Today’s News 16 April 2021 (Friday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 U.S. grants P170M for vaccine deployment D Tribune D24

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 2 FDA: AstraZeneca jabs should resume M Jaymalin P Star 1 3 DU30 lifts 9-year ban on new mining deals K Ocampo PDI A1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page 4 Phl banking on friendship with China to A Romero P Star 1 resolve reef issue 5 Roque: Time for ‘Private’ Diplomacy on L Salaverria PDI A6 SINO Vessels 6 ‘Duterte is dealing with China intrusion’ C Valente M Times A1 7 ‘Silent diplomacy’ Keeps peace at WPS M Blancaflor D Tribune A1 8 China won’t listen to subordinates, says ex- A Hachero Malaya A12 SC Justice 9 Fish depletion feared in WPS P Roxas N Times A7 10 ‘Not chase, but an escort’ J Garner D Tribune A6

D. INDO-PACIFIC Title Writer Newspaper Page 11 China top agenda of Bidem-Suga summit D Tribune B14 Taiwan to us officials: let`s counter china`s Reuters PDI A11 12 adventurous maneuvers`

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page 13 OCD distributes 97,000 COVID testing kits R Cabrera P Star 5 st PH-US J Andrade PDI A4 14 ‘Balikatan in a Bubble’ marks 1 Military exercise in 2 years PH, US troops prepare for defense treaty V Reyes Malaya A12 15 activation

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page P Journal 13 16 ‘Terrorist’ killed 4 others arrested in A Dalizon Maguindanao clash Romualdez lauds approval of amnesty R Pacpaco P Journal 7 17 program for 4 rebel groups 18 Romualdez thanks house colleagues R Pacpaco P Tonight 1 19 Marawi sting ops yield P6.8M shabu J Roson D Tribune B15

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 20 Insufficient proof J Sison P Star 7 21 How the monster was born LT. Gen Parlade, Jr. M Times A6 Generals should shut up on international M Times A1 22 R Tiglao disputes 23 Lesson to be learned V Ybiernas M Times A6 24 Just approach, not accost? P Journal 4 25 The other surge A Pamintuan P Star 6

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Filipino-Chinese News Program Airs https://www.onenews.ph/filipino-chinese-news- On ABS-CBN News Channel program-airs-on-abs-cbn-news- 26 channel?fbclid=IwAR0PBKRIbH3y3IYg7Qmk Wm0JKolvpsF9lZ_G0EcbWwBqj_P- 69dcLIF4pqE Chinese News TV airs on the ABS-CBN https://www.rappler.com/nation/chinese-news- 27 News Channel tv-airs-abs-cbn- channel#Echobox=1618385531 ABS-CBN News chief: Don’t equate https://www.rappler.com/nation/national- 28 airing of Chinatown News with West PH news/abs-news-chief-reyes-response- Sea incursions chinatown-news-abs-cbn-channel Palace mum on next move vs West PH https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/15/Dut 29 Sea intrusion, says no need to publicize erte-West-Philippine-Sea-private-diplomatic- Duterte's diplomatic affairs initiatives.html?fb Duterte’s exercise of diplomacy on https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/dutertes- 30 West PH Sea row is an exception to exercise-of-diplomacy-on-west-ph-sea-row-is- freedom of information — Roque an-exception-to-freedom-of-information-roque/ Palace expects Chinese vessels to https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/15 31 leave soon due to Philippines' friendship /2091395/palace-expects-chinese-vessels- withChina leave-soon-due-philippines-friendship-china China will only listen if Duterte speaks https://news.abs- up on West PH Sea incursion Carpio cbn.com/news/04/15/21/china-will-only-listen- 32 – if-duterte-speaks-up-on-west-ph-sea-incursion- carpio Duterte hinamon: Magsalita na vs China https://news.abs- bago pa masakop ang EEZ ng Pilipinas cbn.com/news/04/15/21/duterte-hinamon- 33 magsalita-na-vs-china-bago-pa-masakop-ang- eez-ng-pilipinas Palace on China's 'hype' quip: Presence https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio of Chinese vessels in West Philippine n/783859/palace-on-china-s-hype-quip- 34 Sea a fact presence-of-chinese-vessels-in-west- philippine-sea-is-a-fact/story/ Duterte admin effort 'not much' to assert https://news.abs- arbitral ruling on West PH Sea- solon cbn.com/news/04/15/21/duterte-admin-effort- 35 not-much-to-assert-arbitral-ruling-on-west-ph- sea-solon Potential backlash if Duterte reverses https://news.tv5.com.ph/politics/read/bad- 36 actions on West Philippine Sea, experts politics-potential-backlash-if-duterte-reverses- say actions-on-west-philippine-sea-experts-say Philippines lifts nine-year ban on new https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines- 37 mines to boost revenues mining/philippines-lifts-nine-year-ban-on-new- mines-to-boost-revenues-idUSKBN2C20DH Palace reminds Japan of principles of https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136867 38 int’l environmental law Duterte: PH facing a turmoil as end of https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/duterte-ph- 39 COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain facing-a-turmoil-as-end-of-covid-19-pandemic- remains-uncertain/ P180B foregone during two-week ECQ, https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 40 says Lopez stories/351974/p180b-foregone-during-two- week-ecq-says-lopez.html NAVY NEWS Worse than invasion’: Group warns of https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/worse-than- 41 fish shortage due to overfishing in PH invasion-group-warns-of-fish-shortage-due-to- waters overfishing-in-ph-waters/ https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/not 42 Not a chase, but an escort’ -a-chase-but-an-escort/ https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/sile 43 Silent diplomacy’ keeps peace at WPS nt-diplomacy-keeps-peace-at-wps/ PCG makes presence felt in Julian https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/15/pc 44 Felipe Reef g-makes-presence-felt-in-julian-felipe-reef/ China wants to 'overturn' arbitral ruling https://news.abs- by sending hundreds of ships to West cbn.com/news/04/15/21/china-wants-to- 45 PH Sea – Carpio overtrn-arbitral-ruling-by-sending-hundreds-of- ships-to-west-ph-sea-carpio SL, Visayas may be hit by severe https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/16/sl- 46 tropical storm ‘Bising’ visayas-may-be-hit-by-severe-tropical-storm- bising-ndrrmc-cites-precautions/ AFP RELATED De Lima hits AFP’s ‘shaky’ loyalty to https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/de-lima-hits- 47 PH; urges military to stand up vs. China afps-shaky-loyalty-to-ph-urges-military-to- stand-up-vs-china/ Philippines, US seek to revive "rock https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/new 48 solid" military alliance —Arevalo s/nation/783895/philippines-us-seek-to-revive- rock-solid-military-alliance-arevalo/story/ Filipino, American troops training in https://news.abs- case foreign attack triggers MDT cbn.com/news/04/15/21/filipino-american- 49 troops-training-in-case-foreign-attack-triggers- mdt PH reaffirms 'strong commitment' vs. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/113693 50 chemical weapons threats 7 NDRRMC orders local officials to https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/ndrrmc-orders- 51 prepare for ‘Bising’ local-officials-to-prepare-for-bising/ 40 vintage bombs found in junkshop in https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/40-vintage- 52 Isabela bombs-found-in-junkshop-in-isabela/ Mga gamit sa bomba ng umano'y NPA, https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/16/21/mga- 53 nakuhay sa Bukidnon gamit-sa-bomba-ng-umanoy-npa-nakuhay-sa- bukidnon Babaeng miyembro umano ng Abu https://news.abs- 54 Sayyaf, tiklo sa Sulu cbn.com/news/04/15/21/babaeng-miyembro- umano-ng-abu-sayyaf-tiklo-sa-sulu Soldiers, criminal group clash in https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regio 55 Zamboanga Sibugay —Wesmincom ns/783909/soldiers-criminal-group-clash-in- zamboanga-sibugay-wesmincom/story/ INDO PACIFIC NEWS Clinton, ex-DFA chief worry over PH https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 56 becoming China subject stories/351977/clinton-ex-dfa-chief-worry-over- ph-becoming-china-subject.html Ex-DFA chief Del Rosario shares https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/ex-dfa- 57 Clinton’s concern over China’s growing chief-del-rosario-shares-clintons-concern-over- influence in PH chinas-growing-influence-in-ph/ 'Not afraid to shoot': Migration raises https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- tension in Texas border town immigration-town-insight/not-afraid-to-shoot- 58 migration-raises-tension-in-texas-border-town- idUSKBN2C21E9 Lawmakers told US research funding https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech- falling behind China war/article/3129591/us-china-tech-war- 59 lawmakers-told-us-research-funding-falling- behind Biden emissary tells Tsai Ing-wen the https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 60 US is ‘a reliable and trusted friend’ of article/3129690/biden-emissary-tells-tsai-ing- Taiwan wen-us-reliable-and-trusted Biden to meet with S.Korea’s President https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/bid 61 Moon in May en-to-meet-with-s-koreas-president-moon-in- may/ US imposes sanctions on Moscow, https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- expels 10 Russian diplomats news/us-announces-sanctions-against- 62 moscow-expels-10-russian-diplomats- 101618489758837.html US sanctions Russia for 'malign' acts, https://www.jpost.com/international/us- 63 Moscow reacts angrily imposes-wide-array-of-sanctions-on-russia-for- malign-actions-665252 Joe Biden Proposes Meeting With https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden- Vladimir Putin This Summer for 'Stability proposes-meeting-vladimir-putin-this-summer- 64 Dialogue' stability-dialogue-1584039

Biden, Suga to send signal to assertive https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- 65 China at U.S.-Japan summit japan/biden-suga-to-send-signal-to-assertive- china-at-u-s-japan-summit-idUSKBN2C20GR Taiwan, climate and chips on the https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- agenda of Suga-Biden summit relations/Biden-s-Asia-policy/Taiwan-climate- 66 and-chips-on-the-agenda-of-Suga-Biden- summit US presses Japan to issue joint https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177 67 statement in support of Taiwan 706 Some 70% of Japanese want to take https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15 68 strong stance on China's intrusions /national/china-senkakus-sdf-defense/ As Suga heads to U.S., Japanese https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan- stocks with ties to China take a beating stocks-suga/as-suga-heads-to-u-s-japanese- 69 stocks-with-ties-to-china-take-a-beating- idUSKBN2C20EO Japan fishing communities alarmed https://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster- over plan to release Fukushima water fukushima-japan-fishermen/japan-fishing- 70 communities-alarmed-over-plan-to-release- fukushima-water-idUSKBN2C215N Tepco lapse a wake-up call for Japan's https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15 71 nuclear security protocols, expert says /national/nra-niigata-tepco-nuclear-security/ Suspected North Korean boats drifting https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15 72 ashore in Japan down amid pandemic /national/north-korea-boats/ Did Japan ignore viable alternatives of https://www.scmp.com/week- 73 dumping Fukushima water? asia/politics/article/3129641/did-japan-ignore- viable-alternatives-dumping-contaminated Virus could force Olympics https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2100131/ 74 cancellation, says top Japanese virus-could-force-olympics-cancellation-says- politician top-japanese-politician Beijing skies turn yellow as sand, dust https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china- engulf Chinese capital weather-duststorm/beijing-skies-turn-yellow- 75 as-sand-dust-engulf-chinese-capital- idUSKBN2C216P China's Xi to attend climate change https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china- summit video conference with France, diplomacy-climate/chinas-xi-to-attend-climate- 76 Germany - state media change-summit-video-conference-with-france- germany-state-media-idUSKBN2C20W6 Beijing's top official in Hong Kong warns https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong- foreign powers not to interfere security/beijings-top-official-in-hong-kong- 77 warns-foreign-powers-not-to-interfere- idUSKBN2C2069 Goose step and propaganda in schools https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hong-kong- 78 for Hong Kong’s national security day celebrates-first-national-security-day-with- goose-steps-cn38jwqfp Beijing prepares legal fightback as https://www.scmp.com/news/hong- Western governments weigh up 79 kong/politics/article/3129721/hong-kong- sanctioning Chinese officials over polls elections-beijing-prepares-legal-fightback reform China reveals foreigner jailed for 11 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/artic 80 years, mainland students arrested over le/3129717/china-reveals-foreigner-jailed-11- Hong Kong protests years-mainland-students China celebrates four years without a https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 81 violent terrorist incident article/3129726/china-celebrates-four-years- without-violent-terrorist-incident China Figures Out How to Produce https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-figures-out- 82 Must-See Propaganda TV how-to-produce-must-see-propaganda-tv- 11618488003 China will assess food safety threats https://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster- posed by Fukushima water release fukushima-china-commerce/china-will-assess- 83 – ministry food-safety-threats-posed-by-fukushima-water- release-ministry-idUSKBN2C20XC China summons Japan ambassador https://www.reuters.com/business/environment over plans to release contaminated /china-will-assess-food-safety-threats-posed- 84 Fukushima water into sea by-fukushima-water-release-ministry-2021-04- 15/ China says it shares stance with South https://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster- Korea opposing Japan's Fukushima fukushima-china/china-says-it-shares-stance- 85 water release with-south-korea-opposing-japans-fukushima- water-release-idUSKBN2C20SK South Korean fishmongers, opposition https://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster- party members voice concerns over fukushima-southkorea/south-korean- 86 Fukushima plans fishmongers-opposition-party-members-voice- concerns-over-fukushima-plans- idUSKBN2C21LS Taiwan tells Biden emissaries it will https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-taiwan- counter China's 'adventurous china/taiwan-tells-biden-emissaries-it-will- 87 manoeuvres' with U.S counter-chinas-adventurous-manoeuvres-with- u-s-idUSKBN2C207E Taiwan tells Biden emissaries it will https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 88 deter China threats with US relations/Taiwan-tells-Biden-emissaries-it-will- deter-China-threats-with-US TSMC chief blames geopolitical https://www.scmp.com/tech/big- tensions for chip shortage, plays down tech/article/3129710/tsmc-chief-blames- 89 threat from Intel and rival fabs geopolitical-tensions-chip-shortage-plays- down Taiwan’s MOFA makes 'solemn https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202104150026 90 representation' on Japan's radioactive water plans Cambodian PM Hun Sen warns ‘we are https://www.scmp.com/coronavirus/asia/article/ 91 on the brink of death’ 3129647/coronavirus-cambodian-pm-hun-sen- warns-we-are-brink-death-india From remote part of India, Myanmar's https://www.reuters.com/article/myanmar- ousted lawmakers work on challenging politics-india/exclusive-from-remote-part-of- 92 junta india-myanmars-ousted-lawmakers-work-on- challenging-junta-idUSKBN2C21GF Military crackdown hardens in https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar- 93 Mandalay Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Military- crackdown-hardens-in-Mandalay Myanmar junta taps Russian air power https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar- 94 to bomb ethnic rebels Coup/Myanmar-junta-taps-Russian-air-power- to-bomb-ethnic-rebels Myanmar's trade plunges because of https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar- virus and 'political changes' politics-economy/myanmars-trade-plunges- 95 because-of-virus-and-political-changes-paper- idUSKBN2C21DO Myanmar security forces arrest https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar- 96 prominent leader of anti-coup campaign politics/myanmar-security-forces-arrest- prominent-leader-of-anti-coup-campaign- idUSKBN2C20CJ In Place of New Year Festivities, https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/in-place-of- 97 Myanmar Protesters Mark the Fallen new-year-festivities-myanmar-protesters-mark- the-fallen/ Myanmar Charges Doctors Over Civil https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/myanmar- 98 Disobedience Protests charges-doctors-over-civil-disobedience- protests/ Myanmar coup: protest leader arrested, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 99 medical workers fired upon asia/article/3129642/myanmar-coup-security- forces-open-fire-medical-workers Rakhine State https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/rakhine-state- 100 – Southeast Asia’s Next Marawi? southeast-asias-next-marawi/ https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/bangladeshs- 101 Bangladesh’s Islamist Challenge Intensifies islamist-challenge-intensifies/ UAE is mediating between India and https://www.reuters.com/article/india-pakistan- Pakistan, says senior diplomat emirates/uae-is-mediating-between-india-and- 102 pakistan-says-senior-diplomat- idUSKBN2C20T7 https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/whats-in-the- 103 What’s in the New Russian Military Facility Chatter in Laos? new-russian-military-facility-chatter-in-laos/ New US sanctions won't 'help' Putin- https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2100187/ 104 Biden summit plans: Kremlin new-us-sanctions-wont-help-putin-biden- summit-plans-kremlin Russia Warns of 'Resolute Retaliation' https://www.newsweek.com/russia-warns- 105 After U.S. Announces Sanctions, resolute-retaliation-after-us-announces- Diplomat Expulsions sanctions-diplomat-expulsions-1583942 Russian ambassador says no famine in https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- North Korea, trade may resume soon russia/russian-ambassador-says-no-famine-in- 106 north-korea-trade-may-resume-soon- idUSKBN2C20IX EU mulls end to extradition treaties with https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 107 China over Hong Kong electoral reform, article/3129599/eu-mulls-end-extradition- but not every member state agrees treaties-china-over-hong-kong Romania approves bill to bar China, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-romania- 108 Huawei from 5G networks huawei/romania-approves-bill-to-bar-china- huawei-from-5g-networks-idUSKBN2C21NW What are the Iran nuclear talks all https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 109 about? news/explained-what-are-the-iran-nuclear- talks-all-about-101618477309909.html DEFENSE NEWS WPS swarming of Chinese ships proof https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/wps-swarming- 110 of China’s expansionist ambition — of-chinese-ships-proof-of-chinas-expansionist- research group ambition-research-group/ PH to lose maritime territory larger than https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/ph- 111 its total land area if it loses EEZ: Carpio to-lose-maritime-territory-larger-than-its-total- land-area-if-it-loses-eez-carpio In photos: Chinese maritime militia https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/15 112 ships remain in Julian Felipe Reef /2091379/photos-chinese-coast-guard- maritime-militia-ships-remain-julian-felipe-reef Not enough assets to patrol West PH https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/15/we 113 Sea, AFP admits st-philippine-sea-patrols-chinese- vessels.html?fb Palace on building structures in EEZ: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/16/pala Code on WPS priority ce-on-building-structures-in-eez-code-on-wps- 114 priority/

PH Navy gets green light to install US- https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1419195/ph-navy- 115 compatible operating technology on gets-green-light-to-install-us-compatible- new warships operating-technology-on-new-warships US comes to Philippines rescue in https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/us-comes-to- 116 South China Sea philippines-rescue-in-south-china-sea/ https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 117 China marks all over SCS’ stories/351978/-china-marks-all-over-scs-.html China Blinks As American, Philippine https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/0 Fleets Challenge Possible Reef-Seizure 4/15/china-blinks-as-american-philippine- 118 fleets-challenge-reef-seizure/?ss=aerospace- defense&sh=50169edd5531 Chinese Militia Vessels Departing https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/chinese- Contested South China Sea Reef 119 militia-vessels-departing-contested-south- china-sea-reef/

China Capable of 'Substantially https://www.newsweek.com/china-capable- 120 Subduing' U.S. at Sea, State Media substantially-subduing-u-s-sea-state-media- Boasts boasts-1583850 Hong Kong marks National Security https://www.scmp.com/news/hong- Education Day with anti-terrorism drills, kong/politics/article/3129602/hong-kong-must- 121 weapons displays for students as top show-resolve-defending-bottom-line-national official urges resolve in defending ‘bottom line’ Viral security drama of Chinese- https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 122 Canadian scientist who helped cure article/3129746/chinese-canadian-scientist- Ebola helped-cure-ebola-shes-now-centre China stuck at ‘low-end’ of international https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/31296 123 aviation sector 74/chinas-aviation-capabilities-stuck-low-end- military-civil-fusion-weighs China warns on US withdrawal from https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- Afghanistan news/terrorists-may-take-advantage-china- 124 warns-on-us-withdrawal-from-afghanistan- 101618491669642.html https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/china-puts- 125 China puts national security on HK’s curriculum national-security-on-hks-curriculum/ PLA shows determination in opposing https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1221 126 Biden's double-dealing trick of sending 212.shtml 'close friends' to Taiwan PLA exercise could be a rehearsal of https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1220 127 combat plan over the island: expert 962.shtml Taiwan navy's new amphibious vessel https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1221 128 'no match to PLA counterpart, of 053.shtml minimal threat' Did China Simulate An Attack On A https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/did-china- 129 U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier? simulate-an-attack-on-a-u-s-navy-aircraft- carrier/ Top US intelligence officer: China https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- increasingly a near-peer competitor news/china-increasingly-a-near-peer- 130 competitor-top-us-intelligence-officer- 101618475588940.html U.S. intelligence community: China is https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/04/1 working to undo global norms in its favor 5/United-States-intelligence-community- 131 Senate-hearing-China- worries/4131618455326/ Blinken says U.S. never intended to https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- keep troops in Afghanistan afghanistan-blinken-newsconferenc/blinken- 132 permanently says-u-s-never-intended-to-keep-troops-in- afghanistan-permanently-idUSKBN2C21UB 'Time to end the forever war': U.S., https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- allied troops to leave Afghanistan by afghanistan-withdrawal/time-to-end-the- 133 Sept. 11 forever-war-u-s-allied-troops-to-leave- afghanistan-by-sept-11-idUSKBN2C10DL U.S. has ability to keep eye on any https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us- 134 resurgence of al Qaeda in Afghanistan has-ability-keep-eye-any-resurgence-al-qaeda- -White House afghanistan-white-house-2021-04-15/ America’s Longest Foreign Wars https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/202 [Infographic] 1/04/15/americas-longest-foreign-wars- 135 infographic/?ss=aerospace- defense&sh=68085d9548f6 Report to US Congress on Russian https://news.usni.org/2021/04/15/report-to- 136 Foreign Policy congress-on-russian-foreign-policy Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S. https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2 137 Relations 0616184/russia-foreign-policy-and-us- relations-april-14-2021.pdf Seizure of Satellites Presented as https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/artic 138 Option to Defend U.S. Spacecraft les/2021/4/15/seizure-of-satellites-could-serve- as-option-to-defend-us-spacecraft Drone blast hits Iraq airport in new tactic https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/04/6 139 against US troops 82596/drone-blast-hits-iraq-airport-new-tactic- against-us-troops Joe Biden Will Support Taiwan Self- https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-will- 140 Defense: U.S. Delegation support-taiwan-self-defense-us-delegation- 1583752 U.S. security cooperation with Taiwan https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202104150006 141 to strengthen: State Department U.S., French Carrier Strike Groups https://www.navalnews.com/naval- 142 Conduct Dual Carrier Operations news/2021/04/u-s-french-carrier-strike-groups- conduct-dual-carrier-operations/ Navies of the ‘Quad’ can swing together https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de to tackle any threat in Indo-Pacific: Top fence/navies-of-the-quad-can-swing-together- 143 Indian, US commanders to-tackle-any-threat-in-indo-pacific-top-indian- us-commanders/articleshow/82083877.cms US Marines Begin Experimentation to https://news.usni.org/2021/04/15/marines- 144 Refine Manual for Expeditionary begin-experimentation-to-refine-manual-for- Advanced Base Operation expeditionary-advanced-base-operations US Marine Corps Tentative Manual For https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2 145 Expeditionary Advanced Base 0616385/tm-eabo-first-edition-rev- Operations 20210211.pdf US Marine Aviation is Naval Aviation https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 146 021/april/marine-aviation-naval-aviation US fighter jet fires longest air-to-air https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united- 147 missile ‘kill’ shot – but the distance is states-canada/article/3129643/us-fighter-jet- secret fires-longest-air-air-missile-kill US Coast Guard Beating Drum for More https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/artic 148 Resources les/2021/4/15/coast-guard-beating-drum-for- more-resources Naval Intelligence for Maritime COIN https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 149 021/april/naval-intelligence-maritime-coin Taiwan President: China's military https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- activities threaten regional stability news/chinas-military-activities-threaten- 150 regional-stability-taiwan-president- 101618456465126.html Taipei tells Biden’s delegate it will https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/3129742/tai 151 counter ‘provocations’ with US amid pei-tells-bidens-delegate-it-will-counter- Beijing’s military moves provocations-us-amid-beijings Taiwan MND: No defense alert during https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 152 US talks ves/2021/04/16/2003755801 Taiwan legislator warns of security risks https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177 153 from China-made teaching aids 857 ew indigenous fighter jet https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202104150012 154 Taiwan’s n under development Taiwan's development of its next- https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177 155 generation fighter ahead of schedule 818 EU concerned over PRC military https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 156 deployments near Taiwan ves/2021/04/16/2003755807 Japan's GSDF to conduct nationwide https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15 157 drills for first time in 30 years /national/gsdf-china-defense/ Japan troops to conduct nationwide https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/04/ 158 drills for first time in 30 years 15/japan-troops-to-conduct-nationwide-drills- for-first-time-in-30-years.html Debate heats up over SoKor Navy's https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 159 proposal to develop light aircraft carrier /04/205_307251.html North Korea may resume nuclear, ICBM https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 160 testing: US intelligence chief /04/103_307186.html North Korea slams Japan over renewed https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 161 claims to Dokdo /04/103_307211.html India will not get pushed under any https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de pressure: CDS Gen Rawat on Ladakh fence/india-will-not-get-pushed-under-any- 162 standoff with China pressure-cds-gen-rawat-on-ladakh-standoff- with-china/articleshow/82085859.cms India's military chief concerned about https://www.reuters.com/article/usa- 163 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan afghanistan-withdrawal-india/indias-military- chief-concerned-about-u-s-pullout-from- afghanistan-idUSKBN2C218V India army chief: China tried to wage https://www.scmp.com/week- 164 ‘undeclared war’ on India with asia/politics/article/3129738/china-tried-wage- cyberattacks undeclared-war-against-india-through India, Pakistan held secret talks to try to https://www.reuters.com/article/india-pakistan- break Kashmir impasse peace/exclusive-india-pakistan-held-secret- 165 talks-to-try-to-break-kashmir-impasse- idUSKBN2C12DZ Myanmar Navy conducted Sea Shield https://mobile.facebook.com/story.php?story_f 166 Naval Exercise bid=226058872638179&id=100132588564142 &_rdc=1&_rdr Australian Navy in hot water over https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/a 167 twerking dancers rticle/3129709/australian-navy-and-abc-hot- water-over-twerking-dancers-ship Digital Identity Is A National Security https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/digital- 168 Issue identity-is-a-national-security-issue/ Hardware Trojans and Supply Lines https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 169 021/april/hardware-trojans-and-supply-lines How to Think About Next Generation https://defense.info/featured- Autonomous Systems in the Evolving story/2021/04/how-to-think-about-next- 170 Defense Landscape generation-autonomous-systems-in-the- evolving-defense-landscape-the-perspective- of-marcus-hellyer/ Smaller armies and better defenses in a https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/04/ 171 new world 15/commentary/world-commentary/defense-u- k-cybersecurity-terrorism-war/ Can Smaller Countries Produce https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/can-smaller- 172 Competitive Fighters? countries-produce-competitive-fighters/ Asia's Nightmare: Could China https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/asias- 173 Successfully Invade Taiwan? nightmare-could-china-successfully-invade- taiwan-182807 Do not trust Communist China — https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/citi 174 history zen-barok-by-louis-biraogo/351969/do-not- trust-communist-china-history.html Preparing for the worst https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/15/opinio 175 n/columnists/preparing-for-the-worst/863911/ COVID NEWS ALAMIN: Magkano ang gastos para sa https://news.abs- 176 pasyenteng naoospital sa COVID-19? cbn.com/news/04/15/21/alamin-magkano- gastos-pasyenteng-naoospital-covid-19 Experts suggest upgrading RT-PCR https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/experts- 177 machines to detect new COVID-19 suggest-upgrading-rt-pcr-machines-to-detect- variant new-covid-19-variant/ IATF Starts Distribution Of Virgin https://www.onenews.ph/iatf-starts-distribution- 178 Coconut Oil To Hospitals of-virgin-coconut-oil-to-hospitals More clinical trials sought for VCO as https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/16 179 COVID-19 cure /2091485/more-clinical-trials-sought-vco-covid- 19-cure FAQs on how to manage common https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/faqs-on-how-to- 180 COVID-19 side effects manage-common-covid-19-side-effects/ UK scientists find higher risk of brain https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health- clots from COVID-19 compared with coronavirus-vaccines-clots/uk-scientists-find- 181 vaccines higher-risk-of-brain-clots-from-covid-19- compared-with-vaccines-idUSKBN2C21IH What you need to know about the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health- coronavirus right now coronavirus-snapshot/what-you-need-to-know- 182 about-the-coronavirus-right-now- idUSKBN2C00GH Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 183 Across the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 184 Coast Guard duty: interdict Chinese https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/04/16/2 militia, escort Filipinos 091460/coast-guard-duty-interdict-chinese- militia-escort-filipinos 185 Territorial dispute already ‘resolved’ at https://opinion.inquirer.net/139334/territorial- The Hague dispute-already-resolved-at-the-hague 186 Coveting PH, then and now https://opinion.inquirer.net/139374/coveting- ph-then-and-now 187 With Taiwan and Ukraine, Joe Biden https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de administration faces global test fence/with-taiwan-and-ukraine-joe-biden- administration-faces-global- test/articleshow/82084945.cms 188 A Quad-plus-6 Indo-Pacific strategy https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/ar chives/2021/04/16/2003755778 189 How much does Myanmar’s coup https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-much- threaten ASEAN’s credibility? does-myanmars-coup-threaten-aseans- credibility/ 190 Why Renewing American Innovation? https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-renewing- The “Endless Frontier Act” and Biden’s american-innovation-endless-frontier-act-and- Bid for Maintaining U.S. Global bidens-bid-maintaining-us-global Competitiveness 191 Games States Play in Cyberspace https://www.csis.org/analysis/games-states- play-cyberspace 192 How will Covid-19 and the coup affect https://www.scmp.com/week- China’s Myanmar investments? asia/economics/article/3129590/how-will-covid- 19-and-coup-affect-chinas-belt-and-road 193 Balancing US-China tech rivalry is https://www.scmp.com/week- getting more complex in the Middle asia/opinion/article/3129476/middle-east-goes- East digital-balancing-china-and-us-tech-gets- harder 194 My Word: Positive nuclear exposure https://www.jpost.com/opinion/my-word- and fallout positive-nuclear-exposure-and-fallout-665275

Filipino-Chinese News Program Airs On ABS-CBN News Channel

The program is in Mandarin Chinese and will air on ABS-CBN News Channel from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every Monday to Friday.

Franz Lewin Embudo

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Screengrab of the April 14, 2021 airing of Chinatown News TV on ABS-CBN News Channel

ABS-CBN Corp.’s cable news channel has started airing Chinatown News TV on Monday, April 12, after the broadcasting network entered into an agreement with a Filipino-Chinese media company.

The program is in Mandarin Chinese and will air on ABS-CBN News Channel from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every Monday to Friday.

According to its website, Chinatown News TV (CNTV) aims to “promote shared Filipino-Chinese culture,” support Beijing’s One Belt One Road or OBOR advocacy and keep the public informed on current events both in the Philippines and abroad.

OBOR is an ambitious economic development and commercial project adopted by the Chinese government in 2013. It focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among international organizations in nearly 70 countries spread across the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.

CNTV – produced by Horizon of the Sun Communications Inc. – is the first news program that regularly reports Philippine headlines in Mandarin.

The news show also reports international headlines using Mandarin as the principal language, with English and Filipino as supporting languages. It is also aired on NET 25 (Sky Cable Channel 18, Destiny Cable Channel 19, Cignal Cable Channel 14) at 7 a.m. CNTV said on its website that “our target audiences are Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs, parents, and families who check the news every morning before they start their day.”

“We would like to encourage the youth to make watching the morning news their habit, as well as become an avenue for Filipinos who are interested to learn more about Chinese news and culture,” it added.

But the agreement did not sit well with some netizens as some said the timing was unfortunate given the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea.

Critics pointed out that the agreement could be an opportunity for the Chinese government to push its interests through the OBOR advocacy.

On Wednesday night, April 14, ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs chief Regina “Ging” Reyes addressed the issue and explained that the airing of CNTV should not be equated with the Chinese intrusions in the West Philippine Sea.

“I understand the concerns on Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea and many other issues related to the country’s relations with China. ABS- CBN News has vigorously covered these issues, in our pursuit of truth and public enlightenment,” Reyes said in a tweet.

Reyes noted ABS-CBN retains its editorial control over the content ofChinatown News to provide national news stories and ensure the accuracy of the translation from Mandarin to English subtitles.

She also said “we resist discrimination against any race or ethnicity” in approving the airing of the newscast.

“Chinatown News is produced by fellow Filipinos who belong to the Filipino- Chinese community. They are part of Philippine society,” she said.

“Rather than belittle their attempt to provide a service to their local community,” Reyes said “it’s time we considered embracing the diversity of this land we all call home.” In a separate statement released earlier on Wednesday, ABS-CBNsaid the agreement is part of the channel’s strategy to grow and serve its various audiences.

“ANC entered into a partnership with a Filipino-Chinese production group for the airing of Chinatown News TV or CNTV, a community newscast that brings relevant hyperlocal stories relevant to Filipino-Chinese audiences,” it said.

In September 2017, CNTV launched the country’s first-ever trilingual news program to promote Filipino-Chinese culture and keep the public informed on current events both here and abroad.

“Chinese News TV” was the first regular show reporting international and local headlines in Mandarin Chinese as the principal language, with English and Filipino as supporting languages.

CNTV is the only 60-minute Filipino-Chinese lifestyle TV show in the country. It said it started out as a co-produced show with NBN 4 under the name “AM@NBN” in 2001. After one year, due to NBN’s change of station format into a sports channel, the show was transferred to IBC 13 and rebranded as “AM@IBC”. It has continued to air on IBC 13 since then.

“Over the years, we have gone through several format improvements to keep ourselves updated with the fast-paced transformations of modern society,” it said, adding that from AM@IBC, it became “CHI,” “FIL CHI” until 2012, “when we evolved into today’s” CNTV.

The CNTV lifestyle show airs every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on NET 25 with replays every Sunday at 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on IBC 13.

IATF Starts Distribution Of Virgin Coconut Oil To Hospitals https://www.onenews.ph/filipino-chinese-news-program-airs-on-abs-cbn-news- channel?fbclid=IwAR0PBKRIbH3y3IYg7QmkWm0JKolvpsF9lZ_G0EcbWwBqj_P-69dcLIF4pqE

Chinese News TV airs on the ABS-CBN News Channel

APR 14, 2021 3:30 PM PHT CAMILLE ELEMIA

INFO

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

(3rd UPDATE) Chinese News TV, owned by a Filipino-Chinese company, aims to promote shared culture and spread Beijing's One Belt One Road advocacy ADVERTISEMENT

The ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) has entered into an agreement with a Filipino-Chinese media company to air "Chinese News TV (CNTV)," a nightly weekday news program delivered mainly in Mandarin Chinese.

CNTV began airing on the cable news channel on Monday, April 12. According to its

h and Filipino as supporting languages. website, “CNTV is the first news program that regularly reports Philippine headlines in

Mandarin Chinese.” It also uses Englis It aims to promote shared Filipino- One Belt One Road “ Chinese culture” and “spread the Europe, connecting China on land and over water to partners in Asia, Europe, and advocacy,” China's initiative that aims to link the economic circles in East Asia and Africa. – –

https://www.rappler.com/nation/chinese-news-tv-airs-abs-cbn-channel#Echobox=1618385531

ABS- Chinatown News with West PH Sea incursions CBN News chief: Don’t equate airing of APR 15, 2021 9:56 AM PHT CAMILLE ELEMIA

INFO MANILA, PHILIPPINES

'We resist discrimination against any race or ethnicity…. Chinatown News is produced by fellow Filipinos who belong to the Filipino-Chinese community,' says ABS-CBN News chief Ging Reyes ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs chief Ging Reyes explained their move to partner with a Chinese language newscast owned and produced by a Filipino-Chinese company.

Reyes said the airing of Chinese News TV (later renamed Chinatown News TV) on the ABS- C

BN News Channel (ANC) “should not be equated with the intrusions in the West

Philippine Sea” and cautioned against racial discrimination. es Sea & many other issues related to the count ABS-CBN News has vigorously covered “I understand the concerns on Chinese incursions in the West Philippin

ry’s relationsADVERTISEMENT with China. these issues, in our pursuit of truth and public enlightenment,” Reyes said on Twitter. by fellow Filipinos who belong to the Filipino-Chinese community. They are part of “But we resist discrimination against any race or ethnicity…. Chinatown News is produced Philippine society. Rather than belittle their attempt to provide a service to their local bracing the diversity of this land we all call she added. community, it’s time we considered em home,”

She also assured the public that ANC has editorial control over their content. CNTV, launched in 2017, began airing on the cable news channel on Monday, April 12. NTV is the first news program that regularly reports Philippine

According to its website, “C headlines in Mandarin Chinese.” It also uses English and Filipino as supporting languages. CNTV is produced by Horizon of the Sun Communications, Incorporated, the same team behind Chinatown TV, which produced the controversial Iisang Dagat (One Sea) video a

– neighbors across the sea" during the coronavirus pandemic. song in Mandarin and Filipino that touted the two countries’ partnership as "friendly

CNTV aims to promote shared Filipino- One Belt One Road of China “ Chinese culture” and “spread the

advocacy” – a point that was later omitted from CNTV’s website. CNTV and ANC also later changed all mention of "Chinese News TV" in their platforms to "Chinatown News TV." However, CNTV's website still reflected its original name in its URL.

Chinese News TV had been airing on ANC for two days before changing their name to Chinatown News TV.

Filipinos remain skeptical of China despite President Rodrigo Duterte's closer ties to the regional giant, which has continued militarization in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com

https://www.rappler.com/nation/national-news/abs-news-chief-reyes-response-chinatown-news-abs- cbn-channel

Palace mum on next move vs West PH Sea intrusion, says no need to publicize Duterte's diplomatic affairs By CNN Philippines Staff Published Apr 15, 2021 3:06:44 PM

2

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15) — Amid rising tensions with China over its lingering vessels in the West Philippine Sea, Filipinos remain uncertain on President Rodrigo Duterte's next move. But how much are they allowed to know?

In a briefing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte is not obliged to announce to the public his next diplomatic initiatives as the chief architect of foreign policy.

"Ang larangan ng diplomasya, isang exception to freedom of information. Kung ano man ang ginagawa ng presidente, hayaan na lang nating gawin niya iyon sa pribadong paraan," Roque insisted. "Hindi naman po dapat inaanunsyo sa publiko ang diplomatic initiatives o anumang hakbang na ginagawa ng Pangulo."

[Translation: The field of diplomacy is an exception to freedom of information. Whatever the President does, let's leave it up to him and let him solve it in a private manner. The public does not need to be informed about the next diplomatic initiatives or steps that are being done by the President.]

"Let's leave the President to his devices," Roque added. "Napakita naman po niya na (He was able to show that) so far in the past five years of his administration, we have moved from a position of antagonism with China to a position of friendship."

In a separate statement, Roque claimed that the Duterte administration "has always been consistent in invoking Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights over West Philippine Sea."

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros recently said Duterte's position on the West Philippine Sea does not count as "foolish," but should rather be described as "deliberately weak" as he behaved "largely like a doormat" to China despite its incursions.

Over the last half decade, Duterte has maintained his soft stance on China. Roque earlier said Duterte and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian tackled the issue in a "scheduled social call" last month, but he did not expound on the details of the conversation.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has previously summoned the Chinese envoy over the lingering presence of China's maritime vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef, also known as the Whitsun Reef. It reiterated its demand for the immediate departure of other Chinese vessels in other maritime zones of the Philippines.

The Philippine government already filed a series of diplomatic protests against China over the continued presence of more than 200 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing continues to reject the landmark ruling of the arbitral tribunal in The Hague which recognized in 2016 the Philippines' sovereign rights in areas within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/15/Duterte-West-Philippine-Sea-private-diplomatic- initiatives.html?fb

Duterte’s exercise of diplomacy on West PH Sea row is an exception to freedom of information — Roque

Published April 15, 2021, 2:33 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos Malacañang said President Duterte’s possible courses of action to address the tension in the West Philippine Sea are covered by the exemption to freedom of information.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (OPS / FILE PHOTO)

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after the National Task Force- West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported that at least 240 suspected Chinese militia vessels were lingering in the disputed waters.

In his press briefing on Thursday, Roque said the President’s exercise of diplomatic initiatives are not covered by freedom of information.

“Ang larangan ng diplomasya, isang (Diplomacy is an) exception to freedom of information,” he said.

“Kaya po ‘yan (It is) covered by exception, dahil (because) the President must make the right decision no matter what. So let’s leave the President to his devices,” he added.

Roque, however, remained hopeful that the issue will be settled through the friendship that the Philippines has cultivated with China.

“In the past five years of his administration, we have moved from a position of antagonism with China to a position of friendship. Malaki naman po ang mapapakinabang natin ngayong nakakapag-usap tayo ng bansang China (We have gained so much now that we are able to talk with China),” he said.

“Inaasahan po natin na yung malapit na pagkakaibigan natin ang magiging dahilan kung bakit sila ay aalis nang mas maaga kaysa mas matagal (We expect that our close friendship will be the way for their vessels to leave the area sooner than later),” he added.

Meanwhile, the Palace official said that the Philippines remains committed to the crafting of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. On Friday, Roque said that the NTF-WPS has always been consistent in invoking Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights over the disputed waters.

In September last year, President Duterte earned praises for asserting in the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) the Philippines’ rights over the disputed South China Sea even though Beijing would not budge and continues to reject the 2016 Arbitral Ruling.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/dutertes-exercise-of-diplomacy-on-west-ph-sea-row-is-an-exception- to-freedom-of-information-roque/

Palace expects Chinese vessels to leave soon due to Philippines' friendship with China Alexis Romero (Philstar.com) - April 15, 2021 - 5:35pm MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Thursday expressed confidence that Chinese ships would leave Julian Felipe Reef because of the friendship between the Philippines and China as it urged the public to allow President Rodrigo Duterte to address the issue.

Last month, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea revealed that more than 200 Chinese ships were spotted at the Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The Philippines has protested the presence of the ships at the reef, an area where it is supposed to enjoy the exclusive right to exploit or conserve resources. China has insisted that the area is part of what it calls Nansha island and that the ships were just seeking refuge from the "bad weather."

Business groups have joined calls for China to withdraw its vessels from the area, saying Julian Felipe Reef is "historically and by law undisputed Philippine territory, as was most clearly established in the 2016 ruling based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The joint statement, which was signed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Management Association of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Filipina CEO Circle, Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development, Judicial Reform Initiative, Iloilo Business Club, and Cebu Business Club, also called on China to "refrain from becoming an imperial power."

Asked during a press briefing Thursday when the Palace expects the Chinese ships to leave the West Philippine Sea, presidential spokesman Harry Roque replied: "Well hindi ko po masasabi iyan ‘no pero inaasahan po natin na iyong malapit na pagkakaibigan natin magiging dahilan kung bakit sila ay aalis nang mas maaga kaysa na mas matagal (I cannot say when but we expect that the close friendship will be the reason why they will leave sonner and not later)."

Roque said Duterte should be given the chance to resolve the dispute but declined to provide details on how the president intends to do so. "The field of diplomacy is an exception to freedom (of) information. Whatever the president is doing, let us allow him to do it privately and whatever diplomatic initiatives being undertaken by the president should not be made public. It is covered by the exception because the president must make the right decision no matter what," the Palace spokesman said.

"So let’s leave the president to his devices. We have seen that so far, in the past five years of his administration, we have moved from a position of antagonism with China to a position of friendship and we have benefited a lot from the talks with China," he added.

Roque reiterated that the Philippines remains committed to the codification of a binding code of conduct for South China Sea claimants.

Duterte has been forging warmer ties with China in a move that officials said is consistent with the Philippines' independent foreign policy. Critics have accused Duterte of abandoning the Philippines' claims in the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese aid but officials deny this, saying he won't surrender "even an inch" of the country's territory to foreigners.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/15/2091395/palace-expects-chinese-vessels-leave-soon- due-philippines-friendship-china

China will only listen if Duterte speaks up on West PH Sea incursion - Carpio ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 12:16 PM MANILA - Despite strongly worded statements and diplomatic protests following reports of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea, China would still believe it has President Rodrigo Duterte as its ally because he is not speaking himself, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Thursday.

With fresh reports on vessels swarming the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Carpio said China "is showing to the world it doesn’t care about international law, it doesn’t care about world opinion and it has President Duterte as its ally."

Earlier this month, when hundreds of ships were first sighted at the Julian Felipe Reef, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana demanded that the vessels leave the West Philippine Sea, saying he was "no fool" and that there were "no other reason" for the Chinese to stay there when the weather was clear.

The Department of Foreign Affairs recently filed 2 diplomatic protests against China over the presence of some 240 Chinese ships across the West Philippine Sea reported on Tuesday and their remaining vessels at Julian Felipe Reef.

"But the spokesperson of President Duterte said this can be settled among friends. That means Malacañang is downplaying this whole incident, that this can be settled among friends. This is a very important national issue, our sovereign rights are involved, our sovereignty is involved," Carpio told ANC's Headstart when asked about the stance taken by the DFA and the Department of National Defense.

"The President must speak. He must stand up himself because if his subordinates do the talking China will not listen because China will listen only to the leader of the nation. If the President is silent, then China will continue," he said.

While Duterte speaking out would not guarantee that Chinese vessels would leave, the "Chinese will take us seriously."

"They will feel the heat because they will lose a friend if the President will speak," he said.

Carpio was part of the team that argued for the Philippines' maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea before The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. The verdict, handed down in 2016, invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

According to onlookers, Duterte set aside this award to seek closer ties with Asia's largest economy.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/china-will-only-listen-if-duterte-speaks-up-on-west-ph-sea- incursion-carpio Duterte hinamon: Magsalita na vs China bago pa masakop ang EEZ ng Pilipinas ABS-CBN News MAYNILA — Panahon na para magsalita: iyan ang hamon ni dating Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte pagdating sa ilegal na aktibidad ng China sa West Philippine Sea.

Ayon kay Carpio, malinaw na sinasamantala ng China ang pandemya para palakasin ang presensiya nito sa lugar.

Nagmamadali rin umano sila na tapusin ang mga estruktura nito sa West Philippine Sea sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon dahil alam nila na walang gagawin tungkol dito si Duterte.

Kung magkataon, ayon kay Carpio, posible umanong mawala ang 80 porsiyento ng exclusive economic zone (EEZ), na mas malaki pa sa total land area ng Pilipinas, kung hindi ipagtatanggol ng gobyerno ang teritoryo.

"The spokesperson of President Duterte said, this can be settled among friends, downplaying this whole incident that it can be settled. But this is a very important national issue, our sovereign rights are involved. The President must speak, stand up himself. If he will not talk, China will not listen. China will only listen to the President and if the President is silent, China will continue," ani Carpio.

Pero ayon sa Malacañang, hayaan na lang ang Pangulo na gumalaw nang pribado pagdating sa isyu ng China at West Philippine Sea.

Hindi na umano ito kailangang ipaalam sa taumbayan.

"Ang larangan ng diplomasya, isang exception to freedom of information. Kung ano man ang ginagawa ng Presidente, hayaan na nating gawin niya iyon sa isang pribadong pamaraan dahil hindi naman po dapat inaanunsiyo sa publiko kung ano 'yung mga diplomatic initiatives at hakbang na ginagawa ng Pangulo," ani Palace spokesperson Harry Roque.

Pero nang tanungin kung kailan inaasahan ng Palasyo na tuluyang lalayas ang mga barko ng Chinese maritime militia sa West Philippine Sea, hindi ito masagot.

"Hindi ko po masasabi 'yan pero inaasahan po natin na 'yung malapit na pagkakaibigan natin ang magiging dahilan kung bakit sila ay aalis nang mas maaga kaysa mas matagal," ani Roque.

Nakarating na sa Julian Felipe reef noong Abril 13 ang 3 barko ng Pilipinas sa gitna ng patuloy na presensiya roon ng Chinese vessels.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/duterte-hinamon-magsalita-na-vs-china-bago-pa-masakop- ang-eez-ng-pilipinas Palace on China's 'hype' quip: Presence of Chinese vessels in West Philippine Sea a fact

By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA News Published April 15, 2021 3:40pm The presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea is a "statement of fact," Malacañang said Thursday after the Chinese Foreign Ministry appealed to Philippines officials to stop "hyping up" the issue.

spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing when asked to comment on Chinese“The presence Foreign of Ministry Chinese vesselsspokespersonis a statement Zhao Lijian's of fact,” remark presidential.

In an April 13 briefing, Lijian said, "We hope certain Philippine officials can stop hyping up the issue and avoid producing a negative impact on bilateral relations and peace and stability in the South China Sea."

The remark came amid demands from the Philippines for Chinese vessels - - numbering more than 240 as of last count, according to officials -- to leave Philippine waters.

Roque said the Palace could not say when the Chinese vessels will leave West Philippine Sea despite the repeated calls and diplomatic protests filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs against China. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/783859/palace-on-china-s-hype-quip-presence-of- chinese-vessels-in-west-philippine-sea-is-a-fact/story/

Duterte admin effort 'not much' to assert arbitral ruling on West PH Sea- solon ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 11:55 AM

Chinese vessels are seen on March 22, 2021 in the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the "incursion" violates the Philippines' maritime rights as the vessels are encroaching into Manila's sovereign territory. Courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines MANILA - The Duterte administration's effort to assert the landmark 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea has been wanting, a lawmaker said Thursday.

"I do not really say it was a mistake but there was not much effort to do so. But now because of the incursion of the Chinese government, basically China, in our West Philippine Sea, that's why we are now trying really to exercise our rights," Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria told ANC.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidating its historical nine-dash line claim. China has refused to honor the ruling, instead ramping up island-building and militarization activities in the waters

The West Philippine Sea is the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, a major trade route that is believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits.

Sagarbarria, who chairs the House special committee on the West Philippine Sea, said there are 2 proposed measures in the House that aim to protect the country's maritime territory amid Chinese incursions.

First, House Bill 8018 seeks to establish sea lanes in the country's archipelagic waters, which will set limits on the entry and passage of foreign ships and aircraft, he said.

A measure that will declare and define maritime zones under the country's jurisdiction also remain pending in Congress, he added.

"These 2 bills are going to be the ones that will determine for our government to exercise our rights over the West Philippine Sea as a whole," the lawmaker said.

Sagarbarria also bared they had yet to receive a report from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea about the swarm of Chinese ships across the country's EZZ. "I read it through the papers but not officially coming from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea... We are planning to have a report on this coming May when we go back after our recess," he said.

On Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs filed 2 diplomatic protests against China over the presence of some 240 Chinese ships across the West Philippine Sea, including their remaining vessels at Julian Felipe Reef.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila had denied allegations the vessels are part of Beijing's militia, describing them as fishing vessels taking shelter due to “rough sea conditions.” It also insisted that the reef is part of their territory.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, earlier pointed out that the ships have remained despite fair weather in the area.

Since assuming office in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte has forged friendlier ties with China, shelving the maritime disputes in favor of economic aid and investments from the world's second largest economy. — with reports from Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/duterte-admin-effort-not-much-to-assert-arbitral-ruling-on- west-ph-sea-solon

‘BAD POLITICS’ | Potential backlash if Duterte reverses actions on West Philippine Sea, experts say

April 15, 2021 , 02:13 PM

(April 15, 2021) – A political backlash could happen should President Rodrigo Duterte reverses the statements given by some government officials on the West Philippine Sea dispute, political analysts said on Wednesday.

Duterte has been largely quiet about the issue, although Department of Foreign Affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Department of National Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana have already issued aggressive rebukes of China’s continued presence in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

But if Duterte decides to go on a more lenient route, it could spell some trouble.

“I’ll wear my hat as a political consultant, that will be bad politics and he (Duterte) will lose support from the Filipino people,” said Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies. “The problem is we see strong statements from Secretary Lorenzana and Secretary Locsin, but at the end of the day, who is the chief architect? That’s the president, and he seems quiet on these things.”

Mahit, however, added it is unlikely that the Malacañang will repivot its stance on the West Philippine Sea issue, theorizing that saving face could be Duterte’s main priority.

“I don’t see it that way. I see the leadership of Secretary Lorenzana. Maybe it’s his personal stand on his part and maybe the Malacañang is hiding behind it. But still, we would like to see our own government (act),” said Manhit. “Parang why do we hate ourselves? Parang tayo nagtuturuan, walang nangyayari. Ang problema ayaw i-report or palakihin ng gobyerno dahil mapapahiya sila.”

Last week, Lorenzana told China to “get out immediately” after 44 vessels were still found at Julian Felipe Reef, a stark contrast to his previous conservative statements.

A recent report by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea showed at least 240 vessels from China are still in the country’s maritime territory, prompting Locsin to file another diplomatic protest, the second one in three weeks.

Prof. Renato De Castro of De La Salle University admitted that there hasn’t been much progress in terms of handling the maritime dispute, saying it’s unlikely that China will leave the West Philippine Sea, especially with the resources that they have.

“China is very much aware that there are two battle groups, US (United States) Navy groups in the South China Sea. And of course, you also have comments from the Australian ambassador, from Japan, so China is taking note of this, but this is a case of one step forward, two steps backward,” said De Castro. “Hindi ‘yan iiwan ng China, we have to watch out. This might be a tactical victory on our part, but for how long? We’re dealing with a very determined, resourceful, and also a wealthy opponent.”

De Castro said the way to address the issue is to have the government respond as a whole, with Duterte at the forefront, and not just different government officials voicing their opinions.

“I think the starting point, is that it starts here. If our government is really determined to challenge China. But if you have different voices coming out in government, then we have a problem,” said De Castro.

(Kiko Demigillo/PM)

https://news.tv5.com.ph/politics/read/bad-politics-potential-backlash-if-duterte-reverses-actions-on- west-philippine-sea-experts-say

Philippines lifts nine-year ban on new mines to boost revenues

ReutersEnrico Cruz 3 minutes read

A view of nickel ore stockpiles at DMCI Mining Corporation's mine in Sta Cruz Zambales in northern Philippines February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted a moratorium on new mineral agreements imposed in 2012, reopening the door to investments in a move that will boost state coffers but has dismayed environmental activists.

The Philippines, the top supplier of nickel ore to China and a major producer of copper and gold, imposed the moratorium while the government worked on legislation to boost the state's share of mining revenues. Since 2018, the excise tax on minerals has doubled to 4%.

Duterte's new executive order allows new mining deals and reviews of existing contracts for possible renegotiation. It also directs the environment ministry to formulate terms and conditions and to strictly implement rules on mine safety and environmental policies.

Mining is a highly contentious issue in the Philippines after past cases of environmental mismanagement fuelled a strong lobby against the industry led by local governments, legislators, advocacy groups and the Catholic church.

Shortly after coming to office in 2016, Duterte warned miners to follow tighter environmental rules or be shut down and the new executive order does not undo a ban on new open pit mines.

More than a third of the Philippines' total land area of 30 million hectares has been identified as having "high mineral potential", according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and less than 5% of the Philippines' mineral reserves is estimated to have been extracted so far.

Several pending mining projects will now proceed to the development and commercial extraction stages, MGB Director Wilfredo Moncano said.

"This will not, however, mean that the protection of the environment and safety will be taken lightly," he said.

Scrambling for funds for infrastructure projects and to help support the pandemic-hit economy, the government has pushed for the revival and sale of idle state mining projects.

"(The executive order) will help bring the Philippines back on the investment map," the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said in a statement.

"There will be a need for a lot of raw materials like nickel, copper, gold, manganese, chromite, etcetera when the world returns to normal," said Dante Bravo, president of the country's second-biggest nickel ore miner and exporter Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc (FNI.PS).

The Southeast Asian nation became the biggest supplier of nickel ore to top metals consumer China in 2020 after Indonesia banned exports of unprocessed ore.

Anti-mining activists said they were alarmed.

"In the middle of a climate crisis and this pandemic, corporate interests and profit have won again over the welfare and benefits of the many," Alyansa Tigil Mina (Stop Mining Alliance) said in a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/philippines-lifts-nine-year-old-ban-new-mines-boost- revenues-2021-04-15/

Palace reminds Japan of principles of int’l environmental law

By Azer Parrocha April 15, 2021, 2:49 pm

MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday reminded Japan of international environmental law after the East Asian nation announced its plan to release huge amounts of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said countries that fail to control pollution and the depletion of natural resources will be meted out with appropriate actions.

“I can only repeat the principles of international environmental law that I hope all countries will comply with. First principle is that we are one eco-system, second principle is we are interconnected, and the third principle is that the polluter must pay,” Roque said in a virtual press briefing.

On Tuesday, the Japanese announced that it will release more than 1 million tons of contaminated water that have built up at the wrecked Fukushima plant after treatment and dilution.

This amount of water is enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The first release of water used will begin in about two years to allow filtering of the water to remove harmful isotopes, build infrastructure and acquire regulatory approval.

Japan described the water release as necessary to push through with the complex decommissioning of the plant after it was crippled by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Japan's neighbors in Asia such as China and South Korea have opposed the plan to release Fukushima plant water into the ocean.

China denounced the plan as “extremely irresponsible”, warning that the move will seriously damage international public health and safety, and the vital interests of people in neighboring countries.

“We strongly urge the Japanese side to face up to its responsibility, follow the science, fulfill its international obligations and duly respond to the serious concerns of the international community, neighboring countries, and its own people," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

South Korea expressed "strong regret" over Japan's decision, summoning Koichi Aiboshi, Tokyo's ambassador in Seoul to protest the move.

“The decision can never be accepted and would not only cause danger to the safety and maritime environment of neighboring countries, it was also made unilaterally without sufficient consultations with our country, which is the closest neighbor to Japan," South Korea's office of government policy coordination said in a statement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered officials to explore petitioning an international court over Japan's decision amid protests by fisheries and environmental groups.

"I cannot but say that there are many concerns here about the decision as a country that is geographically closest and shares the sea with Japan," Moon said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136867

Duterte: PH facing a turmoil as end of COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain

Published April 15, 2021, 10:54 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos President Duterte recognized that the country’s battle against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is far from over with the still-rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on April 15, 2021. (KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Duterte made the statement as the country scrambles to meet the demands of the people amid the spike in coronavirus infections.

In his second “Talk to the People” this week, President Duterte reminded the public that the world is engaging an unseen enemy in a fight that is not ending anytime soon.

“You know we are facing an enemy that cannot be seen. We are facing an opponent where there is no sight at end,” Duterte said in his pre-recorded public address on Thursday evening.

“We are facing a turmoil not only in the Philippines but in the entire world. Kagaya ng mga (like) Brazil, thickly populated areas, they are scared of the third wave,” he added.

On Thursday, the Philippines logged 11,681 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 864,868.

In his address, Duterte said the government was not remiss in addressing the pandemic.

“I’d like to just disabuse the mind of na nagkulang tayo… Hindi tayo nagkulang (that we were lacking. We were not),” he said.

The President said that after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its advisory about the virus, he formed the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases within 48 hours. He added that his decisions to impose lockdowns were also made following the recommendations of medical experts including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“Kung ano’ng sabihin ni Secretary Duque, eh ‘yon ang susundin ko. Siya ‘yong Secretary of Health, eh (I will follow whatever Secretary Duque says because he is the Secretary of Health),” he said.

Duterte reiterated that had also made a melodramatic warning about the pandemic and that it could only be resolved through a vaccine but with the worldwide shortage, the fight against COVID-19 became more uncertain.

“Now, when will we have that stocks sufficient to vaccinate the people? I really do not know. Nobody knows,” he said.

So far, the Philippines has vaccinated at least one million Filipinos.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/duterte-ph-facing-a-turmoil-as-end-of-covid-19-pandemic-remains- uncertain/

P180B foregone during two-week ECQ, says Lopez posted April 16, 2021 at 01:00 am by Othel V. Campos Pending the findings of a study on the effects of the latest lockdown to the economy, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said initial estimates from lost business opportunities during the two- week ECQ period amounted to at least 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) or about P180 billion.

He said an ongoing survey would determine the actual losses during the lockdown period and another survey which would be launched soon, would assess the impact of modified ECQ to the economy.

Citing pre-lockdown figures, Lopez said the number of closed businesses went down to 4.6 percent, but the numbers were expected to scale up as restriction measures forced companies to temporarily close or, for many, permanently halt operations due to insufficient capital and lack of consumer demand.

“As we move on to ease restrictions from MECQ to general community quarantine, we are expecting to find employment for an estimated 1 million Filipinos who lost their livelihood in the last two weeks.

Based on a labor survey, about 1.5 million workers lost their jobs and 500,000 of them are estimated to find or have found work during the MECQ when the government relaxed restrictions on some sectors and industries,” he said.

“It is given that many industries and businesses will be deeply impacted by the shifting quarantine schedule. We remain as open as possible to help those who are in need of financial assistance. We continue to offer soft loan programs to small businesses as we carefully trudge through the pandemic. We hope that the businesses allowed to operate during MECQ will help in increase the number of active workers in the labor force,” he added.

The government has allowed low-risk sectors and activities 50 percent operating capacity in the MECQ.

Among the activities allowed are supermarkets, groceries, pharmaceuticals, drug stores, markets, hardware, banks, medical clinics and hospitals, and utilities like electricity, water and telecommunications.

Lopez also warned households to practice strict social decorum and refrain from promoting or attending gatherings. “Unless the reason for going out of our houses is an essential errand, I implore everyone to stay at home. The new variants are highly-contagious. It will be prudent to just remain in the safety of our homes especially for members of the family who are not allowed to go out of the confines of their residences,” Lopez said.

He expressed optimism that the country might soon achieve herd immunity as the government pursues talks with 4 new vaccine suppliers that are said to be nearing the conclusion of their clinical trials.

This is on top of the available COVID vaccines from established manufacturers and suppliers.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/351974/p180b-foregone-during-two-week-ecq-says- lopez.html

‘Worse than invasion’: Group warns of fish shortage due to overfishing in PH waters

Published April 15, 2021, 11:58 AM by Noreen Jazul A grassroots environmental group has warned of a potential fish shortage in the country due to overfishing by Chinese fishermen in Philippine waters.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 31, 2021 this handout photo from the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) via the Philippine Communications Operations Office (PCOO) shows Chinese vessels anchored at Whitsun Reef, some 320 kilometers (175 nautical miles) west of Palawan Island in the West Philippine Sea. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)

“The Chinese fishermen have been overfishing, depleting our marine resources,” Homonhon Environmental Rescue Organization (HERO) said in a statement.

“They even sell their catch to our fishermen at a higher price,” the group added.

HERO, quoting the National Task Force for West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), also said about 240,000 kilos of fish are being illegally taken from Philippine waters every single day “that the massed Chinese fishing vessels remain in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).”

“This is actually worse than invasion. Wala ng makakain ang mga mangingisda natin. Gutom ang aabutin nila ng dahil sa mga Chinese (Our fishermen no longer have food to eat. They will end up hungry because of the Chinese fishermen),” warned Villardo “Billy” C. Abueme, president of HERO.

Abueme called on the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to investigate China’s overfishing in WPS.

The NTF-WPS on Wednesday said there are 240 Chinese ships spread throughout the WPS.

Out of the 240, 136 were spotted at Burgos Reef (Gaven Reef), nine at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef), 65 at Chigua Reef (McKennan Reef), six at Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef), three at Zamora Reef (Subi Reef), four at Pag-asa Islands (Thitu Islands), one at Likas Island (West York Island), five at Kota Island (Loaita Island), and 11 at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/worse-than-invasion-group-warns-of-fish-shortage-due-to-overfishing- in-ph-waters/ ‘Not a chase, but an escort’

Chinese Coast Guard escorted the boat of Ms. Zambrano, they were not chased off Published 8 hours ago On April 16, 2021 02:30 AM By Jom Garner

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo on Thursday dispelled ABS-CBN journalist Chiara Zambrano’s claim that their boat was chased by a China Coast Guard vessel within the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

“It is not true, they were not chased by the Chinese Coast Guard. Because if it was true, given that the Chinese Coast Guard (ship) is faster than the boat carrying them, it will surely catch them,” he said.

Panelo in his daily online program “Counterpoint,” said based on the Summary of Facts of the Incident given to him by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the boat carrying the media crew was not chased by Chinese Coast Guard but only “escorted” back to mainland Palawan.

“Chinese Coast Guard escorted the boat of Ms. Zambrano, they were not chased off,” he said.

The former Palace mouthpiece also called out the attention of ABS-CBN network head Mark Lopez and reminded him to look after their employees and the kind of news they are producing.

“Mr. Mark Lopez, I’m calling your attention since you’re the Chairman of ABS-CBN. Look after your employees, your news is exaggerated,” he said.

He also said the journalist’s trip to the Southern Banks was not coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and has no approval of the WesCom.

Zambrano’s crew caught the incident on video.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/not-a-chase-but-an-escort/ ‘Silent diplomacy’ keeps peace at WPS

Around 136 ships were seen in Burgos Reef, 9 in Julian Felipe Reef, 65 in Chigua Reef, 6 in Panganiban Reef, 3 in Zamora Reef, 4 in Pag-Asa Islands, 1 in Likas Island, 5 in Kota Island and 11 in Ayungin Shoal, marking the largest gathering of Chinese vessels in the area Published 11 hours ago on April 16, 2021 12:20 AM By MJ Blancaflor @tribunephl_MJB

PHILIPPINE Coast Guard member gets a closer view of one of the Chinese ships swarming at the West Philippine Sea as the PCG makes its presence known near the Julian Felipe Reef. No confrontation marked the approach of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship and another vessel owned by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) towards the Chinese militia vessels swarming at the Julian Felipe Reef on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Commodore Armand Balilo, the PCG spokesperson, gave “no exact figures on the number of (Chinese) vessels” still present in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a territory being contested by China.

Photographs provided by the PCG to the public, however, showed six Chinese maritime vessels that did not move despite the close approach of the PCG’s BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) that was commissioned in 2018 for environmental and humanitarian missions as well for maritime security and patrol.

Another Philippine ship from the BFAR was accompanied by two smaller boats of the PCG. They also came close to the Chinese vessels.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) earlier expressed concern over a PCG report that about 220 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be manned by their maritime militia, have been sighted in line formation at the Philippine-owned reef, also known as Whitsun Reef, on 7 March.

The reef is located approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has repeatedly demanded the immediate departure of the remaining 44 Chinese vessels from the Julian Felipe Reef. The Chinese Embassy in Manila called Lorenzana’s remark “unprofessional” as it maintained its “historical claim” over the feature that is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed support over the DND’s demand for the remaining Chinese ships’ withdrawal.

On Wednesday, DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed that two diplomatic protests have been lodged after the Chinese government insisted that it will not withdraw its vessels from the Julian Felipe Reef and other Philippine maritime zones.

Sovereignty patrols conducted on 11 April by the Armed Forces Western Command recorded Chinese Maritime Militia vessels in the territorial waters of the Municipality of Kalayaan in Province of Palawan and the EEZ.

Around 136 ships were seen in Burgos Reef, 9 in Julian Felipe Reef, 65 in Chigua Reef, 6 in Panganiban Reef, 3 in Zamora Reef, 4 in Pag-asa Islands, 1 in Likas Island, 5 in Kota Island and 11 in Ayungin Shoal, marking the largest gathering of Chinese vessels in the area.

Despite confirmation by several foreign military agencies, China denies having a militia manning these “blue ships” that are actually a de facto navy force. These 187,000 boats are maintained by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA claims these are fishing vessels.

These “Little Blue Men”, as members of the militia are called, have built military facilities in Philippine territories Subi and Mischief reefs, however, despite China’s earlier claim that it has no plan to militarize the sea lanes. Aside from the PCG and BFAR ships, other Philippine maritime vessels are present but farther from the area.

The BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) — formerly securing the Philippines-Indonesia border, was pulled out from the Eastern Mindanao area and redeployed to Palawan. It is an aging ship originally called HMS Plover (P240) during her service with the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy (1983-1984). Its weapons and systems were upgraded in August 2019.

Other Navy ships now in Palawan are:

The BRP Dagupan City (LS-551) — commissioned in the early 1990s and used in military and peacetime operations as an amphibious transport. It is fairly armed for defensive purposes and carries four 7.62mm general-purpose machine guns at the front side decks, and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons.

The BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) was acquired by the Philippine Navy in April 1976. Along with other ex-World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy, she is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today.

BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), originally built as USS Brattleboro PCE(R)-852, a PCE(R)-848- class rescue patrol craft escort for the United States Navy during World War II and acquired by the Philippine Navy in April 1976 was also deployed.

Despite these ships’ presence, Malacañang credited the ease in the WPS situation to President Rodrigo Duterte’s “privately” dealing with the Chinese government in addressing the issue. “Whatever the President is doing, let us allow him to do it in a private manner,” presidential spokesman Secretary Harry Roque said in a news conference.

Roque said the issue can be resolved through diplomacy.

Several lawmakers and civil groups criticized Duterte over his perceived silence on the presence of the Chinese vessels in the Philippine territories despite the strongly-worded statements and diplomatic protests from his defense and foreign affairs officials.

Roque, however, said the President’s diplomatic efforts do not have to be made in public, adding that it was an “exception to freedom of information.”

He also took pride that the Philippines moved from a “position of antagonism with China to a position of friendship” under the Duterte administration.

“The President’s diplomatic initiatives do not need to be announced in public. It is covered by exception since he should make the right decision no matter what,” he said.

Earlier in the day, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said China would still believe it has the President as an ally as he has yet to publicize his stance on the matter.

“The President must speak. He must stand up himself because if his subordinates do the talking, China will not listen because China will listen only to the leader of the nation. If the President is silent, then China will continue,” Carpio told ANC in an interview.

“They will feel the heat because they will lose a friend if the President will speak,” he added.

The retired magistrate, who was part of the team that argued for the Philippines’ maritime rights in the WPS before a Hague-based arbitration court, underscored that the presence of Chinese ships within the country’s territory is a “very important national issue” that should not be played down.

Individuals from various fields have also signed a petition calling for the resignation of President Duterte over his supposed “subservience” to China, as well as his administration’s pandemic response.

At press time, over 2,000 individuals signed the petition which was posted on change.org.

Among them were academicians, civic leaders, doctors, lawyers, religious groups, and businessmen. The Palace has yet to comment as of this writing.

“Duterte’s subservience to China threatens to tie our vaccination program to China’s expansionist agenda in the West Philippine Sea,” the petition read.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is getting worse. We are suffering our worst economic crisis in decades. And the aggressive encroachment of China on Philippine territory and maritime rights is unfolding as we speak,” it added. Days ago, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said Malacañang “behaved largely like a doormat to China,” adding that the President showed no sign of balancing the country’s interests or altering his pivot to Beijing with just a year left before his term ends.

She also condemned what she called a “duplicitous strategy” from China by providing vaccines, potentially in exchange for the Philippines’ maritime resources.

Eight business organizations, in a joint statement Wednesday, have expressed support for calls made to China to pull out its vessels from the Julian Felipe Reef.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana demanded that the vessels leave the West Philippine Sea, saying he was “no fool” and that there was “no other reason” for the Chinese to stay there when the weather was clear.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is facing a potential shortage in fish supply as “240,000 kilos of fish (are) illegally taken from Philippine waters every single day that the massed Chinese fishing vessels remain in the WPS,” the NTF-WPS disclosed.

Each of the Chinese ships could catch at least 1 ton of fish per day.

Grassroots environmental group the Homonhon Environmental Rescue Organization (HERO) echoed the NTF-WPS report after an earlier warning that the country’s earth materials were used in reclamation and infrastructure projects of China in the disputed Spratlys Islands.

“This is worse than an invasion. Even our fisher folks no longer have anything to eat,” HERO president Villardo “Billy” C. Abueme said. (With Raffy Ayeng, Tina Maralit, Sundy Locus and Alvin Murcia)

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/silent-diplomacy-keeps-peace-at-wps/

SL, Visayas may be hit by severe tropical storm ‘Bising’; NDRRMC cites precautions

By Rene Acosta

April 16, 2021

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has alerted regional disaster officers to step up preparation measures for severe tropical storm “Surigae,” which may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Thursday night, or today, Friday, as a typhoon with local name Bising.

NDRRMC issued the alert during its pre-disaster risk assessment meeting on Thursday to ensure the safety of villages and communities that may be affected by the storm.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, the severe tropical storm was estimated to be at 1,095 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness up to 115 km/h and is moving westward at 10 km/h.

The tropical storm remains less likely to affect the country, and has a low chance to make a landfall, the state weather bureau said.

However, state weather bureau explained that a westward shift is possible in the current forecast track and the storm may bring significant impacts in eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas over the weekend until Monday. Moderate to heavy rains may be experienced over eastern portions of Visayas by Sunday.

Pagasa also noted that gale warning might be raised over southern portion of Southern Luzon and northern and eastern portions of Eastern Visayas by 5 a.m. on Saturday. Regional disaster risk reduction and management councils also conducted their respective pre-disaster meetings in preparation for the weather disturbance in compliance with NDRRMC’s guidance.

The NDRRMC reminded the public to take precautionary measures and continue to monitor weather updates, and heed authorities’ warnings and advisories alongside observance of minimum health protocols against Covid-19.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/16/sl-visayas-may-be-hit-by-severe-tropical-storm-bising- ndrrmc-cites-precautions/

De Lima hits AFP’s ‘shaky’ loyalty to PH; urges military to stand up vs. China

Published April 15, 2021, 5:56 PM by Hannah Torregoza

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday, April 15, urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to reevaluate its stance on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), noting how its loyalty to the country is starting to waver in favor of following the Duterte administration’s pro-China policy.

Senator Leila De Lima (PHOTO BY JANSEN ROMERO / FILE PHOTO) De Lima made the remark after the AFP awarded ABS-CBN reporter Chiara Zambrano and her team for raising awareness on Chinese incursions into the country’s maritime territories in the WPS a few days after calling her out for her “insatiable desire” for a scoop.

The senator noted that instead of following the lead of Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., the Western Command (WesCom) chose to “speak and make excuses for the Chinese Navy missile boats that chased down” the team of Filipino journalists.

“This is how confused this government and its AFP is when it comes to China. Not even the presence of an American carrier force right at China’s doorstep sending signals for China to stand down has consolidated the AFP’s resolve to defend the country and, just for once, have the balls to stand up to China,” De Lima said in her latest statement.

De Lima lamented that even with the US Secretary Antony Blinken’s declaration, US aircraft carriers with the US Navy’s latest F35B stealth fighters in the WPS, and the Balikatan exercises already ongoing, the AFP apparently cannot shake off its terror over China that it has imbibed and inherited from the President.

“For all their education and training at the premier military institution of the country, our PMAers (Philippine Military Academy graduates) in the AFP seem to have lost all lessons on strategic thinking, and are now bitterly confined to a parochial world-view limited by the dictates of the hand that feeds them,” she said. De Lima hopes that with Duterte’s term ending next year, the AFP can immediately “regain its shaky loyalty to the Republic” and that the damage Duterte has wreaked on the military institution has not yet become irreversible.

“That might be wishful thinking, but we have no option but to rehabilitate this present general staff of the AFP because our country has only one AFP who will defend us against China,” the lawmaker further pointed out.

“Either that, or we start accepting our fate in this region as just another one of China’s satellites after Laos and Cambodia,” she lamented.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/de-lima-hits-afps-shaky-loyalty-to-ph-urges-military-to-stand-up-vs- china/

Philippines, US seek to revive "rock solid" military alliance Arevalo By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News Published April— 15, 2021 6:32pm

The Philippine and United States military seek to revive its rock solid alliance ppines spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said. with this year’s Balikatan Exercises, Armed Forces of the Phili

"Atin pong binubuhay ‘yung sinasabi nating rock solid na alliance between these Arevalotwo armed said forces in an atinterview talagang with maipakita Super natinRadyo ‘yung dzBB. ating interoperability kahit sa ngayon ay planning ang ating magagawa and simulation ng execution,” (We are reviving the rock solid alliance between these two armed forces and to show the interoperability even though we are on planning and simulation of execution.)

a buhay ang alliance between the United States armed forces and the Philippine armed forces (This is a“Napakalaking big thing to show bagay that pa therin alliancepo n’yan between na maipakita the United natin Statesn armed forces and Philippine armed forces is not dead)," he added.

This year's training of Philippine and US military will scale down physical activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will focus more on "planning and simulation" such as tabletop exercises which can help in case both nations need to use the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

The treaty, signed by the Philippines and the US in 1951, states both parties will protect each other in case of an armed attack at the Pacific Area, including the South China Sea. Arevalo said the participants in the Balikatan exercises are already in the country and in a training bubble.

"Pinagsasanayan ay kung papano, ang tropang Amerikano o ang US armed forces at Philippine armed forces ay tutugon sa kanya kanyang magiging papel sakali kailanganin natin halimbawa na ang Mutual Defense Treaty ay ating matrigger o mabigyang power," he added.

(Both troops from the US and the Philippines will learn each other's role in case the MDT will be needed.)

In addition, Arevalo explained that their only kinetic exercise for the joint military training is "call for fire exercise" wherein an aircraft of the US armed forces from Okinawa will be called to give fire support to ground troops.

This year's Balikatan Exercises opened on Monday where 736 from the AFP and 225 from the US Armed Forces participated.

According to the military, the war games will include bilateral staff exercise, close air support training, subject matter exchanges, maritime security training, and humanitarian and civic assistance activities.

The events will be conducted in areas within the Northern Luzon Command and Southern Luzon Command, it added.—AOL, GMA News

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/783895/philippines-us-seek-to-revive-rock-solid- military-alliance-arevalo/story/

Filipino, American troops training in case foreign attack triggers MDT

ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 08:49 PM | Updated as of Apr 15 2021 11:32 PM

Filipino and American troops attend the opening of the 36th Balikatan Exercise amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on April 12, 2021. Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office handout photo MANILA - Filipino and American troops participating in the ongoing Balikatan (Shoulder-to- Shoulder) military exercises amid the continuing Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea are looking into their respective roles in case they need to work together to fend off an attack from a third party, as set by the US-Philippines defense pact.

"Ang mga pinagsasanayan ay kung papano ang tropang Amerikano o ang US armed forces at Philippine armed forces ay tutugon sa kaniya-kaniyang magiging papel sakali't kailanganin natin, halimbawa na ang Mutual Defense Treaty ay ma-trigger o mabigyang power," Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, the Balikatan exercise director from the Philippines side, said.

(We're training how the US and Philippine armed forces will fulfill their respective roles in case the Mutual Defense Treaty is invoked.)

The two countries' 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty binds them to aid each other in the event of foreign aggression.

"An armed attack against the Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," US State Department spokesman Ned Price said last week amid the lingering presence of Chinese ships in the South China Sea, especially in parts covered by Manila's exclusive economic zone.

This, as hundreds of Chinese navy and maritime militia vessels have remained in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone despite diplomatic protests filed by Manila.

The US, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom have criticized China's incursions, saying these threaten peace and stability in the region.

"The intent of every iteration of Balikatan is for both armed forces to train together on defense and security, leveraging on the capability, experience, and strength of their friendship," Arevalo said of the military drills that will run until April 23. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities are limited to tabletop and simulation exercises, that include exchanges on air and maritime interdictions; pandemic response operations; and a Simulated Close Air Support (SIMCAS) and live fire exercise.

These events will be conducted in areas within the Northern Luzon Command and Southern Luzon Command.

A "Call for Fire Exercise" will see a US aircraft delivering fire support for American and Filipino troops on the ground, said Arevalo. It will happen on April 20 at the Col. Ernesto Ravina Airbase in Pampanga.

"It will simulate the need to employ air capability while observing the procedures involved during call for fire," he said.

Among the adjustments made, the AFP said, is a decrease in participants from both armed forces, with 736 from the Philippine side and approximately 225 from the US.

Last year, the Balikatan was canceled due to the pandemic. President Rodrigo Duterte also abrogated the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement, which governs the conduct of American troops in the country. But it was suspended twice amid the global health crisis and other developments in the region.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/filipino-american-troops-training-in-case-foreign-attack- triggers-mdt

PH reaffirms 'strong commitment' vs. chemical weapons threats

April 15, 2021, 7:50 pm

COMMITMENT VS. CHEMICAL WEAPONS. Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya (left) reaffirms to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the Philippines’ strong commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably chemical weapons, on April 9, 2021. Malaya turned over the Philippine government’s contribution of USD15,000 or approximately PHP726,000 to the Trust Fund for a Center for Chemistry and Technology. (Photo courtesy of OPCW)

MANILA – Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya reaffirmed to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the Philippines’ strong commitment to disarmament and non- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably chemical weapons through a ceremonial signing and exchange of letters.

Malaya turned over the Philippine government’s contribution of USD15,000 or approximately PHP726,000 to the Trust Fund for a Center for Chemistry and Technology on April 9.

“I commend the work of the OPCW and its vision to establish the ChemTech Centre, which aims to strengthen the Organisation’s capability against new and emerging chemical weapons threats and support capacity building among OPCW Member States,” Malaya said in a news release on Thursday.

Director-General Fernando Arias, representing OPCW, thanked the Philippine government and noted that “the Philippine contribution advances the establishment of the ChemTech Centre which will be a centerpiece for research, analysis, and training for all Member States”.

The Center is currently planned to become operational at the end of 2022.

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavor to permanently eliminate chemical weapons.

Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

Over 98 percent of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. (PR)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136937

NDRRMC orders local officials to prepare for ‘Bising’

Published April 15, 2021, 4:04 PM by Aaron Recuenco

Local officials have been instructed to step up its disaster preparedness plan in anticipation of the possible adverse impact of severe Tropical Storm ‘Surigae’ which may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) either Thursday night, April 15, or Friday morning, April 16.

Once it enters the country’s area of responsibility, weather experts said it would be called ‘Bising’.

During the pre-disaster risk assessment meeting of officials of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), several areas have been identified as prone to severe effects of the weather disturbance.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the severe tropical storm was estimated at 1,095 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness up to 115 kilometer per hour.

It is moving westward at 10 kilometer per hour but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the tropical storm remains less likely to affect the country, and has a low chance of landfall.

However, PAGASA said the weather disturbance may bring significant impacts in eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas over the weekend until Monday.

“The public is again reminded to take precautionary measures, continue to monitor weather updates, and heed authorities’ warnings and advisories alongside observance of minimum health protocols against COVID-19,” the NDRRMC statement read.

It added that the regional disaster risk reduction and management councils were also advised to conduct their respective meetings in preparation for the weather disturbance.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/ndrrmc-orders-local-officials-to-prepare-for-bising/

40 vintage bombs found in junkshop in Isabela

Published April 15, 2021, 3:18 PM by Liezle Basa Iñigo CAMP MARCELO A. ADDURU, Tuguegarao City – Forty assorted unexploded vintage bombs were recovered from a junkshop in Barangay Nungnungan 2, Cauayan City, Isabela last Tuesday.

Police Lt. Col. Andree Abella, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 2 (Cagayan Valley), said the explosives will be immediately destroyed in a blasting area in Capas, Tarlac.

Police Lt. Oliver Salamero, team leader of the Provincial Explosives and Ordnance Division and Canine Unit (PECU) Isabela-CECU Cauayan City, responded to a call from Harrison Paggao, owner of the junkshop, requesting for assistance.

According to Paggao, he bought the items knowing that those are scraps of metal. But when he learned they are vintage bombs, he immediately called the authorities.

The vintage bombs are now in the custody of PECU Isabela.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/40-vintage-bombs-found-in-junkshop-in-isabela/

Mga gamit sa bomba ng umano'y NPA, nakuhay sa Bukidnon

ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 16 2021 12:22 AM

Nahukay ng mga sundalo ang iba’t-ibang uri ng kagamitan para sa mga improvised explosive devices (IEDs) sa Barangay Miaray, Dangcagan, Bukidnon, araw ng Martes.

Ayon sa 72nd Infantry Batallion, maraming miyembro ng rebeldeng grupo na New People’s Army (NPA) ang lugar at sila ang hinihinalang nagtago ng IED materials sa ilalim ng lupa.

Kuha ng 72nd Infantry Batallion Nakuha umano ang impormasyon sa dalawang residente na nagsumbong sa mga awtoridad.

Ang lupa ay pag-aari ng isang barangay kagawad.

Dalawang malalaking lalagyan ng IED shrapnel, apat na galon ng IED shrapnel, isang sako ng PBC frame, at isang container ng ammonium nitrate fuel oil ang mga narekober mula sa nahukay ng mga sundalo. - Ulat ni Chrislen Bulosan

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/16/21/mga-gamit-sa-bomba-ng-umanoy-npa-nakuhay-sa-bukidnon

Babaeng miyembro umano ng Abu Sayyaf, tiklo sa Sulu

ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 10:41 PM

PATIKUL, Sulo — Timbog ng pulisya noong Miyerkoles ang isang babaeng itinuturong miyembro umano ng Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) at wanted sa kasong kidnapping noong 2018.

Nahuli sa Bgy. Bangkal, Patikul ang suspek na si Nur Aina Basaluddin Alihasan matapos matunton ng PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) Mindanao Field Unit.

Ayon kay Police Col. Ronald Lumactod, public information officer ng PNP-AKG, isang "hard core member" ng ASG si Alihasan sa pamumuno umano ng kaniyang asawa na si Ben Tattoo, na sub-leader naman ng grupo na nag-o-operate sa Indanan at Patikul sa Sulu.

Isinasangkot si Alihasan sa pagdukot sa 2 pulis noong 2018.

Isinasangkot din umano siya sa iba pang kidnapping cases sa Patikul, Jolo, Sulu.

Naging spotter, food supplier, at medical aide din umano ng ASG ang suspek.

Nakakulong na ang suspek sa Sulu Provincial Jail.

—Ulat ni Gracie Rutao

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/babaeng-miyembro-umano-ng-abu-sayyaf-tiklo-sa-sulu

Soldiers, criminal group clash in Zamboanga Sibugay Wesmincom By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News —Published April 15, 2021 7:28pm The military clashed with suspected members of a criminal group in Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay Province on Wednesday, the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) said on Thursday.

In a statement, Wesmincom commander Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr. said elements of the 44th Infantry Battalion (44IB) and the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company encountered around ten armed men.

He added that they are suspected members of the Boy Negro Criminal Group.

The military said that after a ten-minute firefight the armed men fled, bringing their casualties with them.

Lieutenant Colonel Filven Noche, commanding officer of the 44IB, said supplemental troops were deployed to reinforce the troops.

“We also established blockades to contain the movements of the fleeing Amongenemies,” the he recovered said. items from the site were a Samsung keypad cellphone, a bonnet, six jungle hammocks, kitchen utensils, a pair of rain boots, four sacks of milled rice, two liters of cooking oil, and a poncho.

Commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Leonel Nicolas said all patrol bases of the 44IB along the coastal areas of Malangas will conduct checkpoint operations to monitor the armed men.

Pursuit operations are continuously being conducted to neutralize the lawless elements, the military said.

Major General Generoso Ponio, Commander of the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan, commended the troops for the operation. Vinluan vowed that the military will keep on fulfilling its mandate despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. of the state while we assist the government in flattening the curve of the “Together with our partners,— BM, GMA we willNews continue to pursue the remaining enemies contagion,”https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/783909/soldiers-crimin he said. al-group-clash-in- zamboanga-sibugay-wesmincom/story/

Clinton, ex-DFA chief worry over PH becoming

China subject posted April 16, 2021 at 01:30 am by Rey E. Requejo and Vito Barcelo

Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is worried that the Philippines will become a vassal state of China.

In an exclusive interview with the online news service Rappler, Clinton said there was a real danger that the Philippines would find itself increasingly unable to act without Chinese approval, no matter who is in charge of the government.

“I worry about the Philippines becoming basically a subject of China through financial investments, through the buying of influence, through the undermining of institutions,” Clinton told Rappler. “I think that there’s a real danger that, left unchecked, the Philippines – no matter who the leader is – would find itself increasingly unable to act without Chinese approval. I don’t think that’s the kind of future that the Philippines would like.”

“I think if you care about the future of the Philippines, about the independence of the Philippines… then you need friends and the US, I hope, is the premier friend to stand with you and protect you against further incursions by the Chinese to basically dominate Filipino society,” she continued. “I mean, I think that’s what you want. And I hope that’s what the Biden administration will be able to achieve.”

Former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario on Thursday shared Clinton’s concern that the Philippines could become a subject of China if Manila fails to stand up to Beijing’s “duplicity” and bullying.

“In our opinion, Secretary Clinton is absolutely correct in expressing her fear that the Philippines could become a subject of China. To the last Filipino, under the leadership of (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Teodoro) Locsin and (Defense) Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana, we must finally stand up to Beijing’s duplicity and being a bully,” Del Rosario said.

Before the recent disagreement over the swarming of Chinese vessels in the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, the Duterte administration has refrained from confronting China over their territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea in the hopes of obtaining Chinese loans and investments. Since Duterte assumed office in 2016, China has provided the Philippines with loans mostly tied to the administration’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program. China was also the first country to donate COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines.

A policy think tank, meanwhile, cautioned officials against deceptive rhetoric and behavior of China intended to hide its real intention of expansionism in the South China Sea.

Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ADRi), said recent developments in the West Philippine Sea, particularly the swarming of Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea by Chinese militia vessels clearly showed China’s expansionist ambition.

“The persistent and deliberate swarming maneuverings of their maritime militia vessels in Philippine waters reveals China’s expansionist ambitions and renders false their pronouncements to safeguard peace and stability in the region,” Manhit said.

“They continue to instigate deceptive rhetoric and acts that undermine the precepts of peaceful resolution and stability in the region,” he added.

The ADRi also underscored that the Philippines has “every right to exercise its sovereignty over these waters.”

“We have the right to patrol, protect, and harness its resources as established by international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling,” Manhit said.

When President Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, he became friendly with China as part of his rapprochement policy with China, but to the point of almost burning bridges with the Philippines’ long-time ally, the United States, Manhit said.

Manhit lamented that Duterte appeared to have also been convinced of China’s argument that the territorial dispute issue should be resolved bilaterally, which paved the way for the sidelining of the Philippine’s legal victory before a United Nations tribunal in the case it filed against China.

Manhit also denounced the disrespectful conduct of the Chinese Embassy whose recent pronouncements have offended the country’s officials.

The group called on the Duterte administration to focus on the foreign policy stance on the national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interest to serve and protect the people as stated by the 1987 Constitution. “We support the move to forge stronger ties with regional partners and allies in maintaining regional peace and stability through joint efforts of maritime patrol and military exercises,” Manhit said.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said on Wednesday, April 14 that the swarming of over 240 Chinese vessels was “prejudicial to the peace and security” in the region.

The task force also expressed “serious alarm” at the reported pursuit of a Filipino vessel by Chinese ships during their voyage at Ayungin Shoal. The incident is now being investigated.

Also on Thursday, retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines should strongly assert and exercise its rights and build structures within its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea to repel foreign incursions.

“That will be effective because the arbitral award says we have an EEZ and within the EEZ only the coastal state, the Philippines can put up structures, artificial structures, and we have to exercise that right,” Carpio said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

Carpio supported a proposal of Liz Derr, CEO and co-founder of American technology and research company Simularity, for the Philippine government to seriously consider building outposts in its unoccupied features and islands in the West Philippine Sea.

Derr earlier suggested that the Philippines should occupy the unoccupied Spratly features within its EEZ through inexpensive means like building lighthouses and monitoring stations, without having to disturb the ecology. She cited the case of Vietnam that managed to do it without provoking a war with China.

“There are many unoccupied features within the Philippine EEZ. They are basically sitting there for the taking,” she said, urging the Philippines to focus on efforts to make sure no more features are taken.

Carpio acknowledged the existence of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea requires all signatories to seek peaceful resolutions to disputes to maintain regional stability.

The agreement includes the ban on building and occupying unoccupied features.

But Carpio opined that Derr’s suggestion can be done, agreeing that Philippines should occupy the unoccupied Spratly features within its within the West Philippine Sea to protect the Philippines’ sovereignty. The retired SC magistrate believed that the Philippines can build on features within the EEZ that are submerged at high tide because the arbitral award said those waters belong to the Philippines.

“If they were unoccupied in 2002, you cannot occupy them now. But with respect to the EEZ which are submerged at high tide, the tribunal said, those are EEZ, and under UNCLOS it is only the Philippines that can put up an artificial structure, so we should take advantage of that,” the Carpio said.

“Otherwise, China will beat us. China will just put up something there, and there’s nothing we can do. We should put up structures within our EEZ,” he said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Thursday it will deploy three more Navy vessels to the West Philippine Sea amid the increasing Chinese aggression.

AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo told radio dzBB that the augmentation of assets in the disputed territory was ordered by AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana.

Arevalo said the AFP will continue patrolling the West Philippine Sea until Chinese vessels stop illegal fishing in the territory, and that it will “rally” all those who have the capacity to conduct the patrols over the disputed area.

“We will not stop if China does not stop its illegal fishing,” he said in Filipino.

On Tuesday, the Area Task Force West under the National Task Force for West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said the AFP through its Western Command deployed four Philippine Navy vessels to the area: the BRP Dagupan City (LS 551), the BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS 36), the BRP Magat Salamat (PS 20), and the BRP Miguel Malvar (PS 19).

They are providing support and assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard, which has deployed BRP Cabra (MRRV 4409), and to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, which sent two more ships to the area.

The Palace on Thursday said President Duterte has always been consistent in invoking the Philippines’ sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President is doing his duty to address the dispute with China in private and does not have to make it public.

“The field of diplomacy is an exception to freedom of information,” Roque said, adding “whatever the President is doing, let us allow him to do it in a private manner because diplomatic initiatives and efforts the President is doing need not be announced.” Roque also cited Duterte’s move to raise the importance of the 2016 arbitral ruling, favoring the Philippines’ claims in the disputed waters, before the United Nations General Assembly in September last year.

“Let us leave the President to his own devices. So far, in the past five years of his administration, we have moved from an antagonist with China to a position of friendship,” Roque said.

Also on Thursday, the country’s biggest labor group, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) added its voice to demand the withdrawal of Chinese ships in the Julian Felipe Reef.

In a statement, the TUCP said the Chinese move is an encroachment both of the territorial integrity of the Philippines and a denigration of the country’s sovereignty.

“We cannot, as an independent, self-respecting people, allow this brazen effrontery and continuing Chinese incursion into the Philippines, to remain unmet and unchallenged. Not only is Chinese presence violating the rights of our fishermen to Philippine fishing waters and denying them of their right to their livelihood and a decent living, the Chinese are endangering our national food security,” TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/351977/clinton-ex-dfa-chief-worry-over-ph-becoming- china-subject.html

Ex-DFA chief Del Rosario shares Clinton’s concern over China’s growing influence in PH

Published April 15, 2021, 3:25 PM by Roy Mabasa Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Thursday concurred with the concern of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the Philippines could become a ‘subject’ of China if it will not stand up to Beijing’s “duplicity and being a bully”.

Del Rosario was reacting to the statement made by Clinton on Tuesday, stating that the Philippines – if left unchecked – would increasingly find itself unable to act without Beijing’s approval.

“In our opinion, Secretary Clinton is absolutely correct in expressing her fear that the Philippines could become a subject of China. To the last Filipino, under the leadership of (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Teodoro) Locsin and (Defense) Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana, we must finally stand up to Beijing’s duplicity and being a bully,” the former DFA secretary said.

Clinton was apparently referring to the close relationship forged by the Duterte administration with Beijing even after the Philippines had won its arbitration case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague against China’s excessive nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea.

Since Duterte assumed office in 2016, China has provided the Philippines with loans mostly tied up to the Build, Build, Build program of the administration. China was also the first country to donate COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines to the Philippines.

“I worry about the Philippines becoming basically a subject of China through financial investments, through the buying of influence, through the undermining of institutions. I think that there’s a real danger that, left unchecked, the Philippines – no matter who the leader is – would find itself increasingly unable to act without Chinese approval. I don’t think that’s the kind of future that the Philippines would like,” Clinton said in a conversation with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa.

Despite the huge challenges posed by China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, Del Rosario remained optimistic that the Philippines would be able to overcome the situation by employing a “well-thought strategy”.

“With will power, a well thought out strategy, and unified action we can beat this Goliath,” he said.

Early this week, Del Rosario called on the Philippine government to send China a demarche or a diplomatic course of action that is “direct, purposeful, and pointed” following the latest incursions of a huge number of Chinese vessels in and around Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/ex-dfa-chief-del-rosario-shares-clintons-concern-over-chinas-growing- influence-in-ph/

‘Not afraid to shoot’: Migration raises tension in Texas border town Mimi Dwyer

Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez is worried.

More migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas than Martinez recalls in his 13 years as Val Verde County Sheriff. They wade across the Rio Grande river and into residents’ yards.

But it is members of his own community that have Martinez most concerned.

Last month, he said, a resident fired his gun to scare a group of migrants walking on the outskirts of town; nearby schools were locked down in response. He said unfounded accusations have spread on social media blaming migrants for crimes like break-ins. And at a recent community meeting, Martinez said, a resident asked him if she could use “deadly force” to stop migrants who step onto her land.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/not-afraid-shoot-migration-raises-tension-texas-border- town-2021-04-15/

Biden emissary tells Tsai Ing-wen the US is ‘a reliable and trusted friend’ of Taiwan

• Former senator Chris Dodd says Washington will help island expand international space and support its investment in self-defence • President says Taipei is willing to work with the US and like-minded countries to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific

A visiting US emissary told Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen that the Joe Bidenadministration was “a reliable and trusted friend” that would support the self-ruled island, which is facing growing military threats from Beijing.Chris Dodd, a former US senator, is visiting Taipei as part of an unofficial delegation sent by President Biden. Without mentioning Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, Dodd told Tsai they had been sent to reaffirm the US commitment to deepen the security partnership with the democratic island and cooperation in other areas.

“There are many ways which the US can be helpful as well,” Dodd told Tsai during a meeting at her office on Thursday. “You will find the Biden administration, Madam President, to be a reliable and trusted friend, and I am confident this administration will help you expand your international space and support your investment in self-defence.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129690/biden-emissary-tells-tsai-ing- wen-us-reliable-and-trusted

Biden to meet with S.Korea’s President Moon in

May Published 10 hours ago on April 16, 2021 01:34 AM By Agence France-Presse

US President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in in Washington next month, the White House announced Thursday.

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Moon of the Republic of Korea to the White House in the second half of May,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said the two sides were “still finalizing the date.”

The Moon visit will follow Biden’s first face-to-face bilateral meeting with a foreign leader on Friday with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Psaki said the Biden administration wants to “highlight the iron-clad US-South Korea alliance.”

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/16/biden-to-meet-with-s-koreas-president-moon-in- may/

US imposes sanctions on Moscow, expels 10 Russian diplomats

• The sanctions against Russia were announced after US alleged Moscow of a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity. AFP |

PUBLISHED ON APR 15, 2021 06:03 PM IST

The United States announced economic sanctions against Russia on Thursday and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin's US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity. President Joe Biden ordered a widening of restrictions on US banks trading in Russian government debt, expelled 10 diplomats who include alleged spies, and sanctioned 32 individuals alleged to have tried to meddle in the 2020 presidential election, the White House said. Biden's executive order "sends a signal that the United States will impose costs in a strategic and economically impactful manner on Russia if it continues or escalates its destabilizing international action," the White House said in a statement. The statement listed in first place Moscow's "efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners." This referred to allegations that Russian intelligence agencies mounted persistent disinformation and dirty tricks campaigns during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, in part to help Donald Trump's candidacy.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-announces-sanctions-against-moscow-expels-10- russian-diplomats-101618489758837.html

US sanctions Russia for 'malign' acts, Moscow reacts angrily

The measures blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and placed limits on the Russian sovereign debt market in steps sure to anger Moscow. By REUTERS APRIL 15, 2021 22:01

US President Joe Biden speaks as he announces executive actions on gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 8, 2021 (photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE) Advertisement WASHINGTON/MOSCOW - The United States on Thursday imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia, including curbs to its sovereign debt market, to punish it for interfering in last year's US election, cyber-hacking, bullying Ukraine and other alleged "malign" actions. The US government blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and barred US banks from buying sovereign bonds from Russia's central bank, national wealth fund and finance ministry. The United States warned Russia that more penalties were possible but said it did not want to escalate. The Russian foreign ministry reacted angrily, summoning the US ambassador for a diplomatic dressing-down to tell him "a series of retaliatory measures will follow soon." A ministry spokeswoman also said a possible summit could be imperiled. Russia denies meddling in US elections, orchestrating a cyber hack that used US tech company SolarWinds Corp to penetrate US government networks and using a nerve agent to poison Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin to raise concerns about these issues and the build-up of Russian forces in Crimea and along the border with Ukraine, though a top US general saw only a "low to medium" risk of a Russian invasion in the next few weeks. Biden, who also proposed a US-Russian summit, is trying to strike a balance between deterring what Washington sees as hostile Russian behavior while avoiding a deeper deterioration in US-Russian ties and preserving some room for cooperation. "Our objective here is not to escalate. Our objective here is to impose costs for what we feel are unacceptable actions by the Russian government," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki. https://www.jpost.com/international/us-imposes-wide-array-of-sanctions-on-russia-for-malign-actions- 665252

Biden, Suga to send signal to assertive China at U.S.-Japan summit David BrunnstromLinda SiegLinda Sieg 4 minutes read

A worker adjusts the U.S. flag before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addresses media following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden will highlight Tokyo's central role in Washington's strategy to counter the challenge of an increasingly assertive China at a summit on Friday.

While that emphasis on Japan's key status will be welcome in Tokyo, where some politicians are pushing for a tougher stance towards Beijing, it also raises questions about how far Tokyo can go to meet demands on regional defence and human rights.

"This will be the precursor to a series of meetings among like-minded countries to send the right signal to Beijing," Kunihiko Miyake, an adviser to Suga, told Reuters.

Suga took over as premier last September, inheriting a China policy that sought to balance security concerns with deep economic ties.

But striking that balance has become harder as China increases maritime activities in the East and South China Seas and near Taiwan, which Beijing considers a wayward province.

Rights concerns have deepened over the treatment of Muslim Uighurs in China's Xinjiang region. China denies abuses, but Washingtonsays Beijing is perpetrating a genocide. Suga will be the first foreign leader to meet Biden in person since the president took office, something that could give Suga a boost ahead of a general election this year.

"Asking Suga to meet the president first means a lot - that China competition is critical and who is the best partner? Japan," said Toshihiro Nakayama of Japan's Keio University.

"That also means that Japan has to do more."

Suga told reporters before leaving for Washington he hoped to strengthen the alliance based on the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law, show the two countries' leadership in creating a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and build a relationship of trust with Biden.

Besides regional security, the two are also expected to discuss climate change, supply chain resilience, a global semiconductor shortage and COVID- 19.

Marc Knapper, the senior official for Japan and Korea at the U.S. State Department, said issues that would be "front and centre" in the discussions included "China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea, South China Sea; what's happening within China, and...around China, Taiwan, Hong Kong."

He told an event at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies there would also be discussion of North Korea's nuclear missile program, which threatens both Japan and the United States, and ways to address "existential issues of our time, climate change, clean energy, COVID- 19." https://www.reuters.com/world/china/biden-suga-send-signal-assertive-china-us-japan-summit-2021- 04-15/

Taiwan, climate and chips on the agenda of Suga-Biden summit

Japanese PM will be first foreign leader to hold in-person talks with new US president Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga waves as he departs Tokyo's Haneda Airport on a flight to Washington to meet U.S. President Joe Biden. (Photo by Yo Inoue)

FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writerApril 15, 2021 19:52 JSTUpdated on April 15, 2021 20:42 JST

TOKYO -- As Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga flew to Washington to become the first foreign leader to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in person, the two treaty allies were still hammering out the finer details of the talks.

To continue reading, subscribe today https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Biden-s-Asia-policy/Taiwan-climate-and-chips- on-the-agenda-of-Suga-Biden-summit

US presses Japan to issue joint statement in support of Taiwan

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/04/15 12:37

President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (AP, Reuters photos)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Biden administration is reportedly pushing Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide to issue a joint statement in support of Taiwan during Suga's visit to the White House.

On Friday (April 16), Suga will become the first foreign leader to meet President Joe Biden in person since he took office in January. The focus of Suga's trip will be a summit to fortify the U.S-Japan alliance as part of Biden's bid to team up with allies to counter China.

In advance of the meeting, four sources familiar with the matter have told the Financial Times that the White House wants Taiwan to be included in a joint statement issued by the two leaders. It would the first time American and Japanese heads of state have jointly issued such a statement since Sato Eisaku and Richard Nixon in 1969, when Sato stressed that Taiwan's security was "also a most important factor for the security of Japan."

During the U.S.-Japan 2+2 meeting on March 16, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joined Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo in issuing a statement that "underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." On March 30, Nikkei Asia reported that Biden and Suga were planning to issue a statement that also emphasizes the "importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait."

With the coming White House summit, the Biden administration is reportedly hoping to build on progress made in March and raise the level of Japan's public support for Taiwan's security to the level of prime minister. However, Japanese officials are reportedly at odds over whether to include an official mention of Taiwan during the summit.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177706

Some 70% of Japanese want to take strong stance on China's intrusions

• • A Foreign Ministry survey found that 82.4% of respondents think the security environment in East Asia has become increasingly severe. The figure stood at 84.9% in the previous year's poll. | REUTERS • JIJI • SHARE • Apr 15, 2021 Almost 70% of people in Japan want the government to take a strong stance on intrusions into Japanese waters by Chinese coast guard ships, a Foreign Ministry survey showed Thursday.

Asked what Japan should focus on in its China policy, 69.3% of respondents, the largest group, expressed such a wish, according to the poll.

The survey showed that 50.3%, the second-largest group, want Japan to urge China to respect human rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law and that 28.7%, the third- largest, hope for greater economic and personnel exchanges between the two countries.

The results showed people’s keen interest in China, the ministry said, expressing an eagerness to resolve pending matters between the two countries one by one while making necessary claims.

The poll found that 82.4% of respondents think the security environment in East Asia has become increasingly severe. The figure stood at 84.9% in the previous year’s poll.

This indicates that a sense of crisis remains strong about North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs and China’s hegemonic actions. The latest poll showed 67.6% of respondents expect Japan-U.S. ties to be bolstered in the security field, followed by 51.4% in the economy, trade and finance sectors and 38.9% in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry conducted the telephone poll from March 20 to 23. Valid answers were given by 1,000 people aged 18 or over.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15/national/china-senkakus-sdf-defense/ As Suga heads to U.S., Japanese stocks with ties to China take a beating Hideyuki Sano 5 minutes read

Japanese firms with strong Chinese ties are seeing their shares fall ahead of a meeting of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden, as investors fear pressure to align Japan more closely with Washington's tough stance on Beijing.

Shippers, retailers and manufacturers of various machines and components with significant dependence on Chinese demand could bear the brunt of further diplomatic tension in the form of trade restrictions or popular boycotts, analysts said.

Suga will on Friday become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Biden took office in January, widely seen as an indication by both countries as a desire to revitalise their alliance to counter China's growing clout. read more

"Suga may be asked to come in step with Washington's hard-line stance on China, which could worsen Sino-Japanese relations," Daiwa Securities' Chief Technical Analyst Eiji Kinouchi said.

Given Japan's proximity to China, both geographically and economically, any negative impact from worsening relations would be greater on Japan than on Western allies, Kinouchi said.

Japan has taken a softer approach to China, its largest trade partner, on issues as varied as trade and the origins of COVID-19 that have put the world's most populous country at loggerheads with the United States and its allies.

It stayed out of the West's coordinated sanctions on Chinese officials last month related to alleged human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang, which China has denied. read more

A senior Biden administration official also said Taiwan and preserving the status quo across the Taiwan Strait would be part of the United States' upcoming talks with Japan. read more "Suga will probably get more vaccines from the U.S. In return, he will likely be pressed to get tough on China. So shares of companies with high exposure to China are now capped," said Arihiro Nagata, general manager of global investment at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-linked-japan-shares-shunned-ahead-pm-sugas-us- visit-2021-04-15/

Japan fishing communities alarmed over plan to release Fukushima water Reuters

Fishing communities in Japan are alarmed over the decision to release contaminated water stored at the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a move that has also set off a diplomatic ruckus with neighbours China and South Korea.

Japan's government said on Tuesday it will release more than 1 million tonnes of treated water from the Fukushima site in stages starting in about two years. China called the decision "extremely irresponsible", while South Korea said it will explore petitioning an international court to stop the release. read more

The still-struggling fishing communities of northern Japan, devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that caused the meltdowns at Fukushima 10 years ago, have long expected the decision and have lodged regular protests with the government.

"The thing I'm most afraid of is the damaging rumours even if fish are declared safe," Masao Takahagi, 67, told Reuters.

Still, checking nets on his boat with his wife at Onahama port in Iwaki city, 60 km (35 miles) south of the Fukushima site, he wasn't sure there was much he could do about it.

"In the end, there's only the sea," he said.

Although the government considered other options, most experts had expected it to eventually opt for release into the Pacific Ocean after the water is treated and diluted to within regulatory limits.

A fisherman is seen on the boat after a fishing operation at a port in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, Japan April 13, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Picture taken April 13, 2021. Kyodo/via REUTERS

Fishing communities and others suffering reputational harm from the release will be compensated, Tokyo Electric Power (9501.T), owner of the Fukushima station, said.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/japan-fishing-communities-alarmed-over-plan- release-fukushima-water-2021-04-15/

Tepco lapse a wake-up call for Japan's nuclear security protocols, expert says

• • The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture | KYODO • BY OSAMU TSUKIMORI • STAFF WRITER • SHARE • Apr 15, 2021 A series of security missteps at Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc.'s Kashiwazaki- Kariwa nuclear plant should serve as a wake-up call for operators over the importance of addressing a potential terrorism threat immediately after any breach is confirmed, a top expert in the field has said.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday effectively banned Tepco from restarting the plant in Niigata Prefecture after it was revealed that the facility had been susceptible to security breaches at 15 locations, and that 10 of them had been left unattended for more than a month. The regulator also found that a Tepco staffer had got past a security guard last September using a colleague’s ID card, and gained entry to the plant’s central control room, after the employee realized his own ID card was missing. The order was the first of its kind to be issued by the NRA since the body was launched in 2012, a year after the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. The move also dealt a heavy blow to Tepco’s goals to resume operations of two of the plant’s newest reactors for the first time in more than nine years, in order to curb fossil fuel costs.

Following in the footsteps of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which tightened security measures following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the NRA has imposed tougher, multifaceted anti-terrorism measures.

Among them are the requirement that a “specialized safety facility” be installed to prevent the release of radioactive materials even if a reactor building were to come under direct attack from a deliberate airplane crash. Since 2016 it has also required a background check on plant workers who have access to sensitive security areas, following requests by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Similar security gaffes have been reported at other Japanese nuclear operators as well. Kansai Electric Power Co. was given a warning in 2018 for an incident in which an entry key to sensitive areas of the Oi nuclear plant was inappropriately loaned to unauthorized workers. Without proper security measures, nuclear plants could be vulnerable to multiple security threats, including the theft of nuclear materials, armed attacks by terrorists, insider sabotage or cyberattacks, to name a few.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15/national/nra-niigata-tepco-nuclear-security/

Suspected North Korean boats drifting ashore in Japan down amid pandemic

• A boat believed to be from North Korea is washed ashore on the coast of Aomori Prefecture in November 2019. | AOMORI COAST GUARD OFFICE / VIA KYODO

• KYOD • SHARE • Apr 15, 2021 AOMORI The number of boats believed to originate in North Korea that drifted ashore on Japanese coasts between last October and March this year fell 90% from a year earlier, the– Japan Coast Guard said Thursday. The number of such boats found in the six-month period totaled 13, down from 141 the previous year, the coast guard said. An expert on the Korean Peninsula situation said the plunge was believed to have been caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It appears that North Korea, which wants to maintain thorough border controls against the novel coronavirus, is refraining from conducting illegal fishing operations in the Sea of Japan,” said Yusuke Fukuyama, a professor at Hokuriku University. Boats believed to be from North Korea are known to operate illegally in the Yamatotai area, which offers fertile fishing grounds for squid and other marine life and is located within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, from summer to winter. They sell fish and shellfish to foreign ships at sea.

Most of the suspected North Korean boats are small and made of wood. When they are wrecked in typhoons or rough seas, they often drift to Japanese shores due to seasonal northwesterly winds between fall and winter. There have been a string of cases in which bodies of crew have been discovered in the boats.

The Japan Coast Guard counted boats believed to be from North Korea that washed ashore on Japanese coasts, judging from the wood used to build them and letters written on their hulls.

It counted separately segments of the same hull that drifted ashore at different places.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15/national/north-korea-boats/ Did Japan ignore viable alternatives of dumping contaminated Fukushima water?

• Tokyo says it reached the decision after examining five methods of disposing over a million tons of treated radioactive water • Other options included dumping the water into concrete pits or evaporating and releasing it, ideas critics say were not genuinely considered

Experts and environmental groups have taken issue with the Japanese government’s insistence that releasing water contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean is the best solution to the problem, accusing the authorities of ignoring perfectly viable alternatives for a cheap “quick fix”.They point out that the government’s announcement on April 13 has already provoked so much anger at home and abroad – South Korea has already confirmed that it is planning to take legal action to halt the release and other nations may join its campaign – that the decision may seriously damage Japan’s international reputation. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday said that “disposing of the treated waters is an unavoidable issue for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant”. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3129641/did-japan-ignore-viable-alternatives- dumping-contaminated

Virus could force Olympics cancellation, says top Japanese politician

PUBLISHED : 15 APR 2021 AT 11:45 WRITER: AFP

Virus cases are rising in Japan with fewer than 100 days until the Tokyo Games open.

TOKYO - A top member of Japan's ruling party has warned the Tokyo Olympics could be cancelled if they are "no longer possible" as virus cases spike in the country, media reported Thursday.

"We need to cancel without hesitation if it's no longer possible," Jiji Press agency quoted Toshihiro Nikai as saying.

"If infections spread because of the Olympics, I don't know what the Olympics is for," added Nikai, who is the Liberal Democratic Party's secretary general and second most powerful figure. The comments were reportedly made during the recording of a television programme.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2100131/virus-could-force-olympics-cancellation-says-top- japanese-politician

Beijing skies turn yellow as sand, dust engulf Chinese capital Reuters 2 minutes read

The skies above Beijing turned yellow and air pollution soared to severe levels as a giant cloud of sand and dust particles rolled into the city, propelled by strong winds from the north of China.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/beijing-skies-turn-yellow-sand-dust-engulf-chinese- capital-2021-04-15/

Beijing's top official in Hong Kong warns foreign powers not to interfere ReutersClare Jim 4 minutes read

1/2

Introducing of National Security law placards are placed at a secondary school, ahead of National Security Education Day, in Hong Kong, China April 12, 2021. Picture taken April 12, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong warned foreign powers on Thursday that they would be taught a lesson if they tried to use the global financial centre as a "pawn", as tensions escalated between China and Western governments over the city.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/beijings-top-official-hong-kong-warns-foreign-powers-not- interfere-2021-04-15/

Goose step and propaganda in schools for Hong Kong’s national security day

Police officers performed a new goose-stepping march to mark the National Security Education Day

GETTY IMAGES Didi Tang, Beijing Friday April 16 2021, 12.00am BST, The Times

Policemen goose-stepped on parade while children were required to raise the Chinese flag and sing national anthems yesterday as Hong Kong marked its inaugural “National Security Education Day” following last year’s quashing of pro-democracy protests.

Schools across the city held mandatory events promoting the virtues of Chinese rule, and Luo Huining, the top Chinese official in Hong Kong, declared the national security law “a sharp sword” to safeguard social stability and protect the city’s future. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hong-kong-celebrates-first-national-security-day-with-goose-steps- cn38jwqfp

Hong Kong elections: Beijing prepares legal fightback as Western governments weigh up sanctioning Chinese officials over polls reform

• Foreign ministry reveals ‘useful legal tools’ are being developed for deployment against foreign forces it accuses of meddling in Hong Kong affairs • Police chief says overseas agents are using local media and politicians to instil hatred in the city

Beijing has warned Western governments that slapping more sanctions on China will lead to nothing except retribution, as its foreign ministry reveals legal action is being prepared against overseas forces using Hong Kong to damage the country’s interests.

Fang Jianming, deputy commissioner of the ministry’s Hong Kong office, declared Beijing was ready to strike back with measures of its own after the city’s last colonial governor Chris Patten led calls for Britain to impose sanctions on Chinese officials “responsible for the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong”.

Fang’s message was delivered to a Hong Kong event on Thursday which also heard from Zheng Yanxiong, head of Beijing’s locally based national security office, as well as the security and police chiefs, who cautioned overseas politicians against interfering in the city’s affairs.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3129721/hong-kong-elections-beijing- prepares-legal-fightback

China reveals foreigner jailed for 11 years, mainland students arrested over Hong Kong protests

• Top law enforcement agency releases details of four national security cases involving mainland students • State television also gives more information on the case of a Chinese-born Belize businessman who was prosecuted a year ago

Beijing has revealed details of four national security cases involving mainland Chinese students, two of whom were arrested after joining anti-extradition protests in Hong Kong.State television also gave more information about the case of a Chinese-born Belize businessman, reporting that he had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for advising US officials about foreign sanctions on Hong Kong and funding the protests.Changanjian, the official social media account of China’s top law enforcement agency, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, on Thursday made public details of the four cases involving students who had studied outside the mainland.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3129717/china-reveals-foreigner-jailed-11-years- mainland-students

China celebrates four years without a violent terrorist incident

• ‘Battle against terrorism has continued to do well,’ spokesman for public security ministry says • Safeguarding China’s political regime was the focus of ministry’s work in the 2013-20 period, he says

There have been no terrorist attacks in China for the past four years, the public security ministry said on Thursday.“Our battle against terrorism has continued to do well, and there have been no violent terrorist incidents for four consecutive years,” spokesman Li Guozhong told a press conference held to review the ministry’s work and achievements between 2013 and 2020.

“The present situation is stable and harmonious as people enjoy security and a good living and work environment,” he said.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129726/china-celebrates-four-years-without- violent-terrorist-incident

China Figures Out How to Produce Must-See Propaganda TV messaging; an international version, with fewer meeting scenes, is in the ‘Minning Town’ is part of a sophisticated turn in Communist Party works

‘Ma Defu is like a lot of young people, dealing with layer upon layer of challenges,’ Mr. Huang says.

PHOTO: DAYLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS

By Keith Zhai April 15, 2021 8:00 am ET

-birthday plans, it is celebrating a new addition to its list of accomplishments: the production of a genuinely popular As China’s Communist Party revs up its 100th patriotic TV drama.

- -alleviation efforts, scored a 9.4 out of 10 on Chinese review site Douban.com when it aired earlier this “Minning Town,” a 23 episode series about the party’s poverty year is in the works, but the English-subtitled original is already available on YouTube, —besting the likes of Netflix ’s “The Queen’s Gambit.” An international version where it has accumulated millions of views.

Chinese propaganda officials are now dissecting the show to figure out how to replicate its success.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-figures-out-how-to-produce-must-see-propaganda-tv- 11618488003 China summons Japan ambassador over plans to release contaminated Fukushima water into sea Reuters

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 13, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Picture taken February 13, 2021. Kyodo/via REUTERS

China on Thursday summoned Japan's ambassador in protest over Japan's planned release of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant and said it would assess possible safety threats to food and agricultural products.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/china-will-assess-food-safety-threats-posed-by- fukushima-water-release-ministry-2021-04-15/

S.Korean fishmongers, opposition party members voice concerns over Fukushima plans Reuters 3 minutes read

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami- crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 13, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Picture taken February 13, 2021. Kyodo/via REUTERS

South Korean vendors at a fish market in the capital Seoul and opposition party members called on the government to take actions to have Japan drop plans to release contaminated water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/skorean-fishmongers-opposition-party-members- voice-concerns-over-fukushima-plans-2021-04-15/

Taiwan's Tsai says China's military activities threaten regional stability Reuters 1 minute read

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen gives a speech after visiting the Navy's 131st Fleet in Keelung, Taiwan, March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of former senior U.S. officials on Thursday the Chinese military's activities have threatened regional peace and stability.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taiwans-tsai-says-chinas-military-activities-threaten-regional- stability-2021-04-15/

Taiwan tells Biden emissaries it will deter China threats with US Tsai to work with 'like-minded' countries to counter Beijing's 'adventurous maneuvers'

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage speaks at a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing- wen in Taipei on April 15. © Pool photo/Reuters

April 15, 2021 16:43 JST

TAIPEI (Reuters) -- Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told emissaries visiting at U.S. President Joe Biden's request on Thursday that the island would work with the United States to deter threats from Chinese military activities.

Former senior U.S. officials, including former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, are visiting Taipei in a trip to signal Biden's commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

Tsai told the U.S. delegation in a meeting at the Presidential Office that Chinese military activities in the region have threatened regional peace and stability.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-tells-Biden-emissaries-it-will-deter- China-threats-with-US

TSMC chief blames geopolitical tensions for chip shortage, plays down threat from Intel and rival fabs

• TSMC reported a 25 per cent rise in first-quarter earnings amid a global chip shortage the company blamed on geopolitical tensions and stockpiling • The company played down the potential threat of rivals like Intel increasing capacity, saying TSMC is prepared

Customers of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker, are facing an extended semiconductor shortage because of short-term geopolitical tensions and escalating demand for chips in the long term.

TSMC chief executive C.C. Wei said in a conference call on Thursday that clients’ rush to stockpile chips was the product of geopolitical tensions, “creating short-term imbalance in the supply chain”. The company’s chief financial officer, Wendell Huang, agreed that tensions had contributed to higher-than-usual inventory build-up, as customers and other members of the supply chain “gradually prepare for higher levels of inventory as compared to historical seasonal levels”.

“We expect this to persist for a period of time given the industry’s need to ensure supply security,” Huang added.

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3129710/tsmc-chief-blames-geopolitical-tensions-chip- shortage-plays-down

MOFA makes 'solemn representation' on Japan's radioactive water plans

04/15/2021 10:30 PM

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The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Kyodo News photo Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has made a "solemn representation" to Japan over its decision to dump treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean, following criticism from Taiwan's main opposition party and environmental groups over the government's initial statement on Tokyo's plan.

At a regular press briefing on Thursday, MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said the ministry has lodged a "solemn representation" concerning Japan's recent decision, and conveyed the concerns of different groups in Taiwan to the Japanese side.

During the briefing, Ou was again asked by reporters to respond to Tokyo's announcement on Tuesday that it plans to release more than 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in around two years.

The wastewater was used to cool melted fuel in three nuclear reactors which were damaged during a major earthquake in 2011 and as such is contaminated with radioactive materials.

As the water continues to accumulate, the plant's storage capacity is expected to run out as early as the fall of 2022, prompting Tokyo to take action, according to media reports in Japan.

MOFA's initial reaction to the announcement on Tuesday was that it is "highly concerned" with the plan, which the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) slammed as "too soft." In a statement issued Wednesday, the KMT called on the administration of President Tsai Ing- wen (蔡英文) to lodge a "solemn protest" instead of just being "highly concerned."

Fai Hrong-tai (費鴻泰), the KMT caucus whip at the Legislative Yuan, said during a press conference at the time that the party's lawmakers plan to submit a resolution on Friday, demanding that the government take a tougher stand on the issue.

The Su'ao Fishermen's Association in eastern Taiwan and the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform (NNAAP), which is made up of more than 100 groups, have also objected strongly to Tokyo's plan.

https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202104150026

Coronavirus: Cambodian PM Hun Sen warns ‘we are on the brink of death’; India records 200,000 new cases

• Cambodia has reported a surge in Covid-19 cases since February, when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community • Thailand reported 1,543 new cases, the sharpest increase since the start of the pandemic, while Singapore invoked its fake news law over vaccine claims

Spiralling Covid-19 cases have put Cambodia “on the brink of death”, its strongman premier Hun Sen has warned, as the country imposed lockdowns in the capital Phnom Penh and a nearby city.

Cambodia has reported a surge in Covid-19 cases since February, when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community.

Authorities said last week that hospitals in Phnom Penh were running out of beds and that they had transformed schools and wedding party halls into treatment centres, while Hun Sen threatened quarantine- breakers with jail time.

https://www.scmp.com/coronavirus/asia/article/3129647/coronavirus-cambodian-pm-hun-sen- warns-we-are-brink-death-india

EXCLUSIVE From remote part of India, Myanmar's ousted lawmakers work on challenging junta Devjyot Ghoshal 5 minutes read

An ousted member of parliament from Myanmar flashes a three-finger salute at an undisclosed location in northeastern India April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Devjyot Ghoshal

In a spartan hillside room in India furnished only with a thin sleeping mat, the Myanmar member of parliament spends much of his days attentively listening to Zoom conference calls and tapping away messages on his smartphone.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/exclusive-remote-part-india-myanmars-ousted-lawmakers-work- challenging-junta-2021-04-15/

Myanmar coup latest: South Korea's Posco to ditch military-linked company Ex-Japan envoy sees 'coup' within armed forces; 6,000 officers hold Russian degrees

Posco wants out from its joint venture with a company associated with Myanmar's military. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writersMarch 31, 2021 20:58 JSTUpdated on April 16, 2021 10:38 JST

YANGON/BANGKOK -- Myanmar's military on Feb. 1 detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in the country's first coup since 1988, bringing an end to a decade of civilian rule.

The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election in November. But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-South-Korea-s-Posco-to-ditch- military-linked-company

Myanmar junta taps Russian air power to bomb ethnic rebels Military raids on Karen and Kachin states sow 'terror' in anti-coup strongholds

MiG-29 jet fighters: Myanmar has bought 30 MiG-29s as well as 10 Mi-24 and Mi-35P combat helicopters. © Reuters

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentApril 15, 2021 14:02 JST

BANGKOK -- The skies above Myanmar's hinterlands have thundered from Russian-made jets over the past three weeks as they bomb strongholds of ethnic rebels along the country's borders with China and Thailand. On other nights, witnesses say, Russian-made attack helicopters shattered the silence and lit up the sky.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Coup/Myanmar-junta-taps-Russian-air-power-to-bomb- ethnic-rebels

Myanmar security forces arrest prominent leader of anti-coup campaign Reuters 4 minutes read

Demonstrators flash a three-finger salute during a protest against the military coup in Dawei, Myanmar April 13, 2021. Courtesy of Dawei Watch/via REUTERS

Myanmar security forces on Thursday arrested one of the main leaders of the campaign against military rule after ramming him with a car as he led a motorbike protest rally, friends and colleagues said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/myanmar-security-forces-fire-protesting-medical-workers-some-hurt- media-2021-04-15/

Myanmar security forces arrest anti-coup protest leader, open fire on medical workers

• Wai Moe Naing has emerged as one of the main leaders opposing the February 1 coup which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government • The five-day new year holiday, known as Thingyan, began on Tuesday but pro- democracy activists cancelled the usual festivities to continue protests

Myanmar security forces on Thursday arrested one of the main leaders of the campaign against military rule after ramming him with a car as he led a motorbike protest rally, friends and colleagues said.

They also opened fire on a pro-democracy protest by medical workers in the city of Mandalay, and during more shooting in a nearby area one man was killed and several were wounded.

Opponents of a February 1 coup that ousted an elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi have kept up their campaign against the military this traditional New Year week with marches and various other displays of resistance.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3129642/myanmar-coup-security-forces- open-fire-medical-workers

UAE is mediating between India and Pakistan, says senior diplomat Reuter 3 minutes read

A farmer carries a sack of grass as he walks near the fenced border between India- Pakistan in Ranbir Singh Pura sector near Jammu March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

The United Arab Emirates' envoy to Washington confirmed the Gulf state is mediating between India and Pakistan to help the nuclear-armed rivals reach a "healthy and functional" relationship.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/uae-is-mediating-between-india-pakistan-says-senior-diplomat- 2021-04-15/

New US sanctions won't 'help' Putin-Biden summit plans:

Kremlin

PUBLISHED : 15 APR 2021 AT 19:45 WRITER: AFP

Ties between Washington and Moscow have frayed since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said Thursday that looming US sanctions against Russia in retaliation for alleged election interference and hacking will not "help" a potential summit between Russian President

Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden.

The new sanctions come just after Biden in a phone call with Putin on Tuesday invited him to hold a summit on neutral ground, after tensions between the West and Russia escalated in recent weeks over the conflict in Ukraine.

US media reported that Washington will announce on Thursday sanctions affecting more than 30 Russian entities, expelling more than 10 Russian diplomats from the United States and expanding an existing ban on US banks trading in Russian government debt.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2100187/new-us-sanctions-wont-help-putin-biden-summit- plans-kremlin

Russian ambassador says no famine in N.Korea, trade may resume soon Josh Smith

People wearing protective face masks commute amid concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea March 30, 2020, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

Life is difficult in North Korea but there is no famine and some cross-border shipments may resume soon, Russia's ambassador in Pyongyang said, a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the country was facing a "worst-ever situation."

https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-ambassador-says-no-famine-nkorea-trade-may-resume-soon- 2021-04-15/

EU mulls end to extradition treaties with China over Hong Kong electoral reform, but not every member state agrees

• Sources say proposal to suspend extradition treaties with Beijing will face resistance from some member states • Foreign ministers will meet on Monday to announce light touch measures but tougher proposals are still under discussion

Under pressure from the United States and reeling from a blitz of Chinese sanctions, the

European Union is preparing new measures to punish Beijing for sweeping electoral reform that will marginalise opposition voices in Hong Kong. According to four sources familiar with discussions, the measures could include a suspension of member state extradition treaties with China, although they are yet to be finalised by the officials who are busy laying the groundwork for Monday’s meeting of all 27 EU foreign ministers.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129599/eu-mulls-end-extradition-treaties- china-over-hong-kong

Romania approves bill to bar China, Huawei from 5G networks ReutersRadu-sorin Marinas 3 minutes read

A Huawei logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China February 23, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

Romania's centrist government on Thursday approved a United States- backed bill that effectively bars China and Huawei (HWT.UL) from taking part in development of its 5G network, a member of the IT&C and National Security Committee told Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/romanian-govt-approves-bill-bar-china-huawei-5g- networks-2021-04-15/

Explained: What are the Iran nuclear talks all about?

• In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with the US, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain that was intended to set limits on Tehran's nuclear program. AP |

PUBLISHED ON APR 15, 2021 02:37 PM IST

Negotiations to bring the United States back into a landmark nuclear deal with Iran are set to resume Thursday in Vienna amid signs of progress — but also under the shadow of an attack this week on Iran's main nuclear facility. What is the deal they're talking about?

In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with the US, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain that was intended to set limits on Tehran's nuclear program in order to block it from building a nuclear weapon — something it insists it doesn't want to do.

In exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions that those powers had imposed, including on its exports of oil and access to the global banking system. Iran was allowed to continue to pursue its nuclear program for civilian purposes, with strict limits on how much uranium it could enrich, the purity it could enrich it to and other measures.

Before the deal, conservative estimates were that Iran was within five to six months of being able to produce a bomb, while some feared it was within two to three months. With the deal safeguards in place, that “breakout time” was estimated to be more than a year.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/explained-what-are-the-iran-nuclear-talks-all-about- 101618477309909.html

WPS swarming of Chinese ships proof of China’s expansionist ambition — research group

Published April 15, 2021, 1:10 PM by Richa Noriega Philippine officials should not fall into the deceptive rhetorics and actions of China which a local-based research group branded as attempts to hide its real intention of expansionist ambition in the region.

(Photo from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea) In a statement, Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ADRi) president Prof. Dindo Manhit said the expansionist ambition was further recently revealed by China’s swarming of the Julian Felipe Reef and the deployment of its military, Coast Guard and militia-manned ships in the South China Sea which includes the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Philippines and other countries.

“The persistent and deliberate swarming maneuverings of their maritime militia vessels in Philippine waters reveals China’s expansionist ambitions and renders false their pronouncements to safeguard peace and stability in the region,” Manhit said.

“They continue to instigate deceptive rhetoric and acts that undermine the precepts of peaceful resolution and stability in the region,” he added.

When he assumed the presidency in 2016, President Duterte became friendly with China to the point of almost burning bridges with the Philippines’ long-time ally, the United States, due to some actions that include revocation of the Visiting Forces of Agreement which paves way for the regular conduct of war games between Philippine and American troops.

Duterte would vocally praise China, citing the latter’s generosity such as providing multi- billion dollar loans to the Philippines. But almost all of the loans promised of China is yet to be realized after almost five years of his presidency.

Duterte appeared to have also been convinced of China’s argument that the territorial dispute issue should be resolved bilaterally, which paved the way for the sidelining of the United Nations Tribunal victory of the Philippines in the case it filed against China. But with the incident in Julian Felipe Reef, the Philippines is now turning into its long-time ally, the United States, what with the resumption of the war games that started on Monday.

The ADRi also underscored that the Philippines has “every right to exercise its sovereignty over these waters.”

“We have the right to patrol, protect, and harness its resources as established by international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling,” Manhit said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/wps-swarming-of-chinese-ships-proof-of-chinas-expansionist-ambition- research-group/

PH to lose maritime territory larger than its total land area if it loses EEZ: Carpio ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 09:30 AM | Updated as of Apr 15 2021 09:49 AM

Chinese marine vessels anchored at Julian Felipe Reef in this photo taken last March 27. Photo courtesy of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea MANILA - The Philippines will lose a maritime area larger than its total land area to China if it does not defend its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned Thursday.

Carpio made the remark as he called on President Rodrigo Duterte to "love the Filipino people, not President Xi Jinping."

"If we do not act as one, if we do not exert all effort, exhaust all remedies, we will lose 80 percent of our EEZ in the West Philippine Sea. We will lose a maritime area larger than our total land area," he told ANC's Headstart.

"We are depriving future generations of Filipinos the marine wealth that is found in this huge maritime area that we will lose to China...The President should love the Filipino people, not President Xi Jinping."

The Philippines should build structures in its EEZ and send its Navy to patrol the area, Carpio said. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/ph-to-lose-maritime-territory-larger-than-its-total-land-area- if-it-loses-eez-carpio

In photos: Chinese maritime militia ships remain in Julian Felipe Reef Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com) - April 15, 2021 - 4:05pm MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:22 p.m.) — Photos released by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday showed that Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels remain in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea.

The photos were taken by personnel of the PCG's BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) from April 13 to 14 during their latest patrol in the vicinity waters.

BRP Cabra was also accompanied by two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ships manned by PCG personnel.

The photos showed that at least six maritime militia ships, which Chinese authorities claim as ordinary fishing vessels, continuously stay in the coral reef off the coast of Bataraza, Palawan.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/15/2091379/photos-chinese-coast-guard-maritime- militia-ships-remain-julian-felipe-reef

Not enough assets to patrol West PH Sea, AFP admits By CNN Philippines Staff Published Apr 15, 2021 5:34:43 PM

The Philippine Coast Guard conducts patrols at Julian Felipe Reef on April 14.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15) — The head of the Armed Forces’ Western Command is appealing for more air and naval assets to boost patrols in the West Philippine Sea amid the swarming of Chinese vessels.

In an interview with CNN Philippines on Thursday, Rear Admiral Ramil Roberto Enriquez, WESCOM commander, said aerial patrols are supposed to be done daily, but this is “not possible at this time” since the Air Force’s planes are focused on transporting COVID-19 vaccines to different parts of the country.

“The area is something [like] 70,000 square nautical miles (around 240,000 square kilometers),” Enriquez said.

He noted that a five-hour flight could only cover a tenth of the West Philippine Sea. It will take a ship 15 days to patrol the waters, “theoretically speaking, na hindi niya kailangan magrefuel at may adequate food and water (without having to refuel and with adequate food and water),” he said.

There are currently five Philippine Navy vessels in the area, augmented by ships from Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

“We cannot cover the entire West Philippine Sea in a single patrol, 'yun ang challenge sa amin ngayon (that's the challenge we face now), how we can see them all at the same time,” Enriquez said.

“We are appealing to higher authorities to provide us with better alternatives or more assets,” he added.

The government is relying on the surveillance patrols for its policy responses to the lingering presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. On March 20, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported spotting around 200 suspected Chinese militia vessels at Julian Felipe Reef or Whitsun Reef, located 175 nautical miles from Bataraza, Palawan, well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

After a number of diplomatic protests and repeated demands that China withdraw its vessels, only six ships remained moored at Julian Felipe Reef as of Tuesday evening, Enriquez said. This does not mean the Chinese vessels have left, they only appear to have dispersed to other areas in the country’s EEZ.

As of April 11, China had 240 militia vessels, four navy warships, and two China Coast Guard vessels in areas it claims in the West Philippine Sea. China insists on owning parts of the Philippines’ EEZ as part supposedly of its historic nine-dash line claim which an arbitral ruling had already invalidated.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/15/west-philippine-sea-patrols-chinese-vessels.html?fb

Palace on building structures in EEZ: Code on WPS priority

BySamuel Medenill -April 16, 2021

May 14, 2019 file photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a Chinese Coast Guard ship in West Philippine Sea. MALACAÑANG on Thursday said it will continue to push for the creation of a Code of Conduct in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to finally keep the movement of Chinese ships within disputed territory in check.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque issued the reply when asked if the government will consider a proposal for the government to construct “inexpensive structures” to assert its rights on its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

“We remain committed to the codification of a Code of Conduct, so that’s the direction,” Roque said in an online press briefing on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reiterated its concern over the “swarming” of 240 Chinese Coast Guard ships within the country’s EEZ.

The Philippine Coast Guard, which conducted surveillance of the area, that several Chinese fishermen were poaching giant clams in the vicinity of the Pag- asa Islands off Palawan.

The encroachment was condemned by the Department of Defense (DND), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and labor groups for compromising the country’s territorial integrity and freedom of navigation. In announcing the filing of more diplomatic protests over the swarming, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. earlier also expressed concern over the continued taking by the Chinese vessels of vital marine resources—“everything in the water that belongs by law to us: fish, clams, and in such big quantities as to wipe out sustainability.” https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/16/palace-on-building-structures-in-eez-code-on-wps-priority/

PH Navy gets green light to install US-compatible operating technology on new warships

By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ

INQUIRER.net / 09:25 PM April 14, 2021

MANILA, Philippines The Department of National Defense has given the green light for the Philippine Navy to equip its new Rizal-class warships with Tactical — Data Link 16, the standard military network being used by the United States and allies.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana this week approved the acquisition decision memorandum for the Tactical Data Link 16 equipment and terminals, INQUIRER.net learned from a government source.

The system would likely be acquired from the United States in a government-to- government deal throug

The Link 16 would allowh monitoring the US’ foreign of battle military space sales operatio program.ns, share information in real time and improve interoperability between allies and other Philippine military platforms with the same capacity.

There would be seamless real-time data swapping with allies or local platforms without the risks of getting hacked or being intercepted by hostile forces.

The Philippine government has recently completed the acquisition of two multi- role frigates worth P16 billion from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy however. Industries (HHI). The process to acquire the warships wasn’t smooth sailing, The involvement of Malacanang, cited in some of the documents related to the frigate deal, drew national attention and even prompted the Senate and House of Representatives to conduct hearings. The selection of the combat management system, described to be the brains of the warships, was one of the contentious issues of the acquisition process because of lity requirement. the Navy’s Link 16 compatibi compatible with Link 16 by 2019 or before the first frigate was delivered. HHI promised in 2017 that Hanwha Systems’ Naval Shield ICMS would be The compatibility requirement was not officially met upon the delivery of the first ship in 2020, but the South Korean Ministry of National Defense issued a guarantee to resolve it. HHI also said it will shoulder the Link 16 integration costs when the Navy acquires the equipment in the future.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1419195/ph-navy-gets-green-light-to-install-us-compatible-operating- technology-on-new-warships

US comes to Philippines’ rescue in South China Sea US deploys war ships to maritime area in apparent response to Philippine complaints of new Chinese incursions in its claimed waters

By RICHARD JAVAD HEYDARIANAPRIL 15, 2021 Print

Philippine and US Marines during a surface-to-air missile simulation as part of exercise KAMANDAG on Octoer 10, 2019. Photo: Lance Cpl. Brienna Tuck/US Marine Corps

MANILA – The Philippines and United States have kicked off their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises, a joint show of force in the face of China’s rising maritime assertiveness over Manila-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

Even in this year’s scaled down version due to Covid-19 health protocols, the Balikatan will involve close to 1,000 troops from both sides, underscoring the significance both Manila and Washington attach to their mutual defense treaty.

Past exercises have seen as many as 7,600 troops participate. The Balikatan was cancelled last year due to Covid-19 concerns.

The resumed drills coincide with unprecedented US and Chinese naval deployments across Asian waters, including in the South China Sea, as the two sides’ superpower rivalry enters a new and evermore dangerous phase.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/us-comes-to-philippines-rescue-in-south-china-sea/

‘China marks all over SCS’ Online news service bares Chinese massive claims on disputed areas posted April 16, 2021 at 01:40 am by Maricel Cruz and Rio N. Araja

China has registered trademarks over hundreds of land features scattered throughout the South China Sea, a move opposed by other claimants to the disputed waters, BenarNews, a Washington-based online news service, reported Thursday.

SEA PATROL. These handout photos were taken on April 14, 2021 and received from the Philippine Coast Guard on April 15 after holding maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea, where several Chinese maritime assets still lingered at Whitsun Reef (Julian Felipe reef) in the Spratly Islands. PCG personnel aboard rubber boats and displaying a Philippine flag, patrolled the area using BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409), joined by two smaller boats from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that were manned by BFAR personnel. The area is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, a huge part of which is being claimed by China despite a July 2015 UN tribunal ruling voiding the Chinese claim. PCG/AFP

BenarNews said records show that Sansha City – which is responsible for administering China’s claims in the South China Sea – filed thousands of domestic trademark applications covering 281 specific rocks, reefs, shoals and other contested features as well as entire regions of the South China Sea.

Each of these trademarks is composed of the feature’s name in stylized Chinese calligraphy and is categorized under one of 45 international trademark classes, which cover everything from musical instruments to legal services. Many also include an English transliteration of the feature’s name and an illustrated logo that offers a colorful view of the feature as seen from above.

The depiction of features appears to predate China’s massive campaign of land reclamation in the Paracel and Spratly islands, which kicked off in 2014, BenarNews said.

Julian Ku, a professor at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, said these trademarks could potentially help the Chinese government wield lawsuits to advance its position in the disputes.

The party-list group Bayan Muna denounced the trademark registrations as yet another blatant assault on the sovereignty of the Philippines and the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration which declared that China has no historic rights over the waters of the West Philippine Sea and the islands within it.

“We trust that other nations would respect the decision of the Permanent Court and reject any efforts to register the same trademarks under their respective jurisdictions,” Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said in a statement to Manila Standard.

“Let the Chinese government and the people behind these trademarks fool themselves over their illegitimate claims. The Court’s decision is clear – the West Philippine Sea is ours. No Chinese trademark can overturn that ruling,” he added.

Gaite said this “lawfare” or the misuse of legal systems and principles against the Philippines is but a desperate attempt by China to solidify its dubious “Nine-Dash Line” claim over the West Philippine Sea.

“Even the registration as a trademark is equally dubious. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, “a trademark is a word, a group of words, sign, symbol, logo or a combination thereof that identifies and differentiates the source of the goods or services of one entity from those of others.” How this can apply to physical features and islands is a big question mark,” Gaite said. Nonetheless, Gaite called on the government to intensify its assertions of the Philippines territorial integrity and to act more decisively in addressing Chinese military presence in Philippine waters.

“It must reverse its exaggeratedly chummy and disconcertingly submissive diplomatic policy towards China and start standing up for Philippine sovereignty,” he said.

A group of environmentalists, meanwhile, lambasted China for illegally taking fish from Philippine waters “every single day.”

Villardo Abueme, Homonhon Environmental Rescue Organization (HERO) president, said the Philippines could face a fish shortage as Chinese fishing vessels remain in the West Philippine Seas’ Spratlys Islands to catch 240,000 kilos of fish from Philippine waters every day.

He said China’s overfishing as being “worse than invasion” and urged the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to look into the matter.

The Chinese fishermen have been overfishing (and) depleting our marine resources. They even sell their catch to our fishermen at a higher price,” he said.

“This is actually worse than invasion. Our fishermen have nothing to eat. They are now getting hungry because of these Chinese (fishermen),” he added.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/351978/-china-marks-all-over-scs-.html

China Blinks As American, Philippine Fleets Challenge Possible Reef Seizure

David Axe

Forbes Staff

Aerospace & Defense

I write about ships, planes, tanks, drones, missiles and satellites.

USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' and USS 'Makin Island' meet in the South China Sea.

U.S. NAVY

They first showed up around Whitsun Reef in December. A growing fleet of Chinese boats, anchoring hull to hull in the shallow water around the boomerang-shaped reef, 200 miles west of the Philippines in the

South China Sea.

By March there were around 220 Chinese boats near the reef. It appeared to officials in Manila and

Washington that Beijing was about to execute another land grab, potentially leading to the establishment of yet another Chinese military outpost in disputed waters.

In mid-April, the Chinese boats began dispersing. What happened in the intervening month is clear. The

U.S. and Philippine navies deployed powerful forces to the region while diplomats plainly stated that

Chinese occupation of a reef inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone could warrant a military response.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/04/15/china-blinks-as-american-philippine-fleets- challenge-reef-seizure/?ss=aerospace-defense&sh=2754cb5c5531

Hong Kong marks National Security Education Day with anti-terrorism drills, weapons displays for students as top official urges resolve in defending ‘bottom line’

• Beijing’s top official in Hong Kong, Luo Huining, urged the local government to remain firm in safeguarding national security, calling it the key to solving a host of social problems • Director of liaison office adds it is every Hong Kong resident’s responsibility to protect the city’s stability, as they had paid a heavy price during the social unrest of 2019

Hong Kong officially celebrated National Security Education Day on Thursday with citywide events ranging from Chinese military-style marches and anti-terrorism drills to school promotional activities for children and weapons displays for students, while top officials made speeches urging unity to maintain stability and resist foreign interference.

Government departments and supporting community organisations went all out to mark the day for the first time since the imposition of Hong Kong’s national security law by Beijing nine months ago.

Top officials and politicians held a three-hour symposium at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai to hail the legislation for helping restore stability after the anti-government protest chaos of 2019, and to justify the drastic overhaul of the city’s political system that followed.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3129602/hong-kong-must-show-resolve- defending-bottom-line-national

This Chinese-Canadian scientist helped cure Ebola. Now she’s at the centre of a viral security drama

• Dr Qiu Xiangguo was an award-winning researcher before she and her husband were escorted out of Canada’s most secure microbiology lab • Mystery surrounds the couple amid a two-year police investigation, a shipment of viruses to Wuhan, internet conspiracy theories and a wall of official silence

She has been hailed as a groundbreaking researcher who helped cure Ebola, bringing accolades and worldwide attention to Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory.

For the past two years, however, Dr Qiu Xiangguo has been receiving a different kind of scrutiny, after being escorted off the Winnipeg, Manitoba lab premises with her biologist husband, Dr Cheng Keding, for security reasons.Exactly why the scientists were ejected from the lab in 2019 was a mystery.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129746/chinese-canadian-scientist-helped- cure-ebola-shes-now-centre

China’s aviation capabilities stuck at ‘low-end’ as military- civil fusion weighs on innovation: official report

• China’s aviation sector is being held back by the dominant role of the state and the country’s military-civil fusion strategy, says a new Shanghai report • The country is only able to make basic aviation parts as a result of inadequate core technology and poor research and development capabilities, the report says

China’s commercial aviation industry is lagging behind international competitors, with the country’s military- civil fusion strategy stifling innovation and state dominance of the sector hampering efficiency, according to a report from the Shanghai government.

Shanghai has been at the forefront of China’s commercial aviation sector, which was identified as one of the key industries set for heavy investment in the 14th five-year plan for 2021-25.

The city is home to the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), which manufactures the

C919, the narrow body jet China hopes will compete with Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. It is also the site of numerous military-industrial research institutes.

https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3129674/chinas-aviation-capabilities-stuck-low-end-military- civil-fusion-weighs

'Terrorists may take advantage': China warns on US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Further slamming the US for linking the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan to focus more on the 'threats' posed by China, Beijing said that the fight against terrorism is in the common interest of all parties, including the two countries.

PTI | | Posted by Karan Manral

PUBLISHED ON APR 15, 2021 06:49 PM IST

China on Thursday voiced concern over America's decision to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by September, saying the US should accommodate the legitimate security concerns of the regional countries to prevent "terrorist forces" from taking advantage of the chaos in the war-torn country.

Also Read | 'Time to end America's longest war': Biden on Afghanistan Beijing also slammed Washington for linking the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan to focus more on the threats posed by China, saying the fight against terrorism is in the common interest of all parties, including the two countries.

"The current security situation in Afghanistan is still complex and grim and the problem of terrorism is far from being solved. Foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan should withdraw in a responsible and orderly manner to ensure a smooth transition in Afghanistan and to avoid terrorist forces from taking advantage of chaos," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here while responding to questions on US troops pullout plan.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/terrorists-may-take-advantage-china-warns-on-us- withdrawal-from-afghanistan-101618491669642.html

China puts national security on HK’s curriculum Students are indoctrinated in the importance of national security and respect for China but activists see the campaign as brainwashing

By JEFF PAOAPRIL 15, 2021 Print

A flag-raising ceremony on National Security Education Day. Photo: HK Govt

Hong Kong launched a new propaganda campaign about national security in schools on Thursday, with instructions to students to uphold the city’s law and order and show respect to China.

Since last week the government has been promoting National Security Education Day, set for April 15, through television and outdoor advertisements. The Education Bureau urged all primary and secondary schools to hold seminars and flag-raising ceremonies.

On Thursday, some schools spent hours teaching national security topics, while others reportedly spent only 30 minutes, depending on their political stances.

A secondary student told Asia Times that a senior executive at her school gave a speech about the different kinds of national security issues during an assembly on Thursday and answered several questions raised by students.

She said she was told that “people should show respect to the country,” “there are boundaries to freedom of speech,” “everyone must obey the law” and “national security education is not brainwashing, but very common in the West.”

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/china-puts-national-security-on-hks-curriculum/

PLA exercise could be a rehearsal of combat plan over the island: expert

By

Liu Xuanzun and Guo YuandanPublished: Apr 13, 2021 07:12 PM Updated: Apr 13, 2021 10:25 PM

A fighter jet attached to an air force aviation brigade under the PLA Southern Theater Command taxies on the flightline before takeoff during a round-the-clock flight training exercise on March 4, 2021.Photo:China Military

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted an exercise near the island of Taiwan on Monday with the largest number of warplanes ever recorded, which could be a rehearsal of a reunification-by-force operation, again sending a clear warning to Taiwan secessionists and the US that have been making provocative moves to escalate tensions in the region, Chinese mainland experts said on Tuesday.

A US aircraft carrier exited the South China Sea via waters south of the island of Taiwan also on Monday, a region close to the PLA warplane exercise. And analysts said the PLA displayed the capability of driving away foreign forces interfering in the Taiwan question.

Twenty-five PLA aircraft, namely two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, one KJ-500 early warning aircraft, four J-10 and 14 J-16 fighter jets, and four H-6K bombers, entered Taiwan's self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone on Monday, the island's defense authorities said late that day.

The number of PLA warplanes featured in the exercise was a record since Taiwan's defense authorities began to release information about PLA aircraft activities in the region on September 17, 2020, surpassing the previous record of 20 on March 26. The number of J-16s, a powerful fighter jet, was also the biggest of all exercises, media on the island said on Monday.

The exercise conducted by the PLA served as a warning to Taiwan secessionists and the US after the two had made a series of provocative moves, mainland analysts said. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1220962.shtml

ByTaiwan navy’s new amphibious vessel ‘no match to PLA counterpart,Liu Xuanzun of minimal threat’ Published: Apr 14, 2021 06:04 PM

The amphibious dock landing ships Wuzhishan (Hull 987), Kunlunshan (Hull 998) and Changbaishan (Hull 989) attached to a landing ship flotilla with the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command steam alongside in waters of the South China Sea during a maritime training exercise on November 18, 2020. The exercise lasted four days, focusing on 10 subjects including comprehensive defense, Landing Craft Air Cushion's (LCAC) transfer, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation, and live-fire operations. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Jian)

The island of Taiwan launched its first 10,000 ton-class amphibious landing ship on Tuesday, a move Chinese mainland experts said on Wednesday will only add to the rising military tensions in the Taiwan Straits.

Named the Yu Shan, Taiwan's first domestically built 10,000 ton-class amphibious transport dock was launched in Kaohsiung on Tuesday, and it's expected to be delivered in 2022, Taipei-based Central News Agency reported.

Attending the launch ceremony, Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen claimed that the ship will enhance the defense capabilities of the island, the report said.

The ship's launch will not help to ease the ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Straits, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Five PLA aircraft, namely a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft and four J-16 fighter jets, entered Taiwan's self-proclaimed air defense identification zone on Tuesday, the island's defense authorities said on Twitter.

Recently, a ship-borne helicopter regiment under the PLA Navy organized helicopters to launch live anti-ship missiles in an exercise in the East China Sea, enhancing the pilots' combat capabilities under complicated situations, navy.81.cn, the news website of the PLA Navy, reported on Tuesday. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1221053.shtml

Did China Simulate An Attack On A U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier?

By Stephen Silver

Published 2 mins ago

Image: Creative Commons.

Earlier this week, in response to an escalating dispute in the area between China and the Philippines, the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea. Sponsored Content The move coincided with the U.S. and the Philippines planning military exercises, which are to last two weeks and are known as “Balikatan” (Shoulder-to-Shoulder).

One Chinese aircraft carrier, in turn, has also reportedly entered the area.

Now, there’s a report that China has “simulated an attack” on the U.S. aircraft carrier that’s in the area, one which triggered Taiwan’s air defense radars.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/did-china-simulate-an-attack-on-a-u-s-navy-aircraft-carrier/

China increasingly a near-peer competitor, posing multiple challenges: Top US intel officer

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Wednesday briefed members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the worldwide threat assessment of the US.

PTI |

PUBLISHED ON APR 15, 2021 02:09 PM IST

China is increasingly becoming a near-peer competitor of the US, posing challenges in multiple domains, while pushing to revise global norms in ways that favour the authoritarian Chinese system, a top American intelligence officer has told lawmakers. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Wednesday briefed members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the worldwide threat assessment of the US.

"China increasingly is a near-peer competitor, challenging the United States in multiple areas while pushing to revise global norms in ways that favour the authoritarian Chinese system," Haines said.

China, she said, is employing a comprehensive approach to demonstrate its growing strength and compel regional neighbours to acquiesce to Beijing's preferences, including its claims over disputed territory and assertions of sovereignty over Taiwan. “It also has substantial cyber capabilities that, if deployed at a minimum, can cause localised temporary disruptions to critical infrastructure inside the United States,” Haines said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-increasingly-a-near-peer-competitor-top-us- intelligence-officer-101618475588940.html

China is working to undo global norms in its favor, says U.S. intelligence community By

Darryl Coote ()

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that China is working to undo global norms in its favor. Pool Photo by Saul Loeb/UPI | License Photo

April 14 (UPI) -- A day after the release of the annual global threat assessment report, U.S. intelligence officials briefed the Senate on challenges the United States faces in protecting the homeland, including the increasing competition from China.

Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence, told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday that China, as "a near-peer competitor" of the United States, is working to undo global norms to favor its authoritarian regime, including using its growing strength to compel regional neighbors to heed its demands over territory claims, including that of

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/04/15/United-States-intelligence-community-Senate- hearing-China-worries/4131618455326/

Blinken says U.S. never intended to keep troops in Afghanistan permanently Reuters

1 minute read U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said on a visit to Kabul that the time had come for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan and he warned the Taliban that any attack on them would be met with "a very forceful response."

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/blinken-says-us-never-intended-keep-troops-afghanistan- permanently-2021-04-15/

‘Time to end the forever war’: Biden to start U.S. Afghanistan pullout on May 1 Steve HollandPhil Stewart00:00

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan starting May 1 to end America's longest war, rejecting calls for them to stay to ensure a peaceful resolution to that nation's grinding internal conflict.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/biden-ready-announce-us-withdrawal-even-peace-eludes- afghanistan-2021-04-14/

U.S. has ability to keep eye on any resurgence of al Qaeda in Afghanistan -White House Reuters 1 minute read

U.S. President Joe Biden leaves delivers remarks on his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, at the White House, Washington, U.S., April 14, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS

The White House on Thursday said that the United States has the ability to keep an eye on any resurgence of al Qaeda in Afghanistan without keeping a military footprint there a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said that he was pulling out U.S. forces after nearly 20 years of war.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-has-ability-keep-eye-any-resurgence-al-qaeda- afghanistan-white-house-2021-04-15/

America’s Longest Foreign Wars [Infographic]

Niall McCarthy

Contributor

Business

Data journalist covering technological, societal and media topic

President Biden has declared that it's time to "end America's longest war" and he announced that 2,500 U.S. troops and a further 7,000 soldiers from NATO allies would return home starting in May with the withdrawal expected to be completed by the 20th anniversary of 9/11. "I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth," Biden said in a White House speech. In the nearly two decades that the war has raged, it has consumed $2 trillion dollars and cost 110,000 Afghan lives. 3,500 coalition service members have also died in the conflict, including approximately 2,400 Americans.

The decision to withdraw is pivotal for Afghanistan and it could either accelerate the drive towards peace or plunge the country into further chaos and uncertainty. When asked by a reporter if the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was a difficult one, Biden said it was not. "To me, it was absolutely clear", Biden said.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2021/04/15/americas-longest-foreign-wars- infographic/?ss=aerospace-defense&sh=293bcf6148f6

Report to Congress on Russian Foreign Policy

April 15, 2021 9:43 AM

•

The following is the Aug. 14, 2021 Congressional Research Service Infocus report, Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations. From the report

Since Russian President Vladimi years ago, tensions have increased steadily between Russia and the United States. Some observers attributer Russian Putin’s riseforeign to leadership policy actions more to than the 20 personality and individual interests of Putin and certain hawkish advisers. Some contend Russian authorities are focused mainly on reclaiming atus as a great power. Others argue Russian foreign policy is post-SovietRussia’s st region and defending agai domesticcentered onaffairs. protecting Whatever the country’sthe motivations, status as mos the dominant power in the natural resources and military modernizationnst foreign program, interference launched in Russia’s in 2008, t observers agree Russia’s aggressive foreign policy, as well as to project force in neighboring countriesprovide Russia’s and further leadership afield the(such means as in tothe conduct Middle a East). flexible and often

- Soviet region and the West, including relations and tensions with NATO, the UnitedRussia’s States, foreign and policy Europe. priorities However, traditionally Russia under have Putinfocused (like on the the Sov postiet Union before it) also pursues a global foreign policy. As relations with its neighbors and Western countries have become more adversarial, Russia seeking to balance against U.S. and European power and interests has cultivated deeper relations with China and other countries. — — https://news.usni.org/2021/04/15/report-to-congress-on-russian-foreign-policy

JUST IN: Seizure of Satellites Presented as Option to Defend U.S. Spacecraft 4/15/2021 By Mandy Mayfield

To defend U.S. space systems, the military could utilize on-orbit vehicles to physically seize satellites that pose a threat, an analyst said April 15.

Pentagon officials have grown increasingly concerned in recent years about the vulnerability of spacecraft to anti- satellite weapons, which could include an adversary's use of its own satellites to hit and damage U.S. spacecraft. They are also worried about the growing amount of debris in space as that domain becomes more congested.

An option for space-based "active defense" measures would be to leverage "the ability to grab another object in space — an uncooperative object — and take it to a safe orbit or safely dispose of it so it no longer poses a threat,” Todd Harrison, director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said during a panel discussion hosted by CSIS.

The think tank released a report,“Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons,” earlier this year.

A space vehicle capable of docking with, manipulating or maneuvering other spacecraft or pieces of debris could come in handy, the study noted.

“Such a system could be used to physically seize a threatening satellite that is being used to attack or endanger other satellites or to capture a satellite that has been disabled or hijacked for nefarious purposes,” it said. The platform could “also be used to collect and dispose of harmful orbital debris resulting from an attack," it added.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/4/15/seizure-of-satellites-could-serve-as- option-to-defend-us-spacecraft

Drone blast hits Iraq airport in new tactic against US troops

By AFP - April 15, 2021 @ 5:40pm

An explosives-packed drone slammed into Iraq’s Arbil airport in the first reported use of such a weapon against a base used by US-led coalition troops in the country, officials said Thursday. - AFP ARBIL, Iraq: An explosives-packed drone slammed into Iraq's Arbil airport in the first reported use of such a weapon against a base used by US-led coalition troops in the country, officials said Thursday.

There were no casualties in the strike on the capital of northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region late Wednesday, although it did cause damage to a building in the military part of the airport.

It comes after around 20 bomb and rocket attacks blamed on pro-Iran Shiite armed groups against facilities used by coalition troops or diplomats in Iraq since US President Joe Biden took office in January.

The attacks have mostly been claimed by shadowy Shiite armed groups aligned with Iran who are demanding that the Biden administration set a pullout date for Iraq as it has for Afghanistan.

"A drone packed with TNT targeted a coalition base at Arbil airport," the Kurdish region's interior ministry said in a statement.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which caused an explosion heard across Arbil.

But a shadowy pro-Iranian group calling itself Awliyaa al-Dam (Guardians of Blood), which claimed responsibility for a previous attack on the same airport in February, hailed the strike on the messaging app Telegram.

In the February attack, more than a dozen rockets targeted the military complex inside the airport, killing an Iraqi civilian and a foreign contractor working with US-led troops. Washington – which has promised to withdraw the troops it deployed in support of Baghdad's successful fightback against the Islamic State group but has refrained from setting a date – said it was "outraged" by the latest violence.

"The Iraqi people have suffered for far too long from this kind of violence and violation of their sovereignty," State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Twitter.

https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/04/682596/drone-blast-hits-iraq-airport-new-tactic- against-us-troops

U.S. security cooperation with Taiwan to strengthen: State Department

04/15/2021 12:31 PM

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Washington, April 14 (CNA) The United States will continue deepening its security cooperation with Taiwan to ensure that it has the means to defend itself against a growing threat from China, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.

The official made the comments to CNA after China's Maritime Safety Administration announced that an area around the Nanpeng Islands in the South China Sea would be closed to shipping between April 15-20 as the country's military conducts live-fire training exercises.

The move appeared to be in response to the arrival in Taiwan on Wednesday of a delegation sent by U.S. President Joe Biden, which the White House said is intended to be a signal of its commitment to Taiwan's security.

Asked about the developments, the State Department official said the U.S. has "noted with concern" China's ongoing attempts to intimidate the region and urged it to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead seek meaningful dialogue.

In response to the threat, the U.S. "will continue deepening our unofficial security relationship to ensure Taiwan has sufficient capabilities to defend itself," the official said.

At the same time, the U.S. expects Beijing to honor its commitment to the peaceful resolution of cross- Taiwan Strait differences and will continue working with its allies to advance "shared prosperity, security and values" in the region, the official said.

Meanwhile, a top U.S. Navy commander said that the U.S. will continue supporting Taiwan's self-defense in a way that reflects the scale of the threat it faces.

https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202104150006 Marines Begin Experimentation to Refine Manual for Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations

By: Megan Eckstein April 15, 2021 8:17 PM

•

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Brian W. Nickerson, a platoon commander with

Battalion Landing Team 3/4, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), sets security with his Marines during a raid on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan,

Feb. 1, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo

The Marine Corps has released the first version of its Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations manual and is kicking off a two-year process of near-constant experimentation and analysis to help refine the document before it becomes formal doctrine.

EABO asks small formations of Marines to move by sea to strategic pieces of land to conduct a mission surveillance, launching anti-ship missiles, setting up a rugged forward refueling and rearming base, jamming an enemy and then retreat back– to the sea and move elsewhere.

The Marine– Corps is investing in new technology to support these kinds of operations, including the Light Amphibious Warship, long-range anti-ship missiles, unmanned systems, new communications gear and more, all of which the service is experimenting with.

But the service needs to ensure that the fundamentals of EABO are right, regardless of what technology the Marine Corps ends up fielding and

– are all about. that’s what this tentative manual and subsequent experimentation drive The most useful upc challenge that [foundational definition of EABO] and then challenge those missions and tasks thatoming are events written will in Chapterbe “those 1, experimentations right up front. They that will really give focus to, are we capable, are we getting this right, what do we the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, told a small group of reporters today on theneed phone. to change?” Col. Tony Henderson, the director of concepts and plans at

All aspects of EABO from the missions, such as sea control and sea denial, maritime domain awareness and forward surveillance and sustainment; to the tasks, which include– air and missile defense, offensive strikes, anti- submarine warfare and more; to the technologies needed to blend in in a contested environment and distribute small groups across wide swaths of sea and land will be tested in ways big and small over the next two years, Henderson said. –

https://news.usni.org/2021/04/15/marines-begin-experimentation-to-refine-manual-for-expeditionary- advanced-base-operations

Marine Aviation is Naval Aviation

Marine Corps and Navy aviation must team up for the maritime campaign. By Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel T. Lauterbach, U.S. Marine Corps

April 2021

With the Marine Corps “all-in” on naval integration, composite warfare, new force design efforts, and new concepts such as expeditionary advanced base operations, Marine Corps aviation understandably is struggling with its future and place in the maritime fight.1 Marine Corps doctrine, predicated on supporting Marines in the context of land operations, has left its aviation arm unprepared for naval campaigning. However, the inherent capabilities of Marine Corps aviation, if repurposed to support the fleet, can play an important role in naval littoral operations. In doing so, it will contribute to the success of the fleet and Marines ashore and help integrate the service into fleet operations using composite warfare. Naval aviation, including Marine aviation, will be key to any future naval campaign, especially one fought in the littorals. Such campaigns can include missions of sea denial and sea control, amphibious operations, naval special operations, and similar operations in the era of great power competition. Aviation increases the operational reach of littoral naval forces; and provides fires and effects; protection; logistical support; air assault capabilities; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and command-and-control (C2) functions. Naval aviation forces are not limited to aircraft and their crews, but rather are a family of capabilities designed to exploit and fight in the air domain. That includes Marine Corps and Navy capabilities: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tilt-rotor aviation; unmanned systems; ground-based and surface-based counterair capabilities; permanent and expeditionary air bases; aviation logistics capabilities; and airborne, ground-based, and sea-based aviation C2 agencies. The fleet will rely on aviation well into the future because of these capabilities. Marine aviation likewise can contribute to the success of the fleet with similar functions and capabilities. But how can Marine aviation be brought to bear at the tactical level?

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/april/marine-aviation-naval-aviation

US fighter jet fires longest air-to-air missile ‘kill’ shot – but the distance is secret

• F-15C fighter took out a BQ-167 aerial target drone in March at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida • The US Air Force did not disclose the distance, as that information could be valuable to adversaries

A US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter fired the longest known air-to-air “kill” shot to date in a recent test, the service said on Wednesday.

The fighter fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at a BQ-167 target drone and scored a “kill” from the farthest distance ever recorded during testing at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in March, the 53rd Wing said in a statement.

The wing did not say exactly what the distance was, as that information could be valuable to adversaries, particularly given ongoing efforts by US rivals to develop long-range air-to-air missiles for improved stand-off in air-to-air combat. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3129643/us-fighter-jet-fires-longest- air-air-missile-kill

Coast Guard Beating Drum for More Resources 4/15/2021 By Jon Harper

The Coast Guard and its supporters are trying to make their case to a new administration and Congress that the sea service is under-resourced to carry out its missions and support the U.S. military.

The Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, protects the nation’s territorial waters, but also assists partners throughout the world including the Defense Department. It performs a wide variety of missions including upholding international maritime law, providing situational awareness and counter-drug operations. It also supports all U.S. military geographic combatant commands, Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz has noted.

The Coast Guard is looking to add more platforms such as National Security Cutters and icebreakers known as Polar Security Cutters, and recruit more personnel. It is also pursuing upgrades to its IT networks and other assets, and establishing a team to examine requirements for a variety of new unmanned systems.

The omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2021 provided the Coast Guard about $12.8 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.

“To close the Coast Guard readiness gap, we need sustainable annual budget growth — I would say 3 to 5 percent over the next five years,” Schultz said at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium. “We need a booster shot of sorts, about $900 million to $1 billion dollars to address our most pressing needs.”

Coast Guard leaders aren’t the only officials calling for more funding for the organization.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/4/15/coast-guard-beating-drum-for-more- resources

China's military activities threaten regional stability: Taiwan President

Taiwanese President told a visiting delegation of former senior US officials that Taiwan looks forward to resuming trade talks with the United States as soon as possible.

Reuters | | Posted by Harshit Sabarwal

PUBLISHED ON APR 15, 2021 08:53 AM IST

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of former senior US officials on Thursday the Chinese military's activities have threatened regional peace and stability. Tsai also told the delegation that Taiwan looks forward to resuming trade talks with the United States as soon as possible.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/chinas-military-activities-threaten-regional-stability- taiwan-president-101618456465126.html

No defense alert during US talks: MND

‘MINIMAL RISK’: Chinese military activity near the Nanpeng Islands in the South China Sea was not designated ‘exercises,’ a national defense official said • By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

No air defense missile systems had been activated before a US delegation arrived in Taipei on Wednesday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.

The delegation is comprised of former US senator Chris Dodd, former US deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, and US Department of State Taiwan Coordination Office Director Dan Biers.

On the day of the delegation’s arrival, China’s Maritime Safety Administration announced a six-day live-fire military exercise, conducted daily from 8am to 6pm, near the Nanpeng Islands (南澎列島) in the South China Sea.

Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday ahead of a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said that the exercise is a “necessity” to prevent collusion between Taiwan and the US, while Taiwan’s water shortage had been caused by arms purchases from the US.

TAO spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光 ) said that the “unofficial” visit of the US delegation was a sham, adding that China is categorically against any sort of Taiwan- US interaction.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/04/16/2003755801

Taiwan legislator warns of security risks from China- made teaching aids

Country works to ensure tools used in technological education not sourced from China

1302

By Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/04/15 14:16

A teacher helps a student with a drone (Getty Images)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has cautioned against purchasing smart teaching aids from China that he fears could pose cybersecurity risks.

The legislator raised the alarm at an interpellation session on Thursday (April 15) on the country’s technological education policy. He cited media reports that equipment used as teaching aids in schools could be sourced from China, such as drones for aerial photography, robots, and coding platforms, wrote CNA.

In addition, Children’s Day presents may be another area of concern, as smart wristwatches manufactured in China could be monitored by malevolent actors or transmit user data, he added.

Education Minister Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) acknowledged the potential threat of such products and said that the issue will be addressed. The Cabinet began a comprehensive review of the use of made-in-China ICT products at public agencies in 2020 and ordered such devices to be phased out.

Last month, the PTS reported complaints have been filed about a cybersecurity loophole on consumer electronics. A Taiwanese computer programmer flagged that robot vacuums have been covertly sending data to servers in China, urging the government to take action.

Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said in December that government facilities have been ordered to replace Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of 2021. He was responding to concerns about the poor management of the country’s UAVs, which have brought attention to the invasion of privacy and aviation safety issues.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177857

Taiwan's development of next-generation fighter ahead of schedule

Overall design, engine production phase for new fighter jet slated for 2024

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By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/04/15 16:51

Concept illustration of Taiwan's potential new fighter jet. (Stavatti Aerospace image)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) stated on Thursday (April 15) that the nation's work to develop its next-generation fighter is progressing ahead of schedule.

On Thursday, NCSIST President Chang Chung-Chung (張忠誠) confirmed that the institute is conducting research and development on a new fighter jet. He said the first phase has two components — overall design and engine production — and that both phases will be completed in 2024.

During a meeting of the Foreign and National Defense Committee that morning, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) asked the military if it had begun R&D work on the country's next-generation fighter jet. Chang responded by saying that in order to develop the aircraft, the NCSIST has split the first phase into two projects, both of which are progressing "ahead of schedule," reported UDN.

Chang stated that R&D on the production of the warplane's engine is expected to be finished by 2024 at a cost of approximately NT$8.8 billion (US$310 million). He said work on the overall design, which includes "24 key technologies," is progressing "normally" and will also conclude in 2024, costing NT$1.7 billion.

In response to reports that South Korea is investing NT$200 billion in its next generation of fighters, Tsai said this amount was "too much" but asked if NT$10 billion was adequate for Taiwan's new jet. Chang replied that R&D will be carried out in phases. Tsai then asked if the Ministry of National Defense could allocate more funding. Vice Defense Minister Chang Che-ping (張哲平) responded by pledging to support the project.

In March 2017, Chang lauded the successful establishment of "Project Vega" (織 女星計畫) to develop a new fighter, setting the goal of beginning production in 2027, Up Media wrote in January of this year. According to the report, designers would take the TFE-1042-70 turbofan used in Taiwan's domestically built F-CK-1 Ching-kuo and re-engineer it to achieve a thrust of 16,400 lbf (73 kN) and redub it the F125XX.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4177818

EU concerned over PRC deployments near Taiwan

• Staff writer, with CNA, Brussels

The EU has expressed concern over Chinese military activity near Taiwan and called on China to avoid unilateral actions that could fuel tensions.

“We are concerned by the intensification of military activities of the People’s Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and the incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone [ADIZ]” an EU spokesperson said in an e-mail to the Central News Agency.

“Maintaining the status quo is important for peace and stability in the Strait and in the region. It is key to exert restraint and avoid any unilateral actions that may further escalate cross-strait tensions. Tensions should be resolved through dialogue,” they added.

China on Monday sent 25 military jets into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s ADIZ, the most in a single day since the Ministry of National Defense last year began to publicize movements of Chinese aircraft.

A day later, five Chinese jets entered the ADIZ for an 11th consecutive day.

The bloc’s statement echoed concerns voiced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a television interview on Sunday over Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan.

The US urged Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue, a US Department of State spokesperson said.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/04/16/2003755807

North Korea may resume nuclear, ICBM testing: US intelligence chief Posted : 2021-04-15 09:30 •

Avril Haines, director of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence testifies during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 14. AP

The top U.S. intelligence official on Wednesday maintained that North Korea may resume its nuclear and long-range missile testing as part of efforts to drive wedges between the United States and its allies.

Avril Haines, director of national intelligence (DNI), testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"For its part, North Korea may take aggressive and potentially destabilizing actions to reshape its security environment and will seek to drive wedges between the United States and its allies," she said at the Senate hearing.

"These efforts could include the resumption of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing," she added.

Her remarks come a day after her office released an annual assessment on global threats, which suggested North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might resume its nuclear and ICBM testing this year.

"Kim may be considering whether to resume long-range missile or nuclear testing this year to try to force the United States to deal with him on Pyongyang's terms," the report said.

Gen. David VanHerck, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, highlighted the possibility of the North resuming long-range missile launches "in the near future" to test its recently paraded ICBM.

"In October 2020, North Korea unveiled a new ICBM considerably larger and presumably more capable than the systems they tested in 2017, further increasing the threat posed to our homeland," the Air Force general said in a written statement submitted to House Armed Services Committee before a hearing.

"The North Korean regime has also indicated that it is no longer bound by the unilateral nuclear and ICBM testing moratorium announced in 2018, suggesting that Kim Jong-un may begin flight testing an improved ICBM design in the near future," he added.

North Korea has maintained a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing since November 2017, but declared in 2019 that it no longer feels bound by such restrictions.

The country fired two short-range ballistic missiles last month, resuming its short-range ballistic missile testing after a yearlong hiatus.

Haines grouped North Korea with three other countries ― China, Russia and Iran ― that pose threats to the United States, along with global terrorism organizations.

Still, the DNI noted the threats posed by China marked the "unparalleled priority" for the U.S. intelligence community. (Yonhap)

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/103_307186.html

India will not get pushed under any pressure: CDS Gen Rawat on Ladakh standoff with China SECTIONS

India will not get pushed under any pressure: CDS Gen Rawat on Ladakh standoff with China

PTILast Updated: Apr 15, 2021, 06:18 PM IST

The Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) said India was able to get the support of the international community by standing firm in preventing the attempt of changing the status quo in the region. PTIChief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat

India stood firm in preventing a change of status quo on the northern borders and the country proved it will not get pushed under any pressure, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, referring to the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. In his address at the Raisina Dialoguehere, Gen Rawat said China felt that it will be able to compel nations to give in to its demands by doing a little bit of "shove and push" as it has superior armed forces because of technological advantage.

"But, I think India stood firm on the northern borders and we have proven that we will not get pushed," he said at the virtual conference.

The Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) said India was able to get the support of the international community by standing firm in preventing the attempt of changing the status quo in the region.

"They tried to ensure that they can change the status quo by the use of disruptive technologies without using force...They thought that India, as a nation, will succumb to the pressures that they have been putting on us because of the technological advantage that they have," he said, adding that did not happen.

Gen Rawat said the international community came to India's support to say that "yes there is an international base-rule order which every nation must follow. That is what we have been able to achieve."

India and China are locked in a military standoff in multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year that has significantly strained bilateral ties. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-will-not-get-pushed-under-any-pressure- cds-gen-rawat-on-ladakh-standoff-with-china/articleshow/82085859.cms

India's military chief concerned about U.S. pullout from Afghanistan By Sanjeev Miglani 2 MIN READ

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is concerned about a vacuum developing in Afghanistan following the proposed withdrawal of United States and NATO forces from the country, the chief of the defence staff said on Thursday.

FILE PHOTO: An Indian Navy marine commando watches Sea King Mk 42 ASW helicopters during a rehearsal ahead of Navy Day celebrations in Mumbai, India, December 2, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

General Bipin Rawat told a security conference that the worry was “disruptors” would step into the space created by the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. He declined to name the countries that could act as spoilers.

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that U.S. troops would withdrawn from Afghanistan starting on May 1 to end America’s longest war, rejecting calls for them to stay to ensure a peaceful resolution to that nation’s grinding internal conflict.

“Our concern is that the vacuum that will be created by the withdrawal of the United States and NATO should not create space for disruptors,” Rawat said.

India’s big worry is that instability in Afghanistan could spill over into its Muslim-majority territory of Kashmir where it has been fighting militants for three decades. It is also concerned that arch rival Pakistan will gain a bigger hand in Afghanistan because of its long-standing ties with the hardline Taliban, who are expected to play a dominant role once the United States leaves.

“There are many people looking for an opportunity to walk into the space being created,” Rawat said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-afghanistan-withdrawal-india/indias-military-chief-concerned- about-u-s-pullout-from-afghanistan-idUSKBN2C218V

China tried to wage ‘undeclared war’ against India through cyberattacks, military chief Bipin Rawat says

• General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Army, told the Raisina Dialogue that China’s creation of ‘disruptive technologies’ has emboldened Beijing • He joined his counterparts from Australia and Japan in asserting the importance of the Quad and its focus on the Indo-Pacific region

China tried to wage an d against India through cyberattacks and indicated that it was “my way or no other way”, New Delhi’s most senior military official said on Thursday about the drawn-out border stand-off between the neighbouring“undeclare war” countries that is believed to have brought the countries to the brink of open conflict.General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Army, said in a virtual discussion at the annual Raisina Dialogue that China’s creation of “disruptive technologies which can paralyse systems of the adversary” had emboldened Beijing and made it assertive.In June last year, amid the stand-off, at least 20

Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troops were left dead following the first fatal clash between the two countries in decades.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3129738/china-tried-wage-undeclared-war-against- india-through

EXCLUSIVE India, Pakistan held secret talks to try to break Kashmir impasse Sanjeev MiglaniAsif Shahzad 5 minutes read

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A Kashmiri Muslim man walks past Indian security force personnel standing guard during a cordon and search operation, in Srinagar February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Danish Ismail/File Photo

Read More Top intelligence officers from India and Pakistan held secret talks in Dubai in January in a new effort to calm military tension over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, people with close knowledge of the matter told Reuters in Delhi. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-indian-pakistan-held-secret-talks-try-break-kashmir- impasse-2021-04-14/

Australian Navy and ABC in hot water over twerking dancers at ship launch ceremony

• The navy commissioned a seven-woman dance troupe to perform at the commissioning of a new ship, but their performance was not considered above board • Broadcaster ABC was criticised by PM Scott Morrison for editing footage to imply that Governor-General David Hurley saw the dancers, but he had not yet arrived

A dance troupe’s performance at an Australian Navy event created a furore on Thursday as initial criticism over apparent twerking at dignitaries turned into a story of inaccurate media coverage and criticism of the national broadcaster by the prime minister.

The Defence Department found itself in hot water over reports of inappropriate entertainment at the commissioning of a A$2 billion (US$1.5 billion) naval ship in Sydney last weekend.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3129709/australian-navy-and-abc-hot-water- over-twerking-dancers-ship

Do not trust Communist China — history posted April 16, 2021 at 12:30 am by Louis "Barok" Biraogo

"China is confirming to the international community that it is a despicable, rogue state."

The international community today sees China as the international bully that it really is.

China’s expansionist activities in the South China Sea are in manifest violation of International Law, particularly the rules embodied in the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Beijing is a signatory to and has ratified its inclusion in the UNCLOS.

The UNCLOS recognizes the right of the Philippines to its exclusive economic zone, or the maritime area surrounding the external perimeter of the Philippine archipelago. This means only the Philippines may derive commercial benefits from that zone. Those benefits include fishing and oil and natural gas exploration.

Therefore, China cannot appropriate any part of that zone without the prior consent of the Philippines.

China’s illegal activities in the South China Sea forced the Philippines to sue Beijing in the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Philippines won its case, but China refuses to recognize the arbitral ruling on the flimsy excuse that it did not consent to be sued in the case.

It’s a flimsy excuse because China is a signatory to the UNCLOS, and the Philippine case invokes the UNCLOS against China. Under the provisions of the UNCLOS, a signatory to the UNCLOS automatically gives its consent to being sued in arbitration cases involving the UNCLOS.

By groundlessly repudiating the foregoing PCA arbitral ruling, and by proceeding with its illegal expansionist activities in the South China Sea, China is confirming to the international community that it is a despicable, rogue state.

History itself shows that China should not be trusted.

China became the communist country called the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Red China, as the new country was called by the world, was not recognized by the UN. That recognition went to Nationalist China, which established itself in Taiwan. Like what Nazi Germany did to Austria in 1938, China forcibly annexed Tibet in 1950. Today, the people of Tibet live in fear of the communists.

When communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the UN sent troops to push back the invaders. China joined the Korean War and fought on the side of North Korea.

After the Korean War ended in 1953, China encouraged the Korean communist despot Kim Il Sung to transform North Korea into the totalitarian, oppressive, provocative and depraved country it is today. China remains North Korea’s sole ally and supporter today.

China severed its alliance with the Soviet Union in 1960. China’s dictator, Mao Zedong, insisted that Chinese communism was better than Russian communism.

In 1962, China made an unsuccessful attempt to seize Indian territory. Because India staunchly resisted, Beijing withdrew.

China bullied its way to the UN in 1971 after getting the international body to award Taiwan’s seat in the assembly to Beijing. Its membership in this international peacekeeping body notwithstanding, China continued to be a rogue state.

In 1974, China seized the Paracel Islands off the coast of what was then South Vietnam. Today, China still occupies the islands and refuses to turn them over to Vietnam, despite their common communist ideologies.

Later in 1989, the ruthless communist government in Beijing enforced a violent crackdown on pro-democracy activists, resulting in widespread death. That incident is now known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Over the past two decades, China has been lending money to developing countries in Africa. When the debtor states failed to pay up in due time, China took over their vast land holdings and strategic ports.

COVID-19, the deadly virus that has killed millions of people worldwide and disrupted the economies of the world, is suspected to have originated from China. Beijing’s refusal to cooperate with investigators from the World Health Organization further fanned this suspicion. It is further suspected that China secretly planned to use COVID-19 as part of its military arsenal.

Lately, China’s air force has been making provocative flights over Taiwan’s defense zone, prompting Taipei to declare that it will fight any attempt by China to invade the island.

China’s troublemaking in the South China Sea has also triggered the United States to announce that it will defend the Philippines in case of a Chinese war of aggression. China professes to be a good friend of the Philippines, but its behavior in the South China Sea is not that of a friend. It is the behavior of one who is not trustworthy.

The Philippines should start dealing with China in the same two-faced manner Beijing has been dealing with Manila as the latter’s more diplomatic approach has so far failed to get the kind of response that it expects.

Whatever reason China proclaims to justify its current behavior in the South China Sea, prudence dictates that the Philippines must not trust China.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/citizen-barok-by-louis-biraogo/351969/do-not-trust- communist-china-history.html

Preparing for the worst

ByRafael M. Alunan 3rd April 15, 2021

THE worrisome situation that continues to intensify across the Indo-Pacific theater — India-China border, Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, South China

Sea — is subverting diplomatic efforts to restore peace and order, and escalating the prospects of an armed conflict due to clashing core interests of the great powers between China and the United States.

While our interdependent foreign policy seeks to push the peace envelope as the rational path towards diplomatic settlement for human and ecological security we, at the same time, are preparing for the worst, foremost of which is exemplified by the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/15/opinion/columnists/preparing-for-the-worst/863911/

ALAMIN: Magkano ang gastos para sa pasyenteng naoospital sa COVID-19? ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 15 2021 10:31 PM MAYNILA - Hindi madali ang nakalipas na linggo ni Japhet Paragsa.

Abril 6 nang kinailangang dalhin ang kaniyang nanay sa ospital dahil sa matinding sintomas ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Nakailang hanap sila ng ospital pero halos lahat ay puno — hanggang sa mauwi sila sa tent sa labas ng isang pribadong ospital sa Cavite.

Sinabi ng doktor na kailangan nang i-intubate o lagyan ng tubo ang kaniyang nanay para matulungan sa paghinga.

"Nag-express kami ng concern, because mataas risk ng infection kasi exposed so they were able to find an isolation area in the emergency room. Literal na room na di ginagamit kasi doon dini- dispose 'yung PPEs nila; still it's a room. Not very well ventilated but at least isolated," ani Paragsa.

Kinailangan din ng kaniyang nanay nang tinatawag na hemoperfusion — isang procedure na tutulong sa paglinis ng kaniyang dugo na makakatulong sa baga.

Kinailangan nina Paragsa na magbayad agad para sa mga procedure at mga gamit para rito.

"The first 3 days before the admission, nag-incur na kami ng charges na-surprise ako how big it was already it was just a matter of 3 days to secure 'yung ganyan funds, mahirap. Technically, she wasn’t admitted; all of those you have to shell out again for example there are medications and procedures na kailangan mabayaran cash," ani Paragsa.

Apat na cartridge na tig-P35,000 kada piraso ang kinailangan para sa procedure. Kinailangan na ring magbayad nina Paragsa ng P250,000 na bill sa emergency room.

Nang magkaroon na ng bakanteng COVID-19 bed sa ospital, puwede nang ilipat ang kaniyang nanay. Pero dahil sa kakulangan sa manpower sa dami ng pasyente sa ospital ay kinailangan nilang mag-hire ng sariling nurse.

P6,000 kada 24 oras ang bayad para sa dalawang nurse, at naka-4 na personal protective equipment o P4,000 bawat araw ang mga ito.

Kinailangan ding magbayad ng P3,500 kada araw na lodging para sa mga nurse at para sa mga kakainin nila araw-araw.

Payo ni Paragsa: "Assess mo na kung saan ka kukuha ng pera and pool talaga ng resources across the board. What we said naman din regardless kung ano kailangan, kung magkano, ilalaban kung ano kailangan, everything will follow," ani Paragsa. "Itong COVID uubusin ka physically, mentally, psychologically and even financially talaga... It's draining in a lot of aspects," dagdag niya.

Ayon kay Paragsa, inabot ng P440,000 ang nagastos ng pamilya bago magpa-admit at may inaasahan pang aabot sa P400,000 habang nananatili ang kaniyang ina sa ospital.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/21/alamin-magkano-gastos-pasyenteng-naoospital-covid-19

Experts suggest upgrading RT-PCR machines to detect new COVID-19 variant

Published April 15, 2021, 2:51 PM by Joseph Pedrajas Laboratories may need to upgrade their RT-PCR or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction machines to be able to detect a new variant of concern of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The suggestion was made by OCTA Research Team in a press briefing Thursday following reports that a new COVID-19 variant, which was supposedly found in France, cannot be easily detected.

“It’s been identified as a variant of concern. We’re still learning more about it,” Dr. Guido David said, “But the RT-PCR, it depends on the RT-PCR because there are several types…depending on which chain they’re testing…[the variant may be] not detectable, meaning it will register a false negative.”

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“We can always possibly upgrade our RT-PCR if we want to be able to detect this new variant,” he said, “That’s one strategy.”

David also said they are recommending a “strict quarantine” for those entering the country, including foreigners and returning Filipinos.

“[We suggest] a strict 14-day quarantine that could be mandatory regardless of RT-PCR test result,” he said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/experts-suggest-upgrading-rt-pcr-machines-to-detect-new-covid-19- variant/

IATF Starts Distribution Of Virgin Coconut Oil To Hospitals

Proponents said virgin coconut oil is safe and effective and should be promoted as part of preventive healthcare, if not an outright adjunctive cure, for mild COVID-19 cases.

UPDATED: The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has started distributing virgin coconut oil (VCO) to hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) to serve as an adjunctive treatment for mild cases of COVID-19.

VCO Philippines president and United Coconut Associations of the Philippines vice chairman engineer Marco Reyes said VCO Philippines has coordinated with IATF co-chairman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles for the donation of VCO that will be distributed by the IATF to Level 1 or most basic hospitals in the NCR, epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

https://www.onenews.ph/iatf-starts-distribution-of-virgin-coconut-oil-to-hospitals

UK scientists find higher risk of brain clots from COVID-19 compared with vaccines Alistair Smout

2 minutes read

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A man receives an injection with a dose of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, at a vaccination centre in Baitul Futuh Mosque, amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain, March 28, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

Read More There is a much higher risk of brain blood clots from COVID-19 infection than there is from vaccines against the disease, British researchers said on Thursday, after the rollout of inoculations was disrupted by reports of rare clots.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-scientists-find-higher-risk-brain-clots-covid-19-compared-with- vaccines-2021-04-15/

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: April 16, 2021, 10:20 AM GMT+8

U.K. 1,947 67,181 2,038.2 2.5

Brazil 1,738 65,366 N/A N/A

U.S. 1,712 95,362 1,176.7 2.8

France 1,482 77,633 N/A 6.0

Germany 990 38,537 641.1 8.0

Russia 723 32,565 851.0 8.1

India 132 10,731 197.6 0.5

Japan 76 4,146 78.8 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of April 13, 2021, 8:26 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 135 million people and killed more than 2.9 millionglobally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive. 01002003004001 yrDays since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,00030,000,000CasesMainland ChinaFranceU.K.Hong KongU.S.AustraliaBrazilIndiaRussiaTaiwanNew Zealand Note: JHU CSSE reporting began on January 22, 2020, when mainland China had already surpassed 500 cases. Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering 138,835,190 Confirmed cases worldwide 2,984,237 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of April 16, 2021, 10:20 AM GMT+8 1–99

100–999

1,000–9,999

10,000–99,999

100,000–999,999 1,000,000–9,999,999

10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases U.S. 565,283 31,495,164 Brazil 365,444 13,746,681 Mexico 211,213 2,295,435 India 173,123 14,074,564 U.K. 127,438 4,396,096 Italy 115,937 3,826,156 Russia 102,667 4,622,464 France 100,232 5,248,853 Germany 79,520 3,095,016 Spain 76,882 3,396,685 Colombia 67,199 2,602,719 Iran 65,680 2,168,872 Poland 60,612 2,642,242 Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases Argentina 58,925 2,629,156 Peru 55,812 1,667,737 Show more Note: Totals for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. include overseas territories and other dependencies. Cases and deaths for cruise ships have been separated in accordance with JHU CSSE data.

The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined.

Global Cases Added Per Day New cases: 817,025 Jan 21, 2020 Apr 14, 2021 India New cases: 200,739 Jan 21, 2020 Apr 14, 2021 U.S. 75,375 Brazil 73,513 France 43,507 Germany 31,117 Iran 25,582 Russia 8,202 U.K. 2,529 Mainland China 10 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.

Mar 2020Jan 2021Apr 1400.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaRussiaU.K. Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of April 14. 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

Coast Guard duty: interdict Chinese militia, escort Filipinos

GOTCHA - Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star ) - April 16, 2021 - 12:00am • 240 Chinese trawlers are poaching in Philippine EEZ.

• Each 60-meter long vessel can haul in 240,000 kilos of fish.

• They steal 57,600,000 kilos per intrusion.

It’s time to interdict Chinese poachers in the Philippines’ western exclusive economic zone. About 240 trawlers are pillaging Pagkakaisa (Union) Bank and Kalayaan Islands municipality of Palawan. Millions of kilos of seafood, including endangered species, are hauled off. Filipinos are being driven away from their rightful fishing grounds. The Chinese embassy ignores diplomatic protests, abets the thievery and badmouths defense officials. Stern law enforcement is called for.

The Philippine Coast Guard must raise anchor. It is the armed and uniformed civilian agency for maritime law enforcement. PCG’s missions include protection of Filipino fishers, preserving the marine environment and maintaining safety at sea. “Continuous swarming by Chinese vessels threatens the safety of navigation, safety of life at sea and impedes the exclusive right of Filipinos to benefit from the marine wealth in the EEZ,” says the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea. Arresting and jailing them can deter maritime crime.

Filipino fishers need PCG escorts in the EEZ. The Task Force identifies the poachers as Chinese maritime militia. Beijing has militarized its distant water civilian fishing fleet. The militia augments its naval aggression in Southeast Asia. The Chinese navy arms and equips them with surveillance and communications gear to monitor and harass neighbors’ seacraft. Imprisoning them will show China the Philippines’ resolve to defend national sovereignty.

Breakdown of reef intrusion: 136 Chinese trawlers in Burgos (Gaven), 65 in Mabini (Johnson South), 11 at Ayungin (Second Thomas), nine at Julian Felipe (Whitsun), six at Panganiban (Mischief), five at Kota Island, four at Pagasa Island, one at Likas Island, plus more. Each of the 240 trawlers can haul in 240,000 kilos of fish, the Task Force reports. They are stealing 57,600,000 kilos per intrusion. Short of supply, Filipinos must import round scad (galunggong) from Hainan, likely stolen from them.

Filipino coast guards are trained to inspect, rescue and interdict. Each time they don their uniform they show readiness to perform duty, at risk of life and limb. In past administrations they encircled foreign poachers even in rough waters. Last time was in May 2016, when they rounded up Chinese trawlers off the Batanes isles pretending to be locals flying Filipino flags. The dead giveaway was that the flags wrongly had the red field up. Today the PCG is better manned and equipped.

Maritime law enforcement strikes fear in sea criminals. Coast guards of giant Indonesia and tiny Palau apprehend poachers on sight. Knowing the drill, they need no clearance from central authorities. Violent resisters are shot. Confiscated craft are burned. Officers and men are awarded medals and hailed as heroes.

In 2016 Manila won arbitral ruling against Beijing’s sea expansionism. The Hague court outlawed China’s concocted “nine-dash line” and “historic rights” over the entire South China Sea. Benefited as well were Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam whose EEZs China also encroached.

But since then the PCG has been restrained from maritime work. Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal was made off limits to patrols, leaving it to illegal, unreported, unrestricted fishing by Hainanese. Only 123 miles from Zambales, Panatag has been Filipino traditional fishing grounds for centuries. In Recto Bank one night in 2019 a Chinese steel-hulled militia ship rammed an anchored Filipino wooden boat, throwing 26 fishermen overboard. Malacañang and the Chinese embassy called it an accident. The PCG knew better: it was deliberate. The stationary Filipino boat was all lighted up; the Chinese ship switched off its light before the collision, turned on its searchlight after, then abandoned the victims. The Chinese embassy lied that the offending crew got scared because they were chased by seven other Filipino boats. Untrue. Two of the victims had to swim for hours towards a Vietnamese vessel and beg for rescue of their companions.

The PCG must not abdicate its role. Otherwise it’s the China Coast Guard that will patrol and enforce Chinese rules in the West Philippine Sea. Last week the Chinese agency questioned the presence of a Filipino civilian vessel 90 miles from Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 200-mile EEZ and 800 miles beyond China’s. The ABS-CBN news crew onboard video-recorded the scene.

The PCG must enforce the Fisheries Code (RA 8550). Section 87 states: “Poaching in Philippine Waters. - It shall be unlawful for any foreign person, corporation or entity to fish or operate any fishing vessel in Philippine waters.

“The entry of any foreign fishing vessel in Philippine waters shall constitute a prima facie evidence that the vessel is engaged in fishing in Philippine waters.

“Violation of the above shall be punished by a fine of One Hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$100,000), in addition to the confiscation of its catch, fishing equipment and fishing vessel: Provided, that the Department (of Transportation) is empowered to impose an administrative fine of not less than Fifty Thousand US Dollars (US$50,000) but not more than Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$200,000) or its equivalent in the Philippine currency.”

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/04/16/2091460/coast-guard-duty-interdict-chinese-militia- escort-filipinos

Hague TerritorialPhilippine Daily Inquirer / dispute05:02 AM April 15, already2021 ‘resolved’ at The -19 vaccines supply In the news item “Row over Chinese vessels won’t hurt ties, COVID having another field day lying through his teeth: —Duterte” (4/7/21), we saw presidential spokesperson Harry Roque through diplomatic channels an - The row would be “resolved d … peaceful means.” The so called “expert in done that at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. Nothing could be international law” has conveniently forgotten that the Philippines had already

Themore Philippines “diplomatic won, and but peaceful” China simplythan that! sneezed at the arbitral judgment declaring its claim over numerous islands in the West Philippine Sea to be more imagined than real. China continued to build, build, build on those islands while President Duterte continued to adore Chinese President Xi Jinping and cautioned everyone war against the Filipinos at the slightest provocation. What a friend, indeed! in this country against displeasing his “best friend” who, in his mind, would go to Roque must think Filipinos are hopelessly dumb and cannot tell when he is lying

— utterances. Talking diplomacy with China is like talking good manners with Attila which he does all the time to cover up his boss’ reckless and indecorous the Hun! In geopolitics, the only way to deter a bullying superpower like China from its ever-increasing aggression is for the Philippines to lean on a greater superpower like the United States. How else has Taiwan survived more than 70 years of mainland Ch for its very cozy and well-entrenched relations with the United States? ina’s continuing threat of invasion if not

https://opinion.inquirer.net/139334/territorial-dispute-already-resolved-at-the-hague

A Quad-plus-6 Indo-Pacific strategy

• By Namrata Hasija

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) between the US, India, Australia and Japan has found a new lease of life after China’s militarization of the South China Sea, acquisition and fortification of a new — and China’s first — naval facility in Djibouti, and growing naval activities in the Indian Ocean.

With the Chinese navy consolidating its presence in the Indian Ocean and building a base in Djibouti, as well as foraying into the Mediterranean and Baltic seas, major European powers have been unsettled. France and Britain are already busy stepping up their naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

In February, Paris sent warships to the South China Sea and also deployed a nuclear attack submarine in the region. Before the annual Jeanne d’Arc training and patrol mission commenced in February, the French Navy said that the mission is not just a training mission, but a true operational deployment that is part of France’s defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

It is worth noting that the French-led task force is to dock in countries at odds with China. Singapore is not a claimant to the disputed area, yet it is bolstering its security partnership with the US and India, which side with the Southeast Asian nations, challenging Chinese territorial claims.

In the Indian Ocean, the French territories of Mayotte and Reunion, strategically located in the southwest quadrant, are both considered an “overseas department.” They operate as “interlocking military stations,” together with French military facilities in Djibouti.

The UK has announced that the newly launched aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is to be deployed in the South China Sea.

The Quad, though a strong concept, will remain weak in reality unless it embraces the Indo-Pacific strategy in a more holistic way. For this, a Quad+6 that involves Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, France and the UK, along with the original Quad members, is an idea that could provide a viable alternative to geopolitical security in the region.

The entry of France and Britain would strengthen the Quad, as their navies have berthing rights and defense staff offices in Singapore.

Vietnam has been the most stubborn nation in defending its maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea against Bejing. In January 2017, then-Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe pledged to provide six patrol boats for Vietnam’s coast guard. In March 2018, the US Navy aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, with a contingent of 5,000 sailors and aviators, anchored at the port city of Danang — the first port call to Vietnam by US Navy ships since 1975.

Vietnam and India have also been steadily strengthening bilateral ties, and have signed a memorandum of understanding on Cooperation between the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute.

Indonesia controls four vital sea lanes of communication for international trade and shipping, namely the busy Malacca, Sunda, Lombok and Makassar straits, three of which link the Indian and Pacific oceans, which would make it an important member in the Indo-Pacific strategy. The last two are particularly useful for the Chinese navy’s submarine operations, as they are less traveled routes and at a distance from the Malacca Strait.

The inclusion of Taiwan might come as a surprise as it does not have diplomatic relations with either the members of the original Quad or the proposed Quad+6 alliance. However, Taiwan shares strategic objectives in the region and has approached the US, Japan, India and South Korea for a partnership in the Indo-Pacific strategy. Under its New Southbound Policy, Taiwan has engaged with most of the countries involved, and has further enhanced its engagement with India and ASEAN countries.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/04/16/2003755778

How much does Myanmar’s coup threaten ASEAN’s credibility?

15 Apr 2021|Henry Storey

test of ASEAN centrality. Some observers have even portrayed Myanmar’s military coup and the ensuing mass civil unrest have been presented as a litmus the coup as ‘the most Suchserious an threatargument to the is curiousimportance on numerous of ASEAN grounds.in regional Although diplomacy individual since the state Colds within War’. ASEAN might care (or profess to care) about democracy, the organisation as a whole has always prioritised non-interference and respect for sovereignty. ASEAN has had little if anything to say in recent years about military coups in Thailand or substantial democratic backsliding in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. rights promotion efforts were at their zenith. At that time, and later when ASEAN was tryingMyanmar’s to deflect entry Western into ASEAN criticism in 1997 by promulgatingoccurred when its the own US’s watered-down democracy and dec humanlaration on human rights, discussing in a way that t that ASEAN is trying to mildly Myanmar’s internal political character was fair game simply didn’t apply to other members. To the exten ical touchstone uponpressure which Myanmar’s to evaluate ruling ASEAN junta centrality. since February’s coup, such a dynamic has continued today. This doesn’t mean, however, that the upholding of democracy is a log centrality in the regional diplomatic architecture has rarely if ever been defined s. Myanmar hasASEAN’s always insisted that its various domestic peace processes are an internal affair. Accordingly,by the organisation’s ASEAN has ability refrained to solve from complex involving domestic itself, politicdespiteal issuemuch like today spillover effects impacting Thailandand close ASEAN partners India and China. response to the Rohingya issue has never been praised— for its efficacy. —

ThisASEAN’s dynamic is in no way limited to Myanmar. ASEAN was not, for example, a particularly visible the negotiation and implementation of the Mindanao peace process. Nor was it a particularlyor key player important in the actor Philippines’ in the Aceh efforts peace to process.break the siege of Marawi or in There are exceptions, but they have occurred mostly in non-member states. Alongside Australia, ASEAN played 93 political transition before Phnom Penh joined the regional grouping in 1999. ASEAN also played an important, if not behind-the- a significant role in Cambodia’s 1992– - independence.— scenes, role in Australia’s midwifery of Timor Leste’s https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-much-does-myanmars-coup-threaten-aseans-credibility/

Why Renewing American Innovation? The “Endless Frontier Act” and Biden’s Bid for Maintaining U.S. Global Competitiveness April 14, 2021

After giving the pandemic-ravaged U.S. economy a much-needed boost and now introducing an ambitious $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs package, President Joseph Biden will reportedly move to aggressively counter China’s global economic and technological aspirations by supporting vital U.S. industries. This effort will likely focus on increasing production of semiconductors and launching a nationwide 5G network, among other key areas. Tapping into unusually wide bipartisan support for this “Endless Frontier Act,” Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), together with Senator Todd Young (R-IN)—who in 2020 introduced the original Endless Frontier Act with Senator Schumer—will provide the main outline for the measure. If passed, this legislative package would help U.S. firms retain and renew their innovation edge, global competitiveness, and leadership against Chinese ambitions in science and technology. Though not wrong to fear China’s rise and seek to counter it, the Donald Trump administration and its trade war against China was akin to tripping the opponent during a marathon. If the opponent is truly the more skilled runner, they can weather the setback and still win the day. The United States needs a strategy for winning the marathon itself.

The China Challenge China today poses both a technological and security threat to the United States that no country has in modern history. U.S. companies operating under free market rules struggle to compete against state- backed Chinese firms that can ignore a poor quarter while enjoying one of the largest, most-protected markets in the world. With the support of the central government, key Chinese firms are free to innovate and compete in the global market without financial worries while Chinese scientists can focus on research and development instead of seeking grants for their university or research institution. According to Tulane University professor and former Aspen Institute CEO Walter Isaacson in 2019, China has modeled its approach along the lines of U.S. scientist Vannevar Bush’s 1945 report Science: The Endless Frontier, which, besides being the inspiration behind the name of the proposed legislative package, promoted government funding of basic research together with universities and industry—a priority of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. As the Chinese government sets long-term strategic goals like Made in China 2025, which was part of China’s 13th Five- Year Plan of 2016-2020, the United States needs to return to its post- World War II values of equating leadership in science and technology with national security and prosperity. https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-renewing-american-innovation-endless-frontier-act-and-bidens-bid- maintaining-us-global

Games States Play in Cyberspace April 14, 2021

Indictments can be a useful signaling mechanism to states and foreign hackers working on their behalf. But if the time it takes for hackers to be publicly charged exceeds a year, does that diminish the value of indictments in promoting responsible state behavior in cyberspace? Put differently, understanding that state hackers could potentially face a timeline of a year or longer before being indicted by the United States, could that incentivize states to take more aggressive action?

As a creative scaffold for understanding the strategic geopolitical value of indictments, consider Walter Mischel’s famous willpower experiment at Stanford University in the 1960s —the so- called Marshmallow Test. In the test, preschool-aged children were offered one marshmallow to eat immediately, but if they could refrain from eating it for 15 minutes, they would then be rewarded with two. The study found a positive connection between children who could delay instant gratification and indicators of “success” in their future adult lives. Superimposing the design of this test also offers a unique perspective for reexamining the logic of states who risk having their skilled cyber operators indicted, arrested, and arraigned before a U.S. magistrate judge. How? In a “go-big-or-go-home” transactional analysis game between states, waging a two-marshmallow cyber campaign could appear as the more rational decision.

Timeline and Strategy First, consider a concrete example: The Justice Department’s October 2020 indictments of six Russian military intelligence officers.

Not only did the federal grand jury’s 50-page indictmentreveal a range of techniques and targets, but also a surprisingly long period between when the crimes occurred and when the indictment was returned. The mean was approximately three years. This length of time is considerable, especially since indictments are a non-violent means to hold actors accountable for their actions in cyberspace, and ideally deter further aggressive acts.

Focusing on the timeline: on October 19, the Justice Department indicted six Russian intelligence officers in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (GRU). The GRU officers worked in the Main Center for Special Technologies, Military Unit 74455, and were charged with conducting “the most disruptive and destructive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. The charges in the federal grand jury’s 50-page indictment include deploying some of “the world’s most destructive malware to date,” such as NotPetya in 2017 and Olympic Destroyer against the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. It recounts other disruptive cyber acts like targeting Ukraine’s electric grid in 2015 and 2016, France’s 2017 election, the networks of Georgian companies and state entities in 2018 and 2019, and investigations into the 2018 Novichok poisoning.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/games-states-play-cyberspace

How will Covid-19 and the coup affect China’s belt and road investments in Myanmar and Southeast Asia?

• The initiative is likely to remain a corner with energy and infrastructure investments a key priority • However, Myanmar demonstrates that potentialstone of environmental,Beijing’s foreign social and economicand governance policies, risks associated with megaprojects could be a long-term concern

Since its launch in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has stirred intense international debate over its political-economic impacts and a wide range of associated risks. Chinese spending on the initiative has slowed since 2018, and lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic have further worsened the already significant delays in belt and road infrastructure projects, amid geopolitical tensions.

Regardless of its eventual scale, the plan is likely to remain a cornerstone of China’s foreign and economic policies, with an increased strategic focus on Southeast Asia. Post-Covid-19 economic pressures and the demand for infrastructure investment will drive member states of the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to work more closely with China. The question here is whether the parties involved can work together to achieve a win-win result.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3129590/how-will-covid-19-and-coup-affect- chinas-belt-and-road

US-China tech rivalry is playing out in the Middle East and 5G is at the core of region’s balancing act

• Alarm over the China-

• Beijing is increasing itsIran strategic strategic presence deal is indistracting the region from not on‘digitisationly to preserve with its energyChinese security, characteristics’ but also taking to assert place its inrise the in Middle the digital East realm

Media and academic attention in the Middle East is currently focused – almost obsessively – on the implications of the 25-year “comprehensive strategic agreement” signed by China and Iran .Despite caution from some quarters that the deal may be overhyped, experts have warned that it could lead to Beijing and Tehran aligning more closely, thus worsening the

US-China strategic rivalry . The reality is murkier, as few details of the pact have been made known. In any case, such deals are par for the course in ties between China and Middle Eastern countries. More importantly, excessive focus on the agreement means missing a much more important development: the “digitisation with Chinese characteristics” that is taking place in the region.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3129476/middle-east-goes-digital-balancing-china- and-us-tech-gets-harder

My Word: Positive nuclear exposure and fallout

The destruction of the Natanz plant was widely attributed to Israel and certain Israeli leaders did not make an effort to deny the allegations. By LIAT COLLINS APRIL 15, 2021 20:18

Missiles are displayed (photoduring credit:Iran’s National WANA NEWS Army AGENCY/REUTERS) Day parade in Tehra n in September 2019. Advertisement Golda Meir

is said to have once told a journalist: “If you think we’ve got the bomb and our enemies think we’ve got the bomb, does it really matter if we have it or not?” ambiguity was largely abandoned, at least when it came to taking credit forGolda’s h words came back to me this week when the principle of

itting Tehran’s atomic aspirations. Iran facility at Natanz was raised rhetorically. The explosion that occurred thereThe question on April of 11, “Who most turned likely the lightsresult out?”of a cyberattack, at ’s flagship coul nuclear plans for nuclear enrichment back by nine months, according to some reports. d set Iran’s The destruction of the Natanz plant was widely attributed to Israel and certain Israeli leaders did not make an effort to deny the allegations. On the contrary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi both seemed happy to be credited with it and if there was any argument it was over whether the IDF or the Mossad, under Yossi Cohen, deserve the ultimate praise for the series of incidents that have thwarted Iranian designs over the last couple of years. In a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday, April will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal12, Netanyahu goal oftold eliminating him: “My policyIsrael. asIsrael Prime will Minister continue of to Israel defend is clear: itself I

againstWhile Alternate Iran’s aggression Prime Minister and terrorism.” Benny Gantz implied that Netanyahu or his supporters were leaking material about the attack for political gain, he did not distance himself from the attack itself. Indeed, when he hosted Austin on Sunday he told the high- today poses a strategic threat to international security, to the entire Middle East, and to the State of Israel.ranking And weUS official,will work “The closely Tehran with of our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interests of the world and the United States, prevent a

dangerous arms race in our region, and protect the State of Israel.”

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/my-word-positive-nuclear-exposure-and-fallout-665275