Sacrifices of front-liners sustain battle vs. Covid-19

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora June 12, 2021, 7:35

HERO WORSHIP. President (right) attends an Independence Day celebration in Malolos City, Bulacan on Saturday (June 12, 2021). He said all , especially front-liners, battling the Covid-19 pandemic are heroes. (Photo courtesy of Sen. )

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday honored as "modern heroes" the Filipino people who continuously battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

In his Independence Day speech at the Bulacan Provincial Capitol in Malolos City, Duterte said it is an occasion to “honor our modern-day heroes — our healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, and other front-liners who have been instrumental in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic".

He also recognized the sacrifices made by front-liners at the risk of their lives.

"In the past year, they have risked their own lives and sacrificed their own comfort and security to ensure that our society will continue to function despite this crisis. Maraming pong salamat sa inyong pagmalasakit at serbisyo (Thank you very much for your compassion and service)," he said.

The President said a wall of heroes is now being built at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City where the names of doctors, nurses, and medical personnel who died due to Covid-19 will be inscribed.

"At lahat ‘yung namatay na mga duktor, mga nurses, ‘yung mga attendants na nahawa ng Covid (All the doctors, nurses, and attendants who died due to Covid) will be honored by their names inscribed on that wall. It is now being built. And I’d like to thank the Armed Forces of the for their pagmalasakit sa kapwa Pilipino (compassion for Filipinos)," he said.

The Chief Executive also conferred posthumously the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the rank of Magalong on Generals Gregorio del Pilar and Marcelo H. del Pilar, both Bulacan natives, in recognition of their "extraordinary acts of heroism that served as the foundation of this nation".

The decoration was received by Marita del Pilar Villatema-Santos, the grandniece of Gregorio.

"Marcelo H. del Pilar was a genius in the realm of arts and letters. Under the pen name Plaridel, he wrote fiery editorials that exposed the atrocities and injustices of the colonizers. Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, on the other hand, was hailed as the Hero of Tirad Pass, a true patriot who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our young republic," Duterte said. "It is just fitting that, more than a century since their exploits, these two sons of Bulacan continue to inspire succeeding generations of Filipinos to cherish the liberties and freedoms that they bled and fought for. On behalf of the Filipino people, allow me to convey our heartfelt gratitude to General Gregorio del Pilar and Gat Marcelo H. del Pilar. Maraming pong salamat sa inyong dalawa (Thank you very much to both of you)," he added.

He urged the public to honor their legacies through small acts of heroism, especially during this time when the country is still grappling with the effects of the pandemic.

Duterte said the country has come a long way since the time of the heroes it honors today.

"We are now a nation that is modern, progressive, and ever thriving. However, our continued progress will only be possible if we have a strong understanding and appreciation of the liberties that we enjoy today," he said.

He encouraged the nation to "move forward in solidarity and give greater meaning to the freedom that our forebearers achieved for us 123 years ago". (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143538

Front-liners hailed as heroes in Independence Day rites

By Lade Jean Kabagani June 12, 2021, 7:20 pm

HISTORIC SITE. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora leads the commemoration rites for the 123rd Philippine Independence Day at the City Hall on Saturday (June 12, 2021). The city is home to the Pinaglabanan Shrine which serves as a memorial to 1896 Battle of Pinaglabanan, considered the first battle of the . (PNA photo by Joey Razon)

MANILA – Front-liners who risked their lives and continue doing so against the Covid-19 pandemic were honored Saturday in various Independence Day celebrations.

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora honored the city's medical and non-medical front-liners who are dedicating their services amid the prevailing public health crisis.

"Pinaglalaban din natin na tuluyan na tayong maging malaya mula sa Covid-19 at iyan naman talaga ang araw-araw nating pinaglalaban (We are fighting to become free from the Covid-19 pandemic)," Zamora said in an interview.

He recognized the efforts, dedication, and sacrifices of the city’s front-liners as their Covid-19 cases are down to 74 as of June 11.

"Bahagi po sila ng ating laban para tuluyang maging malaya ang ating bansa at ang ating lungsod laban sa Covid-19 (They are part of our fight so that our country and our city would free from Covid- 19)," Zamora said.

He also reported more than 34,000 residents are already vaccinated, equating to 45 percent of the city's 85,400 target population for inoculation.

"Tayo ay right on track sa ating laban sa Covid-19 at habang bumababa bilang ng mga kaso, tumataas naman po ang bilang ng mga nababakunahan (We are right on track in our fight against Covid-19 and while our number of cases and decreasing, our number of vaccinees are increasing)," he said.

The mayor said the local government targets to be the first to halt the pandemic as it was also the source of the country’s first local transmission.

Zamora said the vaccination program is the last phase of the city government’s fight against Covid- 19 and he believes mass population protection will be achieved soon. "Panawagan sa bawat isa, tayo po ay magpabakuna. Ito po ay makakapagbibigay ng proteksyon at para sa ating pamilya at mahal sa buhay (My call to everyone, let's get vaccinated. This will give us protection, our family and loved ones)," he said.

New heroes

In Pasig City, Mayor Vico Sotto also lauded medical front-liners who are trying to halt the dreaded virus.

Sotto said the good that came out of the pandemic was uniting Filipinos and the emergence of heroes who stepped up amid the health crisis.

"Sa laban natin ngayon kontra Covid, una nating ipakita na tayo po ay united sa laban natin kontra Covid-19. Tsaka na po muna 'yung mga bagay katulad ng politika. Unahin po muna natin yung mga bagay kung saan iisa lang naman yung kalaban natin (In our fight against Covid-19, let's show that we are united against the pandemic. Let's set aside other things like politics. Let's prioritize dealing with our common enemy)," Sotto said during ceremonies at the Pasig Rizal Park.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco encouraged the public to cooperate in beating the pandemic.

"Gawin sana natin ang ating makakaya para tayo ay makalaya mula sa gapos ng pandemya na mahigit isang taon nang nagpapahirap sa ating lahat (Let's do our best to break free from the shackles of the pandemic that has been hitting us for more than a year now)," Tiangco posted on social media.

"Kung nagawang magka-isa at magtagumpay ng ating mga ninuno para masagip ang Inang Bayan, magagawa rin nating magtulungan para mabigyang proteksyon ang bawat isa laban sa (If our ancestors were able to unite and succeed in saving our Motherland, then, we can also work together to protect each other against) Covid-19," he added.

The Pasay City government joined the celebration by offering flowers in various heroes' monuments around the city.

In Taytay, the local government led by Mayor Joric Gacula held its Independence Day ceremony in a mall.

"May we continue to fight for Philippine sovereignty for the generations after us," the local government said in a social media post. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143539

Phivolcs cautions vs. high SO2 emission in Taal

By Ma. Cristina Arayata June 12, 2021, 3:38 pm

(Screenshot from Phivolcs' Facebook page)

MANILA – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) advised the public on Saturday to take the necessary precautions, as high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission have been observed in the Taal Volcano in the past two days.

The public is urged to protect themselves but Phivolcs is not necessarily advising them to opt for evacuation, Philvolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr. confirmed to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

He, however, also noted that the threat of phreatic eruption or steam-driven explosion persists at alert level 2 (increased unrest).

In an advisory, Phivolcs said the highest SO2 emission ever recorded for Taal averaged 9,911 tons per day last June 10, and Solidum said the high SO2 emission persists.

"Peak measurements were obtained within a period of vigorous upwelling at the Main Crater Lake, which occurred continuously between 6 p.m. of June 9 and 10 a.m. of June 10, and generated 1.5- km.-tall steam plumes," the advisory added.

Because of high levels of SO2 aerosol over the western Taal Caldera, residents in three barangays of the municipality of Agoncillo, – Banyaga, Bilibinwang, and Subic Ilaya – have experienced throat irritations and observed sudden dry-out or vegetation kill in crops, plants, and trees after a period of rain.

"These observations were reported to us by the municipal agricultural office and (are) currently under further investigation," Phivolcs said.

This is unprecedented, according to Solidum.

The SO2 gas emissions from the Taal Main Crater have been measured by "campaign UV spectrometry" around the Taal Lake shore, based on the advisory.

The ultraviolet spectrometry instrument, he said, measures SO2 emissions and is transported on a vehicle that would run along the lakeside road around the Taal Lake to track the steam and gas plume.

Should these observations persist, Phivolcs said communities west and north of the Taal Volcano Island (TVI) may experience the effects of volcanic SO2.

This would cause eye, throat, and respiratory tract irritations, with severities dependent on the gas concentrations and duration of exposure, it added.

Phivolcs advises individuals to limit their exposure and move away from the area where volcanic gas can be sensed.

Stay indoors and close the doors and windows to block the volcanic gas.

They should also cover their nose, ideally with an N95 mask, Phivolcs said.

Drink plenty of water to reduce throat irritation and seek medical help when needed, it added. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143492

DITO approaches one-million subscriber mark Announces updates and launches new pre-paid plans for Independence Day week. BYBMPLUS JUNE 12, 2021

DITO Telecommunity Corporation, the country’s third major player in the telecommunications industry, recently announced that they are fast approaching the one-million subscriber mark just a few weeks after their Metro Manila entry.

In a virtual press briefing announcing DITO Independence Day week activities, Atty. Adel Tamano, DITO Telecommunity Corporation Chief Administrative Officer shared the news, “When we introduced DITO last May 17 in NCR and in other locations, we were just at the half-million subscriber mark, and in just three weeks, we find ourselves about to hit a million subscribers.”

“DITO truly is humbled with the reception we have received from the Filipino people and as our way of expressing our gratitude, we will be giving a special gift to all 1M subscribers through the DITO app when we hit this milestone soon.”

On Coverage Expansion

Retired Major General Rodolfo Santiago, DITO Telecommunity Corporation Chief Technology Officer disclosed that to commemorate the 123 years of Philippine independence, DITO is now available in 123 areas in time for June 12, 2021 and targeting to be present in 146 areas by end June.

The 23 new areas are as follows:

 Dagupan City and Manaoag in Pangasinan  Magalang in Pampanga  Pandi in Bulacan  La Paz Tarlac  Calauan and Victoria Laguna  Taysan and Balete in Batangas  City and Pulupandan Negros Occidental  Moalboal, Bogo, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan in  Kidapawan City and Makilala in North Cotabato  Santa Cruz and Bansalan in Davao del Sur  And Malybalay City in Bukidnon

In the issue of connectivity in currently covered areas, the Chief Technology Officer of DITO said, “We ask our subscribers to please not expect 100% coverage yet. There are of course isolated areas in the covered cities and municipalities that may experience intermittent service as we ramp up optimization of our network.”

He added that DITO is in more than 37-percent population coverage now and are fast approaching 2nd year population coverage commitments of 51-percent.

On the issue of areas not covered by DITO, the DITO CTO had this to say, “We do ask for the public’s understanding. There may be instances where consumers may already detect DITO especially in areas wherein we have not formally announced the availability of service, let me reiterate that in these unserved areas, there are some components that we are readying to ensure the customer experience is excellent.” https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/12/dito-approaches-one-million-subscriber-mark/

LPA off Northern Luzon may develop into tropical storm in 24 hrs -- Pagasa

By Arlie O. Calalo

June 13, 2021

A low pressure area (LPA) was spotted off Northern Luzon but still outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Saturday.

However, the LPA was not likely to enter PAR as it might make landfall somewhere over Hainan, China.

The LPA, expected to develop into a tropical storm in the next 24 hours, is moving west-northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour (kph), packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph at the center and gustiness of up to 75 kph, it said.

The weather bureau said cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may prevail over the provinces of Quezon, Marinduque and Mindoro, Kalayaan Islands, and the Bicol Re gion, as well as in Romblon in the Visayas; the Caraga Region, Davao Region, and the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao. "Flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains are possible in these areas," Pagasa said. should invest more on rural development | May

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/13/news/lpa-off-northern-luzon-may-developinto-tropical- storm-in-24-hrs-pagasa/1803031b

Esperon asks Filipinos on Independence Day: Are you joining govt's fight for PH territory?

Published June 12, 2021, 12:53 PM by Martin Sadongdong “In the face of many challenges, we again are called to fight for the control of our own land and our own seas, and the call is on to everybody. Are you joining us? Kaya ba natin ito? (Can we do this?)”

Amid the continuing territory row in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), National Security Adviser Jr. posed this question to Filipinos as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) led the fifth year commemoration of the Philippine Rise on Saturday, June 12, which coincided with the celebration of the country’s 123rd Independence Day.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. gives a thumbs-up after he asked Filipinos to join the government in defending the country’s territorial land and seas during the commemoration of the Philippine Rise which coincided with the celebration of the 123rd Independence Day on June 12, 2021 at Clark Air Base in Pampanga. (Screenshot courtesy of RTVM livestream) Esperon, who is also the chairman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), graced the activity which was held at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

The celebration commemorated the renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise by virtue of Executive Order No. 25 signed by President Duterte in February 2017.

According to Esperon, the commemoration of the Philippine Rise and the celebration of the 123rd Independence Day were crucial in promoting marine conservation and constructively re-asserting the country’s sovereign rights on the maritime region. Without mentioning the country’s dispute with China in the WPS, Esperon hinted at the similarity of the situation now and 123 years ago “when all Filipinos were called upon to fight for our sovereignty and our freedom especially the right to control our own land and our own seas,” which ultimately led to the proclamation of the Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898.

“[W]e celebrate again the renaming of the Philippine Rise as an act of emphasizing our eternal sovereignty over the area. Our obligation then is eternal vigilance to conserve and defend this maritime territory,” Esperon said.

The highlight of the event was the conduct of an inter-agency solidarity maritime patrol around the Philippine Rise region using multiple assets from the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Navy (PN), Philippine Army (PA), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/12/esperon-asks-filipinos-on-independence-day-are-you-joining-govts- fight-for-ph-territory/

Defend sovereignty, end 'subservience' to China, De Lima appeals on PH Independence Day

Published June 12, 2021, 6:33 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday, June 12, urged Filipinos to continue defending the Philippines’ sovereignty and reject leaders who are tolerating China’s incursions of its territory.

In her Independence Day statement, De Lima said the public should “preserve our sovereignty in honor of our heroes”.

The detained lawmaker recalled that Duterte issued the same appeal in his first Independence Day message as President.

“Now, he talks about a win-win cooperation with China for greater peace, progress, and prosperity. ‘Yan ang basura, hindi ang ating makasaysayang panalo sa arbitration case laban sa China ukol sa West Philippine Sea (That is what’s trash, not our victory in the arbitration case against Chine regarding the West Philippine Sea),” De Lima said, alluding to Duterte’s previous remarks comparing the 2016 arbitral award to a mere scrap of paper.

De Lima said the Philippines would end up a “a nation of orphans and a generation of beggars living on crumbs from China’s banquet”, adding this would be Duterte’s “legacy” to the country.

“So yes, Mr. President, in honor of our heroes and all those who sacrificed their lives so we may be free from your tyranny, we are taking back what is rightfully ours by ensuring that no Duterte or any of your ilk will ever set foot in Malacañang again,” she told Duterte, who is being pushed to run for vice presidency in the 2022 elections.

“We will not allow another six years of killing the poor, persecuting the innocent, and unabashed subservience to China’s plundering,” she stressed.

On Friday, De Lima slammed Duterte for citing the “deep and abiding” friendship of the Philippines and China amid the latter’s continuing incursions in the West Philippine Sea. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/12/defend-sovereignty-end-subservience-to-china-de-lima-appeals-on-ph- independence-day/ Groups slam Duterte ‘surrender’ to China

By: Dexter Cabalza, Mariejo S. Ramos - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:38 AM June 13, 2021

NEW COLONIZERS Activists stage a protest rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati City during the 123rd anniversary of Philippine Independence on Saturday. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of students, farmers, fisherfolk, scientists, and activists flocked to a Makati City building housing the Chinese consulate on Saturday to deplore what they said was President Rodrigo Duterte’s surrender of sovereignty to China as the country celebrated its 123rd Independence Day.

“This moment in our history requires every patriotic Filipino to oppose vigorously the defeatist and appeasement policies of President Duterte—policies that gravely prejudice our sovereign independence, sovereign territory and sovereign rights,” retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio declared in a message read by former Rep. Neri Colmenares.

He cited statements and actions of Mr. Duterte that supposedly undermined the country’s position on the West Philippine Sea, despite securing a victory from the 2016 ruling of the international tribunal.

Failure to protect sovereignty

“The President’s policy is to appease China at the expense of the nation’s maritime zones and natural resources. This is not how an independent sovereign state should act. This is how a vassal state acts,” Carpio noted.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1445364/groups-slam-duterte-surrender-to-china

Protest against Chinese incursion at WPS staged on Independence Day

Published June 12, 2021, 5:11 PM by Gabriela Baron Members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) rode a mock-up jet-ski in front of the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Saturday, June 12, to condemn Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The group also slammed President Duterte’s “deliberate neglect” to uphold the country’s sovereign rights “in the name of foreign loans, investments, and in vaccines.”

“It is unlikely that we would be able to retrieve our waters from China, not especially under the puppet regime of Mr. Duterte who keeps on kowtowing to the Asian superpower. It would be easier to diplomatically and decisively assert our sovereign rights if a President is not subservient and could stand up to foreign aggressors,” PAMALAKAYA leader Ronnel Arambulo said.

In a statement, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) also denounced the “blatant attacks of China against Philippine sovereignty.”

“Its looming imperialist aggression must be stopped because it is the Filipino people who bravely face the consequences of their inhumane policies. In these hard trying times, we must remain vigilant, especially if we cannot rely on our government since they are the perpetrators of Chinese intrusion,” CEGP said.

Citing Filipino fishermen who have been driven away from fishing grounds by Chinese maritime militia vessels, Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) Spokesperson berated Duterte’s “complicity” in letting China asserts its invalid nine-dash line claims and occupy areas of the WPS.

“To give up territorial rights is surrendering sovereign rights. Coming from the President himself, it is treasonous,” Maza said.

Meanwhile, environmental activist group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment estimated that the intrusion of China to build military installations at the WPS has resulted in the destruction of around 16,000 hectares of coral reef, which has cost P1.3 trillion in damages annually. It added that exploration at WPS was leading to the loss of around 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 130 billion barrels of oil reserves.

Beijing’s claim on WPS, including areas under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, was declared illegal in July 2016 by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration following a lawsuit filed by Manila in 2013.

China, however, does not recognize the ruling. https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/12/protest-against-chinese-incursion-at-wps-staged-on-independence- day/

Napocor powers up Kalayaan Island Danessa Rivera ( ) - June 13, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) powered up Pag-asa, Kalayaan Island yesterday.

Napocor switched on its 300-kilowatt (kw) power plant in Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan Island Group at the West Philippine Sea as the country celebrated its 123rd Independence Day.

“Following the successful series of test and commissioning of the facility this week, we have seen that it is only fitting to formally switch on the power plant as the Armed Forces of the Philippines raises the Philippine flag on the island on Independence Day,” Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said.

The state-run firm allotted P33 million for the project that covered the supply, delivery and installation of the diesel generating sets, a 13.8-kilovolt (kV) distribution line and fuel oil storage tanks that will ensure continuous fuel supply.

Benavidez said the Kalayaan diesel power plant will provide round the clock power to the 68 facilities (housing facilities, government establishments and military camps) connected to the local distribution line.

Kalayaan Island, a fifth-class municipality under the provincial government of Palawan, has an airport runway, a daycare center, an elementary school, a fish landing center, a naval port, a municipal health center, and a couple of government offices like Comelec and Pagasa weather station. It opened to civilian settlement in 2002.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, Napocor is mandated to provide power generation and its associated power delivery systems in areas that are not connected to the transmission system, which include remote villages in Mindanao, Palawan and Mindoro.

Napocor operates 276 small plants in 189 municipalities across 35 provinces in the country. https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/06/13/2105036/napocor-powers-kalayaan-island

Cargo ship explosion in Philippines injures at least six, causes fire in Manila slum

 Two are missing after a fire and explosion on a cargo ship which was refuelling in the Pasig River in the Philippine capital  Smouldering debris and fuel drums from the ship floated in the river and sparked a fire that affected about 40 shanties

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard try to extinguish flames on a burning cargo ship docked in Manila on Saturday, June 12. Photo: AP

A fire and a powerful blast ripped through a small cargo ship docked to refuel in the

Philippine capital of Manila on Saturday, injuring at least six people and igniting a blaze in a nearby riverside slum that gutted dozens of shanties, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the fire, which raged for about seven hours aboard the MV Titan 8 and forced its crew to jump in panic into the Pasig River.

At least two crewmen who were on the vessel remained unaccounted for.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3137098/cargo-ship-explosion-philippines- injures-least-six-causes

Lorenzana: Securing PH in all fronts is essence of DND's existence

Published June 12, 2021, 4:31 PM by Martin Sadongdong Defense Secretary reminded the personnel of the Department of National Defense (DND) of the deeper meaning of what it means to be a part of the “One Defense Team” during the celebration of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day on Saturday, June 12.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana leads the celebration of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on June 12, 2021. (Photo courtesy of DND) “Securing our country in all fronts — from the outside and from within — is the essence of our existence,” Lorenzana said in a statement.

The Defense Chief paid tribute to the DND personnel, including the soldiers who belong to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as they gallantly safeguard the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Rise, Mavulis Island, and all the other islands in the southern part of the country.

Meanwhile, AFP Chief of Staff remembered the sacrifices of those who died for the liberation of the country from foreign colonizers.

“Their heroism and bravery in fighting against the enemies in different ways — through their principles, intelligence, words, or actions — are the reason why we have the freedom that we enjoy now as Filipinos,” said Sobejana, who is considered a living hero and Medal of Valor awardee.

“This is the same freedom that we, your soldiers, want to preserve and protect,” the AFP Chief added. On June 7, more than 1,000 personnel, field offices and units from the Department and its bureaus — the AFP, Government Arsenal, National Defense College of the Philippines, Office of Civil Defense and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office — also took part in an hybrid flag-raising ceremony to jumpstart the Independence Day celebration of the DND — a first for the Defense department.

Lorenzana, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, and other top military and defense officials attended the physical ceremony while others participated via teleconference to avoid mass gathering and the potential spread of COVID-19

The theme for this year’s Independence Day celebration was “Kalayaan 2021: Diwa ng Kalayaan sa Pagkakaisa at Paghilom ng Bayan.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/12/lorenzana-securing-ph-in-all-fronts-is-essence-of-dnds-existence/

Absalon cousins died from gunshot, blast injuries: autopsy report

By Gigie Arcilla June 13, 2021, 2:11 am

Undated photo of Kieth Absalon (Contributed photo)

MANILA – Less than a week after the New People's Army (NPA)-planted anti-personnel mine (APM) blast on June 6, the Masbate City Health Office released the results of an autopsy conducted on the two fatalities.

In a Facebook post of 101.5 Brigada New FM Sorsogon at 6:41 of June 11, the autopsy result showed that 21- year old Kieth Absalon bore a gunshot wound to his right eye. His cousin Noven Absalon, 40, had a gunshot wound to the right shoulder and another to the left thigh.

The report added that the victims died from hemorrhagic shock secondary to the gunshot wounds and blast injuries due to the landmine explosion, clarifying initial claims that the fatalities succumbed to gunshot wounds.

An APM blast, planted by New People’s Army rebels in Purok 4 Barangay Unas, Masbate City on June 6, left Kieth, a football player of the Far Eastern University, and Noven dead, and 16-year Crisbin Absalon wounded.

The victims were reportedly cycling with their family and relatives to Barangay B. Titong in the town proper when an APM exploded.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, NPA on June 8 owned up to the attack, apologized for what it said as “errors in military action mounted by an NPA unit”. They offered any form of indemnification to the victims’ family.

The Absalon family, however, rejected any apology or indemnification from the CPP-NPA over the senseless killings.

Kieth’s mother, Vilma, said the apology does not give justice to her slain family members.

“Attaining justice does not start with saying sorry. Honestly, I want them gone. I want them to disappear and stop their destructive activities,” she was earlier quoted in an Inquirer report. Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said the public can never trust the investigation allegedly being carried out by the NPA Bicol Regional Party Committee, Masbate Provincial Party Committee and its higher commands because communists do not adhere to established rules of procedure and have their own brand of revolutionary justice.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on June 11 said no 'internal investigation' shall compensate or bring true justice for the lives of two exceptional young men, whose bright futures were gone in an instant as “collateral damage” to the CPP-NPA’s senseless war.

"Rest assured that we will not let this incident be taken in vain. I’ll make sure that justice will be served," Lorenzana said, adding that the CPP-NPA’s persistent use of landmines is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), an undeniable proof of their utter disregard for the safety of innocent civilians.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar lambasted the communist terrorists’ audacity in refusing to surrender the perpetrators of the mine blast, saying this only proves their crooked and evil ideology.

“How dare they criticize the government and still use this instrument to deceive the people but they condone their own people who kill innocent civilians? This is proof of what kind of ideology these groups have,” Eleazar said, in response to the CPP-NPA’s statement for ignoring calls to surrender

In vowing to bring the perpetrators of the incident to justice, Eleazar said only the culprits' arrest and conviction in court can make up for the death of the two innocent men.

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.

The use of APMs is a violation of the IHL and the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention adopted by the international community, prohibiting the acquisition, production, stockpiling, and use of weapons. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143552

Probe by Reds won't compensate for death of Absalon cousins

By Priam Nepomuceno June 12, 2021, 3:57 pm

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (right) and Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu (PNA File photos)

MANILA – No statement or "internal investigation" by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) will ever compensate for the two lives lost in the communist terrorists' unprovoked anti- personnel mine (APM) attack in Masbate City last June 6, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday.

"No statement or 'internal investigation' shall compensate or bring true justice for the lives of two exceptional young men, whose bright futures were gone in an instant as “collateral damage” to their senseless war," he said in a statement.

Lorenzana was referring to the CPP-NPA's effort to appease public opinion against the APM attack that killed Far Eastern University football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin Nolven.

The incident also wounded Kieth's 16-year old nephew Chrisbin Daniel.

"Rest assured that we will not let this incident be taken in vain. I’ll make sure that justice will be served," the DND chief added even as he condemns the CPP-NPA for causing these unnecessary deaths by APMs.

Planted APMs

Lorenzana dismissed CPP-NPA claims that the incident was a "tactical error" as these explosives were planted there to inflict pain and damage.

"The CPP-NPA’s persistent use of landmines is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law, undeniable proof of their utter disregard for the safety of innocent civilians," he added.

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.

Meanwhile, DND Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu said the tragic deaths of the Absalon cousins are emblematic of the crimes against the Filipino people committed by the communist terrorist group (CTG). "Thousands have died in the hands of the CTG – our youth, our farmers, our security forces, our local executives, and our indigenous peoples. Thousands more are deceived by these remorseless terrorists, who are bent on undermining the Republic, pitting Filipinos against fellow Filipinos. Even worse, the CTG has no qualms about harming innocent civilians, women, and children. Their lies and violence know no bounds," he said.

Mapagu is the head of Task Force Balik-Loob and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), and Amnesty Program (EAP) Cluster under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC).

Leadership liability

"No less than the leadership of the CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front) must be held accountable for these deplorable crimes that violate the International Humanitarian Law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The lip service in the form of an apology by the CPP-NPA in the wake of the deaths of the Absalon cousins cannot and will not change anything," he added.

He said the CTG's false ideology continues to damage and hamper the nation's road to peace and progress.

"We take this opportunity now to urge the Filipino people including the active members and the supporters of the CPP-NPA-NDF to forsake this treacherous and criminal terrorist group. It is only when we, the Filipino people, all unite can we finally end the scourge of the CTG," he added.The use of APMs is a violation of the International Humanitarian Law and the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention adopted by the international community, prohibiting the acquisition, production, stockpiling, and use of weapons. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143523

Communist terrorism-free PH

DILG’sJune 12, 2021, 4:27 Independence pm Day wish:

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año (File photo)

MANILA – As the country commemorates its 123rd Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday with the theme “Kalayaan 2021: Diwa sa Pagkakaisa at Paghilom ng Bayan,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año urged all Filipinos to rise against the threat of Communist terrorism amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To my countrymen and women, this momentous occasion reminds us that while our country has been freed from foreign occupation, our freedoms are still continually challenged by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and the obsolete and archaic ideology they pit against our democratic way of life,” he said in a media release.

The threat of Communist terrorist groups (CTGs) is ever-present, even during the ongoing fight against Covid- 19 as shown, Año said, in the most recent attack of the NPA, wherein an ambush and explosion from the landmines placed by Communist terrorists caused the death of Far Eastern University (FEU) football player Kieth Absalon and Union leader Nolven Absalon.

He said this tragic act showed the true colors of the rebel groups as “absolute traitors and menaces of the Philippine society.”

In a time where millions of Filipinos have shown admirable and exceptional acts of bayanihan amid the pandemic, he said the Communist terrorists “represent the opposite of the Filipino spirit in their selfish deeds aimed towards overthrowing the current democratic government our forebears have fought so long and hard to build.”

Sustainable peace

Año said the fight against CTGs has been more effective in recent years since the government adopted the whole-of-nation approach (WNA) in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace against CTGs and communist armed conflict through the issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 70 on December 4, 2018.

Aside from institutionalizing the WNA, the EO created a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and directed the adoption of a national peace framework. The WNA approach aims to address the very root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances, tensions, and other armed conflicts in the country. In support of EO 70, the DILG recently issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2021-063, which provides the enhanced guidelines on the implementation of the Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD) program.

The CUCPD program serves as a platform for collaboration among all stakeholders at the local level to improve the institutional capacity of local government units (LGUs) to implement “development-oriented and context-sensitive peacebuilding programs” to address emerging local issues that hinder the most vulnerable sectors.

Through this, Año said areas and sectors that have been exposed to CTGs can be provided with the necessary programs to ensure their safety and security from the rebels in their communities.

He added that the program will also allow local chief executives to harness all available opportunities to champion sustainable peace and development by providing a framework to address the most pressing sectoral issues from the youth, labor, urban poor, and women sectors respectively.

Healing from Covid-19

Año said the 123rd celebration of Philippine Independence also comes at an opportune time in the country’s continuous efforts against Covid-19.

He encourages all Filipino citizens to register and partake in the Nationwide Deployment and Vaccination Program (NDVP) so that we can end the pandemic.

“After one year of bracing through trials and hardship, we have the opportunity to slowly return to normalcy. Let us all do our part to register in our NDVP, get vaccinated, and ultimately, keep each other safe,” he said.

"Mayroon na po tayong light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to. Kung kaya sama-sama po nating kamtin ito sa pamamagitan ng paglahok sa ating NDVP (We now see the light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to. That’s why we must work together to attain this by participating in our NDVP),” Año added. (PR) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143527

2 soldiers killed in Agusan Norte NPA attac

Gerry Lee Gorit (The Philippine Star ) - June 13, 2021 - 12:00am CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Two soldiers were killed in an encounter with New People’s Army rebels and a bomb attack in Santiago, Agusan del Norte on Thursday.

A belated military report said Pfc. Glory Sagod was killed in the clash.

Lt. Gilo Lauringuez of the 29the Infantry Battalion said government troopers were on their way to reinforce Army soldiers who encountered members of the Guerilla Front 16 of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Command when the clash occurred.

Sgt. Van Tadlas was killed and four others were wounded when an improvised explosive device planted by the rebels went off. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/06/13/2105063/2-soldiers-killed-agusan-norte-npa-attacks

CPP-NPA roughed up in

confab Published 10 hours ago on June 13, 2021 02:30 AM By Jonas Reyes CABANATUAN CITY — The Nueva Ecija Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC) has conducted a “leveling session” on all elected officials of the province. The activity aimed to provide officials down to the barangay level comprehensive knowledge regarding Executive Order No. 70, in line with the national government’s thrust to end insurgency in the country.

The presenters told participants how the communist terrorist groups recruit common folk to shore up their dwindling number.

Former Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) member Ka Angel Reyes served as one of the speakers of the leveling session.

He said that the CPP-NPA is willing to recruit anyone, especially elected officials via propaganda and by tarnishing the government’s image.

Ka Angel explained that the best countermeasure against the CPP-NPA’s recruitment is to support government programs to raise the quality of life of people in the countryside and urban poor communities.

The session also highlighted the current programs of the various national agencies that make up the PTF-ELCAC, while providing information to questions of participants regarding the said programs.

The provincial government expressed support for the programs seen to entice rebels to return to the fold of the law.

Among these programs are the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) projects that include the construction of the water supply system in Barangay Labi in Bongabon and Sitio Botolan in barangay Burgos, Carranglan; the P1-million hanging bridge project in Sitio Maligaya, Barangay Putlan, Carranglan; and the solar dryers in Barangay Salazar, Carranglan.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/06/13/cpp-npa-roughed-up-in-nueva-ecija-confab/ PNP joins AFP to stop Left's extortion during election season

By Christian Crow Maghanoy

June 13, 2021

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar

Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the police would work closely with the military in preventing communist terrorists from extorting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians during the election season.

Eleazar's statement on Saturday comes after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) tapped the police and local government units to stop the alleged election extortion activity by the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

"I am directing all police offices and units to be extra vigilant in your respective areas of responsibility and strictly monitor the extortion activities of these communist rebels in demanding money from candidates in exchange for so-called permits-to campaign for the coming elections," Eleazar said.

He pointed out that this type of extortion activity by the CPP-NPA just shows that its members are just common thugs and not principle-based fighters. Eleazar also warned politicians planning to run for posts in the 2022 elections against giving "permit-to-campaign" fees to the CPP-NPA as they will be complicit in the communist rebels' illegal activities. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/13/news/pnp-joins-afp-to-stop-lefts-extortion-during- election-season/1803028

Duterte, Putin exchange messages; vow enhanced cooperation

June 12, 2021, 6:18 pm

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged congratulatory messages Saturday during their celebration of national holidays, promising enhanced bilateral relations.

“On this day of national unity and celebration, let me convey the Filipino people’s best wishes for the continued success and prosperity of your great nation,” said Duterte, warmly congratulating Putin on the celebration of Russia Day. “This year, the Philippines and Russia mark 45 years of warm and fruitful ties. It was my great pleasure to have commemorated this special milestone with Your Excellency on the 2nd of June.”

“I am confident that our strong relations will continue to thrive in the years ahead as we deepen cooperation in more areas of mutual interest, including in our common fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

In a similar message, Putin expressed his greetings to Duterte for the Philippines’ 123rd Independence Day celebration.

“The Russia-Philippines relations are traditionally friendly. I am confident that by joining efforts we will secure further development on constructive bilateral dialogue, fruitful cooperation in different fields as well as partnership to respond to pressing international challenges,” Putin told Duterte. “It fully meets the interests of our two nations and goes in line with strengthening security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Concluding his message, he wished Duterte good health and success, and the people of the Philippines well- being and prosperity.

Before their June 2 conversation, Duterte and Putin also had a telesummit in April, tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and defense cooperation.

The President was at the Malacañang Golf Clubhouse during the two previous telesummits. (PR) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143537

Biden calls for enduring PH-US cooperation on global health, security Tarra Quismundo, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Jun 12 2021 09:56 AM MANILA— United States President Joe Biden on Saturday called for continued cooperation with the Philippines in the areas of global health and security as he sent well wishes to Manila on Independence Day.

In a message directly addressing Filipinos, among his first as president, Biden also touted the enduring friendship between the two nations, which this year are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations and 70 years of "strong alliance."

"As we honor this joyful of independence and friendship, let’s also look to the future, at the challenges our two countries must continue to work to take on together, from defeating this pandemic and strengthening the global preparedness for the next one, to advancing the free and open Indo- Pacific region for all peoples," Biden said in a message from the White House.

"The Philippines and the United States share so much history, and our people are forever connected through our deep bonds and shared sacrifices of valor, of family and of friendship," the US leader said.

Biden also noted contributions of Filipinos in American life, with over 4 million Filipinos and Filipino-Americans living in the US.

"They make invaluable contributions to communities all across our country. They enrich the American character making our nation stronger and more vibrant," he said.

The US, which formerly held the Philippines and later played a key role in its liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945, has shared a long-standing defense alliance and humanitarian cooperation with the country.

It has kept close watch of developments in the South China Sea, urging a peaceful resolution of the maritime disputes and respect for freedom of navigation while calling out Chinese provocations.

US officials have also spoken in support of the Philippines as China continued island-building and militarization activities in the resource-rich waters.

Under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US, both countries are obligated to come to each other's aid in case of external aggression— a commitment that the US side has affirmed as Manila faced continued Chinese encroachment in the waters. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/12/21/biden-calls-for-enduring-ph-us-cooperation-on-global- health-security

PH, Japan ink space cooperation pact

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora June 12, 2021, 1:00 pm

MANILA – The Philippine and Japanese governments are eyeing to enhance their partnership in space science and space exploration with the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on Saturday.

In a virtual conference, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. signed the agreement with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) President Yamakawa Hiroshi.

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo said the document aims to provide a framework of cooperation in space applications; satellite development; space environment utilization; capacity building for space-related technology development, space policy, and legislation; and promotion of the space industry.

Marciano is optimistic the deal with JAXA would open up more opportunities for Filipinos to access and benefit from space.

“We bring to this cooperation our people and their experience from the Diwata and Maya satellites, along with our investments in ground infrastructure and capabilities for processing and analyzing space-borne data. Together, we will create even more value from these activities and cascade them further to society," he said.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V, who was also present at the ceremony, commended both parties for this achievement, noting that this year also marks the 65th anniversary of Philippine-Japanese relations and the 10th year of both countries’ strategic partnership. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143476

Filipina diplomat 'verbally assaulted' in New York train

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora June 13, 2021, 3:38 am

MANILA-- A Filipino diplomat at the Philippine Consulate General in New York was verbally assaulted by an unknown individual in a train on her way to the office last Friday.

"One of our colleagues at the Philippine Consulate General in New York became the latest victim of anti- Asian hate. Our colleague, a female consular officer, was verbally assaulted while on board the B train on her way to the Consulate yesterday morning," Consul General Elmer Cato said in a statement Saturday night

The victim said a man on board the train accosted her as soon as she stepped inside by asking her: “Where’d you come from? Where’d you come from?” He then went on with his race-based tirade by saying: “We don’t need you here! We don’t need you here! F**k you! I hope you all die and everybody on this train!”

Cato said the Consulate is "deeply disturbed" by the incident and has already reached out to the New York City Police Department.

The report came a few days after a member of the Filipino community sustained injuries when he was violently assaulted on a subway platform in New York City. A few months ago, a Filipino got his face slashed in a hate-crime incident also on the subway.

The hate incident involving the Filipino consular officer is the 14th incident involving a member of the Filipino community reported to the Consulate this year.

"We join the Asia-American and Pacific Islander Community in condemning these incidents and in expressing our serious concern for the safety of our kababayan and other Asian-Americans in New York City," Cato said.

"We call on authorities of New York City to take additional measures to make our kababayans and other Asian-Americans feel safe when outside their homes by increasing police presence especially on the subways and addressing the mental health concerns that reportedly affect as many as 40 percent of homeless individuals in the city, a number of whom have also been involved in recent hate crimes against Asian Americans," he added. Cato called on all members of the Filipino community to stay vigilant when stepping out of their homes, especially when taking the subway.

"Kababayan should immediately call 911 if they witness any hate crime or if they become victims themselves. They are also encouraged to report any incident to the Consulate," he added. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143553

G7 summit outlines health pact to stop future pandemics

People mark a container holding doses of the AstraZeneca's vaccine that arrived under the COVAX scheme in Alajuela, on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica on April 7, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Mayela Lopez)

12 Jun 2021 10:55AM CARBIS BAY, United Kingdom: G7 leaders are on Saturday (Jun 12) set to agree a joint declaration aimed at preventing another pandemic, as they resume wide-ranging talks at their first in-person summit in almost two years.

The group of leading economies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - will also try to showcase Western democratic cohesion against a resurgent China and recalcitrant Russia.

They will be joined by the leaders of Australia, South Africa and South Korea, along with India taking part remotely, as the agenda broadens to foreign policy issues and climate change.

The G7 is meeting face to face for the first time since 2019, at a beachside venue in Cornwall, southwest England, after the coronavirus led to the cancellation of last year's summit.

The leaders opened the three-day summit Friday with expectations of a pledge to donate one billion vaccine doses to poor countries this year and next - much too slow to end the crisis now, campaigners said.

US President Joe Biden arrived with a message of solidarity and resolve in stark contrast to the isolationist stance of his predecessor Donald Trump.

After the traditional family photo and opening session on "building back better" from COVID- 19, the leaders spent the evening at a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Cornwall's Eden Project.

A renowned attraction showcasing the world's ecological riches, the site also hosted a G7 meeting with Prince Charles and 10 international business leaders to discuss ramping up sustainable growth. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/g7-summit-covid-19-vaccinations-who-un- covax-14999302

G7 rivals China's belt and road with grand infrastructure plan

G7 leaders sit around a table during their summit at the Carbis Bay Hotel in Carbis Bay, St. Ives, Cornwall, England, Friday, June 11, 2021. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

12 Jun 2021 04:13PM (Updated: 12 Jun 2021 08:40PM)\ CARBIS BAY, England: The Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday (Jun 12) sought to counter China's growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that would rival President Xi Jinping's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative. The G7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England and who discussed strategic competition with Beijing, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of Xi after China's surging economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

US President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders hope the plan, known as the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, will provide a transparent infrastructure partnership to help narrow the US$40 trillion needed by developing nations by 2035, the White House said.

"This is not just about confronting or taking on China," a senior official in Biden's administration said. "But until now we haven't offered a positive alternative that reflects our values, our standards and our way of doing business." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/g7-counter-china-belt-and-road-infrastructure- project-biden-14999848

G7 rivals China with grand infrastructure plan Steve HollandGuy Faulconbridge

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a group photo at the G7 summit, in Carbis Bay, Britain, June 11, 2021. Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS

Read More The Group of Seven richest democracies sought on Saturday to counter China’s growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that could rival President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative.

https://www.reuters.com/world/g7-counter-chinas-belt-road-with-infrastructure-project-senior- us-official-2021-06-12/

Biden supports Suga in moving forward with Tokyo Olympics US and Japan leaders hold brief exchanges between G-7 meetings

The Group of Seven leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, center front, make their way to a reception in Cornwall. © Reuters RIEKO MIKI, Nikkei staff writerJune 13, 2021 07:18 JST

CORNWALL, U.K. -- U.S. President Joe Biden gave his support on Saturday to Japan's efforts to carry out a safe Summer Olympics as outlined by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit here. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Biden-supports-Suga-in-moving- forward-with-Tokyo-Olympics

US urges China to quit pressure campaign against Taiwan US secretary of state calls for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues

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By Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/06/12 09:47

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday (June 11) urged China's Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Yang Jiechi (楊潔箎) to stop exerting pressure on Taiwan and seek instead a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues.

Blinken spoke with Yang over the phone to discuss North Korean denuclearization, the pandemic, Iran, the military coup in Myanmar, and climate change. They also touched upon the origin of COVID-19, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to a U.S. State Department press release.

Blinken stressed the significance of cooperation and transparency in finding the origin of the virus and called for a phase 2 World Health Organization investigation in China.

The secretary of state mentioned Hong Kong’s deteriorating democracy and the ongoing genocide against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. He also told Beijing to end its pressure campaign against Taiwan and peacefully resolve cross-strait issues.

Additionally, Blinken pointed out the many cases of American and Canadian citizens wrongfully detained in China, and he called on Beijing to release them.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4221094

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi stressed China’s stern position on

Xinjiang, HK related issues in phone conversation with Blinken

By Xinhua-Global TimesPublished: Jun 12, 2021 12:14 PM

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, reiterated China's stern position on issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong, urging the US to not interfere with China's domestic affairs under any excuse.

Yang made the remarks in a telephone conversation on Friday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the request of the US side.

Noting that the issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong concern China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and involve China's core interests, Yang urged in the phone conversation that the US side to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, not to interfere in China's internal affairs under any pretext, and not to damage China's core interests in any way.

The issues related to Xinjiang are not so-called human rights or religion issues, Yang stressed.

Seeing violent and terrorist incidents on the rise in Xinjiang, the Chinese government took resolute actions to safeguard public safety, Yang said, adding that the Chinese moves are totally justified.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226016.shtml

Beijing official says 'real enemies' want Hong Kong to be 'pawn in geopolitics'

Luo Huining, director of China's Hong Kong Liaison Office. (Photo: AFP/Anthony WALLACE)

12 Jun 2021 05:34PM HONG KONG: The main representative of the Chinese government in Hong Kong said on Saturday (Jun 12) people trying to turn the city into a "pawn in geopolitics" were the "real enemies" and Beijing was the true defender of the city's special status.

Luo Huining, director of China's Hong Kong Liaison Office, told a forum that the financial hub, a former British colony handed over to China in 1997, remained one of the world's most competitive economies, the South China Morning Post reported.

"Those trying to turn Hong Kong into a pawn in geopolitics, a tool in curbing China, as well as a bridgehead for infiltrating the mainland, are destroying the foundation of one country, two systems," Luo said, referring to the formula agreed when Britain handed the city back aimed at preserving its freedoms and role as a financial hub.

"They are the real enemies of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," he said, without identifying any people or groups.

READ: China says UK sheltering 'wanted criminals' after HK asylum ruling

Luo said the ruling Communist Party was "the creator, leader, implementer and defender of one country, two systems".

Despite such assurances, many Hong Kong residents have over recent years become worried about what they see as attempts by Beijing to curtail its freedoms.

China denies that. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/beijing-official-says--real-enemies--want-hong- kong-to-be--pawn-in-geopolitics--14999824

Whoever takes HK as a tool to curb China is HK's real enemy: Official Updated 22:06, 12-Jun-2021

"Those trying to turn Hong Kong into a pawn in geopolitics, a tool to curb China, as well as a bridgehead for infiltrating the mainland, are destroying the foundation of 'One Country, Two Systems,' and they are the real enemies of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," said a Chinese official on Saturday.

Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), made the remarks at a high-level seminar on the relationship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the "One Country, Two Systems."

The event was jointly held by the liaison office, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Garrison in the HKSAR, and the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.

The "One Country, Two Systems" is an innovative policy created by the CPC with political wisdom, Luo said in his speech.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-12/Forum-on-CPC-and-One-Country-Two-Systems-held- in-HKSAR-111OJZgHtHq/index.html on tech giants to share their information—and asserting its authority over data held by U.S. companies in China as well China’s President Xi Jinping has been working to rein in the increasingly powerful technology sector.

TINGSHU WANG/REUTERS

Shortly after rising to power in late 2012, Xi Jinping made his first company visit in Holdings Ltd. There, he raised a topic that has become both an opportunity and a challenge for his rule: the his new job as China’s Communist Party chief, to Tencent

vast troves of personal data being gathered by the country’s technologycompany companies. was accumulating information from millions of users, and harnessing that data to drive Mr. Xi complimented Tencent’s founder, Pony Ma, on the way the innovation. He also suggested that data would be useful to Beijing.

accurate analysi “You have the most sufficient data, then you can make the most objective and

s,” he told Mr. Ma, according to state media accounts. “The Moresuggestions than eight to the years government later, those in thissuggestions regard are are very becoming valuable.” demands. The government is now calling on big tech companies like Tencent, online retailing giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. to open up the data they collect from social media, e-commerce and other businesses, according to official documents and interviews with people involved in policy-making. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-new-power-play-more-control-of-tech-companies-troves- of-data-11623470478

Why businesses may have to ‘pick sides’ if China starts using anti-sanctions law

 New legislation could see companies taken to court if they comply with Western sanctions on China  One legal observer says fashion companies that refuse to use Xinjiang cotton or Huawei could be targeted

ChinaOne legal will observersoon start said targeting the law foreign would and force Chinese companies businesses in China under to its ‘pick sides’. Photo: Getty Images

new law to counter Western sanctions

, effectively forcing them to “pick sides”, according to legal observers.

They say the broad scope of the legislation could present foreign businesses in China with a major dilemma, as they may be caught between compliance with foreign sanctions and the new law that prohibits them from enforcing those measures.

Under Article 12 of the law, passe organisations and individuals who enforce or assist foreign sanctions could be taken to court, and forced d by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on Thursday,

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3137064/why-businesses-may-have-pick-to “stop the infringement and to pay compensatory losses”. sides-if-china-starts-using-anti

Taiwan counters China claims it wants to help nation overcome COVID Mainland Affairs Council tells China to stop interfering with vaccine purchasing efforts

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By Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/06/12 13:57

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has called out China after Beijing encouraged Taiwanese to visit the communist country and get vaccinated.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) on Saturday (June 11) said that Beijing always want to assist its “Taiwanese compatriots,” combat the pandemic, and offer donations of its Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. However, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has always been against this, he said, making up excuses to prevent Taiwanese from taking Chinese-made jabs, Liberty Times reported.

Ma said Taiwanese can visit China for vaccination, as long as they follow Beijing’s pandemic prevention measures. As of May 31, 62,000 Taiwanese have been inoculated in China, according to Reuters.

Ma also urged Taipei to “remove artificial obstacles” preventing Chinese vaccines from being distributed to Taiwan.

MAC said that if Beijing is truly worried about the health and safety of Taiwanese, it would cease its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) intrusions and political isolation campaign, and stop interfering in the nation’s vaccine purchasing efforts. Constant pressure and aggressive actions are the main reasons for increasing anti-China sentiment amongst Taiwanese and the deterioration of cross-strait relations, it said.

Meanwhile, Central Epidemic Command Center head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), said that a two-week home quarantine is still required for Taiwanese who travel overseas for vaccinations. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4221293 Japan assures Beijing its Taiwan policy remains unchanged China furious after Japan prime minister refers to Taiwan as 'country'

1967

By Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/06/12 15:15

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu on Friday (June 11) said that Tokyo has not changed its stance on relations with Taipei after Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide referred to Taiwan as a country on Wednesday.

During a meeting with opposition leaders, Suga listed Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan as nations that had “adopted strong restrictions on private rights” to combat COVID-19, according to Nikkei. Additionally, Edano Yukio, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, called Taiwan a country during the meeting, pointing to the long period in which it managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Beijing immediately lodged a protest and accused Japan of violating its commitment to not regard Taiwan as a country, Liberty Times reported. It also demanded Tokyo clarify its position.

Kato said that Japan’s policy towards Taiwan, as stated in the 1972 Japan-China Joint Statement, has not shifted from solely maintaining practical non- governmental relations. When Japanese media asked if Tokyo would amend its position on Taiwan and treat it as a country in the future, the chief cabinet secretary repeated his statement.

Japan has been placing great importance on Taiwan recently, as demonstrated by the joint statement it made with the U.S. in April.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4221332

S. Korea, Australia to deepen ties on low-carbon energy use

By Korea Herald

Published : Jun 12, 2021 - 21:32 Updated : Jun 13, 2021 - 11:23

CORNWALL, Britain -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed Saturday to broaden bilateral economic cooperation, especially on hydrogen use and other low-carbon technologies.

They had one-on-one talks on the sidelines of an annual summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) here. They were invited to the session as guests.

Moon and Morrison shared the view that their participation in the session reflects the G-7 member states' "high expectations" for the role of the two countries in resolving various global issues in the post-coronavirus era, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

They noted that the two sides are this year commemorating the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.

They agreed to expand the "horizons of economic cooperation" to low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen production and use, and development of minerals, beyond mutually beneficial trade that has lasted for a long time, according to Cheong Wa Dae. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210612000092

North Korea Preaches Self-Reliance to Struggling Citizens Angry residents say self-reliance is ‘fiction’ and not a real solution to economic problems.

2021-06-11 North Korea is forcing citizens to attend ideological education sessions promoting self-reliance as the solution to their economic woes, but the people say the sessions are an unhelpful waste of time, sources in the country told RFA.

During the ruling Korean Workers’ Party’s eighth congress in January, leader Kim Jong Un admitted that the country “fell a long way short” of objectives set during the last congress in 2016 and called for more self-reliance citing North Korea’s founding Juche ideology.

The term Juche is described as North Korea’s nationalistic state ideology of independence and self-reliance.

Current economic hardships, however, have underscored North Korea’s heavy dependence on trade with China, which ground to a halt after Pyongyang and Beijing in January 2020 closed their border and suspended all trade due to coronavirus concerns, with disastrous effects. The economic downturn that followed resulted in factories shutting their doors, commerce in entire towns drying up, and food and energy shortages. Instead of finding ways to support the vulnerable populace with food or income subsidies, sources said the government is requiring that the people attend one more ideological learning session per week to emphasize self-reliance.

A resident of North Hamgyong province, in the country’s northeast, told RFA’s Korean Service June 6 that the provincial party committee received orders to supervise the stepped-up sessions.

“The lessons are in full swing at companies and neighborhood watch units,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

“The self-reliance lessons started earlier this month and residents are complaining they must attend three times per week,” the source said. Ideological learning sessions were originally only twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but starting in June the residents must go Monday, Wednesday and Saturday according to the source. “At a fishing gear factory in the city of Chongjin’s Pohang district, employees are studying what was laid out at the Eighth Party Congress in January,” the source said.

“The workers are confused because the factory purchases Chinese raw materials to make fishing equipment. Now they are suddenly being forced to be self-reliant without these raw materials,” said the source. The study guide used in the educational sessions emphasizes the completion the self-reliant structure of the national economy, reduction of the dependence on imports, and stabilization of people’s livelihoods through realistic possibilities, according to the source.

“If we reduce our dependence on imports, where and how will we get production materials? The word ‘self-reliance’ itself is just fiction and has no chance of realization,” the source said. “The party is once again trying to instill the spirit of self-reliance in the people simply by increasing ideological education. But the residents see through the Party’s policy, saying that no amount of self-reliance will bring in the raw materials,” said the source. Residents are doing their best to be as self-reliant as possible, the source said, but they are at the point where there is nothing more, they can do to improve the situation.

“They are saying they are now sick of hearing the word ‘self-reliance.’” Another source, a resident of Chongju in the northwestern province of North Pyongan, confirmed to RFA June 7 that citizens there are also going to more educational sessions these days.

“Residents who are struggling to make a living are invited to ideology sessions about self-reliance. They’ve started to complain about it,” said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely. Because of the increase from two to three educational sessions per week, the residents are complaining even during the learning sessions.

“Some residents shouted that they are too busy making ends meet or tending to their vegetable gardens and cannot understand why the authorities are trying to tie their feet by making them come learn about ideology three times a week,” said the second source. “If you look at the study materials drawn from the Eighth Party Congress, they only mechanically discuss self-reliance and self-sufficiency without presenting specific action plans or results. They emphasize self-reliance as the basic seed of the new five-year economic development plan, but there is no mention of how to achieve self-reliance, so the people are protesting,” the second source said. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/self-reliance-06112021180051.html

New Great Game rages in post- coup Myanmar

China and US on opposed sides in Myanmar's escalating civil war while Japan, India and ASEAN struggle to strike a middle ground

By BERTIL LINTNERJUNE 12, 2021 Print

Anti-coup protesters show their support for Myanmar's National Unity Government. Photo: Jose Lopes Amaral / NurPhoto via AFP

CHIANG MAI – China has declared its support for Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s military- coup government in Myanmar. The United States and the European Union have implemented sanctions and declared their support for the people’s power movement agitating against the dictatorship.

India and Japan are keeping quiet because they don’t want to push Myanmar further back into the clutches of China. Thailand is too dependent on natural gas imports from Myanmar to dare to condemn or even criticize the coup.

The rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, has once again demonstrated that it is wholly incapable of resolving regional crises.

That, in a nutshell, is how the main external actors have reacted to the turmoil that Min Aung Hlaing thrust upon Myanmar when he and his henchmen seized power on February 1.

How this Great Game proxy theater plays out remains to be seen, but it is clear that it has pitted China against the US in a conflict that is escalating into a regional crisis. https://asiatimes.com/2021/06/new-great-game-rages-in-post-coup-myanmar/

Myanmar Dissident Deaths in Custody, Unapproved Autopsies Prompt Calls For Probe Families and experts call the cases ‘unacceptable’ and say they are meant to intimidate the public. 2021-06-11

Zaw Htun lies in state during a funeral ceremony, in an undated photo. Several dissidents who spoke critically of the junta takeover of Myanmar’s democratically elected government have died in detention and were given crude autopsies before their bodies were returned to their families, prompting observers to call for a probe into the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Zaw Htun, also known as the Poet Khet Thi, was arrested by junta security forces in Sagaing region’s Shwebo township and sent for interrogation on May 9, after months of taking part in nationwide protests against the military’s Feb. 1 coup and calling for resistance to the regime through his poetry. Less than 24 hours later, his family was informed of his death and told to collect his body at a hospital in the region’s largest city Monywa. His wife said that authorities informed her Zaw Htun had died from a health condition, but she found his body covered in bruises and missing its internal organs, leading her to believe he had been killed in custody. Bo Kyi, secretary of the Thailand-based rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), said his organization had seen “a number of such cases” in the aftermath of the military putsch, as security forces have killed 861 people in violent crackdowns on mass protests and detained, charged, or sentenced more than 4,800.

“They cut the body open and sew it back very crudely,” Bo Kyi said, adding that it is unclear why “they have to remove some internal organs without families’ consent.” “Usually, it is done to the bodies of people they arrested a day earlier that died during interrogation. They then return the disfigured bodies to the families the next day,” he said. “I think they are trying to instill fear in the public. They are sending a message about what will happen to those who resist their rule.” Zaw Htun’s death followed those in March of Khin Maung Latt, the election campaign manager for the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) party for Yangon city’s Pabaedan township, and Zaw Myat Linn, an NLD member who ran a vocational training center in Yangon’s Shwe Pyi Tha township. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/deaths-06112021212401.html

Laotians Still Affected by Wartime Use of Agent Orange, Study Finds U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy vows to look into the use of defoliants in Laos during the Vietnam War.

2021-06-12

A disabled man sits in a wheelchair in his village in Ta-Oey district of southern Laos' Saravan province, where the toxic herbicide Agent Orange was sprayed, in an undated photo.

Photo courtesy of War Legacies Project The U.S. wartime use of Agent Orange and other defoliants in Laos more than a half-century ago is still causing dioxin-related congenital disabilities, according to a recent survey by an NGO that is urging Washington to help those who have suffered birth defects. The War Legacies Project, an NGO which raises awareness of the long-term health and environmental impacts of herbicides sprayed in Indochina, conducted a survey of 126 villages in southern Laos’ Savannakhet and Saravan provinces, bordering Vietnam, between 2015 and 2019. The villages sit within a five-kilometer (three- mile) radius of spray routes. The survey found that 500 people in Laos under 50 years of age have congenital disabilities that may be associated with their parents’ or grandparents’ exposure to toxic herbicides during the war. It also found that more than 50 percent of those affected were under the age of 20 — “leaving a legacy of debilitating diseases and birth defects in its wake more than two generations later,” the NGO said. Dioxins — manmade chemical compounds now recognized as known human carcinogens — have been shown to induce birth defects in all species of animals that have been studied. The U.S. military sprayed 12 million gallons of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange and eight million gallons of other herbicides on Vietnam and parts of Laos and Cambodia between 1961 and 1971 to kill vast swathes of forest and cropland during the Vietnam War, the report notes. The herbicides used during the war were up to 50 times more concentrated than what was acceptable to use on U.S. farms at the time, and Agent Orange — the most notorious of the herbicides — had been contaminated by dioxin during the manufacturing process by producing the chemical at too high a temperature, according to the report. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/toxic-defoliants-06102021173323.html

Cambodia begins evicting floating homes amid protests

About 2,000 families float on murky water in Phat Sanday. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo)

12 Jun 2021 06:23PM (Updated: 12 Jun 2021 06:35PM) PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh on Saturday (Jun 12) began overseeing the dismantling of "floating home" communities on the banks of the Tonle Sap River over the objections of longtime residents who say they have nowhere else to go.

For generations, the floating wooden houseboats of Phnom Penh have been both livelihood and way of life for mostly ethnic Vietnamese families, home to fish farming and interconnected by warrens of hand-built bridges interspersed with sunken poles and small boats.

"Our ancestors have always been here," said Kith Dong, 54, as he and relatives dismantled his home of consisting of a grayling timber platform with a sloped tin roof off the shore of Phnom Penh's Prek Pnov district.

He said the city order did not give his family enough time to relocate.

"If they extended by a few more months, we would have time to build a home," he said.

The Phnom Penh Municipality says the communities amount to floating slums that are eyesores and health hazards, with trash bags and raw sewage floating alongside the houseboats.

Si Vutha, head of Prek Pnov district's land management office, oversaw the dismantling on Friday. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/cambodia-phnom-penh-tonle-sap-floating-home- eviction-15000354

Indian Democracy Is On The Ropes. The US Must Act

There are still things U.S. policymakers can do to shore up the world’s largest democracy. AKSHAI VIKRAM |

JUNE 12, 2021 08:00 AM ET

Even as the U.K. hosted President Biden on a visit to “rally the world’s democracies,” Britain’s reopening is under threat from a new strain of the COVID- 19 virus. This new variant, which originated in India, is directly related to Narendra Modi government’s disappointing and less-than-democratic handling of the pandemic. The new coronavirus strain is just one example of the threat that awaits U.S. interests if India, the world’s largest democracy, should complete its slide into authoritarianism. Thankfully, the U.S. still has a number of options to combat, if not prevent, democratic backsliding in India.

Democratic or not, India’s relevance is assured. Its size alone guarantees this. India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, boasts a population of over 200 million people, larger than any individual country in Africa, Europe, or Latin America. This hard fact has led Republicans and Democrats to agree on India’s importance, with both sides emphasizing its potential role as a regional counterweight to China. The Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy stressed the benefits of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” and promised to “strengthen our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific…to preserve the free and open international system.” The Biden administration made similar pronouncements in its Interim National Security Guidance, saying it will “reinvigorate and modernize our alliances and partnerships,” partially to “hold countries like China to account.” The Biden administration specifically promised to “deepen our partnership with India” as part of this effort. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/06/indian-democracy-ropes-us-must-act/174679/

India’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics quest overshadowed by controversy over Chinese sponsor Li-Ning

 The Indian Olympic Committee is searching for a new sponsor and kit after dropping the Chinese brand amid public anger  Top badminton player Jwala Gutta, who was sponsored by Li-Ning, said the timing was unfortunate and the athletes must be protected

Narinder Batra, the chief of the IOA, said the body was going ahead with manufacturing kits and looking for new sponsors. Photo: AFPIndia’s quest for Olympic glory has run into a hurdle, even before it can start.Days after Olympic kits for its athletes were unveiled by sports minister Kiren Rijiju at a special ceremony, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) cut ties with the main sponsor of the team, the Chinese sports brand Li-Ning .

The decision has now become a diplomatic irritant for New Delhi, after the Chinese foreign ministry said it expected India

to view bilateral cooperation in an “objective and fair manner”, rather than https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3137089/indias-tokyo-2020-olympics-quest-“politicising” it. overshadowed-controversy-over

5G and the Contested China-India Border China’s rapid 5G build-up has come to Tibet. That will have security implications for India. By Tenzin Dalha

June 11, 2021

Credit: PixabayADVERTISEMENT

China today is one of the biggest spenders on research and development (R&D) in the world. In 2020, China’s spending on R&D increased by 10.3 percent to 2.44 trillion renminbi ($378 billion), accounting for 2.4 percent of its GDP. In March 2021, during the annual session of the National People’s Congress, Premier Li Keqiang announced that Beijing will aim to increase the nationwide R&D spending by more than 7 percent annually.

One focus of China’s R&D push is the latest fifth generation, or 5G, wireless technology. The advent of 5G is expected to boost wireless connectivity and communications, thus enabling a new wave of innovations and offering greater bandwidth network capacity. G technology is also expected to be a step-change in mobile networking, promising exponentially faster download speeds and data-sharing in real time and reduced network latency. Li set a goal for China to get 56 percent of the country on 5G networks this year, and China is aiming to complete the installation of 5G network infrastructure during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

According to public data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), as of the end of 2020, China has built the largest 5G network in the world, with over 718,000 5G base stations throughout the country and 5G coverage for all prefecture-level cities, as well as over 200 million 5G terminal connections. This is at least 10 times the 5G network in the United States, and far outstrips 5G networks in other countries. https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/5g-and-the-contested-china-india-border/

Putin hopes Biden less impulsive than Trump

By AFP - June 12, 2021 @ 3:02pm

WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope Friday that Joe Biden will be less impulsive than his predecessor Donald Trump, ahead of his first summit with the new US leader.

In an interview with NBC News, Putin described Biden as a "career man" who spent his life in politics after the "colorful" Trump.

"It is my great hope that, yes, there are some advantages, some disadvantages, but there will not be any impulse-based movements on behalf of the sitting US president," he said, according to a translation by NBC News.

"I believe that former US president Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual... He is a colorful individual. You may like him or not. But he didn't come from the US establishment," Putin was quoted as saying.

Biden plans to raise a range of US complaints, including over purported Russian election interference and hacking, in the summit with Putin on Wednesday in Geneva at the end of the new president's first foreign trip.

Putin had openly admitted that in the 2016 vote he supported Trump, who had voiced admiration for the Russian leader and notoriously at their first summit appeared to accept his denials of election interference.

Biden has said he is under no illusions about Putin and has described him as "a killer" in light of a series of high-profile deaths including of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.

Asked if he is "a killer," Putin said the term was part of "macho behavior" common in Hollywood.

Such discourse "is part of US political culture where it's considered normal. By the way, not here, it is not considered normal here," he said. -- AFP https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/06/698139/putin-hopes-biden-less-impulsive-trump

The Soviet Origins of Xi’s Xinjiang Policy

Behind the CCP’s horrific crackdown in Xinjiang is a desperate drive to avoid the mistakes that led to the

USSR’s collapse. By Christopher Vassallo

June 12, 2021

Xi Jinping’s campaign of repression in Xinjiang is tinged with an urgency that only historical parallel can provide. The Soviet Union’s collapse haunts his brutal crackdown there. Xi and his advisors have long identified ethnic unrest and separatist forces at the fringes of Soviet empire as one impetus for the collapse of the Soviet Union. In Xi’s eyes, before his extreme intervention, similarities between Chinese and Soviet ethnic policy risked a disastrous splintering of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authority in the region.

Ever since the Soviet Union unceremoniously imploded and dissolved, China’s leaders have parsed the collapse for lessons to inform strategy and mistakes to avoid repeating. Over the course of a year of research, I have examined the powerful sway the Soviet analogy has had on Chinese leaders in the 30 years since. Tracking the Chinese Communist Party’s understanding of the lessons of this collapse has revealed the preoccupations of CCP leadership in crucial periods of crisis and change.

One finding struck me: Chinese narratives about the Soviet collapse have been marshalled to justify the escalating horrors of ethnic assimilation in Xinjiang. Xi’s reading of Soviet history will not dissuade him from cultural genocide in Xinjiang. It will only steel his belief in the urgency of the endeavor. The terrain west of Xinjiang was once subject to Moscow’s authority. By the 1970s, Central Asia was causing serious trouble for the Soviet leadership. It was a hotbed for the kinds of separatism that would ultimately dismantle Soviet imperial rule there. For over a decade, Ma Rong, an influential academic at Peking University in Beijing, has been publishing articles that point to the “failures” of Soviet ethnic policy in Central Asia. He, and others like Hu Angang of Tsinghua University, believe that the Soviet Union’s inability to subordinate ethnic identity and stamp out local nationalities was the primary reason the federation dissolved.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/the-soviet-origins-of-xis-xinjiang-policy/

The Promise and Peril of Technological Competition The Senate bill to increase U.S. technological competitiveness with China does not address the most important part of the competition to come.

The U.S. Congress is, by almost all accounts, more divided and less cooperative than it has ever been in the modern era. With tiny and precarious Democratic majorities in both houses and strident and unified Republican opposition, the big question hanging over the first few months of President Joe Biden’s term is how much he can actually hope to accomplish legislatively.

And yet, on Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed an enormous – at least by pre-pandemic standards – and novel spending bill by a margin of 68-32, with 49 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting in favor. Unlike the administration’s successful pandemic recovery bill or its still-in-progress infrastructure package, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act – formerly known as the Endless Frontier Act – flew largely under the radar until its passage.

The bill is essentially designed to increase U.S. competitiveness with China by increasing investment in science, technology, and basic research. While much of the bill’s impact is domestic, the geopolitics angle is crucial: Not to put too fine a point on it, but a bill framed as a domestic initiative to invest more government funds in scientific research and specific industries would not achieve anything like this level of support across the aisle. Casting it as an exercise in national security-adjacent competitiveness gives political space for Republican members of Congress to vote for a bill that a Democratic White House is pushing for. Certainly, there are models for industrial and scientific progress supercharged by adversarial competition: the Cold War, for one, produced any number of notable scientific advancements. Some – like the underpinnings of the internet on which you are reading this article – were direct offshoots of military technology; others – the rockets which brought human beings to the moon – were demonstrations of national prowess built on military technology but with limited immediate ramifications, civil or military. The more intense the competition, the quicker the technological progress: World War II for example, took rocketry from the preserve of enthusiasts to a strategic delivery system in half a decade. But almost no one would argue that a hot war – with its attendant human, economic, and environmental devastation – is a price worth paying for some accelerated technological development.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/the-promise-and-peril-of-technological-competition/

Philippines reveals more details about submarine acquisition plans by Gabriel Dominguez

The Philippines has revealed more details about its plans to acquire its first-ever diesel- electric attack submarines.

Speaking to the state-owned Philippines News Agency (PNA) on 7 June, then-Philippine Navy (PN) chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, who retired the following day upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56, said Manila has earmarked PHP70 billion (USD1.47 billion) for the acquisition of two submarines along with an integrated logistics support package (ILS). Also included is infrastructure work on naval facilities to accommodate the boats.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/philippines-reveals-more-details-about-submarine- acquisition-plans

The Biggest Threat America Faces (Not China, Russia, Iran or North Korea) By Peter Suciu Published 1 min ago -peer adversaries including China and Russia are developing hypersonic weapons and advanced aircraft, while rogue states including Iran andThe NorthUnited Korea States are military’s increasing near their capability to conduct asymmetrical warfare via the use of propaganda campaigns and cyber-attacks. In recent weeks, the United States was hit by multiple cyberattacks that took down the largest meatpacker in the country. Both companies were forced to pay Russian hackers Colonial Pipeline, which suppliesto lock critical the bulk computer of the east networks. coast with Other fuel, attacks and JBS, in recentthe nation’s years have targeted cities and major corporations. who used “ransomware”

Airmen in the UK during his first Presidentoverseas trip Joe theBiden leader has madeof the infrastructurefree world suggested a key facet the nationof his administration’s faces an even greater goal to threat. “Build Back Better,” yet this week while addressing U.S.

“Climate change” said Biden was the greatest threat the United States now faces. impacts of climate change, limiting global warning warming to no more than 1.5 “We must all commit to an ambitious climate action if we’re going to prevent the worst — — degrees Celsius,” said Biden. folksy tankFailing in tothe do Pentagon, so would and be catastrophicI was first elected he warned vice president in his own with usual President “ ” Obama, way. the military“We need sat the us global down transitionto let us know to clean what energy the greatest technology. threats Y’know facing when America I was were, over the in the told the Airmen at Royal Air Force (RAF) Base Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. greatest physical threats,” Biden added movements,“This is not a fights joke. Y’knowover land, what millions the Joint of people Chiefs leavingtold us theplaces greatest because threat they facing are literally America was? Global warming,” Biden . “Because there’ll be significant population This week Vice President Kamala Harris, who was taking part in her first foreign trip since sinkingtaking office, below suggested the sea in that Indonesia. climate Because change wasof the one fights o over what is arable land anymore.” U.S.-Mexico border. f the “root causes” of the crisis on the

Harris told reporters Tuesday evening during her “I want to be very clear that the problem at the border in large part, if not entirely, stems from the problems in these countries,” trip to Mexico and Central America. “I cannot say it enough: Most people don’t want to leave home. And when they do, it is usually for one of two reasons: either they are fleeing

While she addressed the crime and corruption in the region, she maintained that climate changeharm or was to stay a major home factor means in theywhy therecannot has satisfy been the a migrant basic needs surge. of their families.”

are“I am seeing, here becausethe effects the of root the causeshurricanes are my and highest the extreme priority climate in terms conditions, of addressing what wethe areissue, and we need to deal with it, both inshe terms added of. the poverty we are seeing, the hunger that we The vice president has already been called out for her statement, and even the online seeingtabloid in The terms Daily of Beast, the pandemic,” which was extremely critical of former President Trump, responded. Ruben Navarrette Jr. of The Daily Beast noted from Central America come here to escape violence, with ,a “President plan to reunite George with W. family Bush was membersright: Immigrants who are fromalready Mexico in the come United here States to do jobs that Americans won’t do. And refugees

However, blaming climate change for the ills of—doing the world jobs fits that the Americans narrative, won’twhich do. is why It’s noit hasmystery been what one of got the us Biden here. administratIt’s the U.S. employers, stupid.” elected along with the economy, the coronavirus, and systemic racism. ion’s four “signature crises” that helped get him https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/the-biggest-threat-america-faces-not-– china-russia-iran-or-north- korea/undefined

Pentagon whistle-blower under US govt probe for publishing op-eds at Global Times By Wang Wenwen , Yu Jincui and Guo Yuandan Published: Jun 12, 2021 05:56 PM

Franz Gayl, a 64-year-old retired US Marine major who is now working at the Pentagon, is under a counterintelligence investigation by the Marine Corps for his two articles published in the Global Times that criticized the US policy toward the Taiwan Straits.

In his first article, published on April 27, he argued that the US would lose a war with China over the island of Taiwan. He also suggested that the US advise Taiwan's secessionists to peaceably accept "one country, two systems" and cease its "independence" ambitions. The article was later translated and published in the Chinese version of the Global Times.

Gayl further delivered his stance in another article a month later, in which he made it clear that "Attempting to support the renegade island of Taiwan's secession is directly contrary to the US national interest as we know in advance we will lose."

He wrote this "as an American" whose priority is US national interest, he said in the article. And at the end of each article, he put a note saying that, "Opinions are of the author and do not represent the US government,"

But the Marine Corps and the Pentagon he works for view him as an unacceptable "whistle- blower." They have not only launched an investigation against Gayl, but also suspended his security clearances while seeking to determine whether he has been compromised. He faces an early exit from the civil service, according to a Washington Post article published on Friday (June 11).

The fate of US military whistle-blowers is anticipated. In April last year, Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt made a brave decision by sending an urgent letter to the US Navy to inform his superiors of the dire epidemic situation on board. However, the US Navy announced the firing of the captain, alleging that he sent a wrong signal about US weakness and would undermine sailors' confidence in the Navy. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226026.shtml

Who Is Franz Gayl, the Pentagon Worker Taking Heat for Op-Eds in Chinese State Media?

BY BENJAMIN FEARNOW ON 6/12/21 AT 10:46 AM EDT

A retired U.S. Marine and Pentagon whistleblower has had his security clearance suspended and is the target of an American counterintelligence investigation after he penned two op-eds in Chinese state-run media outlets.

The Marine Corps confirmed to the Washington Post Friday that Franz Gayl, a 64-year-old retired major who served in Iraq, is part of an "on-going investigation" after he wrote two Global Times opinion pieces.

Gayl was the reported whistleblower behind a May 2007 Wired magazine piece entitled, "Military Dragged Feet on Bomb-Proof Vehicles," which sparked controversy and congressional hearings at the time. Then-Delaware Democratic Senator Joe Biden praised Gayl in 2007 for his whistleblower efforts.

https://www.newsweek.com/who-franz-gayl-pentagon-worker-taking-heat-op-eds-chinese-state- media-1600064

Cyberattacks on US targets are ‘here to stay,’ says US commerce secretary U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pictured on Jan. 8, 2021, in Wilmington, Delaware. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/TNS)

JUNE 12, 2021 SHANT SHAHRIGIAN - NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Flip

Regular cyberattacks, targeting everything from businesses to basic infrastructure, are the new normal, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Sunday.

U.S. businesses and lawmakers are struggling and have a long way to go to bolster

cyberdefenses after the May attack on the country’s biggest gas pipeline, she said on ABC’s “This Week.” at these attacks are here to

“We should assume and businesses should assume th Thestay Whiteand, if Houseanything, last will week intensify,” sent a letter she said.to business leaders urging them to take ransomware attacks hostage until money is paid more seriously, she said. — in which hackers effectively hold a company’s systems — - and medium-sized companies. And also, President Biden has been clear that we are “It is clear that the private sector needs to be more vigilant … including small infrastructure agenda. going to do more,” Raimondo said, pointing to the president’s sweeping The American Jobs Plan, which has stalled in Congress, includes $20 billion for another $2 billion to boost protections for the electric grid in high-risk locations. states and localities to upgrade their defenses for energy infrastructure. There’s The commerce secretary shied away from suggesting the government should require businesses to beef up cybersecurity.

like two-factor authentic “Businesses know how to do this. It’s relatively inexpensive to do the simpler things - ation,” she said. “At the moment we’re going to … pursue that versus … a little bit more heavy handed approach.” Last month, the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline caused gas distribution at processing company was targeted in a separate attack. problems and panic buying in the Southeast. The world’s largest me

The hacks have been traced to Russia, though U.S. officials haven’t formally blamed in Geneva. the Kremlin. Biden is set to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin next week

Cyberattacks “will be at the top of the agenda,” according to Raimondo.

RepublicanAsked whether Sen. military Lindsey action Graham was of possible,South Carolina she said, sounded “All options a hawkish are on note the on table.” cybersecurity.

“We need to go on offense. You can only play defense so long,” he told Gray TV.

“It’s time for the Russians to pay a price,” he said. “Cyberterrorism is emanating Energyfrom Russia Secretary and we’re Jennifer not Granholm doing a damn confirmed thing about Sunday it, andthat thatfoes needs of the toU.S. change.” have the capacity to shut down electric grids.

“There are very [malignant] actors who are trying even as we speak,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.” tor and the private

“There are thousands of attacks on all aspects of the energy sec sectorhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/cyberattacks- generally.” on-us-targets-are-here-to-stay-says-us- commerce-secretary/

Pentagon redirects $2.2B in border wall spending to military projects

By Danielle Haynes

A section of the U.S. - Mexico border fence is seen at International Friendship Park in Imperial Beach, Calif., on June 10, 2019. On Friday, the Defense Department said funds the Trump administration allocated for building the border wall will be redirected to other military projects. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

June 11 (UPI) -- The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to redirect $2.2 billion in funds previously set aside for border wall construction to pay for dozens of Defense Department projects.

The announcement comes nearly six months after President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for border wall construction to halt.

The Pentagon said the money will go toward 66 military projects in 11 states, three territories and 16 countries. Among them is a $79 million project to overhaul an elementary school in Germany for U.S. military children, a $25 million radio battalion project in North Carolina, a $25 million upgrade to equipment and personnel at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, and $10 million for a missile field expansion at Fort Greely in Alaska.

Former President Donald Trump made construction of the border wall a priority of his presidential campaign and four years in office. He declared the emergency in February 2019 in order to divert $600 million from the Treasury Department and $6.1 billion from the Defense Department to the Department of Homeland Security for border wall construction. Overall, the Trump administration built approximately 450 miles of the wall -- most of which was the reinforcement or replacement of existing barriers -- along the 1,954-mile southern border.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/06/11/Defense-Department-border-wall-construction- spending/6591623456577/

Official Says Input From Allies on Nuclear Posture Review to Be Important

J U N E 11, 2021 | BY DAVID VERGUN , DOD NEWS China is rapidly becoming more capable and assertive and concerns regarding its nuclear modernization and expansion are increasing. Russia's comprehensive modernization of its nuclear capabilities, over 80% complete, includes the addition of new dual-capable systems that threaten the United States and its allies and partners, the acting assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities said. Melissa Dalton spoke yesterday at a House Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on "FY22 Budget Request for Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities."

"We are confronted with multifaceted deterrence challenges across domains from both competitors, which add increased escalation risks, all making deterrence more challenging. Strategic risks, emanating from both North Korea and Iran, add significant complications to the strategic threat picture," she said.

For these reasons, nuclear deterrence remains the department's highest priority mission, Dalton noted, adding that more is needed to confront these growing, multifaceted threats.

The National Defense Strategy review will focus on integrated deterrence, she said, meaning an effort to address threats and opportunities across conventional, cyber, space, hybrid, information and nuclear domains, she said.

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2655892/official-says-input-from-allies-on- nuclear-posture-review-to-be-important/

U.S. Navy Lists 32 Reliability Issues in its Littoral Combat Ship Fleet

 Our Bureau  08:38 AM, June 11, 2021  1031

USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) Freedom-class littoral combat ship A U.S. Navy task force has asked for upgrades to its fleet of littoral combat ships (LCS) after it identified 32 reliability issues. Established in April, the Navy is betting that “Task Force LCS” will streamline improvements to the ships by combining key elements under one umbrella. "We've been working a lot of issues on LCS," Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, the commander of Naval Surface Forces, said in a telephone conference on Monday. "One of the biggest factors we've seen [is] the downtime that was created [by] unreliable parts or parts on critical systems that were failing." Littoral combat ships are heavily armed and suited for shallow-water conditions. They are designed to be fast and agile, and are built in two variants – Freedom class and Independent class. The Freedom class is notorious for transmission failures caused by ineffective engineering of combining gears, which connect engines. Three ships in the class - the USS Milwaukee, the USS Fort Worth and the initial USS Freedom - have experienced breakdowns leaving them unusable. In January, the Navy stopped accepting new Freedom class ships until a fix is found, UPI reported. Testing of a new improved combining gear is underway. USS Montgomery and USS Coronado ships of the Independence class have also broken down at sea. Kitchener cited 32 "key reliability issues" across the 23 ships of both platforms, largely concentrated on failures in water-jet propulsion systems and power plants, including engines, engine mounts and fuel lines. A Government Accountability Office watchdog told the Union-Tribune in May that many of the engineering problems in the class can be traced back to need to make the ships fast and the technology needed to do so. In order to reach top speed the ships’ four engines — two diesel and two gas turbines — must work in unison to propel them through the water via water jets. It determined that the Freedom class requires more rigid engine mounts, better fuel lines and an improved combing gear. Ships of the Independence class need water cylinder replacement, diesel engine replacement and improved water jackets on engines. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29784/U_S__Navy_Lists_32_Reliability_Issues_in_its_Littoral_Co mbat_Ship_Fleet#.YMWPknduLIU

Will the U.S. Navy Really Be Able to Meet Its 355- Ship Target?

The Navy does appear to be backing off its previous plan to pursue a 500-ship Navy, including a large mix of manned and unmanned platforms. by Kris Osborn

With the Navy’s 2022 budget for shipbuilding decreasing below anticipated hopes or expectations voiced by those in favor of greatly increasing the service’s overall fleet size to keep pace with China, senior Navy leaders acknowledge the service is not on track to reach its goal of a 355-ship fleet with the current pace.

The Navy budget requests eight new ships for 2022, a number which, if not adjusted in future years, does not put the service on track.

“I would tell you that eight ships a year is not going to get to 355. And so all things being equal, if you have a 300-ship navy and a 30- year life, you have to recapitalize at ten per year and so eight is not going to do it,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Budget Rear Adm. John Gumbleton told reporters, according to a Pentagon transcript.

Alongside these comments, Gumbleton did clearly emphasize his support for the budget, suggesting that determinations about shipbuilding consider a mix of readiness, modernization, maintenance, and, of course, budget constraints. Furthermore, Gumbleton did say the service’s plan to build eight ships is the same as last year.

“We're consistent with last year's request of eight ships. We're requesting eight this year again. And we have to manage. Again, it's all about not having a hollow force, making sure we're ready today, modernizing for tomorrow, and then investing for the future. And with this top-line allocated, this is the right blend to do that,” Gumbleton.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/will-us-navy-really-be-able-meet-its-355-ship-target-187582

The Navy Concluded Transmedium Flying Submersibles Were Possible A Decade Ago A vehicle that can travel under the sea and in the air may seem like a fantasy, but the Navy says it is possible and relevant for special operations. BY BRETT TINGLEY JUNE 11, 2021

 A U.S. Navy research document from 2010 outlines the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division's efforts to create a working design of a manned vehicle capable of both airborne flight and submerged travel. The craft was intended to provide stealthy transport for Special Forces units into and out of operating areas. This wasn't the first study of its kind to propose such a "transmedium" vehicle, defined as one capable of operating in multiple domains, such as in the air and underwater, but building such a craft has proven itself time and time again to be difficult, to say the least. It's not clear how far the Navy's efforts went, but the document's conclusions are significant in that they show that over a decade ago, Naval researchers concluded that a "working design is feasible within the current state of the art."

Aircraft that could also operate under the sea have long been pursued by the U.S. Navy and other militaries. A number of often unworkable or heavily compromised designs have been proposed and even tested by armed forces around the world since at least the 1950s, including various forms of submersible aircraft, to more modern designs like the short- lived Lockheed Martin Cormorant. While the degree to which these designs have been able to operate in both the sea and air environments vary greatly, among the "holy grails" of aerospace research is a truly hybrid vehicle, a submersible aircraft or "flying submarine" that can travel near-seamlessly between the sky and the sea.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41045/the-navy-concluded-transmedium-flying-submersible- vehicles-were-possible-a-decade-ago

The U.S. Marines Want the LAW (See the Picture) To Fight China

By Caleb Larson Published 29 seconds ago The United States Marine Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) is still on track, Defense News reports. The LAW program would ultimately like to source three designs from defense industry companiesCorps’ and select one of those designs sometime in Fiscal Year 2022. The program seems to be moving quite quickly and what we know.

— here’s https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/the-u-s-marines-want-the-law-see-the-picture-to-fight- china/undefined

Can rockets deliver supplies to war zones? Space Force, Air Force aim to find out Rockets in an outdoor museum in Huntsville, Alabama. (Daderot/Wikimedia Commons)

JUNE 12, 2021 TARA COPP - MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU Flip

Will the U.S. in combat zones? A new effort announced by the Air Force Research Laboratory on Space Force’s mission someday include using rockets to supply troops ssible.

AFRLFriday will will look begin at towhether test what’s reusable po commercial rockets that can carry up to 100 tons of cargo could be used to deliver gear to a conflict in an hour or less. The Air Force is also considering using the rockets for humanitarian missions and disaster relief.

“We’re trying to figure out how we can put vehicles on a rocket, unload those vehicles, and go,” said Greg Defense Spanjers, Department AFRL’s rocket has considered cargo program using manager.rockets for terrestrial delivery missions; U.S. Transportation Command is also looking at the It’s not the first time the idea development of its own 100-ton capable rocket, have persuaded Air Force leaders to . But large, reusable boosters developed by private firms, and China’s take their own new look. 00 tons is about the size of a C-17 loadout

“Note that 1 ,” Spanjers said. “So that’s Under the Rocket Cargo program, for which $47.9 million is being sought in the Air when it starts getting interesting to DOD.” 2022 budget proposal determine the viability and utility of using large commercial rockets for Department Force’s , AFRL “will lead a science and technology effort to of Defense global logistics, potentially expanding the portfolio of capabilities the [U.S. If Congress s RDT&E budget request, the program would Space Force] presents to combatant commanders.” novel loadmaster designs approves in the service’ potential ability to airdrop payloads, according to the budget justification aim to develop “ to quickly load/unload a rocket,” and the documents.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/can-rockets-deliver-supplies-to-war-zones-space-force-air- force-aim-to-find-out/

Air Force To Set Up 3D Printed Supply Chain At Tinker AFB

"The ability to additively manufacture an aircraft engine part and gain military airworthiness is a significant step forward in growing the adoption of additive manufacturing in the Air Force,” Nathan Parker, deputy program executive officer at RSO, said.

By THERESA HITCHENS on June 11, 2021 at 1:46 PM

The GE 3D printed F110 engine sump cover has won its airworthiness certification — a first for a metal engine part made using additive manufacturing. WASHINGTON: For the first time the Pentagon has certified as airworthy a 3D printed aircraft engine part — an F110 sump cover produced under the Air Force’s collaborative initiative with General Electric called Pacer Edge.

The next step in the program will see a metal parts additive manufacturing supply chain established at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, starting with a buy of two GE printers in fiscal 2022.

“We will be taking delivery of two GE Additive machines during the first quarter of FY22 and have them fully operational during the second quarter of FY22,” according to an email response to Breaking D’s questions from the Air Force’s Pacer Edge team at Tinker yesterday. “The program is committed to pushing the bounds of this game changing technology to improve warfighter capabilities and tackle material readiness challenges.”

Pacer Edge is spearheaded by the Air Force’s Rapid Sustainability Office (RSO) and the Propulsion Directorate of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. “The Pacer Edge program is an important initiative for reducing risk and showcasing the application of additive manufacturing in aerospace. The ability to additively manufacture an aircraft engine part and gain military airworthiness is a significant step forward in growing the adoption of additive manufacturing in the Air Force,” said Nathan Parker, deputy program executive officer at RSO, in a GE press release.

“The F110 sump cover was a terrific pathfinder, allowing us to exercise the USAF’s airworthiness process. There are numerous parts in queue that are ideal candidates for metal 3D printing. Next, we are focused on refining the airworthiness process, so it is as responsive as the technology,” added Melanie Jonason, chief engineer, at the service’s Propulsion Sustainment Division.

While the “Configuration Control Board (CCB) and Airworthiness” approval was inked on Feb. 23 for the additively manufactured F110 Sump Cover, according to the Tinker team’s email, it wasn’t announced until June 8.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/06/air-force-to-set-up-3d-printed-supply-chain-at-tinker-afb/

Top military officer says U.S. capable of defending Taiwan

06/12/2021 12:43 PM Washington, June 11 (CNA) Mark Milley, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed earlier this week during a congressional hearing that the country is capable of defending Taiwan in the event of a People's Liberation Army invasion from China.

Asked by Republican Senator Josh Hawley whether the U.S. could militarily block an invasion of Taiwan from China if the island could not defend itself on its own, Milley gave a positive answer.

"I can assure you that we have the capabilities if there were political decisions made in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act," Milley said on June 10 during the Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on the Pentagon's defense authorization request for the forthcoming fiscal year.

The act was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1979 to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. It also requires the U.S. "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character," but does not specify the U.S. will fight to defend Taiwan.

In addition to giving an assurance on U.S. military capability if it were to decide to defend Taiwan, Milley also said it would not be easy for China to take Taiwan by force.

"If you're talking about a military invasion in Taiwan, crossing the straits, the Taiwan Strait, with a sizable military force to seize an island the size of Taiwan against the military that they have, and the population that they have, that's an extraordinarily complex and difficult operation if against an unopposed force, that's a very hard thing to do," he said.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin) Enditem/cs https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202106120004

US may have to keep China guessing over Taiwan, says former Nato commander

 James Stavridis says any changes to the policy of

unclear how the US public would respond to a firmer commitment‘strategic ambiguity’ to defend would the island be challenging and it is  Chinese military exercises have intensified the debate

the hope of deterring an invasion over whether the US should shift to ‘strategic clarity’ in

Linda Lew The US will find it hard to change its deliberate ambiguity over whether it will come to

TheTaiwan’s US has defence, long refrained a former from Nato outlining commander how has it would said. respond in a potential war between Taiwan and mainland China in the hope that the uncertainty will force Beijing to stay cautious and discourage Taipei from declaring independence.

Europe between 2009 and 2013, said the question of wasJames complex. Stavridis, a retired US Navy admiral who was Nato’s supreme allied commander in whether to move to “strategic clarity” calculus if they knew that the US would conduct combat operations to defend Taiwan. But “The ‘pros’ are principally unclear that what it would the UShopefully public wouldadd further feel about deterrence such a to strong the Chinese the ‘cons’ are that it is Hecommitment.” added that at the moment, the Biden administration was likely to continue a policy of strategic ambiguity.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3137058/us-may-have-keep-china-guessing-over- taiwan-says-former-nato

Taiwan tipped to test new missile on June 23 Absence of height limit believed to indicate new version of Sky Bow III

1520 Tweet By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/06/12 13:34

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan missile tests scheduled for June 22-25 will likely include an extended-range version of the Sky Bow III missile.

An announcement Saturday (June 12) said there was no height limit for the firings, suggesting the new version of the missile would be tested.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 中科院) said the missiles would be fired from Jiupeng Air Force Base in Pingtung County. They would cover an area from Taitung County in the east to the zone between Green Island and Orchid Island and then north over the ocean to Hualien County.

The existing version of the Sky Bow III (TK-3) surface-to-air missile can effectively intercept targets up to an altitude of 26 kilometers. However, the NCSIST has reportedly been developing an enhanced version that would reach and destroy even higher targets, the Liberty Times reported.

As the tests scheduled for June 23 did not indicate a maximum height, experts assumed the firings were the latest step in the NCSIST program to prepare the new missiles for production in 2024.

In the face of aggressive military moves by China, the government has been procuring weapons systems from the United States. It also emphasizes the domestic manufacturing of defense items ranging from missiles to submarines

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4221289

South Korea Can Now Build Missiles Able to Reach Beijing, With U.S. Blessing Washington had imposed limits on Seoul’s weapons program for four decades

Rising tensions between the U.S. and an increasingly powerful China have led to some concerns they could potentially escalate into armed conflict. But as WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib explains, there are more forces working against conflict rather than toward it. Photo illustration: Todd Johnson By Andrew Jeong Updated June 11, 2021 10:51 am ET

SEOUL For decades, the U.S. kept tight limits on how far and how potent South

— raise tensions with nearby China, North Korea and Russia. Korea’s ballistic missiles could be, reflecting concerns that Seoul might unilaterally program, abolishing what had been a roughly 500- But last month, the Biden administration removed the final limits on Seoul’s missile ballistic-missile range. It is a key change: mile cap on South Korea’s enough to strike Beijing, Moscow or anywhere else. Seoul’s missiles, in theory, can now fly far

by Kim Jong Un’s regime in North Korea has been expanding its nuclear arsenal, and moving in its own weapons, can see a close ally develop technology that strengthens China’s military strength has been growing. The U.S., without provoking others its own regional military deterrence. Seoul gets back its full nonnuclear weapons sovereignty after long advocating for such a move.

Having better-armed allies will help Washington, especially in light of worsening disputes with Beijing over Taiwan and the South China Sea, and ups the ante for China to participate in North Korean diplomacy, security experts say.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-can-now-build-missiles-able-to-reach-beijing-with-u-s- blessing-11623390978

Rolls-Royce showcases future naval power and propulsion capabilities for South Korean Navy Naval News June 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON SATURDAY, 12 JUNE 2021 14:17

The new power and propulsion model is on display at MADEX 2021, demonstrating Rolls-Royce’s extensive capabilities for both Integrated Full Electric and Hybrid Electric Propulsion solutions for modern naval vessels.

Rolls-Royce already has proven experience with the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), having introduced a revolutionary, modern and simple, hybrid propulsion system arrangement for all eight ships in the Daegu-class FFX Batch II Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate programme – each powered by a single MT30 gas turbine and electric propulsion motors powered by four Rolls-Royce MTU diesel generators per ship. A similar system arrangement has more recently been selected for the Ulsan- class programme.

Beyond the FFX programme, Rolls-Royce is the only manufacturer in the world that has provided naval marine gas turbine generators into front-line integrated full electric (IFEP) powered destroyers and aircraft carriers. Rolls-Royce has extensive and proven experience in IFEP powered warships. The Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers are powered by Rolls-Royce’s WR-21 engines. Two MT30 main gas turbine generator sets and two Rolls-Royce RR4500 auxiliary turbine generator sets supply 78MW of total ship power to U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers. The Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, due to visit South Korea later this year, combine two MT30 36MW gas turbine alternators with four medium-speed diesel generators delivering 112 MW of electrical power.

The power density of the proven marine MT30 gas turbine genset is also one of the key enablers for Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) for the next-generation RoKN destroyer (KDDX). MT30 alone is delivering huge design benefits through its power density, significantly reducing the number of gas turbines required to power advanced naval platforms.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/june/10292-rolls- royce-showcases-future-naval-power-and-propulsion-capabilities-for-south-korean-navy.html

North Korean leader presides over Central Military Commission meeting, calls for 'high alert posture' Posted : 2021-06-12 10:09 Updated : 2021-06-12 14:01

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a Central Military Commission meeting of the ruling Workers' Party and called for a "high alert posture" against the "fast-changing" situation on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported Saturday.

During the meeting held Friday, Kim also discussed "important tasks" to make "a fresh turn in the overall work of national defense," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said without elaborating on what the important tasks were.

"The enlarged meeting set forth important tasks for ... bringing about a fresh turn in the overall work of national defense as required by the recent fast-changing situation around the Korean peninsula and the internal and external environment of our revolution," the KCNA said.

Kim analyzed the prevailing situation and the "real state" of the work of the People's Army and laid out "strategic tasks to be permanently held fast to by it, and ways for developing the revolutionary armed forces," according to the KCNA.

"The People's Army has to staunchly carry out the Party's line and policies on army building without an inch of deviation and keep a high alert posture to fulfill its noble mission and duty of firmly defending the sovereignty and security of the country," Kim was quoted as saying.

The meeting also discussed organizational issues, including dismissing and appointing commanding officers and officers at the corps level, the KCNA said.

Kim presided over the meeting ahead of a plenary session of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party that the North said will be held in early June to take "additional state measures for solving pending problems urgent for the economic work and people's living."

North Korean state media has not yet reported on when the scheduled party session will be held but Friday's meeting suggests that it is imminent.

The plenary session has been drawing keen attention as the North could unveil its policy directions toward the United States and South Korea following Washington's recent completion of its North Korea policy review. Last month, President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed at a summit to pursue diplomacy to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue. (Yonhap) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/06/103_310372.html

North Korea leader vows to strengthen army Kim Jong Un says situation surrounding divided peninsula has rapidly changed

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tells senior officials that it is important to bring about a "fresh turn" in the overall work of national defense. (Undated photo released on June 8 by the Korean Central News Agency) © Reuters

June 12, 2021 17:31 JST BEIJING (Kyodo) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emphasized the need to bolster the country's military capability, as the situation surrounding the divided peninsula has rapidly changed, state-run media reported Saturday.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim held a ruling party military meeting on Friday, one day ahead of the third anniversary of the first U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore in 2018.

At the meeting it was confirmed that it is important to bring about a "fresh turn" in the overall work of national defense "as required by the recent fast-changing situation around the Korean Peninsula," the news agency said.

Kim "analyzed the prevailing situation and the real state of the work of the People's Army and indicated the strategic tasks to be permanently held fast to" and ways to develop the revolutionary armed forces, KCNA said.

At the congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in January, held for the first time in nearly five years, Kim pledged to strengthen his country's nuclear arsenal and build an improved intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the continental United States.

North Korea has also expressed unwillingness to hold bilateral talks with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, unless Washington withdraws its hostile policy toward Pyongyang.

At their first-ever summit in Singapore in 2018, Biden's predecessor Donald Trump and Kim agreed that Washington would provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in exchange for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The following year, they fell short of bridging the gap between demands by the United States and North Korea's calls for sanctions relief at their second summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

After Trump and Kim surprisingly met in June 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang made little progress. The Biden administration, meanwhile, plans to keep its North Korea policy flexible, while building on the 2018 summit agreement that included Pyongyang's commitment toward denuclearization.

KCNA did not elaborate whether Kim mentioned nuclear weapons and ICBMs at Friday's gathering.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/N-Korea-at-crossroads/North-Korea-leader-vows-to-strengthen-army

Armed Conflict Spreading Across Myanmar as Violence Escalates

By Lisa Schlein

June 12, 2021 10:42 AM

GENEVA - U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet says armed conflict is intensifying and spreading across parts of Myanmar in opposition to the military coup in February and could result in the heavy loss of life.

Violence and gross human rights abuse continues to escalate against civil society government. opposed to the military takeover of the country’s democratically elected Rather than efforts to de-escalate the crisis, U.N. rights chief Bachelet says the military leaders are building up troops in key areas. That is happening primarily in areas with significant ethnic and religious minority groups, including Kayah State, Chin State and Kachin State.

https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/armed-conflict-spreading-across-myanmar-violence- escalates

Nearly 30 Junta Troops Killed in Myanmar’s Chin State as Rights Czar Calls For End to Violence The country’s least developed state is dealing with a refugee crisis as well as a COVID-19 outbreak.

2021-06-11

Nearly 30 junta troops were killed Thursday in Myanmar’s Chin state as fighting between militia groups and the military escalated in the country’s remote regions, prompting the United Nations rights czar to warn of a “human rights catastrophe.” said they attacked a column of soldiers traveling around 25 miles outside of theMembers town center,of the Chinland killing as Defense many as Force 17 in (CDF)the ensuin in Chin’g firefights Thantlang and suffering township no casualties.

Myanmar“More than Service 100 junta on condition soldiers were of anonymity marching for towards fear of thereprisal. Khuahring Thang mountain range,” said a fighter with the Thantlang CDF, who spoke to RFA’s a little worried about the situation. There are more troops than ever

“We’re pressing on us. The fighting is expected to become more intense.” has

The CDF fighter said his group attacked the column “because the military beenThe clash intimidating marked thelocal first residents.” in Thantlang township and caused around 600 residents of three villages in the area to flee to the mountains, he said. s “Most people fled because they were scared about the presence of the oldiers,” he said.

“A lot of people in Thantlang had already fled their homes earlier [when troops beganA similar to deployclash broke to the out area].” in an area between the townships of Hakha and Gangaw, the Hakha CDF announced Thursday, saying it had killed 10 junta soldiers. The group did not report any casualties of its own in the fighting.

In a statement, the CDF said it will “continue to fight fiercely in all parts of Chin state” to protect the people. RFA was unable to independently verify CDF claims about the number of

Information Minister Zaw Min Tun went unanswered Friday. soldiers killed in Thursday’s clashes and calls to Myanmar’s Deputy https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/chin-06112021195843.html

Myanmar Border Gun Seizures Stoke Fears of Illicit Post-Coup Arms Trade

By VOA News June 12, 2021 06:02 AM

BANGKOK - Guns and ammunition bought under Thai police and army discount plans and siphoned into the black market have been seized by Thai customs on the Myanmar border, -coup collapse into chaos. stoking fears of a new illicit arms trade driven by Myanmar’s post reaction of protests, bloody crackdowns and a revival of dormant conflicts with ethnic militiasMyanmar’s across army the seized country. power from the civilian government Feb. 1, setting off a chain

As democracy activists flee to jungle camps to train in armed resistance, Thai border officials fear the conflict next door is spurring a cross-border gun trade.

On May 27 Thai customs seized 27 guns -- including pistols, semiautomatic M12s, M4 rifles and telescopic sights -- and 50,000 rounds of ammunition, in a truck attempting to cross into Myanmar at the Mae Sai border crossing in western Thailand.

customs director told VOA, referring to the so-called welfare guns list, a fluid online catalog of“The guns majority availableof theto the seized police guns and are military, ‘welfare and guns,’” other Somsak government Tangcharoentam, officials, at a the discount. Mae Sai https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/myanmar-border-gun-seizures-stoke-fears-illicit-post-coup- arms-trade

Vietnam expands maritime militia off southern coast New squadron of ships, platoons and light weapons debuts in sovereignty assertion

Vietnam's establishment of a new maritime militia unit in the Gulf of Thailand is designed to test the reaction of countries in the region, including China, according to one scholar. © Getty Images

TOMOYA ONISHI, Nikkei staff writerJune 12, 2021 16:45 JST

HANOI -- Vietnam has taken a new step to bolster its maritime presence as territorial tensions rise in the South China Sea.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/South-China-Sea/Vietnam-expands-maritime- militia-off-southern-coast

HAL manufactured ALH Mk-III Helicopters inducted into Indian Coast Guard SECTIONS HAL manufactured ALH Mk-III Helicopters inducted into Indian Coast Guard PTILast Updated: Jun 12, 2021, 06:16 PM IST Ltd (HAL) on Saturday said three Advanced Light Helicopters ALH Mk-III, manufactured by it, were inducted into the stables of the Indian Coast Guard. These helicopters, which are part of ALH Mk-III programme, will be positioned in Bhubaneswar, Porbandar, Chennai and Kochi and will be part of different Coast Guard Aviation Squadrons, HAL said in a release.

It said the induction took place in the presence of Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, in a virtual program that was held simultaneously at the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters in Delhi and at Helicopter MRO Division of HAL in Bengaluru.

The Director General, Indian Coast Guard, K Natarajan and R Madhavan, CMD, HAL, were present on the occasion. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/hal-manufactured-alh-mk-iii-helicopters- inducted-into-indian-coast-guard/articleshow/83461346.cms

Italy keen to invest in Indian defence industry; India-Italy-Japan trilateral meet for Indo-Pacific next week: Envoy SECTIONS

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/italy-keen-to-invest-in-indian-defence- industry-india-italy-japan-trilateral-meet-for-indo-pacific-next-week- envoy/articleshow/83458035.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_camp aign=cppst https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/italy-keen-to-invest-in-indian-defence-industry- india-italy-japan-trilateral-meet-for-indo-pacific-next-week-envoy/articleshow/83458035.cms

India’s Submarine Saga New Delhi approved a proposal to purchase six conventional submarines, but given past delays it’s not clear that India’s naval woes will dissipate anytime soon.

By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

June 11, 2021

The Indian government has just approved a proposal to purchase six conventional submarines under Project 75 (I). The Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) “approved issue of RFP [Request for Proposal] for construction of six Conventional Submarines under Project P 75 (I) under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model.”

The construction of the submarines is estimated to cost around $5.9 billion. Singh called it “a landmark approval,” as it is the first case processed under the strategic partnership framework for Make in India projects. He added that this will result in a “tiered industrial ecosystem for submarine construction in India.” There can be no doubt about the inordinate delays in this project, considering that this step represents just the RFP approval for an acquisition that was originally sought in the 1990s.

The Strategic Partnership Model (SPM) is a method established under India’s 2020 Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) with the goal of encouraging the Indian private defense sector to manufacture four key types of defense equipment: submarines, fighter aircraft, helicopters, and armored fighting vehicles /Main Battle Tanks. The SPM is the latest effort by the Indian government to strengthen and transform the India’s domestic defense manufacturing capability, yet another step toward a decades- long pursuit of self-reliance in defense. Under the SPM, the contract will reportedly be given to “a consortium” made up of an Indian submarine builder and a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). India has around 15 conventional submarines in operation, many of which require immediate replacement as they are already obsolete. The Indian Navy also has two nuclear-powered submarines, the INS Chakra (leased from Russia, which is apparently being returned) and the indigenously built INS Arihant. India’s submarine acquisition plans through the earlier Project 75, which was supposed to have been completed by around 2017, have also seen considerable delays. The last three of the six Project 75 Kalvari (Scorpene)-class submarine are expected to enter service only in the next two years. https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/indias-submarine-saga/

Supporting Australia To Deter China Helps America

By ROBBIN LAIRD and ED TIMPERLAKE on June 11, 2021 at 1:37 PM As the Biden administration focuses on ways to improve deterrence in the Pacific, reenforcing Australia’s defense against China is a good place to start. Working closely with Australia now can send an important message to Beijing that political intimidation, backed by economic and military threats, is not in its long-term interest.

For those not following the Chinese campaign against Australia, Chinese leaders have made it very clear they believe Australia must comply with their plans to dominate the Pacific. The Chinese threat has been stated clearly in the Chinese state media: “China has a strong production capability, including producing additional long-range missiles with conventional warheads that target military objectives in Australia when the situation becomes highly tense.”

If someone is threatening to kill you, you’d best believe them. Examining China’s direct threat closely, one is immediately struck that the focus is upon conventional strike, as raising a nuclear threat might lead to a reaction from Canberra that the Chinese might regret — even more than having to deal with the prospect of an Australian defense buildup that includes new long-range strike capabilities.

Paul Dibb, a noted Australian strategist and former intelligence official, has argued that China’s moves are significantly reducing the country’s warning time in the face of any attack.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/06/supporting-australia-to-deter-china-helps-america/

As US withdraws, Afghanistan’s lure returns for Southeast Asian extremists – women and children included

 Isis is seeking a new safe haven after being ousted from Syria and Iraq. An Afghanistan no longer propped up by the West presents it a tempting opportunity  Southeast Asian fighters will be drawn to the idea of emulating mujahideen veterans, but this time around the apocalyptic vision of Isis will be more inclusive. Women and children are invited, too

Susan Sim It took 25-year-old Wardini and her two young children almost two months to travel with smugglers by road from Jordan, through Iran, to western Afghanistan. By the time they were arrested by Afghan border guards, she had burned their Indonesian passports. They were not going home, she told an Indonesian consular officer who visited her in a Kabul prison in 2019. With the end of days near, she and her children, both then under three,

wouldKhorasan, live ain historical “Khorasan, region the blessed that once land”, spanned she said. much of central Asia, including Afghanistan, and parts of Iran and Pakistan, is where some Muslims believe an army will rise to inflict a major defeat against their enemies; it is, according to a hadith, or religious saying, often cited by jihadis, where Armageddon begins. Osama bin Laden issued al- United States Kush, -called Islamic Statein Iraq and Syria (Isis) announced Qaeda’s first declaration of war against the in 1996 with the dateline, “Hindu relocatingKhorasan, some ofAfghanistan”. its key operatives The so to Afghanistan to kick-start its ambition to take over allits ofexpansion Central and to “Khorasan” South Asia. in 2015, and as it started losing territory in the Levant, began

Over the last three years, a question that has greatly exercised national security specialists is this: where will Isis establish its next global headquarters following its ousting from Syriaand Iraq? My colleague Colin P. Clarke, commenting on this question in February roots in weak states plagued by persistent civil conflict, sectarian tension and government inability to 2018, wrote: “Historically, terrorist and insurgent groups tend to establish maintainhttps://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3136966/us-withdraws-afghani a monopoly on the use of force.” stans-lure-returns- southeast-asian

Critical Questions: NASA’s Artemis Dinner Table June 11, 2021

As a rule of etiquette, discussing religion or politics at the dinner table is generally not recommended. The politics of lunar exploration, however, may prove a curious exception. seated at now set for a party of 10 is Not only is this topic whetting states’ appetites, but the number of guests dining chairNASA’s to welcome Artemis South“dinner Korea table”— following the May summit with— U.S. presidentincreasing Joe too. Biden NASA’s and Artemis South Korean program president is preparing Moon to Jae- addin. an 11th

Q1: First, what is NASA’s Artemis program? A1: The Artemis program is an international space initiative to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. According to NASA,

This“International effort also cooperation includes collaborating on Artemis on is intendedthe first human not only mission to bolster to Mars.space Theexploration space program but to enhance peaceful relationshipsArtemis Accords among ,nations.” a series of nonbinding principles that articulate standards of behavior to support space exploration and cooperation’s central pillaramong is thethe member nations. Presently there are nine signatory countries: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A December 2020 s minister of science, technology, and innovation signed a statementtenth “dining of intent chair” to join. was Most reserved recently, for BrazilSouth in Korea has expressedwhen interest Brazil’ in signing the accords. According to the U.S.- Joint Statement and aeronauticsROK Leaders’ research and will ,cooperate the countries’ towards leaders the areROK committed signing to “strengthening their partnership in civil space exploration, science, theQ2: ArtemisIs 2024 Accords.”still NASA’s goal for human exploration of the moon? A2: announced any changes to the aspirational 2024 human landing goal. Unclear. On the one hand, NASA’s Artemis program has not formally On the other, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is concerned about

System program, which received only a quarter of its funding request in fiscalinadequate year 2021. funding Looking from Congressahead, Presiden in support of NASA’s Human Landing Defense Budget requests $752.9 billion for national defense $20.6 billion of which is specifically reserved fort investingBiden’s Fiscal in space Year and 2022 space- based systems like Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) systems— and five new launch vehicles. Additionally, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell is skeptical about the It was a long shot to begin with. U.S. congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, the new chairtimeline of the for House the 2024 Subcommittee landing goal, on Spacereasoning and “ ” According to can do to get our moon landing back on track whetherAeronautics: NASA “The is on 2024 schedule goal may to meet have its been 2024 a reach, goal under so let’s the see new what we defense budget. .” Overall, it is unclear

Q3: Are other states forming lunar exploration partnerships?

A3: Yes. A notable example is (CNSA), which aspires to launch several lunar exploration missions and construct a moon-based researchChina’s station National in the Space 2030s Administration.

According countries around the world that are carrying out international moon base constructionto CNSA programs spokesperson to join Xu us, Hongliang, and make China contributions “welcome[s] to the other cause of enhancing human well-being with space solutions. example, Russia has signaled strong interest in working with China to develop an international lunar research station ” For Roscosmos space agency cooperate on the establishment of a shared lunar. On research March 9,center Russia’s and an agreement to pursue deepand space China’s exploration CNSA signed an agreement-7 missionto and Luna-Resurs-1 Russian orbital spacecraft mission. In light of with the Chang’e make friends, unite President Xi Jinping’s recent announcement that China needs to transition from “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy to instead “ and win over the majority effects on space policy and partnership formations. ,” these changes could have reverberating Q4: Why are the Artemis Accords significant?

A4: Apart from the scientific value in promoting international collaboration to explore the moon and Mars, these accords also carry

Artemis is historically significant because it could become the first historicaldeep-space and human geopolitical exploration significance. program President, Biden’s endorsement of between presidential administrations since the Apollo program. “ ” with continuity in funding ted in the fact that it emphasizes the centrality of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The treaty Artemis’s geopolitical significance is roo interest of humanity. According to NASA spokesperson Mikepromotes Gold, the “the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes” in the commonn Earth

Fundamentally,accords are fundamental the accords to helpinghelp signal “avoid to other conflict nations in space what and it meanso to beby astrengthening good steward mutual of space understanding. and reducing misperceptions.”

Even despite the enduring competition for lunar exploration between major space powers like Russia, China, and the United States, there is still tremendous potential for international partners to work together to demonstrate what good stewardship looks like. Such contrasting viewpoints are best encapsulated in the adage:

Recognizing this duality is a necessary first step“We towards can either developing complain a unifiedbecause international rose bushes havespace thorns, security or strategy rejoice because with partners thorns and have allies. roses.”

https://www.csis.org/analysis/critical-questions-nasas-artemis-dinner-table

Nearly entire vaccine supply already distributed

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora June 12, 2021, 4:26 pm

MANILA – More than 98 percent of the country's vaccine supply has been distributed, with the few remaining doses serving as "buffer stocks", Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Saturday.

The remaining supplies at DOH warehouses would serve as a buffer in case the initial batches downloaded to local government units (LGUs) would require additional doses, Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing.

She said the newly delivered one million doses from Sinovac and more than two million of Pfizer-BioNTech shots from the COVAX Facility would be deployed as soon as possible.

Vergeire said the shortage was noted in some areas due to delays in deliveries in May.

"Now that new stocks have arrived, their (LGUs) supplies will be replenished and they can start vaccinating again," she said.

As of this posting, the country has so far received more than 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, both procured and donated.

The latest shipment contained 100,000 doses of government-procured Sputnik V vaccines from Russia that arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Friday night. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143516

GCQ with restrictions, 'effective' as NCR+ cases decline: DOH

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora June 12, 2021, 4:11 pm

MANILA – A Department of Health (DOH) official said Saturday the extension of general community quarantine (GCQ) with restrictions has been "effective" based on the continued decline in new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus areas.

The national government extended on May 31 the GCQ with restrictions status in the NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna) from June 1 to 15.

"Sa tingin namin talagang naging epektibo kasi nakita natin talaga 'yong patuloy na pagbaba ng kaso dito sa NCR Plus bubble. Nakita natin na 'yong talagang peak natin from March to April talagang patuloy pong bumababa (We believe it has been effective because we have seen the number of cases in the NCR Plus bubble decrease. There has been a downward trend from the peak that we witnessed from March to April)," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing.

Over the past week, the NCR Plus accounted for 27 percent of the country's new Covid-19 cases.

From March 29 to April 4, about 94 percent of the new cases came from the bubble, OCTA Research said Saturday.

In Metro Manila alone, the average daily number of new cases went down by 17 percent to 926 in the June 4- 10 period, from 1,116 in the previous period.

Vergeire said the average daily cases reached 4,000 to 5,000 during the outbreak, but if the downward trend continues, the NCR might reach the "safe zone" soon.

"Nakita natin na na-decongest din ang mga ospital ngunit ang aming tinitignan ngayon ay ang Visayas at Mindanao kung saan nakakakita po tayo ng mga pagkapuno ng ospital (Hospitals in the NCR are starting to decongest. We are now monitoring the Visayas and Mindanao where there has been an increase in admissions)," she said.

The OCTA tagged Dumaguete, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro City, Iloilo City, Butuan, Tuguegarao, and Cotabato City as "areas of concern" due to high hospital bed utilization rates greater than 70 percent. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143505

Spread of delta coronavirus variant accelerating in Japan The pace of growth in the number of new COVID-19 infections resulting from the delta coronavirus strain is accelerating in Japan.

According to the health ministry, 87 cases of the variant first discovered in India had been confirmed in 12 of the country’s 47 prefectures as of Monday. The number of new delta variant cases in the week through Monday stood at 34, up from 24 in the preceding week and 21 the week before.

With cases of the delta strain projected by one estimate to account for over half of new infections in Japan as early as mid-July, experts are calling for authorities to strengthen measures to check for the variant.

The variant is characterized by the L452R mutation, indicating a change in the spike protein of the coronavirus from leucine to arginine in the 452nd amino acid position.

Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture have reported clusters of the delta variant

The L452R variant is said to be 50% and two times more transmissible, respectively, than the alpha strain, first detected in Britain, and the original virus, although some experts disagree over its infectiousness.

The delta variant is said to weaken the effects of COVID-19 vaccines, but much remains unknown. It has yet to be proven that people infected with the variant are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms.

One report said the L452R mutation evades immune cells created by the human leukocyte antigen-A24, which is found in 60% of the Japanese population. But some experts reject that analysis.

Kyoto University professor Hiroshi Nishiura, a theoretical epidemiology expert, said that the delta variant is 80% more infectious than the original virus and is expected to account for more than 50% of all domestic infections in mid-July and 80% at the end of July.

“Now is the time to find (variant cases) quickly and control the spread by taking measures against clusters of infections and through active epidemiological surveys,” National Institute of Infectious Diseases head Takaji Wakita said, while noting the difficulty of predicting how the variant will spread.

In its analysis based on an international database, a team led by Keio University professor Kenjiro Kosaki, who is well-versed in clinical genetics, said that the delta variant was brought into Japan not only directly from India but also via Britain or the United States. “Not all coronavirus variants come directly from the initial hot spots,” Kosaki said, calling for strengthened border controls.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/12/national/delta-variant-spreading-japan/

S'pore reports 4 heart inflammation cases after 2nd jab of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines

By Bernama - June 12, 2021 @ 4:13pm Singapore has reported four cases of heart inflamation involving young men aged between 18 to 30 years after taking the second dose of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. - Bloombreg file pic SINGAPORE: Singapore has reported four cases of heart inflamation involving young men aged between 18 to 30 years after taking the second dose of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.

The republic's Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination in a statement issue late Friday said most cases of "myocarditis and pericarditis" were reported to have occurred within a few days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine.

"However. all have recovered or have been discharged well from hospital," it said.

Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions affecting the heart muscles and the outer lining of the heart respectively.

However, the Committee said that while further studies and investigations were on-going, the currently available data suggests that there might be a "very small risk" of myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, particularly in young men.

"They occur more often in men compared to women. Patients with the condition show symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats.

"Most cases are mild, recover without the need for significant intervention and do not suffer any long-term effects, although very rarely, severe cases may result in damage to the heart muscles," it explained.

As a precaution, the Committee recommended that vaccinated persons, in particular adolescents and younger men, should avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after their second dose.

The Committee noted that it has been closely monitoring international reports on the situation and reviewed the currently available international and local data.

"Our assessment is that the benefits of receiving the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, such as reduction in Covid-19 infections and severe complications even if infected, continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination," it said.

It added that increased occurrences of myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose have been observed overseas including in the United States (US), in adolescents and young men below the age of 25 years. "The risk of this has been estimated to be 1.6 cases per 100,000 doses for mRNA vaccines in the US, which is comparable to the risk of anaphylaxis observed in Singapore.

"To date, there is no observed incremental risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the first dose of vaccine," it said. – BERNAMA

https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/06/698158/spore-reports-4-heart-inflammation-cases- after-2nd-jab-mrna-covid-19

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

Updated: January 26, 2021, 3:15 PM EST Tracking Covid-19

 Vaccine Tracker  Global Cases  U.S. Cases  U.S. Regions

Testing data as of April 23, 2020, 5:20 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 people and killed more than globally 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.

Getting to a Flatter Curve  The first days with more than 100 confirmed cases

 Asia  Other

Show deaths  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

… Confirmed cases worldwide

… Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of

 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

Loading data...

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.

More Coverage From Bloomberg

 Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter  Stories about the coronavirus outbreak from Bloomberg News  Virus Update from Bloomberg News  The Future of Travel in the Covid Era  How Covid Is Shifting Human Behavior Around the World  The Covid Resilience Ranking

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.

Global Cases Added Per Day Note: On February 14, 2020, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases.

Countries took drastic measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on their homefront—with varying degrees of success. More than 140 governments placed blanket bans on incoming travelers, closed schools and restricted gatherings and public events, according to data compiled by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Bloomberg reporting.

As countries loosen lockdowns in an effort to reboot their economies, many have seen a resurgence of infections. The number of new daily cases in the U.S. rose to record highs after some states relaxed social distancing requirements. Even places that successfully contained infections earlier in the year, like China and South Korea, have seen cases bubble back up. Theories that warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere would bring relief appear to be unfounded. How the Outbreak Spread Country by Country  Seven-day rolling average of new deaths and cases

 Asia  Other

Show cases  Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of . Negative values resulting from governments revising their totals have been excluded from rolling average calculations.

The “worst is yet to come” given a lack of global solidarity, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a briefing in Geneva on June 29.

In May, the WHO emphasized the need for a plan that includes testing for the virus and its antibodies, effective contact tracing and isolation, and community education. Antibody tests on the market that could potentially indicate a person’s immunity have been unreliable so far. Researchers and drugmakers are racing to develop treatments that could hold the key to recovery.

Gilead Sciences Inc.’s antiviral remdesivir is one of the first widely used drugs for Covid-19. It received an emergency use authorization from U.S. regulators in May, after a trial found it sped recovery by about four days in hospitalized patients. It was also part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s treatment after he tested positive for the coronavirus in early October, along with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s antibody cocktail and the generic drug dexamethasone.

Vaccines are also in development, though the study of one leading candidate from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc is on hold in the U.S. while regulators investigate a potential safety issue.

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 IMAGE COPYRIGHTEPA Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with about 175 million confirmed cases and 3.8 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. mapped Confirmed cases around the world

Show 174,909,515 cases 3,774,561 deaths

Please upgrade your browser to see the full interactive

Source: Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies Figures last updated 11 June 2021, 12:10 BST 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

Taking a closer look at Chinese vaccines

POSTSCRIPT - Federico D. Pascual Jr. (The Philippine Star

This content was originally published by The Philippine Star following its editorial guidelines. Philstar.com hosts its content but has no editorial control over it.) - June 13, 2021 - 12:00am

The -19 pandemic, with inputs from his colleagueWe’re afforded Sui-Lee “a Weecloser who look covers at China’s China. vaccines” in a report June 10 by Jonathan Wolfe of New York Times’ briefings team on the COVID The World Hea vaccines one from the state-owned company Sinopharm and the other from Sinovac, a private firm basedlth Organization in Beijing. has granted emergency use listing to two of China’s – The Chinese vaccines have come under scrutiny recently after cases rose in such places as Bahrain, Mongolia and the Seychelles where large percentages of the population had been inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine. – https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/06/13/2105054/taking-closer-look-chinese-vaccines

The Chinese tit-for-tat Read Next By Mauro Gia Samonte

June 13, 2021 Gone evidently are the days of sleeping by the Chinese dragon. Back in the 1920s all the way to the 1930s when the great Chinese territory was apportioned among Western imperialists, it was not uncommon for restaurants in Shanghai to carry a sign at the entrances that read: "Dogs and Chinese not allowed." In these modern times, the sleeping Chinese dragon had long awakened from amazing forbearance to assert Chinese pride tit-for-tat against Western arrogance.

In the Indo-Pacific region, the hegemonic designs of the United States do continue to manifest in concert with its traditional allies, but its effort in this regard on the military front can no longer prosper without meeting with strong Chinese deterrents. Of late, the United States' conduct of its sponsored freedom of navigation operations (Fonops) saw the participation of the G7 or Group of Seven, which includes Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Japan, in an obvious show of force to counter the increasing Chinese presence in the South China Sea. And it is always at the instance of the United States through its local cohorts led by the tandem of retired associate justice Antonio Carpio and former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario to seize upon every opportunity to fan anti-Chinese rage among Filipinos. The gambit is evidently to create a war hysteria that would justify US military intervention in the otherwise regional dispute between China and certain members of the Asean, the Philippines included, over the South China Sea. While the US has not succeeded in intensifying the military conflict to a degree beyond bare bullying, China has gone on undeterred in building forward military bases out of the islands, reefs and maritime features it has occupied in the region. This should serve as a warning to American hegemonic intentions that they can no longer push on without encountering determined Chinese countermeasures. A lot of noise continues to be created by US rah-rah boys about the so- called Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory. But if only to make use of the good old Mao Zedong adage, "Turn a bad thing into a good thing," I am prompted to take another look at the issue. From the Scarborough Shoal on Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales waters that is now regarded to have been asserted possession of by China as a consequence of the stand-off in 2011, all the way to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) off the Palawan coast, over which China has built enormous naval and air installations, I could gape at a vista of a formidable military protective barrier against intruders. And what intruders can there be other than those comprising the G7, which already in quite a time has turned the region into veritable military exercise grounds.

In other words, what China has been building on the Western front of the Philippines' pregnability is a maritime wall through which no more Western power may come freely aggressing.

Given this evident Chinese military resolve to counter US machinations toward the Philippines (the Mutual Defense Treaty continues to be effective, ditto with its offspring treaties, the Visiting Forces Agreement [VFA] whose abrogation by President Duterte in August last year continues to be suspended to this day and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement [EDCA], which deals the country the paramount insult of having the very bases of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at the disposal of America for its military adventures in the Asia Pacific region; only America knows what war materials and capabilities it has coddled by the Philippine military in its bases, because American use of these facilities is not at all subject to inspection by Philippine authorities), it would be foolhardy to expect China to relent on its military buildup in the South China Sea.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/13/opinion/columns/the-chinese-tit-for-tat/1803009

US intelligence community meddling in COVID-19- lie that triggered Iraq War

Byorigins Zoey Zhang tracing Published: echoes Jun 12, 2021 05:17the PMtactic of ‘washing powder’

At the end of May, US President Joe Biden ordered the intelligence community to "redouble" its efforts in the investigation of the origin of COVID-19 and report back to him in 90 days.

In his statement, Biden called out China's name with no reservation about his true intentions, saying that the US will "keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China."

Coincidentally, former US president Donald Trump just reiterated his "lab-leak" conspiracy theory last week. He also demanded that China pay $10 trillion to "compensate" for the damage caused by the pandemic.

Ironically, while Biden's executive orders have continuously called to revoke Trumpism, his actions have been doubling down on Trump's legacy, for instance, by declaring the origins tracing of COVID-19 a thing of the CIA.

What the two administrations have done echoes the former president George W. Bush administration's "washing powder" lie, which was fabricated to legitimize the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226025.shtml

Putin's Russia is a trap China should avoid Strongman leaders get a lot worse after a decade in power Minxin Pei

June 13, 2021 05:00 JST

Diplomatic isolation has forced Putin into China's arms. © AP

Minxin Pei is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and a nonresident senior fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Putin-s-Russia-is-a-trap-China-should- avoid

Science must drive any investigation into the origin of Covid-19

 agents to investigate whether the disease emerged from UShuman President contact Joe with Biden’s an animal order orfor from American a laboratory intelligence accident is nothing but theatrics

SCMP Editorial Scientific ideas are subject to change if warranted by the evidence. A World Health Organization investigative team concluded the most plausible cause of the Covid-19 pandemic was a virus jumping from one animal species to another and then to humans. It considered a notion that the virus leaked from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan,

Furtherwhere the research first outbreak is needed occurred, before there“extremely can be unlikely”. a definitive conclusion and while it is being carried out, there is room only for science and truths, not conspiracy theories.

Politicians and others seeking personal gain have other ideas; a number blame Beijing for the study of infectious diseases, the Wuhan Institute of Virology. the coronavirus and the interest of many centres on China’s most important laboratory for They speculate the virus may have escaped by mistake or been intentionally released, theories that American and some other Western intelligence agencies consider a possibility.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137105/science-must- drive-any-investigation-origin-covid-19