprehensive economic dialogue, and his counterpart, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, sending a clear signal of a relaxation in economic and trade relations between the two countries.

At the same time, however, the U.S. has not only strengthened its science and technology sanctions against China in an all-around way but also introduced sweeping ideologically based legislation to counter China. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 sounds the trumpet for U.S. allies to rally to the cause. So where will the China-U.S. relationship go next?

For now, the general mood in the relationship is better than it was toward the end of the Trump term: The U.S. generally has been less hostile toward China than it was in the frenzied Trump years. However, a resumption of economic and trade dialogue cannot be seen yet as a true rebound. On the contrary, it seems to be a tactical choice for the U.S. to step up efforts to counterbalance China while trying not to lose its entire economic stake. The Biden administration has signaled that it will go even further than Trump on its China policy.

It proposes to manage the relationship with China as “the single biggest geopolitical test in the ways and means, it has inherited the hawkish position of the previous administration, while 21st century,” highlighting the primacy and uniqueness of the China challenge. In the choice of making a strategic change from the unilateral isolationism of Trump to the building of a multilateral alliance system.

In other words, with an overarching competitive strategy in mind, the U.S. intends to confront framework, supported by three pillars: an alliance strategy, multilateralism and values-based and engage China simultaneously within a “competition, collaboration, confrontation” diplomacy. It has worked to develop a united front based on Western values, sought to maintain the upper hand in science and technology and moved to coordinate multilateral economic and trade rules.

In recent years, the U.S. has played up the China challenge in science and technology, even deeply on countering high- suggesting that a new “Sputnik moment” has arrived. The administration and opposition agree The Biden administration differs from the previous one in that it has chosen to move away tech competition and containing China’s technological development. from Tru -bombing approach to more precision attacks to maintain pressure on

mp’s carpet Chinahttps://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/out-trumping-tr through a strategy of “small courtyard, high walls,”ump- togetheron-china with confinement.

India, China and the Quad’s Defining Test By Arzan Tarapore

June 30, 2021

The Quad is stronger than ever. The informal ‘minilateral’ grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States has in the past year held its first stand-alone ministerial meeting and its first leaders’ summit, and launched an ambitious project to deliver Covid-19 vaccines. This ‘golden age’ of the Quad is a product of newfound Indian enthusiasm for the grouping, in turn spurred by the military crisis in Ladakh, where India faces ongoing Chinese troop incursions across the two countries’ disputed border.

But the Quad is not bulletproof. Some experts have suggested that the economic and diplomatic effects of the devastating second wave of the pandemic in India will preoccupy the Indian government, sapping the Quad of capacity for any new initiatives. Others counter that India remains committed to competition with China—which is what really matters for the Quad—although its partners always expected ‘two steps forward, one step back’ from India.

The pandemic may well prove to be a hiccup in the Quad’s evolution; but a potentially much larger disruption may come from the ongoing Ladakh crisis itself. As I argue in a new ASPI Strategic Insights paper, the crisis has greatly increased the risk of a border war between India and China, which would present a defining test of the Quad. A possible war could either strengthen or enervate the Quad—depending on how India and its partners, including Australia, act now to shape the strategic environment.

Risk is a function of likelihood and consequence. The likelihood of war on the India–China border is still low—both countries would prefer to avoid it—but has risen since the crisis began. Both countries have greatly expanded their military deployments on the border, and backed them with new permanent infrastructure to resupply and reinforce them. China has proved its revisionist intent with large and costly military incursions, although its specific objectives and plans remain unknown.

And the interaction of both countries’ military strategies and doctrines would, on the threshold of conflict, promote escalation. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/06/30/india_china_and_the_quads_defining_test_783563 .html

Lavrov To The West: Your Hegemony Is Over, Your Rules Don't Apply

Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov at the New Knowledge Forum at the Moscow Digital Business Spac - Photo: Sergei Bobylev/TASS/ZUMA In Moscow daily Kommersant, a long and fiery response from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the U.S. and European tactics during and after this month's Putin-Biden summit.

Sergey Lavrov

KOMMERSANT

2021-06-30

English edition • WORLDCRUNCH MOSCOW — The frank and generally constructive conversation at the June 16 summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joseph Biden in Geneva resulted in an agreement to begin a substantive dialogue on strategic stability [...] But almost immediately after the end of the summit, U.S. officials — including participants of the Geneva meeting — began to assertively return to their former attitude: "pointing out," "clearly warning" and making myriad demands on Moscow. Moreover, all these warnings were accompanied by threats: if Moscow didn't accept the rules of the game outlined for it in Geneva within several months, then it would be exposed to the new pressures.

Washington's instantly voiced backlash in the wake of the talks is quite indicative, especially since the European capitals, having caught the mood of big brother, immediately began to actively echo it — and with pleasure. The gist of their statements: They are ready to normalize relations with Moscow, but Moscow should change its behavior first.

The sense is that this chorus in support of the star performer was prepared in advance, and it was precisely this preparation that was laid out in a series of high- level Western events immediately before the US-Russia talks: the G7 summits in Cornwall and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Brussels as well as Biden's meeting with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/lavrov-to-the-west-your-hegemony-is-over-your-rules-don39t-apply

Five Forms of Competition Jun 30, 2021

The Biden and Trump administrations share the same nature in their China strategy: It is to continue to suppress Biden approach. Since Trump, there have been five new kinds of wars: trade war, technology and contain China’s development. But there will be some changes in the war, public opinion war, cyberwar and financial war. Of these, the trade, technological and public opinion wars have already started, and the remaining two await in the wings.

So what will it do? Obviously, it will focus more on smokeless battlefields. A professor from Biden’s China strategy is based on the medium to long term, and on reducing costs and risks. National Defense University in the United States once said after the outbreak of the trade war between China and the U.S. that there would not be a real war between the two countries. A trade war is a war during peacetime and will continue.

I believe the Biden administration, on one hand, will use the advantage of U.S. institutional hegemony to suppress China, and on the other to conduct a series of competitive repressions against China in some key areas. To put it bluntly, the Biden administr . ation will “murder with Thean invisible trade war knife,” has beenwhich going can stillon for be somedeadly time, and the U.S. government is evaluating its effectiveness. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has indicated that negotiations with Chi play checkers at the same time a multi-pronged approach, as the trade war is lose-lose. na are possible. The Biden administration’s overall China strategy is to walk, chew gum and The U.S. will compete with China— while continuing to cooperate with it in some fields. For example, the cooperation between the two countries in agricultural products may continue. When American scholars put forward the concept of a trade war, they did not really want a trade war but to exert enormous pressure on China for the benefit of the U.S. They believed that China could not withstand the blow of a trade war. However, they have found now that China will not give ground on issues of principle, and as a result the United States is likely to negotiate with China on trade issues.

Thus, the outcome of the trade war will be partial decoupling rather than total decoupling. Tariff cuts are necessary in areas where there is a complete lose-lose situation. In fact, a pause in the trade war is likely to be tied to the U.S. demand that China change its economic development model, such as requiring its state-owned enterprises to restructure a totally unreasonable demand that is unacceptable to China. So the trade negotiations will be very — difficult. Douglas Paal, an American scholar, said that China should be the first to make concessions and take the initiative to cut tariffs. But this is hard for China to accept. The second war is one of technology. This is the most acute area of competition between China and the U.S. at present, and it will be for some time to come. The United States will show no mercy in this area, nor should China have any illusions. The current technology war between the two countries is ostensibly centered on the fight over 5G, but in fact it is a duel over the nati opportunities. The United States will not compromise, and China must be ready for that. on’s core competitiveness. Technology means disruptive change and huge market https://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/five-forms-of-competition

‘Threat is real’: Wescom chief says PH sovereignty at stake in bid for more military assets By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ

INQUIRER.net / 03:27 PM June 30, 2021

MANILA, Philippines

The Philippine military—“The unit in threat Palawan is real.” in charge of sovereign patrols and protecting the West Philippine Sea, which is part of South China Sea inside Philippine exclusive or equipment that would help boost maritime patrols against incursions, mainly by economic zone (EEZ), aired the need for what one officer said were “game changers,” China.

“We need to have additional capabilities in terms of detection, identification, Command (Wescom) chief, at an online forum hosted by the Philippine Air Force interception and heliport operations,” said Vice Admiral Ramil Enriquez, Western (PAF) on Wednesday (June 30).

Enriquez cited the need for deployable radars against incursions in Philippine air space. built on Mt. Salakot in Puerto Princesa, the Palawan capital. He said the Wescom was “eagerly awaiting” the completion of a radar station to be -deployed air search radars as well as in our islands, considering that every minute, in the interception of His command, however, would also want to “have forward

unidentifiedMt. Salakot had aircraft, been willidentified only be as in an a idealmatter site of for seconds PAF surve or minutes.illance radars” procured from Israel.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/197425/threat-is-real-wescom-chief-says-ph-sovereignty-at-stake-in-bid- for-more-military-assets

INDO-PACOM Used Ground-based Aegis Combat System Prototype to Target Missile Threats, Surface Targets

By: Sam LaGrone June 29, 2021 7:23 PM

Last year, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command quietly packed the combat system from a guided-missile destroyer into about the size of a footlocker, took it ashore and hooked it up to an Army artillery unit, an Air Force command node and an F- 35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter.

Last September, INDO-PACOM used the Virtualized Aegis Weapon System (VAWS) in an experiment to see if the combat management technology of the sea-based Aegis could be used by Army and Air Force units, Lockheed Martin software engineers said during the WEST 2021 conference, cohosted by the U.S. Naval Institute and AFCEA. The experiments used VAWs to route targeting information used by destroyers and cruisers with an Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) unit and a PAC-3 missile defense system instead. https://news.usni.org/2021/06/29/indo-pacom-used-ground-based-aegis-combat-system-prototype-to- target-missile-threats-surface-targets

Panel: Budget Priorities Prompted Navy Cut to Forces to Prevent Hollow Fleet

By: Mallory Shelbourne June 29, 2021 7:28 PM

•

While the Marine Corps is divesting legacy systems to invest in modernization, the Navy has had to make cuts to sustain its current force, the admiral who oversees the Navy budget said today.

Rear Adm. John Gumblet budget request, which cuton, an the Arleigh Navy’s Burke-class deputy assistant destroyer. secretary for budget, detailed the Department of the Navy’s approach to the Fiscal Year 2022 administration and the topline that the department of the navy receives, the DoN,“We built or the the Department [Fiscal Year of 20]22 the Navy, budget, built you their know, bud ngetoting with a changefour things in in mind. One . . . nuclear deterrent, number one priority paying for the Columbia class. Number two, for the Navy and the Marine Corps, number priority for the DoN was ready to fight for tonight that– non-nuclear deterrent

2021 conference, cohosted by the U.S. Naval Institu–te and AFCEA. ready to go tonight,” Gumbleton said during a virtual appearance at the WEST https://news.usni.org/2021/06/29/panel-budget-priorities-prompted-navy-cut-to-forces-to-prevent-hollow- fleet

ABOUT SEALIFT ONEJUNE 29, 202 1FLEET, GUEST AUTHOR 1 COMMENTONE FIGHT: FOUR “FS” TO GIVE Strategic Sealift Topic Week By Benjamin Clark and Gregory Lewis future wars, there will be a fight to get to the fight. —VADM Dee Mewbourne, TRANSCOM Deputy Commander “In going to have to fight to get to the fight. —Gen.” Robert Neller, 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps “We’re ” The U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) Deputy Commander and the former Commandant of the Marine Corps are in one accord. These leaders have effectively parsed out two distinct dilemmas — an “away game” fight and a battle to get to that fight. The wicked problems facing the Marine Corps, its fellow services, and TRANSCOM are, in fact, components of a collective dilemma. The strategic competition milieu no longer differentiates between the frontline and the homefront as if there were combatants and non- combatants. It is a singular fight.

As the TRANSCOM component that bears the preponderance of sustainment requirements for the Joint Warfighting Concept, Military Sealift Command (MSC) faces a boatload of wicked problems. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary 2019 report the Fight: Resilient Maritime Logistics for a New Era clearly articulates these challenges. The 18 May 2021 House Armed ServicesAssessments’ hearing“Sustaining on and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise” was another prescient reminder for General Lyons, commander,Committee’s and Congress of the“Posture myriad national security challenges weighing on MSC. ” TRANSCOM’s https://cimsec.org/one-fleet-one-fight-four-fs-to-give-about-sealift/

USS Theodore Roosevelt Heading to Bremerton After Back-to-Back Deployments

By: Sam LaGrone June 30, 2021 4:05 PM

•

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is changing homeports from San Diego, Calif., to Bremerton, Wash., for an overdue dry-dock maintenance period after back-to-back deployments to the Western Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet announced on Tuesday.

The approximately 3,000 sailors and their families will relocate to Bremerton in July while Theodore Roosevelt will pull into the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) later this year.

system retrofit to accommodate the F-35C Lightning II mission capabilities, as well as upgrades to the ship self-defense system (SSDS), the“The Consolidated DPIA is scheduled Afloat toNetworks commence and this Enterprise September Services and will (CANES) include network, a and the Mk 38 25mm machine gun, as well as ref

urbishment and preservation of the ship’s hull, rudder, propulsion shaft, TRanchor, returned and 25from berthing an almost spaces,” five-month reads the deployment statement in from May Pacific that followed Fleet. a 2020 deployment interrupted by a COVID-19 outbreak on the carrier.

The carrier’s last planned incremental availability concluded in December 2018, according to USNI TheodoreNews’ carrier Roosevelt deployment and USS database. Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) both deployed without a significant maintenance period for so-called double pump deployments, as the Navy has wrestled with providing ready carrier strike groups after 20 years of surge deployments to the Middle East and ongoing maintenance delays in the carrier force.

In U.S. 5th Fleet, Ike has begun its return journey to Norfolk, Va., for its own expected maintenance period. The strike group is set to return to the East Coast in July. https://news.usni.org/2021/06/30/uss-theodore-roosevelt-heading-to-bremerton-after-back-to-back- deployments

GRADUALLY AND THEN SUDDENLY: EXPLAINING THE NAVY’S STRATEGIC BANKRUPTCY CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY

JUNE 30, 2021

COMMENTARY

The U.S. Navy is on the verge of strategic bankruptcy. Its fleet isn’t large enough to meet global day-to-day demands for naval forces. Due to repeated deployments and maintenance backlogs, the fleet also isn’t ready enough to meet these demands safely, nor can it quickly surge in an emergency. Finally, the fleet isn’t capable enough to meet the challenges posed by China’s increasingly modern and aggressive People’s Liberation Army Navy. How did this happen to a force that, as recently as two decades ago, dominated the world’s oceans to a degree perhaps unequalled in human history? The answer is gradually and then suddenly.

Myriad authors have responded to the Biden administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 defense budget request with a mix of confusion and consternation. Critics have directed their ire, in particular, at the budget’s treatment of the Navy, given the administration’s purported focus on China as a strategic competitor. However, the issues noted by critics aren’t limited to this budget, but reflect a persistent trend since at least the FY2019 request, which was the first defense budget request to prioritize China as a strategic competitor. Despite the need for “urgent change at significant scale” to meet the Chinese military challenge, the last four budget requests have offered only measured change at moderate scale. https://warontherocks.com/2021/06/gradually-and-then-suddenly-explaining-the-navys-strategic- bankruptcy/

Lockheed’s F-35 topples competition in Swiss fighter contest By: Valerie Insinna 17 hours ago

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Switzerland plans to spend up to $6.5 billion to buy 36 F-35A fighter jets. (Senior Airman Kristine Legate/U./S. Air Force) WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has emerged victorious in Switzerland’s $6.5 billion fighter competition, beating out entrants from Eurofighter, Dassault and Boeing. Over the course of the program, Switzerland plans to spend up to 6 billion Swiss francs (U.S. $6.5 billion) to buy 36 F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing models to replace its aging Hornet fleet, the government announced Wednesday. Switzerland will also purchase five Patriot missile defense systems from Raytheon Technologies, which defeated the SAMP/T system from France’s Eurosam. The win is a massive coup for Lockheed, strengthening the company’s F-35 sales campaign in Europe and dealing a harsh blow to the Eurofighter Typhoon — which is manufactured by a consortium comprising Italy’s Leonardo, the U.K.’s BAE Systems, and Airbus, which represents and Germany. Lockheed also beat out the Dassault Rafale and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. In a news release announcing the decision, the Swiss Federal Council stated that the F-35 promised the highest performance for the lowest price, with Lockheed’s proposal coming in at $2.16 billion less than its nearest competition over a 30 year forecast. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/06/30/lockheeds-f-35-topples-competition-in-swiss-fighter- contest/

Space Force selects first 50 transfers from Army, Navy, Marine Corps

By

Ed Adamczyk

June 30 (UPI) -- Fifty active-duty Army, Navy and Marine Corpspersonnel have been chosen to transfer to the U.S. Space Force and will join the branch in July, the Space Force said on Wednesday.

The group will test integration efforts to bring additional personnel into the new military branch, founded in 2019 with a mandate to deter aggression and protect the interests of the United States in space. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/06/30/ussf-spaceforce-transfer/6511625067019/

How the US and Australia can be real partners in the Indo-Pacific grey zone

30 Jun 2021|Grant Newsham

The United States rightly considers itse since its founding and the US west coast stretches to Guam. lf a ‘Pacific nation’. It has been engaged there almost — single nation or combination of nations can with Today, the US is indispensable to the region’s security. Remove it and see what happens. No throats. stand domination by the People’s Republic of China. The American presence also keeps certain other nations from going for each other’s But the US is dangerously overstretched militarily and, in locations such as the South China

Sea, it’s overmatched. - ime militia, which PLA planners undoubtedly do.Some The sobering US Navy data: has justthe People’sunder 300 Liberation ships to coverArmy tNavhe entirey has aboutglobe. 350 And ships, the PRC though is launching it’s 700 fourplus ifships you forinclude each China’sthe US Navy coast builds. guard andPlay marit this out over a decade (or less) and, unless something changes, the PLA will be operating in force well beyond the so-called first island chain.

The US needs more ships and aircraft, operating from more places, and more missiles to

China by itself. counter the PLA’s massive rocket force. But even then, America wouldn’t be able to handle and are willing to fight if necessary. That requires choices that regional nations deeply linked toIt’s PRC not marketsenough toand beef scared up numbers. of Beijing The have US been needs loath reale partners to make. that can operate with its forces pressure adversaries, or to support friends. It had better start doing both. The US can make the choice easier. It’s a major economic player but seldom uses this power to Similarly, the US has scant physical commercial presence in much of the region, particularly in

Central and South Pacific nations. These aren’t huge markets but, from a strategist’s know it. perspective, they occupy key terrain. If you’re not there, you’re not interested, and the locals diplomatic presence is limited or non-existent in too many places that matter. And, even America’s political warfare (politely called ‘strategic communications’) is abysmal. Its description. Beijing is running— circles around Wash— ington. when US diplomacy is present, political warfare seems not to be part of anyone’s job less a Pacific power, it needs to get its military in order with appropriate funding, size, capabilitiesSo, while the and US locations;has a base marshal to work andfrom, deploy if it’s sitserious economic about and remaining commercial a Pacific power; nation, relearn much

political warfare; and sell itself and its influence (demand for US ‘green cards’ suggests this Toshouldn’t politically be hard). and economically And it needs reinforce to do of all each this othe withr andreal thepartners. region, Australia, the US and are Australia, you ready? in parallel or in tandem, should:

• point • relearn and conduct political warfare. If you mustTO ask provision what political that an warfare attack on is, one I’ve member made my is an attack on all. So, when China imposes economic sanctions on Australia, the US provides immediateintroduce an economic ‘economic support Article and 5’ akin takes to other the NA measures to defend its ally, demonstrating that nd the economic Article 5 to like-minded nations • kick the addiction to the China market. Australia knows the vulnerabilities all too well. In the US,it’s aWall real Street partner. and Then much expa of the financial and business classes are pouring money, production and technology into the PRC, a totalitarian country that wants to displace the US and dominate the Indo- separated from trade relations. Pacific. Boeing’s chairman recently declared that he wished human rights could be https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-the-us-and-australia-can-be-real-partners-in-the-indo-pacific-grey- zone/

70 years after taking wings, China's first fighter jet maker cruises high

(Xinhua) 10:21, June 30, 2021

SHENYANG, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China's first fighter jet manufacturer, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), celebrated its 70th anniversary on Tuesday.

The birth of the SAC, also referred to as plant No.112 ever since, marks the beginning of the aviation industry of the People's Republic of China (PRC) founded in 1949.

Based in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, the SAC has become one of the backbone enterprises of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), with more than 15,000 staff.

BORN TO DEFEND

On June 29, 1951, the fighter plant was built out of a hangar that served the Chinese People's Volunteer Army taking part in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953).

This was the first step the young PRC took to build its own aviation industry with an investment worth 6 billion jin (3 million tonnes) of millets, then equivalent to 600 million yuan (nearly 93 million U.S. dollars).

In the 1940s when China was fighting the war against Japanese invasion and in the early 1950s, millet was used as a unit of measurement of fiscal revenue and expenditure to cope with price fluctuations.

No.112 was among the 156 key projects listed in China's first five-year plan from 1953 to 1957. A flood of young scientists, technicians, and skilled workers from across the country joined No.112, and the employee strength surged to around 10,000 in 1955. http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0630/c90000-9866800.html

[Herald Interview] Clumsy probe bred conspiracy theories, Cheonan captain says

By Choi Si-young

Published : Jun 30, 2021 - 18:00 Updated : Jun 30, 2021 - 21:30 Conspiracy theories over the 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan still hold sway over a significant portion of South Koreans because Seoul bungled the initial probe, the ship’s former captain says.

A joint investigation by South Korea, the US, the UK, Australia and Sweden in May 2010, two months after the sinking, found that the North attacked the South’s corvette, leaving 46 seamen dead. North Korea has denied any involvement. Some in South Korea believe there could be another explanation.

“The government got off on the wrong foot with the initial inquiry,” Cheonan Capt. Choi Won-il said in an interview with The Korea Herald. He retired in February and has since been fighting what he calls a systematic disinformation campaign built on decadeslong conspiracy theories.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210630001070

The North Korean Nuclear Arsenal By Mark B. Schneider

June 30, 2021

(KRT via AP)

The year 2021 has seen a number of important official statements concerning North Korean nuclear weapons development. In May 2021, General Paul LaCamera, when nominated to be the next commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, stated, “In January of this year, [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un announced plans and programs to expand its nuclear deterrent, specifically, the development of miniaturized nuclear warheads, tactical nuclear weapons, and even multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles.” The fact that he cited this statement gives it credibility. In April 2021, Major General Michael J. Lutton, Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command, stated that:

Specifically, Russia, China, and North Korea share five themes in foreign nuclear development and proliferation: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/06/30/the_north_korean_nuclear_arsenal_783604.html

Taiwanese coast guard receives second Anping-class patrol boat by Gabriel Dominguez & Matteo Scarano

The Republic of China (RoC) Coast Guard received the second of a planned fleet of 12 Anping-class missile-capable patrol boats on 25 June.

Named Cheng Kung (also spelled Chenggong ), the 65.4 m-long, 14.8-m wide vessel (pennant number CG 602) was handed over in a ceremony held at the facilities of the Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, according to a statement by Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration.

The RoC Coast Guard received on 25 June Cheng Kung (CG-602), its second Anping-class patrol vessel, in a ceremony held at the facilities of the Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group in Kaohsiung. (RoC Coast Guard Administration)

The crew will now undergo weapons training on the ship before it is formally deployed in waters off eastern Taiwan to “protect maritime rights and the interests of local fishermen”, according to the statement.

First-of-class Anping (CG 601) was commissioned in December 2020.

The Anping class, which has a standard displacement of 700 tonnes, is based on the RoC Navy's Tuo Chiang (also spelled Tuo Jiang) class of fast missile corvettes.

The ships feature a wave-piercing catamaran hull form, waterjet propulsion, a low radar cross- section (RCS) design, and can reach a maximum speed of 44.5 kt. The class has a hull draught of 2.1 m and a standard range of 2,000 n miles at 12 kt.

The ships, each of which can embark an unmanned aerial vehicle and a medium-sized helicopter, are fitted with a high-pressure water cannon with a maximum range of 120 m. They are also armed with two T-75S 20 mm remote weapon stations and 42 Chen Hai (Sea Guard) 70 mm guided rockets, according to Janes Fighting Ships . https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/taiwanese-coast-guard-receives-second-anping-class- patrol-boat Indonesia plans U.S. $125 billion defense modernization IPDForum June 28, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

BenarNews

Indonesia has unveiled a plan to spend U.S. $125 billion during the next three years to upgrade and modernize its military arsenal.

Under the plan, outlined in a draft presidential decree, the government proposes spending U.S. $79.1 billion on military equipment, U.S. $13.4 billion in interest on 25-year loans from foreign sources and U.S. $32.5 billion on contingencies and maintenance. The spending plan covers a period ending in 2024, the year Indonesian President Joko Widodo is due to leave office at the end of his second and constitutionally mandated final term.

The document does not say what types of armaments the government seeks to acquire.

- to obtain defense equipment “Investment made during the 2021 2024 period will increase Indonesia’s bargaining position at more affordable prices,” Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, spokesman because the investment is made in a relatively short time, it can be ascertained that all for Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, tweeted June 2, 2021. “In addition, equipment

Spending prioritiespurchased include will be strengthening interoperable.” the domestic defense industry, the communication system, intelligence and border security, as well as guided munitions and air-defense systems, he said.

Indonesia faces threats including border violations, foreign intervention, separatism and terrorism, the Defence Ministry said. Nonmilitary threats include piracy and cyber espionage. https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/06/indonesia-plans-u-s-125-billion-defense-modernization/

Thailand shipbuilder launches 2 new T-997-class 41-meter coastal patrol boats

JUNE 30, 2021

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Thai shipbuilder Marsun Public Company Ltd has formally launched two new Tor 997-class coastal patrol boats built for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN).

The ceremony was held on 21 June 2021 at Marsun Shipyard's facility in Mueng Samut Prakan, with RTN Commander in Chief Admiral Chatchai Sriworakhan leading the ceremonies, together with RTN Chairman of Project Management Admiral Wasinsan Chantawarin, and Marsun Public Company Ltd Chief Executive Officer Mr. Pattarawin Chongwisan.

The new boats, with hull numbers 997 and 998, are locally designed by Marsun Shipyards, and have an overall length of 41.44 meters, an overall beam of 7.2 meters, and displaces at around 223 tons at full load.

They are powered by two MTU 16 V4000 R41R diesel engines, allowing a maximum speed of around 28 knots. https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/2021/06/thailand-shipbuilder-launches-2-new-t.html

Getting out of our defensive crouch: developing Australia’s asymmetric warfare capability 30 Jun 2021|David Kilcullen

In 2009, senior Australian Army officer Chris Field wrote that, for the Australian Defence Force vince of our enemies. We must take the fight to the enemy and use our own national asymmetric to win in 21st century conflicts, we must ‘recognise that asymmetry is not the sole pro advantages to greatest effect.’ environment darkens amid great-power competition and hybrid warfare, conventional conflict stillMore receives than a decade the most later, attention Field’s in call Australian to arms remaistrategy.ns largely But Australia unanswered. possesses Even as our underappreciated asymmetric advantages conflict, or in the crucially important competition and shaping phases that precede it and are arguably happening now. —during the active, ‘kinetic’ phase of any future

Putting aside, for a moment, military matters like missile defence and long-range precision -military instruments of power political, economic, informational or socio-cultural to offset the advantages of our strike, it’s worth considering how Australia might harness non — — most likely adversary, the People’s Republic of China. Australia might pursue in this area. Asymmetric shaping, by definition, is not about defeating superiorWe should adversaries first note what in direct ‘asymmetric conflict. Rather, shaping’ it canis about and cannotbuilding achieve, comparative and hence advantage what goals ent costs or demonstrating capacity and intent to impose or suffer future costs, thereby convincing adversariesahead of a crisis, to avoid to change particular an adversary’s courses of action.calculu s. It does this by imposing curr against invasionOne example if Moscow is Norway’s chooses Arctic to mount strategy, one whichbut theseeks strategy to convince (which Russia includes that rapid moving reinforcement,NATO’s layered northern surveillance, flank would resistance be pointless war andfare costly. and a Norwaysuite of economic,can’t prevent cyber an and information tools) aims to influence Russian— planners to take that choice off the table. -term goal should be preventing a Sino-American war. Australia cannot and arguably should not stop a rising China from attaining the dominance its leadersIn this context, seek by Australia’s mid-century. long This is far beyond our capabilities, and in any case a powerful China is— not necessarily bad for Aust— make every effort to avoid, would be a Sino-American kinetic conflict. This might arise over the ralia’s interest. A catastrophic outcome, and one we must build-up; in space, where China is challenging US dominance; or simply throughSouth China miscalculation Sea, Taiwan. Wherever or the Korean and howeverpeninsula, it asstarted, a result this of war China’s would accelerating rapidly escalate naval and go global and probably nuclear, with devastating impact. Preventing it should therefore be a principal goal for Australian statecraft over the next generation.

A nearer-term goal should be safeguarding our sovereignty against ongoing Chinese sub- democratic West, and our assertiveness on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Covid-19, some in Beijingthreshold clearly coercion.* think CanberraGiven Australia’s needs to relationship be taught a withlesson. the United States and the broader

Sub-threshold coercion teaches Australia that lesson while demonstrating to others who might on includes attempts to influence our internal politics, disrupt our trade, damage our economy, infringe ourbe tempted territorial to integrityfollow Australia’s and destroy independent our internati pathonal the influence. costs of doing If preventing so. Coerci Sino -American -term goal, countering sub-threshold coercion to safeguard our sovereignty is our most urgent one. conflict is Australia’s most important long https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/getting-out-of-our-defensive-crouch-developing-australias-asymmetric- warfare-capability/

Afghan civilians take up arms as U.S.-led forces leave

Reuters will resume in 17 se

PARWAN, Afghanistan, June 30 (Reuters) - Gun in hand, 55-year-old Dost Mohammad Salangi recites poetry as he leads a small group of men to a look-out post high in the rugged hills of Parwan province, north of the Afghan capital Kabul.

Heavily bearded and wearing a traditional circular pakol hat to keep off the sun, he has a warning for the Islamist militant Taliban movement, which has increased attacks on Afghan forces and claimed more territory as foreign troops withdraw.

"If they impose war on us, oppress us and encroach on women and people's property, even our seven-year-old children will be armed and will stand against them," he told Reuters.

Salangi is one of hundreds of former "mujahideen" fighters and civilians who have felt compelled to take up arms to help the army repel a growing Taliban insurgency.

The group's ascendancy on the ground comes as the last U.S.-led international forces prepare to leave after two decades of fighting that ended with no clear victory for either side.

"We have to protect our country ... now there is no choice as the foreign forces abandon us," said Farid Mohammed, a young student who joined a local anti- Taliban leader from Parwan.

He was speaking as the German military concluded the withdrawal of the second largest contingent of foreign troops after the United States with around 150,000 soldiers deployed over the past two decades, many of them serving more than one tour in the country. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-civilians-take-up-arms-us-led-forces-leave-2021-06-30/

Military drones are transforming war — we need a doctrine to use them right BY SETH J. FRANTZMAN, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 06/28/21 04:00 PM EDT 291 THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

Shareto Facebook Shareto Twitter The weekend news that the U.S. launched airstrikes on the Iraq-Syria border in response to recent drone attacks on U.S. troops underscores the fact that drones in various forms are transforming the battlefield and pose increasing challenges for countries that seek to incorporate them and the necessary defenses against

them in a way that is not just piecemeal. — A menagerie— of systems drones act as a potential Sherpa kamikaze drone technology— from in the the Middle “loyal East wingman” is changing program the in Australia,role of drones where on the battlefield. Attempts to incorporatealongside small a manned tactical aircraft,drones intoto Iran’s ground influence forces on illustrate the daunting challenges. —

Though these challenges are not new, most militaries have yet to adopt a systematic drone doctrine that deploys unmanned systems throughout their services. Drones have been around for decades Israel used them in the 1980s to find Syrian air defense, for example. In the U.S., the Pentagon acquired the Predator and Global Hawk unmanned systems that —came to be a staple of counter-insurgency operations. A 2005 roadmap for American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) noted that there were some 20 types of drones in use that had flown 100,000 hours during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their range of missions was rapidly expanding, as was their diversity in size, from micro drones weighing less than a pound to the 32,000-pound Global Hawk. https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/560130-military-drones-are-transforming-war-we-need-a- doctrine-to-use-them?rl=1

Advancing Decision-Centric Warfare: Gaining Advantage Through Force Design and Mission Integration By Bryan Clark, Dan Patt & Timothy A. Walton June 30, 2021

Advancements in digital communication and virtualization are creating opportunities and challenges for integrating military capabilities similar to those associated with the emerging Internet of Things. Contemporary discussion in the Department of Defense (DoD) frames the military use case for integration as multi-domain operations, in which capabilities from different services and operating environments are combined to achieve a common objective. However, this paradigm merely perpetuates long-standing approaches to joint operations and misses the fundamental shift underway toward the centrality of information and decision-making in warfare. Attrition is receding as a mechanism to achieve national security objectives as computing and communication innovations enable military forces to gain a decision-making advantage through capability arrangement and orchestration that improves their own adaptability and creates uncertainty for opponents. To exploit this emerging opportunity, commanders in the field will need the ability to identify and implement new force combinations, communications paths, and courses of action.

This report describes a new model for joint force design and integration, where elements of military capability are able to be composed and tailored to the needs of specific operational challenges close to the time of use. Combined with appropriate command and control processes and systems, this model of mission integration has the potential to provide military advantage against capable adversaries through the surprise generated from force composition and recombination. Mission integration could also reduce the cost of operations and modernization by enabling aggregation of less-expensive weapons systems to realize capabilities provided today by large multimission platforms or formations. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/06/30/advancing_decision- centric_warfare_gaining_advantage_through_force_design_and_mission_integration_783579.html

Beta variant of COVID-19 has reached Puerto Princesa – local officials

By: Romar Miranda - Correspondent / @RVMirandaINQ Inquirer Southern Luzon / 05:52 AM July 01, 2021

Puerto Princesa, Palawan map. INQUIRER.net FILE IMAGE

Wednesday that the South African coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant, also PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, Philippines ―Local officials here confirmed known as the Beta variant, had been detected in the city.

According to lawyer Norman Yap, spokesperson of the City Inter-Agency Task Force, this is one of the reasons why the city government will no longer appeal for a lower quarantine classification after the national government announced that the city will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until July 15.

“We received confirmation from the Philippine Genome Center that the South African ca variant has reached Puerto Princesa City. We don’t really know where this variant A patientme from. with But the we Beta have variant, confirmation who had now no it’s travel here history, in the city,” was reportedYap said. to have been swabbed on June 1. But the patient had since recovered, and contact-tracing was started.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1453854/beta-variant-of-covid-19-has-reached-puerto-princesa-local-officials

All jabs undergo rigorous experts' review: Galvez

By Lade Jean Kabagani June 30, 2021, 7:56 pm

MANILA – The country's coronavirus vaccine portfolio went through "a rigorous review" and carefully scrutinized by the vaccine expert panel (VEP), National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

Galvez, also the vaccine czar, made this remark to defend the government's jab procurement process after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon called on the task force to buy “more effective vaccines.”

"We ensure that all the policies that we craft and implement are science-based and evidence-based," Galvez said in a statement.

He said all vaccine brands listed in the country’s supply portfolio were carefully examined and scrutinized by the country's top doctors and vaccine experts.

"We listen and follow the panel’s assessment on what vaccines to procure to ensure that they are all safe and effective regardless of brands," he said.

Over the weekend, Drilon urged the national government to prioritize the purchase and use of jabs that "have high levels of efficacy," citing an "alarming" notion that "because as it appears now, Sinovac is the vaccine of choice by the government."

Galvez, however, defended that all vaccines, including Sinovac, that have acquired Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the country's Food and Drug Administration are "performing well in the real - world conditions compared to their clinical trial results."

Galvez said Sinovac has 90 percent effectiveness in preventing intensive care admissions and deaths in Uruguay.

He added it is also 94 percent effective in protecting health care workers in Indonesia.

"This shows that Sinovac is performing well and at par with Western-made vaccine brands. In addition, the China-made vaccine is being used in more than 28 countries around the world," he said.

He said the country's vaccine experts are discouraging the government to early conclude the efficacy of the vaccines against the Delta variant "as data gathering is still ongoing."

"I will always consider the advice of our experts and not from people who do not want to listen to more prudent and deliberate decision-making," he said.

According to reports, the Delta coronavirus variant is found to be 60 percent more infectious and transmissible than the Alpha variant.

So far, the Philippines has received a total of 17,455,470 vaccine supply, of which 12 million doses are Sinovac, and the rest are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Moderna brands. The government anticipates the deliveries of about 13 million doses in July and 13,670,000 doses in August from Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the COVAX facility. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145526

Lancet study: Sinovac vaccine is 'safe and effective' for children, adolescents

Published June 30, 2021, 4:23 PM by Roy Mabasa CoronaVac, also known as Sinovac vaccine for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) developed and produced in China, was found to be safe and effective in children and adolescents, The Lancet Journal, the leading medical journal in the world, said in a report published on June 28. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/30/lancet-study-sinovac-vaccine-is-safe-and-effective-for-children- adolescents/

Pandemic Surges Again in Many Parts of the World, Fueled by Variants

The highly contagious Delta variant is on the rise, and countries that hoped they had seen the worst of Covid-19 are being battered again.

Indonesians lining up at an oxygen refill shop in Jakarta on Wednesday as Covid-19 cases rose.Credit...Bagus Indahono/EPA, via Shutterstock

The nightmare is returning.

In Indonesia, grave diggers are working into the night, as oxygen and vaccines are in short supply. In Europe, countries are slamming their doors shut once again, with quarantines and travel bans. In Bangladesh, urban garment workers fleeing an impending lockdown are almost assuredly seeding another coronavirus surge in their impoverished home villages.

And in countries like South Korea and Israel that seemed to have largely vanquished the virus, new clusters of disease have proliferated. Chinese health officials announced on Monday that they would build a giant quarantine center with up to 5,000 rooms to hold international travelers. Australia has ordered millions to stay at home.

A year and a half since it began racing across the globe with exponential efficiency, the pandemic is on the rise again in vast stretches of the world, driven largely by the new variants, particularly the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India. From Africa to Asia, countries are suffering from record Covid-19 caseloads and deaths, even as wealthier nations with high vaccination rates have let their guard down, dispensing with mask mandates and reveling in life edging back toward normalcy. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/world/asia/virus-delta-variant-global.html

Study into whether animal drug can treat Covid

PUBLISHED : 1 JUL 2021 AT 04:44 NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS WRITER: APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

Workers receive meals at their dormitory under strict Covid-19 control in Saphan Khwai area, Bangkok, on Tuesday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

The Department of Medical Sciences will study whether Ivermectin, a drug used to kill parasites in cows and horses, will be able to enhance Favipiravia's efficiency to treat Covid-19.

Laboratory studies have shown promising results on enhancing Covid-19 treatment. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2141283/study-into-whether-animal-drug-can-treat-covid

Covid 19 coronavirus: Pfizer, Moderna vaccines likely to produce long-lasting immunity - study

30 Jun, 2021 12:34 PM6 minutes to read

New York Times By: Apoorva Mandavilli The vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that may protect against the coronavirus for years, scientists reported yesterday.

The findings add to growing evidence that most https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-pfizer-moderna-vaccines-likely-to-produce-long- lasting-immunity-study/BWUQEB5UZPPRLJAUGLN6L2BEVE/

COVID-19 Deaths Mount in Myanmar’s War- Torn Kalay as Hospitals Lack Medical Staff Healthcare workers are either protesting junta rule or in detention, sources say.

2021-06-29 Nearly 200 people in northwest Myanmar’s strife-torn Kalay township are believed to have died of COVID-19 in June alone, with many left untreated as medical staff joined anti-junta protests or were arrested by the military, sources said Tuesday.

Myanmar’s efforts to contain the coronavirus were dealt a substantial blow on Feb. 1, when the military orchestrated a coup d’état, claiming that a landslide victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) in the country’s November 2020 elections was the result of widespread voter fraud—launching the country into chaos. The junta has yet to provide evidence for its claims and has violently suppressed mass demonstrations against the takeover, killing at least 883 people and arresting 5,224, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Tens of thousands of people have walked off the job to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in opposition to the military, bringing services such as health care to a near standstill. In Myanmar’s remote border regions, where residents have formed People’s Defense Force (PDF) militias and engaged in fierce fighting with government troops, access to medical services is even more curtailed, sources said.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/covid-06292021192623.html

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: July 1, 2021, 3:21 PM GMT+8

• Brazil 2,463 88,240 150.8 N/A

U.K. 1,962 73,618 3,145.8 2.5

U.S. 1,831 101,932 1,411.6 2.8

France 1,645 86,336 N/A 6.0

Germany 1,132 46,521 793.7 8.0

Russia 937 38,392 1,020.9 8.1

India 305 23,187 311.2 0.5

Japan 117 6,360 123.3 13.1

Mainland China 3 66 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of June 29, 2021, 6:14 PM GMT+8 Sources: OECD for number of hospital beds (2016 for the U.S., 2017 for other countries), government agencies and the COVID Tracking Project via Our World in Data for testing data (various recent dates) (reported in the past 45 days) and the U.S. Census Bureau for population figures (2019).

The world is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 infections, as the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 180 million people and killed more than 3.9 millionglobally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive. 01002003004005001 yrDays since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,00030,000,000CasesMainland ChinaFranceU.K.Hong KongU.S.AustraliaBrazilIndiaRussiaTaiwanNew Zealand Note: JHU CSSE reporting began on January 22, 2020, when mainland China had already surpassed 500 cases. Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering 182,214,014 Confirmed cases worldwide 3,947,163 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of July 1, 2021, 3:21 PM GMT+8 1–99

100–999

1,000–9,999

10,000–99,999

100,000–999,999 1,000,000–9,999,999

10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases U.S. 604,714 33,665,034 Brazil 518,066 18,557,141 India 399,459 30,411,634 Mexico 233,047 2,519,269 Peru 192,331 2,052,065 Russia 132,973 5,449,594 U.K. 128,404 4,817,313 Italy 127,566 4,259,909 France 111,244 5,837,265 Colombia 106,544 4,240,982 Argentina 94,304 4,470,374 Germany 90,946 3,736,205 Iran 84,264 3,204,557 Spain 80,875 3,808,960 Poland 75,021 2,879,912 Show more Note: Totals for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. include overseas territories and other dependencies. Cases and deaths for cruise ships have been separated in accordance with JHU CSSE data.

The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

Published 2 days ago Share Related Topics

• Coronavirus pandemic

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more than 180 million confirmed cases and 3.9 million deaths across nearly 200 countries.

The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by France, Turkey, Russia and the UK. Very few places have been left untouched.

In the table below, countries can be reordered by deaths, death rate and total cases. In the coloured bars on the right-hand side, countries in which cases have risen to more than 10,000 per day are those with black bars on the relevant date.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105

More Than 3.05 Billion Shots Given: Covid-19 Tracker In the U.S., 327 million doses have been administered

Updated: July 1, 2021, 4:25 AM GMT+8

in history is underway. More than 3.05 billiondoses have been administered across 180 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 42.9 million doses a day.

In the U.S., 327 million doses have been given so far. In the last week, an average of 1 million doses per day were administered.

World Map of Vaccinations More than 3.05 billion doses have been administered—enough to fully vaccinate 19.9%of the global population

• no data01102030 %of population covered

Note: “Population covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Data gathered from government agencies, public statements, Bloomberg interviews and the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University.

Enough doses have now been administered to fully vaccinate 19.9% of the global population—but the distribution has been lopsided. Countries and regions with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated more than 30 times faster than those with the lowest.

Note: Vaccine access calculations account for the number of doses needed for full protection; some vaccines require a two-dose regimen while others require just a single dose. Countries and regions are ordered by GDP per capita (PPP). When will life return to normal?

While the best vaccines are thought to be 95% effective, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease official in the U.S., has said that vaccinating 70% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to normalcy.

On a global scale, that’s a daunting level of vaccination. At the current pace of 42.9 million a day, it would take another year to achieve a high level of global immunity. The rate, however, is steadily increasing, and new vaccines by additional manufacturers are coming to market.

The Path to Immunity Around the World Note: Immunity calculations take into account the number of doses required and the current rate of administration for each vaccine type. The “daily rate estimate” is a seven-day trailing average; interpolation is used for jurisdictions with infrequent updates. *Coverage may exceed 100% in some places, as shots may be administered to non-residents. Data are from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker.

Did we miss a place? Drop us a link

Are we bending the curve yet?

Israel was first to show that vaccinations were having a nationwide effect. The country has led the world in vaccinations, and by February more than 84% of people ages 70 and older had received two doses. Severe covid cases and deaths declined rapidly. A separate analysis in the U.K. showed similar results.

It’s now a life-and-death contest between vaccine and virus. New strains threaten renewed outbreaks. In the early stages of a campaign, the effect of vaccinations are often outweighed by other factors of transmissibility: virus mutations, seasonality, effectiveness of mask use and social distancing. In time, higher vaccination rates should limit the Covid-19 burden around the world. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

Might is ‘right’ BYJOHN MANGUN JUNE 30, 2021

IT is a good thing that the islands—artificial and otherwise—in the South China/West Philippine Sea are basically “uninhabited.”

Run through some definitions with me. A territory is “an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler.” Then again, all “territories” started as an empty piece of land that was unoccupied. When a family, clan, or tribe moved in, presumably with some sort of leader in charge, then you progress to “nation.”

Nation: “A body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular territory.” It is a small jump to “country,” “a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory.”

It was not that long ago that most of the world was “unoccupied territory.” Thitu Island, or Pag-asa Island, is a good example of how it all evolves.

There are historical records of the island having been inhabited at various times in history by fishermen from Vietnam and China. From 1930, the colonial government in French Indochina sent troops to Thitu Island and in 1933, the French Governor decided to annex the Spratlys to Bà Ria Province. During World War II, both French Indochina and Imperial Japanese troops moved in. The Republic of Vietnam Navy put a sovereignty stele on Thitu Island in 1963.

There were no permanent settlements until May 1956 when Filipino Tomas Cloma claimed part of the Spratlys as his own and called it “Free Territory of Freedomland.” They had land, people, a government, and a flag. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/30/might-is-right/

Aquino and the arbitration against China By: Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:07 AM July 01, 2021 landmark victory against China in the South China Sea Arbitration. It took courage One of the enduring legacies of President Benigno Aquino III is the Philippines’ and wisdom to sue China, an economic giant and a nuclear-armed superpower. President Aquino made the difficult decision even as his closest advisers were bitterly divided, with one faction against the arbitration and the other in favor of the arbitration.

These two factions fought from the beginning to the end. After consulting with Law of the Sea expert Paul Reichler and his team, then Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario submitted to Malacañang his Memorandum to President Aquino recommending favorably the filing of the arbitration case against China. Unfortunately, his Memorandum was rewritten in Malacañang, making it appear that he was against the filing of the arbitration case. Secretary del Rosario swiftly found a way to give to President Aquino his original recommendation. President Aquino then convened a meeting of national leaders who, except for one, all voted to file the arbitration case.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/141650/aquino-and-the-arbitration-against-china

Armed civilians for peace? posted July 01, 2021 at 12:05 am by Danilo Suarez

"This proposal should not become the very evil it is supposed to prevent."

There is no doubt that civilian participation is essential in maintaining peace and order. Law enforcement agencies have long benefited from capable and hyper-vigilant citizens who have reported crimes or sent anonymous tips. Some civilians even see it through the end of police operations.

Often, though, these civilian contributions are unheard of and are rarely reported by the media due to fear of retaliation. I surmise this apprehension to report criminal activity, plus the aim to prevent further fatalities among informants and civilians prompted President Duterte to revive his bid to arm anti-crime civilian organizations.

There are only three countries in the world which are reportedly allowing their civilians to bear arms. The United States is one of them. As can be seen in the news, there are several reports of gun violence and school shootings by civilians. With such reports, the pronouncement of the President understandably raises fears among the public.

The primary purpose of the proposal is to ensure civilian protection. We hear of news reports left and right wherein citizens became casualties in shootouts or buy-bust operations. However, as reasonably expected, the proposal is being met with strong resistance due to talks of possible abuse and emergence of more crimes. Understandably, there are accompanying risks to the proposed policy. The concerns of the public are undeniably valid and relevant.

While the ultimate intent of the policy is to promote peace and order, we need to weigh the risks vis- a-vis the benefits. In order to successfully implement this policy, the Executive cannot turn a blind eye to the apprehensions of the people.

There must be rigid measures in place. For one, the selection of civilians who will be armed should be extremely stringent. Volunteers to be “armed” should only be recruited from a strictly limited pool - be it from reservists, retirees, or from a meaningful number of individuals who are vouched for by members of the community for their capability, credibility, and commitment to service. It is imperative that these volunteers undergo a thorough assessment of their mental, emotional, and physical well-being to evaluate and determine whether he or she can carry out the civilian duty to protect the public. Authorities must enforce rigorous measures in the recruitment, screening, and training prior to civilian volunteers being “armed and deployed.” The issuance of firearms should still follow the strict requirements of the law.

More importantly, in order to protect innocent lives and those who are merely suspected of crimes, the civilians should not be granted exemption from criminal liability under the law, except for valid use of self-defense. This is to deter these volunteers from using the privilege of bearing arms for illegal purposes.

These civilians should not be any different from us. All of us, armed or unarmed, are imposed with the duty to maintain peace and order. Hence, there is no reason to give special treatment to these civilians under the law.

There is more to this proposal that the public can agree (nor disagree) upon. The idea of arming anti-crime citizens is worth exploring. However, strict safety standards under the law should be in place so that it will not itself become the very evil it is supposed to prevent. https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/over-sight-by-danilo-suarez/358487/armed-civilians-for- peace-.html

A.I. and facial recognition Facial recognition technology… when used unlawfully and abused, it can result in rampant surveillance, biased decision making and potentially violate human rights Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents enormous benefits and may altogether revolutionize society as we know it. However, the use of AI poses privacy risks that may result in significant privacy risks if not adequately regulated.

All our activities online give out data to the world, up to a certain extent. When we upload photos on Facebook or LinkedIn, for example, we show the world our faces. This data also becomes available to search engines like Google when we allow our data to be publicly available.

AI collects, uses and combines these aggregate data through iterative processing and complex algorithms, allowing the software to make sense of the data to arrive at intended purposes. From a business perspective, this enables AI to arrive at relevant recommendations and suggestions that may influence buyer decisions.

In a different context, AI can be employed to collect data without user consent. It can be disguised as legitimate software that we install on our computers and mobile devices. And through AI, developers will collect data such as our names and identifiers, photos, contact list, GPS location, passwords and other personal data without our knowledge.

AI also figures in another emerging technology — facial recognition.

Facial recognition uses sensitive biometric information, capable of making a unique match to everyone. It is a powerful tool that can identify an individual in a dataset of thousands, millions, even billions.

An example of this is the Clearview AI technology which uses facial recognition to help law enforcement track criminals through photos of their faces scraped from various social media platforms without user consent.

Privacy regulator counterparts from Canada, Alberta and Quebec investigated Clearview AI after questions have been raised regarding the lawfulness of the collection and use of millions of facial images without consent in its jurisdiction. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/01/a-i-and-facial-recognition/

What if Quad, G7 and NATO unite against China? First of 2 parts

THE Quad - the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or QSD - includes India, Japan, Australia and the United States. The Group of Seven, or G7, includes Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and the US. NATO, meanwhile, consists of 30 countries from Europe led by the US. Since US President Joe Biden's election to the presidency, he has succeeded in rallying the Quad, G7 and NATO to rally behind US leadership in stopping China's rise - economically, technologically as well as militarily. This piece will focus only on the military sphere. Can China be stopped militarily? Can the Quad, G7 and NATO combined defeat China militarily? These are the questions we will try to answer here.

The current situation is reminiscent of the period in the 1840s, when practically the same Western colonial powers cut up China to pieces and forced China to trade in opium in exchange for silver, silk and porcelain. When China refused, British and French troops were ordered to burn the Summer Palace, the equivalent of tens, if not a hundred of France's Louvre Museum. This started China's "century of humiliation." Will China's history be repeated again?

The UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands have already announced plans to send warships to the South China Sea (SCS), with the UK planning to send the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier battle group. Way back in 2004, the US assembled seven of its aircraft carrier strike groups in the vicinity of Taiwan in the biggest naval armada ever assembled, in a naval exercise dubbed "Operation Summer Pulse." The US Navy can easily do a replay or even a bigger display of strength as the US operates up to 11 of these aircraft carrier strike groups. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/01/opinion/columns/what-if-quad-g7-and-nato-unite-against- china/1805220

Coronavirus and China’s geopolitical rollercoaster

World order is on the pivot of transitioning from U.S. hegemony to shared Sino–U.S. primacy.

Alongside the decades-long growth in China’s comprehensive national power, the collapse of faith in Western values and institutions began with the financial crisis of 2008.

For an example of China’s long march through Western institutions, consider this. A British university ad for a job required “native or near-native fluency in Mandarin” — for a lecturer in music composition. In Australia, an over dependence on revenue from Chinese students and growing research links with Chinese institutions have stoked free speech and national security concerns.

A national self-loathing that consumes many among America’s so-called cultural elite also feeds Beijing’s belief in the accelerated decline of the American imperium and the opportunity to align the emerging global order to its priorities. Since ascending to the middle kingdom’s throne in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has consolidated his power and authority, fostered a personality cult, sidelined critics and rivals, silenced dissent and crushed pockets of resistance in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

He has also asserted China’s role in Asia and the world with unprecedented forthrightness through the militarization of his nation’s South China Sea territorial outposts, unleashed an army of “wolf warrior” diplomats who vehemently defend Beijing’s every move and weaponized trade and economic relations.

In his clear-eyed and hard-nosed determination to attain global centrality for China, Xi has infused the political system with a sense of focus and vision. By contrast, the G7 rambled on in Cornwall with an utterly incoherent vision, issuing meaningless slogans such as “building back better,” and nothing else of any real import. But with the emergence of the pandemic, China and its reputation began a downward spiral as much of the world grew angry over Beijing’s denials, dissembling, deflections and opacity on the origins of the virus — which may have led to tens of thousands of needless deaths. For their part, the Western democracies responded with chaotic and deadly incompetence even as China brought the disease under control with ruthless, if not brutal, efficiency.

It seemed for a time that the pandemic could mark a moment of ascendancy in the “psychological balance of power” as China moved to fill the global leadership vacuum vacated by a rapidly declining America.

While Western countries suffered big GDP reverses from coronavirus and lockdowns, China’s economy managed to grow modestly by 2.3% in 2020. Its first quarter growth in 2021 was 18.3% and the World Bank forecasts it will grow by 8.5% over 2021, accounting for 25% of total world growth.

But in another reversal, however, the narrative has recently flipped, thanks to the revival of interest in the idea that the virus was caused, not by zoonotic transmission from bats to humans via an intermediary animal in the wet markets of Wuhan, but by a leak that possibly occurred during questionable research in the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

The leak theory was firmly rejected for over a year by many scientists, leading media outlets, intelligence agencies, the World Health Organization and prestigious scientific journals. Still, some researchers, based on the genetic fingerprint of the virus, believe the probability that it emerged naturally is one in a million. Dozens of scientists have now demanded a proper investigation into the origins of the virus and called on China’s labs and agencies to “open their records.” Josh Hammer, an American correspondent and opinion editor at Newsweek, last year described coronavirus as “China’s Chernobyl.” He recently argued in his publication that COVID-19 has “forever destroyed Americans’ trust in ruling class ‘experts.’” Among the problems is that many experts and scientists did not wish to give credence to anything former U.S. President Donald Trump had said and feared being branded anti- Asian or racist. Some succumbed to groupthink while others did not wish to jeopardize careers and research grants by speaking out against the scientific establishment. Still others wanted to retain access to Chinese colleagues and institutions or hide their possible complicity in funding or taking part in the deadly research.

Compounding the global damage to Brand China is its vaccine diplomacy is also facing scrutiny. China put on an impressive display of state capacity and power to suppress the outbreak and provide humanitarian assistance to many other countries.

Against the over 90% efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the efficacy of China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines is 78% and 51%. Bahrain, Mongolia and Seychelles are among countries that relied on the easily accessible Chinese vaccines — only to have recently experienced a surge in infections. On June 26, with 70% of its population fully vaccinated (the world-highest), the Seychelles extended pandemic curbs indefinitely on movement and gatherings because of persistently high infections.

In a Pew Research Center poll taken in 16 countries, just 20% of those who took part expressed confidence in Xi to do the right thing in world affairs; Biden’s rating was 74%. In the 2021 Lowy Institute Poll, similarly, only 16% of Australians trust China “somewhat” or “a great deal” to act responsibly, down from 52% in 2018. Nearly two-thirds now consider China more of a security threat than an economic partner.

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, “our adversaries” must be thinking: “Man, if we can instill panic and fear, we can get them to close down their whole society, cripple th e strongest economy in the world.”

Countries will or should work hard to decouple from China, rebuild home capacity and build functional redundancy into critical supply lines so they no longer run solely to Chinese factories. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/coronavirus-chinas- geopolitical-rollercoaster/

Why Taiwan is more important than ever to the Japan-U.S. relationship • • U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister in Washington on April 16. | KYODO • • • BY MASAYA INOUE • CONTRIBUTING WRITER • • SHARE • Jun 29, 2021 When Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden issued a joint statement in April, it included a reference to Taiwan — the first time in 52 years that leaders of the two countries touched on the territory in a joint statement.

“We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues,” the statement said. The last time a Japan-U.S. joint statement included Taiwan was the one issued by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and U.S. President Richard Nixon in November 1969: “The Prime Minister said that the maintenance of peace and security in the Taiwan area was also a most important factor for the security of Japan.” Some took the latest statement to be epoch-making, as the two nations clearly expressed their opposition to China’s use of force against Taiwan amid the rise of China’s military threat. But the phrases used do not go beyond what the Japanese government has been saying for years.

We should be asking why Japan and the U.S. avoided mentioning Taiwan for over half a century despite continued warnings over an increasing military threat from China. The reason is that whether Taiwan is covered by the Japan-U.S. security treaty has been a sensitive political issue for the past five decades.

In February 1960, the Japanese government said the security treaty covers the “Far East,” defined as an area including the Philippines and northward, Japan and its surrounding areas, and regions under the control of South Korea and Taiwan.

However, the security treaty, after it was revised in 1960, specified that prior consultation with the Japanese government would be necessary if the U.S. wanted to use its military facilities in Japan as bases for combat operations.

Therefore, the U.S. was unsure if the Japanese government, in prior consultations, would allow U.S. forces in Japan to carry out attacks in the event of a contingency in Taiwan.

The Taiwan clause in the November 1969 joint statement implied that even after the return of Okinawa from the U.S. to Japan, the Japanese government would politically guarantee attacks by U.S. forces from Okinawa in case of a contingency in Taiwan.

While the Japanese government had been concerned about a possible backlash from China, it eventually made the guarantee in exchange for the return of Okinawa. Yet, the timing of Japan’s decision to get involved in the security of Taiwan coincided with China’s return to the international community.

Following the U.S.’ surprising rapprochement with Beijing in 1971, China assumed Taiwan’s place as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Around that time, other Western countries began establishing diplomatic relations with China one after another.

In setting up diplomatic ties with Western nations, China demanded that they abide by its “One China” principle by cutting off diplomatic ties with Taiwan and seeing the region as part of China’s territory.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in an interview earlier this month that the security of Taiwan is directly linked with that of Japan. | BLOOMBERG As Japan moved to normalize ties with China, how to interpret the “Taiwan clause” in the Japan-U.S. security treaty became a big issue.

The Japanese government, torn between the U.S. and China, took the stance of solving the Taiwan issue politically with China while maintaining the legal efficacy of the Taiwan clause.

Immediately before Japan launched negotiations with China to establish diplomatic relations, the Japanese government secretly told Washington that even if Beijing asked Japan to refuse to allow U.S. attacks from its military bases in Japan in case of a contingency in Taiwan, it would reject the request.

On the other hand, in a joint communique released by Japan and China when they restored ties in September 1972, Japan made a political concession to China by saying it “fully understands and respects” China’s claim that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.”

Japan also stated in the communique that it “firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation,” under the terms of which Japan returned Taiwan to China.

Balancing act

The Japanese government’s position of aiming for a peaceful resolution to the China- Taiwan conflict while reserving the possibility of applying the Japan-U.S. security treaty in the event of a contingency in Taiwan became the foundation of Japan’s policy up until today.

However, the Japanese government did not adopt that strategic stance from the beginning, as opinions were divided within the Foreign Ministry around the time Japan was negotiating with China to establish diplomatic relations.

While some in the ministry feared that changing the Taiwan clause could weaken the Japan-U.S. security framework, others said Japan should ask the U.S. to delete or revise the clause to get rid of the inconsistency regarding the framework and Japan-China relations.

It was difficult for Japan to come up with a clear policy at a time when the U.S. was approaching China and its commitment to protecting Taiwan became uncertain. Domestic politics also affected Japan’s stance over the issue of Taiwan. Just as the Constitution has been one of the major issues disputed between conservatives and liberals, China and Taiwan policies were often linked with power struggles within the Liberal Democratic Party.

Taiwanese soldiers line up in front of M48H tanks in March 1996. The Taiwan Strait crisis of 1995- 96 saw tensions between Taipei and Beijing ramp up considerably, with displays of might on both sides of the strait. | REUTERS For instance, the normalization of diplomatic ties with China was a point at issue when Kakuei Tanaka and Takeo Fukuda clashed in the 1972 LDP presidential election.

Even after Tokyo and Beijing established diplomatic relations, the pro-Taiwan group in the party strongly battled against then-Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira who led negotiations to conclude an aviation agreement with China to set up flights between the two countries.

Conflicts between different camps over the Taiwan issue continued until Fukuda, who became prime minister in 1976 and who had many pro-Taiwan members in his faction, managed to gain a consensus within the party to sign a treaty of peace and friendship with China.

The government’s equivocal position on the Taiwan issue was largely attributable to such domestic political struggles rather than something based on strategic intentions.

Different interpretations

However, the Taiwan clause did not become an issue after that, mainly because of changes in the situation surrounding Asia.

The probability of a contingency in Taiwan declined in the 1970s because of a U.S.-China detente, and, contrary to Japan’s expectations, Beijing stopped bringing up issues related to the Japan-U.S. security treaty in negotiations with Tokyo.

Amid intensifying confrontations between China and the Soviet Union, Beijing’s attention shifted from the Japan-U.S. security arrangements to efforts to isolate the Soviet Union. How to agree on a strategy against the Soviet Union became the new key issue in the Japan- China relationship.

Therefore, the government prepared two explanations on the Taiwan clause. The official explanation for the public stated that Japan will not take action even if there is a Taiwan contingency in consideration of Sino-Japan ties. However, the government explained differently to lawmakers, saying Japan will indeed back the U.S. in case of a contingency.

The same was true for the Constitution. Political scientist Yonosuke Nagai wrote in his book published in 1967 that two different interpretations exist for Article 9 of the Constitution: an inner narrative for elites within the administration and an official narrative for the general public.

The Foreign Ministry’s Treaties Bureau created a detailed inner narrative on the Taiwan clause, while presenting an official narrative for the general public established under the premise that a Taiwan contingency wouldn’t happen. Such a double standard had been maintained for a long time until it began to waver in the 1990s with Taiwan’s democratization and the 1995-96 Taiwan Strait crisis, as concerns rose again over the possibility of a contingency in the region.

Around that time, Japan was working to revise the guidelines for defense cooperation with the U.S. and establish a law on logistical support for the U.S. forces in contingencies in areas surrounding Japan. The issue of whether Taiwan would be included in the areas subject to the law became the focus of debate.

Opinions were divided even within the LDP, with Koichi Kato, during his visit to China in 1997 as LDP secretary-general, stressing that the guidelines were being reviewed “not with China in mind,” while then- Seiroku Kajiyama said the geographical scope of Japan-U.S. defense cooperation would naturally include emergencies in the Taiwan Strait.

The Foreign Ministry maintained that contingencies in areas surrounding Japan were not a geographic concept and remained vague on whether the Japan-U.S. security treaty would be applied to the Taiwan Strait.

Despite forming diplomatic ties with China, the U.S. has continued to remain active in affairs relating to the defense of Taiwan — in 1993, it leased the island three Knox-class frigates as Taipei endeavored to modernize its navy. | REUTERS The ministry’s stance represents the ambiguity of the Japanese government’s position over the Taiwan issue.

Looking at the Japan-U.S. joint statement in April, it should be noted that one reason behind its first reference to Taiwan since 1969 — aside from China’s increasing military threat and intensifying confrontations with the U.S. — is the LDP’s pro-China politicians losing the power to maintain Japan’s political stance regarding Taiwan.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, when a faction led by Kakuei Tanaka and later the Keiseikai faction had an overwhelming influence within the LDP, China, which was building its economy, and Japan, which was supporting it, had shared interests.

Close ties built between Japanese and Chinese politicians for the sake of economic cooperation have contributed to preventing the Japan-China relationship from deteriorating.

However, the political and administrative reforms conducted since the late 1990s led the LDP factions to weaken, and the initiative of Japan’s policymaking, including for China, shifted from unofficial routes to the Prime Minister’s Office. The interpretation of the Taiwan clause which had been shared only among the government is now openly discussed, apparently because of such changes in the balance of power in domestic politics regarding China policies.

Peace and stability

But this does not mean the Japanese government’s position regarding the Taiwan issue has changed drastically. Over the past half a century, Japan has consistently called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Now Japan should think about what actions it can take proactively for the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue.

The actions of Chinese sand-dredging vessels and other ships around areas controlled by Taiwan have raised tensions in recent years. | AYA LIU / VIA REUTERS It is vital for Japan and the U.S. to make their alliance more viable and bolster deterrence against China, but it is also important for Japan to rebuild a trustful relationship with China on a political level to avoid a contingency in Taiwan becoming a reality and leading to a contingency in Japan.

How Japan handled the Taiwan clause after World War II represents the history of the nation balancing between somewhat contradictory relationships, the alliance with the U.S. and cooperation with China.

And it was Japan’s political leaders who conducted diplomacy with China with broad perspectives despite various contradictions and conflicts.

A reference to Taiwan in the Japan-U.S. joint statement for the first time in half a century indicates that Japan is again facing pressure to play an active role in diplomacy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/29/commentary/world-commentary/japan-taiwan-clause/

How Indonesia and China can learn to get along

• to decades- assertivenessMany Indonesians in the are South sceptical China of Sea China’s motives, thanks • Both sides haveold prejudice a long way and to Beijing’sgo before recent they reach a mutual understanding, but showing respect or giving would be a good start – US$125 billion plan to modernise Indonesiamilitary, for which Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto recently‘face sought’ parliamentary– approval, would represent the country’s most pronounced attempt yet to stand up to

Chinaassertive behaviour in the South China Sea.Though Indonesia maintains it is a non-claimant state, some 19,300 square miles of its exclusive economic zone around the Natuna Islands fall within the nine-dash line Beijing uses to claim nearly 90 per cent of the disputed waterway. Incursions by Chinese fishing vessels backed up by China’s coastguard have regularly taken place in Indonesian waters since the early 2010s.Subianto’s arms scheme, which a ministry official said would rely on funding from a 28-year loan guaranteed by “countries sitting as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council”, is a sobering reminder of China’s image problem in Indonesia. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3139258/how-indonesia-and-china-can-learn-get-along