Today’s News 29 April 2021 (Thursday)

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

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 MECQ in NCR Plus extended to May 14 C Mendez P Star 1 PDI A1 2 ‘Imported medical wear cost 3,500 local M Gascon jobs’

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page 3 Lorenzana: China encroaching on Phl M Punongbayan P Star 2 waters 4 Lorenzana on Chinese call to stop PH Sea J Andrade PDI A2 Drills: ‘They are the intruders’ 5 Lawmakers, DND nix China WPS S Locus D Tribune A1 importunity 6 Sea Patrols N Quijano Jr D Tribune A5 7 You can’t tell us what to do, Lorenzana tells V Reyes Malaya A10 China 8 International law behind PH- Locsin C Pisco P Journal 3 9 WPS is PH territory, solon reminds China J Manalastas P Journal 7 10 PH files nth protest vs China C Pisco P Tonight 6 11 China walang karapatang pigilan ang PCG D Franche Ngayon 2 sa maritime drills- Lorenzana

D. INDO-PACIFIC Title Writer Newspaper Page M Bulletin 7 12 Myanmar junta wants ‘stability’ before heeding pleas on violence Palace: Sputnik V vaccines expected to G Kabiling M Bulletin 2 13 be delivered in May China told: pull out vessels and respect R Acosta B Mirror A3 14 PHL sovereignty 15 US NAVY shoots Iran ship M Times B6 PH, Australia seek economic A Gonzales M Times B3 16 cooperation Locsin orders filing of new protest vs R Mercene B Mirror A2 17 China over WPS 18 Palasyo duda sa tulong na resbak ng US A Taliping A Tonite 3 Duterte orders PHL vessels to stay put in V Barcelo M Standard A1 19 WPS in a test of wills

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page Parlade, Badoy stay as NTF- ELCAC P Star 1 20 R Cabrera Spokespersons - M Bulletin 2 21 PRRD leaves Parlade’s fate ton NTF R Antonio ELCAC- Roque 22 NPC: Citizens’ profiling wrong R Ayeng D Tribune A1 Parlade, Badoy stay as task force Malaya A10 23 J Montemayor spokesmen 24 Probe into Air Force chopper crash begins A Dalizon P Journal 13 25 Katiguhin si Gen. Parlade A Pedroche Ngayon 4

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page 26 NPA leader, wife slain in Agusan clash A Jacinto M Times A7 2 Anti- Red group members killed in Bohol C Cordova Tempo 1 27 ambush

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

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 28 Philippines forced to take side E Cruz P Star 7 29 Who is lying- the President or Roque? A Carpio PDI A6 30 Community Pantry and Duterte’s Kitchen G Araneta M Bulletin 4 31 Fish Talk D La Paz D Tribune A4 32 Three ladies and a general M Angeles D Tribune A5 Defending our sovereign rights: Will it be M Times A4 33 R Saludo war? M Times A4 34 Defending the ‘hapag ng bayan’: Let us not A Contreras throw the baby out with the bathwater 35 Parlade’s rant should not go unpunished R Tulfo M Times A5

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Legislators question foreign grants that https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/legislators- 36 assail PH sovereignty question-foreign-grants-that-assail-ph- sovereignty/ https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/govt-gets-the- 37 Gov’t gets the blame whether it’s right or wrong — Duterte blame-whether-its-right-or-wrong-duterte/ DILG to punish mayors over rising https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138399 38 Covid-19 violations: PRRD Duterte apologizes for imposing https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138397 39 ‘longer’ MECQ in NCR Plus Octa: Not Yet Time For NCR Plus https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/29/octa 40 Bubble To Exit MECQ -not-yet-time-for-ncr-plus-bubble-to-exit-mecq/ Local PPE manufacturers eye https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/garments- 41 exportation amid gov't preference for exporters-eyeing-to-supply-ppes-abroad-amid- China imports lack-of-demand-from-govt/ NAVY NEWS Binay, Gordon slam China’s 'de facto' https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/binay-gordon- 42 control of WPS: "Enough is enough" slam-chinas-de-facto-control-of-wps-enough- is-enough/ Lawmakers slam “erroneous” Chinese https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/28/law 43 statement on WPS; increased patrols makers-slam-erroneous-chinese-statement- called on-wps-increased-patrols-called/ China, not PH, must stop complicating https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/china-not-ph- 44 WPS dispute — senators must-stop-complicating-wps-dispute-senators/ Senators: China should also withdraw https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio maritime militias to avoid escalation in n/785426/senators-china-should-also- 45 West Philippine Sea withdraw-maritime-militias-to-avoid-escalation- in-west-philippine-sea/story/ China berated for claiming jurisdiction https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/28 46 over West Philippine Sea /2094432/china-berated-claiming-jurisdiction- over-west-philippine-sea 1Sambayan throws support behind https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio reso condemning Chinese activities in n/785527/1sambayan-throws-support-behind- 47 WPS reso-condemning-chinese-activities-in- wps/story/ https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138398 48 China ‘good friend’ but I won’t compromise WPS: Duterte ‘If you’re bright, why did we lose the https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1425054/duterte- 49 West Philippine Sea?’ – Duterte to to-carpio-del-rosario-if-youre-bright-why-did- Carpio, Del Rosario we-lose-the-west-philippine-sea Lorenzana rejects China plea to stop https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/lorenzana- 50 maritime exercises in West PH Sea rejects-china-plea-to-stop-maritime-exercises- in-west-ph-sea/ Phl to continue WPS patrols despite https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/28/phl 51 China’s call to stop -to-continue-wps-patrols-despite-chinas-call- to-stop/ House leader urges China to withdraw https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138337 52 its vessels from WPS Locsin Orders Filing Of New Protest Vs https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/29/locsi 53 China Over WPS n-orders-filing-of-new-protest-vs-china-over- wps/ PH must not fail to protest China's https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/ph-must-not-fail- 54 continuous presence in Julian Felipe to-protest-chinas-continuous-presence-in- Reef — Locsin julian-felipe-reef-locsin/ Coast guard escorts sought for Filipinos https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/coast-guard- 55 fishing in WPS escorts-sought-for-filipinos-fishing-in-wps/ Mga mangingisdang Pinoy dapat https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/21/mga- 56 magbabad sa West PH Sea: BFAR mangingisdang-pinoy-dapat-magbabad-sa- west-ph-sea-bfar Sebo at langis, nakita ng DENR sa https://news.abs- 57 water samples na itinapon ng yate sa cbn.com/news/04/28/21/sebo-langis-water- Manila Bay samples-yate-manila-bay-denr AFP RELATED PAF identifies victims in Bohol air https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/paf-identifies- 58 mishap victims-in-bohol-air-mishap/ Let President decide on urgency of red- https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/let-president- 59 tagging bill — Guevarra decide-on-urgencyof-red-tagging-bill-guevarra/ Certify anti-red-tagging bill as 'urgent', https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/certify-anti-red- 60 Drilon asks Duterte tagging-bill-as-urgent-drilon-asks-duterte/ No regrets in setting up Maginhawa https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/no-regrets-in- 61 community pantry despite red-tagging setting-up-maginhawa-community-pantry- —Non despite-red-tagging-non/ PMA Class 1983 donates food items for https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138248 62 NCR community pantries Parlade, Badoy stay as NTF-ELCAC https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/29 63 spokespersons /2094528/parlade-badoy-stay-ntf-elcac- spokespersons Proposals to defund NTF-ELCAC https://news.abs- 64 'knee-jerk' reaction, says solon cbn.com/news/04/28/21/proposals-to-defund- ntf-elcac-knee-jerk-reaction-says-solon https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/womens-group- 65 Women’s group assails ‘fake’ NPA surrenderee assails-fake-npa-surrenderee/ Communist encampment used for https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/communist- 66 making bombs in Ormoc City disclosed encampment-used-for-making-bombs-in- by surrenderer ormoc-city-disclosed-by-surrenderer/ Mother of abducted activist Jonas https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/mother-of- 67 Burgos says 'justice still elusive' abducted-activist-jonas-burgos-says-justice- still-elusive/ INDO PACIFIC NEWS Philippine Senators Sign Resolution https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/philippi 68 against China’s ‘Creeping Hegemony’ nes-southchinasea-04272021182401.html in South China Sea EU lawmakers vow to kill China https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 69 investment deal over Beijing’s article/3131504/eu-lawmakers-vow-kill-china- sanctions investment-deal-over-beijings China, Russia sowing disinformation https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/arti 70 about Western vaccines, says EU cle/3131501/coronavirus-china-and-russia- report sow-disinformation-undermine-trust Xi shines light on CPC's commitments, http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0428/c90000- 71 spirit through Party history stories 9844696.html Xi tells Chinese Communist Party to https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/artic 72 remember struggles of the past le/3131326/xi-jinping-seeks-channel-chinese- communist-partys-revolutionary Hong Kong passes immigration bill, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong- raising alarm over 'exit bans' security-immigration/hong-kong-passes- 73 immigration-bill-raising-alarm-over-exit-bans- idUSKBN2CF032 China deepens anti-COVID19 https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 74 cooperation with S. Asian nations 292.shtml China labels India, Australia, Japan https://www.scmp.com/economy/global- 75 supply chain plan as ‘artificial’ and economy/article/3131449/china-labels-india- ‘unfavourable’ to global economy australia-japan-supply-chain-plan China urges Japan to revoke https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04- wastewater dump decision and 28/China-urges-Japan-to-revoke-wastewater- 76 apologize dump-decision-and-apologize- ZPtadnglTa/index.html China, Japan trade acrimonious barbs https://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster- over Fukushima tweet fukushima-china/china-japan-trade- 77 acrimonious-barbs-over-fukushima-tweet- idUSKBN2CF0U0 China to punish data exports to https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131 78 overseas courts as Beijing beefs up 453/china-punish-data-exports-overseas- defence against US long arm courts-beijing-beefs-defence-against Vietnam says it won't follow others in https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 79 opposing China 213.shtml Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pledges https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/vietnamese- 80 Deeper Cooperation With Japan foreign-minister-pledges-deeper-cooperation- with-japan/ Starting In 2017 It Was Just All Fear’: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/canad 81 Canadian Couple on Life in Xinjiang ians-04262021181216.html Amid Growing Abuses Biden to push trillions in investment, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-push- 82 plead for police reform in Congress trillions-investment-plead-police-reform- speech congress-speech-2021-04-28/ Senators urge Biden to impose more https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 83 sanctions on Myanmar junta pacific/senators-urge-biden-impose-more- sanctions-myanmar-junta-2021-04-27/ Biden's Armenian genocide call nudges https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 84 Turkey toward China, Russia relations/Biden-s-Armenian-genocide-call- nudges-Turkey-toward-China-Russia Blinken stands firm on Trump-era https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 85 measures against Chinese media article/3131507/us-secretary-state-antony- blinken-defends-trump-era-moves International alliance of legislators https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/new 86 announces campaign for Taiwan's s/4189100 participation in WHA Thai PM faces crisis of confidence https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health- 87 stoked by Thaksin environment/article/3131330/covid-19-surges- thailand-prayuth-faces-crisis Thailand Evacuates Villagers from https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/thai 88 Border after Karen Rebels Attack land-karen-04272021175758.html Burmese Army Outpost South Korea to push forward US-North https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 89 Korea talks /04/103_307936.html Moon out of step with Biden ahead of https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 90 Korea-US summit /04/120_307952.html A New Look at the Korea-U.S. Alliance https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-look-korea- 91 us-alliance S. Koreans injured in protest against https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/S- deployment of THAAD equipment Koreans-injured-in-protest-against- 92 deployment-of-THAAD-equipment- ZP7tQ6sKfC/index.html Anti-China sentiment growing in Korea https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 93 /04/120_307940.html North Korea Bans Criticism of China https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/hwagy 94 and Prejudice Towards Ethnic Chinese o-04262021171456.html Residents Indian media decree threatens Kashmir https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Indian-media- 95 journalists' jobs decree-threatens-Kashmir-journalists-jobs2 India and Russia agree on 2-plus-2, in https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 96 diplomatic balancing act relations/Indo-Pacific/India-and-Russia-agree- on-2-plus-2-in-diplomatic-balancing-act Myanmar's civilian govt calls for support https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- from Southeast Asia nations news/myanmars-civilian-govt-calls-for-support- 97 from-southeast-asia-nations- 101619587295469.html Myanmar junta launches fresh air raids https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/04/6 98 in rebel territory 86276/myanmar-junta-launches-fresh-air- raids-rebel-territory Australia’s China debate gets more https://www.scmp.com/week- rancorous with harassment, lawsuits asia/politics/article/3131508/australias-china- 99 debate-gets-more-rancorous-harassment- threats https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/putins-sound- 100 Putin’s sound and fury and-fury/ racial https://spectator.us/topic/china-stoking- 101 How China is stoking America’s tensions america-racial-tensions/ China's people need the truth — https://thehill.com/opinion/international/550387 102 America should help them get it -chinas-people-need-the-truth-america-should- help-them-get-it 25-ton mining robot stranded on Pacific https://www.jpost.com/international/25-ton- 103 Ocean floor in deep-sea trial mining-robot-stranded-on-pacific-ocean-floor- in-deep-sea-trial-666597 With ships urged to speed up, cargo https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/4/27 104 worth millions lost at sea /bas-ships-pressured-to-speed-up-cargo- worth-millions-lost-in-sea Glacier melt is speeding up, raising https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/29/glacier-melt-is- 105 seas: global study speeding-up-raising-seas-global-study/ DEFENSE NEWS Chinese ships still linger in Bajo de https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/chinese-ships- 106 Masinloc, Kalayaan Island Group, still-linger-in-bajo-de-masinloc-kalayaan- Ayungin Shoal — NTF-WPS island-group-ayungin-shoal-ntf-wps/ Lorenzana: China encroaching on https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/29 107 Philippine waters /2094526/lorenzana-china-encroaching- philippine-waters Duterte orders PH vessels to stay put in https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 108 WPS in a test of wills stories/353107/duterte-orders-ph-vessels-to- stay-put-in-wps-in-a-test-of-wills.html Various gov't agencies patrol WPS: task https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138270 109 force PH not negligent over WPS issue: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138305 110 Palace Palace doubts US will help PH if row https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/palace-doubts- 111 with China on WPS escalates us-will-help-ph-if-row-with-china-on-wps- escalates/ Philippines Tells China to Back Off Its https://www.newsweek.com/philippines-tells- 112 Exercises in South China Sea, Says china-back-off-its-exercises-south-china-sea- There's No Basis to Stop Them says-theres-no-basis-stop-them-1587170 Esperon: Improve existing structures in https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio 113 WPS first before building new ones n/785488/esperon-improve-existing-structures- in-wps-first-before-building-new-ones/story/ The five-domains update https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-five- 114 domains-update-131/ The Evolving Aircraft Carrier Picture in https://defense.info/featured-story/2021/04/the- 115 the Indo-Pacific Region evolving-aircraft-carrier-picture-in-the-indo- pacific-region/

French Indian Naval Exercise VARUNA https://www.navalnews.com/naval- 2021 Concludes 116 news/2021/04/french-indian-naval-exercise- varuna-2021-concludes/

British Carrier Strike Group to sail https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-carrier- 117 through South China Sea strike-group-to-sail-through-south-china-sea/ UK Carrier Strike Group deployment https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/na heading for the Indo Pacific val-news/naval-news- 118 archive/2021/april/10060-uk-carrier-strike- group-deployment-heading-for-the-indo- pacific.html British Royal Navy OPV HMS Tamar https://www.navalnews.com/naval- Gets Dazzle Camouflage Ahead Of news/2021/04/royal-navy-opv-hms-tamar-gets- 119 Pacific Deployment dazzle-camouflage-ahead-of-pacific- deployment/ UK confirms nuclear submarine will https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-confirms- 120 deploy with Carrier Group nuclear-submarine-will-deploy-with-carrier- group/ REVEALED: The Scientists https://www.newsbreak.com/news/221971567 "Debunking" the Wuhan Lab Leak 1060/revealed-the-scientists-debunking-the- 121 Theory Admit Being 'Collaborators' and wuhan-lab-leak-theory-admit-being- Honorees of Chinese Communist Party collaborators-and-honorees-of-chinese- communist-party Chinese Defence Minister: China, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de Bangladesh should oppose powers fence/china-bangladesh-should-oppose- 122 from outside the region forming powers-from-outside-the-region-forming- 'military alliance' in South Asia military-alliance-in-south-asia-chinese- defence-minister/articleshow/82289339.cms China’s Irregular Approach to War: The https://mwi.usma.edu/chinas-irregular- 123 Myth of a Purely Conventional Future approach-to-war-the-myth-of-a-purely- Fight conventional-future-fight/ Xinhua: U.S.-funded Uyghur http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021- 124 separatists trained as gun-toting foot 04/28/c_139912273.htm soldiers China Raises Scrutiny on Companies https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/202 125 With New Anti-Spying Rules 1-04-27/china-raises-scrutiny-on-companies- with-new-anti-spying-rules China launches space mining test https://spacenews.com/china-launches-space- 126 spacecraft on commercial rideshare mining-test-spacecraft-on-commercial- mission rideshare-mission/ China's first integrated base supporting https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 127 rocket building, sea launch to be 283.shtml 'operational in May' Chinese Smart TV-Maker Accused of https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/tv- 128 Spying on Owners' Other Devices spying-04272021083250.html China puts Feilong-1 endurance drone https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 129 through high-altitude paces cle/3131428/china-puts-feilong-1-endurance- drone-through-high-altitude Xi Likes Big Boats Coming Soon To A https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/xi-likes- 130 Reef Near You big-boats-coming-soon-to-a-reef-near-you/ China Holds 72nd Navy Anniversary, https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.c Commissions New Landing Helicopter om/2021/04/china-holds-72nd-navy- 131 Dock, Cruiser, Nuclear Ballistic Missile anniversary.html Submarine Chinese Navy May Have 4 New Type https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29442/Chi 132 09IV Nuclear Attack Submarines nese_Navy_Many_Have_4_New_Type_09IV_ Nuclear_Attack_Submarines China's Liaoning aircraft carrier group https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 133 crosses Miyako Strait, patrols Diaoyu 392.shtml Islands, 'warning to Japan' China, ROK marine law enforcers https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04- 134 conduct joint patrol 28/China-ROK-marine-law-enforcers-conduct- joint-patrol-ZPmcgm33I4/index.html China's new amphibious assault ship to https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 135 carry multi-type helicopters, 'enters 263.shtml world-class' ranks https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/chinas-launch- 136 China’s launch of new assault ship raises fears of-new-assault-ship-raises-fears/ - https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/its-time-to- 137 It’s Time to Talk About J 15, China’s First Carrierborne Fighter talk-about-j-15-chinas-first-carrierborne-fighter/ Chinese FM spokesperson: Australian https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222 138 politicians hyping up war threats are 354.shtml real troublemakers China says 'independence forces' https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04- destabilize cross-strait ties 28/China-says-independence-forces- 139 destabilize-cross-strait-ties-- ZPdIPTOgUM/index.html Former US security advisor says https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4189 140 Taiwan in 'maximum danger' from PLA 160 US Warn: China Christens 3 Warships https://www.voanews.com/east-asia- to Tighten Control in Disputed Sea pacific/voa-news-china/experts-china- 141 christens-3-warships-tighten-control-disputed- sea How to Turn the Tables on China? Use https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/how- 142 Their A2/AD Military Strategy Against turn-tables-china-use-their-a2ad-military- Them strategy-against-them-183847 The Right Way To Fight A Maritime War https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/the-right- 143 Against China way-to-fight-a-maritime-war-against-china/ Biden’s budget request steady but https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/bidens- 144 unimaginative on defence budget-request-steady-but-unimaginative-on- defence/ U.S. National Security Strategy: https://tnsr.org/2021/04/u-s-national-security- 145 Lessons Learned strategy-lessons-learned/ Blinken warns Turkey, US allies against https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/55 146 purchasing Russian weapons 0814-blinken-warns-turkey-us-allies-against- purchasing-russian-weapons Biden nominates Fil-Am Iraq war https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/us-pres-biden- 147 veteran for Air Force Undersecretary nominates-fil-am-iraq-war-veteran-for-air- force-undersecretary/ The Cybersecurity 202: Nearly two- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/ thirds of cybersecurity experts think 04/26/cybersecurity-202-nearly-two-thirds- 148 Biden’s response to Russian hack is cybersecurity-experts-think-biden-response- sufficient russian-hack-is-sufficient/ The Missing Pieces of the US Cyber https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/the-missing- 149 Strategy of ‘Persistent Engagement’ pieces-of-the-us-cyber-strategy-of-persistent- engagement/ A civilian cybersecurity reserve corps is https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air- needed for the Pentagon and DHS, force/2021/04/28/a-civilian-cybersecurity- 150 lawmakers from both parties say reserve-corps-is-needed-for-the-pentagon- and-dhs-lawmakers-from-both-parties-say/ U.S. intelligence community to create https://www.cbsnews.com/news/intelligence- 151 center to address foreign malign community-foreign-malign-influence/ influence Hawley bill would spotlight Chinese https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/ 152 electronics in defense systems 04/28/hawley-bill-would-spotlight-chinese- electronics-at-defense-firms/ Spy chiefs look to declassify intel after https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/spy- 153 rare plea from 4-star commanders chiefs-information-war-russia-china-484723 No ICBMs? Big Problems https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/no 154 -icbms-big-problems/173643/ https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/us-could-seek- 155 US could seek ‘expeditionary’ base deal with India expeditionary-base-deal-with-india/ Are U.S. Bases in Asia Vulnerable to https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/are-us- 156 Chinese Missiles? Very. bases-asia-vulnerable-chinese-missiles-very- 183734 Nuclear deterrence for China needs https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/ 157 upgrade apr/28/nuclear-deterrence-for-china-needs- upgrade/ Readiness in the Balance: U.S. Military https://www.fdd.org/events/2021/04/27/readine 158 Preparedness Amid Growing Threats ss-in-the-balance/ Report to Congress on US Navy Force https://news.usni.org/2021/04/27/report-to- 159 Structure congress-on-navy-force-structure-22 US Navy Force Structure and https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2 Shipbuilding Plans: Background and 0691562/navy-force-structure-and- 160 Issues for Congress shipbuilding-plans-background-and-issues-for- congress-april-22-2021.pdf US Navy shipbuilding plan would https://www.navytimes.com/news/your- navy/2021/04/26/navy-shipbuilding-plan- 161 require ‘unprecedented’ funding levels, watchdog agency says would-require-unprecedented-funding-levels- watchdog-agency-says/ US Navy Chief Aiming for 355-Ship https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/artic 162 Fleet Despite Calls for Larger Force les/2021/4/27/navy-chief-aiming-for-355-ship- fleet-despite-calls-for-larger-force Sea power backers propose $25 billion https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/ 163 to fix US shipyards 04/28/seapower-backers-propose-25b-to-fix- us-shipyards/ Time For The U.S. Navy To Build The https://www.navalnews.com/naval- 164 Drone Carrier Warship news/2021/04/op-ed-is-it-time-for-the-u-s- navy-to-build-the-drone-carrier-warship/ NPS Professor, Students Explore http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News- Innovative Ways to Power the Navy ( Stories/Article/2587172/nps-professor- 165 students-explore-innovative-ways-to-power- the-navy/ Into the Gray: Priorities for the Next US https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 166 SecNav 021/april/gray-priorities-next-secnav A 355-ship fleet remains the goal, but https://www.stripes.com/news/navy/a-355- readiness must be the priority, US ship-fleet-remains-the-goal-but-readiness- 167 Navy’s top admiral says must-be-the-priority-navy-s-top-admiral-says- 1.671491 US CNO: Hypersonic Weapons at Sea https://news.usni.org/2021/04/28/cno- 168 to Premiere on Zumwalt Destroyers in hypersonic-weapons-at-sea-to-premiere-on- 2025 zumwalt-destroyers-in-2025 The Littoral Combat Ship: A Good https://defense.info/defense- Reminder that Small is Not Always decisions/2021/04/the-littoral-combat-ship-a- 169 Beautiful good-reminder-that-small-is-not-always- beautiful/ US Navy, Coast Guard consider https://federalnewsnetwork.com/navy/2021/04/ 170 network tech to hedge against illegal navy-coast-guard-consider-network-tech-to- fishing hedge-against-illegal-fishing/ US Navy puts unmanned integration to https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 171 the test detail/us-navy-puts-unmanned-integration-to- the-test US Navy releases video of Iranian https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/04/nav 172 warship harassing US Coast Guard ship y-releases-video-of-iranian-warship-harassing- in Persian Gulf us-coast-guard-ship-in-persian-gulf/ U.S. Warship Shadows China's Aircraft https://www.newsweek.com/us-warship- 173 Carrier On Journey Home shadows-chinas-aircraft-carrier-journey-home- 1587114 The game of chicken the US and China https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-are- 174 are playing in the Pacific looks playing-game-of-chicken-in-the-pacific-2021-4 worryingly familiar US Navy submarine USS Jefferson City https://www.upi.com/Defense- 175 deploys as Indo-Pacific tensions rise News/2021/04/28/indopacific0ussjeffersoncity- navy/5801619631436/ US Navy SEALs to shift from https://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-seals- 176 counterterrorism to global threats to-shift-from-counterterrorism-to-global- threats-1.671394 US Navy Seals to shift from counter- https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- terrorism, focus now on China and news/us-navy-seals-to-shift-from-counter- 177 Russia terrorism-focus-now-on-china-and-russia- 101619615605042.html Here are some big changes that may be https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your- coming to the US Marine Corps marine-corps/2021/04/26/here-are-some-big- 178 changes-that-may-be-coming-to-the-marine- corps/ US Marines Are Already Ditching Their https://www.thedrive.com/the-war- 179 Young RQ-21 Blackjack Drones zone/40352/the-marines-are-ditching-their- relatively-young-rq-21-blackjack-drones First Image of US Marines’ New Anti- https://news.usni.org/2021/04/28/first-image- 180 Ship Missile Unmanned Truck Emerges of-marines-new-anti-ship-missile-unmanned- truck-emerges F-35B Expeditionary Basing and the https://defense.info/re-shaping-defense- 181 Pacific security/2021/04/f-35b-expeditionary-basing- and-the-pacific/ The Ease of Tracking Mobile Phones of https://www.wsj.com/articles/cyber-daily-the- U.S. Soldiers in Hot Spots ease-of-tracking-mobile-phones-of-u-s- 182 soldiers-in-hot-spots-apples-software-chief-on- privacy-11619528757 Businessman Qin Shuren admits https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united- 183 smuggling US marine tech to China states-canada/article/3131505/businessman- qin-shuren-admits-smuggling-us-marine Launch of experimental US military https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield- navigation satellite pushed back to 2023 tech/space/2021/04/28/launch-of-the-militarys- 184 experimental-navigation-satellite-pushed-back- to-2023/ What focus areas are key to America’s https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/comme 185 future space capabilities? ntary/2021/04/28/what-focus-areas-are-key-to- americas-future-space-capabilities/ Report to Congress on Hypersonic https://news.usni.org/2021/04/28/report-to- 186 Weapons congress-on-hypersonic-weapons-2 Hypersonic Weapons: Background and https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2 187 Issues for US Congress; April 26, 2021 0692731/hypersonic-weapons-background- and-issues-for-congress-april-26-2021.pdf Taiwan's Defense Strategy Calls for a https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why- 188 Reassessment of Priorities taiwans-defense-strategy-calls-reassessment- priorities-183848 War games held in Mandarin, English https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 189 for years: ministry ves/2021/04/29/2003756545 Taiwan says China waging economic https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de warfare against tech sector fence/taiwan-says-china-waging-economic- 190 warfare-against-tech- sector/articleshow/82287129.cms Ex-presidential guards guilty of spying https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 191 for China ves/2021/04/29/2003756536 The Need for Taiwan's Forthcoming https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/need- 192 Submarine Program Is More Than taiwans-forthcoming-submarine-program- Pressing more-pressing-183837 Did a Torpedo Implosion Sink https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29431/Did 193 Indonesian Submarine? _a_Torpedo_Implosion_Sink_Indonesian_Sub marine_ Enhancing South Korean Crisis https://defense.info/featured- Management Capabilities: A Key story/2021/04/enhancing-south-korean-crisis- 194 Deterrent Capability management-capabilities-a-key-deterrent- capability/ South Korea chooses locally built https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia- marine helicopter over foreign offers pacific/2021/04/28/south-korea-chooses- 195 locally-built-marine-helicopter-over-foreign- offers/ No sign of China backing for North https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 196 Korean missile tests: experts cle/3131403/no-sign-china-backing-north- korean-missile-tests-experts Attacks by an Ethnic Militia Kill Some 15 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/eth 197 Junta Troops in Myanmar’s Chin State nic-militia-04262021210302.html War next door https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general 198 /2107163/myanmars-war-displaces-new- generation-on-remote-river-frontier Death toll rises in clashes near India https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar- 199 border Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Death-toll-rises-in- clashes-near-India-border India third-largest military spender after https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de 200 the US and China fence/india-third-largest-military-spender-after- the-us-and-china/articleshow/82269944.cms Indian Navy to get INS Vikrant and INS https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/na Visakhapatnam by end of 2021 val-news/naval-news- 201 archive/2021/april/10068-indian-navy-to-get- ins-vikrant-and-ins-visakhapatnam-by-end-of- 2021.html First Chinese Type 054A/P guided https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/na missile frigate for Pakistan to be val-news/naval-news- 202 delivered this summer archive/2021/april/10067-first-chinese-type- 054a-p-guided-missile-frigate-for-pakistan-to- be-delivered-this-summer.html Sri Lankan President meets Chinese https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de defence minister; says visit to boost fence/chinese-defence-minister-arrives-in-sri- 203 bilateral ties lanka-for-bilateral- talks/articleshow/82286802.cms Bangladesh, China agree to increase https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04- 204 military cooperation 28/Bangladesh-China-agree-to-increase- military-cooperation-ZPfDIhTnjO/index.html Australia expanding war games with US https://thehill.com/policy/defense/550709- 205 amid tensions with China australia-expanding-war-games-with-us-amid- tensions-with-china Australia to Upgrade Military Bases https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/04/28/a 206 With Eye on Pacific Tensions ustralia-upgrades-military-bases/ Australia to spend 747 million dollars for https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de upgrading four defence bases to boost fence/targeting-asia-pacific-defence-australia- 207 Indo-Pacific engagements to-spend-580-million-on-military- upgrades/articleshow/82288177.cms Targeting Asia-Pacific defence, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- Australia to spend $580 mln on military pacific/australia-upgrade-military-bases- 208 upgrades expand-wargames-with-us-australian-2021-04- 27/ https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/chinas- 209 China’s actions, not Australia’s words, are the problem actions-not-australias-words-are-the-problem/ Canada: Time to reset its Indo-Pacific https://www.9dashline.com/article/canada- 210 approach time-to-reset-its-indo-pacific-approach Russia Tests New Space Missile That https://www.newsweek.com/russia-tests-new- 211 Country Says Can Fly Four Times space-missile-that-country-says-can-fly-four- Faster Than a Bullet times-faster-bullet-1587244 Iran Says It 'Cut Off U.S. Hand' in https://www.newsweek.com/iran-says-it-cut- 212 Persian Gulf As New Navy Encounter off-us-hand-persian-gulf-new-navy-encounter- Emerges emerges-1587165 Iran: 'Foreign forces cause insecurity in https://en.mehrnews.com/news/172713/Foreig 213 region' n-forces-cause-insecurity-in-region In Conversation: Rory Medcalf on Indo- https://www.9dashline.com/article/in- 214 Pacific Empire conversation-rory-medcalf-on-indo-pacific- empire Switchblade: Era of the loitering drone https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/switchblade- 215 has come era-of-the-loitering-drone-is-now/ Intelligence and the Tyranny of Process https://mwi.usma.edu/intelligence-and-the- 216 tyranny-of-process/ Cyber Security Begins Abroad https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/cyber- 217 security-begins-abroad/ AI Is Neither Artificial nor Intelligent https://www.wired.com/story/researcher-says- 218 ai-not-artificial-intelligent/ Artificial Intelligence Is Misreading https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/ar 219 Human Emotion tificial-intelligence-misreading-human- emotion/173659/ 220 Save Our Servers https://mwi.usma.edu/save-our-servers/ Kill Webs, Engagement Density and https://defense.info/featured-story/2021/04/kill- 221 Escalation Management webs-engagement-density-and-escalation- management/ COVID NEWS Philippines extends limits on https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- movement, gatherings to curb spread of news/philippines-extends-limits-on-movement- 222 Covid gatherings-to-curb-spread-of-covid- 101619629125489.html Philippines asking US, Israel for https://news.abs- 223 unused AstraZeneca vaccines: Galvez cbn.com/news/04/28/21/philippines-asking-us- israel-for-unused-astrazeneca-vaccines-galvez PH steadily rolling out vax program https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138346 224 amid delays Delivery of 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/delivery-of- 225 vaccines from Russia delayed — sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccines-from-russia- Galvez delayed-galvez/ 'Not fit for human consumption': DOH https://news.abs- 226 reiterates caution on ivermectin use vs cbn.com/video/news/04/28/21/ivermectin-not- COVID-19 fit-human-consumption-doh-fda Post-Covid-19 vaccine infections and https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/ 227 reinfections could happen, say experts post-vaccine-infections-and-reinfections-could- happen-say-experts A visual guide to the Covid crisis in https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india- 228 India 56891016 Indian variant found in at least 17 https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/indian-variant- 229 countries: WHO found-in-at-least-17-countries-who/ Indians rush for vaccines as https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias- 230 coronavirus toll tops 200,000 total-deaths-covid-19-passes-200000-mark- 2021-04-28/ In India, overworked medical students https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south- 231 are holding the fort in Covid-19 wards asia/article/3131464/coronavirus-india- overworked-medical-students-are-front-lines U.S. CDC does not see link between https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare- heart inflammation and COVID shots pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-does-not-see-link- 232 between-heart-inflammation-covid-shots-2021- 04-27/ COVID-19 won’t rattle East Asian https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/04/29/covi 233 supply chains d-19-wont-rattle-east-asian-supply-chains/ What you need to know about the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health- coronavirus right now coronavirus-snapshot/what-you-need-to-know- 234 about-the-coronavirus-right-now- idUSKBN2CE0EW Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 235 Across the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus Covid map: Where are cases the https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 236 highest?

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 237 Confusion over Duterte-Xi ‘verbal https://opinion.inquirer.net/139704/confusion- agreement’ over-duterte-xi-verbal-agreement 238 Defending our sovereign rights: Will it be https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/29/opinio war? n/columnists/defending-our-sovereign-rights- will-it-be-war/868432/ 239 Sea patrols https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/se a-patrols/ 240 Fishtalk https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/fish talk/ 241 Philippines forced to take a side https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/04/29/2 094482/philippines-forced-take-side 242 Parlade’s thinking https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/dut y-calls-by-florencio-fianza/353071/parlade-s- thinking.html 243 Parlade’s rant should not go unpunished https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/29/opinio n/columnists/topanalysis/parlades-rant-should- not-go-unpunished/868468/

244 Three Ladies And A General https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/thr ee-ladies-and-a-general/ 245 Japan under fire for Fukushima water https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/202 1/04/197_307862.html 246 Myanmar's junta takes ASEAN for a ride https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Myanmar-s- junta-takes-ASEAN-for-a-ride 247 The Main Idea Behind Biden’s Global https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/opinions/bide Strategy n-100-days-global-strategy-miller/index.html 248 Iraq: The Missing Keystone in U.S. https://www.csis.org/analysis/iraq-missing- Policy in the Gulf keystone-us-policy-gulf 249 HK in trouble as it loses autonomy https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/ar chives/2021/04/29/2003756517 250 Getting it right on tech sovereignty https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/20 21/04/686300/getting-it-right-tech-sovereignty 251 6G Is Not A Distant Horizon https://www.csis.org/blogs/strategic- technologies-blog/6g-not-distant-horizon

Legislators question foreign grants that assail PH sovereignty

Published April 28, 2021, 2:45 PM by Manila Bulletin Grants provided by foreign private organizati ons to sway the framing of Philippine policies and regulations are in violation of the Constitution and represent an assault on the country’s sovereignty, according to two lawmakers.

This was the sentiment of Ilocos Sur 1st district Representative Deputy Speaker Deogracias Victor Savellano and Representative Jericho Nograles during a Congressional hearing on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) receipt of foreign money to fund the crafting of regulations for non - combustible alternatives to cigarettes.

“I called for this investigation to find out the truth. Did the FDA issue specific and pre-defined policies on e-cigarettes and HTPs in exchange for funding from foreign private organizations?” Savellano said.

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability conducted the probe on March 16, 2021 with the Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and FDA Director General Dr. Eric Domingo, other FDA officials and various stakeholders attending the hearing.

“Is this the reason why the FDA in its one-sided and less-than-transparent virtual public hearing could not give the public a real opportunity to flesh out important provisions and requirements for the regulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products?” he said.

Nograles underscored that the issue is not only about the FDA. “The bigger issue here is do we allow government agencies to be influenced by monies coming from foreign private organizations? What we are looking at here is a constitutional violation, an attack on the sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines, our independence itself. That is the big problem,” Nograles said.

According to Nograles, several government agencies have received a total of US$2.5M from The Union, which is funded by the anti-tobacco advocacy Bloomberg Initiative.

He said in 2009, the DOH received US$742,441 for the development and enforcement of local government smoke-free ordinances; the following year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) received US$206,701 for the same purpose. In 2010, the DOH received US$369,877 for tobacco control policies, the same year the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DOH Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2010-01 was issued.

“I believe that this JMC is also unconstitutional,” Nograles said.

In 2012, Nograles added, the MMDA again received US$180,000 for smoke-free city ordinances. In 2013, the DOH received US$150,000 for the implementation of tobacco control policies and the CSC received US$150,000 to raise awareness of and compliance with the policy to exclude tobacco industry interference. In 2014, the DOH received US$192,000 for the National Tobacco Control Strategy. In 2015, the DepEd received US$158,039 for its tobacco advertising ban campaign. In 2016, the CSC received US$183,695 and the MMDA received US$160,000, Nograles said.

“The FDA has conducted multiple researches and consultations with different groups, and these groups they consulted with are also funded by The Union and Bloomberg Initiative. There have been multiple instances wherein every time there is an anti-tobacco regulation that comes out of either the FDA or DOH, it coincides with grants coming from Bloomberg,” he added.

“We cannot treat this as mere coincidence because this happened in [the course of several] years,” he said.

Citing the admission of the FDA that it hired multiple job orders in behalf of The Union and granted different salary grades to these personnel, Nograles said, “this is the problem.”

The FDA has received money from a private organization that is opposed to a legitimate industry in the country, and that money was utilized to hire persons as job orders and given salary grades under our laws to conduct anti-tobacco projects,” he said.

Under Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the FDA is not allowed to hire personnel in behalf of The Union, Nograles said.

“The FDA said that it does not in any way act as an agent of The Union. I agree, but suddenly you are hiring personnel in behalf of The Union. The FDA said that The Union is not a client registering a product. That is correct, but The Union can be influential in blocking the registration of a product,” he said.

A representative of a tobacco-producing province that depends heavily on the local tobacco industry, Savellano criticized the FDA for drafting proposed guidelines on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products that were even more restrictive than regulations for combustible cigarettes, which his constituents have decried as a de facto ban on these alternative nicotine products.

“As government officials, we are expected to be fair, objective, and transparent in issuing and implementing public policies. We hope that through this investigation, we can better protect our independence and sovereignty so that we do not become an easy target for foreign private entities that wish to interfere with our national policies,” Savellano said.

“I understand that the FDA is only doing its job; we are not out to lynch the FDA and other government agencies,” said Nograles. “We want a healthier country, but at the same time we also want our laws to be followed.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/legislators-question-foreign-grants-that-assail-ph-sovereignty/

Gov’t gets the blame whether it’s right or wrong — Duterte

Published April 28, 2021, 10:39 PM by Raymund Antonio The ultimate blame of the people is on the government, “whether we are in the right or in the wrong,” President Duterte said on Wednesday, April 28, as he mulls using “police power” to “control whatever there is to control.”

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a televised address on April 28, 2021 (Malacañang) During his weekly address to the nation, the Chief Executive lamented how Filipinos are violating the laws while government gets the blame.

“Alam ko (I know) the ultimate blame is always the government, whether we are in the right or in the wrong, gobyerno talaga ‘yan (It’s really the government),” he said.

“I would like to be somebody governing but not really necessarily going to the extreme. But apparently, not all but there are a lot of you out there violating and violating and repeatedly violating the laws,” Duterte added.

The COVID-19 pandemic “is not only a medical issue,” the President said. Instead, “it is now of national interest and maybe the survival of the Filipinos.”

He warned that when there is a national health emergency, he can call on “the power of the state to control whatever there is to control.”

“Police power can be exercised to control crime, promote public interest, promote public health. Kasali ‘yan sa power ng President (That’s part of the power of the President),” Duterte said.

Frustrated at Filipinos who “keep on violating the law,” the President noted that nothing will happen if this continues.

The Philippines breached the millionth mark on COVID-19 positive cases on April 26, Monday. Today, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded a total of 1,020,495 cases with 67,769 active cases, 935,695 recovered cases, and a 1.67 percent fatality rate. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/govt-gets-the-blame-whether-its-right-or-wrong-duterte/

DILG to punish mayors over rising Covid-19 violations: PRRD

By Azer Parrocha April 29, 2021, 12:23 am

ADMINISTRATIVE CASE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter- Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Wednesday (April 28, 2021). Duterte said mayors or barangay officials may face administrative charges if they fail to enforce quarantine protocols and prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases. (Presidential photo King Rodriguez)

MANILA – Mayors or barangay officials who fail to enforce quarantine protocols and prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases in their municipality or city may face administrative or criminal charges, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday night.

Duterte threatened to punish mayors and barangay officials over “dereliction of duty” as he lamented the continued surge in Covid-19 infections due to failure to implement minimum health and safety standards.

“I will hold responsible and I will direct the secretary of the [Department of the Interior and Local Government], to hold the mayors and responsible for these kind of events happening in their places,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech.

He said the DILG could easily go after mayors and barangay officials if proven that they were not performing their duties.

“It is a violation of the law and if you do not enforce the law, there is a dereliction of duty which is punishable under the Revised Penal Code. So the DILG can proceed against you for not doing your duty as mayor or as a barangay captain, but not so much about the mayor,” he added.

Duterte said he would not buy any excuses made by local officials since they should be able to exercise their power to slow down the increase in Covid-19 transmissions.

“The Local Government will go after you administratively and criminally. ‘Pag may nangyari pang pistahan o sayawan diyan, ang tawagin ng DILG ang mayor pati ang barangay captain (If there are fiestas or dances there, the DILG will summon the mayor and barangay captain), and then he will proceed to enforce the law. Since he is my alter ego, it’s a civilian department, and he can exercise that power,” he said. He also directed DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to give mayors and barangay captains “enough time” to explain why they should not be punished for their negligence.

“Maybe call the attention of the mayor and the barangay captain and to give them enough time to answer administratively and criminally why you should not go to prison for not enforcing the law,” he added.

Under the police power of the state, Duterte said mayors and barangay officials “are the ones who should be responsible for the enforcement of the law.”

“There is a national emergency, a national health emergency. With that comes also the power of the state to control whatever there is to control whether it’s a pandemic, epidemic or whatever medical, police power can be exercised to control crime, to promote public interest, to promote public health,” he said.

Duterte noted that exercising police power is necessary “to protect other people from not getting sick.”

He also admitted that he was not surprised that the Philippines’ total Covid-19 cases breached the 1 million mark.

“From a distance, nakikita ko talaga (I can really see it). And every time I see people violating the law, I would just say to whoever is seated next to me, ‘Tignan mo ito (Look), tomorrow there will be a spike again,’” he said.

He said there were only two ways to significantly reduce the transmission of the virus namely, vaccination and observance of quarantine protocols.

“It will never be an ending story until all Filipinos are vaccinated. There will always be a rise and maybe exponential ang takbo ng (rise of) Covid sa Pilipinas ‘pag hindi kayo sumunod ng batas (in the Philippines if you do not obey the law),” he added. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138399

Duterte apologizes for imposing ‘longer’ MECQ in NCR Plus

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos April 28, 2021, 11:40 pm

APOLOGY. 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 Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Wednesday night (April 28, 2021). Duterte apologized to the public for extending the more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region Plus or NCR Plus. (Presidential photo by King Rodriguez)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday apologized to the public for extending the more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus.

This, after Duterte retained the MECQ status in NCR Plus that covers Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, until May 14.

In his taped public address, Duterte explained that the two-week MECQ extension in NCR Plus is based on the recommendation of medical professionals, including Health Secretary Francisco Duque.

“Mga kababayan ko, maghingi lang ako sa inyo ng paumanhin. I’m sorry that I have to impose a longer itongmodified enhanced community (To my fellow countrymen, I want to apologize. I’m sorry that I have to impose a longer modified enhanced community quarantine),” Duterte said.

Duterte said he has no choice but heed the medical professionals’ advice, considering that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections continue to rise in the country.

“Kasi kailangan. Nag-spike ng ano, tumaas ‘yung infections at ‘yung hospital natin, puno (It is necessary because there is a spike of infections and our hospitals are already occupied),” he said.

The Philippines on Wednesday logged 6,895 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total case count to 1,020,495 since the pandemic started in March last year.

The country also reported 935,695 recoveries or 91.69 percent of the total cases, 67,769 active cases, and 17,031 deaths. Duterte said government interventions are necessary to contain Covid-19, as well as to protect the public against the coronavirus.

He also reiterated his advice to the public to continue observing the minimum health public standards amid the pandemic.

“I want the people to be comfortable so sometimes you have to interdict or intervene because it is of national interest. Ibig sabihin (Meaning, it is) for the good of all,” Duterte said. “Sumunod na lang tayo sa lahat para tignan ko kung anong magagawa ko sa paghihirap ng tao (Let’s just follow and I will look for ways to ease the public’s plight),” he added.

MECQ is also extended in Quirino and Abra provinces, and the City of Santiago in Isabela, from May 1 to 31.

The more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) will be imposed in Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur for the whole month of May.

The rest of the country will stay under the least restrictive modified GCQ, the MGCQ. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138397

Octa: Not Yet Time For NCR Plus Bubble To Exit MECQ BYRODERICK ABAD APRIL 29, 2021

NCR Plus: NCR and nearby Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal AS the effectivity of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus bubble is about to expire by end-April, the OCTA Research Group believes that it’s not the right time to ease the lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as the Covid-19 pandemic situation remains unstable.

According to OCTA Research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, the decreasing number of active new cases must be sustained and the healthcare capacity needs to be improved in order to downgrade the current quarantine status in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“This will take careful planning with the length of the MECQ,” he told reporters at a recent online multisectoral discussion conducted by the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC). “[So] we urge the national government, as one possible benchmark for changing quarantine levels, is not to exit the MECQ until at least the R [reproduction number] is less than 0.9 in a sustained manner.”

Based on data from OCTA Research, the R, which pertains to the number of people that a single Covid-19 patient can infect, has decreased to less than 1 in NCR. From 1.30 in the first week of this month (April 2 to 8), it went down to 1.17 the following week (April 9 to 15), and then continued to decline to 0.98 in the third week (April 16 to 22).

“This is a very good news, in fact, for the National Capital Region. It shows that we have made significant gains over the past three weeks,” pointed out OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David. “Now, what we hope to do is to sustain this range. Of course, this reproduction number is still unstable at the moment. What that means is it could still increase.” Even if the current reproduction number is below 1 or exactly at 0.9, the UP research group predicted that hospital bed occupancy will not go down to pre-surge numbers.

Citing figures from the Department of Health, OCTA Research said that 43 hospitals and infirmaries in Metro Manila were still at full capacity, while 59 were above critical risk as of April 24. “So at the moment it’s below 1. We are hoping that it will go to at least 0.8. This will decongest our hospitals by the end of May [or at] the beginning of June,” Austriaco said.

“While that’s happening, we could, in the short term, expand capacity of our hospitals, especially the hiring of nurses so that those hospitals that are now congested can be relieved of some of the stresses,” added OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye.

Seeing that several local government units (LGUs) still have not stabilized the decline in the number of new cases in their jurisdictions, the group raised the concern that a premature return to general community quarantine or GCQ would result to resurgence of the virulent disease in some LGUs and then would overflow into neighboring cities or municipalities.

“[There’s] always [a] possibility that as some of the LGUs recover, there will be an outbreak in one LGU that will spill over to the adjacent LGUs. So we are looking for consistent pattern of decrease throughout all the 17 LGUs [in the NCR] for a significant period of time before we know we have successfully pass through the surge,” explained Austriaco.

To prevent a resurgence, OCTA Research recommends an extension of the MECQ to one more week to keep on knocking down the reproduction number to decongest the hospitals at a fast pace. Per the group’s estimate, the number of Metro Manila’s new daily cases, averaging at about 3,500, should be around 2,688 or less to avoid overwhelming the hospital system.

An additional week of MECQ status in the NCR Plus bubble, it said, would give the national government more time to enhance its contact tracing capacity and finish the construction of new quarantine and isolation facilities. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/29/octa-not-yet-time-for-ncr-plus-bubble-to-exit-mecq/

Local PPE manufacturers eye exportation amid gov't preference for China imports

Published April 28, 2021, 6:29 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola The Philippines’ garments manufacturers and exporters are now looking at exporting medical-grade personal protective equipment (PPE) to other countries as the government supposedly continued to show preference for foreign-made products.

(MANILA BULLETIN File Photo)

“Nakakatawa ‘no, tayo magsusupply sa labas tapos ‘yong sariling atin hindi natin ma-supply (It’s funny, that we are supplying other countries when we cannot even supply for our own people),” Senator Nancy Binay said in dismay after garments exporters disclosed the plan on Wednesday, April 28.

During the hearing of the Senate economic affairs committee, Coalition of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP) Executive Director Rosette Carrillo reiterated the group’s lament last year about the lack of demand from the government.

“The way the government purchases PPE, it is subject to certain standards, rules for purchasing, so we were subjected to the lowest cost, and unfortunately, at the same time, the Philippine market was flooded with very low-cost PPEs from China, some of them are even substandard,” Carrillo told the senators.

This was despite them heeding the government’s plea for the repurposing of their sector to respond to the pandemic, with companies supposedly investing US$35 million to convert portions of their factories for manufacturing medical-grade PPEs.

“We’re very competitive for the pricing, in fact in the results of the bids, we are very close but we couldn’t really compete when they start[ed] really diving the prices below industry rates,” the CPMP representative said.

Marites Agoncillo, executive director of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), said that due to the intermittent orders from the government, companies are now mulling to return to the export market so their repurposed factories could continue operating, and thus hire more workers. “Basically they’re semi-closed, and we only open it up when we get orders. If you don’t have the orders, especially for the cover-alls, the gowns, then we’re looking at the export market at the moment, we are trying to get in the export market,” Agoncillo said.

Agoncillo said the government “could have saved 3,500 jobs” from the at least 25,000 workers retrenched last December, had it preferred and continued to order locally- manufactured PPEs.

Sen. Imee Marcos, committee chairman, cited a report and said that “a very cursory review of all the winning bids will show that the same few companies continue to win them every bidding round.”

According to the senator, while the procurements were cheaper, the winning bidders allegedly offered non-medical grade” PPEs, as opposed to those locally-made that have passed international standards.

“We have seen the products, it seemed to be substandard within the context of international testing standards,” Carrillo confirmed.

Marcos further said that of the goverment’s latest procurement worth P4.8 billion, local PPE manufacturers only got 14 percent of total bid, while 86 percent of the amount “went overseas.”

Binay surmised that a cartel may be responsible for manipulating government biddings and “trying to get all these contracts” to the detriment of local PPE manufacturers.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who chairs the Senate trade committee, vowed to look into the issue in a separate hearing.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this. I think it’s unfair to ask — although it would save jobs — [to] ask factories to repurpose, and yet, the same time, disappoint them by not buying their output, their produce,” he said.

“In a time of pandemic, our resources, I’m sure foreign reserves ang ginamit, are used to pay other manufacturers, other workers. Medyo hindi masyadong consistent (This is not quite consistent to our efforts), in a time of a pandemic,” he added.

In 2020, agencies denied favoring imports from China and assured their support for local manufacturers of PPEs.

Under the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2”, the government is mandated to prioritize Filipino manufacturers and suppliers in its procurement of PPEs, face masks and other protective gears for the country’s health care workers and frontliners. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/garments-exporters-eyeing-to-supply-ppes-abroad-amid-lack-of- demand-from-govt/

Binay, Gordon slam China’s 'de facto' control of WPS: "Enough is enough"

Published April 28, 2021, 4:11 PM by Hannah Torregoza Enough is enough.

Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday said China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea and its relentless claim the maritime territory is part of their sovereignty should stop.

BInay made the remark following China’s statement the Philippines should “respect” Beijing’s ownership of the contested area which is well within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“As a people, we will always be committed to working for a peaceful solution beyond the military realm, but we cannot just allow any country to diminish our sovereignty,” Binay said in a statement.

“We are a peace-loving nation and have no hostile intent. Yet we cannot let the bullying continue by remaining scared and silent. We act with reason. It’s time to say enough,” the senator reiterated.

Senator Richard Gordon echoed the call and strongly reiterated the need for the Philippines to stand its ground by condemning and resisting China’s creeping invasion.

Gordon stressed it is the solemn duty of each and every Filipino to stand up against foreign aggression, “just like our forefathers from Lapu-Lapu to Jose Rizal to the heroes of Bataan and Corregidor.”

“China has been brazenly seizing, occupying, and claiming Philippine territory with force and intimidation and contrary to international law and agreements. That is present reality and we cannot say ‘set aside what cannot be resolved during our lifetime’,” Gordon reiterated.

“Iniisahan na tayo ng China, ninanakaw na ang kayamanang dagat ng sambayanan (China is cheating us, they are stealing the country’s marine resources). We cannot just fold our arms and accept what is now happening in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

“Hindi po solusyon na dedma na lang tayo (ignoring them is not the solution).,” he said.

Gordon also said the pressure on China to reverse its aggressive actions can be exerted through unified censures from the international community. “There are several avenues, excluding outright armed conflict, which the Philippines can pursue, through the United Nations and international tribunals, as pointed out by our legal scholars and academicians,” he pointed out.

On Tuesday, Gordon started an online petition calling on freedom-loving Filipinos to adapt Lapu-lapu’s mindset when it comes to facing the issue of foreign intrusion, particularly what is happening now in the West Philippine Sea.

The online petition, initiated by the “Bagumbayan Volunteers For a New Philippines Party,” coincides with the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the victory of the native Filipino chieftain over invading imperial Spanish troops led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

The petition also manifests its strong condemnation not only against China’s aggressive and illegal activities in the WPS, but also for its continued disregard for the historic ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, that recognized Philippine sovereign rights over the said waters and dismisses China’s 9 Dash Line claim.

“Filipinos are never push-overs when it comes to defending our freedom and territory. We have a long and glorious history of being warriors against foreign intrusion and invasion, stretching from 1521 to the Second World War,” Gordon said.

“With this resolution, we honor that brave and heroic spirit and also call on all Filipinos to be modern day Lapu-Lapus: ready to fight and repel any foreign intrusion that threatens our freedom, sovereignty, and economic future,” he said.

The resolution also rallies Filipinos in the country and abroad to join in the cause.

“Whereas, we, the sovereign Filipino people here and abroad, will not sit idly by, and remain silent and allow ourselves to be pushed around, bullied and threatened, while China continues to ignore the Arbitral ruling, intrude into our territory and to continue to display unacceptable and uncivilized conduct expected of a country trying to establish itself as a world power,” read the resolution, which accompanied the petition. [Hannah L. Torregoza] https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/binay-gordon-slam-chinas-de-facto-control-of-wps-enough-is-enough/

Lawmakers slam “erroneous” Chinese statement

on WPS; increased patrols called Published 21 hours ago on April 28, 2021 05:33 PM By Michelle R. Guillang @tribunephl_mish

Senator Richard Gordon on Wednesday called for the Philippine Coast Guard to increase its routine patrols and naval monitoring of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and along the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The lawmaker made the remark after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, asked the Philippines to respect the Chinese government’s “sovereignty” in the WPS.

Wang also asked the Philippine government to stop doing actions that will “complicate” and escalate “disputes” in China’s illegally claimed territory.

“The Chinese statement is patently erroneous as it is based on its discredited nine dash line claim. That claim has been rejected by the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration!,” Gordon said.

“China calls for respect but its aggressive actions do not match, do not deserve its call for respect,” he added.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, on the other hand, urged China to pull out all its military and civilian vessels from the WPS and to respect Philippine sovereignty over the area.

“That statement is ridiculous. That area is part of our 200-mile EEZ under the United Nations Law of the Sea and the ruling of the UN arbitral court.

“We have every right to patrol it, conduct drills there and explore it for its fishery and other natural resources. But they are the ones taking tons and tons of fishes and destroying the environment there,” he said.

Rodriguez said it is China that should not be in the WPS “because that is not part of their EEZ.” “They should leave the WPS. They are the interloper,” he stressed as he explained that WPS is about 600 miles away from China.

“In contrast, up north, Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc to Filipino fishermen, is just 120 miles off the coast of Zambales and Pangasinan. They are in control of it despite the fact that it is within our EEZ,” he said.

The House leader explained that down south, Julian Felipe Reef, which is 175 miles from Bataraza, Palawan, where they still maintain presence despite our repeated protests is also part of the EEZ.

“So they are claiming and occupying a large part of the sea that should exclusively belong to us under international law, and illegally taking resources from it.

“They are the ones complicating the situation, not us,” he emphasized.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/28/lawmakers-slam-erroneous-chinese-statement-on-wps- increased-patrols-called/

China, not PH, must stop complicating WPS dispute — senators

Published April 28, 2021, 1:31 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola If anyone is complicating issues in the West Philippines Sea, it is China, who should stop its aggression.

Senators made the assertion Wednesday, April 28, after China demanded the Philippines to “respect” its sovereignty, and stop maritime exercises and activities that are “complicating the situation and escalating disputes”.

Chinese vessels are spotted at the Julian Felipe Reef within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on March 27, 2021. (Courtesy of National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea)

“It is China who is building military outpost in the West Philippine Sea, destabilizing the region. And expanding their presence using militia boats,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said in a text message to reporters.

“It is China who should refrain from escalating tensions and leave the West Philippine Sea,” he pointed out.

Recto urged the Philippine government to work with its allies to contain China’s growing military presence and encroachement of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The government, he added, “should do more” to protect Filipino fishermen in the area.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III rather gave China a challenge.

“We will, if they stop too,” he told reporters when sought for comment on the Chinese foreign ministry’s statements.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, for his part, said China’s demand showed its “total disregard” of the 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines and invalidated its sweeping, nine-dash-line claim over the South China Sea. For administration lawmaker Sen. Francis Tolentino, the demand was “not just offensive but violates that general principle of international law that a State’s territorial integrity is inviolable!”

Opposition Sen. Francis Pangilinan also told China that it is isolated from the rest international community on the issue, and thus, “should end its blatant and shameless disregard of international law.”

Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out that unlike hundreds of reported Chinese militia vessels swarmed in the area, the Phiilippines’ intention to patrol the WPS “is a peaceful exercise of our rights.”

“It is to check on our fishing grounds. It is not an advance party of a reclamation expedition. Our ships are going there in peace,” he said, alluding to China’s activities in the Philippines’ EEZ.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier Wednesday slammed China for issuing demands against the Philippines, saying: “Beijng has been the one disrespecting the Philippines’ sovereignty, not the other way around.”

China’s statements came after the Philippine Coast Guard started conducting drills in the WPS as part of the efforts to secure the country’s maritime jurisdiction.

Last week, President Duterte conceded that “nothing will happen” if the Philippines would counter the patrols of Chinese military vessels in the WPS, “because we are not in possession of the area”.

Duterte also said the issues in the WPS “remain a question forever, until such time that, you know, we can take it back”.

The President said he will also “tolerate” China’s fishing within the Philippines’ EEZ. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/china-not-ph-must-stop-complicating-wps-dispute-senators/

Senators: China should also withdraw maritime militias to avoid escalation in West Philippine Sea By HANA BORDEY and ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA News Published April 28, 2021 11:17am Updated April 28, 2021 4:27pm

At least two senators on Wednesday urged China to pull out their navy and maritime vessels too in the West Philippine Sea to avoid escalating disputes in the area.

t calling on the Philippine“We will, if securitythey stop forces too!” toSenate stop maritimePresident exercises Vicente Sotto in the III South told GMA China News Sea. Online when asked about Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statemen In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise urged China to withdraw its ships from the West Philippine Sea.

a sincerely wants to avoid escalation, it should pull back her navy and maritime militia. China and“If Chin now she wants respect for her unfounded nine- can’t even respect freedom of navigation on the high seas, She reiterated that Bei dash line?” Hontiveros said. refuting Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin who said that China is enjoying ownership overjing Nansha is the one Islands “disrespecting” or Spratly Islands. the Philippine sovereignty,

the one

Hontiveros expressed “alarm” on Wenbin’s claim that Philippines is She“complicating urged China the to situation stop "contorting and escalating facts to disputes.” suit her baseless claims."

it is China that has been harassing our “It seems that China is the one hallucinating. She must be the one living in an alternate reality,” she said. “In truth, fisherfolk, reclaiming land in territories she does not own, and even using war

Hontiverosvessels to chase reiterated off Filipino that thecivilians.” Philippines has won the case before 2016 UN Permanent Court of Arbitration which ruled that Spratly Islands were within Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The victory of the Philippines before the PCA was supported by many countries and organizations, she noted.

op twisting and contesting the basic principles of international law. Just accept the hard truth: the West Philippine “If China truly wants respect, she should st

Sea belongs to us, not you,” Hontiveros said. international community, saying it sho Senator Francis Pangilinan also said China is also “isolated” from the rest of the uld “end its blatant and shameless Senatordisregard Francis of International Tolentino law.”likewise shared the sentiments of his colleagues, general principle of interna saying China’s latest statement is not just “offensive” but also a violation of the tional law that a “State’s territorial integrity is Forinviolable.” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, it is China that is destabilizing the region following the building of military outposts in the WPS and expanding its presence using militia vessels. growing military presence in the West Philippine Sea, encroaching on our exclusive“The Philippine economic government zone. Furthermore, should work Philippine with our governmentallies and contain should China’s do more in protecting our fishermen

On the other hand, Senator Joelin the Villanueva area,” he said said. the presence of Philippine vessels

in the area is a “peaceful exercise of our rights.” a reclamation expedition. Ou “It is to check on our fishing grounds. It is not an advance party of r ships are going there in peace,” he said. Senator Nancy Binay also pointed out that the Philippines is a peace-loving

ignty. nation that seeks solution “beyond military realm” but it cannot allow any country to “diminish”-loving its nation sovere and have no hostile intent. Yet we cannot let the bullying continue by remaining scared and silent. We act with reason. It's time to “We are a peace

Meanwhile,say enough,” Senator she said. Panfilo Lacson suggested to review the Philippine

government’s foreign policy with China after its latest statement on the WPS. it is time to review our foreign policy with respect to our diplomatic relations with“More C than being offensive, it is the ultimate insult to our national dignity. Maybe

‘Ridiculous’hina,” he said.

At the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez appealed to China to pull out its vessels in the West Philippine Sea, saying Beijing should respect the Philippines' territorial rights in the region.

all for the Philippines to halt its maritime exercises, Rodriguez said -mile exclusiveOn China’s economic c zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Law of the Sea and the rulingin a statement: of the UN “That arbitral statement is ridiculous. That area is part of our 200

court.” and other natural resources. But they are the ones taking tons and tons of fishes and“We destroyinghave every right to patrol it, conduct drills there and explore it for its fishery

According to Rodriguez,the environment it is China there,” that is he complicating added. the situation in the resource-

‘Send Coastrich Guard region. personnel’ "They should leave the WPS. They are the interloper.”

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate urged the Duterte administration to send personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard to escort Filipino fishermen fishing in the region. Zarate said this would avoid Chinese forces from harassing Filipino fisherfolk and taking their catch.

fending our people as well as our territory. Our officials should always assert our independence, instead of them“We have acting to asshow apologists China that for China,we are who serious apparently in de now treat the Philippines as her

vassal state,”t saying Zarate that wesaid declare in a separate war on statement.China. But what we need is for President Duterte to stand up for our fisherfolks and our territory. We have already“We are suggestedno in the past the increasing of patro he added. ls of our seas, among others,” Over the weekend, about eight capital ships of the PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conducted sovereignty patrols at the West Philippine Seadespite the presence of several Chinese ships.

More maritime drills will also be conducted at Batanes Group of Islands, Benham Rise, and the southern areas of the Philippines.

Latest reports showed that 14 Chinese militia vessels -- down from over 200 in March -- were still in the Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the Philippines' EEZ.

The Philippines has filed numerous diplomatic protests against China over the continued presence of its ships within the West Philippine Sea. — RSJ, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/785426/senators-china-should-also-withdraw- maritime-militias-to-avoid-escalation-in-west-philippine-sea/story/

China berated for claiming jurisdiction over West Philippine Sea (Philstar.com) - April 28, 2021 - 6:09pm MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has every right to conduct maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea, two senators said Wednesday in response to Beijing's call on Manila to stop doing so.

They said this in response to China's claim of jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea after the Philippine Coast Guard conducted maritime exercises in the area.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in a press briefing held Monday also called on the Philippines to "respect China's sovereignty and rights and interests, and stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes." But Sen. Risa Hontiveros said China is again "contorting facts to suit her baseless claims."

"Let us make it clear: Beijing has been the one disrespecting the Philippines’ sovereignty; not the other way around," she said. "In truth, it is China that has been harassing our fisherfolk, reclaiming land in territories she does not own, and even using war vessels to chase off Filipino civilians."

"If China truly wants respect, she should stop twisting and contesting the basic principles of international law. Just accept the hard truth: the West Philippine Sea belongs to us, not you."

Meanwhile, Sen. Joel Villanueva disputed claims that the PCG's drills escalated tensions.

"The intention is to patrol our seas, which involves a few civilian ships, less than 10, and not an armed floating militia numbering hundreds of vessels," he said, referencing the outsized presence of Chinese ships in Philippine waters in recent weeks.

"It is a peaceful exercise of our rights. It is to check on our fishing grounds. It is not an advance party of a reclamation expedition. Our ships are going there in peace." Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday ordered the filing of a diplomatic protest over China's remarks.

A government task force also reported the continued illegal presence of three Chinese Coast Guard ships in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, one in the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan and another one in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

"If China sincerely wants to avoid escalation, it should pull back her navy and maritime militia. China can’t even respect freedom of navigation on the high seas, and now she wants respect for her unfounded nine-dash line?" Hontiveros said.

"It seems that China is the one hallucinating. She must be the one living in an alternate reality."

— Bella Perez-Rubio with reports from Patricia Lourdes Viray https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/28/2094432/china-berated-claiming-jurisdiction-over- west-philippine-sea

1Sambayan throws support behind reso condemning Chinese activities in WPS

Published April 28, 2021 9:50pm

Democratic coalition 1Sambayan on Wednesday expressed support for the resolution "strongly condemning" China' activities in the West Philippine Sea.

l sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest and the right to self- “We Filipinos have a collective constitutional duty to protect our “nationa

Underdetermination,” Senate Resolution 1Sambayan 708 convenor, the senators Albert said Del the Rosario continued said inpresence a statement. of Chinese ships in Philippine territory violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award.

ld do our part to stand up for our rights as embodied in the UNCLOS Award dated July 12, 2016 and actively resist Chinese incursions “Thus, each one of us shou

Rosariointo our urgedwaters,” the Rosario Senate said.to immediately adopt the resolution, saying this will amplify the the sovereign rights of Filipinos. country’s call for China to respect international law and recognize leadersh Duterte. He also said the 1Sambayan hopes to see a “stronger and more strategic ip” from President Rodrigo leadership and to show the Filipino people that we are willing to uphold our “We also would like to see in our President… a stronger and more strategic

Despitenation’s severalsovereign diplomatic rights in protests the West against Philippine their Sea,” presence, he said. some Chinese vessels remain at Julian Felipe Reef. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/785527/1sambayan-throws-support-behind-reso- condemning-chinese-activities-in-wps/story/

China ‘good friend’ but I won’t compromise WPS: Duterte

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos April 29, 2021, 2:17 am

President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Presidential file photo)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday reassured Filipinos that the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea (WPS) would not be compromised, even if China is the country’s “friend.”

“China, let it be known, is a good friend and we do not want trouble with them, especially war. But there are things which are not really subject to a compromise,” Duterte said in his pre-recorded public address.

Duterte gave the assurance, but insisted that he would maintain a non-combative stance to address the sea dispute with China.

He guaranteed that he would not “bargain” the Philippines’ sovereignty over WPS with its friendship with China.

“Sasabihin ko na (I will tell them that) there are some things in life which cannot be bargained and this is one of them,” he said. “Now, tignan natin kung ano ang gawin ng China (let’s see what will China do) despite our pleadings for peace and to settle it.”

Earlier Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque denied that the Duterte government is lacking in ability to address the Philippines’ ongoing row with China over the continued presence of the Chinese vessels in WPS.

The National Task Force (NTF) for WPS, in a separate statement, said the Philippine government continues to patrol WPS in the exercise of its sovereignty and sovereign rights under the Philippine Constitution and international law.

The NTF-WPS added that the government shall not waver in pursuing “peaceful, rules-based and proactive initiatives on environmental protection, safety of navigation, maritime and food security within our maritime domains.”

Past admin blamed over China’s sweeping WPS claims Duterte blamed the administration of his predecessor, former president Benigno Aquino III, for its supposed inaction over China’s sweeping maritime claims in WPS.

Duterte chided the Aquino administration’s alleged negligence to act on China’s activities in the strategic waters.

“Kung bright kayo, bakit nawala ang West Philippine Sea sa atin? Panahon ninyo ‘yun eh. Panahon ninyo nung nandiyan kayo sa puwesto. Ngayong China na ang naghawak doon, ako na ang niluluslos ninyong gumawa ng paraan (If you are bright, why did we lose the West Philippine Sea? The dispute happened during your time. Now that China is controlling it, why are you forcing me to find a way to address the sea row)?” he said.

Duterte said the situation in WPS already gets worse even before he assumed the presidency in 2016.

“Ang naabutan ko talo na tayo, ang China kumasa na ng husto na kanila na talaga (When I assumed office, we already lost to China after they already gained control [over WPS),” he said. “‘Yun ang istorya diyan. Remember na pagdating ko sa opisina sa pagkapresidente, iyang [South] China Sea, nandoon na talaga sa China kasi umatras tayo (That’s the story there. Remember, when I became president, China is already there in South China Sea because we did not assert our claim).”

On July 12, 2016, the Philippines won its petition filed against China before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration after the arbitration court invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over almost the entire sea.

The NTF-WPS reported the continued illegal presence of three Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in Bajo de Masinloc, one CCG vessel in municipality of Kalayaan, and one CCG vessel in Ayungin Shoal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs already filed on April 14 two diplomatic protests against China amid the prolonged presence of its vessels in WPS. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138398

e the West Philippine Duterte to Carpio, Del Rosario ‘If you’re bright, why did we los By: Krissy Aguilar - Reporter / @KAguilarINQ

INQUIRER.netSea?’ – / 02:06 AM April 29, 2021

West Philippine Sea INQUIRER FILE

MANILA, Philippines se the West Philippine

— “If you’re bright, why did we lo PresidentSea?” Rodrigo Duterte posed this question, phrased in Filipino, to retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario as China continued to keep its presence in the disputed waters.

ur time. It was your time when you were still in position. If

“That was during yo you’re bright, why did we lose it? Now it’s China who’s holding it. And it’s me Theyou’re Philippines pressuring might to find have a solution,” won its case Duterte against said China in Filipino. at the Permanent Court of

Arbitration at The Hague. But Duterte said: “Nobody in the United Nations will go to war for us.” S So the Philippines was “at a loss how to get back physically the West Philippine ea,” he added. en he assumed office. The President also said China’s grip on the disputed sea was already tight wh Duterte said. “When I got here, we had already lost. China really assumed that it was theirs,” arms. I will just send my soldiers to hell, which I will never do. I will not let my “So I have a choice of going to war. We’re all going to die because we don’t have

Chinasoldiers has fight. consistently If there has refused to be toa fight,acknowledge then we havethe 2016 to win,” ruling he ofwent the on.UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated its claim in the entire South China Sea.

Recently, the Philippines has begun filing daily diplomatic protests over the continuing presence of the Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1425054/duterte-to-carpio-del-rosario-if-youre-bright-why-did-we-lose- the-west-philippine-sea

Lorenzana rejects China plea to stop maritime exercises in West PH Sea

Published April 28, 2021, 2:44 PM by Martin Sadongdong Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana turned down Wednesday, April 28, the request of China to the Philippines to cease the conduct of maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“They have no authority or legal basis to prevent us from conducting these exercises within the West Philippine Sea. Atin ‘yan (It is ours),” Lorenzana said.

The Defense Chief was reacting to a remark made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday who urged the Philippines to “respect China’s sovereignty and rights” in the WPS by stopping the joint drills being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The PCG and BFAR have been conducting maritime exercises near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) and Pagasa (Thitu) Island starting on April 22. The drills will last for 10 days.

“Their claims according to their so-called historical rights have no basis while we have two international documents saying the area is ours: The UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] and the Arbitral award of 2016,” Lorenzana stressed.

The UNCLOS is a treaty which gave the Philippines sovereign rights to exploit all the natural resources in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or the waters within 200 nautical miles from its mainland. Both the Philippines and China are signatories of the UNCLOS.

Meanwhile, the 2016 ruling issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) categorically stated that there is no basis to China’s claim in the WPS which is bounded by their so-called nine dash line reasoning.

“Therefore, it is [them] who are encroaching and should desist and leave,” Lorenzana said.

However, China is not honoring the tribunal ruling and the UNCLOS.

Wenbin insisted that Manila should “stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes” in the West Philippine Sea, which he claimed some parts as belonging to China’s territory.

In response, Lorenzana said: “It is [them] who are complicating the situation by their illegal occupation of reefs which they built into artificial islands.”

“They are the ones complicating the situation by insisting to stay within our WPS,” he added. In a separate television interview over CNN Philippines, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said there were at least nine vessels that remained at the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef from as high as 220 vessels on March 7.

However, majority of the Chinese vessels only dispersed in the Kalayaan Island Group and other parts of the WPS, and did not actually leave the Philippine waters.

“We are currently studying this. We know some of them are fishing vessels, some are maritime militias,” said Esperon, chairman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

“If you have over 200 [vessels] there, if they are fishing vessels, then they could be getting so much fish. If they are Chinese maritime militia, then they are a force to reckon with,” he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/lorenzana-rejects-china-plea-to-stop-maritime-exercises-in-west-ph- sea/

Phl to continue WPS patrols despite China’s call to stop Published 24 hours ago on April 28, 2021 02:21 PM ByJohn Roson

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Wednesday said patrols in the country’s western exclusive economic zone will continue and even be enhanced further, with the help of police.

“Our government shall not waver in pursuing peaceful, rules-based, and proactive initiatives on environmental protection, safety of navigation, maritime and food security within our maritime domain,” NTF-WPS spokesperson ASec. Omar Romero said in a statement.

The task force’s remarks came after China reiterated its claim of sovereignty over features in the West Philippine Sea, and called on Manila to stop actions that may complicate the situation and escalate tensions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made Beijing’s call on Monday, when asked on exercises being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the disputed waters.

According to Romero, the PCG’s capacity building exercises is ongoing and coincides with patrols in the municipality of Kalayaan which covers nine features including Pag- asa Island off Palawan, as well as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal off Zambales.

The patrols are “in response to the continued illegal presence of China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels,” he said.

According to the NTF-WPS, three vessels of the CCG were seen around Bajo de Masinloc, one near Pag-asa, and one near Ayungin Shoal from April 15 to 22.

While no incident was recorded between the five CCG vessels and about 20 Filipino fishing boats monitored in those areas, Romero said the Philippines could also protest the foreign law enforcers’ presence. “These incursions are under review for the possible filing of appropriate diplomatic actions,” Romero said.

“We remind all stakeholders of their respective commitments made in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and underscore the importance of diplomacy and sincere discussion,” he said.

Discussions can be made to explore areas of cooperation, especially on marine environmental protection, Romero added.

Meanwhile, the NTF-WPS said members of the National Police’s Maritime Group will soon be posted in the Kalayaan Island Group and join patrols aboard vessels of the Coast Guard, Navy, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Such a role would be a notch higher than the specialized police unit’s previously announced task of conducting patrols only along the coasts, using their smaller vessels.

High-speed watercraft and gun boats of the police remain ready to be deployed, the task force said. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/28/phl-to-continue-wps-patrols-despite-chinas-call-to-stop/

House leader urges China to withdraw its vessels from WPS

By Filane Mikee Cervantes April 28, 2021, 4:54 pm

West Philippine Sea (Photo courtesy of PTV)

MANILA – House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez on Wednesday urged China to pull out all its vessels from the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to avoid heightened tension in the area.

Rodriguez made the appeal in response to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement calling on the Philippines security forces to stop maritime exercises in the South China Sea and to respect Chinese sovereignty over the disputed sea.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry reprised its claims that it "enjoys sovereignty over Nansha Islands (Spratly) including Zhongye (Thitu) Island and Zhongsha Islands including Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) and their adjacent waters, and exercises jurisdiction in relevant waters."

Rodriguez said the Nansha Islands or the Spratly Islands, which China claims as its sovereign territory, are part of the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Law of the Sea and the ruling of the UN arbitral court.

“We have every right to patrol it, conduct drills there and explore it for its fishery and other natural resources. But they are the ones taking tons and tons of fishes and destroying the environment there,” he said.

Rodriguez said it is China that should not be in the WPS “because that is not part of their EEZ”, noting that the area is about 600 miles from China.

“In contrast, up north, Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc to Filipino fishermen is just 120 miles off the coast of Zambales and Pangasinan. They are in control of it despite the fact that it is within our EEZ,” he said.

He further argued that down south, Julian Felipe Reef, which is 175 miles from Bataraza, Palawan, where China still maintains presence despite repeated protests, “is also part of our EEZ”. “So they are claiming and occupying a large part of the sea that should exclusively belong to us under international law and illegally taking resources from it. They are the ones complicating the situation, not us,” he said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., for his part, ordered a fresh diplomatic protest against China amid its continued presence within areas under Philippine jurisdiction in the WPS.

"They can say what they want from the Chinese mainland; we continue to assert from our waters by right of international law what we won in The Hague. But we must not fail to protest," Locsin said over Twitter.

In a separate tweet, Locsin added that enhanced maritime drills could also provide some kind of "clarity" in the area.

"[S]ee what enhanced maritime drills on our part is achieving: clarity. Now they realize what I said is a likelihood: mutual swarming increases the likelihood of mis-encounter that may trigger the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty). Brinkmanship brings clarity. And fortitude," he said.

Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources deployed eight capital ships to conduct maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea as part of efforts to secure its maritime jurisdiction in the area.

Since April 5, the Philippine government has been actively protesting China's presence in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in Julian Felipe Reef where a swarm of Chinese vessels was spotted in March 2021.

Under the Duterte administration, the Department of Foreign Affairs has so far lodged 78 diplomatic protests against China. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138337

Locsin Orders Filing Of New Protest Vs China Over WPS BYBUSINESSMIRROR APRIL 29, 2021 2 MINUTE READ

SFA Teddy Locsin Jr. FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday ordered his department to fire off another diplomatic protest after China reiterated its claim over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and warned the country’s Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to stop their joint maritime exercises.

“Have we fired off a diplomatic protest? Do it now,” Locsin ordered.

“They can say what they want from the Chinese mainland; we continue to assert from our waters by right of international law what we won in The Hague. But we must not fail to protest,” Secretary Locsin tweeted, in reference to the 2016 ruling favoring Manila in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The latest round of note verbale is the 80th the Philippines has filed against China, including the daily protests that the DFA vowed to make until all of China’s blue-hulled maritime militia vessels have left the WPS.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana repeated his warning to China to pull out its boats from the WPS, as the National Task Force on the WPS reported that nine vessels remained in the area.

On Tuesday, Ivy Banson-Abalos, executive director, DFA Strategic Communication’s Office said 79 diplomatic notes have been filed since President Duterte assumed office. “China enjoys sovereignty over Nansha [Spratly] Islands including Zhongye [Thitu] Island and Zhongsha Islands including Huangyan Island [Scarborough Shoal] and their adjacent waters, and exercises jurisdiction in relevant waters,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press briefing on Monday.

Last month, the US Embassy announced that: “We stand with the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in Asia.” Pentagon spokesman Ned Price similarly declared: “An armed attack against the Philippines’s armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”

In mid-April the two governments held annual military exercises which were dropped last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also, the US Defense Department announced that Secretary Lloyd Austin—in a phone call to his counterpart, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana—had “proposed several measures to deepen defense cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, including by enhancing situational awareness of threats in the South China Sea.” https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/04/29/locsin-orders-filing-of-new-protest-vs-china-over-wps/

PH must not fail to protest China's continuous presence in Julian Felipe Reef — Locsin

Published April 28, 2021, 1:31 PM by Roy Mabasa Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday directed his department to file a diplomatic protest against China following the continued presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, a feature that is way within the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr (Twitter/DFA) Locsin tweeted his directive amid calls from Beijing urging the Philippine Coast Guard to stop conducting maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea.

“They can say what they want from the Chinese mainland; we continue to assert from our waters by right of international law what we won in The Hague. But we must not fail to protest, @DFAPHL, have we fired off a diplomatic protest? Do it now,” the foreign secretary said. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called on the Philippine Coast Guard to “stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes.” Wang insisted on China’s sovereignty over the Spratlys (Nansha in Chinese) that include the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island).

“China enjoys sovereignty over [the islands] and their adjacent waters, and exercises jurisdiction in relevant waters,” Wang said. The Philippine Coast Guard conducted a drill in the West Philippine Sea portion near the Spratlys weeks after more than 200 Chinese vessels were spotted lingering in and around Julian Felipe Reef which is located approximately 170 nautical miles from Bataraza town of Palawan. Under the Duterte administration, the Philippines has already filed a total of 78 diplomatic protests against China as of April 26, 2021, according to DFA Executive Director for Strategic Communications Ivy Banzon- Abalos.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. disclosed that there are still about nine Chinese vessels – fishing or maritime militia – that are moored in Julian Felipe Reef. Through the DFA, Esperon said the Philippines will continue to lodge diplomatic protests against China “on a daily basis” and “as long as they are there”.

Esperon said the diplomatic protests could be proven “effective” considering that most of the Chinese vessels have dispersed to other reefs and features being occupied by China. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/ph-must-not-fail-to-protest-chinas-continuous-presence-in-julian- felipe-reef-locsin/

Coast guard escorts sought for Filipinos fishing in WPS

Published April 28, 2021, 6:24 PM by Ben Rosario House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Wednesday, April 28, asked government to deploy the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea to escort Filipino fishermen.

Zarate aired the appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte as he strongly condemned China for harassing and seizing the catch of Filipino fishermen from waters covered by the Philippine territory in Bajo de Masinloc and other parts of WPS.

“Send our coast guards now to escort our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)!”, said as he dared Duterte to take immediate action in protecting the rights of Filipino fishermen.

He chided the Duterte administration for its “lackadaisical actions in defending our Filipino fishermen and national sovereignty.” “We call on the Duterte administration to send the Philippine coast guard, not just for momentary drills, but more importantly to accompany or escort our hapless fisherfolk at Bajo de Masinloc and in the other areas where we have valid claims in the West Philippine Sea,” Zarate said in a press statement.

“We have to show China that we are serious in defending our people as well as our territory. Our officials should always assert our independence, instead of them acting as apologists for China, who apparently now treat the Philippines as her vassal state,” he said.

“China is apparently treating the Duterte administration as a push over by doing what they want in Bajo de Masinloc and the rest of the West Philippine Sea without nary a whimper from Pres.Duterte,” the opposition lawmaker noted.

However, he made it clear that his proposal should not be misunderstood as a bid to go on war against China, a world superpower.

“We are not saying that we declare war on China. But what we need is for Pres.Duterte to stand up for our fisherfolks and our territory,” he said.

Zarate stated: “We have already suggested in the past the increasing of patrols of our seas, among others. One thing is clear though, the government must do something now to stop this invasion of China.” However, the partylist solon also assailed plans of the United States and its allies to intensify and expand its naval patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in a bid to challenge China’s military build-up in the area.

“The situation in the WPS is already getting serious. The US and China should stop their sabre rattling so as to lessen the tension in the area,” stated Zarate. “The Philippines along with other claimants in the area are in a situation akin to having two (2) bullies in their backyard raring for a fight and thrash each other without regard for the backyard or the nearby houses and their residents,” he said.

“We are again calling our neighbors and fellow claimants like Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia together with the Philippines to band together and stand up against these bullies. We are also asking the international community to step in and pressure the US and China to demilitarize and de-escalate the tension in the region,” the opposition leader stressed. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/coast-guard-escorts-sought-for-filipinos-fishing-in-wps/

Mga mangingisdang Pinoy dapat magbabad sa West PH Sea: BFAR ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 28 2021 08:48 PM MAYNILA — Dapat magbabad o postehan ng mga mangingisdang Pinoy ang West Philippine Sea.

Ito ang iginiit ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), sa gitna ng patuloy na ilegal na okupasyon ng China sa naturang karagatan.

"Kailangang hindi natin iabandona ang traditional fishing grounds, common fishing grounds kasi since time immemorial nagpupunta tayo dun eh. Kung hindi tayo magpapakita, kung di pupunta ang ating fishermen dun o fishing vessels at ating government assets, parang inabandona na natin yun," paliwanag ni BFAR director Eduardo Gongona.

Sabi pa ni Gongona, may kontribusyon ang West Philippine Sea sa suplay ng isda sa Metro Manila.

Nagpo-prodyus ang West Philippine Sea ng nasa nasa 324,000 metric tons ng isda habang ang Palawan bilang bahagi nito ay pinagkukunan ng 92 percent ng galunggong, aniya.

Importanteng aniyang protektahan ang West Philippine Sea bilang fishing ground o lugar pangisdaan, kaya nagsagawa ng joint maritime exercises ang Philippine Coast Guard at BFAR para manatili ang presensya at access sa karagatan.

"Hinihikayat namin yung mga fishermen natin, sabi ko nga sa West Philippine Sea, we should swarm the area with our fishermen," ani Gongona. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/21/mga-mangingisdang-pinoy-dapat-magbabad-sa-west-ph- sea-bfar

Sebo at langis, nakita ng DENR sa water samples na itinapon ng yate sa Manila Bay ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 28 2021 06:55 PM

MAYNILA - Napatunayang malangis, masebo at may mataas na fecal coliform level ang itinapong tubig ng isang yate sa Manila Bay, base sa resulta ng laboratory test sa water samples na lumabas ngayong Miyerkoles, ayon sa Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Lumalabas na 19 milligrams per liter ang oil and grease ng itinapon na maduming tubig, kontra sa normal level na 5 milligrams per liter, sabi ng DENR.

Umaabot naman sa 1,700 MPN per 100 milligrams ang fecal coliform level nito, na malayo sa normal level na 200 MPN per 100 milligrams.

Sabi ni Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones, hindi lang ito grasa sa makina kundi pati na rin ang mga sebo o langis na ginagamit sa loob ng yate.

Maghahain na ng Notice of Violation ang DENR sa may-ari ng yate na si Emil Neri at iimbitahan siya na magpaliwanag sa isang technical conference.

“Next week, after we have completed the process, magko-convene na yung Manila Bay task force. And they will be adjudicating the violations of the ship owner. And hopefully, they will be coming up with the appropriate sanctions, penalties and impositions of the fines against the ship owner," paliwanag ni Leones.

Ilan rin daw sa mga nakikitang nilabag ni Neri ay ang Clean Water Act, Marine Pollution Decree at Fisheries Code.

Tumanggi munang magbigay ng pahayag si Neri at sinabing hinihintay pa niya ang kopya ng resulta ng laboratory test.

Samantala, babantayan na rin daw ng Philippine Coast Guard ang mga yate at barko na nasa labas ng 2.5 kilometro mula sa seawall ng Manila Bay, ayon sa opisyal.

Kasama na ring binabantayan ang Manila Yacht Club. “We are monitoring the water quality dito sa yacht club. Itong yacht club, at Philippine Navy at Harbor Square, we are monitoring their outfalls. At may nakita kaming outfalls na nag-exceed ng ating standard, at na-issue-han na ito ng LLDA ng notice of violations," aniya.

"We have also identified illegal pipes dito sa harbor square. We identified mga illegal outfalls. We are now scheduling the sealing of the illegal pipes.” Nakiusap si Leones sa mga pribadong yate at barko na makipagtulungan sa DENR habang ginagawa pa ang beach nourishment project sa Manila Bay na inaasahang matatapos sa Hunyo o Hulyo. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/21/sebo-langis-water-samples-yate-manila-bay-denr

PAF identifies victims in Bohol air mishap

Published April 28, 2021, 11:34 AM by Martin Sadongdong The Philippine Air Force (PAF) identified on Tuesday night, April 27, three of the four victims aboard a military chopper that crash landed into the sea in Getafe, Bohol while on a maintenance flight.

PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said the lone fatality was Capt. Aurelius Olano, pilot-in-command of the crashed McDonnel Douglas 520-MG “Defender” No. 410 attack helicopter. He was a resident of Candijay, Bohol.

Meanwhile, the two maintenance crew members were Airmen 1st Class (A1C) Rex Anapio and Bonn Arasola.

The identity of the co-pilot, a 27-year-old woman with a rank of 1st Lieutenant, was withheld by Mariano pending notification of her parents who have both medical condition.

However, Mariano assured that all the survivors were already in a stable condition at Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital in Talibon, Bohol.

PAF commanding general Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes flew to Mactan, Cebu to check on the arrangements being made for Olano who will be given full military honors by the PAF for making “the ultimate sacrifice [while] in the line of duty.”

Paredes and other senior officials of the PAF will pay their respects to the fallen airman.

“The PAF extends its deepest sympathies to the bereaved family, relatives, and friends [of Olano],” Mariano said.

Paredes also checked on the condition of the survivors of the air mishap, and held a dialogoue with the pilots and crew of the Mactan Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City “to shore up their morale and emphasize the importance of safety.”

Mariano assured that the families of the deceased pilot and three survivors will be given financial assistance following the accident.

As of writing, the PAF has yet to determine the cause of the chopper crash.

The chopper, which came from the Mactan Air Base, was on a maintenance flight when it crash landed into the vicinity waters of Barangay Taytay around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday after encountering a “mechanical trouble,” according to the Bohol provincial police office. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/paf-identifies-victims-in-bohol-air-mishap/

Let President decide on urgency of red-tagging bill — Guevarra

Published April 28, 2021, 5:50 PM by Jeffrey Damicog —

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra (2) It’s up to President Duterte if he wants to certify as urgent the bill which seeks to criminalize red-tagging, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Wednesday, April 28. This was pointed out by Guevarra in response to the call by Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon to have the President certify as urgent Senate Bill 2121 since Guevarra himself supports the passage of the proposal.

“The proponent of any legislative act may ask for priority consideration of his/her bill if he/she believes in its urgency,” Guevarra explained.

“On the other hand, the Chief Executive has the discretion whether or not to certify any bill as urgent, depending on the exigencies and priorities laid out in the administration’s legislative agenda,” he pointed out.

Last April 27, Guevarra said: “It would be best, however, that the Congress enact a law clearly defining and expressly penalizing what is loosely called today as ‘red-tagging.’” Guevarra said that without the law “complaints may revolve around defamation, harassment, coercion, unjust vexation, or violation of privacy laws, but not for an offense called ‘red-tagging.’” https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/let-president-decide-on-urgencyof-red-tagging-bill-guevarra/

Certify anti-red-tagging bill as 'urgent', Drilon asks Duterte

Published April 28, 2021, 3:54 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday, April 28, called on President Duterte to certify as urgent the bill that would criminalize red-tagging.

Senate Minority Leader Frankiln Drilon (MANILA BULLETIN/Czar Dancel)

Drilon said it is “imperative” that Duterte endorse the approval of his Senate Bill No. 2121, after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra expressed support for the measure.

Guevarra was quoted as saying in a report that making red-tagging a criminal offense in the Philippines “may help reduce the problem of reckless endangerment” by state agents. He asked Congress to consider passing a law that would define and punish red-tagging.

“With the opinion of the Secretary of Justice, we urge President Duterte to certify as urgent the passage of Senate Bill [No.] 2121,” Drilon said in a text message.

“The opinion of the Secretary of Justice that there is a gap in the law, i.e., that red tagging is presently not a criminal offense under our laws, makes the passage of SB 2121, which we filed, imperative,” he added.

The minority leader lauded Guevarra for pushing for the enactment of an anti-red-tagging law.

SB No. 2121, or the proposed “Act Defining and Penalizing Red-Tagging” filed by Drilon last March 24, seeks to penalize red-tagging with imprisonment of up to 10 years.

The bill defines “red-tagging” as the act of labeling, vilifying, branding, naming, accusing, harassing, persecuting, stereotyping or caricaturing individuals, groups or organizations as state enemies, left-leaning, subversives, communists, or terrorists as part of a counter- insurgency or anti-terrorism strategy or program by any state actor, such as law enforcement agent, paramilitary or military personnel.

Aside from facing a 10-year jail time, person convicted of red-tagging would also be disqualified from holding public office. Recently, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) earned the ire of the public, including government officials and lawmakers, for linking organizers of community pantries to communist rebels.

Its spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., also admitted to conducting background checks on the volunteers, particularly on Ana Patricia Non, whose inititiave in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City has spawned over 300 similar donation-driven efforts throughout the country. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/certify-anti-red-tagging-bill-as-urgent-drilon-asks-duterte/

No regrets in setting up Maginhawa community pantry despite red-tagging — Non

Published April 28, 2021, 1:31 PM by Joseph Pedrajas Ana Patricia Non, the proponent of the Maginhawa community pantry which has been replicated all over the country, on Wednesday said she has no regrets in setting up the pantry but admitted she is now feeling tired.

(AP Non / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Wala po akong pagsisisi kasi ang dami pong natulungan. Ang dami pong tumutulong…. Pagod po ako talaga ngayon, pero masayang masaya po ako (I have no regrets because I have helped a lot of people. Many are also extending assistance. I’m just tired now but I’m really happy),” Non said in a PolitikoTV interview.

“Napapagod po ako, gusto kong matulog. Minsan, naiinis ako sa mga reporters kasi tawag kayo nang tawag (I’m really tired. Sometimes, all I want to do is sleep. Sometimes, I also get annoyed by reporters who keep on calling me),” she added in jest.

According to Non, the emergence of community pantries around the country “exposed the reality” that many Filipinos are in need.

She added that it also exposed the reality that many Filipino are willing to help as well.

Amid various allegations against her, particularly on being a supporter of the communist movement, Non said she would not stop operating the community pantry. She said her intention in setting it up was driven out of love, and not out of fear nor hate, especially against the government.

“Tingin ko, hindi sapat ‘yung nakukuha ng mga Pilipino sa government. So kailangan talaga gumawa ng action ‘yung private citizen lalo na kung may means (I believe what the Filipino people are getting from the government is not enough. So, private citizens need to take action if they have the means),” she said, adding that community pantries are still not the solution to hunger and poverty that are prevailing in the country. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/no-regrets-in-setting-up-maginhawa-community-pantry-despite-red- tagging-non/

PMA Class 1983 donates food items for NCR community pantries

By Priam Nepomuceno April 28, 2021, 11:37 am

FOOD AID. JTF-NCR chief, Brig. Gen. Marcellano Teofilo (3rd from right) receives a box of food items from PMA Class 1983 president and Interior Undersecretary Bernardo Florece (4th from left) during the turnover of donations in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday (April 27, 2021). The donation which contains 150 sacks of rice, 6,000 cans of sardines and 6,000 packs of instant noodles will be distributed to various community pantries in Metro Manila. (Photo courtesy of JTF- NCR)

MANILA – The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1983 donated food items to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) which will be distributed to various community pantries in Metro Manila.

Brig. Gen. Marcellano Teofilo, JTF-NCR chief, received the donations from PMA Class of 1983 president and Interior Undersecretary Bernardo Florece in a ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday.

The donation includes 150 sacks of rice, 6,000 cans of sardines, and 6,000 packs of instant noodles.

Teofilo thanked the members of PMA Class of 1983 for their charity, sympathy, and commitment to serving the Filipino people during these trying times.

Florece said the donations are just "a simple way from their class of reaching out to the community."

"We would like to thank the PMA 'Matikas' Class of 1983 for this generous donation. This only proves that no one has the monopoly of generosity,” said Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief-of-staff for civil-military operations. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138248

Parlade, Badoy stay as NTF-ELCAC spokespersons

Romina Cabrera (The Philippine Star ) - April 29, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The two embattled spokespersons for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy and Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, will remain in their posts for now, pending a review of their recent gaffes on red-tagging community pantries.

National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC vice chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the task force would meet this week to review its options on the status of the two spokespersons following the recent gag order imposed on them.

“Yes. For now, General Parlade and Usec. Badoy will remain in their positions. But we will have a review within the week. We will exercise and see what options are available to us. We are not insensitive to the sentiment of Congress,” Esperon said yesterday on CNN Philippines.

Both Parlade and Badoy were involved in red-tagging community pantries that have been sprouting all over the country, saying these could be anti- government or linked to the communist movement.

Esperon confirmed that a gag order was issued on the two spokespersons, stopping them from speaking regarding the community pantries after criticism from many sectors over their claims.

“We talked and I asked them to desist from making further statements on community pantries, with one purpose: that is just to put across the message that we are not, by not commenting on that, we want to tell the public that we are not against community pantries or the spirit of bayanihan,” he said.

The NTF-ELCAC will look into the issue and will hold a consultation on its next move regarding the two spokespersons, according to Esperon.

Parlade had been quoted as saying senators were “stupid” if they decide to defund the NTF-ELCAC. He said he is ready to hand in his resignation, but has yet to do so despite calls from the Senate to have him removed from his post.

At least 15 senators have signed a resolution that would censure Parlade for his “disrespectful, derogatory and demeaning” statements against members of the Senate.

A peasant group has expressed full support for Proposed Senate Resolution 709 that aims to censure Parlade for his statements against senators who demanded the defunding of the NTF-ELCAC following his red-tagging spree of community pantries.

“If General Parlade can demean and disparage senators – call them stupid and whatnot – then he can do the same to anybody else. Just like how he easily red-tags and brands activists as communist-terrorists,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairman emeritus Rafael Mariano said.

For the KMP, a gag order against Parlade and Badoy is not enough.

“They must be fired from their respective agencies to teach them a lesson that they should not abuse their position and authority as public servants,” the group said.

It added that it is also seeking a dialogue with Sen. Franklin Drilon, who authored Senate Bill 2121, and other senators who expressed concerns about the NTF-ELCAC’s misuse of its budget for red-tagging and unfounded accusations against personalities and individuals that are known critics of the government.

Earlier, the KMP said it would lobby for the passage of SB 2121 that seeks to penalize the act of red-tagging by a minimum of 10 years in prison. COVID info drive

Meanwhile, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) yesterday defended its stance to step up the information drive on COVID-19 supposedly based on President Duterte’s order to highlight in various government news platforms that the Philippines is “faring better than many other countries in addressing the pandemic.”

Amid insinuations that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was being underreported, PCOO Director Virginia Agtay, who also heads the Integrated News Team of the News and Information Bureau of the Philippine News Agency, said it is within government’s mandate to promote efforts against the pandemic.

The PCOO’s motives are being questioned after a leaked memo signed by Undersecretary George Apacible cited Duterte’s order to top PCOO officials and their respective units to highlight in various government news platforms that the Philippines is doing better in the fight against COVID-19 compared with other countries.

“Yes, there is a memo directing us to give updates on world data regarding COVID-19 and to convey that we are faring better than other countries. President Duterte is aware that government communications help achieve good governance, keep the public informed and create a dialogue between the people and the government,” Agtay said in a statement.

Agtay said she sees nothing wrong with the directive, which is contained in a memorandum dated April 17 and signed by Apacible as PCOO officer-in- charge.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar is on leave after contracting COVID-19, followed by the recent death of his father.

“There is nothing wrong with this, nor is it a lie; it is simply amplifying facts,” Agtay said. – Rhodina Villanueva, Christina Mendez

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/29/2094528/parlade-badoy-stay-ntf-elcac-spokespersons

Proposals to defund NTF-ELCAC 'knee-jerk' reaction, says solon

ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 28 2021 02:37 PM

The Maginhawa community pantry continues to serve residents in a new venue in Quezon City on April 26, 2021. The initiative continues to inspire more people to create community pantries in their area amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Proposals to defund the country' anti-insurgency council is a "knee-jerk" reaction that would remove budget for far-flung barangays, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

Some senators earlier called for the realignment of the P19 billion budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) following its red-tagging against community pantry organizers.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the fund will be used to for "school buildings, waters system, and road system" of barangays that have been cleared of insurgency.

"This will be given to these who have already been as declared communist-insurgency free. This is to bring money to the far-flung barangays, where practically government has been unable to reach as needed. I believe that there has to be also proper investigation. Has this money been earmarked, given properly?" he told ANC's Headstart.

"I'm from Mindanao, farthest flung from Metro Manila. Unless it is shown that this money has been diverted to purposes not germane to what it is for then it has to remain, and it has to be given so we can have affirmative action in far-flung barangays all over the country."

Rodriguez said he has also filed a House resolution urging the National Bureau of Investigation and the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the alleged red-tagging against community pantry organizers.

Two community pantry organizers from his home province have been harassed and red-tagged, according to Rodriguez.

One was visited by local policemen in their restaurant while another became the subject of leaflets alleging they are communists, the lawmaker said. "The giving of food by citizens of this country is an act which per se is not illegal, not connected with ideology. Instead of red-tagging them, harassing them, government should be able to support them," Rodriguez said. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/21/proposals-to-defund-ntf-elcac-knee-jerk-reaction-says- solon

Women’s group assails ‘fake’ NPA surrenderee

Published April 28, 2021, 1:45 PM by Gabriela Baron A women’s group on Wednesday, April 28, assailed the alleged surrender of a supposed national people’s army (NPA) commander who claimed to be a former Gabriela spokesperson in Cotabato.

(Photo from Gabriela) According to the Makilala Municipal Police Station, Lilia Cagulada Gecana alias “Commander Ligaya” is a high-ranking leader of the NPA Guerilla Front 72 and a designated chairperson of Gabriela Malabuan cluster.

In a statement, Gabriela disputed the authorities’ claim, asserting that “no one in Gabriela- Mindanao knows Gecena” and she “has never been a member nor a spokesperson in Cotabato or anywhere in the country.”

“This is nothing more than a shameful and ridiculous attempt again by the regime to link Gabriela to armed rebel groups, something that the Duterte regime has attempted for so long but has only shown absurd claims and zero hard evidence,” the statement read.

The group likewise decried the red-tagging of former Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Atty. Neri Colmenares as well as progressive groups Bayan Muna and Gabriela during the oral arguments on the anti-terrorism law on Tuesday, April 27.

“We cannot allow outright disinformation and terrorist-tagging by state forces to be the norm,” it added.

Instead of spending the national government’s resources and budget on the National Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), Gabriela urged President Duterte to provide P10,000 economic aid for Filipino families “for as long as pandemic lasts,” P15,000 production subsidy for farmers, and P100 emergency wage allowance for workers. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/womens-group-assails-fake-npa-surrenderee/

Communist encampment used for making bombs in Ormoc City disclosed by surrenderer

Published April 28, 2021, 8:45 PM by Marie Tonette Marticio TACLOBAN CITY – A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) has disclosed an encampment used for making explosives and other improvised explosive devices (IED) in an upstream village in Ormoc City.

Alias “Saag,” a member of the communist-terrorist group operating in Leyte under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC), disclosed the bomb-making factory when he surrendered to the 14th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Palale, MacArthur, Leyte last Monday.

He turned over an M14 loaded with ammunition to the authorities. Brig. Gen. Zosimo Oliveros, commander of the Philippine Army 802nd Infantry Brigade, said his surrender and seizure of bomb-making materials are a good indication that numerous members of the communist-terrorist group have been enlightened and are now returning to the fold of the law.

“Although his return to the government is considered as a victory, we should still continue to be vigilant and alert, especially the factory of such explosives is just near to the community that can cause danger to us,” Oliveros warned.

Oliveros noted that making bombs is proof of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA’s violation of International Humanitarian Law and its violent way to carry out their bad intentions.

He further explained that the encampment is an indication that the NPA terrorists do not cease in rebuilding their base masses in Leyte. Saag shared that he realized that he has committed a grave mistake in joining the CPP-NPA, which has not brought him any good.

He added that he has caused danger to the lives of his fellow Filipinos by being a member of the group. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/communist-encampment-used-for-making-bombs-in-ormoc-city- disclosed-by-surrenderer/

Mother of abducted activist Jonas Burgos says 'justice still elusive'

Published April 28, 2021, 7:18 PM by Gabriela Baron Fourteen years after the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos, his family said “justice is still elusive.”

(Photo from Free Jonas Burgos Movement Facebook page) Jonas, son of the late freedom fighter Jose Burgos, was allegedly abducted by government security forces on April 28, 2017 while having lunch at a restaurant in Quezon City.

In a statement Wednesday, April 28, Edita Burgos, mother of Jonas, said the community pantry initiative has brought back the memories of Jonas.

Edita recalled how Jonas shared his harvest with his fellow students in the Benguet State University and with the poor families living near the university campus.

When a powerful earthquake struck on July 16, 1990, Edita recounted how Jonas and his fellow students put up a community kitchen for those trapped in the university who ran out of food.

“We learned how Jonas organized his dorm mates, harvested the available crops in the gardens, prepared food and shared the food with everyone for several days, until help arrived,” Edita continued.

“If Jonas were here today, he too would be just as active and selfless as those who are now running community pantries,” she added.

Edita, however, expressed concern that community pantry organizers “would be profiled, labeled, and later abducted” too after they were linked to the communist movement.

Citing the words of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Vice Chairperson Hermogenes Esperon Jr., she said the possible links of community pantry organizers to communist rebels “will be looked into.” “This is the same general who refused to provide our lawyer with the provost marshal report about the abduction of Jonas, claiming it was just an administrative investigation,” she noted.

“Fourteen years have passed, justice is still elusive. Family and friends continue to suffer from the absence of Jonas. Yet we remain steadfast in our demand for justice and the return of Jonas. We remember and shall not forget as we continue to let Jonas live in our actions.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/mother-of-abducted-activist-jonas-burgos-says-justice-still-elusive/

2021Philippine-04-27 Senators Sign Resolution against China’s ‘Creeping Hegemony’ in South China Sea

Philippine activists carry signs outside the Chinese Consulate in Metropolitan Manila as they protest against Beijing’s maritime activities in disputed waters of the South China Sea, April 23, 2021.

BenarNews Philippine opposition senators, in a resolution Tuesday, accused Beijing of “creeping hegemony” in the South China Sea through what they described as the illegal presence of Chinese ships in Manila’s exclusive economic zone. The 11 senators, mostly critics of President Rodrigo Duterte, released Resolution 708 that hit out at the lingering presence of Chinese vessels in disputed waters in the Spratly Islands, despite multiple diplomatic protests lodged by the Department of Foreign Affairs this month.

“While China’s increasing dominance as regional and world power cannot be denied, its open and serious contempt of the UNCLOS, as well as its expansion of influence in the area at the expense of legitimate interests and legally recognized maritime entitlements of smaller nations like the Philippines, must be firmly resisted and denounced and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration Award vigorously asserted,” said the resolution filed on Monday. UNCLOS refers to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The 2016 ruling supported the Philippines’ territorial claims to the South China Sea.

Close diplomatic ties and Manila’s acceptance of economic help from Beijing “should not be mistaken as acceptance of China’s creeping hegemony over our region and country,” the senators emphasized. On Monday, Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon urged the president to rally the country’s neighbors and allies to form a united front against Beijing and its actions in the South China Sea. “Apart from the protests, which I support, we should, as an objective, get the other nations to confront China, including our allies – United States, Japan, and Australia. We must unite against the unlawful Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea,” Drilon told reporters, referring to the weeks-long presence of Chinese ships in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Duterte administration was aware of Tuesday’s resolution, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

“The Palace respects that as the views of 11 policymakers of the country,” he told reporters. Last week, President Duterte said he would send military ships into the disputed areas only if China began drilling for oil and minerals. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Beijing had said in the past that it was not bound by the international arbitration court’s ruling in 2016. Chinese ships in EEZ Two weeks ago, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported that government patrols had spotted an estimated 240 Chinese ships in Philippine waters – more than the 220 spotted in March. The West Philippine Sea is Manila’s designation for claimed territory in the South China Sea. In mid-April, the task force said nine ships were still present at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef), a shoal in the Spratly chain that became the epicenter of a bilateral flare-up when scores of Chinese ships were first spotted moored together there in early March. China also claims the reef as part of its territory. Chinese ships and boats were also spotted in other areas in the South China Sea, including in Manila-claimed Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, the task force reported. Philippine patrols, it said, had also seen Chinese navy ships, including two Houbei-class missile warships at Panganiban Reef, one Corvette-class warship at Fiery Cross Reef, and one Navy tugboat at Zamora Reef. Diplomatic protests Last Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced it had lodged two new diplomatic notes of protest with Beijing because, as of April 20, Philippine maritime law enforcement patrols had “observed the continuing unauthorized presence and activities” of 160 Chinese fishing vessels and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels in Philippine waters, it said.

The diplomatic notes “were in addition to the daily protests being filed by the DFA against the continuing presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef,” the foreign office said in a statement. On Saturday in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard began training exercises with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/philippines-southchinasea-04272021182401.html

EU lawmakers vow to kill China investment deal over Beijing’s sanctions

• Reject the agreement ‘to show once and for all that the EU is not just a supermarket but rather has principles’, says a French member of the European Parliament • Parliamentarians in Brussels debate the sanctions for the first time since they were put in place last month

Dozens of Brussels lawmakers have criticised China’s efforts to “gag” European critics through sanctions and vowed to block the EU-China investment deal while the measures remain in place.

At a debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday, more than 30 members took the floor to denounce the sanctions imposed by Beijing last month, moves that targeted a host of elected officials, ambassadors, academics and think tanks.

They warned China that the investment deal was “on ice”, and also took aim at European Commission officials who they claimed had prioritised commercial ties with the world’s second largest economy at the expense of human rights. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3131504/eu-lawmakers-vow-kill-china- investment-deal-over-beijings

Coronavirus: China and Russia sow disinformation to undermine trust in Western vaccines, EU report says

• State media pushed fake news online sensationalising vaccine safety concerns and promoting Russian and Chinese shots as superior, the study says • The campaigns, aimed at dividing the West, also make unfounded links between jabs and deaths in Europe, according to the report

Chinese and Russian media are systematically seeking to sow mistrust in Western

Covid-19 vaccines in their latest disinformation campaigns aimed at dividing the West, a European Union report said on Wednesday.

From December to April, the two countries’ state media outlets pushed fake news online in multiple languages sensationalising vaccine safety concerns, making unfounded links between jabs and deaths in Europe and promoting Russian and Chinese vaccines as superior, the EU study said.

The Kremlin and Beijing deny all disinformation allegations by the EU, which produces regular reports and seeks to work with Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to limit the spread of fake news. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3131501/coronavirus-china-and-russia-sow- disinformation-undermine-trust

Xi shines light on CPC's commitments, spirit through Party history stories (Xinhua) 15:28, April 28, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a memorial hall in a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s, in Caiwan, a town in Quanzhou County in the city of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- In his recent remarks during an inspection trip, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated strengthening belief via the learning of the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

As the CPC marks its centenary in 2021, the Party looks back at its history and recounts the shining moments in it.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on multiple occasions shared stories about the CPC and the spirit manifested within.

TRANSLATOR WHO TOOK INK FOR SUGAR When speaking of the first Chinese version of the Communist Manifesto, Xi often shares the quote "the taste of truth is so sweet," which originates from the deeds of translator Chen Wangdao.

In 1920, young Chen Wangdao started translating the manifesto in his home village in east China's Zhejiang Province. One day, Chen's mother made him sticky rice dumplings and suggested he dip them in brown sugar water. "I did, and they were very sweet," he responded. However, he was so absorbed in his work, and did not realize his mouth was stained black as he had dipped the dumplings in ink instead. It was with such dedication that Chen finished the translation and introduced the principles of Marxism into China.

Chen's work paved the way for the birth of the CPC. Over the years, the CPC has inherited the ideas and combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's reality during the country's revolution, construction and reform. To this day, Chinese leaders have attached great importance to studying the Communist Manifesto. In the new era, the principles and spirit of Marxism continue to lead the way for the CPC. http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0428/c90000-9844696.html

Xi Jinping seeks to channel Chinese Communist Party’s revolutionary past as he tells members to prepare for tough days ahead

• The Chinese leader used a tour of Guangxi region to visit an important revolutionary battle site and tell cadres to remember past struggles • The party will celebrate its centenary later this year and Xi told party members to remember key moments in its history such as the Long March

President Xi Jinping wrapped up his visit to Guangxi in southern China by evoking Communist Party history and urging the party’s rank-and-file to uphold the revolutionary spirit of the past when preparing for tough days ahead.

While the president made no mention of the specific challenges the country faced, analysts said Xi was telling local members to have faith in the party by remembering events such as the Long March in the run up to its centenary celebrations on July 1.According to state media reports, Xi spent his first day of the tour visiting a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of Xiangjiang in 1934 clash, where the Red Army suffered heavy casualties breaking through an encirclement by Nationalist troops. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3131326/xi-jinping-seeks-channel-chinese- communist-partys-revolutionary

Hong Kong passes immigration bill, raising alarm over 'exit bans'

Reuters 4 minutes read

A general view of the Legislative Council meeting debating a Beijing-backed electoral reform in Hong Kong, China, June 18, 2015. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Hong Kong's legislature passed on Wednesday a controversial immigration bill, which lawyers, diplomats and right groups fear will give authorities unlimited powers to prevent residents and others from entering or leaving the Chinese-ruled city. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-passes-immigration-bill-raising-alarm-over-exit- bans-2021-04-28/

China deepens anti-COVID19 cooperation with S. Asian nations amid surging cases in India

By Liu Xin

Chen Qingqing and Leng ShumeiPublished: Apr 27, 2021 11:11 PM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosts a video conference of foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal on working together to fight COVID-19 and resume economy, July 27, 2020. Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Mohammed Haneef Atmar, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistani Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtyar and Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali attended the video conference. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met virtually with his counterparts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Tuesday to discuss efforts on COVID-19 fight and post-pandemic economic recovery, on which vaccine cooperation and supply chain stability became major concerns. China also extended the invitation to India to attend the online meeting. Despite the absence of New Delhi in the meeting, Beijing is still committed to helping it fight the pandemic.

Given the grave epidemic situation in India, it has become an urgent task to protect people of South Asia countries from the spillover effect of the outbreak in India, experts said. The foreign ministers who attended the online meeting also reached an agreement to build China-South Asia emergency supply reserves. Experts said it is the most urgent task, as the outbreak in India also disrupted vaccine supplies in the region as India is a major vaccine manufacturing hub.

Wang reiterated during the virtual meeting that China firmly opposes willful and illegal interference with other countries' internal affairs or coercing others to pick sides, and unilateral, protectionist and bullying tactics still damage other countries' sovereignty, safety and development interests.

China and five South Asian countries agreed on building a reserve platform for emergency-response supplies while enhancing capabilities in dealing with huge public health crises and exploring COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, opposing any form of "vaccine nationalism" and vowing to close the immunity gap. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222292.shtml

China labels India, Australia, Japan supply chain plan as ‘artificial’ and ‘unfavourable’ to global economy

• Australia, India and Japan formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) on Tuesday after the plan was first discussed informally in July at the height of the pandemic • China was never officially mentioned, but the reliance on it as source of critical medical supplies and finished goods during the outbreak was clearly a key motivation for the initiative

A move by Australia, India and Japan to establish an initiative to “strengthen supply chain resilience” in the region that is viewed as an effort to lessen dependence on China has been criticised by Beijing as an “artificial” programme that could upset the global economy.

The Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) was formally launched on Tuesday and will see new supply chains formed through joint business projects struck between the trio, who acknowledged “the [coronavirus] pandemic had revealed supply chain vulnerabilities globally and in the region”.

“The push to enact an artificial supply chain progamme will not be favourable to the stability of the global industrial supply chain, nor to the recovery of the global economy,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3131449/china-labels-india-australia-japan- supply-chain-plan

China urges Japan to revoke wastewater dump decision and apologize Updated 17:44, 28-Apr-2021

China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Wednesday called on the Japanese government to revoke its decision to dump nuclear polluted water into the ocean and apologize, in response to a question regarding a tweet he posted on Monday.

The tweet contains a re-creation of the famous Japanese painting "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" which showed nuclear polluted water being poured into the sea.

Japan protested the post on Tuesday and asked for the tweet's removal.

But Zhao on Wednesday defended his tweet and said he has instead pinned it to his page.

"The Japanese side has done bad things and won't let others say things about it?" questioned Zhao.

He also accused some Japanese officials of deliberately ignoring others' protests.

"Why are they so angry about an illustration? They should listen more to protests around the world against their plan of disposing of nuclear polluted water into the ocean," he argued. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/China-urges-Japan-to-revoke-wastewater-dump-decision-and- apologize-ZPtadnglTa/index.html

China, Japan trade acrimonious barbs over Fukushima tweet Reuters

• • • •

2 minutes read

1/2 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian attends a news conference in Beijing, China September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

China and Japan accused each other of inappropriate behaviour after a Chinese government official posted a tweet of an iconic Japanese woodblock print manipulated to show nuclear waste being poured into the sea, launching a new diplomatic spat. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-says-japan-should-apologise-fukushima-water-plan- 2021-04-28/

China to punish data exports to overseas courts as Beijing beefs up defence against US long arm

• Clause will fine Chinese companies for sharing data without permission but also shields them from foreign pressure • New draft data laws are aimed at beefing up privacy and boosting China’s digital economy

A clause has been added to China’s draft data security law that will punish Chinese companies for handing over domestically stored data to foreign police, courts and investigators without Beijing’s consent, a move that will make it harder for overseas law enforcement agencies to get data out of China.

China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, began a second review of the draft law this week, following its initial reading last June, according to Chinese state media reports.

The Draft Data Security Law along with the draft Personal Data Protection Law (PIPL), the country’s first set of rules to safeguard personal data, are part of China’s wider push to regulate the country’s vast troves of data and to shield Chinese companies from overseas pressure to hand it over.

https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131453/china-punish-data-exports-overseas-courts- beijing-beefs-defence-against

Vietnam says it won't follow others in opposing China; experts note 'US has no chance to use sovereignty issue to divide region'

By Yang Sheng and Deng Xiaoci Published: Apr 27, 2021 11:32 AM Updated: Apr 27, 2021 09:07 PM

Photo:VCG Vietnam has made positive comments on its ties with China during Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe's visit to the country, stressing that Vietnam will never follow other countries to oppose China.

Chinese experts said on Tuesday that Hanoi is becoming increasingly mature and it has noted the US-proposed Indo-Pacific Strategy will undermine regional integration, unity and peace, as it uses the divergences between regional countries to hype up and escalate tensions, and Hanoi doesn't want to be made use of.

Wei met General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday during his trip to Vietnam, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday.

Extending congratulations on China's success in fighting COVID-19 and achieving economic development, Trong called on the two countries to maintain and promote their traditional friendship, and advance the relationship between the two militaries of the two countries.

Regarding the issue of the South China Sea, Trong said the two countries should properly handle the issue based on mutual trust and respect, and prevent any related negative effect on bilateral relations.

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the relationship between the Communist Party of China [CPC] and the CPV has always guided and led the direction of China-Vietnam ties' development. Through a series of tests in past decades, the CPC-CVP relationship is becoming a ballast stone that stabilizes tensions and seeks solutions based on mutual respect when the two sides have differences."

China and Vietnam are both socialist countries, they share common interests in ideology and political security, and they are more integrated in terms of economy, said Chinese analysts.

The CPV general secretary also said that the two Parties and countries will make greater efforts in maintaining a peaceful and cooperative environment on the basis of respecting legitimate rights of each other and their friendship, for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world, according to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Vietnamese president, said Vietnam supports China to thrive and make increasingly active and practical contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and the world, VNA reported.

Phuc said Vietnam firmly upholds the one-China principle and opposes any forces' interference in China's internal affairs. Vietnam will never follow some other countries to oppose China, Xinhua reported.

This is not just a friendly expression toward China, but also a clear signal to the US and other Western countries outside the region that Vietnam will not be used by any external forces, Xu said, noting that in the past, the US has made efforts to lure Vietnam to serve its strategic purpose of containing China, but such attempts will fail due to the independent and mature political stance of Hanoi.

After experiencing a series of frictions and tensions in past few years, Vietnam and many other regional countries have learned that the US intervention in the South China Sea issue, as well as the latest Indo-Pacific Strategy proposed by Washington, are intended to divide the region, to undermine regional integration, and to make use of divergences and disputes between regional countries to hype and create tensions, said Chinese experts on foreign affairs.

Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China continues to be Vietnam's biggest trade partner despite the negative impact brought about by the severe COVID-19 pandemic, which reflected how these two countries value their relationship and help each other, especially in times of hardship.

China-Vietnam trade reached over 133 billion dollars in 2020, up 13.8 percent year-on-year, according to data on the Chinese Ministry of Commerce website.

Gu predicted that Hanoi's Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the country's first which is being built by China Railway Sixth Group Co and expected to be handed over to the city authorities for commercial cooperation in May, will serve as a flagship project for China's local investment, and further enhance friendly ties.

The presence of both the General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and the Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in receiving Wei also demonstrated the high importance the Southeast Asian attached to its relations with China, observers said.

The exchange by the CPC-CPV leaders is a unique and crucial characteristic of the development of China-Vietnam ties, which also guarantees that such development is always on the right track despite their differences over the South China Sea issue, Gu said.

Earlier on Sunday, Wei met and held talks with Vietnamese defense chief Phan Van Giang and the two witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strengthening international military cooperation between the national defense ministries of China and Vietnam. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222213.shtml

on Life in Xinjiang Amid Growing Abuses

The‘Starting Dycks left the In XUAR 2017 after 10 It years Was because Just they All were Fear’: ‘making it Canadiandangerous for our Couplefriends.’

2021-04-26

People rally to encourage Canada to label China's treatment of its Uyghur population as genocide, outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington, Feb. 19, 2021.

Reuters Canadian nationals Andrea and Gary Dyck lived in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) for 10 years, beginning in 2008, during which time they spent five years studying the Uyghur and Mandarin languages at Urumqi Vocational University in the regional capital Urumqi. In 2014, the couple moved to the eastern XUAR’s prefecture-level city of Turpan (in Chinese, Tulufan), where they ran a business helping farmers to raise organic produce and improve the quality of their soil through composting. The Dycks left China in 2018 as they noticed that restrictions on the daily lives of Uyghurs in the XUAR increased dramatically. The couple said that by then, Uyghurs were routinely subjected to discrimination, the prohibition of cultural and religious practices, and regular monitoring through a high- tech surveillance system comprised of facial recognition cameras and checkpoints that singled them out for searches and interrogations. Since they left China, a growing amount of evidence suggests that in addition to the crackdown, authorities have deployed a number of other measures targeting Uyghurs, including forced sterilizations, coerced labor, and a campaign of mass incarceration through which an estimated 1.8 million people have been held in a vast network of internment camps since early 2017. Together these rights violations have been labeled part of a policy of genocide in the XUAR by the U.S. government, as well as the parliaments of Canada, The Netherlands, and the U.K. RFA recently spoke with the Dycks, who last week moderated an online panel on The Uyghur Genocide in China in coordination with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Speaking on the panel were Uyghur Canadian activist Mehmet Tohti, who co-founded the World Uyghur Congress exile group and serves as executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project in Ottawa, and Adrian Zenz, a German researcher and Senior Research Fellow in China Studies at the Center of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, who was one of the first experts to collect evidence on the situation in the XUAR’s internment camps. The couple described to RFA how life changed for themselves and Uyghurs in the XUAR as Beijing began to tighten its grip on the region. Andrea Dyck: China did not directly ask us to leave but the restrictions were getting more and more difficult so that we would probably not be able to get the residence permit that we needed to keep staying. But at the same time, we actually made the decision a little sooner. We were living there with our children and we were seeing how much more difficult it was getting for everyone around us, and we also recognized that the others around us were being taken to the camps more and more frequently and they were all afraid and they could be taken away for very little reason. And so, we realized that for some of them to be seen with us could be risky. We realized that it wasn't worth it to stay if it was making it dangerous for our friends. We also found it very, very difficult to watch what was happening and we realized that for our children we needed to come back. Gary Dyck: It was the little things that we saw that stuck out to us every week in Turpan and probably every city in Xinjiang every week, starting in 2017, and even 2016—there was a new rule, a new restriction, more security. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/canadians-04262021181216.html

Biden pleads for unity, warns of Chinese threat, in speech to Congress

Trevor HunnicuttSusan Cornwell President Joe Biden proposed a sweeping new $1.8 trillion plan in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, pleading with Republican lawmakers to work with him on divisive issues and to meet the stiff competition posed by China. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-push-trillions-investment-plead-police-reform-congress- speech-2021-04-28/

Senators urge Biden to impose more sanctions on Myanmar junta

Timothy Gardner 2 minutes read

1/3 Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (L) gestures as he is welcomed upon his arrival ahead of the ASEAN leaders' summit, at the Soekarno Hatta International airport in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, April 24, 2021. Courtesy of Rusman/Indonesian Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS Read More

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to slap more sanctions on the military junta in Myanmar, including choking revenues to a state energy company, in response to its coup and violent crackdown on protesters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/senators-urge-biden-impose-more-sanctions-myanmar- junta-2021-04-27/

Antony Blinken defends Trump-era moves against Chinese media outlets in the US

• The US and China began restricting and expelling each other’s journalists last year • Blinken says that the State Department was ‘making sure we’re promoting transparency, not interfering with the media outlets and their ability to to report’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday defended the measures that his predecessor Mike Pompeo took against the American operations of Chinese media outlets, calling them out for “undermining democracy”.

The US and China began restricting and expelling each other’s journalists in February 2020, when the State Department declared several mainland Chinese media outlets, including state news agency Xinhua and the state-run English-language newspaper China Daily, to be foreign government functionaries controlled by Beijing.

The move has required the media outlets’ staff members to register with the US government the same way that embassy and consular employees do. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3131507/us-secretary-state-antony-blinken- defends-trump-era-moves

International alliance of legislators kicks off campaign to include Taiwan in WHA

Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China calls on world to tweet #LetTaiwanHelp ahead of next month's World Health Assembly

By Micah McCartney, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/04/28 20:53

Czech Senator and IPAC member Pavel Fischer. (IPAC screenshot)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) on Tuesday (April 27) announced an international campaign to include Taiwan in next month's World Health Assembly (WHA).

In an IPAC video announcing the launch, 15 legislators from Europe, North American, Australia, and New Zealand, praised Taiwan's contributions to the global effort against the coronavirus. They pointed out the fact that Taiwan and its 23 million people have not had a voice in the WHA, the World Health Organization's annual leadership summit, since the country lost its observer status.

China successfully lobbied to revoke the island country's observer status in 2017 following President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) victory over the China-preferred candidate in the 2016 election.

"At a time when the world should be uniting to defeat the coronavirus pandemic, it makes no sense to exclude Taiwan from the World Health Assembly," said British MP and IPAC co-chair Iain Duncan Smith. "The Chinese government’s blatant attempts to politicize global health are unacceptable and must be resisted. The UK and the free world must do more to invite Taiwan to play a greater role on the international stage."

The groups encouraged people around the world to join the cause by tweeting the hashtag #LetTaiwanHelp, which is a response to the oft-used #TaiwanCanHelp employed by the Taiwanese government since its failed bid to join last year's WHA.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4189100 As Covid-19 surges in Thailand, Prayuth faces crisis of confidence stoked by Thaksin, Clubhouse and ‘fed-up doctors’

• A delay in procuring vaccine supplies threatens Thailand’s plan to reopen its important tourism sector, prompting criticism of the government from the private sector • Adding to the headache for PM Prayuth are ‘fed-up’ social media groups and a former leader who claims he could source Sputnik shots from Vladimir Putin

s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is to meet industry and tourism leaders on Wednesday to discuss how the country, in the thick of a coronavirus flare-up and a month-long lockdown of Bangkok, can rampThailand’ up its vaccination drive as it seeks to welcome foreign travellers to Phuket by July 1.

Vaccinations are key to Thailand’s reopening to boost its decimated tourism sector, which contributed close to 15 per cent of its GDP before the outbreak of the coronaviruspandemic. But a delay in procuring vaccine supplies has put its plans at risk and sparked a crisis of confidence among the public.

Thailand has received 2.5 million Sinovac doses and expects a further one million in May. Sixty-one million locally produced AstraZeneca doses are set to be delivered between June and December. Prayuth said last week that

Russia and Pfizer had each promised between five and 10 million doses but offered no delivery timeline. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3131330/covid-19-surges-thailand- prayuth-faces-crisis

Thailand Evacuates Villagers from Border after Karen Rebels Attack Burmese Army Outpost

2021-04-27

Residents of Mae Sam Lab village carry their belongings as they wait to board a truck to evacuate to safety about four miles away in Mae Hong Song, a province in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border, April 27, 2021.

Photo courtesy Friends Without Borders Foundation Hundreds of Thai villagers who live along Thailand’s border with Myanmar were evacuated to safe areas after Karen rebels attacked a Burmese army outpost near the frontier on Tuesday, the governor of Mae Hong Song province said. The borderland residents were moved to an area farther inside Thai territory where they could shelter, amid reports of fresh fighting between the Myanmar government forces and Karen rebels, who claimed they seized a military base early Tuesday.

“About 450 villagers in Mae Sam Lab were evacuated to safe areas in Mae Kong Kard village,” Gov. Sithichai Chindaluang told reporters. A stray bullet from the other side of the border wounded a female evacuee in the knee, the governor said about Tuesday’s fighting nearby in Myanmar’s Karen state. Meanwhile in Bangkok, the Thai foreign ministry said that if any displaced ethnic Karen were to flee into Thailand, the country would give them sanctuary and humanitarian aid. The flare-up in fighting along the border came three days after a consensus reached among leaders at a special meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called on all parties in Myanmar to cease violence immediately. About 250 families, or 1,200 people, were still to be evacuated from the borderland because they lacked the means to leave on their own, Matcha Phorn-in, a human rights activist who monitors the situation along the frontier, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Some residents who stayed behind in Mae Sam Lab village said they were terrified.

“I heard distant sounds of gunfire since early in the morning and all of us were fearful,” a woman in Mae Sam Lab who asked to be identified as Rawee, for privacy reasons, told BenarNews.

“Some were evacuated to other areas because they feared more escalated fighting such as air strikes.” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/thailand-karen-04272021175758.html

South Korea to push forward US-North Korea talks Posted : 2021-04-28 14:46 Updated : 2021-04-28 14:46

gettyimagesbank

South Korea will try to help move nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea forward and restore its own dialogue with Pyongyang, the government said Wednesday in a policy report on inter-Korean relations for this year.

The report, submitted to the National Assembly, was a yearly action plan designed to carry out a five-year blueprint that lays out the objectives and directions of the government's policy on inter-Korean relations for 2018-2022.

Under the latest plan, South Korea vowed to push the stalled nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang under the principle of "no war," "mutual security" and "joint prosperity."

"We will work closely with the new U.S. administration and come up with a coordinated policy to make progress in achieving denuclearization and building peace," it said.

The government said it will strengthen communication with China and the international community to restart the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

It also pledged efforts to restore inter-Korean talks via a video link amid the global virus pandemic.

The latest plan was announced as the Joe Biden administration is undergoing a comprehensive review of its North Korea policy.

South Korea's peace process has stalled since the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and then U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without a denuclearization agreement in 2019. (Yonhap) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/103_307936.html

Moon out of step with Biden ahead of Korea-US summit Posted : 2021-04-28 16:12 Updated : 2021-04-28 18:26

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden / Korea Times file

By Kang Seung-woo

The South Korean government appears to be out of sync with the new U.S. administration in regard to issues involving North Korea and other diplomatic priorities.

Diplomatic observers attribute the seemingly ongoing diplomatic disagreement to the lack of communication channels between the allies, expressing concerns that it may adversely affect next month's summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden.

On the occasion of the third anniversary of the inter-Korean summit, Tuesday, Moon said the time was approaching again for the two Koreas to resume dialogue. On April 27, 2018, Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed in their Panmunjeom Declaration on making joint efforts to achieve co- prosperity, establish lasting peace and reunite the two Koreas.

"It is questionable how President Moon will seek to improve inter-Korean ties given that South Korea and the United States are still struggling to find measures to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

Moon also expressed hope that his in-person summit with Biden, scheduled to be held in late May in Washington, D.C., will serve as a chance for further cementing the alliance, closely coordinating North Korea policy and setting the right direction.

"As there is a limit for President Moon to mediate between the U.S. and North Korea, his pledge to normalize inter-Korean relations does not make sense," Park added.

The Biden administration is still in the final stages of its policy review of the totalitarian state, which is expected to be unveiled within this month.

The lack of communication between the allies was also evident in Moon's speech during his meeting with his senior aides, Monday.

"All countries spoke in one voice about solidarity and cooperation when they were not feeling pressured. When their domestic situations turned urgent, however, they began to seek ways to survive on their own by sealing off borders, restricting vaccine exports and stockpiling doses, as both solidarity and international cooperation took a backseat," Moon said.

"We have to face up to the grim reality of international politics while pursuing international solidarity and cooperation. It is in times like these when we should unite internally and address challenges wisely."

Although he did not specify a country restricting vaccine exports, his remarks are believed to have been a shot at the U.S., which currently has sufficient vaccine supply to inoculate its entire population.

However, 12 hours after Moon's apparent criticism of the U.S.' vaccine nationalism, the White House announced it plans to provide up to 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to other countries, raising another question over whether Seoul and Washington are in communication with each other.

"I do not believe that South Korea and the U.S. are communicating well with each other," Park said.

The professor said South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong's unveiling of Korea-U.S. negotiations for a "vaccine swap" is another discord between the two countries.

"Despite the U.S. government's principle of providing vaccines to other countries, Chung made public their ongoing discussions, discomforting the U.S. If there were a proper communication channel, he should have made it public after the two sides reached an agreement behind closed doors," Park said, adding that it was a de facto diplomatic discourtesy.

"Currently, there seems to be no active communication channels between the allies unlike previously when Lee Do-hoon, the former special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun actively exchanged opinions on bilateral issues."

The diplomatic disagreement is feared to negatively affect the first Moon-Biden meeting.

"There are apparent disagreements between South Korea and the U.S. on issues involving North Korea and China. However, should the current lack of communication channels continue, the summit is likely to end without producing any results," Park said. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/120_307952.html A New Look at the Korea-U.S. Alliance April 27, 2021

"It will take at least 100 years for South Korea to recover from the war." U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, the supreme commander of the Allied forces, once said after the Korean War was over. Even one of the representatives dispatched to the UNKRA – United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency created by the General Assembly to administer relief and reconstruction immediately after the Korean War – was also pessimistic, saying that “expecting the economy to be rebuilt in South Korea is like hoping for a rose to blossom in a garbage can.” Despite all these despairing views, however, it took less than 50 years for South Korea, the land of ruins, to emerge as a global economic powerhouse.

From 1953 to 1961, South Korea received as much as $2.3 billion in aid from countries such as the United States. Then, 57 years after the end of the Korean War, South Korea joined the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), an international committee acting under the auspices of OECD, and it now has the 15th highest Official Development Assistance (ODA)/GNI ratio among DAC members. It became the first and only country that turned from an aid beneficiary to an aid donor.

In 1961, South Korea's per capita national income was only $93.8, ranking it 91st in the world and U.S. aid played a big role in it. According to 2020 OECD statistics, however, South Korea's nominal GDP now stands at $1.545 trillion, ranking 9th in the world. In addition, Bloomberg, citing World Bank data, predicts that South Korea is likely to overtake Italy in GNI per capita and reach G7 level in 2020. This is probably because South Korea recorded a relatively solid growth rate among OECD member countries despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Moreover, South Korea is already one of the seven countries around the world to be in the so-called “30-50 club,” referring to countries with a per capita GNI of more than $30,000 and a population of more than 50 million – two figures that can be interpreted as indicators of developed countries.

Even the IMF gave an outlook that South Korea’s GDP per capita at purchasing power parity rates is expected to rise to $41,362, surpassing that of Japan. In addition, The Centre for Economics and Business Research in the UK (CEBR) predicts that South Korea’s economic ranking will rise to 11th in the world by 2035.

In short, the size of South Korea's economy has increased nearly 400 times since 1960. None of the great powers that became dominant through colonization, maritime trade, and industrial revolution have achieved such rapid economic growth in the history of the world. South Korea is also the world’s 6th largest exporter according to the WTO and the 9th largest holder of foreign reserves in the world.

As South Korea became more competitive, its national brand value has also risen markedly. According to a report released in 2018 by Brand Finance, a British brand valuation consultancy, South Korea is ranked 10th in the world with a brand value of $2 trillion.

Today, South Korea has made a remarkable achievement not only in its economy, but also in democracy and military capability. There have been many ups and downs over the past 50 years, but South Korea now has a stable and high-standard democratic system in place. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of the Economist Group in the UK, assesses democratic progress of each country in the world every year based on five criteria: (1) electoral process and pluralism; (2) functionality of government; (3) political participation; (4) political culture; and (5) civil liberties. In 2018, South Korea was ranked 21st among 167 countries, outperforming Japan (22nd) and the United States (25th). In the 2020 assessment conducted by the same organization, South Korea scored 8.01 out of 10 - higher than that of the United States and Japan - and was classified as a “full democracy.” https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-look-korea-us-alliance

S. Koreans injured in protest against deployment of THAAD equipment

Several South Koreans were injured on Wednesday in a protest against the deployment of non-weapon materials and construction equipment onto the American missile defense system in South Korea.

Early in the day, a few dozen protesters staged a sit-in and blocked the passage of vehicles heading to the base for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the central town of Seongju, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Police soon managed to disperse the crowd to make way for around 40 vehicles carrying power generator and construction materials. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/S-Koreans-injured-in-protest-against-deployment-of-THAAD- equipment-ZP7tQ6sKfC/index.html

Anti-China sentiment growing in Korea Posted : 2021-04-28 16:47 Updated : 2021-04-28 16:56

Cultural spat between Korea, China amplifies via internet

By Nam Hyun-woo

Korea is witnessing another rising wave of anti-China sentiment amid a series of recent events, triggering clashes between the people of the two countries over cultural issues.

Experts say that this sentiment has been lingering among Koreans for a long time, but has been amplified quickly and more broadly recently, as the internet provides platforms for anyone to easily disseminate their ideas

'Revoke the Chinatown Project'

The rise in such feelings here has stemmed from a controversy over building a large-scale China-themed tourism complex in Gangwon Province.

An online petition was filed on the Cheong Wa Dae website, March 29, calling for an end to the project, and more than 660,000 people have signed it as of April 26. Since the petition has garnered more than 200,000 people's signatures in 30 days, the presidential office or a related government agency is officially required to provide an answer.

The project, pursued by local builder Kolon Global, with the approval of the Gangwon Provincial Government, is aimed at building a 1.2 square kilometer "Korea-China Culture Town" in Chuncheon City and Hongcheon County.

The builder plans to set up a range of facilities and tourist attractions in the town by 2022. For the project, Kolon Global signed an MOU with China's the People's Daily in 2018 and formed a special purpose company last year.

The author of the petition wrote that Koreans do not understand why the country should provide Chinese cultural experiences to tourists, or why there should be "a little China" in Korea.

Though the project has been pursued since the early 2010s, it has become a hot- button issue lately, as Instagram postings urging the people to pay attention to this issue, and agreements with the petition, have gone viral. A search for "#Chinatown" in Korean on Instagram shows a handful of trending postings related to the project.

The Chinatown issue comes on the back of Koreans' protesting claims made by some Chinese influencers and media that kimchi is their traditional food. After Beijing received an international certification for its pickled vegetable dish, "paocai," in November, China's state-run Global Times reported that this certification amounted to "an international standard for the kimchi industry led by China." Since then, the nationalist newspaper has been running articles containing the implication that Beijing is leading the kimchi industry and that the dish originated in China.

These articles led to an online spat between the internet users of both countries, with Koreans arguing that China was now attempting to steal Korea's cultural legacy. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/120_307940.html North Korea Bans Criticism of China and Prejudice Towards Ethnic Chinese Residents

At a time when North Korea’s recovery depends on Beijing, Pyongyang bans anti-Chinese racial slurs and criticism of its northern neighbor.

2021-04-26

Chinese visitors look on from the Broken Bridge as a train travels on the Friendship Bridge across the Yalu river from North Korea to China, in Dandong, Liaoning province, China June 10, 2018.

Reuters Authorities in North Korea have threatened to punish citizens caught criticizing China or acting in a discriminatory manner toward the country’s ethnic Chinese residents, sources told RFA.

Called ‘Hwagyo’ in Korean, the ethnic Chinese residents are not North Korean citizens. Though their families have lived on the Korean peninsula for many generations, Hwagyo are still seen as foreigners in the homogenous North Korean society and are the targets of prejudice during times when anti-Chinese sentiment is running high.

The exact number of Hwagyo in North Korea is unknown as the country’s last census in 2008 classified people as Korean or “other.” Estimates published in South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper put the ethnic Chinese population at around 10,000 as of 2009. The coronavirus pandemic has hurt the economic fortunes of both North Koreans and Hwagyo alike, with some Hwagyo hit harder by Beijing and Pyongyang’s January 2020 decision to close down the 880-mile Sino- Korean border and suspend all trade on virus concerns. The move was a disaster for North Korea’s economy, especially for those who made their living in ways connected to cross-border trade. Though the border remains closed, North Korea has received Chinese aid by both rail and ship. Sources said that Pyongyang could be concerned that the people are acting hostile to China and Chinese people at a time when the government is looking to Beijing with its hand out.

A resident of the northwestern border city of Sinuiju told RFA’s Korean Service April 21 that neighborhood watch units in the city held meetings to tell the people that the provincial party committee would start punishing people for slanderous criticism of China and Hwagyo residents of North Korea.

“It is true that there have been various forms of criticism and slander against Hwagyo over the years because of latent prejudice and fear. The Hwagyo bundle merchants sell Chinese goods, but there have been conflicts and disputes, so North Koreans often call them by racial slurs,” said the source. “Some North Koreans really dislike Chinese leadership for saying publicly that China is part of a ‘socialist brotherhood’ with North Korea, but Beijing does very little to support us even though we are living through economic hardship due to the coronavirus. Even the authorities in the past have been wary of our unconditional dependence on China and the expectations that they’ll take care of us, saying ‘Don’t trust China too much,’” said the source. The central government is worried about optics at a time when North Korea needs help from China in the form of aid to get back on its feet, according to the source. This is why it ordered the lecture meetings nationwide.

“The authorities banned any form of demeaning of Chinese people, saying they would put North Koreans on the stage of the ideological review sessions and make examples out of them if they were found to be using racial slurs against Hwagyo,” said the source. “Soon a lot of Chinese aid will come in, which is said to have been made possible on the direct orders of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Central Committee banned the criticism of China and the Chinese as it became apparent that there is no way for North Korea to solve her own problems, such as shortages of food, construction materials, and agricultural resources,” the source said. Another source, a resident of nearby Ryongchon county, told RFA that the county’s party branch ordered people not to use racial slurs against Hwagyo. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/hwagyo-04262021171456.html

Indian media decree threatens Kashmir journalists' jobs Regional police warn of sanctions for those who publish 'anti-national' news

Journalists covering a gunfight in downtown Srinagar in Kashmir where over a dozen of residential houses were damaged during the operation in May. (Photo by Umer Asif)

KAISAR ANDRABI and SHAKIR MIR, Contributing writersApril 28, 2021 13:59 JST

SRINAGAR -- Every time a gunfight starts between armed rebels and Indian forces in Kashmir, Qisar Mir, 22, a photojournalist from the town of Pulwama, quickly slings a camera across his shoulder, mounts his motorbike and speeds off.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Indian-media-decree-threatens-Kashmir-journalists-jobs2

India and Russia agree on 2-plus-2, in diplomatic balancing act While deepening ties with Quad, Modi keeps relationship with traditional partner

An S-400 "Triumph" surface-to-air missile system at a military base near Kaliningrad, Russia. Washington has warned India it could face sanctions if it purchases the Russian equipment. © Reuters

KEN MORIYASU and WAJAHAT KHAN, Nikkei staff writersApril 29, 2021 00:16 JSTUpdated on April 29, 2021 04:12 JST

NEW YORK -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to establish a two- plus-two meeting between the two nations' foreign and defense ministers.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/India-and-Russia-agree-on-2-plus-2- in-diplomatic-balancing-act

Myanmar's civilian govt calls for support from Southeast Asia nations

Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG) prime minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann said in a statement that a recent meeting held between The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the military was a welcome step but expressed dismay that the NUG was not at the talks.

ANI |

PUBLISHED ON APR 28, 2021 11:05 AM IST

A top official in Myanmar's ousted civilian government Tuesday called on other Southeast Asian countries to boost their engagement and support for the body after neighbouring countries met with the military junta.

According to The Hill, National Unity Government (NUG) prime minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann said in a statement that a recent meeting held between The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the military was a welcome step but expressed dismay that the NUG was not at the talks.

"It is unfortunate that the NUG did not have the opportunity to brief our ASEAN counterparts at the recent meeting, of the daily realities that the people of Myanmar face under military rule," Thann said in his first statement since last week's meeting.

"While the NUG deeply appreciates the support and commitment of ASEAN Member States to assist Myanmar and her people, we nevertheless remain greatly concerned that any misrepresentation of facts by the military may affect the way in which ASEAN formulates and implements the necessary follow-up actions to the Five-Point Consensus adopted by the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on 24 April 2021," he added.

As per the news outlet, the participants in last week's talks declared that member countries have reached a consensus on five different points, including ending violence, forming a dialogue among all parties, appointing a special ASEAN envoy to oversee the talks, accepting aid and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.

Thann said those agreements did not go far enough and that there should be an unconditional release of political prisoners "before any constructive dialogue can take place." https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/myanmars-civilian-govt-calls-for-support-from- southeast-asia-nations-101619587295469.html

Myanmar junta launches fresh air raids in rebel territory By AFP - April 28, 2021 @ 11:31pm

This handout photo taken and released by Dawei Watch on April 28, shows protesters taking part in a demonstration against the military coup in Dawei. - AFP pic/Dawei Watch BANGKOK: Myanmar's military launched air assaults for the second day in a row into rebel-held territory after gunfire was heard from neighbouring Thailand, a Thai official said Wednesday, as fighting escalates along the border.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the junta ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup, its power grab angering much of its population.

The anti-junta movement has also garnered some support from some ethnic rebel groups, which control territory along Myanmar's border regions.

The Karen National Union (KNU), one of the most prominent, has been among the junta's most vocal opponents – blasting the junta for violence against anti-coup protesters. https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/04/686276/myanmar-junta-launches-fresh-air-raids-rebel- territory

Australia’s China debate gets more rancorous with harassment, threats and lawsuits

• Defamation claims against journalists, online hate campaigns against researchers: Australia’s debate on China has become vitriolic • The hawks say Beijing is eroding academic freedom in Australia; the doves say the hawks are beating Beijing to it

The Australian and Chinese flags in front of a portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Photo: AFP Threats of defamation suits against academics and journalists by an Australian federal government worker. Calls for the firing of a prominent China scholar. An online hate campaign against a think tank analyst who has researched alleged forced labour in Xinjiang.Even for a topic known to generate heat, s debate on China is plumbing new depths of rancour. With Sino-Australian relations Australia’ languishing at their lowest point in decades, those who weigh in on how to manage the country’s ties with its largest trading partner are facing blowback ranging from harassment and threats, to the spectre of legal action.

“You end up getting a very emotionally-driven discussion,” said Dominic Meagher, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University’s college of Asia and the Pacific. “It doesn’t seem to be a good environment for understanding truth, what really is happening.” https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3131508/australias-china-debate-gets-more- rancorous-harassment-threats

Putin’s sound and fury

annual address on the state of his country was so ostentatiously threatening as to sound reassuring. Not only did he forbid the West from crossingRussian Presidentred lines, butVladimir he announced Putin’s recent that he himself would determine where those lines anyone else as if it had always been the Creator, not politicians, marking red lines in the past. are. He didn’t specify whether he would inform — He seemingly played chicken with himself certainly not with the chronically listless West. Few will believe Putin when he suggests that Russia is threatened by the might of the — United

Russia,European they Union, appear which to be can’t even even more deal symbolic with Hungary. than those The levied same bygoes Don evenald Trumpfor the the presidentStates. Though elected President with Russian Joe Biden’s help. Withadministration the new sanctions, has just impose the Russiand new ruble sanctions depreciated on for two days but then rose strongly in value. — depose him (such moves have always meant trouble, usually resulting in an even worse Not even Russians will find Putin’s threats compelling. That doesn’t mean they will rush to regime). But there’s little indication that Russians will respond as they did after the annexation of Crimea, when Putin’s popularity shot up. Russia or its people. After seizing and devastating , the Kremlin nowAfter must all, Russia’s maintain theft those of Crimea territorial and gains eastern by financingUkraine’s mercenariesDonbas region, building hasn’t benefitedadditional infrastructure (like the giant bridge from the Russian7% mainlandof Ukraine’s to Crimea),territory and paying benefits to local residents unable to live and work normally.

Moreover, Russia has lost possibly forever the goodwill it once enjoyed in Ukrainian society, which historically functioned within the Russian cultural sphere. (The same kind of — — listened to Russian music and bought Russian consumer goods; hardly anyone at least eastcultural of Kyiv ‘divorce’was is excited also now about underway Ukrainian in Belarus.) identity. ButUkrainians that has wat all chedchanged. Russian No Ukrainian TV, politician has done as much as Putin to unite Ukrainians around the idea of Ukrainian— nationhood.— kraine to expand and consolidate its army; pursue deeper cultural, economic and political integration with the West; and enact domestic reforms, albeitRussia’s sluggishly. aggression Putin has has also even led Umanaged to turn pro-Russian politicians like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into heroes of the fight for independence from Russia. https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/putins-sound-and-fury/

A governmentHow China that wouldis stoking never dreamAmerica’s of allowing racial free tensions elections in its own country mocks America’s democratic process

April 26, 2021 | 11:27 am

FROM THE MAGAZINE

Footage of a brutal late March attack on a 65-year-old Asian American woman in Manhattan drew widespread outrage on social media. It also made for a productive afternoon for Zhao Lijian. From his Beijing office, the Chinese government spokesman retweeted 20 posts and shared the video 12 times on his official Twitter account. ‘We can’t help but wonder, who will be the next victim? When will it all end?’ he asked his almost 900,000 followers.

Zhao isn’t the only one who’s been busy. In the wake of the Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, Chinese state media used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to stoke a narrative of American racism and hatred. One Twitter post from Global Times, a Communist party tabloid, shows the Statue of Liberty, gun in hand, towering over a tiny cardboard cutout figure marked ‘Asian’, with a target on its chest. Another cartoon, shared by CGTN, the international arm of China’s state broadcaster, shows an American COVID-19 vaccination center, and a young Asian asking the doctor, ‘By the way, is there also a vaccine for racism?’ Two years ago, China had almost no diplomatic presence on western social media. Now around 200 diplomats growl and troll their way around these platforms — the vanguard of a concerted push by party-controlled organizations, working in concert with a vast and shifting array of bogus accounts, to sow disinformation and discord.

Related Stories

They cut their teeth early in the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus. Beijing pumped out propaganda and disinformation internationally through thousands of fake and hijacked Twitter accounts. It sought to portray itself as a leader and benefactor in public health, at the same time trashing the faltering efforts of Western democracies. https://spectator.us/topic/china-stoking-america-racial-tensions/

China's people need the truth — America should help them get it BY JOSEPH BOSCO, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 04/27/21 10:00 AM EDT 220 THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

© Getty Images The Biden administration came into office pledging to focus on human rights in a more sustained and consistent manner than its predecessor. But it was alway a gross exaggeration that the Trump team collectively ignored the subject in favor of realpolitik and purely transactional diplomacy.

In 2017 and 2018, President Trump himself addressed the deplorable human rights situation in North Korea with three major speeches at the United Nations, the South Korean National Assembly, and the State of the Union and twice provided a presidential platform for North Korean victims— of the Kim Jong Un regime to tell their horror stories to the world. Kim was rattled. —

t Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and several Cabinet and sub-Cabinet officials delivered a seriesIn the lastof speeches two years highlighting of Trump’s Comm term, Vice Presiden own population and its threats against democracy and human rights in Hong Kong and Taiwan. And Trump unhesitatinglyunist China’s signed multiple every act offenses of Congress against its advancing those causes. Xi Jinping was rattled until the pandemic distracted Washington. — human rights, most dramatically by affirming genocide.By its rhetoric (President and instincts, Biden has Biden’s now madeteam washis own poised unique to amplify contribution the emphasis to on massacrePompeo’s of 1 million declaration Armenian of Christiansa Uyghur a genocide.) historical truth by declaring Turkey’s When Secretary of State Antony Blinkenand national security adviser Jake Sullivan reign Affairs

met in Alaska with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Fo atrocities in Xinjiang and elsewhere. Councilor Yang Jiechi, they naturally called attention to China’s human rights The Chinese officials were well-prepared for the expected criticism and delivered omestic disturbances, troubled history of race relations, and recent attacks on Asian Americans. Yang virtually spat out his rebuttala fusillade of return fire on America’s d the democracy of the United States. The leaders of China have the wide support : “Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in

Theof the counterattack Chinese people.” was widely applauded among those Chinese who have known as brainwashing). They have been taught since childhood that the United States,succumbed and the to Beijing’s West generally, daily diet are of the “information” proclaimed conditioningenemies of the (otherwise Chinese people, culture and history. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which started its brutal rule with a self-defined Cultural Revolution intended to destroy those values and that history, now postures as their savior and protector against hostile foreign powers. https://thehill.com/opinion/international/550387-chinas-people-need-the-truth-america-should-help- them-get-it

25-ton mining robot stranded on Pacific Ocean floor in deep-sea trial

Critics, including environmentalist David Attenborough, say seabed mining is untested and has a largely unknown environmental impact. By REUTERS APRIL 28, 2021 16:57

Patania II, a 25-tonne seabed mining robot, is lowered into the Pacific Ocean to begin a descent to the sea floor, in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, April 2021. (photo credit: GSR/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) Advertisement A seabed mining robot being tested on the Pacific Ocean floor at a depth of more than 4 km (13,000 ft) has become detached, the Belgian company running the experimental trial said on Wednesday. Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), the deep-sea exploratory division of dredging company DEME Group, has been trialling Patania II, a 25-ton mining robot prototype, in its concession in the Clarion Clipperton Zone since April 20. The machine is meant to collect the potato-sized nodules rich in cobalt and other battery metals that pepper the seabed in this area, and was connected to GSR's ship with a 5km cable. "On its final dive in the GSR area, a lifting point separated and Patania II now stands on the seafloor," a GSR spokesman said in an emailed statement. "An operation to reconnect the lifting point begins this evening and we will provide an update in due course." https://www.jpost.com/international/25-ton-mining-robot-stranded-on-pacific-ocean-floor-in-deep- sea-trial-666597

With ships urged to speed up, cargo worth millions lost at sea

The shipping industry is seeing the biggest jump in lost containers in seven years, disrupting supply chains.

Gale-force winds and large waves buffeted the One Apus container ship in November, causing the loss of more than 1,800 steel boxes [File: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg] By Ann Koh Bloomberg 27 Apr 2021

Containers piled high on giant vessels carrying everything from car tires to smartphones are toppling over at an alarming rate, sending millions of dollars of cargo sinking to the bottom of the ocean as pressure to speed deliveries raises the risk of safety errors.

The shipping industry is seeing the biggest spike in lost containers in seven years. More than 3,000 boxes dropped into the sea last year, and more than 1,000 have fallen overboard so far in 2021. The accidents are disrupting supply chains for hundreds of U.S. retailers and manufacturers such as Amazon and Tesla.

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/4/27/bas-ships-pressured-to-speed-up-cargo-worth- millions-lost-in-sea

Glacier melt is speeding up, raising seas: global study

Published April 29, 2021, 6:54 AM by Agence-France-Presse Nearly all of the world’s glaciers are losing mass at an ever increasing pace, contributing to more than a fifth of global sea level rise this century, according to unprecedented research released Wednesday.

Glaciers — vast bodies of frozen water that sit above ground — have been melting fast since the middle of the 20th century, but until now the full extent of ice loss had only been partially understood.

An international team of researchers has for the first time observed all of Earth’s some 220,000 glaciers, excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, to properly evaluate the amount and rate of melt over the past two decades.

Analysing images taken by NASA’s Terra satellite, they found that between 2000-2019, the world’s glaciers lost an average of 267 billion tonnes of ice each year.

That’s enough water to submerge Switzerland under six metres (20 feet) of water — every single year.

But the team also found that the rate of glacier melt had accelerated sharply during the same period.

Between 2000 and 2004, glaciers lost 227 billion tonnes of ice per year. But between 2015- 2019, they lost an average of 298 billion tonnes each year.

This glacial melt has contributed to 21 percent of sea level rises in the study period, the researchers said — equivalent to 0.74 millimetres a year.

The study, published in the journal Nature, found that the fastest-melting glaciers were situated in Alaska and the Alps.

The authors also expressed concern about the retreating mountain glaciers in the Pamir Mountains, the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas, which provide water for more than 1.5 billion people. “During the dry season, glacial meltwater is an important source that feeds major waterways such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus rivers,” said Romain Hugonnet, lead study author and researcher at ETH Zurich university and the University of Toulouse.

“Right now, this increased melting acts as a buffer for people living in the region, but if Himalayan glacier shrinkage keeps accelerating, populous countries like India and Bangladesh could face water or food shortages in a few decades.”

– Greater certainty – The authors also found areas where melt rates actually slowed between 2000-2019, on Greenland’s east coast and in Iceland and Scandinavia, for instance.

They attribute this to weather in the North Atlantic that caused higher precipitation and lower temperatures in the region, thereby slowing ice loss.

The findings will be included in the forthcoming assessment report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Hugonnet told AFP that the research had reduced uncertainties in glacier melt surveillance by a factor of 10.

“We know with a lot more certainty what the contribution to sea level rise is, about we must also look beyond a global scale,” he said.

“Glaciers, like the ice caps, contribute to sea level rise but they are also far closer to populations, so they affect the water cycle and natural disasters much more.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/29/glacier-melt-is-speeding-up-raising-seas-global-study/

Chinese ships still linger in Bajo de Masinloc, Kalayaan Island Group, Ayungin Shoal — NTF- WPS

Published April 28, 2021, 12:41 PM by Martin Sadongdong Nearly two months since their first sighting at the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, several Chinese ships still remained at the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal), Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), and Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Reef) amid sustained sovereignty patrols by the national government in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a task force monitoring the developments in the troubled waters said Wednesday, April 28.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said three Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were found at Bajo de Masinloc, one CCG vessel was located within the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan, and one CCG vessel was monitored in the Ayungin Shoal.

“These incursions are under review for the possible filing of appropriate diplomatic actions,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement.

But the NTF-WPS clarified that no direct incident between the CCG and Filipino fishermen were reported from April 15 to 22, citing a report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). It said an average of twenty Filipino fishing boats and service boats were monitored fishing within the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc.

It noted that continuous patrols were being conducted in the said areas “to assert the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights.”

The inter-agency task force said the PCG, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Philippine National Police’s Maritime Group (PNP-MG) were “closely coordinating” the regular deployment of patrol vessels in the country’s maritime domain to ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen and the protection of the environment.

The NTF-WPS said BFAR has deployed its Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) vessels and Multi-Mission Offshore Vessels (MMOV) to Kalayaan, Palawan to keep watch against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF). The BFAR vessels were collaborating with the patrol ships and aircraft from the PCG. Meanwhile, high-speed tactical watercraft, police gun boats, and police fast boats from the PNP-MG were on standby for law enforcement patrols.

Police personnel will also be posted as “shipriders” in the Kalayaan, Palawan where they will board PCG, Philippine Navy (PN), and BFAR vessels while conducting sovereignty patrols.

Further, the Area Task Force West led by the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) and the Area Task Force North led by the Northern Luzon Command (NoLCom) have dedicated naval vessels and aircraft for sovereignty patrols on a rotational basis over Kalayaan, Bajo de Masinloc, and the rest of the western seaboard, the NTF-WPS added.

“Our government shall not waver in pursuing peaceful, rules-based and proactive initiatives on environmental protection, safety of navigation, maritime, and food security within our maritime domains,” the NTF-WPS stated.

On March 7, around 220 Chinese vessels were discovered in mass formation at the Julian Felipe Reef. It later dispersed to Kalayaan Island Group and other parts of the WPS.

On April 14, the NTF-WPS said the number swelled to more than 240 as China continues to defy calls from the Philippine government to recall their ships, maritime militia vessels, and fishing boats.

The Department of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly filed diplomatic protests against the repeated incursion of Chinese vessels in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/chinese-ships-still-linger-in-bajo-de-masinloc-kalayaan-island- group-ayungin-shoal-ntf-wps/

Lorenzana: China encroaching on Philippine waters Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star) - April 29, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana of sovereignty over islands and features in the West Philippine Sea yesterday, emphasizing that it is the Chinese who— are encroaching on Philippine waterscountered. China’s latest claims

-called historical rights have n that the Philippines, on the contrary, has two international documents proving that the area“Their belongs claims to according the country. to their so o basis,” he said, noting reaction to China Fore Monday.“Therefore, it is they who are encroaching and should desist and leave,” Lorenzana said in ign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s pronouncements on https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/29/2094526/lorenzana-china-encroaching- philippine-waters

Duterte orders PH vessels to stay put in WPS in a test of wills posted April 29, 2021 at 01:20 am by Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday told Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea not to

leave the waterway despite the risk of damaging the country’s present relationshipI now with say China.(to PH vessels): Do not leave. Period. Regardless of whether America will help us or not. Let us stop “This will really be a test: I read China said we (Philippine ships) should leave. pinning our hopes on America. They will not help us. A nuclear war you think America will ress. – intervene?”The President Duterte said he said did in not his want televised to contend weekly with add China over the WPS, but reiterated the Philippines maintains its claim of sovereignty over the islands and the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

ant war with China. China is a good friend. Marami tayong utang na loob, pati bakuna natin (we owe them a debt of gratitude, including our vaccines against “Stating it for the record: We do not w COVID-

19),” Duterte said. is finished there is a decision, and they do not want to follow the decision. As for us, we have the (favorable) decision but “Nobody in the United Nations will go to war for us. For China, the issue –

President said. we are at a loss as to how to get back physically the West Philippine Sea. That is the problem,” the hen I assumed office, South China Sea is already with China because we retreated. We

“Remember w ble. We do not want war. But did not take action. And who was the President then? Now, if you dare me to take action, let’s see.

Let’s see. We have ships there. I will tell China, ‘We do not want trou do not tell us to leave.’” Associate Justice Antonio) Carpio and (former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert) Del Rosario. They “What will happen if this escalates and becomes a war? For sure, I will send (former Supreme Court sta

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/353107/rted this, they should go there first,” Duterte said. duterte-orders-ph-vessels-to-stay-put-in- wps-in-a-test-of-wills.html

Various gov't agencies patrol WPS: task force

By Priam Nepomuceno April 28, 2021, 5:21 pm

(Photo courtesy of AFP)

MANILA – Various government agencies are now coordinating and patrolling the West Philippine Sea as part of the country's efforts to protect its sovereignty and exercise sovereign rights as stipulated in the Constitution and international law.

"The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG) are closely coordinating in the continuous regular deployment of vessels in the country’s maritime domain for law enforcement, monitoring, ensuring the safety of the Filipino fishermen, and protecting the environment," National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) spokesperson Omar Romero said in a statement Wednesday.

The deployment of the BFAR's monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) and multi-mission offshore vessels (MMOV) off Kalayaan will also boost the country's capability to deter illegal fishing, the statement said.

"Strengthening regulations against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF), protection of the marine environment, and enhancing the well-being of Filipinos dependent on this critical resource remain to be the priority of the government," it read.

It added that aside from these vessels, the PCG has deployed its aircraft to patrol the area.

Meanwhile, the PNP-MG has also allocated its high-speed tactical watercraft, police gunboats, and police fast boats for deployment in law enforcement patrols.

"PNP-MG personnel will be posted to the Municipality of Kalayaan and assigned as ship riders aboard PCG, Philippine Navy, and BFAR vessels," the statement said. Area Task Forces (ATFs), it said have dedicated naval vessels and military aircraft to conduct sovereignty patrols on a rotational basis over the Municipality of Kalayaan, Bajo de Masinloc (BdM), and the rest of the western seaboard.

"For the period 15 to 22 April 2021, the PCG reported that there were no direct incidents between the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and Filipino fishermen, in both the Municipality of Kalayaan and BdM, for the third consecutive week. An average of 20 Filipino fishing boats and service boats were monitored fishing within the territorial sea of BdM," the statement read.

However, Romero said the ATFs reported the continued illegal presence of three CCG vessels off BdM, another one off the municipality of Kalayaan, and another one off the Ayungin Shoal.

"These incursions are under review for the possible filing of appropriate diplomatic actions," he added.

In response to the continued illegal presence of CCG, NTF WPs said the PCG conducted maritime patrols off the Municipality of Kalayaan and BdM, coinciding with its ongoing maritime capacity- building exercises dubbed as Task Force Pagsasanay.

"Our government shall not waver in pursuing peaceful, rules-based and proactive initiatives on environmental protection, the safety of navigation, maritime and food security within our maritime domains," the statement said.

NTF WPS reminded all stakeholders in the region of their respective commitments made in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and underscored the importance of diplomacy and sincere discussion in exploring areas of cooperation especially on marine environmental protection in the area.

This to ensure that present and future generations have the right to a healthy and sustainable environment, it added. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138270

Palace doubts US will help PH if row with China on WPS escalates

Published April 28, 2021, 5:50 PM by Genalyn Kabiling The government is having doubts on whether the Philippines could count on the United States in case of a full-blown conflict in the West Philippine Sea.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque recalled the United States did nothing to help the country when it lost control of two islands years ago despite its existing defense pact, adding he was unsure if the western nation will still be a reliable ally amid a latest developments in the territorial conflict.

Manila earlier filed diplomatic protests over the continued stay of Chinese ships in Julian Felipe Reef and demanded the pullout. China has ignored the country’s appeal, insisting the fishing boats were sheltering from rough seas.

“Ang problema po kasi diyan eh, dalawang beses na tayong nawalan ng isla eh hindi naman gumalaw ang Estados Unidos. Ano ang naging mga pronouncement ng Amerika, hindi sila naghihimasok sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo (The problem with that is we lost two islands and the United States did not move then. America’s pronouncements were they do not interfere with the territorial dispute),” Roque said over DZXL Wednesday, April 29, when asked about the Palace view on the reported US willingness to help Manila in the South China Sea dispute.

“So hindi mo maintindihan kung maaasahan mo ang Amerika. Dalawa na iyong nawalang isla, Mischief Reef at saka iyong Panatag or Scarborough Shoal eh hindi naman sila sumaklolo noong mga panahon na iyon (So you can’t understand if you can really count on America. We lost two islands, Mischief Reef and Panatag or Scarborough Shoal and they did not come to our aid then),” he said.

The Philippines and United States are considered long-time defense allies. A treaty, signed in 1951, commits both parties to defend each other in case of an external armed attack.

Roque however recalled the US’ alleged inaction when the country lost control of Panatag Shoal during the Aquino administration in 2012.

He said the country withdrew from the shoal to end the standoff upon the advice of the US government supposedly to avoid trouble. China, however, did not budge and opted to stay in the area, effectively taking control of the shoal. “Kung maalala mo iyong Panatag sa panahon ni Presidente Aquino na talagang maka Amerikano ng husto si Albert del Rosario na Kalihim ng Foreign Affairs, eh wala namang ginawa ng Amerikano (If you remember the Panatag incident during the administration of President Duterte, then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario was pro-American. The Americans did nothing),” he said.

In a phone call with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., US State Department Secretary Anthony Blinken reaffirmed the applicability of the 1951 U.S.-Philippine mutual defense treaty to the current South China Sea conflict.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/palace-doubts-us-will-help-ph-if-row-with-china-on-wps- escalates/

Philippines Tells China to Back Off Its Exercises in South China Sea, Says There's No Basis to Stop Them

BY MATTHEW IMPELLI ON 4/28/21 AT 11:25 AM EDT

The Philippines told China on Wednesday to back off its military exercises in the South China Sea, saying that China has no basis to stop them.

While speaking to reporters on, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that China has "no authority or legal basis to prevent us from conducting these [military] exercises," in the South China Sea, adding that China's claims "have no basis."

According to Reuters, the Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau began maritime exercises in the nation's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said that the exercises were part of efforts to secure the nation's "maritime jurisdiction." Reuters reported that the Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau said the exercises are used to counter the "threatening" presence of Chinese boats in the area.

Philippines Department of National Defense Director Arsenio Andolong also issued a statement on the matter.

"China has no business telling the Philippines what we can and cannot do within our own waters. The arbitral award has categorically stated that the Chinese claim bounded by their so-called nine dash line according to their 'historical right' has no basis in fact," Andolong said in the statement. "Therefore, it is they who are encroaching and should desist and leave. We will continue to do what is necessary to protect our sovereign rights."

The remarks from the Philippines Defense Department come shortly after China's Foreign Ministry responded to the military exercises and called for them to end.

While speaking to reporters, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin was asked if China had any comment on the Philippine Coast Guard conducting drills in the South China Sea to secure the nation's maritime jurisdiction.

https://www.newsweek.com/philippines-tells-china-back-off-its-exercises-south-china-sea- says-theres-no-basis-stop-them-1587170

Esperon: Improve existing structures in WPS first before building new ones National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon on Wednesday welcomed the proposal to build structures that will assert the Philippines' claims in the West Philippine Sea but noted that the government must first improve its detachments at the disputed waters.

"Yes, we can, we can in the future build more in the features where we can build within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and within our Kalayaan Island Group or the Kalayaan municipality but we must prioritize our moves meaning we must improve first our detachments," said Esperon in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Esperon said the detachments that need upgrading include the country's airport in Pagasa, as well as the Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants dump and depot located on Pagasa Islands and in Ulugan Bay.

The Philippine military previously suggested building structures to protect the country's maritime rights and fishing rights in the West Philippine Sea amid the presence of Chinese vessels in the region. According to the military, among the structures needed to be built are fisherman shelters, cold storage facilities, and lighthouses.

Esperon said budget and resources must also be considered if the government plans to create more features in the West Philippine Sea. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/785488/esperon-improve-existing-structures- in-wps-first-before-building-new-ones/story/

The five-domains update 28 Apr 2021|Elena Yi-Ching Ho, Hillary Mansour, Khwezi Nkwanyana and Matthew Page

Sea state

The wreckage of Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala 402 was found on the sea floor following a five-day search with support from India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the US. All 53 crew members and passengers on board are presumed dead. Australia sent two warships, including HMAS Ballarat, while the US sent aircraft with search-and-rescue equipment. The submarine was conducting a torpedo drill at the time of its disappearance, and was found in three parts, which may indicate an explosion. Indonesian authorities hope to salvage the wreckage, but the 800-metre depth makes recovery difficult and expensive.

China commissioned three new warships on the 72nd anniversary of the forming of the arlier this month. The new ships are a Type 055 Renhai- class guided-missile cruiser, a Type 094 Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile People’ssubmarine Liberation and a Type Army 075 Navy Yushen-class e amphibious helicopter carrier. The commissioning ceremony was held on Hainan I ongoing efforts to boost its naval capabilities.sland’s Yulin naval base, which is responsible for China’s South Sea Fleet and its South China Sea operations. The event highlights China’s

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-five-domains-update-131/

The Evolving Aircraft Carrier Picture in the Indo- Pacific Region 04/28/2021

By Australian Defence Business Review

The continuing military build-up in the Indo-Pacific region includes, among other things, aircraft carriers. Several countries in the region have fielded these capital ships with varying degrees of success, and more are poised to join a club that is no longer the domain of the superpowers.

While some operators are undoubtedly seeking a vanity project in acquiring aircraft carriers and there are those who question their utility in a world of ultra-quiet submarines and the proliferation of increasingly capable anti-ship missiles, the ships are nevertheless a potentially useful sea control and sea denial asset. And in the hands of a capable military with a well thought out operational doctrine, aircraft carriers endow navies with a flexible, mobile avenue for deploying air assets and the ability to project power.

https://defense.info/featured-story/2021/04/the-evolving-aircraft-carrier-picture-in-the-indo-pacific- region/

French Indian Naval Exercise VARUNA 2021 Concludes

From April 25 to 27, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and Indian Navy region of the Indian Ocean. This 19th edition involved the participation of theconducted French “VarunaNavy aircraft 2021” carrier joint naval Charles exercise de Gaulle in the and western its entire Arabian carrier Sea strike group (CSG).

Nathan Gain 28 Apr 2021 The French Navy participation included the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its carrier air wing (Rafale Marine fighter jets, E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft, NH90NFH Caïman and Dauphin naval helicopters), the Provence FREMM frigate, Chevalier Paul air defense frigate, and Var command and supply ship. Kolkata guided missile stealth destroyer, INS Tarkash and INS Talwar guided missile frigates, INS Deepak Fleet Support Ship, with Seaking 42B and ChetakFrom the helicopters, Indian Navy’s a Kalvari side, -classINS submarine and P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating. After completion of VARUNA 2021, INS Tarkash will continue to exercise with the French April to 1st May 2021. During this period, the ship will take part in advanced surface, anti-submarine and air-defence operations with the French CSG. IndianNavy’s Navy CSG picture from 28th

The exercise witnessed high tempo-naval operations at sea, including advanced air defence and anti-submarine exercises, intense fixed and rotary wing flying operations including cross deck helicopter landings, tactical manoeuvres, surface and anti-air weapon firings, underway replenishment and other maritime security operations. Units of both navies honed and enhanced their war-fighting skills to demonstrate their ability as an integrated force to promote peace, security and stability in the maritime domain […] The seamless coordination, precise execution of manoeuvres, and accuracy in complex exercises characterized the conduct of Varuna-2021 and has helped further strengthen mutual confidence, inter-operability and sharing of best practices between both Navies.

Indian MoD statement Initiated in 1983, the Indo- joint vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. It has intensified in recent years with increasingly ambitious jointFrench exercises naval that cooperation have raised plays the degreea key role in the two countries’ interoperability to a new level. In early April, the Indian Navy took part for the first time in the France- of the two navies’ and Japan. led naval exercise “La Pérouse” with the navies of the United States, Australia f the Clemenceau 2021 deployment the French Navy is conducting from February to June 2021 in the eastern Mediterranean, the Gulf and the TheIndian “Varuna” Ocean (Arabianjoint exercise Sea). is Its part goal o is to contribute to the stabilization of strategic zones and strengthening cooperation with the navies of partner countries, in particular India for the Indian Ocean component. As part of this deployment, the carrier strike group is also taking part in anti-ISIS operations.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/french-indian-naval-exercise-varuna-2021- concludes/

British Carrier Strike Group to sail through South China Sea ByGeorge Allison

-April 28, 2021

HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group will sail through the South China Sea despite Chinese warnings, it has been confirmed.

China claims almost all of the 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory, and it has denounced the presence of foreign warships there as the root of tensions in the region. Boris Johnson (now Prime Minister and then Foreign Secretary) said in 2018 in response to concerns raised regarding freedom of navigation in the South China Sea:

“One of the first things we will do with the two new colossal aircraft carriers that we have just built is send them on a freedom of navigation operation to this area, to vindicate our belief in the rules-based international system and in the freedom of navigation through those waterways which are absolutely vital for world trade.”

The Carrier Strike Group Chinese defence spokesman Tan Kefei was quoted in the South China Morning Posas saying:

“The Chinese side believes that the South China Sea should not become a sea of great power rivalry dominated by weapons and warships. The real source of militarisation in the South China Sea comes from countries outside this region sending their warships thousands of kilometres from home to flex muscles. The Chinese military will take necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interest as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-carrier-strike-group-to-sail-through-south-china-sea/

UK Carrier Strike Group deployment heading for the Indo Pacific Naval News April 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON TUESDAY, 27 APRIL 2021 14:05

According to information published by the UK Navy on April 27, 2021, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, the task group will visit 40 nations including India, Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore in a deployment covering 26,000 nautical miles.

The group will also join up and take part in exercises with French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle in the Mediterranean as well as navies and aircraft from allies such as the US, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan and the UAE.

While in the Pacific, ships from the Carrier Strike Group will mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement between Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK by taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima.

Joining HMS Queen Elizabeth on her maiden deployment are destroyers HMS Diamond and Defender; frigates HMS Richmond and Kent; an Astute-class submarine in support below the waves; and Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships RFA Fort Victoria and RFA Tidespring.

More than 30 aircraft will also embark across the task group including F-35 jets from 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, and the US Marine Corps’ VMFA-211; Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron and Merlin helicopters from 820 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons.

Royal Marines from 42 Commando will also deploy with the carrier.

Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen and American Arleigh Burke destroyer USS The Sullivans are also part of the strike group.

The forthcoming deployment is intended to bolster already deep defence partnerships in the Pacific region, where the UK is committed to a more enduring regional defence and security presence.

Events in Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Japan and India will provide the opportunity to strengthen security relationships, tighten political ties and support UK exports and the nation’s International Trade agenda.

The Carrier Strike Group will participate in NATO exercises such as Exercise Steadfast Defender, and provide support to NATO Operation Sea Guardian and security operations in the Black Sea.

In total, units from the group visit more than 40 countries and undertake in excess of 70 engagements, visits, air exercises and operations.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in service with the British Navy. The ship was launched on 21 December 2017, and was commissioned on 10 December 2019. She has an overall length of 280 meters (920 ft), a width at deck level of 70 meters (230 ft), a height of 56 meters (184 ft), a draught of 11 meters (36 ft), and a range of 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km).

The propulsion of the HMS Queen Elizabeth consists of two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 36 MW (48,000 hp) gas turbine engine and four Wärtsilä 38 marine diesel engines. The ship can reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). The ship has a crew of 679 people that not include the air elements. for its self-protection, the aircraft carrier is armed with three Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon Systems), four 30-mm DS30M Mk2 automatic cannons, and six Miniguns.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is deployed with up to two operational Lightning fighter aircraft squadrons with a maximum of 24 F-35Bs short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft and the ability to operate 36 F-35B in extreme circumstances. Fourteen Merlin HM2 will be available with typically nine in anti-submarine configuration and four or five with Crowsnest for airborne early warning.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/april/10060-uk- carrier-strike-group-deployment-heading-for-the-indo-pacific.html

Royal Navy OPV HMS Tamar Gets Dazzle Camouflage Ahead of Pacific Deployment

New patrol ship HMS Tamar will head to the Asia-Pacific region with a various shades of black, white and grey in strange or jarring shapes. ‘dazzle camouflage’ paint scheme – Naval News Staff 27 Apr 2021 Royal Navy press release The paint scheme, introduced by the Royal Navy towards the end of World War 1, was and repeated again between 1939 and 1945. adopted by many of the world’s navies at the time – The different shapes, angles and colours were intended to confuse submariners peering through periscopes, making it hard for them first to identify ships and confuse their hopefully causing a torpedo to miss. calculationsWith the end about of the the war target’s and the speed improvement and direction of radar – and optical devices, dazzle camouflage was quickly phased out by the Royal Navy after 1945 until now.

Tamar, which entered service last year, already stands out from much– of the rest of the Royal Navy fleet thanks to large red lion motifs on her superstructure (they are being replaced before the ship sails next week). https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/royal-navy-opv-hms-tamar-gets- dazzle-camouflage-ahead-of-pacific-deployment/

UK confirms nuclear submarine will deploy with Carrier Group ByGeorge Allison

-April 26, 2021

An Astute class nuclear submarine, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, will deploy with HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group.

According to the Ministry of Defence, on the 28-week deployment spanning 26,000 nautical miles the Carrier Strike Group will conduct engagements with Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Japan and India as part of the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence regarding this deployment confirms the presence of a submarine:

“HMS Queen Elizabeth, the most powerful surface vessel in the Royal Navy’s history, will next month set sail as the flagship of a Carrier Strike Group. Joining her will be a surface fleet of Type 45 destroyers, HMS Defender and HMS Diamond, Type 23 anti- submarine frigates HMS Kent and HMS Richmond, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s RFA Fort Victoria and RFA Tidespring. Deep below the surface, a Royal Navy Astute- class submarine will be deployed in support, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.”

It is unusual for the Ministry of Defence to comment on submarine deployments so it is likely the point of this is to send a message.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-confirms-nuclear-submarine-will-deploy-with- carrier-group/

REVEALED: The Scientists “Debunking” the Wuhan Lab Leak Theory Admit Being ‘Collaborators’ and Honorees of Chinese Communist Party.

By Stillness in the Storm stillnessinthestorm.com

11 hours ago

(Natalie Winters) Several researchers used by leading corporate media outl ets to debunk claims that COVID-19 originated at the Wuhan Institute of Vi rology have previously attended events or accepted awards from the contro versial lab, The National Pulse can reveal. Source – The National Pulse. by Natalie Winters, April 27th, 2021. The... https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2219715671060/revealed-the-scientists-debunking- the-wuhan-lab-leak-theory-admit-being-collaborators-and-honorees-of-chinese- communist-party

China, Bangladesh should oppose powers from outside the region forming 'military alliance' in South Asia: Chinese Defence Minister

China and Bangladesh should make joint efforts against powers from outside the region establishing a "military alliance" in South Asia and practising "hegemonism", Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe said on Tuesday.

Wei made the remarks when he called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid here and the two sides agreed to advance the bilateral military cooperation, China's official Xinhua news agency reported from Dhaka.

His comments came in the backdrop of the United States, India, Australia and Japan under the Quad grouping agreed to enhance their cooperation in the strategic Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.

China has vehemently opposed the formation of the Quad with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman emphasising that exchanges and cooperation between countries should help expand mutual understanding and trust, instead of targeting or harming the interests of third parties.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china- bangladesh-should-oppose-powers-from-outside-the-region-forming- military-alliance-in-south-asia-chinese-defence- minister/articleshow/82289339.cms

CHINA’S IRREGULAR APPROACH TO WAR: THE MYTH OF A PURELY CONVENTIONAL FUTURE FIGHT

Since early March, up to 220 boats Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea. The Philippine government has asked the Chinese government to direct the ships to leavefrom its China’s exclusive maritime economic militia zone, have but been Beijing moored has deniednear fishing boats sea conditions. These actions fit a recent pattern of Chinese leaders turning to irregular warfarethat the shipsto achieve are part strategic of the aims militia, in thesaying South they China are merelySea: China “ sends its maritime” sheltering militia from to a location in the South China Sea to reinforce Chinese sovereignty claims and then ratchets up control with little involvement by conventional forces.

The actions of the maritime militia are part of a body of evidence that Beijing has embraced irregular warfare as central to its military strategy. Despite this evidence, and a first-rate Irregular Warfare Annex to the US National Defense Strategy (NDS), many in the Pentagon believe that irregular warfare is a relic of the last two decades and that future war will be conventional. Before divesting too many irregular warfare capabilities, however, national actions securityleaders should leaders examine should lookhow closelyUS plans at forwhat distributed Chinese officials’ operations words might and not China’s be reducing military risk, butsay shifting about risk how from the People’sconventional Liberation to irregular Army threats.might actually fight a war. In fact,

In a recent CNA study, we found that in a future, large-scale conflict, Chinese forces will likely employ a modern and unique irregular warfare concept, focused on information and influence, tightly integrated with conventional capabilities. A return to great power competition does not portend a shift away from irregular warfare to conventional warfare, but rather an amalgamation of the two.

https://mwi.usma.edu/chinas-irregular-approach-to-war-the-myth-of-a- purely-conventional-future-fight/

U.S.-funded Uyghur separatists trained as gun-toting foot soldiers: media

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Behind a carefully constructed image as a peaceful movement, a Washington D.C.-based anti-China Uyghur separatist group operated a militia-style gun club that trains with ex-U.S. special forces, an independent news website, The Grayzone, has reported.

An investigation by The Grayzone uncovered that the Uyghur American Association (UAA) operated the right-wing club and have its members drilled in advanced combat techniques with former members of U.S. special forces who also train private mercenaries and active-duty U.S. servicemen, said an article released by the website on March 31.

The UAA's gun-obsessed subculture was on full display when members of the group and its affiliates drove by a gathering against anti-Asian racism in downtown Washington D.C. on March 21, barking anti-China insults at the demonstrators, said The Grayzone.

It said that the UAA members helped inflame anti-Asian resentment by spreading far-right propaganda referring to COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus" during the pandemic, and groundlessly claimed that China was waging a "virus war" against the world.

The UAA is a U.S.-affiliate of international anti-China separation network which received millions of dollars of funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, a U.S. government-sponsored entity. The current UAA prescient, Kuzzat Altay, has organized several separatist events in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in recent years, said the website. ■ http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-04/28/c_139912273.htm

China Raises Scrutiny on Companies With New Anti-Spying Rules

companies and other institutions, state media said, in the latest sign of businesses getting China’scaught in top the spy competition agency announced between measures Beijing and to Washington.fight infiltration by “hostile forces” in

The new rules allow Chinese security authorities to draw up lists of companies and organizations considered susceptible to foreign infiltration and require them to take security measures, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday, citing a senior official with the Ministry of State Security.

infiltration into China, and broadened their tactics of stealing secrets in various ways and in “Overseas espionage and intelligence agencies and hostile forces have intensified said. more fields, which poses a serious threat to China’s national security and interests,” Xinhua The rules were issued amid increasingly tense relationship between China and the West, as Washington se powerful Ministry of State Security has played a central role that struggle, most obviously with its high-profileeks to detentions counter Beijing’s of foreign increasing citizens economic such as Canadi and securityans Michael clout. Kovrig The and and Michael Spavor, who are awaiting verdicts after spying trials.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-27/china-raises-scrutiny-on- companies-with-new-anti-spying-rules

China launches space mining test spacecraft on commercial rideshare mission

HELSINKI — China launched a small space mining test spacecraft and eight other commercial satellites into orbit on a Long March 6 rocket late Monday.

The Long March 6 lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, north China, at 11:20 p.m. Monday Eastern. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) announced launch success within an hour of launch.

Three main satellites were the Qilu-1 synthetic aperture radar and Qilu-4 optical remote sensing satellites. The pair are owned by Shandong Institutes of Industrial Technology provide remote sensing data for industry and civilian use in Shandong Province.

Foshan-1 is an optical remote sensing satellite with a high-resolution panchromatic camera. It is stated to be an in-orbit verification of the Jihua Laboratory based in Guangdong province.

Secondary passengers include NEO-1, a scientific research and technology verification satellite developed by Shanghai ASES Spaceflight Technology Co. Ltd. (ASES) for Shenzhen-based Origin Space, a space resource utilization firm.

The small satellite will test near Earth asteroid observation and prototype technology verification for space resource acquisition in low Earth orbit. The mission will carry out an active debris removal test, releasing a small, square, spiral-patterned target and subsequently attempt capture using a net system. The spacecraft will then lower its orbit using onboard electric propulsion.

“The goal is to verify and demonstrate multiple functions such as spacecraft orbital maneuver, simulated small celestial body capture, intelligent spacecraft identification and control,” Yu Tianhong, an Origin Space co-founder, told IEEE Spectrum last year. NEO-1 also carries a large field of view camera and other imagers.

https://spacenews.com/china-launches-space-mining-test-spacecraft-on-commercial- rideshare-mission/

China's first integrated base supporting rocket building, sea launch to be 'operational in May'

China's new rocket base specially designed to support seaborne rocket launches, located in the coastal city of Haiyang, East China's Shandong Province, will become operational in May, and it will be capable of general assembly and testing for at least 10 solid-propellant rockets per year, a project leader disclosed to the Global Times on Tuesday.

The base's capacity will increase to 20 rockets per year by October 2022, Li Shaoning, deputy chief engineer with the project developer - rocket manufacturer China Rocket Co, under state-owned space giant China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) - told the Global Times during an exclusive interview on Tuesday. Li, also general manager of the subsidiary, revealed to the Global Times that the Haiyang base would serve particularly the launch missions of Smart Dragon rocket series and the Long March 11 at sea.

According to Li, Smart Dragon-1, which can send a payload of 200 kilograms into a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit with a launch cost of $20,000 per kilogram - around 60 percent of that for foreign commercial rocket launches of a similar scale - is working on the roll-out of a sea launch version. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222283.shtml

Chinese Smart TV-Maker Accused of Spying on Owners' Other Devices

A China-based manufacturer of smart televisions has been accused of spying on its users by scanning their homes for other devices connected to the wifi network every few minutes, owners of the devices have reported on social media.

Smart TVs made by Skyworth were found to have an app -- Gozen Data -- installed on the Android-based operating system of the TV, according to a post on the V2EX website titled "My TV is monitoring all connected devices."

According to the post, Gozen Data scanned for and collected the names of his computer, his network interface card, IP addresses, and the usernames of those connected to his and other local wifi networks.

was doing," the post said. "I found that there was something called ‘Gozen Data,' and I had no idea what it "The service was sending back the hostnames, mac, ip, and even the network delay time, as well as detecting the nearby wifi SSID names and mac addresses and sending them off to ... a database," it said.

The data, according to screenshots posted by the user, was sent to gz-data.com, a data analysis platform managed by Gozen Data that counts among its international customers Sanyo, Toshiba and Philips, and which holds data harvested from 103 million smart TVs according to 2018 figures. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/tv-spying-04272021083250.html

China puts Feilong-1 endurance drone through high-altitude paces

-endurance Feilong-1 drone is ready for high-altitude missions after tests in western China, its developer said on Wednesday. China’s long The completion of the recent trial means the drone has met all design requirements and can perfor -altitude regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang, according to a

m in China’s high statement-April, on Zhongtian the Feilong-1 Feilong was Intelligentstationed in Technology’s an airport in offici westalern WeChat China account.and completed exercises like heavy payload take-off, precision delivery of large objects, extreme altitude and“In mid duration flight, and high- disclosing the exact location of the trial. frequency continuous flight,” the statement said, without https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3131428/china-puts-feilong-1- endurance-drone-through-high-altitude

XI LIKES BIG BOATS (COMING SOON TO A REEF NEAR YOU RYAN D. MARTINSON

As recent scenes g place, South China Sea fishers to “build big boats, charge forth on the deep shaveea, and clearly catch obeyed big fish.” from Whitsun Reef reveal, however, very little “charging” is takin which means very few “big fish.” But, in one respect, Chinese fishers PhotosXi’s command: the Philippine They have government built some released very large in March boats. show nests of Chinese fishing vessels moored in the lagoon of the disputed reef. Aside from the sheer number of craft present, one is struck by the size of individual vessels. Satellite images reveal many boats 60 meters (almost 200 feet) in length dwarfing the Philippine Coast Guard vessel (BRP Cabra) sent to monitor their activities. — Chinese fishers did not buy these boats out of mere love for Xi. Even if that were their motive, they could not afford these expensive craft without some help. Rather, the more than 200 fishing vessels seen congregating at Whitsun Reef are largely a product of policies that China has designed to prioritize Spratly fishing vessels in a national program to militia with potent new tools with which to exert influence and control in disputed maritimemodernize space the country’s posing fishing significant industry. new Thischallenges program for hasSoutheast provided Asian China states.’s maritime https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/xi-likes-big-boats-coming-s— oon-to-a-reef-near-you/

China holds 72nd navy anniversary, commissions new landing helicopter dock, cruiser, nuclear ballistic missile submarine

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) celebrated its 72nd founding anniversary at Yulin Naval Base in Hainan, with ceremonies held on 23 April 2021 and attended by Chinese President Xi Jin Ping.

The highlight of the anniversary includes the commissioning of three newly constructed major naval assets, specifically its first Type 075 Yushen-class landing helicopter dock (LHD), its third Type 055 Renhai-class guided missile destroyer (cruiser), and a Type 094 Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).

The new LHD was named Hainan, with hull number 31, was indigenously designed and built by Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. The ship brings in new capabilities to the PLAN in support of amphibious assault and naval aviation, being larger than previous amphibious assault ships in the PLAN and having full-length flight deck similar to a small aircraft carrier while retaining a floodable well deck for landing crafts and assault vehicles.

The new Renhai-class destroyer, named Dalian (105), was designed to act as the primary air defense escorts of aircraft carriers, and the class was actually designated as guided missile cruisers by the US Navy due to their size, and similar roles and capabilities as their own Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

The Jin-class SSBM, believed to be named Changzhen 18 (421) increases the naval nuclear weapons delivery of the People’s Liberation Army, with each submarine armed with 12 JL-2 (CSS-N- 14) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) which has a range of around 7,200 kilometers and can carry up to 8 nuclear warheads in multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV).

https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/2021/04/china-holds-72nd-navy-anniversary.html

Chinese Navy Many Have 4 New Type 09IV Nuclear Attack Submarines

The Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army –Navy (PLAN) which christened its Type 09IV nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine as “Changzheng-18” last Friday may have three more such vessels. Media reports of the vessel’s launch ceremony featured a scene in which three other Type 09IVs could be seen in the background, state-affiliated media, Global Times reported. “Four Type 09IVs are a formidable nuclear deterrent with dozens of submarine-launched ballistic missiles,” it said quoting unnamed analysts. The Changzheng 18 was also seen with its (vertical) missile hatch open in a CCTV report about the launch of the submarine, a scene Global Times analysts said is “rare and displayed its nuclear capability.” While Western media reports state that the newly launched submarine is of the Type 095, official Chinese media referred to the vessel as Type 09IV. The Changzheng 18 submarine was launched along with a Type 055 destroyer and a Type 075 amphibious assault vessel by Chinese Communist Party Supremo, Xi Xinping showing the importance of the three vessels to the PLAN. There are no previous reports of Type 09IV or Type 095 submarines being launched. Much of China’s nuclear submarine development is opaque with little or no official information and even its official media not giving even basic details about the vessels. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29442/Chinese_Navy_Many_Have_4_New_Type_09I V_Nuclear_Attack_Submarines#.YIomInduLIU

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier group crosses Miyako Strait, patrols Diaoyu Islands, 'warning to Japan'

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 28, 2021 08:28 PM The Liaoning aircraft carrier task group of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly crossed the Miyako Strait again on Monday and sent an aircraft near the Diaoyu Islands on Tuesday, which Chinese experts said sends a warning to Japan amid the country's recent, repeated wrong statements on China's Diaoyu Islands. Similar PLA activities will likely become routine depending on China-Japan relations, experts said.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted a PLA Navy flotilla consisting of six warships, namely the aircraft carrier Liaoning, the Type 055 large destroyer Nanchang, the Type 052D destroyers Chengdu and Taiyuan, the Type 054A frigate Huanggang and the Type 901 comprehensive supply ship Hulunhu, which passed through waters between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island and sailed north toward the East China Sea on Monday, Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a press release on Wednesday.

On April 3, the same flotilla went south from the same region, the statement said, indicating that the Chinese carrier group was returning to where it came from.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222392.shtml

China, ROK marine law enforcers conduct joint patrol00:36 The marine law enforcement agencies of China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) concluded their first joint patrol of 2021 on Monday in waters tentatively designated by the China- ROK Fisheries Agreement.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/China-ROK-marine-law-enforcers-conduct- joint-patrol-ZPmcgm33I4/index.html

China's new amphibious assault ship to carry multi-type helicopters, 'enters world-class' ranks By Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 27, 2021 08:05 PM

The newly commissioned amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will carry multiple types of helicopters including those for assault, transport and reconnaissance, and analysts said on Tuesday that the vessel is of world-class standard and can serve its purpose well in islands and reefs close to the Chinese mainland despite the lack of fixed wing fighter jet like the US' F-35B.

After the Hainan, China's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, entered PLA naval service on Friday, the insignia of the vessel was revealed by js7tv.cn, a video news website affiliated with the PLA, on Monday.

In addition to an artistic depiction of the Hainan, the insignia also featured what seem to be the Z-20 and Z-8 helicopters and a helicopter drone landing on and flying above the ship's flight deck, observers pointed out.

This indicates that the Hainan will carry multiple types of helicopters in its future missions, analysts said. During the commissioning ceremony on Friday, only Z-8 helicopters were seen on the flight deck of the Hainan.

These helicopters will be the main aerial combat forces of the Type 075, Shi Hong, executive chief editor of the Chinese magazine, Shipborne Weapons, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Responsible for aerial transport and assault tasks, the Z-8 and the Z-20 can carry troops deep behind hostile defense lines in vertical landing missions, Shi said.

The Z-8 is a 13 ton-class helicopter also capable of carrying small vehicles, while the Z-20 belongs to the 10 ton-class and is more versatile and agile. Both types can also lift equipment like light artillery to provide extra fire support to landing troops when they arrive on the ground, experts said.

Helicopter drones, which are even smaller in size, can conduct reconnaissance and battlefield monitoring missions, Shi said, noting that aerial fire support is another possible role.

In the future, attack helicopters like the Z-10 and Z-19 affiliated with the PLA Army aviation forces could also board the Type 075, Shi predicted.

Previous reports show that these Army helicopters have been training on the Navy's Type 071 amphibious landing ships, so it makes sense they can also do so on the Type 075, analysts said.

Compared with the US Navy's amphibious assault ships, China's Type 075 has also entered world-class ranks thanks to its advanced ship design including stealth capability and electronics devices, Shi said, noting that China's Type 05 amphibious assault vehicle on board the Type 075 is more advanced than the US' AAV-7, as the Chinese vehicle is three times faster in water than its US counterpart, giving it an edge in landing missions and a better ability to survive under enemy fire.

The US ships can carry CH-53 heavy helicopters, MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft and F- 35B fighter jets, something that China does not have an equivalent to as yet, but the US amphibious vessels are required for worldwide deployment, while China's Type 075, in the near future, will mainly fight in waters near the Chinese mainland, where China's land-based and aircraft carrier-based aviation forces can provide sufficient support, Shi said.

In addition to the Hainan, China has launched two more Type 075 amphibious assault ships, which are currently undergoing outfitting work and sea trials. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222263.shtml

China’s launch of new assault ship raises fears

With an estimated displacement of 40,000 tonnes, it can carry an estimated 30 helicopters and hundreds of troops by DAVE MAKICHUK April 28, 2021April 29, 2021

The type 075 amphibious assault ship Hainan is now China’s largest, and most ambitious project in the PLA Navy.

With an estimated displacement weight of about 40,000 tonnes, media sources say it can carry an estimated 30 helicopters and hundreds of troops.

Capable of transporting almost the whole of the Chinese Marine Corps and landing them in hostile territory, its launch on Friday by President Xi Jinping at the Sanya naval port, has heightened military concerns in the region and around the world.

Such is the impact of this new ship, a retired US Navy Captain has demanded that a Western armed patrol immediately go to the South China Sea to counter the new threat, the UK’s Express reported.

Former captain and now defence consultant Carl Schuster demanded Western patrols sail to the South China Sea to hold back the Chinese navy.

The Hainan 31, China’s first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, has a full- length flight deck for helicopter operations and features a “well deck” where hovercraft and armored amphibious assault vehicles can disembark from inside of the ship to launch an attack, the Express reported.

Without question, the Hainan would be the perfect weapon for an invasion of Taiwan — a fact that is not lost on its maritime rivals.

Colin Koh, a research fellow from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the new ship could scare China’s neighbors into responding to the “widening asymmetry” of Beijing’s military power in the region.

In a stern statement, Captain Schuster said: “Combined Vietnamese and Philippine coastguard patrols in the area of Julian Felipe reef will deter any further aggression there. “I also think if you were to invite the US coast to go with you that would send a very strong signal as well.”

Song Zhongping, Hong Kong-based military affairs commentator and former PLA instructor, told the South China Morning Post the Hainan assault vessel will be serving “under the Southern Theatre Command.”

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/chinas-launch-of-new-assault-ship-raises- fears/

It’s Time to Talk About J-15, China’s First Carrierborne Fighter

Rumors of the J-15’s unreliability have been greatly exaggerated. By Rick Joe April 28, 2021 the J-15 Fei Sha (Flying Shark) has been the focus of substantial English language andAs the foreign People’s media Liberation coverage Army since Navy its maiden (PLAN)’s flight first in ever August carrierborne 2009. On cursory fighter, review of various Chinese fighter types, perhaps only the J-20 and FC-31 stealth fighters have received more foreign interest (and prompted a greater word count) than the J-15. Some of the reporting on the J-15 could be described as controversial, or somewhat misinformed. However, this is not unreasonable, given the history and technical characteristics of the aircraft, as well as the J- role in the context of overall PLAN carrier development efforts as the Chinese 15’s somewhat unique navy’sAs an aircraft first carrierborne derived from fighter a Ukrainian in general. T-10K prototype, which formed the basis of the Soviet Su-33, the J-15 inherits the same airframe and aerodynamic configuration as the Su-33, though the original T-10K prototype was so fatigued that many key subsystems required development from scratch. The J-15 in its current production form retains the same ski jump assisted short take off (STOBAR) mechanism to enable carrier launch. The current variant of the J-15 has seen a relatively small production by Chinese standards, with only 24 airframes produced between 2014 and 2018. Production of the same baseline variant restarted in late 2019, with a minimum of 10 further airframes confirmed at this point in time. This piece will review some of the most common claims surrounding the J-15, specifically the payload and take-off weight of the aircraft, as well as consider the judge the comparative capability of the aircraft in relation to its PLA and worldwideaccident rate peers, in context and review of the aircraftaircraft’s variants operational and future status prospects and design. of I’llthe also type in context of PLAN carrier development.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/its-time-to-talk-about-j-15-chinas-first- carrierborne-fighter/

Australian politicians hyping up war threats are real troublemakers: Chinese FM spokesperson

By Global Times Published: Apr 28, 2021 06:25 PM

Some Australian politicians, out of their personal interests, are eager to stir up confrontation and hype up war threats, which is extremely irresponsible and against the will of the people, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday, in response to the recent "drums of war" remarks made by Secretary of Australian Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo.

"They are the real troublemakers," Zhao said.

"We urge some Australian politicians to abandon the Cold War mentality, stop making irresponsible remarks and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability," Zhao said.

He added that he has noticed many Australians have also expressed their dissatisfaction over such remarks on social media and called the provocative comments appalling and insane.

China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and defender of global peace, and China's development is an opportunity for the world, Zhao said.

Australia has long benefited from its cooperation with China, so Australia's ramblings about the so-called China threat are untrue and immoral. It will eventually shoot itself in the foot, Zhao added.

In a recent speech, Pezzullo said Australia's military alliance with New Zealand and the US has protected the country, and today "free nations" again hear the "drums of war" beating, which is widely believed by the Australian media to be aimed at China.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222354.shtml

China says 'independence forces' the root cause for strained cross-strait ties

The root causes for the destabilized relations between the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan region are attempts by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority and "independence forces" seeking so-called "Taiwan Independence," a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday. Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks during a press briefing in response to a poll. The poll results showed that many Taiwan residents think military confrontations would be unavoidable if the two sides are to resolve their political disputes.

Ma said Beijing wouldn't comment on any specific polls from Taiwan as they are designed and formed differently.

He then stressed that the two sides acknowledge that the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan region both belong to China as they have agreed on the 1992 Consensus, laying common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-strait ties.

"We are willing to do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification, but will never leave any room for all forms of 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities," Ma said.

(Cover: File photo of Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. /CFP)

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/China-says-independence-forces-destabilize-cross-strait- ties--ZPdIPTOgUM/index.html

Former US security advisor says Taiwan in 'maximum danger' from PLA

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A former national security advisor from the Trump administration said earlier this month that Taiwan is in "maximum danger" from China's military, particularly after the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

On April 9, Stanford-based think tank the Hoover Institution hosted a discussion titled "Just How Dangerous is China?" which included former U.S. national security advisor and current Hoover Institution senior fellow H.R. McMaster as well as Matthew Pottinger, Hoover distinguished visiting fellow and former deputy national security advisor.

During the talk, McMaster said the one thing he worries most about is "What if the People's Liberation Army really believes their own propaganda?" He said he fears Chinese troops in major flashpoints may believe "This is what Chairman Xi wants me to do."

McMaster is concerned that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) heightened rhetoric towards Taiwan could lead to soldiers taking matters into their own hands, triggering a conflict that could escalate quickly. He asserted that Taiwan is "at a point of maximum danger" and that "We're on our way up" in terms of the risk of a kinetic conflict. McMaster believes the most critical time will be after the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the CCP's 20th National Party Congress that same year. He said that the recent grey-zone tactics China has employed against Taiwan are "meant to desensitize us to this military intimidation."

He warned that what is even more concerning are activities "aimed at subverting Taiwan's will from an economic and informational perspective [through] cooptation of elites and so forth."

To deal with this threat, Pottinger said Taiwan must do more to bolster its defenses to show China it has a "will to resist." He said this would translate into actual operational capabilities in terms of a civil defense corps, reserve corps, special ops forces, and others "willing to fight for every square inch of territory in Taiwan."

Pottinger said that prior to President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) election in 2016, the Kuomintang-led Taiwanese government took many steps to abolish necessary elements of compulsory service. Instead of sending the message "Don't worry about military service" to its citizenry, he stated that Taiwan should actually expand its military "so that your adversaries understand that everyone's capable of fighting and has the will to fight."

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4189160

China Christens 3 Warships to Tighten Control in Disputed Sea, Warn US By Ralph Jennings

April 28, 2021 06:13 AM

TAIPEI - Ana -person commissioning of three major warships on Friday represents a bold step toward tightening naval control over lystscontested say Chinese Asian seas President and another Xi Jinping’s pushback in against what Beijing owing influence in the region.

Stateperceives media as inthe Beijing United say States’ the three gr vessels, described as a destroyer, a nuclear- powered strategic ballistic missile submarine and an amphibious assault ship, formally entered the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. The

Navy and Chinese shipbuilding industry amid the grave military struggle “unprecedented” commissioning “represents-based Global the rapid Times development reported. of the PLA pressureChinese officials China is see facing,” the ships the Beijing as a new way to help deter the United States from countries who contest Beijing's maritime sovereignty and slowly gain military sending its own vessels to the seas near say China’s some analysts. coasts, warn The chainother runsAsian from the Kuril Islands of Russia through Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. control inside the “first island chain,” Particularly at stake is the South China Sea, a 3.5 million-square-kilometer waterway contested by China and five other, militarily weaker nations: Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The sea stretches from Hong Kong south to Borneo. baptize the new naval units is a way to announce to the region and the world that the“The PLA commissioning Navy has evolved of those into ships a combined, and the factmultifunctional that Xi Jinping and himself efficient went marine to combat force capable of near coast defense, near seas active defense and far seas Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo- based Sasakawa P operations alike,” said Fabrizio https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/voa-news-china/experts-chinaeace Foundation’s Ocean Policy Research Institute. -christens- 3-warships-tighten-control-disputed-sea

How to Turn the Tables on China? Use Their A2/AD Military Strategy Against Them

Maritime access is the name of the game. by James Holmes Here's What You Need to Remember: Shipping and aircraft on which China’s economic and geopolitical fortunes depend must pass under the shadow of hostile armed forces whenever they leave or return home. Strategic geography encumbers China’s ambitions to a degree unique among great powers. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/how-turn-tables-china-use-their-a2ad- military-strategy-against-them-183847

The Right Way to Fight a Maritime War Against China take military action against the U.S. and its allies, partners and friends. They are the Taiwan “IStrait; see four Japan distinct and the maritime East China ‘flashpoint’ Sea; the zones,South Chinawhere Sea; the andChinese more navy distant may waters potentially around

China’sThis suggests other neighbors,an approach including to U.S. and Indonesia, allied strategy Singapore, vis-à- Australiavis China and for India.” times of strife. U.S. commanders and officialdom should look to the basics of strategy, concentrating in particular on the principle of concentration. Strategic grandmasters from Carl von Clausewitz to Alfred Thayer Mahan affirm that at its most fundamental, strategy is about amassing more firepower than the adversary at the scene of battle at the time of battle.

Straightforward,This oversimplifies isn’t a trifle. it? Whoever’s More firepower stronger furnishes where it no matters, ironclad when guarantee it matters, of victory. wins. In fact, there are no such guarantees. But it does bias the odds toward the better-armed gunslinger.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/the-right-way-to-fight-a-maritime-war-against- china/

Biden’s budget request steady but unimaginative on defence 28 Apr 2021|Marcus Hellyer

US President Joe Biden has sent Congress his requested budget for the 2022 fiscal year. Due to the timelines of a presidential transition yea change to the defence budget. r, there’s not a lot of detail yet, but there’s enough to answer one big question in the strategic policy sphere: there won’t be a big unpr The document’s preamble states that ‘America is confronting four compounding crises of aggressionecedented is not scope one ofand the scale four; all rather, at the theysame are time.’ the Forpandemic, those of the us resultiin the ngnational economic security community, it’s a useful reminder of Biden’s priorities that China’s increasing power and evencrisis, mainly a ‘national a military reckoning problem. on racial Instead, inequality he seeks centuries to outcompe in thete making’, and climate change. Competition with China is mentioned, but Biden makes clear that it isn’t simply or China through ‘a comprehensive strategy to reimagine and rebuild a new American economy’. budget request is only for discretionary funding. The bulk of the US federal budget is mandatedOn top of that, or non-discretionary Biden wasn’t exactly funding, dealt which a great includes hand in things terms likof ecash Social in theSecurity bank. The (retirement and disability benefits) and Medicare (health care for seniors). Over the past 35 years, mandated expenditure has grown from rough parity with discretionary funding to more than twice as much. In 2020 it blew out even further, to around three times as much, because of unemployment benefits and other support payments made during the pandemic (discretionary spending was around US$1.6 trillion and mandated was nearly US$4.9 trillion). With that, the annual deficit, which had been approaching US$1 trillion, surged past US$3 trillion. That also brought the public debt to US$21 trillion, or around 100% of GDP.

50 split between defence and non-defence spending. With most of the federal budget essentially untouchable, it might haveWithin been the temptingdiscretionary for Biden budget, to takethere’s the been razor a torough defence 50– spending to find the discretionary budget request maintains an almost even split between defence and non- defencediscretionary spending, funds despite to support his intent his domestic to reverse priorities. the long- Butterm he trendhasn’t of done declining that. His non- defence discretionary spending.

The total defence request is US$753 billion, around US$12 billion more than President itself. In comparison, the rest of the discretionary budget, which funds everything else from energyDonald toTrump’s education, 2021 is budget. only slightly Of that, more US$715 at US$769 billion billion. is for the Defence Department spending of Defenseis around 3.2% of GDP

—far more than America’s allies, including Australia. e doves who want significant readjustment of

It’s a budget that probably disappoints th Thespending request priorities, acknowledges and it’s that about more as good detail as is the to come.hawks Even coul dso, have the reasonablylack of specifics hoped around for. the Department of Defense sta described with dollars attached, the DoD has only high-level language with no dollars. nds out. While other departments’ individual programs are priorities, or because the Whetherelephantine that’s problems because facing issues the such DoD as is health, not clear. energy But andthe disthecrepancy environment between are higher the boilerplate language on defenceadministration and the sense hasn’t of yet urgency been able and get renewal its arms in otheraround areas the is striking.

What is there on defence largely gives an impression of continuity. Countering the threat offrom the China ballistic remains missile the submarine department’s fleet top challenge. There’s a commitment to ‘a strong,will crediblecontinue. nuclear deterrent for the security of the Nation and US allies’. The recapitalisation —the US Navy’s most expensive program—

rebuilding the Theeconomy Biden and administration’s working with convictionpartners and that allies. the means Importantly, to manage the request competition includes with a China aresubstantial not purely increase military to theones State is evident Department in the document’sbudget. But emphasisthe need to on deliver military capability is also real.

omy, and elsewhere Biden has proposed bold ideas that affect all departments, such as putting climate change into their core planning.The administration But there areseeks few to clear ‘reimagine’ signs in the this econ document of imagination at work in the nce. However, doing business the same way is unlikely to enable the US to counter the threats it perceives around the world. administration’s plans specifically for defe The army, navy and air force all face major recapitalisation challenges, with fleets ageing out and the mounting cost of replacements simply unaffordable. Meanwhile, Chinese pumping out ships yearmilitary with power the problem grows apace, of how reflecting to design its a navy role asthat the could world’s counter factory. China China’s before shipyards delivering are a plan that was essentiallyat a rate unaffordable the US can’t and match. unachievable Trump’s .defence secretary grappled for a in the budg fundamentalBiden’s administration changes. The will boilerplate have to wrestle language with leaves the same some chal rolenges,om for andmanoeuvring. the lack of Fordetail et request suggests it hasn’t resolved where, or indeed whether, it will make have been an unattainable and arguably distracting goal for years. There are references to example, it doesn’t sign up to a target for the size of the fleet, such as the 355 ships that innovation and emerging technologies, such as ‘remotely operated and autonomous systems’ and hypersonics. standard boilerplate, but potentially offers cover for some large force structure decisions, Thesuch request as reducing also refersthe size to of divesting the army ‘legacy to reinvest capacity in the and maritime force structure’. and air assets Again, needed this is in the Pacific.

through on the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan brokeBiden’s with decision the status to follow quo, even if the outcome is not clear. That decision will likely play wellsuggests to a USthat pub he’s willing to make tough calls. One may not agree with the decision, but he balance of power in the western Pacific. That will likely require a combination of more tough decisions licand tired greater of ‘endless imagination wars’, than but itwas won’t revealed by itself in thimakes budget much request. difference to the

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/bidens-budget-request-steady-but-unimaginative- on-defence/

U.S. National Security Strategy: Lessons Learned Paul Lettow

The Biden administration, as well as future administrations, should look to the national security strategy planning efforts of previous administrations for lessons on how to craft a strategy toughminded and sustainable in order to guide U.S. foreign, defense, and budget policies that establishes a competitive approach to America’s rivals that is both and decision-making. In this article, Paul Lettow gives a history of the processes and strategies of past administrations, beginning with the Eisenhower administration, and draws out the lessons to be learned from them. https://tnsr.org/2021/04/u-s-national-security-strategy-lessons-learned/

Blinken warns Turkey, US allies against purchasing Russian weapons BY TAL AXELROD - 04/28/21 05:56 PM EDT

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday warned Turkey and other U.S. allies against buying weapons systems from Russia, saying such purchases could be subject to sanctions and strain ties with Washington. Speaking at a virtual event, Blinken singled out Turkey as it undergoes talks with Russia for a second purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft weapons system, saying it could be penalized under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

"It's also very important going forward that Turkey, and for that matter all U.S. allies and partners, avoid future purchases of Russian weaponry, including additional S-400s," Blinken said.

"Any significant transactions with Russian defense entities, again, could be subject to the law, to CAATSA, and that's separate from and in addition to the sanctions that have already been imposed," he added.

The U.S. first slapped sanctions on Turkey in December over its 2019 purchase of the S- Defense Industries (SSB), SSB's president, Ismail Demir, and other SSB officers. They banned400 missile on all defense U.S. export system. licenses The penalties and authorizations targeted Turkey’s and imposed Presidency visa of restrictions and asset freezes for the individuals and agency.

Despite those sanctions, Turkey has said it is in talks with Russia for another purchase of the weapons system.

Those purchases are only one source of strain in the relationship between arm Kurdish fighters in Syria, while the U.S. has pressed Turkey on its human rightsWashington record. and Ankara. The two capitals have clashed over the U.S.’s decision to

Those tensions were exacerbated further when President Biden recognized the 1915 killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/550814-blinken-warns-turkey-us- allies-against-purchasing-russian-weapons

Biden nominates Fil-Am Iraq war veteran for Air Force Undersecretary

Published April 28, 2021, 11:29 AM by Roy Mabasa

United States President Joseph Biden has nominated Filipino-American Gina Ortiz Jones for undersecretary of the Air Force at the Department of Defense, the White House announced on Wednesday (Tuesday in Washington, D.C.) on the eve of the Biden administration’s first 100 days in office.

Jones is a veteran US Air Force intelligence officer who served in the Iraq War during the Bush administration. She is the daughter of Victorina Ortiz, an Ilocano single mother immigrant from Pangasinan.

In high school, Jones graduated in the top ten of her class that earned her a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship en route to Boston University where she earned her BA and MA in Economics, and a BA in East Asian Studies.

A member of the LGBTQ community, Jones served under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

After three years in active service, Jones went back to San Antonio, Texas where she grew up to attend to her mother who has since recovered from colon cancer.

She later joined the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as an inaugural member of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and served in the Libya Crisis Intelligence Cell.

ADVERTISEMENT Following an assignment as the Special Advisor to the DIA Deputy Director, Jones was detailed to the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center to serve as the Intelligence Community’s Senior Advisor for trade enforcement.

She joined the Office of the US Trade Representative as a Director for Investment leading the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) portfolio. When President Donald Trump won in November 2016, Jones stayed on in her post as director at the trade office only to leave five months later following Trump’s plan to cut education and housing aid, key issues that she considers closest to her.

She remembered growing up raised by a single mom and relied on reduced-cost school lunches and subsidized housing.

In 2018 and 2020, Jones served as the Democratic nominee for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District.

On her official website, Jones recalled her mother’s example, the sacrifices instilled in her, the importance of humility, hard work, and the willingness to step up and take risks to create and seize opportunities for herself and others when needed.

Jones’ nomination to the Air Force department comes at a time when the agency seeks to address barriers such as issues impacting diversity and inclusion, specifically on issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and e

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/us-pres-biden-nominates-fil-am-iraq-war-veteran- for-air-force-undersecretary/

The Cybersecurity 202: Nearly two-thirds of cybersecurity experts think Biden’s response to Russian hack is sufficient

By Tonya Riley April 26, 2021 at 7:18 p.m. GMT+8 Sixty-three percent of cybersecurity experts surveyed by The Cybersecurity 202 said the Biden administration had done enough to respond to the Russian hacking of SolarWinds software that led to a breach of at least nine government agencies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/26/cybersecurity-202-nearly- two-thirds-cybersecurity-experts-think-biden-response-russian-hack-is-sufficient/

The Missing Pieces of the US Cyber Strategy of ‘Persistent Engagement’ Washington has to take steps to square its ambitions with the differing perceptions of its Indo- Pacific partners. By Mark Manantan

April 28, 2021

The new U.S. cyber strategy of Persistent Engagement rests on two fundamental pillars: first, the pre- to operate everywhere and anytime, encompassingemptive both benign“defend and forward” proactive imperative. cyber-enabled This underpins operations the U.S.outside Cyber U.S. Command’s networks. Secondincreasingly is an awarenessoffensive posture of the changing strategic competition in cyberspace, which largely occurs below the threshold of armed conflict. Underscored by the interconnected and interactive nature of the cyber domain, Persistent Engagement views malicious cyber activities as part of more effective and interlinked campaigns that are not isolated or episodic, but instead are exploitative and cumulative. First announced in 2018, the Persistent Engagement strategy is the Trump -oriented cyber strategy developed during the Obama era, anchored in operational restraint and a norm-based, deterrentadministration’s approach. alternative For the U.S.to the Persistent defense Engagement strategy to succeed, the U.S. Cyber Command recognized that Washington could not do it alone. The st industry, and academia, and most importantly, alongside efforts from allies and partnersrategy’s aimed success at requiresadvancing collaborative collective cybersecurity. partnership across government, forward is clear: the U.S. will be working with its allies and partners to achieve its foreignWith the policy Biden objectives administration in the claimingcurrent era now of that great “America power competition, is back,” the especially path in the contested cyber domain. Supposing the U.S. genuinely desires to advance collective cybersecurity, it should court support in the Indo-Pacific, and temper its unilateral tendencies. In that case, three factors are highlighted, all of which sit alongside practical cyber policy engagements.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/the-missing-pieces-of-the-us-cyber-strategy-of- persistent-engagement/

Spy chiefs look to declassify intel after rare plea from 4-star commanders

Top military leaders said the U.S. is falling behind China and Russia in the information war.

By BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN and BRYAN BENDER 04/26/2021 06:53 PM EDT

America’s top spies say they are looking for ways to declassify and release more intelligence about adversaries’ bad behavior, after a group of four-star military commanders sent a rare and urgent plea asking for help in the information war against Russia and China.

A host of troubling actions from those two countries — including efforts to damage America’s relationships with allies and to violate other countries’ sovereignty — mean the Intelligence Community must do more to show the world what Russia and China are doing, according to the commanders. The memo from nine regional military commanders last year implored spy agencies to give them more evidence they can make public as a way to combat "pernicious conduct."

Only by "waging the truth in the public domain against America’s 21st century challengers” can Washington shore up support from American allies, they said. But efforts to compete in the battle of ideas, they added, are hamstrung by overly stringent secrecy practices.

“We request this help to better enable the US, and by extension its allies and partners, to win without fighting, to fight now in so-called gray zones, and to supply ammunition in the ongoing war of narratives," the commanders who oversee U.S. military forces in Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, as well as special operations troops, wrote to then- acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire last January.

“Unfortunately, we continue to miss opportunities to clarify truth, counter distortions, puncture false narratives, and influence events in time to make a difference," they added. The memo, which was reviewed by POLITICO and has not been made public, made waves inside the Pentagon, the Intelligence Community, and on Capitol Hill over the past year, where it has come to be known as the "36-star memo." It wasn’t a command or an ultimatum; rather, it implored the Intelligence Community to make big changes. The fact that it was signed by nine of the 11 four-star combatant commanders — all but one of whom are still in uniform — is nearly unheard of, said multiple government officials familiar with the memo who said it underscored an unusual level of alarm among the top brass. The top leaders for U.S. Central Command and Cyber Command did not sign.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/spy-chiefs-information-war-russia- china-484723 No ICBMs? Big Problems

We must dispel the unfounded fears of false alarms, place the cost in context, and seriously consider the unpleasant consequences of eliminating ICBMs from the U.S. nuclear force.

BY MATTHEW R. COSTLOW

DEFENSE ANALYST, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY

It has been a while since the United States first placed its current intercontinental ballistic missile, the Minuteman III, in its hardened silos deep underground. In fact, it was first deployed in 1970 – back when Richard Nixon was president, vinyl LPs ruled, and the internet was still 13 years away. Times have changed, and U.S. engineers have kept the Minuteman III ICBM ready through multiple life-extension programs, but there is only so much capability you can squeeze out of an old missile before replacement becomes necessary.

Normally, people would not be surprised that the United States wants to replace 50-year-old missiles, especially when – in a rare display of bipartisan agreement – the Obama administration began the replacement effort and the Trump administration carried it forward. But a small group of analysts and former officials, who have the ears of key U.S. senators, not only oppose the replacement missile, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, but also seek to eliminate ICBMs altogether.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/no-icbms-big-problems/173643/

US could seek ‘expeditionary’ base deal with India

Speculation is rising US may seek a mission-based deal with India as it prepares to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by MK BHADRAKUMAR April 27, 2021

In the coming week, the commander of the US Central Command, General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr, is expected to provide Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with options for potential future counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan.

During a hearing at the Hous Committee on Tuesday, McKenzie indicated that many issues are still e of Representatives’ Armed Services being figured out by President Joe Biden’s administration. Given the high sensitivity involved, McKenzie offered to dilate on them in closed-door briefings with lawmakers, but he and other witnesses made the following open remarks:

• counterterrorism operations from within the region • The Biden Administration is “further planning now for continuedressure with respect to potential [counter-terrorism] threats.” emanating Thefrom Pentagon Afghanistan. is considering So, [we are] “how looking to continue throughout to apply the region p in terms of over-the- • US diplomats will be talking to countries in the region where the US could potentially basehorizon resources opportunities.” that it could use to conduct operations in Afghanistan. These basing agreements would allow the US to station its soldiers legally in another country, and, depending on the terms of the agreement, conduct either surveillance or kinetic operations. • The US is seeking more opportunities for “expeditionary basing” in the region. The US might not seek permanent bases because of

Iran’s proximity. • assistance to the Afghan Nation Although(Emphasis the added.) US military is leaving, “we will keep providing al Defense and Security Forces.” All of the above issues will be worth watching in the coming months. involvement, if any, in the US basing arrangements in the region. The US hasFrom a logisticsthe Indian agreement perspective, with what India, matters which mostcould is facilitate New Delhi’s mission- based deployments on Indian bases.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/us-could-seek-expeditionary-base-deal-with-india/

Navy Chief Aiming for 355-Ship Fleet Despite Calls for Larger Force

4/27/2021 By Jon Harper

AddThis Sharing Button Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday wants a bigger fleet, but his force level goal falls well short of what some in the Defense Department are aiming for.

There are currently just under 300 ships in the Navy’s manned battle force. The Pentagon’s latest shipbuilding plan, released in December in the final weeks of the Trump administration, called for growing the fleet to 316 ships by 2026, 355 by the early 2030s, and 400 by the early 2040s.

“Recently I was asked by a member of Congress what my North Star is with respect to numbers right now,” Gilday said April 27 during a webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “That's 355. I still think that's a really good target.”

A 355-ship fleet had been the service’s stated goal for a number of years, and is the force level that Congress has called for in legislation. However, the Future Naval Force Study conducted last year — which was championed by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and helped shape the long-term shipbuilding plan — called for a number “far above” that, Gilday acknowledged.

But given the budget constraints that are expected in coming years, the Navy must grow the fleet at an “affordable rate,” he said.

The Biden administration’s budget outline released April 9, called for $715 billion for the Pentagon in fiscal year 2022, he noted. That is about 1.6 percent higher than the amount appropriated by Congress for 2021. The White House has yet to release separate toplines for each military service. A more detailed budget request is expected in May or June.

The military’s budget will be “lucky to actually keep pace with inflation,” Gilday said.

“What that will make most challenging, I think, is the fact that given the rise in personnel costs, given the rise in operations and maintenance costs, which typically rise at a rate higher than inflation, it will … potentially put a squeeze on the shipbuilding budget,” he said.

Gilday said he’s taking a “realist approach” to the Navy’s investment strategy, and won’t sacrifice readiness and capability in order to boost capacity.

“We need a fleet that's more ready and more capable and more lethal, more than we need a bigger fleet that's less ready and less capable and less lethal,” he said.

Readiness is Gilday’s top priority. That includes investments in manpower and training.

If the Navy gets into a fight with an adversary, the fleet and its commanders will only perform at the level to which they have been trained and prepared for battle, he said.

New capabilities that will require funding include hypersonic weapons, directed energy systems and improved networking for joint all-domain command-and-control, he noted.

Gilday also wants to bring a large number of robotic platforms into the fleet in addition to the 355-ship goal for manned vessels.

“It's an important part of the future,” Gilday said. “We can't afford to field the Navy like we did in the previous century,” he added. Manned-unmanned teaming — which eventually will lead to a more autonomous fleet — is where the service is headed.

By the mid- to late-2030s, up to a third of the service’s surface and subsurface fleet could be unmanned. Additionally, about 40 to 60 percent of future air wings could be compromised of robotic aircraft, he projected.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/4/27/navy-chief-aiming-for- 355-ship-fleet-despite-calls-for-larger-force

Sea power backers propose $25 billion to fix US shipyards By: Joe Gould 18 hours ago

AddThis Sharing Buttons maintenance facilities and a fleet stretched by maintenance backlogs, a bipartisan, bicameral group of WASHINGTON ― As the U.S. Navy grapples with outdated lawmakers are proposing a $25 billion cash infusion for public and private

shipyardsThe additional timed money for Congress’ would fully debate fund on a massive infrastructure-year, package. $21 billion public shipyard recapitalization plan in a single year, with flexibility to spend the Navy’s ongoing 20 that money over time. Another $4 billion for private shipyards that build and maintain the fleet makes up the rest. The 11-page Shipyard Act, introduced Wednesday, comes after President Joe Biden proposed a $2.25 trillion infrastructure package and Republicans made a $568 billion counteroffer. value of the yards and how improvements would support a larger fleet to The sponsors ― all from shipbuilding states ― pointed to both the economic itions. counterSen. Roger China’s Wicker, growing R-Miss., naval is leading amb the legislation with Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire; as well as Maine Sens. Angus King, an independent, and Susan Collins, a Republican. Rep. Rob Wittman, who is the top Republican on the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, is sponsoring a House version with Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. facilities that support our Navy fleet should be a par “As lawmakers consider ways to improve our nation’s infrastructure, the t of the conversation,” committing to a larger Navy, but our shipyards are having trouble servicing Wicker said in a statement. “Congress has already taken the important step of -ship fleet, and are clearly insufficient to maintain the 355-ship or larger fleet we need to counter China, Russia, and other adversaries. Now is the today’s 296 time to provide our Navy leaders the support they need to grow and preserve https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/04/28/seapower-backers-propose-25b- our fleet for generations to come.” to-fix-us-shipyards/

Navy, Coast Guard consider network tech to hedge against illegal fishing

By Scott Maucione @smaucioneWFED April 26, 2021 3:05 pm 2 min read The Navy and Coast Guard spend a lot of time on the water, but few would associate the services with one of the most synonymous creatures of the sea: fish.

However, as the United States continues to view China as a global threat, fishing is becoming a hot button issue, and the Navy and Coast Guard are looking to state-of-the-art technologies to address it.

Late last year, a Chinese fishing fleet of more than 300 boats showed up off the western coast of South America. The move drew the ire of countries that claimed that area as economically exclusive.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/navy/2021/04/navy-coast-guard-consider- network-tech-to-hedge-against-illegal-fishing/

US Navy puts unmanned integration to the test by Richard Scott

The US Navy (USN) has completed a major Pacific Fleet exercise designed to demonstrate the operational pay-offs realisable through the closer integration of multidomain manned and unmanned capabilities. by the US 3rd Fleet from 19 to 26 April under the command of Rear Admiral James Aiken, commander,Known as ‘Unmanned Carrier Strike Integrated Group Battle Three. Problem (UxS IBP) 21’, the exercise was executed

The scenarios and vignettes were designed to inform the operational community, navy warfare centres, and developers as to the incorporation and integration of unmanned systems capabilities into mainstream fleet operations and battle plans.

California. A total of 29 different unmanned systems participated in the event, of which approximately‘UxS IBP 21’ was half controlled were unmanned from the surface 3rd Fleet vehicles Joint Operation (USVs), about Center 30% in wereSan Diego, underwater vehicles, and the remainder aerial platforms.

While not all systems were publicly identified, unmanned assets known to have taken part in the exercise included the two medium-displacement unmanned surface vessels (MDUSVs) Sea Hunter and Seahawk ; and MQ-8B Fire Scout and MQ-9 SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a Vanilla ultra-long-endurance UAV; the Office of Naval

Concepts Angler seabed and mine warfare kinetic effector; a Carina undersea glider; a US MarineResearch’s Corps Super Long-Range Swarm Project; Unmanned the MANTAS Surface Vehicle; T38 Devil the Ray Ocean USV; Aero the AdvancedTriton-Class Acoustic Dual- Modality Underwater and Surface Autonomous Vehicle; and the SeaLandAire ADARO USV.

-9B SeaGuardian UAV was configured with a sonobuoy dispenser system pod. Operating in conjunction with the Ticonderoga-classFor the purposes of guided ‘UxS IBP missile 21’, the cruiser General USS Atomics MQ

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-navy-puts-unmanned- integration-to-the-test

Submarine USS Jefferson City deploys as Indo- Pacific tensions rise

By Ed Adamczyk

The submarine USS Jefferson City left Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Tuesday for deployment in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

April 28 (UPI) -- The fast-attack submarine USS Jefferson City departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to the Indo-Pacific area, the U.S. Navy announced.

The move was described by the Navy on Tuesday as a "regularly- scheduled deployment," without offering details.

It comes as numerous U.S. military assets have been transferred to the area encompassing the Indian and Pacific Oceans, areas patrolled by the U.S. Navy's 3rd and 7th fleets.

In March, Adm. Philip Davidson, chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, called for increases in U.S. involvement in the region during a virtual conference of the American Enterprise Institute.

He noted that Guam, a heavily fortified U.S. island territory in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines, China and Japan, should be defended as part of the homeland. Davidson also cited arms sales to Taiwan as a deterrent to possible military action by China.

"In and around Taiwan over the last several months we've seen an uptick in air activity from the PRC [People's Republic of China] that includes bomber flights to fighter flights, reconnaissance aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, even going so far as to repeatedly penetrate the Taiwan air defense identification zone," he said.

"I'm deeply concerned about the next six years, but certainly the course of this decade as well," Davidson said.

Davidson's comments came as he visited Washington government leaders in support of funding the Pacific Deterrence Initiative -- which has a $4.6 billion price tag in fiscal 2022, and $27 billion through 2027 -- to build up capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The USS Jefferson City, a Los Angeles-class submarine, was commissioned in 1992 and carries a crew of about 140 sailors.

It was designed for missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/04/28/indopacific0ussjeffersoncity- navy/5801619631436/

Navy SEALs to shift from counterterrorism to global threats

WASHINGTON Ten years after they found and killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. Navy SEALs are undergoing a major transition to improve leadership and expand their commando capabilities to better— battle threats from global powers like China and Russia.

The new plan cuts the number of SEAL platoons by as much as 30% and increases their size to make the teams more lethal and able to counter sophisticated maritime and undersea adversaries. And there will be a new, intensive screening process for the Navy's elite warriors, to get higher-quality leaders after scandals that rocked the force and involved charges of murder, sexual assault and drug use.

Rear Adm. H. Wyman Howard III, top commander for the SEALs, laid out his plans in an have been focused on counterterrorism operations but now must begin to evolve beyond thoseexclusive missions. interview For thewith past The two Associated decades, Press. many He have said been the fightinNavy’sg special in the desertsoperations of Iraq forces and mountains of Afghanistan. Now they are focused on going back to sea.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-seals-to-shift-from-counterterrorism-to-global- threats-1.671394

US Navy Seals to shift from counter-terrorism, focus now on China and Russia

The counterterrorism fight had its benefits, allowing the Seals to sharpen their skills in developing intelligence networks and finding and hitting targets. However, the recent shift reflects the broader Pentagon strategy to prioritize China and Russia, which are rapidly growing their militaries.

Ten years after they found and killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. Navy Seals are undergoing a major transition to improve leadership and expand their commando capabilities to better battle threats from global powers like China and Russia.

The new plan cuts the number of Seal platoons by as much as 30% and increases their size to make the teams more lethal and able to counter sophisticated maritime and undersea adversaries. And there will be a new, intensive screening process for the Navy's elite warriors, to get higher-quality leaders after scandals that rocked the force and involved charges of murder, sexual assault, and drug use.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-navy-seals-to-shift-from-counter- terrorism-focus-now-on-china-and-russia-101619615605042.html

Here are some big changes that may be coming to the Marine Corps Todd South

The Marine Corps’ second round of changes to how it fights shows moves in command, aviation, logistics and ground combat and shifts that might see stateside Marine reservists operating drones for active units overseas, ditching weapons companies from infantry battalions, and a host of other moves.

Those are some highlights of what Marine Corps leaders unveiled recently to media with a Force Design 2030 annual update.

The service’s first announcement in 2020 made sweeping changes that included shedding tanks from the ranks, swapping loads of conventional artillery for rockets and reducing the overall manpower from its 2020 level of 186,000 to 174,000 by 2030.

In the 2021 update, the Corps reviewed decisions leadership already has made, laid out next steps and hinted at adjustments that could have impact on forces large and small.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/04/26/here-are- some-big-changes-that-may-be-coming-to-the-marine-corps/

The U.S. Marine Corps says it has begun the process of retiring all of its RQ-21 Blackjack drones as it shifts its attention to other unmanned platforms, including the MQ-9 Reaper and the V-Bat. This decision, which is part of a radical, service-wide force structure redesign initiative, comes despite the RQ-21s being relatively young and programs ongoing right now to expand their sensor capabilities.

The Marines announced earlier this week that they had "initiated the divestment of all RQ- 21 aircraft" in the first annual update on the service's progress with the Force Design 2030 effort, which was publicly unveiled last year and you can read more about here. The restructuring plan includes scaling back or outright getting rid of a number of traditional capabilities, such as the elimination of all M1 tank-equipped units, in favor of a remodeled, lighter force with a renewed emphasis on expeditionary and distributed operations. The acquisition of new weapons and other equipment more tailored to these new concepts of operation, such as more capable drones and various longer-range ground-based missiles, is a key component of this initiative.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40352/the-marines-are-ditching-their-relatively-young- rq-21-blackjack-drones

First Image of Marines’ New Anti-Ship Missile Unmanned Truck Emerges

-based anti-ship missile vehicle reveals how the service mounted a Raytheon Naval Strike Missile on a modified unmanned Joint Light ATactical new photo Vehicle. of the Marine Corps’ shore

On Wednesday, Raytheon issued a photo of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) that took part in a November test in Point Mugu, Calif.

The Marines, working with Raytheon, used a Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary (ROGUE) Fires truck to launch a Naval Strike Missile as part of a proof-of- concept test.

USNI News last year reported that the Navy and Marine Corps were pursuing ground-based anti- (EABO) concept. EABO would see the Marines moving between expeditionary bases set up on islandsship missiles or shorelines to underpin in a region the Marines’ like the ExpeditionaryPacific and work Advanceding with Bathese Navy Operations fleet operating in nearby waters.

President“This test furtherof Naval demonstrates Power Kim Ernzen our partnership said in the for release. advancing the Marine Corps’ modernization priorities of enabling sea control and denial operations,” Raytheon Vice Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, the deputy commandant for combat development and integration, last

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) with a launcher as a short-term way to achieve an anti- shipyear capability.described theBut Marines’ in the long-term, plans to experimentthe Marine Corpswith a could Naval pursue Strike theMissile Ground-Launched mounted on a Cruise Missile (GLCM), which Smith at the time said the Marines could also launch from a ROGUE Fires Vehicle, to hit longer-range targets.

-ship missile? And the response for us is actually fairly simple: we are the littoral combat force present within the Pacific and specifically“We’re often in asked, the first what island are chain,Marines and doing as that with force an anti we already can fire with our coordination with the Army off of the High- Smith told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee last March. Mobility Artillery Rocketmissile System, that goes HIMARS,” out a couple hundred miles. It makes sense to us that any force that is the littoral combat force should “We can fire an Army ATacMS (Army Tactical Missile System) havehttps://news.usni.org/2021/04/28/first-image- a weapons system that can place a threatof-marines- on an enemynew-anti-ship-missile-unmanned-truck- ship.” emerges

F-35B Expeditionary Basing and the Pacific

04/25/2021

By Robbin Laird

The United States and its core allies are in the process of shaping a distributed but integrated force.

The F-35 provides significant capabilities for such an effort.

And with the Japanese, the South Koreans and the Singaporeans all acquiring the B variant basing flexibility is enhanced as well.

With the Marines bringing the B to the region some time ago, the U.S. allies are all familiar with the flexibility demonstrated by the Marine Corps team.

Recently, the Marines exercised with the Singaporeans and brought their operational experience into their direct working efforts.

As a recent 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit story put it:

Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group conducted flight-training operations near Singapore within international waters, April 8.

During these operations, U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164, 15th MEU also conducted joint training with F-15SG and F-16D multi-role fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

“It’s a professional privilege to work and fly with our longstanding partners from the Republic of Singapore while operating in the southern reaches of the South China Sea,” Maj. Benjamin Boera, F-35B Detachment future operations officer.

“Flying alongside pilots with the RSAF is a great experience for us all and helps further promote the F-35B’s 5th-generation capabilities, while reinforcing our support and commitment to all partner nations in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Conducting maritime-based engagements with partner nations provides a unique capability to learn and understand each partner’s skills, prepare for real-world operations and further strengthen the longstanding relationships between countries and militaries.

“These operations highlight both the capabilities of our fifth generation aircraft and our interoperability with the Republic of Singapore, a deeply valued partner,” said Rear Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7. “The F-35B has been a game-changer in this theater, and I’m grateful for the flexibility and lethality that the entire USS Makin Island/15th MEU team provides our combatant commanders as we contribute to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Makin Island ARG and embarked 15th MEU is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

https://defense.info/re-shaping-defense-security/2021/04/f-35b-expeditionary-basing-and-the- pacific/

Cyber Daily: The Ease of Tracking Mobile Phones of U.S. Soldiers in Hot Spots | Apple’s Software Chief on Privacy Hello. A significant challenge for the U.S. armed forces is how to protect service members, intelligence officers and security personnel in an age where highly revealing commercial data being generated by mobile phones and other digital services is bought and sold in bulk, and available for purchase by America’s adversaries, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Other news: Crying foul over Apple’s new app privacy terms, and Apple’s software chief’s explanation; Eastern spy, Western spy; Nvidia vulnerabilities; defending against cyber activity attributed to Russian actors.

Supply-chain attacks are a gift that keeps on giving: An accounting firm must warn its clients’ customers that their data is at risk after a cyberattack at one of its tech providers.

Unintended Consequences

Tracking U.S. military movements: In 2016, a U.S. defense contractor named PlanetRisk Inc. was working on a software prototype when its employees discovered they could track U.S. military operations through the data generated by the apps on the mobile phones of American soldiers.

When PlanetRisk traced telephone signals from U.S. bases to a Syrian cement factory in 2016, it hadn’t been disclosed publicly that the factory was being used as a staging area for U.S. and allied forces.

The U.S. government has built robust programs to track terrorists and criminals through warrantless access to commercial data. But those same capabilities are available to U.S. adversaries, and the U.S.—having prioritized a free and open internet paid for largely through digital advertising with minimal regulation of privacy—has struggled to effectively monitor what software service members are installing on devices and whether that software is secure.

Crying foul: A group representing media, internet and advertising firms in Germany filed a complaint against Apple, claiming new privacy terms in iOS14.5 amount to market abuse. Under Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy, users decide whether to let apps track them through analysis of their personal data. The German business group said the move is “shutting out all competitors from processing commercially relevant data in its ecosystem.” Apple said it is upholding individuals’ privacy rights. (Reuters)

Ransomware ripple effect: Accounting firm Perkins & Co. is notifying 53,768 individuals that their personal data is at risk after a ransomware attack at one of its technology providers, Netgain Technology LLC. The cloud services vendor disclosed the attack to Perkins in late 2020 and said it paid an undisclosed ransom to the hacker, according to Perkins. Netgain and its investigators said they haven’t found evidence of exposed data posted online.

Affected Perkins clients include retailers Hanna Andersson and Columbia Sportswear Co.

Perkins, based in Portland, Ore., continues to study its potentially compromised files to determine which information is at risk.

Spy vs. spy: Western nations could lose tech supremacy to China, whose “size and technological weight [means] that it has the potential to control the global operating system,” Jeremy Fleming, director of British intelligence agency GCHQ, warned at a conference last week. (Associated Press)

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman called Mr. Fleming’s remarks “groundless,” and said the U.S. and U.K. “are actually the true empires of hacking and tapping.”

Cyber News

Gaming risks: Vulnerabilities in graphics-processing tech from Nvidia Inc. could leave gamers open to cyberattack. Denial-of-service attacks, data harvesting and other incidents are possible, the specialty-chip maker said. Patches are available. (ThreatPost)

Dissection of Russian threats: Top U.S. cybersecurity officials on Monday released an analysis of techniques they attribute to Russian hackers “to aid organizations in conducting their own investigations and securing their networks.” The advisory includes signs of compromise and recommendations for defense, plus commentary on how tools and tactics have evolved.

The advisory includes guidance for combatting specific hacking methods, including:

So-called Wellmess malware that appears to focus on gaining information related to Covid-19 vaccine development;

Exploitation of “zero-day” vulnerabilities, or freshly discovered weaknesses for which there aren’t yet patches, specifically related to virtual private networks commonly used during remote work.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cyber-daily-the-ease-of-tracking-mobile-phones-of-u-s-soldiers-in-hot- spots-apples-software-chief-on-privacy-11619528757 Businessman Qin Shuren admits smuggling US marine tech to China

• The marine biologist pleaded guilty to illegally exporting hydrophones – devices that can monitor sound under water • US Justice Department official says Chinese espionage and technology theft cases remain a top priority

Chinese businessman Qin Shuren, in an image taken from his LinkedIn profile. Photo: LinkedIn

A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to US charges that he smuggled marine technology out of the United States for the benefit of a Chinese military university involved in developing underwater drones.

Qin Shuren, a marine biologist and founder of a company that sells oceanographic instruments, pleaded guilty in Boston federal court to illegally exporting to China devices called hydrophones that can be used to monitor sound under water.

He was charged in 2018 amid rising US concerns about the national security threat posed by China.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3131505/businessman-qin- shuren-admits-smuggling-us-marine

What focus areas are key to America’s future space capabilities? By: Tate Nurkin 21 hours ago 5

It has been an active start to 2021 for the Department of Defense’s space activities as the Pentagon seeks to build agility, capability and resilience in this increasingly important domain. Increased concentration on space is welcome. However, Pentagon decisions about future priorities, activities and investments should continue to sharpen its focus on the technologies and capabilities required to exploit new architectures and approaches in space. Moreover, as it identifies these critical technologies — particularly laser communications but others as well — it should prioritize building a robust and resilient domestic American industry to support U.S. activity in a domain that is critical to the future of U.S. military capabilities and national and economic security. Perhaps the most notable 2021 development so far — and most indicative of the importance of supporting a domestic capability in key technologies — was the Space Development Agency’s February announcement that it will release a request for proposals this summer for the production of 150 small satellites to be placed in low Earth orbit as part of Tranche 1 of the seven-layer National Defense Space Architecture. Tranche 0′s 30 satellites are currently being developed and are expected to be launched early next year. The Tranche 1 satellites will be part of what will eventually become a 300-500 satellite LEO transport layer that will move data across the architecture. Once finalized, the transport layer will provide “low latency data connectivity; data directly to weapons; and data disseminated to the theatre.” It will serve as the backbone of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control program and future concepts of all-domain operations. An architecture of hundreds of small satellites proliferated across LEO also provides resilience for a U.S. space infrastructure increasingly vulnerable to an expanding range of counter-space capabilities being developed and fielded by Russia and China. Success of the National Defense Space Architecture will ultimately rest not only on the ability to get hundreds of small satellites into LEO over the next few years, but also on maturing a set of enabling technologies crucial to optimizing the operational value of this architecture. At the top of the list of these enabling capabilities is intersatellite laser communications, a technology on which SDA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are partnering with U.S. companies, with a demonstration set for June. General Atomics will launch two satellites equipped with the company’s Laser Interconnect and Networking Communication System, comprised of two satellites each hosting a laser communication terminal payload. In the other test, an SA Photonics payload will be launched on two Astro Digital satellites — known as the Mandrake II satellites — as part of DARPA’s Blackjack program. These demonstrations will be closely watched, given the importance of optical intersatellite links, or OISL, to the future of the U.S. space-based architectures. An April report from the Atlantic Council, titled “The Future of Security in Space,” assesses laser communications to be a “keystone” technology for U.S. space ambitions and highlights the multilayered value that laser communications provide over radio frequency communications, noting that “the continued development of laser communication will allow for satellite constellation growth, increased data throughput, and greater security.”

https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2021/04/28/what-focus-areas-are-key-to- americas-future-space-capabilities/

Report to Congress on Hypersonic Weapons

April 28, 2021 10:02 AM

The following is the April 26, 2021 Congressional Research Service report, Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the report

The United States has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons— maneuvering weapons that fly at speeds of at least Mach 5—as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s. In recent years, the United States has focused such efforts on developing hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target, and hypersonic cruise missiles, which are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines during flight. As Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command General John Hyten has stated, these weapons could enable “responsive, long-range, strike options against distant, defended, and/or time-critical threats [such as road-mobile missiles] when other forces are unavailable, denied access, or not preferred.” Critics, on the other hand, contend that hypersonic weapons lack defined mission requirements, contribute little to U.S. military capability, and are unnecessary for deterrence.

Funding for hypersonic weapons has been relatively restrained in the past; however, both the Pentagon and Congress have shown a growing interest in pursuing the development and near-term deployment of hypersonic systems. This is due, in part, to the growing interest in these technologies in Russia and China, both of which have a number of hypersonic weapons programs and have likely fielded operational hypersonic glide vehicles—potentially armed with nuclear warheads. Most U.S. hypersonic weapons, in contrast to those in Russia and China, are not being designed for use with a nuclear warhead. As a result, U.S. hypersonic weapons will likely require greater accuracy and will be more technically challenging to develop than nuclear-armed Chinese and Russian systems.

The Pentagon’s FY2021 budget request for all hypersonic-related research is $3.2 billion—up from $2.6 billion in the FY2020 request—including $206.8 million for hypersonic defense programs. At present, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not established any programs of record for hypersonic weapons, suggesting that it may not have approved either requirements for the systems or long-term funding plans. Indeed, as Assistant Director for Hypersonics (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering) Mike White has stated, DOD has not yet made a decision to acquire hypersonic weapons and is instead developing prototypes to assist in the evaluation of potential weapon system concepts and mission sets. As Congress reviews the Pentagon’s plans for U.S. hypersonic weapons programs, it might consider questions about the rationale for hypersonic weapons, their expected costs, and their implications for strategic stability and arms control. Potential questions include the following:

• What mission(s) will hypersonic weapons be used for? Are hypersonic weapons the most cost-effective means of executing these potential missions? How will they be incorporated into joint operational doctrine and concepts? • Given the lack of defined mission requirements for hypersonic weapons, how should Congress evaluate funding requests for hypersonic weapons programs or the balance of funding requests for hypersonic weapons programs, enabling technologies, and supporting test infrastructure? Is an acceleration of research on hypersonic weapons, enabling technologies, or hypersonic missile defense options both necessary and technologically feasible? • How, if at all, will the fielding of hypersonic weapons affect strategic stability? • Is there a need for risk-mitigation measures, such as expanding New START, negotiating new multilateral arms control agreements, or undertaking transparency and confidence-building activities?

https://news.usni.org/2021/04/28/report-to-congress-on-hypersonic-weapons-2

Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress The United States has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons— maneuvering weapons that fly at speeds of at least Mach 5—as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s. In recent years, the United States has focused such efforts on developing hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target, and hypersonic cruise missiles, which are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines during flight. As Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command General John Hyten has stated, these weapons could enable “responsive, long-range, strike options against distant, defended, and/or time-critical threats [such as road-mobile missiles] when other forces are unavailable, denied access, or not preferred.” Critics, on the other hand, contend that hypersonic weapons lack defined mission requirements, contribute little to U.S. military capability, and are unnecessary for deterrence. Funding for hypersonic weapons has been relatively restrained in the past; however, both the Pentagon and Congress have shown a growing interest in pursuing the development and near-term deployment of hypersonic systems. This is due, in part, to the growing interest in these technologies in Russia and China, both of which have a number of hypersonic weapons programs and have likely fielded operational hypersonic glide vehicles— potentially armed with nuclear warheads. Most U.S. hypersonic weapons, in contrast to those in Russia and China, are not being designed for use with a nuclear warhead. As a result, U.S. hypersonic weapons will likely require greater accuracy and will be more technically challenging to develop than nuclear-armed Chinese and Russian systems. The Pentagon’s FY2021 budget request for all hypersonic-related research is $3.2 billion—up from $2.6 billion in the FY2020 request—including $206.8 million for hypersonic defense programs. At present, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not established any programs of record for hypersonic weapons, suggesting that it may not have approved either requirements for the systems or long-term funding plans. Indeed, as Assistant Director for Hypersonics (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering) Mike White has stated, DOD has not yet made a decision to acquire hypersonic weapons and is instead developing prototypes to assist in the evaluation of potential weapon system concepts and mission sets. As Congress reviews the Pentagon’s plans for U.S. hypersonic weapons programs, it might consider questions about the rationale for hypersonic weapons, their expected costs, and their implications for strategic stability and arms control. Potential questions include the following: • What mission(s) will hypersonic weapons be used for? Are hypersonic weapons the most costeffective means of executing these potential missions? How will they be incorporated into joint operational doctrine and concepts? • Given the lack of defined mission requirements for hypersonic weapons, how should Congress evaluate funding requests for hypersonic weapons programs or the balance of funding requests for hypersonic weapons programs, enabling technologies, and supporting test infrastructure? Is an acceleration of research on hypersonic weapons, enabling technologies, or hypersonic missile defense options both necessary and technologically feasible? • How, if at all, will the fielding of hypersonic weapons affect strategic stability? • Is there a need for risk- mitigation measures, such as expanding New START, negotiating new multilateral arms control agreements, or undertaking transparency and confidence-building activities?

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R45811.pdf

Why Taiwan's Defense Strategy Calls for a Reassessment of Priorities

Taiwan’s maritime strategy risks falling behind the times even as strongman Xi and other communist chieftains rattle their sabers. by James Holmes

Here's What You Need to Remember: To evaluate Taiwan’s defenses, ask whether Taipei is asking too much of the armed forces—and whether the armed forces are remaking themselves adequately to cope with today’s brave new world.

Chinese president Xi Jinping issued yet another threat to Taiwan during what the BBC artfully called “a speech marking 40 years since the start of improving ties” between the communist-ruled mainland and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. Xi exhorted Taiwanese to accept that they “must and will be” unified with the mainland. Sheesh. If forty years of improving ties culminate in threats to wipe out your negotiating partner’s political existence, I’d shudder to think how forty years of deteriorating ties across the Taiwan Strait would have turned out.

But Xi’s remarks do warrant taking stock of Taiwan’s defense afresh. To measure the adequacy of Taiwan’s defense, first, survey its overall strategic posture and then the state of its land, air and sea power. If the ROC armed forces are sufficient to discharge the tasks entrusted to them by the political leadership in Taipei, then the island is in sound shape to uphold its independence. If Taipei has assigned the military more to do than it can reasonably do, then trouble looms: missions must be cut or capabilities expanded until ends and means are in sync.

First, strategy. Few—and by “few” I mean “no”—nations boast the diplomatic, economic and military resources and political artistry to get everything they want. That being the case, they survey the surroundings and devise a strategy for a world of many goals and scarce resources. At its most fundamental, strategy is the art and science of setting and enforcing priorities among things or purposes the nation values, and apportioning resources to attain the priorities it cherishes most. You can’t have it all.

The Republic of China—an island state under the shadow of a continental giant bent on absorbing it by means peaceful or violent—must be more ruthless with itself than most when setting and enforcing priorities.

Self-discipline hasn’t always been the Taiwanese way. For example, strategists on the island have a habit of placing inordinate importance on defending outlying possessions, islands hard aboard the China coast and in the South China Sea. It strains credulity to think the ROC armed forces could defend the main island of Formosa while also holding offshore islands deep within waters and skies dominated by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Taiwanese military would scatter air and sea assets all over the map in an attempt to do so, at a time when they are heavily outnumbered by increasingly capable PLA counterparts.

For political reasons, Taipei probably cannot publicly write off the islands—few leaders get away with forfeiting sovereign territory—but President Tsai Ing-wen and her lieutenants should tacitly demote them on the ROC’s list of priorities. Successfully defend Formosa and preserve your national life, then you can worry about recovering lost peripheral territories. The commitment to national integrity would remain, but Taipei would have accepted it may have to fulfill that commitment in phases rather than all at once.

This is not a palatable way of doing things, but it is reality when trying to survive amid moral danger. So to estimate whether Taiwanese strategy comports with reality, gauge whether Taipei is taking a gimlet-eyed approach to fixing priorities or is trying to do everything, everywhere, with a slender inventory of diplomatic, economic and military resources. Small states under duress must decide what they want most, apply themselves single-mindedly to obtain it, and downgrade or triage the rest.

Second, military power. The ROC armed forces are undergoing a cultural revolution and are moving in the right direction, if not at the pace friends of Taiwan might like. The cultural revolution is this. During the Cold War, the Taiwanese Navy and Air Force planned to rule the seas and skies adjoining Taiwanese territory. ROC ships and warplanes were fewer in number than those deployed by the lumbering PLA Navy and Air Force. But they were more technologically sophisticated than their Chinese nemeses, and ROC seamanship and airmanship were better to boot.

Superior quality—both material and human—offset inferior quantity. The culture of command of the sea and sky was imprinted on Taiwan’s military culture over the course of many decades of strategic competition with the mainland. That the ROC military worked closely with the U.S. military, a force steeped in command of the common, did little to disabuse ROC warriors of their ingrained assumptions about how to wage combat.

The notion that a few doughty ROC ships and planes would take to the sea and air and beat back the PLA has been under strain since the 1970s when the United States withdrew formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China. No longer could Taipei count on that allied support when the chips were down. The strain intensified during the 1990s when the PLA set out to reinvent itself as a modern high-tech force. As a force more like the ROC and U.S. militaries, in other words. Chinese shipbuilding, aviation technology, and weapons design have made steady inroads for the past twenty years—cutting into Taiwan’s edge in quality while calling into question the conceit that ROC quality will beat PLA quantity. In short, the PLA has narrowed if not abolished the Taiwanese military’s technological advantage while also remaining far superior in brute numbers. The islanders may still hold an edge in tactical skill and élan, but, at some point, mainland forces will prevail by weight of numbers amplified by gee-whiz technology.

What does this have to do with culture and a cultural revolution? Think about what military folk and their institutions are. As scientist Richard Dawkins teaches, human beings are susceptible to “memes.” We think of memes as jokes or snark that go “viral” online, attracting massive readership or viewership, and that is one example of it. But a meme is something more basic. Dawkins sometimes refers to a meme as a “mind virus.” It is an idea or image that spreads to person to person by a kind of mental contagion, capturing the fancy of those exposed to it.

Dawkins takes an upbeat view of how memes work, contending that they emerge from a kind of evolutionary process: ideas are tried out and the fittest survive, becoming memes. A new idea may eventually emerge, natural selection resumes, and either the new idea becomes the meme or the old one outlasts it and remains in force.

But now take a group of individuals susceptible to memes, put them in a bureaucratic organization, and put some of them in authority over the organization. What happens if a mental virus about how the institution should conduct its affairs goes viral among the leadership?

Well, a bureaucracy is a sort of machine that mass-produces routine tasks. It runs on standard rules, regulations and procedures. If a meme captures its leaders’ minds, they’re apt to reshape those rules, regulations and procedures in keeping with it. In effect they incorporate the viral idea into the programming that governs how the machine functions. Once encoded in the bureaucratic workings, a meme is hard to dislodge; the leadership does what leaders do and punishes those who flout bureaucratic routine while rewarding those who comply and keep the machinery running smoothly.

The process of natural selection among ideas slows down or grinds to a halt—leaving the machine set in its ways. It resists trying to reinvent itself as the surroundings change around it, as they will in strategic affairs. Something dramatic if not traumatic may have to happen to jolt the institution out of its meme-driven way of transacting business. In the case of martial institutions, a catastrophic defeat has a way of clearing out ideas that have outlived their usefulness. Sufficiently hardheaded leadership might do so as well. Some of the memes impelling ROC military routine are the ones listed here: command the sea, command the sky, make quality overpower quantity. These were fitting for their times, but times have changed. ROC officialdom seems to understand this, but no shock to the system has discredited the old memes. That being the case, the machine tends to adapt by increments. For example, the Taiwanese Navy has begun acquiring small, stealthy patrol craft more suitable for denying the PLA Navy access to the waters adjoining Formosa than for fighting a major fleet battle for maritime command. It has armed them with indigenous anti-ship missiles able to give Chinese invaders a bad day. Wonderful!

But the navy is only procuring a dozen such craft—hardly a swarm capable of descending on and defeating a PLA invasion force. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Navy also maintains a legacy force of destroyers, frigates and amphibious warships best suited to fighting major surface engagements and projecting power onto foreign shores. The ROC battle fleet is visibly and increasingly out of step with the tactical and operational setting in East Asia. It also consumes resources that could go to the sea- denial fleet.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-taiwans-defense-strategy-calls- reassessment-priorities-183848)

War games held in Mandarin, English for years: ministry

The computer-assisted war games stage of the annual Han Kuang military exercises has been conducted in Mandarin and English for years to prepare for possible cooperation with a foreign military force, the Ministry of National Defense has said in a report.

The ministry has taken the measure to improve the English-language skills of military personnel and their ability to communicate with other nations’ forces, it said in the report briefing the public on the military’s achievements last year.

English-language proficiency is especially important amid growing military threats from China, it said.

The bilingual war games aim to prepare military personnel for possible cooperation with foreign forces to fend off a Chinese invasion, said the report, which was made public on March 31.

The bilingual war games have been conducted by using the Joint Theater Level Simulation System and the Taiwan Joint Training Management System, the report said.

The section of the report on the bilingual war games had not drawn attention until it was reported by Chinese-language media on Tuesday.

It was the first time that the ministry has revealed the bilingual nature of the computer- assisted war games in an annual report, which it started issuing in 2017.

The exercises, first held in 1984, are the nation’s largest military exercises involving all branches of the armed forces to test their combat readiness in case of a Chinese invasion.

They are held in two stages: computer-assisted war games and live-fire drills.

This year’s simulated war games began on Friday last week and are to conclude on Friday.

The live-fire drills are to be held from July 12 to 16.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/04/29/2003756545

Ex-presidential guards guilty of spying for China

The High Court yesterday upheld a guilty ruling against two former presidential guards who were charged with espionage, and ordered them to serve out their prison terms.

The judges withdrew a suspended sentence for retired military officer Sun Han-fan (孫翰 方) and his nephew Wang Wen-yen (王文彥), a former officer with the National Security Bureau’s Special Service Center, ordering Sun to serve his three-year and four-month sentence, and Wang to serve his 22-month sentence.

The two were found guilty of breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), spying for China and trying to obtain the closely guarded itinerary of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英 文), as well as US and Japanese politicians who visited and met with Tsai in 2018.

Lawmakers and pundits said that the bureau and other top intelligence agencies must take heed from the serious breaches and vulnerabilities exposed in this case, as it revealed a concerted effort by Beijing to penetrate the top levels of government, its successful infiltration into the ranks of the security officers around the president, and its attempts to recruit Taiwanese military and intelligence officers to obtain classified materials.

Sun was recruited from the military ranks to work at the Presidential Office’s Department of Security Affairs, and had served as a personal guard for former presidents Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), a court statement said.

Upon his retirement, Sun went to China, took a job at a Chinese law firm, and was approached by a Chinese intelligence officer surnamed Fang (方), who offered him money to recruit friends and relatives in Taiwan to infiltrate and spy on the Taiwanese government.

“Knowing that Fang was working for a Chinese intelligence agency, Sun agreed to engage in espionage and recruitment work, as Fang promised to give him up to 10,000 yuan [US$1,542] each month, and big rewards for successful jobs, which included obtaining highly classified materials from the Taiwanese government and military,” the statement said.

After Sun returned to Taiwan, he learned that Wang had been promoted from his job at the bureau to serve as a security guard at the Presidential Office during the tenures of former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Wang became the head of one of the Military Police Command’s security guard units when Tsai began her presidential term in 2016.

Sun recruited Wang to procure confidential information that he passed on to his Chinese handlers. These included the names, ranks, job descriptions and telephone numbers of top officers in charge of security arrangements at the Presidential Office, as well as daily security guard rotations and details, an investigation showed.

Sun had treated Wang to junket trips to Bali, Singapore and South Korea from 2008 to 2016 as part of an ongoing effort to persuade and instruct him on obtaining classified materials, the investigation showed.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/04/29/2003756536

The Need for Taiwan's Forthcoming Submarine Program Is More Than Pressing

The 1982 Falklands War provides some insight into why they need them and how to use them. by James Holmes

Here's What You Need to Remember: A vibrant undersea fleet would pay political and strategic dividends that the current contingent of two aging and two positively elderly boats could never yield.

New submarines for Taiwan? Yes, please!

Submarine construction is poised to become a reality now that Washington has lifted restrictions that once prohibited exports of equipment to outfit or arm Taiwanese boats. It appears indigenous builders will construct the hulls—eight is the number bruited about—while foreign partners will supply the sensors, combat systems, and weapons along with technical advice.

A vibrant undersea fleet would pay political and strategic dividends that the current contingent of two aging and two positively elderly boats could never yield.

It only makes sense for Taiwan to take charge of its own destiny. The gods of world affairs help those who help themselves. Wise societies tend to their own security and interests to the utmost extent possible rather than trust to foreign allies who could prove untrustworthy in times of martial strife.

Human nature helps explain why self-help represents the bedrock underlying international relations. General George S. Patton, a keen observer of the human condition, opined that people cheer likely victors while scorning likely losers. And so they do. Who flocks to a losing cause? Few. People either side with winners, or they side with outmatched contenders who do their darnedest in their own cause—in other words, with pugilists who could succumb yet command admiration and could prevail with help.

Winston Churchill’s Great Britain showed pluck when it stood alone against the Axis in 1940-1941. It was a worthy cause. Submariners could be Taiwan’s answer to Royal Air Force pilots who dueled the Luftwaffe daily during the Battle of Britain. Taiwan Navy (or Republic of China Navy, ROCN) boats could ward off attacks on the homeland or strike offensively while inspiring allies to rally to the cause.

Military sage Carl von Clausewitz explains allies’ halfheartedness in terms of competing priorities. One combatant may support another, and do so sincerely. But it never takes its ally’s cause as seriously as it takes its own. Tepidly committed, it devotes modest diplomatic, economic, and military resources to common endeavors; it writes off an endeavor when costs and dangers mount.

When the going gets tough, confides Clausewitz, less-than-tough allies get going— toward the exit. Inhabitants of Taiwan understand this phenomenon better than most. The prospect of abandonment stares islanders in the face every day as China deploys diplomatic, economic, and military inducements or coercion to discourage outsiders from coming to the island’s defense.

Which is why Taipei must seize ownership of its defense against Big Brother across the Taiwan Strait. At sea that means shifting from a “sea-control” to a “sea-denial” strategy. Sea control is a strategy of the strong. A navy intent on sea control strives to sweep the antagonist from important waters and make them a preserve from which to control the sea lanes or project power ashore.

Once upon a time the Taiwan Navy aspired to rule the waves, and it stood a reasonable chance of doing so. Material and human excellence made it a legitimate contender against the large but backward People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), its archnemesis. Those days have receded into memory as China’s military mass- produces high-tech fighting ships and planes, takes to the sea and sky, and backs its battle fleet with shore-based firepower.

In short, Taiwan’s navy no longer commands nearby waters and stands little chance of regaining maritime supremacy. That doesn’t mean all is lost. To protect their island ROCN mariners mainly need to deny the PLA Navy control of waters adjacent to Taiwan, not dominate those waters for themselves. If they can fend off amphibious assault, break blockades, and assail shipping, they can grant allies—chiefly the United States—time to fight their way into the theater and reverse Chinese aggression.

Sea denial is a time-honored strategy of the lesser contender. Handled deftly and imaginatively, swarms of inexpensive yet superempowered small craft can give a hostile fleet a very bad day. As historian Theodore Ropp observed of the fin de siècle French Navy, David need not defeat Goliath—the Goliath of those days being Great Britain’s Royal Navy—to curtail the giant’s freedom of movement near shore. If anything Ropp’s logic of sea denial is even more compelling today than it was during that age of rudimentary steamships, diesel submarines, and torpedoes. Today diesel submarines fitted with “air-independent propulsion” can vanish into the depths for long stretches to elude detection. Fast patrol craft can mingle with surface traffic or lurk along congested shorelines for concealment.

Sea-denial platforms riding the waves or prowling beneath can launch torpedo attacks or loft anti-ship missiles against oncoming aggressors—and they can cruise in company with unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles of all types. Their attacks would be hard for PLA Navy shipping to counter in the cramped quarters of the Taiwan Strait, where engagements happen at short range and defenders have scant time to react.

David has options.

Even a single boat can throw an opponent’s strategy askew in modern naval warfare, as both the Argentine and British navies learned during the Falklands War of 1982. A Royal Navy nuclear-powered attack sub sank the cruiser General Belgrano, pride of the Argentine Navy. But the Royal Navy task force expended virtually Britain’s entire war stock of anti-submarine munitions in a futile effort to sink an Argentine diesel boat stalking the fleet.

One imagines the Taiwan Navy would easily outperform the Argentine Navy— especially if it were a beneficiary of U.S. and allied hardware, methods, and counsel. The prospect of effective ROCN subsurface operations could distort PLA Navy operating patterns to Taiwan’s benefit. In the ideal case it could deter entry into the island’s near seas altogether.

Mass—numbers of vessels—appears adequate unto Taipei’s purposes. The inventory will presumably stabilize at eight boats once new craft are built and decrepit ones retire. Factor in training, upkeep, and deep maintenance, and three or four should be underway or ready to put to sea for combat duty at any given moment. These are strategic assets. Naval commanders should keep boats on patrol at all times, honing crews’ tactical proficiency while guarding against a preemptive strike on the sub force at its moorings.

Beyond that, how can the Taiwan Navy maximize its potential for sea denial? Sea denial is strategically defensive in outlook, but that doesn’t rule out offensive tactics. In fact, offense is the beating heart of strategic defense according to the masters of maritime strategy. Sure, ROCN subs could take a passive stance, in effect standing sentry duty off seaports such as Kaohsiung or beaches likely to be targeted during a cross-strait amphibious assault. They could await attack and strike back hard. This would be valuable service.

Better yet, skippers could take an offensively minded, enterprising stance. Taiwan Navy boats could lurk off mainland seaports to raid shipping as it enters or leaves harbor. Or they could loiter in or around straits that pierce the first island chain. Barring the Luzon Strait—PLA Navy boats’ favorite passageway between the Western Pacific and South China Sea—would constitute an immense contribution. The wide Miyako Strait, to Taiwan’s north, could offer rich hunting grounds as well.

Corralling Chinese quarry within the island chain would help Taipei safeguard the island’s east coast. And it would let the Taiwanese armed forces shore up the central segment of the “Great Wall in reverse” the U.S. armed forces seem intent on erecting along the island chain, in concert with allies, to constrain PLA maritime movement.

Here’s where the political dividends come in. Not only would ROCN efforts advance Taiwan’s strategic fortunes, they would advance allied strategy as a whole. In turn they would generate a powerful incentive for allies such as the U.S. Navy and Japan Self- Defense Forces to bear a hand in Taiwan’s defense. Reciprocity—not just vague pledges to render assistance—would unite the allies behind a common cause. Taipei would help others by helping itself, and self-interest would prompt others to help Taipei.

A virtuous cycle would have been set in motion.

So by all means let indigenous shipyards construct the hulls, and let foreign partners supply such help as shipwrights and submariners need. The more boats take to the sea and the faster they get there, the better. In the meantime, it’s never too early to start holding quiet discussions among the silent services about common tactics, training, methods for waterspace management, and on and on.

Put the human factor in order now and you reduce the problem of bolstering Taiwan’s undersea prowess to a matter of acquiring new widgets. Let’s refine the art and science of multinational combat beneath the sea. And let’s start forthwith.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/need-taiwans-forthcoming-submarine-program-more- pressing-183837

Did a Torpedo Implosion Sink Indonesian Submarine?

Submarine KRI Nanggala 402: Indonesian MoD Photo Did a torpedo implode in Indonesian submarine, KRI Nanggala 402 splitting up the 44 year old vessel into three parts and killing all of its 53 officers and crew instantly? Indonesian Navy Commander Yudo Margono said at a press conference Sunday that was broadcast on Indonesian television that SONARS had located an object that looked like a submarine at a depth of 850 m, way out of its 500 meter ‘safe’ diving range suggesting that a catastrophic event had taken place abroad the submarine. A video released during the press conference revealed large parts of the sunken submarine. According to the Indonesian Navy commander, the boat split into three fragments, most likely unable to withstand the water pressure at 850 meters depth. Earlier, rescuers found fragments of a torpedo and other ‘items’ that could have come only from 'inside' the submarine indicating that the vessel broke up. According to some reports, rescuers found parts of a torpedo tube, a container for lubricating a periscope and prayer rugs. However, none of the bodies of its sailors have been found. "There is irrefutable evidence, according to which we can confirm that the submarine Nanggala-402 sank, 53 sailors on board were killed in the line of duty," according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces Hadi Jajanto. KRI Nanggala 402 went missing on April 21 after it participated in a torpedo shooting exercise in the Bali sea. The exercise, which was planned to be attended by the Indonesian Armed Forces Commander was to be held on April 22. According to officially released information, the submarine was given permission to dive early Wednesday and lost contact soon after. As to the technical reasons why the KRI Nanggala 402 sank, the Indonesian Navy has said the submarine suffered a ‘black out,’ without explaining what that meant. Earlier speculation was that its batteries malfunctioned. However, that does not explain fragments of its torpedoes found outside the vessel unless one of the torpedoes blew up causing the vessel to break up and sink instantly.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29431/Did_a_Torpedo_Implosion_Sink_Indonesian_Submarine _#.YIpSqugzbIU

South Korea chooses locally built marine helicopter over foreign offers

By: Brian Kim 15 hours ago

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Korea Aerospace Industries is to develop and produce 24 armed variants of the Korea Utility Helicopter, dubbed Surion, for delivery as early as 2031. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) SEOUL — South Korea’s defense procurement agency has announced a plan to introduce locally built marine attack helicopters designed for amphibious assault and close-air support. The decision was made during a Defense Acquisition Program Administration meeting presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook on April 26. As a result, Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, the country’s only aircraft maker, is to develop and produce 24 armed variants of the Korea Utility Helicopter, dubbed Surion, for delivery as early as 2031. KAI developed the Surion with the help of Airbus Helicopters, formerly known as Eurocopter, in 2012 under a partnership forged in 2006. KAI has since produced more than 200 Surion helicopters for the Army and developed modified variants for different services, such as ones for medical evacuation, amphibious operations and law enforcement. The announcement will have slashed the hopes of foreign helicopter makers bidding for the $1.4 billion program. Among the foreign bidders were Bell Textron proposing its AH-1Z Viper; Boeing with the AH-64E Apache Guardian; Turkish Aerospace Industries offering the T129 ATAK; and Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky pitching the S-70i. “The decision was made after a comprehensive review of the operational capability and efficiency of the new helicopter fleet, in line with the helicopter’s interoperability with the existing fleet of amphibious helicopters for marines, namely Marineon,” the DAPA said in a statement. The latest study on the method of procuring marine attack helicopters suggested the acquisition of a domestically built platform would be more cost- effective than buying a foreign-made model, according to the agency. System scalability was another key consideration in choosing the domestic platform, as the South Korean military has plans to add a manned-unmanned teaming system to its helicopter fleet. “By introducing marine attack helicopters, Marines’ operational capability of amphibious assault [and] close-air support would be enhanced, particularly in the defense of the northwestern islands (near the inter-Korean maritime border),” the statement said, adding local production of helicopters would also contribute to job creation. Sign up for our Early Bird Brief Get the defense industry's most comprehensive news and information straight to your inbox Subscribe KAI displayed a concept for a marine attack helicopter variant in 2019. Powered by a twin turboshaft engine with 1,800-plus horsepower, the marine attack version is to be armed with Lockheed Martin’s AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile; the Mistral ATAM air-to-air missile developed by MBDA; 2.75-inch nonguided and guided rockets; and the 20mm turret gun, according to KAI. The helicopter is envisaged to be fitted with the nose-mounted electro- optical/infrared targeting and designation system primarily developed by Hanwha Systems for the South Korean Army’s future light attack helicopter. The crew would receive head-mounted displays and night vision goggles. Still, there are lingering worries over the shipborne operational capability of KAI’s marine attack helicopter modified from the ground-based KUH-1 utility helicopter. “What KAI has proposed is an armed helicopter, not an attack helicopter,” Shin In-kyun, head of the Korea Defense Network, a Seoul-based defense think tank, wrote in an article for a local magazine in February. “This type of helicopter gunship has poor performances compared to inherent attack helicopters like the AH-64E and AH-1Z, while there is little difference in price.” Shin indicated the Surion has a wide cabin with side-by-side seat, which is vulnerable to enemy fire and can block the pilot’s view.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/04/28/south-korea-chooses-locally-built- marine-helicopter-over-foreign-offers/ No sign of China backing for North Korean missile tests: experts

• Military observers and PLA source dismiss concerns over timing of March firings which coincided with PLA activity in Sea of Japan • There is no evidence Beijing is interested in closer military ties with Pyongyang, they say

Minnie Chan + FOLLOW Published: 5:10pm, 28 Apr, 2021

Two North Korean short-range missile firings in March coincided with a PLA naval exercise in the Sea of Japan. Photo: AP China has no intention of stepping up military ties with North Korea, Chinese military analysts and sources said, dismissing speculation in Taiwan that recent missile launches by the reclusive state had the backing of Beijing. North Korea fired two rounds of short-range missiles on March 21 and 25, coinciding with an eight-day exercisein the Sea of Japan by a PLA flotilla – led by China’s first 10,000-tonne class Type 055 guided missile destroyer – which began on March 18.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3131403/no-sign-china-backing-north-korean- missile-tests-experts

Myanmar's war displaces new generation on remote river frontier

PUBLISHED : 28 APR 2021 AT 17:41 WRITER: REUTERS

Ethnic minority Karen troops are seen after setting fire to a building inside a Myanmar army outpost near the Thai border, which is seen from the Thai side of the Salween river in Mae Hong Son province, on Wednesday. (Reuters photo) MAE HONG SON: Myanmar's coup has brought war back to a remote frontier after 25 years, sending a new generation of villagers in both Myanmar and Thailand running for their lives from bullets and bombs.

Ethnic Karen insurgents and the Myanmar army have engaged in heavy clashes near the Thai border in the weeks since the Feb 1 coup, when Myanmar's generals ousted an elected government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Karen and other autonomy-seeking ethnic minority forces based in frontier regions have supported the largely urban-based pro-democracy opponents of the junta, offering refuge to some, and tension with the military has boiled up into new fighting.

Before dawn on Tuesday, Karen fighters attacked the Myanmar army's Thaw Leh Ta outpost on the west bank of the Salween River, which forms the border with Thailand as it cuts through steep, forested slopes on is way to the Bay of Bengal.

• Nakhon Sawan village locked down amid Covid cluster • Covid closes another Ayutthaya market • Residents threaten to torch conference hall if used as field hospital

"I've never heard gunfire like this, I've never seen people needing to flee like this," said Supart Nunongpan, 44, chief of the village of Mae Sam Laep, a small river port of wooden houses and shops strung out along the Thai side of the Salween in the southernmost part of Mae Hong Son province. The Myanmar army had held Thaw Leh Ta since 1995, the last time there was major fighting in the area when, after years of dry-season offensives, the Myanmar army captured the headquarters of the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla group, not far to the south.

Divided and driven from most of its enclaves in eastern Myanmar, the KNU agreed to a ceasefire in 2012, ending an insurgency that began soon after Myanmar gained independence in 1948.

Now war has resumed and the Myanmar military, equipped with more effective aircraft than it had 25 years ago, has launched repeated air strikes against KNU positions, sending some 15,000 villagers fleeing into the forest, with several thousand briefly seeking refuge on the Thai side of the border.

Myanmar launched air strikes on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, with fighter jets and helicopters, Thai authorities on the border said. There was no word on casualties.

About 100 villagers from Myanmar, most of them elderly, pregnant women or children, crossed to the Thai side on Wednesday to escape the air strikes, the Free Burma Rangers aid group said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2107163/myanmars-war-displaces-new- generation-on-remote-river-frontier

Myanmar coup latest: Death toll rises in clashes near India border Junta wants civil servants to go back to work; Some apps now allowed in 'walled garden'

A camp of the ethnic rebel group Chin National Front is seen on the Myanmar side of the India-Myanmar border. © Reuters Nikkei staff writersApril 17, 2021 17:14 JSTUpdated on April 29, 2021 01:03 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.

For all our coverage, visit our Myanmar Coup page.

Read our in-depth coverage:

-- Myanmar junta builds 'walled garden' of internet services

-- Myanmar junta chief meets UN special envoy in Jakarta

-- ASEAN risks enabling Myanmar junta to buy time

-- ASEAN 'consensus' urges Myanmar junta to end violence

-- Failed state: Myanmar collapses into chaos

Follow the latest developments here (Yangon time):

Wednesday, April 28

10:30 p.m. Detained protest leader Wai Moe Naing faces charges including murder and treason, Reuters reports, citing state media.

5:00 p.m. Local media report that a bomb blast occurred in front of the police station in South Okkalapa township, Yangon, on Wednesday. At least several police are said to have been injured, and security forces have closed off roads as they investigate the area. 3:30 p.m. At least 15 Myanmar troops are killed on Wednesday in a battle between government forces and the Chinland Defense Force, reportedly formed earlier this month by anti-coup armed protesters, in Chin state that borders India.

The battle erupted two days after a local unit of the Myanmar military reportedly reached a ceasefire agreement with the Chinland Defense Force. The agreement was seen as a ploy to buy time for bringing in reinforcements from other parts of the country.

Wednesday's deaths are the latest in fighting in Chin state this week. Myanmar Now reports that government forces used rocket launchers and artillery in an attack on Tuesday.

Casualties on the Chinland Defense Force side were not known.

1:19 p.m. Myanmar's junta has relaxed internet restrictions on some business apps, signaling the return of an old censorship board that this time will control who can access what on their digital devices.

Some telecoms have enabled internet access to banking and business mobile applications. Consumers using service providers such as state-run MPT can now access Office 365 email and messaging applications run by Microsoft as well as local banking applications. The junta has also recently lifted the nightly internet blackout for fiber-to-the- home providers. Read more here.

11:00 a.m. The Central Bank of Myanmar says in a news release that from May 3 people will be allowed to open new bank accounts, which will allow for unlimited cash withdrawals. Limits on existing bank accounts will remain in place, but "arrangements are underway to ease the restriction," according to the statement. Bank customers have recently had to deal with long lines. The new moves by the central bank is hoped to make it easier for merchants to deposit money.

Demonstrators flash the three-finger salute during a protest in Yangon on April 27. © Reuters

10:00 a.m. The information team of the State Administration Council -- the official name of the junta -- announces via a state-owned newspaper that civil servants who take part in demonstrations or other acts of protest will be allowed to return to their offices. The announcement says "taking action against them will be lifted under the criminal process" with several conditions, among them clearance by authorities that ensures that such people will refrain from expressing anti-civil sentiment through words or actions in the future.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Death-toll-rises- in-clashes-near-India-border Indian Navy to get INS Vikrant and INS Visakhapatnam by end of 2021 Naval News April 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, 28 APRIL 2021 15:15 According to information published by Hindustan Times on April 28, 2021, Indian Navy is expected to get delivery of INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and INS Visakhapatnam class stealth guided missile destroyer by end of 2021. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

I

NS Vikrant aircraft carrier during a ceremony on 2015 (Picture source: Indian Navy)

The INS Vikrant aircraft carrier was designed by the Directorate of Naval Design of the Indian Navy and the first warship to be built by Cochin Shipyard. She was floated out of its dry dock on 29 December 2011 and was launched on 12 August 2013.

The aircraft carrier will be able to operate 36 to 40 aircraft including 26 Russian-made MiG-29K, a Russian-made supersonic carrier-based fighter.

The INS Vikrant has a length of 262 m, a wide of 62 m, and a displacement of 39,000 tons and she features a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) configuration with a ski-jump.

The INS Vikrant is powered by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and two Elecon COGAG gearbox. She can reach a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) with a maximum cruising range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi). This aircraft carrier has a crew of 1,645 sailors including 196 officers.

INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She is being constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and was launched on 20 April 2015. The ship is expected to be commissioned by 2021 and will be the first of P15-B stealth destroyer.The 163 m long ship, which will be powered by four gas turbines, is designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots and a displacement of 7300 tons.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news- archive/2021/april/10068-indian-navy-to-get-ins-vikrant-and-ins-visakhapatnam-by-end- of-2021.html First Chinese Type 054A/P guided missile frigate for Pakistan to be delivered this summer Naval News April 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, 28 APRIL 2021 14:36 According to a Tweet released by Loongnaval, China will deliver this summer the first Type 054A/P Jiangkai II-class frigate to the Navy of Pakistan. According to news published in June 2018, Pakistan has signed an agreement for the purchase of two more Type 054A Jiangkai II-class guided missile frigates with Chinese shipbuilder China Shipbuilding Trading Co Ltd. (CSTC). In 2017, Pakistan had already signed a contract with China for the purchase of two Type 54A. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

The first Chinese-made Type 054A/P Frigate will be delivered this summer to the Pakistani navy. (Picture source Twitter account Loongnaval)

In total, the Pakistani Navy will receive four Type 54A frigates from China; The first Type 054A/P for Pakistan was launched on August 22, 2020. The second one was launched on January 29, 2021. On November 1, 2019, China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding held a steel cutting ceremony for the Pakistan Navy’s third and fourth Type 054A/P frigates.

The Type 054A/P is an export and improved version of the Chinese-made Type 054 multi-role frigate which entered service with the Chinese Navy in 2007. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons. A total of 26 Type 54 frigates are in service with the Chinese Navy.

The Type 054A Jiangkai II-class is a guided missile frigate that has anti-surface capabilities and can be used to conduct anti-warfare and anti-submarine warfare operations. The construction of the hull is based on stealth technology featuring sloped sides and reduced superstructure for minimizing the radar cross-section.

The Type 054A has a length of 134.1 m, a beam of 16m, and a loaded displacement of 4,053 tones. The ship has a crew of 165 people. She is powered by Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system that includes four SEMT Pielstick (now MAN Diesel) 16 PA6V-280 STC diesel engines, each developing 5,700 kW (7,600 hp). The frigate can reach a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/) with a maximum cruising range of 8,025 nautical miles (14,682 km).

The Type 054A is equipped with Type 344 multifunctional fire control radar, four Type 345 fire-control radars used to guide the HQ-7 short-range surface-to-air missile, MR-36A surface search radar and two Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, operating in I-band. The ship is also equipped with one MGK- 335 medium-frequency active/passive sonar system, a H/SJG-206 towed array sonar, a ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system, an HN-900 Datalink, SNTI-240 SATCOM communication system, and an AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM.

The Type 054A is armed with 32-cell VLS (Vertical Launching System) able to launch HQ-16 SAM surface-to-air missile, Yu-8 anti-submarine rocket launcher, eight C-803 anti-ship / land-attack cruise missiles, one PJ26 76 mm dual-purpose naval gun, two Type 730 7-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns or Type 1130, six 324mm Yu-7 ASW torpedo launchers, twelve Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher (36 rockets carried) and two Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers.

The Type 054A has a stern flight deck and a hangar able to accommodate one Kamov Ka-28 Helix or a Harbin Z-9C helicopter.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news- archive/2021/april/10067-first-chinese-type-054a-p-guided-missile-frigate-for-pakistan- to-be-delivered-this-summer.html

Bangladesh, China agree to increase military cooperation CGTN Share

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid (L) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 27, 2021. /Xinhua

Bangladesh's President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and the two sides agreed to advance bilateral military cooperation.

During the meeting, Hamid said Bangladesh and China are time-tested friends and reliable strategic cooperation partners, adding that his country attaches great importance to its relations with China and firmly supports its core interests.

The Bangladeshi president called on both countries to strengthen coordination in international affairs and be committed to safeguarding regional peace, stability, prosperity and development.

Hamid said he hopes the two militaries will continue to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, pushing for greater progress in their relations.

He also expressed gratitude for China's strong support for his country in its development of economy and national defense.

Wei said that China and Bangladesh have been friendly neighbors since ancient times and have a long history of bilateral ties, adding that presently, both countries are at a crucial time in national rejuvenation and development, enjoying a synergy between their development strategies and a broad prospect for cooperation.

Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff Aziz Ahmed (L) holds talks with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 27, 2021. /Xinhua

Wei said that China is willing to work with Bangladesh to implement the important consensus reached between the two countries' leaders to further develop bilateral strategic cooperation partnership.

With their extensive cooperation, the two militaries should further increase high-level visits, deepen cooperation in equipment technology, broaden exchanges in specialized fields and forge closer military relations, Wei said.

To jointly maintain regional peace and stability, the two sides should make joint efforts against powers outside the region setting up military alliance in South Asia and practicing hegemonism, Wei said.

Also on Tuesday, Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff Aziz Ahmed held in-depth talks with Wei, discussing international and regional situation as well as relations between the two countries and two militaries.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-28/Bangladesh-China-agree-to-increase-military-cooperation- ZPfDIhTnjO/index.html

Australia expanding war games with US amid tensions with China BY ELLEN MITCHELL - 04/28/21 12:42 PM EDT 37

Australia will expand its war games with the United States as part of a $580 million effort to respond to increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific, the country’s prime minister said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the dollars would upgrade four military bases in Australia’s Northern Territory, to begin this year and be completed by 2026. The enhanced facilities are meant to amplify joint military drills with U.S. forces.

Australia will work with allies including the U.S. to pursue “peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favors freedom,” Morrison said, according to the Australian Associated Press.

Roughly 2,500 U.S. Marines are already based in the Northern Territory as part of rotational forces and joint training, and the two countries hold biennial war games.

The dollars, part of previously announced defense spending plans, will be used to lengthen an airstrip to support larger aircraft, revamp firing ranges and create new training facilities that will also be used by U.S. forces.

The latest announcement comes after senior Australian officials warned that the country could become entangled in a military conflict with China over Taiwan. Defense Minister Peter Dutton said Sunday that such a conflict “should not be discounted."

Morrison did not mention China by name in his announcement, only referencing unspecified tensions in the region.

“Our objective is a free and open Indo-Pacific, to ensure a peaceful region, one that, at the same time, Australia is in a position to always protect its interests,” he told reporters, according to Reuters.

• Overnight Defense: Biden set for first address to Congress | Court... • Top Russia diplomat: At least during the Cold War, there was 'mutual... The United States has also experienced increased competition with China, with the Asia- Pacific region becoming the U.S. military’s priority theater.

Adm. John Aquilino, the new chief of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told senators during his confirmation hearing that Beijing views fully annexing Taiwan as its “No. 1 priority.” He warned that the possibility of China trying to invade the island could happen sooner than most people think.

“The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake” when it comes to Taiwan, Aquilino said.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/550709-australia-expanding-war-games-with-us-amid-tensions- with-china

Australia to Upgrade Military Bases With Eye on Pacific Tensions

The country announced a plan worth more than half a billion US dollars.

STAFF WRITER WITH AFP APRIL 28, 2021 Australia announced Wednesday it would upgrade military bases in its far north and expand joint drills with US forces after warnings about the “drums of war” beating in the Pacific region.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a plan worth more than half a billion US dollars to revamp four military training facilities in the remote north over the next five years. The package of upgrades is more extensive and more costly than first conceived two years ago and would allow more joint drills with American forces, including US Marines rotating through the northern port of Darwin.

“We will always do what is necessary to ensure Australia has the capability it needs to protect and defend its interests,” Morrison said Wednesday.

His conservative government has sounded a more hawkish tone on defense matters in recent months, as relations with China have soured. Last year, the Morrison government unveiled plans to dramatically tool up its military with high-tech weaponry in the face of greater perceived threats from Beijing. Defense experts have even suggested the country should consider developing nuclear weapons capability because Australia’s relatively small conventional forces are unlikely to be able to defend the vast continent-country from an attack.

This week, a top government official warned that free nations “again hear” the “drums of war” in the region and newly installed Defence Minister Peter Dutton openly mused about the prospect of a war between China and Taiwan. Critics have accused the government of manufacturing a crisis to divert attention from a stalled coronavirus vaccine rollout and sliding poll numbers.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Morrison, Dutton, and allied media mogul Rupert Murdoch were “trying desperately to shift the domestic political agenda away from the vaccine debacle, the climate change fiasco and abuse scandals in Canberra.”

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/04/28/australia-upgrades-military-bases/

China’s actions, not Australia’s words, are the problem 28 Apr 2021|Michael Shoebridge

There’s a greater likelihood of major conflict in the Indo-Pacific region now than at any time since the end of the Vietnam War.

That’s why the Australian government’s 2020 defence strategic update ended the longstanding planning assumption for the Australian Defence Force that we would have 10 years of strategic warning time to prepare for military conflict.

The Chinese government under Xi Jinping is the major driver of this stark assessment because of its creation of a People’s Liberation Army that is able to project power—and in particular because of its use of the PLA to take over disputed areas in the South China Sea and build military bases there, its use of the PLA on the India–China border, and the high tempo of its aggression in the East China Sea and in the airspace and sea around Taiwan.

These actions have been in direct contradiction with Beijing’s assurances of peaceful intent, which makes it hard to trust the words of Chinese leaders and diplomats when it comes to security.

Most infamously, in 2015 Xi assured US President Barack Obama that China would not militarise the South China Sea—and then went home and accelerated the PLA’s efforts to do just that. More recently, we’ve seen the Chinese government simply abandon its international commitment to maintaining Hong Kong’s open system of free speech and independent courts. Beijing broke its treaty with the UK, introduced a draconian national security law and followed up with arrests, prosecution and long jail terms for Hongkongers who practised political freedoms denied to China’s mainland citizens. Xi has spoken of using force against Taiwan to unify it with mainland China. He and other senior government figures also speak about defending China’s growing ‘core interests’ by force. Related actions include authorising not just its military, but its coastguard to use lethal force wherever China claims jurisdiction.

None of the above is anything other than simple factual description of what Chinese armed forces have done and what Xi as the commander-in-chief of the PLA has said about using the military.

Reporting what Xi says and what the PLA and other Chinese armed forces do is not ‘stoking the drums of war’; it’s noticing what is happening in our region that affects our security. It is a matter of empirical fact that Chinese military incursions into Taiwanese airspace in 2021 are at record levels, multiple times the average over the previous four years. And Chinese naval activity around Taiwan has also intensified.

This military pressure is being felt in Taiwan and is the reason for various international leaders’ meetings mentioning Taiwan in their public statements.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did so in Alaska, at the first senior-level US–China meeting following US President Joe Biden’s first phone call with Xi.

Taiwan was discussed at the March virtual meeting of the Quad leaders, and also featured in the statement of the US–Japan summit between Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last week.

Discussion of the potential for conflict without naming the source of this conflict naturally leads to anxieties and also to claims that people are stoking war by talking.

The source of instability and tension in our region is the Chinese state under Xi and its use of the PLA. Saying this is being open about why there is tension in the Indo-Pacific.

Being able to say what the source of the problem is useful if you then want to do things to resolve the problem. A ‘country agnostic’ approach to the causes of regional insecurity is simply not credible—and distorts public debate.

Australia contributes to a powerful combination of allies and partners that can provide credible deterrence and raise the costs of military adventurism for China. But this does require unity of effort and clear-minded analysis of the issues at hand.

The government’s plan for developing Australia’s military capabilities is designed around shaping the strategic environment in ways that make military conflict less likely, and having the military power and partnerships to deter conflict.

That plan includes giving the ADF more offensive power to raise the costs of conflict for others. And it’s based on strong alliance and security partnerships, with the US, Japan, India and Australia’s other security partners in the Five Eyes, the wider Indo-Pacific region and Europe.

This isn’t about Australia acting alone.

No one power needs to face the challenge of deterring Beijing from use of military force alone; it is best done multilaterally. And before anyone contemplates the use of military force, the costs of conflict can be raised by other activities. In Taiwan’s case, that includes reintegrating it into international forums and organisations like the World Health Organization and UN bodies, reversing Beijing’s long-term political isolation of the island.

But the idea that quiet behind-the-scenes diplomacy will raise the costs of conflict in Xi’s eyes and act as a deterrent seems to have no supporting evidence from recent history. Instead, the evidence suggests that the Chinese government’s confidence that its actions won’t have consequences is increased by international silence on regional security and is reduced by international discussion and cooperation.

Xi has no doubt been encouraged by the limited international response to his takeover of Hong Kong institutions and repression of freedoms China guaranteed to retain for decades. His military activities in the South China Sea have also proceeded without tangible opposition.

But he will have noticed that Taiwan is featuring at international meetings in discussions about finding ways to support Taiwanese security and reintegrate it into the international community. These efforts are all about reducing the prospects of China using force against Taiwan’s 23 million people.

The Chinese government’s judgements about being able to use force against Taiwan with impunity are affected by this, which is why Chinese government officials react so stridently to any moves to support Taiwan. Changing those calculations is the goal of credible deterrence.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/chinas-actions-not-australias-words-are-the-problem/

Russia Tests New Space Missile That Country Says Can Fly Four Times Faster Than a Bullet

BY LAUREN GIELLA ON 4/28/21 AT 2:39 PM EDT 00:57 Biden Imposes New Sanctions On Russia, Warns ‘I Could’ve Gone Further’

Russia tested a new anti-ballistic missile that can fly four times faster than a bullet from an AK-47 rifle.

The launch happened at the Sary-Shagan test site in Kazakhstan Monday.

"After a series of tests, the new ABM system has proved its characteristics and successfully completed the task, engaging the target with a given accuracy," said Colonel Sergei Grabchuk, the commander of the Russia anti-missile defense system formation.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said the missile is in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and was designed to protect Moscow from air and space attacks.

NEWSWEEK NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP > According to American Military News, Grabchuk told the Russian state-run Ruptly that the new missile can travel at speeds in excess of three kilometers per second (about 1.9 miles per second)—a speed more than four times faster than the 700 meters per second (0.43 miles per second) velocity of a bullet fired from an AK-47.

In a hearing before the Armed Services Committee last week, U.S. Space Command commander General James Dickinson detailed Russia's recent weapons testing, including a space-based anti-satellite test in December 2020.

"They clearly have no intention of halting their own ground-based and on-orbit counter space weapons systems," Dickinson said.

NEWSWEEK SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS > The missile launch comes amid rising tensions between Russia, Ukraine and the West. Last week, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu withdrew troops from the Ukraine border after a massive military buildup that raised concern from NATO and the U.S. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently expressed his support of Ukraine and accused Russia of taking "very provocative" actions.

"The U.S. stands firmly behind the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Blinken told Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the start of their meeting in early April.

Shoigu said the pullback of troops near Ukraine had nothing to do with Western pressure and warned against further interference.

"Some even warned us that our activities on our own territory will have consequences," Shoigu said. "I would like to emphasize that we don't see such warnings as acceptable and will do everything that is necessary to ensure the security of our borders."

He said the deployment of NATO troops near Russia was a cause of concern for Moscow.

"The U.S. and NATO activities to increase combat readiness and build up their presence have contributed to an increase in military threats," Shoigu said, noting that Moscow was closely monitoring the deployment of U.S. troops and weapons in Europe as part of NATO's Defender Europe 2021 drills.

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have also mounted this month after Biden announced sanctions against the Kremlin as punishment for alleged interference in U.S. elections, the hacking of government agencies and the "ongoing occupations and repression" in Crimea. Moscow denied these accusations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian state television that the current relationship with the United States is worse than during the Cold War because of a lack of mutual respect.

"During the Cold War, the tensions were flying high and risky crisis situations often emerged, but there was also a mutual respect," Lavrov said. "It seems to me there is a deficit of it now."

Newsweek reached out the to Pentagon and the Department of State for comment. • Russia Shrugs Off Ukraine's Call to Get Back Control of its Border • Russia Says Baltic Nations, Slovakia 'Openly Hostile' as Diplomats Expelled • Russia Will Do What Is 'Necessary' to Secure Borders: Defense Minister • Palestinian President Mahmmoud Abbas Curses China, Russia, U.S. and Arabs

Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles is pictured during the 6th International Military Technical Forum 'Army 2020' in the military Patriot Park outside Moscow on August 23, 2020. Russia tested a new space missile it says can fly faster than a bullet from a AK47 riffle.KIRILL

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-tests-new-space-missile-that-country-says-can-fly-four-times- faster-bullet-1587244 Iran Says It 'Cut Off U.S. Hand' in Persian Gulf As New Navy Encounter Emerges

BY TOM O'CONNOR ON 4/28/21 AT 12:35 PM EDT

After the U.S. Navy released footage of yet another recent encounter with Iranian naval forces, the speaker of Iran's parliament said that his country had successfully blocked the U.S. from accessing the waters near the country's Persian Gulf coast.

Addressing the state of the Persian Gulf during a virtual conference Wednesday, Islamic Consultative Assembly Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf railed against the presence of foreign forces, which, he said, "led by the United States, has eroded economic opportunities in the region and beyond."

He accused these forces, which include a U.S.-established 34-nation International Maritime Security Construct patrolling Persian Gulf waters, of pursuing ulterior motives not conducive to maintaining security and stability in one of the world's most critical maritime traffic passageways.

He warned that Tehran has taken proactive measures to guard its maritime backyard.

NEWSWEEK NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP >

"It is certain that a strong Iran has shown in practice that America will never have access to the north of the Persian Gulf, and that America's movements will have no effect on the north of the Persian Gulf," Qalibaf said. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown that it has cut off the U.S. hand from the north of the Persian Gulf."

He reached out to other countries in the region to join Iran in its opposition.

"We hope that all countries, hand in hand, will cut off the United States from the region," Qalibaf said, "and expel foreign troops who have caused threats and insecurity in the region."

U.S. General: IRGC Acting Without Supreme Leader Are 'Greatest' Sea Threats READ MORE U.S. General: IRGC Acting Without Supreme Leader Are 'Greatest' Sea Threats NEWSWEEK SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS >

The remarks came as the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet released pictures of an encounter Tuesday between two U.S. warships and the forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy, or IRGCN, in the northern stretch of the Persian Gulf.

An accompanying statement said that three armed Revolutionary Guard inshore attack craft "rapidly approached" U.S. Navy patrol coastal ship USS Firebolt and U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Baranof "to an unnecessarily close range with unknown intent," at one point coming as close as 68 yards to the two U.S. vessels. After attempting to ward off the Iranian boats via radio and hailer devices, the USS Firebolt's crew "then fired warning shots, and the IRGCN vessels moved away to a safe distance from the U.S. vessels," according to the report.

The U.S. Navy said the Iranian boats "failed to exercise due regard for the safety of other vessels as required under international law as they came into close proximity" to the U.S. ships. Such actions "increased the risk of miscalculation and/or collision, were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) "rules of the road" or internationally recognized maritime customs," according to the U.S. side.

A photo shared by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet purports to show an April 26 encounter in which three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) fast inshore attack craft approach the U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Baranof and patrol coastal ship USS Firebolt as the two U.S. ships were 'conducting routine maritime security patrols in the international waters" of the northern Persian Gulf.U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS/U.S. 5TH FLEET

It was the second encounter released by the U.S. Navy in as many days.

On Tuesday, the 5th Fleet released photos and video of what it described as "an unsafe and unprofessional action" by the Revolutionary Guard Navy Harth 55-class boat Shahid Nazeri as it appeared to cross in front of the bows of U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Monomoy on April 2. Washington and Tehran have criticized one another's behaviors in the Persian Gulf and broader Middle East for decades. As tensions picked up in recent years following former President Donald Trump's withdrawal from a nuclear agreement with Iran and major world powers, the U.S. administration labeled the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization in April 2019, prompting Iran to designate the same label to U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. would go on to accuse the Revolutionary Guard of orchestrating a series of sabotage acts that began to strike international oil tankers later that same month in the nearby Gulf of Oman, something Iran has always denied. The Revolutionary Guard has, however, boarded other foreign ships accused of violating maritime safety code in the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.

As unclaimed attacks continue to plague the region, including against Iranian and Israeli ships, CENTCOM commander General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. hailed U.S. efforts to team with other powers in the Persian Gulf, and warned against rogue Revolutionary Guard actions.

"The greatest threats probably to commerce in the region would be the IRGC Navy doing something that was not sanctioned by higher authority," McKenzie said, "and I'll just say that the activities we typically see in the IRGC Navy are not necessarily activities that are directed by the Supreme Leader, from the Iranian state, rather irresponsible actions by local commanders on-scene."

McKenzie said U.S. personnel involved were "very careful to ensure that we don't get into a provocative cycle as a result of that"

"Luckily, our guys are pretty good," he added. "Our sailors are very well-trained, they're very capable, they're very mature and they're able to de-escalate these situations, which is what you always seek to do when you do that."

McKenzie's comments came amid rare public spats that have emerged between the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's civilian government ahead of elections that will signal the end of the Iranian president's second and final term. Over the past week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was heard claiming the country's military apparatus eclipsed diplomatic strategy in the Islamic Republic in leaked remarks, and his ministry issued a denial of remarks by Revolution Guard official and former Petroleum Minister Rostam Qassemi, who alleged Tehran offered military training and advisers to Yemen's Ansar Allah, or Houthi, rebel movement.

Qassemi has since announced his candidacy for president, while Qalibaf, another popular conservative who previously ran against Rouhani's reelection bid in 2017, has yet to respond publicly to speculation he too may run again.

Also playing out on the backdrop of recent tensions in the region were talks geared toward bringing the U.S. back into the nuclear agreement still backed by China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and the United Kingdom. President Joe Biden has sought a U.S. reentry to the accord but has set out to ensure Iran first reinstituted uranium enrichment caps suspended in response to the non- compliance of Western signatories before his administration lifted sanctions. Tehran, for its parts, considers the repeal of Washington's unilateral economic restrictions to be a prerequisite for its return to the agreement.

https://www.newsweek.com/iran-says-it-cut-off-us-hand-persian-gulf-new-navy-encounter-emerges- 1587165 'Foreign forces cause insecurity in region'

TEHRAN, Apr. 28 (MNA) – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf named the presence of foreign forces in West Asia as a cause of insecurity in the region. “Presence of transregional forces does not preserve and enhance regional security, but causes threat and insecurity,” he said on Wednesday while addressing a virtual conference dubbed ‘Persian Gulf is our home’ hosted by Supreme National Defense University.

Ghalibaf highlighted that the foreign troops’ presence disturbs economic opportunities in and out of the region.

“If we see a divide today between south and north of the Persian Gulf, it is because of the presence of American forces. They have come to create different situations in the region so as to create trends and control them.”

Iran did not let US have any effect on the north of the Persian Gulf and “cut off its hand”, he continued, adding, “We hope that regional countries would cut America’s foot from the region.”

“America seeks to influence the region and global economy through a presence in the Persian Gulf region and to impose pressure even against European powers in this sensitive region that has a crucial role in world energy so as to maintain the security of the Zionist regime.”

He named convergence as a key factor for safeguarding the security of the Persian Gulf. “One of the reasons for the presence of foreign forces in the region is to prevent convergence [between regional states] and we should consciously oppose this policy and avoid any form of divergence because nations of the region are culturally very close and we are all Muslims. We should stop being stubborn; we should stand beside each other to prepare the region for progress.”

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/172713/Foreign-forces-cause-insecurity-in-region

Switchblade: Era of the loitering drone has come Tactical missile system gives users the ability to identify threats and deliver precision lethal payloads By DAVE MAKICHUKAPRIL 28, 2021 Print

Switchblade 600 is an extended-range loitering missile system capable of multi-domain operations. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

AeroVironment Inc., a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), announced it was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract by the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for US$26 million.

The contract includes delivery and integration of Switchblade® 600 tactical missile systems into specialized maritime platforms, scheduled to be completed by January 2023.

According to the company, the AeroVironment Switchblade 600 is an all-in-one, portable solution equipped with a high-performance EO/IR gimbaled sensor suite, precision flight control and more than 40 minutes of flight time to deliver unprecedented tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA). Its anti-armor warhead enables engagement and prosecution of hardened static and moving light armored vehicles from multiple angles – without external ISR or fires assets – for precise, localized effects and minimal collateral damage.

All that is military talk, for a kick-ass loitering munition — which every military service wants and needs.

But wait, there’s more.

AeroVironment’s tactical missile systems provide users with the ability to identify threats and deliver a precision lethal payload with minimal collateral damage.

Switchblade® 300 and Switchblade® 600 loitering missile systems enable the warfighter to easily launch, fly, track and engage beyond line-of-sight targets and light armored vehicles across land, maritime and air-launched scenarios.

The Blackwing loitering reconnaissance system is a variant of Switchblade designed to provide rapid-response intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and can be deployed from a submarine using an underwater-to-air delivery canister, shipboard or mobile ground vehicle via tube-launch or Multipack Launcher.

AeroVironment’s tactical missile systems deliver the actionable intelligence and precision firepower needed to achieve mission success across multiple domains.

OK, now that we got the company promo stuff done, let’s talk about what exactly loitering munitions are, and why everyone wants it.

A loitering munition (also known as a suicide drone or kamikaze drone) is a weapon system category in which the munition loiters around the target area for some time, searches for targets, and attacks once a target is located.

The Switchblade 600 is an all-in-one, portable solution equipped with a high-performance sensor suite, precision flight control and more than 40 minutes of flight time to deliver unprecedented tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. Photo Credit: AeroVironment.

According to military analysts, loitering munitions enable faster reaction times against concealed or hidden targets that emerge for short periods without placing high- value platforms close to the target area.

In other words, your Marine Corps unit is pinned down on a beach by attacking Chinese forces.

Loitering munitions launched by unmanned naval ships would come to your rescue — blasting enemy forces without prejudice, potentially allowing Marines to gain ground.

But the history of loitering munitions has interesting roots.

By most accounts, Israel pioneered the development of loitering munitions in the late 1980s or early 1990s as an anti-radar solution. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was always a pioneer in UAV usage — they reduced casualties and political risk, key considerations with a conscripted force.

The IDF realized the potential of UAVs in the anti-radar role following its experience during the 1982 Lebanon War.

Israeli UAVs were used for reconnaissance and as decoys to destroy multiple Syrian Surface to Air Missile (SAM) sites in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, in what was called Operation Drugstore.

During the operation, simple Delilah decoy drones were launched in large numbers, masquerading as an Israeli strike force.

Once the Syrian radars switched on to engage the drones, Israel fired a variety of anti- radar missiles adapted for ground launch and launched a real air attack on the radars.

The first loitering munition, the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Harpy, combined the drone and the anti-radar missile. The Harpy would be launched and enter a searching pattern, waiting for a radar to activate. If a radar activated, the Harpy would then home in on and destroy the radar using a blast fragmentation warhead in its body. The Harpy could loiter over the battlefield for up to six hours after launch.

IAI also developed another loitering munition, the CUTLASS in conjunction with Raytheon in 1999. Development of these systems continued throughout the 2000s, but the systems largely were not ready for the spotlight.

The Delilah decoy drone also was turned into a loitering munition around this time, incorporating technology from the Harpy and a true warhead.

However, the loitering munition would only really take off in the 2010s as sensor technology improved and drones got smaller.

Improved camera technology meant that loitering munitions could see and target anything visible on the battlefield, not just radars.

Loitering munitions, piggybacking off of advanced drones, got smaller to the point where they could be carried and launched by individual soldiers.

The United States fielded its own miniature loitering munition in 2012 with the AeroVironment Switchblade.

The Switchblade was used by the US Army in Afghanistan to target “high value targets,” whether it be insurgent leaders, mortar teams, or insurgents traveling in a vehicles.

While limited in endurance, the Switchblade could loiter over the battlefield if the target was not immediately visible after launch.

US procurement of loitering munitions stepped up in 2018, with the Marine Corps launching a program to procure them to replace their 120mm mortars as an organic precision fire capability.

And now, SOCOM is also looking to add loitering munitions to boats used by Special Operations forces. Given their low radar, visual, and thermal signatures, loitering munitions are very hard to track and kill. Success on a future battlefield may very well be determined by which side can use loitering munitions to the greatest effect.

In Burma, during the Second World War, the Gurkhas would slip behind enemy lines to silently cut throats. They were never seen and they were never heard — but they were very effective.

Loitering munitions, do exactly the same thing.

It is no wonder, the Marine Corps are looking for new loitering suicide drones that troops can launch while on the move, listing them as its number one acquisition priority.

Let me repeat that, the number one acquisition priority.

The two systems came in at the top of a list of equipment the service wants as it builds new light battalions to operate in small, dispersed groups on Pacific island chains.

In November, the Corps asked the defense industry for help in developing what it called an “Organic Precision Fires-Infantry,” a portable tube that can launch a small drone capable of loitering for up to 90 minutes at a range of about 12 miles, and capable of “swarming” with other drones.

The Corps is also looking for “Organic Precision Fires-Mounted” munition — another loitering drone — which would be launched from a Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAV) or similar vehicle, which would partially replace many of the 120mm mortars the service has decided to get rid of.

The systems fit in with the emerging Marine Corps plan to become lighter, faster, and more precise after its troops spending the past two decades operating out of fixed bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, acting more as traditional infantry than an expeditionary force designed to rapidly kick open doors at the outset of hostilities.

Regardless, loitering munitions are likely to be fielded by more and more militaries in the 2020s given their versatility and effectiveness. This is only the beginning.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/switchblade-era-of-the-loitering-drone-is-now/

INTELLIGENCE AND THE TYRANNY OF PROCESS Addison McLamb | 04.27.21

The 76ers’ erstwhile GM Sam Hinkie could be an impressive Army doctrine writer. Hinkie’s leadership mantra—“trust the process”—headlined the Philly NBA team’s operational overhaul in 2013, but resulted in his leaving ignominiously soon after the team’s 1-21 2015 start. Like Hinkie, the Army’s military intelligence (MI) branch canonizes its four-step analytical process of “intelligence preparation of the battlefield.” Unfortunately, this is often at the expense of developing creative, inductive frameworks for more abstract or asymmetric situations. The Army’s tactical intelligence analysis manual does not contain the word “creative” nor the phrase “critical thinking.” “Think” itself (including conjugations) gets just nine mentions over the 228 pages. “Product” is strong at 128 hits, although “process” (203 hits) and “step” (330) pull ahead. And if deliverables are unclear at any point, Appendix A’s fifty- nine different checkboxes assist users in hand-railing the sequence to completion. The manual as a whole reads like a black box focused on practitioners’ efficiency in iterating inputs and outputs rather than their efficacy in solving problems. On the whole, intelligence preparation of the battlefield, or IPB, is a very basic framework for entry-level analysts. It’s a chrysalis—something to be grown out of—not an end-all liturgy to be perfected for its own sake. Rote processes help objectify complexity and scale quickly. Templates can be made once, then easily shared. It is psychologically comforting to check boxes. But with intelligence analysis, overemphasizing structured frameworks may be hardening mental models of our soldiers just as modern war’s evolution to complex, multi-domain operations is becoming more salient. Greater training emphasis on creative thinking and inductive reasoning—especially as they relate to pattern recognition—needs to be incorporated within MI training. A deductive thinking process is sequential—each step builds upon the other, ultimately arriving at some specific conclusion. The clearest example of deduction is a syllogism:

All tanks are enemies. (major premise) B Company sees tanks. (minor premise) Therefore, B Company sees the enemy. (conclusion) Syllogisms are crisply satisfying. Conclusions are invalid if premises are invalid (perhaps not all tanks in the area are enemy, or maybe B Company misidentified tracked troop carriers as tanks), but if premises are valid and the conclusion follows, its logic stands. The IPB framework, generally speaking, is a process of using observation and investigation (in proper parlance: a “collection plan”) to test premises against reality for validating conclusions. The steps of IPB are prescriptive (“define, describe, evaluate, determine”), wherein ideal use results in deductive, testable conclusions about a combat situation. Inductive thinking, by contrast, works from the inside out. Induction identifies commonalities within specific situations to reach conclusions. Conclusions then have varying degrees of confidence depending on the strength of evidence available— ultimately dealing more in probability than certainty. Consider this example: The agency was just hacked. The hack targeted sanctions information. Countries X and Y have technology to hack the agency. Country X is angry about upcoming sanctions. Therefore, it is highly likely country X hacked the agency. In the earlier deductive example, if we know with absolute certainty that all tanks are enemies, and B Company absolutely sees tanks, then the conclusion is absolutely true. But in this inductive example above, even if all statements before the conclusion are absolutely true, it does not necessarily follow that country X hacked the agency. For all we know, country Y could have hacked the agency out of retaliation for tariff increases a year prior, or perhaps X is negotiating infrastructure investment with third party Z who would renege on their offer if further sanctions were levied against X (which may be in Y’s interest). But because intelligence analysts must provide their best recommendations, a good assessment may still be country X with high confidence—not absolute certainty. Overall, the weakness with Army intelligence education is that unconventional, asymmetric, “gray zone” threats are neither absolute nor sequential, yet MI analytical training still orbits around a deductive process incentivizing analysts to think in procedural terms for framing “actionable” (and often overconfident) recommendations. Soldiers ought to learn IPB drills augmented with substantive curricula on creative brainstorming techniques. They should be trained to reason critically about incongruent problems to identify patterns and draw probabilistic conclusions. Good MI analysts shouldn’t be cognitively hamstrung in step two or three in an arbitrary, sequential process by simply failing to check one of a long list of output boxes or achieve sufficient certainty for a particular step. It’s not the best way to solve dynamic problems. Another key reason to emphasize creative, inductive thinking is that advances in battlefield computing may soon overmatch abilities of human intelligence analysts when processing technical data. Common tactical questions MI analysts are trained to answer (e.g., What are weather impacts to weapons sensors? Can reconnaissance drones fly today? Is terrain suitable for armored vehicles?) typically generate yes/no answers based exclusively on quantitative inputs. Once that data becomes ingestible and computable by smart systems—maybe even in the form of wearable tech—the value added by human analysts on those questions is greatly reduced. In the realm of artificial intelligence, new-age battlefield machines aren’t silver bullets (playing off Ludwig Wittgenstein, the limits of their algorithms are the limits of their world). But the accelerating sophistication of these algorithms underscores a need for MI analysts to be trained in solving problems of human-centered and subtle complexity—often in the realm of pattern recognition—where the barriers to digitizing good heuristics are high. Pattern recognition on the battlefield has long been cited as a known factor of success or failure for experienced commanders. Carl von Clausewitz identified war’s four elements as “danger, exertion, uncertainty, and chance,” with the only solution lying in outdoing the other “in simplicity.” Formulating reliable patterns to achieve Occam’s razor in combat may be perfected by advanced algorithms. But a likelier (and nearer) future is one where MI soldiers are still asked to provide human analyses for subjective questions and collate tactical patterns into strategic hypotheses. This synthesis is best achieved with both a deductive process and inductive training. Overall, maintaining competitive advantage often means anticipating skill sets in which our analyst teams, by tide of innovation, risk becoming impotent. Training soldiers to conclude critical takeaways from myriad quantitative and qualitative inputs—in a word, thinking more inductively—means aligning our curricula to be meaningful in the age of information. It means less focus on rote processes and more education on creatively interpreting unstructured data into cogent ways forward. Many options exist for increasing creative and inductive components of Army analyst training. For instance, building training curricula around combat case studies from past US battles (similar to the Harvard Business School model) could helpfully frame doctrine within real-world, hard-hitting experiences. In the Army, we like to cite the frustration apocryphally expressed by one of our adversaries who complained that it was impossible to plan against American doctrine because Americans don’t read it. But we then send soldiers to professional development courses where instructors spend four to six months grading students on their verbatim dictation of doctrinal definitions. It doesn’t fit. Additionally, including more nonmilitary books on reading lists—everything from political and social theory to fiction to critical thinking primers (I recommend Richards Heuer and Barbara Minto)—would help break analysts out of their own mental models. Such multidisciplinary academic approaches grounded in military case studies seem promising. In Greek mythology, Poseidon’s son Procrustes was oddly cruel: he invited guests to spend the night in a bed, then stretched their bodies (if too short) or cut off their legs (if too tall) to fit more perfectly. It is an infamously brutish illustration of the asinine tendency to force all things—irrespective of variety—to conform to one standard. In intelligence, solving different problems requires different methodologies, and trying to benchmark tactical problem solving to one deductive process hardens the analytical ceiling of MI soldiers. We have a deep bench of talented analysts—officer and enlisted alike—who are ready and willing to think hard in tackling the next wave of national security issues. The process to help them win might not be another process at all.

https://mwi.usma.edu/intelligence-and-the-tyranny-of-process/ CYBER SECURITY BEGINS ABROAD NATALIE THOMPSON, ZOE PEACH-RILEY, AND LAURA BATE APRIL 28, 2021 COMMENTARY

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’s compromise of U.S. company SolarWinds and a variety of other information technology infrastructures has been described as “the greatest cyber intrusion, perhaps, in the history of the world.” According to the Biden administration, the hack gave the Russians the ability to compromise or disrupt potentially 16,000 computer systems worldwide, enabling collection of vast amounts of information from federal departments and agencies, private companies, and other victims. On April 15, the Biden administration outlined its response. The White House formally attributed the campaign to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, expelled Russian diplomats from the United States, imposed sanctions on six Russian technology companies that support the intelligence service’s cyber operations, and issued a new directive imposing sovereign debt sanctions on Russia. The administration’s actions were impressive in terms of their scope, drawing on many U.S. response options simultaneously.

While the most newsworthy aspects of Washington’s response to Russia was featured in the first two-thirds of the April 15 statement, the last section outlined important steps that will guide America’s international cyber policy for years to come. The Biden administration explained that it would be “supporting a global cybersecurity approach” through international capacity-building projects focused on enhancing understanding of the “policy and technical aspects of publicly attributing cyber incidents” and the provision of training to foreign partners on the applicability of international law in cyberspace. This effort highlights an often overlooked element of U.S. national security and cyberspace policy: Improved cyber security around the world and improved capacity to identify and hold accountable malign actors in cyberspace make the Internet safe for American users and everyone else. When the United States helps its international partners improve their own cyber security, the benefits reverberate across cyberspace.

For the United States, working with foreign governments to make the internet a more secure place is not just a diplomatic opportunity. It should be a key national security priority. International capacity building is particularly critical in cyberspace because threats from hackers, cyber criminals, and hostile intelligence services originate from all over the world. In addition, ensuring the resiliency of cyberspace on a global scale is imperative in countering China’s growing digital footprint and influence.

As staff of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, we were tasked with examining all tools of statecraft that contribute to defending the United States from cyber attacks. Not only is it often (unwisely) passed over as a security priority, but current capacity-building infrastructure is inadequate, largely due to outdated legal authorities and processes that insufficiently meet the demands of modern diplomacy and security issues. International cyber security capacity building has a clear and direct benefit for U.S. national security. Congress is currently poised to make major changes to cyberspace policy at the State Department. As it does so, legislators would be wise to ensure that the department has sufficient funding, flexibility, and agility to build global cyber capacity around the globe by creating a fund specifically for cyber capacity building and corresponding authorities to provide emergency assistance.

Capacity Building as a National Security Priority Capacity-building programs are vehicles for investing strategically in the international community. With respect to cyber security, such programs generally focus on improving national capacity to effectively deliver cyber security (referred to as “cyber maturity”) and equipping foreign governments with the resources and expertise essential to prevent, detect, withstand, and recover from cyber attacks. In particular, capacity building can help countries build national strategies for enhanced cyber security, collaborate and share information with the private sector on cyber risk management, revise criminal laws and procedures to mitigate cyber crime, bolster incident response and recovery capabilities, advance national cyber security awareness, and grow national cyber security workforces.

Multilateral efforts in the capacity-building arena are well established and supported by U.N. groups and other organizations alike. In particular, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise has emerged as a leader via its role as a resource clearinghouse. Apart from these multilateral efforts, several states have pursued bilateral or regional cyber capacity-building initiatives. For example, the Australian government has specifically focused on the Indo-Pacific region in its efforts and works with partners across sectors to strengthen cyber security among its neighbors.

Cyber security capacity building serves U.S. national security interests in three ways. First, enabling foreign governments to undertake actions like responding rapidly and effectively to cyber security incidents or tamping down cyber crime makes all of cyberspace a safer place. The United States is not unique in recognizing this. For example, the Canadian government has clearly articulated the linkages between national security and international capacity: “The security of Canada is linked to that of other states. … When foreign states lack these resources, it can put the security of Canadians and Canadian interests at risk, both at home and abroad.” In this sense, cyber security capacity building is a straightforward example of a rising tide lifting all boats.

Second, stronger partners make better partners in countering malign behavior in cyberspace. For example, the United States and Ukraine have worked together for years on cyber security issues, including promoting “legal and regulatory reform, cyber workforce development, and private sector engagement.” Given the countries’ longstanding tradition of partnership on law enforcement investigations, not to mention Ukraine’s unique local cyber security environment, the United States directly strengthens its own security by ensuring that Ukraine is a highly capable cyber security partner. Equipping partner and allied nations with resources for cyber capacity building ensures that beneficiaries are protected from the coercive influence of cyber attacks and enabled to respond effectively. The strength of U.S. partners also helps expand the capacity for enforcing rules of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, promoting collaboration among states that share the U.S. vision for an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet. For example, foreign governments must have the independent capability to identify and analyze a cyber attack rapidly in order to engage in the growing trend of issuing a joint attribution and response. This joint enforcement minimizes the burdens any single state faces in holding accountable those who violate rules of responsible state behavior and encourages stability in cyberspace by reinforcing cyber security norms. Projects focused on enhancing joint enforcement and reinforcing cyber norms were precisely those that the Biden administration pledged to support in response to Russian malicious cyber activity, which focused on expanding attribution capacity and providing training regarding the applicability of international law in cyberspace.

Efforts to bolster foreign cyber capacity are distinct from military support for foreign partners in furtherance of “hunt forward” operations. In hunt forward operations, the U.S. military deploys to other countries to counter threats on foreign networks in partnership with those countries’ militaries. Capacity-building efforts that strengthen the overall cyber maturity of partner nations can pick up where these efforts leave off, promoting resilience and civilian cyber security without direct engagement of U.S. military personnel. Moreover, these military programs are distinct from incident response teams, whose primary role is to assist victims in the immediate aftermath of a cyber attack. The United States needs different tools for different problems. Capacity-building programs are broader in scope and go even further than existing military programs in strengthening the ability of partners to prevent, withstand, and respond to cyber attacks.

Finally, the national security value of capacity building also implicates efforts to counter China’s growing investment and influence in the digital infrastructure of countries in the Global South. As countries scramble to keep pace with the digital age, some governments may not have the economic resources to be picky about a source of technical assistance, and the cheapest technology is not always the best suited for promoting open societies. A report from the German Marshall Fund cites as an example, “After installing Huawei 4G equipment, video surveillance software, and facial recognition technology, Kenya, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe have to varying degrees seen the adoption of draconian cybercrime laws restricting Internet freedom and clamping down on speech against the government.”

Through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Digital Silk Road, leaders in Beijing have found opportunities to both tap into a global customer base for their goods and spur the uptake of technology that aligns with state policy objectives. To give a sense of scale, in 2018, for the second year in a row, investment in African information and communications technology development projects from China alone eclipsed funding from the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa, the organization that combines the efforts of G8 countries and other governments with multilateral efforts like those of the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

U.S. capacity building — and cyber diplomacy generally — can and should counter growing influence from the Chinese government in the countries that have been dubbed the “digital deciders” (e.g., Brazil, India, Mexico, and Indonesia). The choices of these actors will have a critical impact on global technology governance and the balance of states that favor an open, global digital infrastructure that protects rights like privacy versus those that favor a closed, sovereign version that enables human rights abuses. U.S. national security reaps very tangible benefits from ensuring that the United States, alongside its partners and allies, is the first and trusted source for cybersecurity expertise, particularly as authoritarian adversaries like the Chinese government compete to influence the future of the internet. Bolstering cyber security capacity enables the United States to advance a free, open, and interoperable Internet and insulates beneficiary nations from Beijing’s efforts to project power abroad through infrastructure projects.

What Congress Can Do

Congress should create a new capacity-building fund dedicated to cyber security with the authority to provide assistance to countries of all income levels, in all parts of the world, especially during times of crisis. Despite the importance of capacity building as a national security priority, the legal authorities that enable U.S. cyber capacity building are inflexible and slow, often cobbled together from programs that were designed for Cold War-era diplomacy. These tools are insufficient to enable the United States — led by the State Department — to support foreign partners working to mature their cyber security systems, much less to meet the needs of partner and allied nations during times of crisis. Without specifically dedicated funds, cyber security is forced to compete with a variety of other foreign assistance priorities.

Existing frameworks for distributing aid make it difficult for the United States to support the cyber priorities of certain countries. These difficulties relate to the way foreign governments structure oversight of their cyber security policy and strategy, and to foreign assistance eligibility criteria that are tied to country income level or geographic location.

In the first case, the difficulty stems from otherwise practical limitations like those in the legislation authorizing the Economic Support Fund — one of the primary vehicles through which the State Department can fund foreign assistance projects. The law stipulates that the Economic Support Fund may not be used for “military or paramilitary purposes.” While this is important for ensuring the United States does not fund the development of offensive cyber operations programs in foreign countries, it hamstrings America’s ability to help countries bolster their civilian cyber security when such programs are overseen by military organizations. Colombia, for example, runs its national computer emergency response team through its Ministry of Defense, as does Latvia, and in Spain, the function sits under the national intelligence agency.

In the second case, the difficulty stems from the eligibility requirements associated with the use of certain foreign assistance funds. Congress should consider expanding criteria for cyber security capacity-building programs to allow for the provision of aid to middle-income countries, irrespective of geography. Some funds, like those earmarked for the Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia Fund, are limited to a particular geographic region. Other funds are generally aimed at providing assistance to low- and lower middle-income countries, which is an important means of ensuring that foreign aid is channeled to those countries in greatest need of support. When it comes to cyber security, however, some strategically important countries do not meet these criteria. Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, for example, are all considered upper-middle-income economies or high-income economies by the World Bank, but both private companies and government entities have been the target of economically and geopolitically motivated attacks, some of which have been attributed to Chinese groups. As currently structured, existing authorities can make it slow and bureaucratic to get funding to countries such as these, but given the region’s strategic importance, there are occasions when doing so may be both critical and time-sensitive.

A specific account dedicated to cyber security could allow Congress to ensure that all foreign assistance priorities — including cyber security — receive sufficient funding and resources. The March 2020 report of the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a congressionally mandated body examining cyberspace policy, specifically recommended legislative action to untangle this issue. Both of the problems highlighted above speak to the short-term priority for strengthening U.S. abilities to build cyber security capacity: building flexible, consolidated funds for cyber security to overcome competing priorities for foreign assistance. Though funds can be cobbled together from the alphabet soup of foreign assistance funds, the absence of a designated fund means that cyber security competes with priorities like bolstering democracy and the rule of law, encouraging the development of free markets, or building peace in conflict-ridden regions. Additionally, a distinct fund would allow for the development of flexible eligibility criteria that are specifically tailored to strategic cyber-related objectives.

Anticipating Challenges

Existing U.S. capacity-building programs also face challenges related to agility and are inadequately positioned within broader efforts to counter Beijing’s growing influence abroad. Foreign assistance moves slowly. Capacity-building programs are aimed at boosting the cyber maturity of partner and allied nations, a process that can take years, if not decades. And even countries with the most mature cyber capabilities are not immune to crisis. When such crises arrive, it may be critical for the United States to move money immediately to aid with incident response and remediation. Congress should ask the State Department to review — in consultation with other federal departments and agencies — the process of delivering foreign aid in times of crisis and how the process for cyber security capacity building can be streamlined or expedited during exigent circumstances so that the State Department can support foreign partners when they need it most. Such assistance would be similar to the rapid humanitarian and disaster relief aid that the State Department and USAID distribute during times of crisis. Additionally, departments and agencies with responsibility for allocating foreign assistance and implementing capacity-building projects should think about how these projects and programs fit into broader U.S. efforts to counter Beijing’s influence and investment in the Global South. In the face of such a concerted effort, the United States needs a careful, thoughtful strategy, connecting capacity- building efforts with diplomacy, law enforcement, private sector engagement, and more. The Cyber Diplomacy Act’s proposed Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy would be an ideal place for some of this coordination to take place.

Beyond the geopolitical issue of China, the Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy is an important place to align capacity-building efforts with broader cyber diplomacy goals addressing competing models of internet governance. Similarly, improved coordination at the White House level via the new office of the national cyber director can help align international capacity-building efforts across U.S. government agencies. In addition to the State Department’s work, the Department of Homeland Security is planning an international cyber security capacity-building “sprint.” Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launched an international strategy, CISA Global, which aims also to support the State Department’s work with international partners on capacity building.

When it comes to international capability in cyberspace, U.S. civilian agencies should take the lead. While the Defense Department has a huge role to play in keeping the country safe in cyberspace, U.S. diplomats are better positioned to advance U.S. cyber security interests in foreign capitals. Ensuring that all tools of international engagement — including military, diplomatic, and foreign assistance — are aligned is imperative to strengthening the credibility of America’s actions in cyberspace, and the Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy is a good focal point for that coordination within the State Department.

Looking Ahead

The Biden administration’s emphasis on capacity building in response to Russian malicious cyber activity is an important reminder that, in cyberspace, America’s safety is wound up with that of the rest of the world. As Congress works to improve the government’s structure for engaging internationally on cyber security, it should ensure that the State Department has the authority to provide aid in a timely and concerted fashion. By doing its part to help partners and allies, the United States can take a crucial step in building a resilient cyberspace and protecting vital U.S. interests.

https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/cyber-security-begins-abroad/

This Researcher Says AI Is Neither Artificial nor Intelligent Kate Crawford, who holds positions at USC and Microsoft, says in a new book that even experts working on the technology misunderstand AI.

Researcher Kate Crawford says AI consumes vast natural resources, not unlike a lithium mine.PHOTOGRAPH: MARCELO PEREZ DEL CARPIO/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES LIKE to portray artificial intelligence as a precise and powerful tool for good. Kate Crawford says that mythology is flawed. In her book Atlas of AI, she visits a lithium mine, an Amazon warehouse, and a 19th-century phrenological skull archive to illustrate the natural resources, human sweat, and bad science underpinning some versions of the technology. Crawford, a professor at the University of Southern California and researcher at Microsoft, says many applications and side effects of AI are in urgent need of regulation.

Crawford recently discussed these issues with WIRED senior writer Tom Simonite. An edited transcript follows.

WIRED: Few people understand all the technical details of artificial intelligence. You argue that some experts working on the technology misunderstand AI more deeply.

KATE CRAWFORD: It is presented as this ethereal and objective way of making decisions, something that we can plug into everything from teaching kids to deciding who gets bail. But the name is deceptive: AI is neither artificial nor intelligent.

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AI is made from vast amounts of natural resources, fuel, and human labor. And it's not intelligent in any kind of human intelligence way. It’s not able to discern things without extensive human training, and it has a completely different statistical logic for how meaning is made. Since the very beginning of AI back in 1956, we’ve made this terrible error, a sort of original sin of the field, to believe that minds are like computers and vice versa. We assume these things are an analog to human intelligence and nothing could be further from the truth.

You take on that myth by showing how AI is constructed. Like many industrial processes it turns out to be messy. Some machine learning systems are built with hastily collected data, which can cause problems like face recognition services more error prone on minorities.

We need to look at the nose to tail production of artificial intelligence. The seeds of the data problem were planted in the 1980s, when it became common to use data sets without close knowledge of what was inside, or concern for privacy. It was just “raw” material, reused across thousands of projects.

This evolved into an ideology of mass data extraction, but data isn’t an inert substance— it always brings a context and a politics. Sentences from Reddit will be different from those in kids’ books. Images from mugshot databases have different histories than those from the Oscars, but they are all used alike. This causes a host of problems downstream. In 2021, there's still no industry-wide standard to note what kinds of data are held in training sets, how it was acquired, or potential ethical issues.

You trace the roots of emotion recognition software to dubious science funded by the Department of Defense in the 1960s. A recent review of more than 1,000 research papers found no evidence a person’s emotions can be reliably inferred from their face.

Emotion detection represents the fantasy that technology will finally answer questions that we have about human nature that are not technical questions at all. This idea that’s so contested in the field of psychology made the jump into machine learning because it is a simple theory that fits the tools. Recording people's faces and correlating that to simple, predefined, emotional states works with machine learning—if you drop culture and context and that you might change the way you look and feel hundreds of times a day.

That also becomes a feedback loop: Because we have emotion detection tools, people say we want to apply it in schools and courtrooms and to catch potential shoplifters. Recently companies are using the pandemic as a pretext to use emotion recognition on kids in schools. This takes us back to the phrenological past, this belief that you detect character and personality from the face and the skull shape.

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You contributed to recent growth in research into how AI can have undesirable effects. But that field is entangled with people and funding from the tech industry, which seeks to profit from AI. Google recently forced out two respected researchers on AI ethics, Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell. Does industry involvement limit research questioning AI?

Get WIRED for just $5. https://www.wired.com/story/researcher-says-ai-not-artificial- intelligent/)

Artificial Intelligence Is Misreading Human Emotion

There is no good evidence that facial expressions reveal a person’s feelings. But big tech companies want you to believe otherwise.

By Kate Crawford RESEARCH PROFESSOR, USC ANNENBERG APRIL 28, 2021 09:39 AM ET

• COMMENTARY • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE • TECHNOLOGY

At a remote outpost in the mountainous highlands of Papua New Guinea, a young American psychologist named Paul Ekman arrived with a collection of flash cards and a new theory. It was 1967, and Ekman had heard that the Fore people of Okapa were so isolated from the wider world that they would be his ideal test subjects.

Like Western researchers before him, Ekman had come to Papua New Guinea to extract data from the indigenous community. He was gathering evidence to bolster a controversial hypothesis: that all humans exhibit a small number of universal emotions, or affects, that are innate and the same all over the world. For more than half a century, this claim has remained contentious, disputed among psychologists, anthropologists, and technologists. Nonetheless, it became a seed for a growing market that will be worth an estimated $56 billion by 2024. This is the story of how affect recognition came to be part of the artificial-intelligence industry, and the problems that presents.

When Ekman arrived in the tropics of Okapa, he ran experiments to assess how the Fore recognized emotions. Because the Fore had minimal contact with Westerners and mass media, Ekman had theorized that their recognition and display of core expressions would prove that such expressions were universal. His method was simple. He would show them flash cards of facial expressions and see if they described the emotion as he did. In Ekman’s own words, “All I was doing was showing funny pictures.” But Ekman had no training in Fore history, language, culture, or politics. His attempts to conduct his flash- card experiments using translators floundered; he and his subjects were exhausted by the process, which he described as like pulling teeth. Ekman left Papua New Guinea, frustrated by his first attempt at cross-cultural research on emotional expression. But this would be just the beginning.

Today affect-recognition tools can be found in national-security systems and at airports, in education and hiring start-ups, in software that purports to detect psychiatric illness and policing programs that claim to predict violence. The claim that a person’s interior state can be accurately assessed by analyzing that person’s face is premised on shaky evidence. A 2019 systematic review of the scientific literature on inferring emotions from facial movements, led by the psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, found there is no reliable evidence that you can accurately predict someone’s emotional state in this manner. “It is not possible to confidently infer happiness from a smile, anger from a scowl, or sadness from a frown, as much of current technology tries to do when applying what are mistakenly believed to be the scientific facts,” the study concludes. So why has the idea that there is a small set of universal emotions, readily interpreted from a person’s face, become so accepted in the AI field?

To understand that requires tracing the complex history and incentives behind how these ideas developed, long before AI emotion-detection tools were built into the infrastructure of everyday life.

The idea of automated affect recognition is as compelling as it is lucrative. Technology companies have captured immense volumes of surface-level imagery of human expressions—including billions of Instagram selfies, Pinterest portraits, TikTok videos, and Flickr photos. Much like facial recognition, affect recognition has become part of the core infrastructure of many platforms, from the biggest tech companies to small start-ups.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/artificial-intelligence-misreading-human- emotion/173659/)

SAVE OUR SERVERS Daniel Jasper | 04.26.21

Editor’s note: This article is the seventh in a series, “Full-Spectrum: Capabilities and Authorities in Cyber and the Information Environment.” The series endeavors to present expert commentary on diverse issues surrounding US competition with peer and near- peer competitors in the cyber and information spaces. Read all articles in the series here. Special thanks to series editors Capt. Maggie Smith, PhD of the Army Cyber Institute and MWI fellow Dr. Barnett S. Koven. Every day, military aircraft move people and parts around the globe. As part of United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), planes are used to transport resupply to the European theater, insert special operations forces into Iraq and Syria, and—if necessary—transport the nation’s nuclear weapons in its hour of need. In an average week, USTRANSCOM completes more than 1,900 air missions, supporting everything from humanitarian relief operations to personal property shipments. But when it comes to a shipment of spare parts—or a routine trip to a conference—using military aircraft is both impractical and expensive compared to commercial air solutions. In the case of transport, the Department of Defense relies on a reasonable mix of government and commercial solutions. Similarly, when it comes to cloud computing, a reasonable mix is also in order: certain use cases are better suited to commercial clouds, like Amazon Web Services (AWS), however, government-owned clouds can often get the job done inexpensively and without cost overruns. To win in the information environment, the Department of Defense must be able to access and analyze data and transform disparate pieces of data into intelligence. DoD needs to glean insights from data on demand, at the same or lower cost than at present. Cloud services promise to deliver on all demands, especially cost—a 2019 GAO report, for example, estimates that cloud computing has saved government agencies $291 million. But not all clouds have the same capabilities. The 2010 federal Cloud First mandate to migrate to the cloud has pushed the military and intelligence agencies to consider commercial clouds almost exclusively. Although the policy was updated to “Cloud Smart” in 2018, many leaders still view commercial clouds as the primary solution for their data storage and computing needs. In this new era of great power competition, artificial intelligence will play a far greater role in conflict than conventional weaponry. If America is to succeed, it must have better access to data, information sharing, and the ability to eliminate redundant tasks—all of which depend on cloud technologies. However, solutions need not, and in many cases should not, rely solely on commercial cloud services. Indeed, DoD should avoid overdependence on commercial cloud providers for at least three reasons: access to data, the cost of high-powered computing, and the cost of massive data storage.

https://mwi.usma.edu/save-our-servers/ Kill Webs, Engagement Density and Escalation Management 04/26/2021 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird

Recently, we interviewed a USAF retired Colonel who was both a combat veteran and test pilot, Robert “Juice” Newton, with regard to the strategic shift from the land wars to military competition and engagement with peer competitors.

Juice has had extensive engagement in the Middle Eastern land wars, and is now focused on advanced technology capabilities and innovative con-ops that will assure U.S. strategic dominance.

He tells us that “when deployed I wasn’t flying fighters, but rather more holistically involved in a special ops task force. In retrospect this exposed me much more than what we’d get in the fighter wings with joint and all national power aspects of engagement.”

In his view, the role of kill web thinking is a key part of reworking how to prepare the force for new phases of combat engagement.

With regard to the kill web, the focus is upon kinetic kill with a sense of permanence about it. With regard to kill webs, one is focused on engagement density, and shaping the kinds of combat effects which enable escalation control.

His focus on density of engagement combines distributed forces and C2 at the tactical edge with the importance of strategic control which can calibrate the overall combat effects being realized by the distributed force.

Or put another way, Newton provides clear understanding that the kill web is not just a wordsmith change from kill chain.

The kill chain is focused on kinetic kill which is focused on destroying and hence eliminating an adversary’s specific capability from the battlespace. It is finite, and focused. And of course, you will run out of the means of doing so as your missile inventory goes Winchester.

But with missiles or kinetic weapons in general being just a subset of the effectors, there must be a larger understanding of the dynamics of change.

The question of how to have the winning side of the effector competition becomes crucial to escalation management.

For Newton, the key focus of attention in dominating an adversary through distributed engagement are multiplying the effects which you can have for the time necessary to gain tactical and strategic advantage.

And by gaining a key advantage, then leveraging that advantage for escalation control and dominance.

For example, by gaining control of spectrum through distributed kill-web engagements a force may freeze the adversary’s ability to detect and respond. In other words, that force can blind and dominate that force for critical periods of time.

Mission command guides a diversity of modular task forces which deploy into the areas of interest, and provide engagement density. Sensor networks and C2 enable the modular task force to execute its mission and to do assessments to ensure that the mission effect is being achieved.

It has to always be noted that in a very short paper, one page, the late Andrew Marshall, Director of Net Assessment introduced what he visualized as a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). His brilliant insight is captured by two points; information War and precision guided munitions with remote sensors.

Over time the word “information” was captured and essentially big-footed by all things “cyber.” Fortunately an appreciation is coming back on all aspects of “information” as a key valuable strategic driver with cyber subsumed as just an important and critical tool. With the issue of precision guided munitions, many often looked at the technological necessity of trusted remote sensors.

At the strategic level, rather than the experience of the land wars where central control drilled down to the battalion level and geographic control, the focus is upon understanding the interactive multi-domain combat effects. With the multiple modular task forces the kill webs may reshape the entire battlespace. The centralized command, in turn, is focused on leveraging those evolving effects to shape combat or crisis management outcomes. While there are many discussions of artificial intelligence and its future role, clearly at this strategic C2 level this would be an area where such tools maybe helpful to understand and shape strategic results. Given high density engagement across a comprehensive kill web, AI will likely have a profound purpose if it can be trusted to augment Battle Damage Assessment (BDA). Successful AI developing knowledge of a target killed or even temporarily neutralized, combined with any reconstitution assessments, if possible, is a battle winning competitive edge because it allows much more efficient and effectively resourced dynamic targeting.

If planned for and developed there is a technology based U.S. and Aalied kill web— “Information belt” that can help combat forces fight and win in any Pacific singular engagement or most importantly, a longer campaign.

No force can ever forget the human element so with an ability to communicate directly with the modular task forces, human “anomaly” insights and control is always necessary to ensure that the strategic decision makers are not making judgments on the basis of false data, which is always a major challenge associated with machine determined decision making.

In short, Newton highlighted why the kill web approach, and the shaping of density engagement is a key building block for the way ahead to fight and win with peer adversaries in the period ahead.

For a discussion of effectors at last year’s International Fighter Conference, see the following: https://sldinfo.com/2020/12/the-international-fighter-conference-2020-effectors-and-the- evolution-of-airpower/

Many of the discussions of the conference were abstract, conceptual and futuristic but I recently went to Naval Air Station Fallon and observed a future is now event. My visit occurred as the US Navy was hosting a new exercise called Resolute Hunter which is being designed to shape a new paradigm for how 21st century ISR capabilities can be worked to provide for enhanced mission execution.

Much like how NAWDC has added two new warfighting competencies to its program, namely, dynamic targeting and MISR officers, Resolute Hunter is complementing Red Flag, but in some important ways launching a new paradigm for the ISR forces to provide a more significant and leading role for the combat forces.

With the significant upsurge in the capabilities of sensor networks, and the importance of shaping better capabilities to leverage those networks to shape an effective mission, the role of the ISR platforms and integratable forces are of greater significance going forward in force development. Rather than being the collectors of data and providing that data to the C2 decision makers, or to specific shooters, the ISR force is becoming the fusers of information to provide for decisions distributed in the battlespace to deliver the right combat effect in a timely manner.

https://defense.info/featured-story/2021/04/kill-webs-engagement-density-and- escalation-management/

While the government aims to inoculate 50 to 70 million out of the country's more than 108 million people, the pace of its inoculation campaign has been slow due to difficulties in securing supply.(Reuters file photo) WORLD NEWS Philippines extends limits on movement, gatherings to curb spread of Covid The country is battling one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, with hospitals and medical workers in the capital Manila overwhelmed, while authorities face delays in the delivery of vaccines. Reuters | | Posted by Harshit Sabarwal, Manila PUBLISHED ON APR 28, 2021 10:43 PM IST President Rodrigo Duterte is extending restrictions on movement and gatherings in the Philippines' capital region and four nearby provinces for another two weeks to curb a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and bolster its medical capacity. The country is battling one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, with hospitals and medical workers in the capital Manila overwhelmed, while authorities face delays in the delivery of vaccines. "I am sorry I have to impose a longer modified enhanced community quarantine. It is necessary," Duterte said in a late night televised address. Non-essential movement, mass gatherings and dining in restaurants will remain banned in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite for a further two weeks from May 1. Restrictions to curb the spread of the disease have taken a painful toll on the Southeast Asian economy, which suffered its worst contraction on record due to the pandemic last year. The Department of Health recorded 6,895 new Covid-19 cases and 115 more deaths on Wednesday, bringing the tallies to 1.02 million confirmed infections and more than 17,000 fatalities.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/philippines-extends-limits-on-movement- gatherings-to-curb-spread-of-covid-101619629125489.html

Philippines asking US, Israel for unused AstraZeneca vaccines: Galvez John Gabriel Agcaoili, ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 28 2021 11:15 PM | Updated as of Apr 29 2021 03:04 AM

A health worker shows a vial of Covishield, AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine, at Patan Hospital near Kathmandu on January 27, 2021. Photo by Prakash Mathema, AFP MANILA (UPDATE)- Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday Philippine officials, including himself, are asking other countries, particularly the US and Israel, for access to unused or leftover COVID-19 vaccines.

Galvez said Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Manuel Romualdez is in talks with American officials on their unused stock of AstraZeneca-Oxford jabs, amid low vaccine supplies in the Philippines.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has also appealed to Israel for excess vaccines, among other countries, he added.

"Sumulat na nga po si Secretary Duque through diplomatic channels na 'yung mga hindi nagagamit na AstraZeneca. Pati sa Israel po sumulat na po kami ng letter of intent," he said in a public briefing.

(Health Secretary Duque has written through diplomatic channels asking for unused AstraZeneca jabs. We have also sent a letter of intent to Israel.)

The White House earlier said the US would release up to 60 million doses of the British- made vaccine to other countries as they become available.

• US to share up to 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses globally

AstraZeneca has not yet been authorized for US use by its Food and Drug Administration.

Israel also said earlier it no longer wants its pending AstraZeneca vaccine deliveries, baring its intent to discuss with the British drugmaker if they could be sent somewhere else.

"We are trying to find the best solution. After all, we don't want (the vaccines) to get here and have to throw them into the trash," Israel’s pandemic coordinator Nachman Ash said. Both the US and Israel did not elaborate further on their intentions, amid reports of rare blood clots in some individuals who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Due to this issue, the Philippines had briefly suspended the use of the UK jab for those below 60 years old, before its resumption for the country's inoculation program.

• FDA OKs use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after check on clotting concerns

The Philippines has received 525,600 AstraZeneca doses, almost all of which have been administered. Its own FDA earlier said the country's next delivery of the UK-developed vaccine might arrive in May.

Despite a billion dollars worth of loans from various organizations in 2020 to boost the Philippines' COVID-19 war chest, authorities said only 3.525 million COVID-19 shots have been delivered to the country, as of posting.

The Philippines' total number of COVID-19 cases earlier breached the 1 million mark, with more than 17,000 deaths and over 935,000 recoveries recorded.

• COVID-19 deaths in Philippines top 17,000

Officials said at least 1.5 million people have been inoculated since the vaccine drive kicked off in the country on March 1.

Galvez earlier said they aim to vaccinate 70 million people or two-thirds of the Philippine population this year to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus.

The Philippines has one of Asia's worst COVID-19 outbreaks and has been slower than most of its Southeast Asian neighbors in securing vaccine supplies.— With a report from Reuters

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/21/philippines-asking-us-israel-for-unused-astrazeneca- vaccines-galvez

PH steadily rolling out vax program amid delays By Lade Jean Kabagani April 28, 2021, 6:10 pm Share

(PNA file photo)

MANILA – Despite delays in deliveries, the Philippines is ranked fourth among Southeast Asian countries in terms of Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Based on the April 22 data of Bloomberg and Foreign Service Posts, the Philippines is running fourth behind Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar in the vaccination program.

The Philippines began to roll out Covid-19 vaccines on March 1, starting with healthcare workers (A1 priority group).

About 86 percent or 3,025,600 out of the 3,525,600 doses of the country's available vaccines have been distributed nationwide, particularly in high-risk areas.

As of April 28, a total of 1,809,801 doses of both CoronaVac and AstraZeneca jabs have been administered – 88 percent or 1,562,815 doses of which were first shots while 246,986 doses or 14 percent were second shots.

The initial batch of 15,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine, to be distributed to the five regions for the initial rollout, will not arrive Wednesday due to “logistical challenges,” Malacañang said.

“We confirm that logistical challenges resulted in the delay of the arrival of 15,000 trial order of Sputnik V,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

The delivery was canceled because there are “no direct flights from Russia.”

The National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 reported that there are 3,415 vaccination sites currently operating in the country's 17 regions as of Tuesday.

To date, the government is also vaccinating the A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities) groups.

NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. sees vaccination significantly increasing as soon as the bulk of Covid-19 jabs arrive by the second quarter of this year.

“By June, we can open vaccination for our productive population, with the government and economic front-liners, as well as the indigent population," he said.

Galvez said the Philippines had already secured about 140 million doses this year, excluding 44 million doses acquired through the COVAX facility. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1138346

Delivery of 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 vaccines from Russia delayed — Galvez

Published April 28, 2021, 1:30 PM by Martin Sadongdong The delivery of the initial batch of COVID-19 vaccines “Sputnik V” procured by the government from Russia was delayed “due to logistical challenges,” Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. confirmed on Wednesday, April 28

“We would like to inform the public that the expected arrival of 15,000 pilot run doses of Gamaleya’s Sputnik V tonight, April 28, has been postponed due to logistical challenges on the shipment of the vaccines,” said Galvez, vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made a similar confirmation, citing challenges which resulted from the lack of direct flights from Russia. He also mentioned issues on the storage of the vaccines that require below zero degree Celsius temperature during the duration of the flight.

The NTF released an advisory on Tuesday night which stated that the vaccines manufactured by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Russia will arrive via Qatar Airways from Doha to Manila at around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The vaccines require a storage with a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius and below (frozen solution).

Asked why the NTF did not anticipate issues on the storage of the vaccines prior to the scheduled date of delivery, NTF spokesperson Restituto Padilla said: “This is a matter for the Russian shipper to answer.”

Nonetheless, Galvez said the NTF will give an update when the vaccines will be delivered as soon as they receive an advice from the Russian Direct Foreign Investment Fund (RDIF).

The country was supposed to receive 500,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines that it bought from Russia for the month of April.

An initial 15,000 doses was initially set for delivery on April 22 but it had been moved to April 28, which again was postponed to a later date. The initial doses were supposed to be used in a “mini” rollout of the Russian-made vaccines in the country, that is hounded by the shortage in the supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

Sputnik V is taken in two doses, 21 days apart, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH said it is proven to be 91.6 effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection 21 days after a vaccinee is injected with the first dose. It is also 100 percent effective against moderate and severe cases, the DOH added.

It can also be given to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, according to the DOH.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization to Sputnik V on March 19, 2021.

However, Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa reportedly rejected the importation of Sputnik V vaccines earlier this week due to “inherent risks” and “serious” defects.

The official Sputnik V Twitter account hit back at Anvisa and said the decision to block the importation of the Russian-made vaccines was due to “political reasons.”

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/delivery-of-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccines-from-russia- delayed-galvez/

Not fit for human consumption': DOH reiterates caution on ivermectin use vs COVID-19 ABS-CBN News Posted at Apr 28 2021 11:24 AM MANILA - The Department of Health on Wednesday cautioned the public anew against using anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19.

"We have to wait for the scientific data coming from the bigger clinical, randomized trials abroad," Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega told ANC.

Vega was reacting to a report that 2 lawmakers -- Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor -- were planning to distribute the drug to the public despite warnings from health organizations and various medical societies.

"First, we don't know if this will be beneficial or it can be harmful to the constituents. So, the stand of WHO (World Health Organization) [and] the stand of DOH, it has to pass through the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for permit and regulation," he said.

The country's drug regulatory body has only granted compassionate special permit to use ivermectin to 5 hospitals as investigational drug to treat the respiratory disease.

"The FDA has given us the directive that ivermectin is still an investigational and really an experimental drug. In other words, it's not fit for any kind of human consumption," Vega said.

• Wait for experts' evaluation on ivermectin use vs COVID-19: DOH

In an advisory it issued last month, the FDA said registered oral and intravenous preparations of ivermectin in the country were veterinary products.

They were approved for use in animals for the prevention of heartworm disease and treatment of internal and external parasites in certain animal species.

Meanwhile, registered ivermectin products for human use were in topical formulations under prescription use only. This is used for the treatment of external parasites, such as head lice, and skin conditions, such as rosacea.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/28/21/ivermectin-not-fit-human-consumption- doh-fda)

Post-Covid-19 vaccine infections and reinfections could happen, say experts

Salma KhalikSenior Health Correspondent

MOH said 17 workers residing at Westlite Woodlands dormitory, who had recovered from Covid-19 infections, were found to be infected again.ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN SINGAPORE - The past week has delivered a Covid-19 shocker to Singapore, not just because of the increase in community cases - there were 10 - but also the infections in people who had been vaccinated or who had been previously infected.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said last Thursday (April 22) that 17 workers residing in Westlite Woodlands dormitory who had recovered from Covid-19 infections were found to be infected again. Others are now being tested.

The following day, the MOH announced that an Indonesian seaman who had received his first vaccine dose tested positive. Last Saturday, two more seamen who had received their first dose of vaccine were also found to be infected.

Since they had not received both vaccine jabs, their getting infected is not of great worry since they had not achieved maximum vaccine protection.

Of greater concern, however, is another man who had received both vaccine doses by March 19 and who became infected.

His parents had flown in from India on April 15. His father was diagnosed with Covid-19 on arrival and sent to hospital, while his mother was placed under quarantine. He received permission to care for her, and he was diagnosed with the disease last Saturday.

Experts that The Straits Times spoke to said such post-vaccine infections, as well as reinfections for those who had been previously diagnosed with the disease, are to be expected, even after the majority of the people here have been fully vaccinated. It is a reflection of things to come for the nation at large.

Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, an infectious diseases expert at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said these cases are "disappointing, but not a real shock".

He said: "We expect an average of five out of 100 Pfizer- or Moderna-vaccinated persons to come down with symptomatic Covid-19 if exposed, and 10 per 100 vaccinated persons to come down with any Covid-19 infection (asymptomatic or symptomatic) based on the clinical trials and real-world data from Israel and the United States."

In a sense, it is like measles, he said. Although 95 per cent of children here are vaccinated against it, cases still pop up.

Professor Ooi Eng Eong of Duke-NUS Medical School's emerging infectious diseases programme said: "These trends are consistent with what we know about vaccines and vaccination."

He said that most vaccines cannot "elicit immune response to levels sufficient to prevent infection". But those who have received Covid-19 vaccines "around the world have also shown greatly reduced risk of hospitalisation and death".

They are also less likely to spread the infection to others.

Prof Hsu explained that as these people are less sick, or totally without symptoms, they have lower viral loads, thus reducing the risk of transmission.

He added that newer variants may also have increased infection rates in people who had previously been infected or who had received both vaccine doses.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/post-vaccine-infections-and-reinfections- could-happen-say-experts

Covid-19 in India: Cases, deaths and oxygen supply

• Coronavirus pandemic

IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS A devastating second wave of coronavirus in India has seen hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed and widespread shortages of oxygen and medicines. Here's a visual guide to what is happening and what the authorities are doing about it.

There have been record numbers of cases and deaths

Case numbers and deaths in India are continuing to rise fast, fuelled by a new variant. The country hit a record number of cases on Monday - the fifth time in a row - as well as its highest daily number of deaths.

But the true numbers of cases and deaths are likely to be higher than the numbers provided by authorities, with many people avoiding testing or struggling to access it. Many deaths in rural areas also go unregistered. Testing is increasing - but so too is the number of positive results.

A high percentage of positive tests suggests high infection rates and the likelihood of many more people in the community with coronavirus undetected, according to Johns Hopkins University. Last year, the WHO recommended countries needed to get the rate below 5% for at least two weeks before considering easing restrictions. The positive test rate in India is now around 20%. In total, India has confirmed more than 17 million infections and 200,000 deaths. Virologists say they expect the rate of infections to continue to increase for another two to three weeks. • Patients struggle at home as hospitals choke • Why India is running out of oxygen again • Countries send urgent aid to India

There are very few critical care beds

The country has a chronic shortage of space on its intensive care wards, with many patients' families forced to drive for miles to try to find a bed for their loved one. In Delhi - a region of about 20 million people - hospitals are full and are turning away new patients. Doctors have described how people are dying on the streets outside hospitals as the country struggles to cope.

Some streets outside medical facilities have become crowded with the seriously ill, their loved ones trying to arrange stretchers and oxygen supplies for them as they plead with hospital authorities for a place inside. "We have been roaming around for three days searching for a bed," one man told Reuters news agency as his wife sat immobile on the pavement.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES On Monday, the government announced military medical infrastructure would be made available to civilians and retired medical military personnel would be helping out in Covid health facilities.

There's a shortage of oxygen

Hospitals across India are also experiencing oxygen shortages, with some forced to put up signs warning of a lack of supplies. The country now has the greatest demand for oxygen out of all other low, lower-middle and upper-middle-income countries, according to the PATH Oxygen Needs Tracker.

Demand has been growing between 6%-8% each day, according to PATH, an organisation that works with global institutions and businesses to tackle health problems.

Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, who works on a Covid ward of Delhi's Manipal Hospital, described watching people gasping for air in the street like "fish out of water". "They are not getting oxygen and they are dying on the roads," he said. Typically, healthcare facilities consume about 15% of oxygen supply in India, leaving the rest for industrial use. But amid India's second wave, nearly 90% of the country's oxygen supply - 7,500 metric tonnes daily - is being diverted for medical use, according to Rajesh Bhushan, a senior health official. • Why India is running out of oxygen again To try to get supplies to where they are needed, the government has now started an "oxygen express", with trains carrying tankers to wherever there is demand. The Indian Air Force is also airlifting oxygen from military bases.

The government has said it will be releasing oxygen supplies from armed forces reserves and has approved plans for more than 500 oxygen generation plants across the country to boost supplies.

Train carriages have become medical wards

In a bid to tackle the shortage of beds, Indian authorities are turning to train carriages, which have been converted into isolation wards. About 4,000 Indian Railways coaches, adapted in March 2020, are being brought back into use to to help treat Covid patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

The facilities, which were not needed last year when strict lockdown measures saw cases decline, were able to provide an additional 64,000 temporary beds, Gopal Agarwal, a spokesman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, told the BBC. The trains, which can be driven to stations in cities and towns where required, have beds for patients, bathrooms, power points for medical equipment and oxygen supplies.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56891016)

Indian variant found in at least 17 countries: WHO The WHO listed the B.1.617 version as a 'variant of interest' but stopped short of calling it a 'variant of concern' By AT CONTRIBUTORAPRIL 28, 2021 Print

A man reacts as he performs the last rites of his relative amid the funeral pyres of victims who died of Covid-19 during a mass cremation at a crematorium in New Delhi on April 27, 2021. Photo: AFP/Prakash Singh

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in more than a dozen countries.

The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in more than 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open- access database “from at least 17 countries.”

“Most sequences were uploaded from India, the United Kingdom, USA and Singapore,” the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.

The WHO recently listed B.1.617 – which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics – as a “variant of interest.”

But so far it has stopped short of declaring it a “variant of concern.”

That label would indicate that it is more dangerous than the original version of the virus by for instance being more transmissible, deadly or able to dodge vaccine protections. India is facing surging new cases and deaths in the pandemic and fears are rising that the variant could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.

The explosion in infections in India – 350,000 new cases were recorded there on Tuesday alone – has driven a surge in global cases to 147.7 million.

The virus has now killed more than 3.1 million people worldwide.

The WHO acknowledged that its preliminary modeling based on sequences submitted to GISAID indicates “that B.1.617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility.”

It stressed that other variants circulating at the same time were also showing increased transmissibility and that the combination “may be playing a role in the current resurgence in this country.”

“Indeed, studies have highlighted that the spread of the second wave has been much faster than the first,” the WHO said.

It highlighted though that “other drivers” could be contributing to the surge, including lax adherence to public health measures as well as mass gatherings.

“Further investigation is needed to understand the relative contribution of these factors,” it said.

The UN agency also stressed that “further robust studies” into the characteristics of B.1.617 and other variants, including impacts on transmissibility, severity and the risk of reinfection, were “urgently needed.”

https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/indian-variant-found-in-at-least-17-countries-who/

Indians rush for vaccines as coronavirus toll tops 200,000

Indians struggled to register online for a mass vaccination drive set to begin at the weekend as the country's toll from the coronavirus surged past 200,000 on Wednesday, worsened by shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-total-deaths-covid-19-passes-200000-mark-2021-04-28

Coronavirus: In India, overworked medical students are at the front lines of the crisis

• There are 541 medical colleges in India with 36,000 postgraduate medical students – who are the bulwark of India’s Covid-19 response • For the past year, they’ve endured massive workloads, late pay, rampant exposure to Covid-19 and academic neglect

A doctor tends to a patient with a breathing problem in Ahmedabad, India. Photo: Reuters

Since the beginning of the week, Dr Siddharth Tara, a postgraduate medical student at New Delhi’s government-run Hindu Rao Hospital, has had a fever and persistent headache.

He took a Covid-19 test, but the results have been delayed as India’s health system implodes. His hospital, overburdened and understaffed, wants him to keep working until the testing laboratory confirms

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3131464/coronavirus-india- overworked-medical-students-are-front-lines

COVID-19 won’t rattle East Asian supply chains 29 April 2021 Author: Fukunari Kimura, Keio University In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a series of overreactions about the viability of global value chains (GVCs), with some mixed feeling about China.

Many claimed that the pandemic would mark the end of GVCs and that there would be a massive ‘reshoring’, with production pulled back from developing to developed countries. Others claimed that GVCs needed broadening to boost resilience and that companies should avoid concentrating their operations in one location such as China. But GVCs have mostly remained intact over the past year, with more intensive use of communications technology. The initial reactions were partially due to an insufficient understanding of the multiple shocks generated by COVID-19. Health policies — including lockdowns and other social distancing measures— created three kinds of shocks to GVCs: negative supply shocks, positive demand shocks and negative demand shocks. These shocks have emerged in different places at different times and have confused observers. For countries other than China, the first impact of COVID-19 was negative supply shocks. In February 2020, imports from China — both parts and components, and final products — suddenly stopped. But as China successfully contained the virus, import supply was quickly restored. As COVID-19 spread to other countries, lockdowns and other measures caused negative supply shocks, though the effects were minor and temporary in East Asia. In many countries, there were initial positive demand shocks for personal protective equipment (PPE), and countries importing such goods experienced panic around sudden spikes in demand. Some countries introduced export restrictions on PPE and other ‘essential’ goods to prioritise domestic demand, without regard to the credibility of the rules-based trade regime. But after the initial shock, things calmed down and the market ensured stable supplies of most goods — except vaccines. COVID-19 also generated positive demand shocks for telework and stay-at-home-related goods. Sales of laptops, communication-related equipment, dishwashing machines and water purifiers boomed. East Asian exports to North America and Europe recovered primarily due to these positive demand shocks. A third impact of COVID-19 was negative demand shocks. Lockdowns and social distancing, businesses closing and income losses reduced the demand for a wide range of goods and services. The slump in GDP was felt all over the world. But unlike the global financial crisis in 2008–09, many countries implemented mitigation policies on an unprecedented scale. So, there was no collapse of the financial sector and asset markets, and consumer purchasing power held up. The trough of international trade was much shallower than that of GDP, both of which largely bottomed out across the world in May 2020. While particular sectors such as the garment industry, transportation, tourism and on-site services have suffered serious damage, major reshuffling of GVCs seems unlikely. Initial concern about GVC viability was fuelled by overreaction to the initial negative supply shocks and positive demand shocks, and anxiety about China. But private companies remained calm. They had already optimised the balance between efficiency and risk management before COVID-19. They knew that negative supply shocks would be temporary, positive demand shocks might create business chances and negative demand shocks needed to be watched carefully to gauge their depth and length. The world has not observed any massive reshoring or relocation of production operations. Machinery international production networks — characterised as a task-by-task international division of labour — have been more robust and resilient than other types of transactions as they proved to be in past crises including the GFC and the East Japan Earthquake.

To what extent did US–China decoupling already under way affect decision-making for GVCs during COVID-19? For Japanese companies, to take one example, China is attractive for production sites and markets. But China is also prone to sudden politically driven policy changes. So, Japan’s China Plus One strategy to extend its GVCs has been in place since 2010 when disputes over the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands began to escalate. Labour-intensive operations started moving earlier in response to labour cost pressures and some quiet reallocation of production occurred in response to the US–China tariff war. COVID-19 aggravated the conflict and accelerated decoupling. That trend continued. However, most operations in China remain as they were. The limited exceptions are companies with sensitive technologies that require semiconductors or sensitive materials such as rare metals, as well as companies producing PPE. Some of these re-shored and others moved part of their production from China to other countries. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry provided two subsidy programs in 2020–21 for supply chains targeting these products. One was for reshoring and the other for diversification, mainly to ASEAN countries. Whether a policy tool such as a subsidy is optimal or not can be arguable, but the two programs were well accepted among Japanese companies.

The US–China confrontation has morphed from trade issues into great power competition. Countries such as Japan and South Korea heavily depend on a national security system underpinned by the United States and have an incentive to behave as good allies. Careful assessment of the extent of decoupling in terms of the types of technologies, products, and firm nationalities will be crucial in the coming years. Further extension and deepening of international production networks are desirable for enhancing resilience. India’s participation in these would have helped do that so its decision to walk out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations was unfortunate. By improving the investment climate and enhancing connectivity, South Asia could also participate in tightly connected East Asian production networks and thereby achieve more rapid economic growth and poverty alleviation.

https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/04/29/covid-19-wont-rattle-east-asian-supply- chains/)

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Reuters

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People wait in line in Olympic Stadium for their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as Quebec begins vaccinations for seniors in Montreal, Canada March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Rush for vaccines and oxygen in desperate situation in India

Indians struggled to register online for a mass vaccination drive set to begin at the weekend as the country reported a record rise in coronavirus cases and deaths over the last 24 hours.

The country's overall caseload rose above 18 million, with a further 3,645 deaths taking the toll to almost 205,000 amid a shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen. Delhi state is reporting one death from COVID-19 every four minutes and ambulances have been taking the bodies of COVID-19 victims to makeshift crematorium facilities in parks and parking lots, where bodies burned on rows and rows of funeral pyres. read more

Moderna boosting vaccine-making capacity

Moderna Inc said on Thursday it is boosting manufacturing capacity for its COVID-19 vaccine and expects to make up to 3 billion doses in 2022, more than twice its previous forecast.

The final number of inoculations will depend on how many are lower-dose formulations for boosters and immunizations for children. Moderna shots currently deploy 100 micrograms of vaccine substance but some future shots may use only 50 micrograms. read more

Placental infection may be more likely in early pregnancy

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rarely infects the placenta, but new research suggests that when such an infection does occur it is more likely to happen early in pregnancy. Analyzing 12 placentas from healthy women, ranging in gestational age from 5 weeks to 36 weeks, researchers found that the cells in the placenta that become infected with the coronavirus have the surface protein ACE2, which the virus uses as a gateway for entry.

Late in pregnancy, the ACE2 proteins are positioned on cells in a way that does not expose them to the virus circulating in the mother's blood, possibly protecting the placenta from infection, said study coauthor Dr. Drucilla Roberts of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. read more

Uber app in U.S. to enable users to book COVID-19 vaccines

Uber Technologies Inc said on Wednesday it was launching new features in its app to allow U.S. customers to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments and reserve rental cars.

Customers would be able book an appointment at a Walgreens pharmacy to receive a vaccine and an Uber ride to travel there, the company said in a product presentation.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-snapshot/what-you-need-to- know-about-the-coronavirus-right-now-idUSKBN2CE0EW

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: April 29, 2021, 3:20 PM GMT+8 Tracking Covid-19 • Vaccine Tracker • Global Cases • U.S. Cases • U.S. Regions U.K. 1,952 67,659 2,262.9 2.5

Brazil 1,893 69,050 N/A N/A

U.S. 1,739 97,587 1,239.6 2.8

France 1,539 83,226 N/A 6.0

Germany 1,028 41,921 672.3 8.0

Russia 758 33,344 879.0 8.1

India 156 14,011 214.2 0.5

Japan 80 4,614 86.7 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of April 27, 2021, 8:50 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 145 million people and killed more than 3.1 million globally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

Getting to a Flatter Curve The first 468 days with more than 100 confirmed cases

• Asia

• Other Show deaths 01002003004001 yrDays since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,00030,000,000CasesMainland ChinaSouth KoreaJapanFranceSingaporeSpainU.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 149,642,583 Confirmed cases worldwide 3,151,176 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of April 29, 2021, 3:20 PM GMT+8 • 1–99

• 100–999

• 1,000–9,999

• 10,000–99,999

• 100,000–999,999

• 1,000,000–9,999,999

• 10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases

U.S. 574,329 32,230,019

Brazil 398,185 14,521,289

Mexico 215,918 2,336,944

India 204,832 18,376,421

U.K. 127,734 4,427,394

Italy 120,256 3,994,894

Russia 107,547 4,732,981

France 104,077 5,626,985

Germany 82,589 3,366,827

Spain 77,943 3,504,799

Colombia 72,725 2,824,626

Iran 70,966 2,459,906

Poland 66,533 2,776,927

Argentina 62,947 2,928,890

Peru 60,742 1,783,339

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. More Coverage From Bloomberg • Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter • Stories about the coronavirus outbreak from Bloomberg News • Virus Update from Bloomberg News • The Future of Travel in the Covid Era • How Covid Is Shifting Human Behavior Around the World • The Covid Resilience Ranking The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined.

Global Cases Added Per Day New cases: 904,893 Jan 21, 2020 Apr 28, 2021 India New cases: 379,308 Jan 21, 2020 Apr 28, 2021 Brazil 79,726 U.S. 54,026 France 31,582 Germany 28,263 Iran 21,713 Russia 7,729 U.K. 2,131 Mainland China 20 Note: On February 14, 2020, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases. Countries took drastic measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on their homefront— with varying degrees of success. More than 140 governments placed blanket bans on incoming travelers, closed schools and restricted gatherings and public events, according to data compiled by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Bloomberg reporting.

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

How the Outbreak Spread Country by Country Seven-day rolling average of new deaths and cases

• Asia

• Other Show cases Mar 2020Jan 2021Apr 2800.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaRussiaU.K. Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of April 28. 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. By: Cedric Sam, Chloe Whiteaker, Hannah Recht, Demetrios Pogkas, Paul Murray, Dean Halford and Eric Bryant Sources: Bloomberg reporting, National Health Commission of the PRC and Johns Hopkins University Note: Historical data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Europe includes all EU and Schengen Area member-states, territories with open borders with Schengen, and the U.K.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus

Confusion over Duterte-Xi ‘verbal agreement’

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:01 AM April 28, 2021 The news item “Palace ‘like a headless chicken’ on West Philippine Sea issue — Carpio” (4/25/21) gave the Filipino people a laughable scenario, were it not so painfully tragic, about how the Duterte administration is dealing with issues relating to the West Philippine Sea. President Duterte’s sheer incompetence has created so much confusion even among the “bright boys” around him.

Regarding Mr. Duterte’s “verbal agreement” with Chinese President Xi Jinping that opened Philippine seas to Chinese fisher- men, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the resident Pinocchio in the Palace, did what he does best and tried to cover it up: No such agreement. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. intimated there might have been such an agreement, but it would be unenforceable if only verbal. Mr. Duterte’s chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, not one to be out-talked, said the agreement, even if “verbal,” is binding.

As usual, the President himself seemed totally unmindful of what the fuss is all about. Either he doesn’t care what anybody thinks, or he doesn’t understand what the problem is. From all appearances, all he cares about is how not to displease President Xi. Given the hundreds of Chinese “fishing vessels” entering our seas and refusing to leave despite Locsin’s numerous protests, is there really any doubt about Mr. Duterte’s disloyalty to our country?

https://opinion.inquirer.net/139704/confusion-over-duterte-xi-verbal-agreement

Defending our sovereign rights: Will it be war?

ByRicardo Saludo April 29, 2021

Latest Stories

DND to China: Don’t tell PH what to do in West Philippine Sea Covid-19 now a compensable work-related disease — ECC PH logs 6,895 Covid-19 cases, 10,739 recoveries Executive-Senate ‘backchannel talks’ for compromise on pork imports bared Duterte urged to certify as urgent Senate bill vs red-tagging Last of 2 parts BEFORE getting back to where we left off last Thursday, a quick rejoinder to an article comparing how President Rodrigo Duterte and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, have handled Chinese incursions in their nations’ exclusive economic zones, or EEZ.

During tensions with Beijing off Indonesia’s Natuna Islands in January last year, Jokowi flew there and asserted that “Indonesia would not bargain on sovereignty.” He also sent warships, leading to a stand-off with Chinese vessels.

The story then noted President Duterte’s restrained response to the presence of more than 200 Chinese-flagged vessels near Whitsun Reef, or Julian Felipe Reef, claimed by the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/29/opinion/columnists/defending-our-sovereign- rights-will-it-be-war/868432/

COMMENTARY Sea patrols Bajo de Masinloc is strategically positioned as a vantage point with which to watch or even control shipping and air traffic in the West Philippine Sea.

Published 17 hours ago on April 29, 2021 12:25 AM By Nick V. Quijano Jr. Significant is last week’s maritime drills of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in tension- filled West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Of immediate significance is the fact it is the first time in nearly a decade where Filipino civilian capital ships have tangible physical presence within the vicinity of the Chinese- controlled Panatag Shoal.

Panatag Shoal, known locally also as Bajo de Masinloc, is one of the country’s oldest and richest fishing grounds and has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing since its seizure by China in 2012.

PCG’s presence, too, in the Filipino-controlled but previously neglected Pag-Asa Island, which China is also claiming and where the government is upgrading an airstrip and ship landing ramps, likely boosts the morale of the few Filipinos living on the island.

PCG described the maritime drills on Saturday near Panatag Shoal and nearby Pag-Asa Island last week as part of efforts to secure “our maritime jurisdiction” over the disputed waters. Such efforts are worth watching.

And, as I write this, Chinese reaction, whether unofficial or official, to the maritime exercises isn’t yet available. But whatever reactions there will be are going to be interesting and bears watching out, too.

At any rate, the sea drills coincide with the flurry of daily diplomatic protests by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to China, triggered by the detection last month of hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef. If anything, actual naval patrols and surveillance in the WPS by Coast Guard and Navy ships do indicate the diplomatic tangle isn’t mere paper protests but are now wholly backed by palpable physical action on the disputed seas.

Anyway, the discovery of the Chinese fishing flotilla also did revive the tensions of 2012 when Chinese vessels similarly occupied Panatag Shoal.

In fact, in DFA’s latest protest against China, the DFA specifically cites five Chinese Coast Guard vessels that were sighted within the vicinities of Pag-Asa Island, Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal.

“Through these protests, the DFA reminded China that Bajo de Masinloc, Pag-Asa Islands, Panata, Parola, Kota Islands, Chigua and Burgos Reefs are integral parts of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction. The Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Julian Felipe Reef and Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA told China.

After China’s seizure of Panatag, China’s Coast Guard has been maintaining a 24-hour, seven days a week presence there and has kept Filipino fishermen and Philippine government ships from coming near the shoal.

China also ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision which made it clear Panatag Shoal is open fishing ground for all countries.

Filipino fishermen have also long since avoided Panatag, often complaining of harassment from the Chinese Coast Guard there.

It is not yet clear if fishermen will go back soon to Panatag even with the actual presence of Filipino Coast Guard patrols.

Nonetheless, the presence of Coast Guard and Navy ships in the area puts in context National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.’s recent call for Filipino fishermen to go out fishing in the WPS.

Esperon’s call is perhaps an indication this administration has realized fishery resources count for more at the moment rather than concern over other resources like oil.

Such realization also puts in context Mr. Duterte’s often elliptical declarations on fishing rights and on using force once oil and other resources are taken out of the WPS.

Contrary to popular perception, triangle-shaped Bajo de Masinloc may not even have petroleum resources. As early as 2014, maritime affairs expert Jay Batongbacal says oil exploration companies have concluded that if any oil is to be found in the West Philippine Sea, it will be in areas closer to the coasts rather than in the high seas.

Nonetheless, Bajo de Masinloc is also crucial for freedom of navigation, however.

Bajo de Masinloc is strategically positioned as a vantage point with which to watch or even control shipping and air traffic in the WPS, says Batongbacal.

In short, Bajo de Masinloc is crucial for our national interests of food security and defense. Whatever further developments there is henceforth vital to us.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/sea-patrols/

Fishtalk

No inter-government agreement can be verbal. The unenforceability aspect was backstopped by Duterte himself.

April 29, 2021 12:40 AM By Dean Dela Paz In times of crises, it is important that the bureaucracy speaks in a single voice and that their verbiage is not simply clear, definitive, and consistent with others on the same subject matter, but that the speakers themselves are united, and conscious not to diametrically contradict one another. For the government bureaucracy, canceling out does not yield zero sums. It yields net negatives.

These tenets of basic communication are integral to leadership and are so obvious even to the casual non-professional communicator that truth and common sense need not be explained nor clarified save for the incredibly stupid.

It is important these days to be clear and consistent where crisscrossing social media avenues tend to derail official communications. Especially where the subject matter involves politics, religion, or the great debates we have allowed to tear us apart like the efficacy of gargling gasoline, a fish tank cleanser for rotting algae, and hair lice and canine heartworm treatments peddled as therapeutics and prophylaxes against SARS-Cov-2.

On each, we seem to have, not simply ever-widening aisles across which we rant and rave against each other, but we have also created other aisles to accommodate niched subsets so that we might likewise rant and rave even against partisans who stand beside us.

It makes sense really. We are, after all, feudal and feuding citizens of an archipelago of a thousand dialects more than biblical Babel might have imagined, living in 7,101 islands some were generous enough to cavalierly hand over to others out of the charity of their hearts.

The West Philippine Sea (WPS) provides an eloquent example of our ineloquence where the messaging of our official stance has led to, not simply foreign encroachment, but more importantly, for an impoverished nation, direct destruction cost of as much as P30 billion annually even as total value chain losses are multiples higher. Quoting Rodrigo Duterte verbatim, on our territorial integrity, he said, “As far as I’m concerned, I’m the owner, and I’m just giving the fishing rights. Galit sila kung bakit ko daw pinapaisda (They are mad as to why I allow them (the Chinese fishing vessels) to fish).”

Two important points were thus declared. One, the Philippines has ownership of the WPS. Two, fishing rights were granted.

Quarterbacking the President’s statement, the Presidential Chief Legal Counsel said the grant, which he identified as a “verbal agreement,” was “legally binding.” He reinforced that by saying, “Even if it’s verbal, it’s valid and binding as long as there is mutual consent from the two parties.” Both were obviously plugged in.

Hairline cracks started appearing when another Cabinet alter ego, the Foreign Affairs Secretary opined, “It’s not policy. The verbal agreement cannot be enforced. It cannot be enforced on us because it’s verbal.”

No inter-government agreement can be verbal. The unenforceability aspect was backstopped by Duterte himself when he said, “Wala talagang mangyayari (nothing will happen) because we are not in possession of the sea.” Curiously, this time, he and the Foreign Affairs Secretary were in tune.

What turned all these pronouncements into nothing but fishtalk was when the presidential spokesman said, “There is no truth to the speculation of a purported verbal fishing agreement.”

That certainly flipped the flush lever on the toilet seat.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/fishtalk/

Philippines forced to take a side BREAKTHROUGH - Elfren S. Cruz (The Philippine Star ) - April 29, 2021 - 12:00am Senators have introduced a resolution condemning China’s “illegal and unwarranted incursions” in the West Philippine Sea. The resolution read in part “…close, diplomatic and political ties…should not be mistaken as acceptance of China’s creeping hegemony over our region and country and no promise of economic largesse often undelivered should soften our resolve against these illegal and unwarranted incursions.”

This condemnation is the result of the occupation of the area around the Juan Felipe Reef which is within the 12-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These invasions have been condemned by Defense Secretary Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin. Even President Duterte, who had a much softer stand, said that these were Philippine waters and that he had only verbally agreed to give China fishing rights in the area. However, China spokesmen have said that the reefs were part of “Nansha Island” and belonged to China.

A hegemon, in geopolitical language, is a dominant power – economic and military. China is already a regional hegemon. It seeks to be the sole regional hegemon in this part of the world with the end goal of dominating Asia.

Since 1949, China managed to settle most of its territorial disputes and border conflicts because it has been willing to negotiate and even offer concessions with its neighboring countries. Today, China has at least six outstanding territorial disputes and due to its increased military power, it has been unwilling to negotiate or offer any concessions.

It is important that the Philippines understand that it is now confronted by a superpower and is only part of China’s drive to dominate the whole region.

Right now China’s most important dispute is over Taiwan which Beijing claims is an integral part of China. Taiwan is an economically vibrant nation with strong democratic foundations. The overwhelming majority of its people believe Taiwan is a sovereign country and have no interest in being reintegrated into China.

China has claimed almost the whole South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. This claim is being disputed by other nations bordering these waters which include Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. The disputes center mainly on the reefs and other areas including Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands and reefs. Other nations like the United States and Western Europe dispute these Chinese claims and are invoking the “freedom of navigation” that allows free and unhampered passage of all maritime vessels in these waters.

In the East China Sea, Beijing has a bitter feud over control of a handful of small islands that Japan calls Senkaku Islands and China calls the Diaoyu Islands. Japan, with its own powerful navy, has been able to prevent any meaningful Chinese incursions. Recently, Indonesia has witnessed Chinese vessels openly intruding in Indonesian waters.

China has land border disputes with Bhutan and India. This has resulted in hundreds of border incidents and will continue to fester and, hopefully, will not turn into a major land war.

The war – cold or hot – between the United States and China is inevitable. The USA will try to contain the power of China while Beijing will find ways to create trouble in America’s backyard, the Carribean Sea, to distract it from focusing on Asia.

Almost all Asian countries will be forced to take sides in this struggle. Given that the first imperative is to protect national interests, most countries in East and South Asia will eventually join with the United States and its allies – Japan, Australia and India.

The reason is simple. China poses a territorial threat to most countries in Asia and the United States has no territorial ambitions in this part of the world. China is more threatening for largely geopolitical reasons. China is part of the Asian continent and is located next door to most countries in this part of the world. This is like the Soviet Union during the Cold War when it subjugated the countries of Eastern Europe which were its neighbors.

America is too far away and has never had any territorial designs on any part of Asia. Its territorial focus is in the Western Hemisphere – North and South America. The possibility of war may seem remote at this point. However, there are disturbing signs that China wants to reassert itself as the “Middle Kingdom.” This was a name that first appeared in the 6th century BC during the Zhou dynasty that believed that China was the center of all civilizations. The American equivalent is the constant refrain that refers to the USA as the greatest country in the world. It is these feelings of nationalism that could spark a war that nobody wants.

Benilde Community Pantry

The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has opened its Benilde Community Pantry at the Angelo King International Center (AKIC) campus along Arellano Avenue to cater to the residents of the adjacent area.

The institution currently accepts in kind donations of vegetables, fruits, rice, canned goods and dried goods as well as monetary support. Basic health supplies such as vitamins, alcohol, face masks, face shields and gloves as well as basic toiletries to include shampoo, bath soap, sanitary napkins and diapers are very welcome.

Launched through the Center of Social Action, the institution likewise encourages donors to share educational tools such as books, school supplies and art materials for the students of the neighboring barangays. The college is currently working hand in hand with local government units to organize additional pantries to reach more beneficiaries.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/04/29/2094482/philippines-forced-take-side

Parlade’s thinking by Florencio Fianza "In this time of extreme hardship, does it really matter very much who is providing the aid?" We have to hand it to Lt General Antonio Parlade Jr, the spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. In an interview with a radio station, he called the senators stupid for wanting to defund the NTF-ELCAC. I have never seen this happen before and he appears to have gotten away with it. Apart from an order for him to keep his mouth shut, no further action was taken. Even Senator Panfilo Lacson who at one time advocated for his replacement also treated his insulting remarks lightly. He is of course, entitled to his opinion but public officials normally do not go around calling the senators stupid if their agency’s budget is hanging on the balance. As a consequence, a resolution is being filed by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to censure Parlade. Fifteen senators have apparently signed this already. The senators, however, do not seem to have a unified stand on what to do with the huge NTF-ELCAC budget of P19.2 billion. At one time, Parlade also described the community pantry initiative as the work of Satan. I could think of many words to describe the community pantry effort but “Satan” is hardly the right word. What was he thinking? Does he really believe that the initiative is the handy work of leftist groups or individuals sympathetic to the CPP/NPA? Maybe it is hard for him to believe that there are people who simply want to help the less fortunate. If that is the case, the anti-communist effort of the government could be in trouble. The fight against the CPP/NPA is difficult and complicated enough without complicating it. That’s why after more than fifty years, the CPP/NPA is still around. If it were that easy, the government would have won a long time ago. The reason for this is that the level of discontent remains high enough to entice people to join the revolutionary struggle against the government. The discontent however, is not so high to tilt the balance against the government for the CPP/NPA to win. As one academic wrote, insurgencies are all about the perception of relationships between those who govern and those who are governed. The trick therefore, is for the government to undertake needed reforms to reduce the level of discontent to the barest minimum so that dissent can be pursued peacefully and not through revolutionary war. One mission of the NTF-ELCAC is to bring down that level of discontent in order to win the hearts and minds of the people. This is accomplished through a series of programs designed to clear localities that are heavily influenced by the CPP/NPA. Another is to convince CPP/NPA combatants to lay down their arms and come back to the folds of the law. They are then given government assistance to be able to reintegrate back to society. There are many other programs. The problem is, the accomplishments of the Task Force are not widely known to the public except for occasional press releases. It would help if the NTF-ELCAC can develop an effective information dissemination program so that the public will know more. This way, it will be easier for the public to support government initiatives against the CPP/NPA. It would be a pity if the government loses ground to the CPP/NPA due to simple public relation snafus. Think about it, just when the NTF-ELCAC needs the support of Congress to pass the red tagging law and keep its huge budget, Parlade chooses to antagonize the Senate. Furthermore, this fixation on red tagging is not a good sign. It can indicate that the government is running out of other options to use in its fight against the communists. Parlade also chose to attack the community pantry initiative when a multitude of people do not have enough to eat during this pandemic. In this time of extreme hardship, does it really matter very much who is providing the aid? If the pantry initiative is a communist effort which by all accounts is not the case, the government should simply support it to make it work better. Many are saying that the reason why this initiative took off was due to the inability of the government to provide enough aid. Instead of demonizing it, Parlade should have just issued words of encouragement. He chose however, to be the odd man out. He has remained steadfast in his style and methods which only strengthens the notion that the government is out of touch with the realities on the ground. In this aspect, the government may have lost another round in the battle for the hearts and minds of the people. Parlade should chill a little and analyze the situation thoroughly before opening his mouth. Otherwise, he will only end up damaging the government cause.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/duty-calls-by-florencio- fianza/353071/parlade-s-thinking.html

Parlade’s rant should not go unpunished ByRamon T. Tulfo Latest Stories

DND to China: Don’t tell PH what to do in West Philippine Sea Covid-19 now a compensable work-related disease — ECC PH logs 6,895 Covid-19 cases, 10,739 recoveries Executive-Senate ‘backchannel talks’ for compromise on pork imports bared Duterte urged to certify as urgent Senate bill vs red-tagging FOR all its imperfections, the Senate should be respected by people in government, especially those in the military, where discipline and obedience to authority are the norm.

Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade’s rant against a co-equal branch of the executive department, which is headed by the president of the republic, should not go unpunished.

By disrespecting the Senate, Parlade is also being disrespectful to his commander in chief, President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte.

It’s like a nephew disrespecting his father’s siblings, his uncles and aunts.

Calling the senators “stupid” for planning to defund an anti-communist group where he is the spokesman is the height of insubordination.

In the military, insubordination or disobedience to authority, is a serious sin; during wartime, the punishment is death by firing squad.

In a democratic country like the Philippines, the military submits itself to civilian rule.

Parlade seems to be in a time warp; he thinks that the country is still under martial law. But he is not alone among his peers in having this martial law mindset. Most of his colleagues strut around like peacocks among the civilian population.

The military has become a spoiled brat after EDSA 1 because the presidents who came after Ferdinand Marcos have kowtowed to it by appointing retired generals to top government posts.

Parlade and his ilk should be reminded that without the civilian multitude at EDSA 1 in February 1986, the military mavericks would not have succeeded in removing President Marcos from power.

Subsequent events proved that without civilian backing, the military could not stage a successful power grab against the administrations of Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The Senate can’t be blamed if it bares its fangs by planning to divert P19 billion of the budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) to feeding unemployed people in these dire times.

Anyway, NTF-Elcac (what a funny sounding name – RTT) can’t account for how its budget is used and why it has not convinced communist rebels to rejoin society.

Even Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy like Parlade, has asked for the removal of the controversial general from the anti- communist agency.

Lacson said that Parlade’s position as spokesman for NTF-Elcac violates a provision in the Constitution that forbids an active military officer from being appointed to a civilian post.

By the way, how many barangay (villages) has the NTF-Elcac freed from the influence of the New People’s Army?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, so the saying goes. Actress Angel Locsin is being blamed for the death of an elderly man who was lining up for food in the community pantry that the movie star had set up.

No amount of apologies from Locsin for the man’s unfortunate demise could make her detractors let up in their tirades.

My 10 cents’ worth of advice to Locsin: Don’t mind your critics. Inggit lang sila (They’re just envious).

One of Locsin’s detractors was Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, who has since resigned as executive vice president of the University of the Philippines (UP) System after a backlash from countless netizens.

Herbosa had commented on his Twitter account, describing the elderly man’s unfortunate demise as “death by community pantry.”

Herbosa at first filed a leave of absence, but he was apparently forced to resign by his UP colleagues.

I wonder why Herbosa was still taken in by the UP System after he had a case filed against him as a health undersecretary during President Noynoy’s time. The case was eventually dropped, but delicadeza should have prevailed.

In fact, a little bird told me that on one occasion, a contractor pointed a gun at Herbosa’s head allegedly over a botched business deal.

Everyone at the Department of Health has reportedly heard of the rumored incident.

To those who want to follow in the footsteps of Angel Locsin and Ana Patricia Non, I give the following advice:

Don’t publicize your noble act yourself by announcing it on social media. As a Facebook post by an anonymous author says, “If you want to feed the homeless, then feed the homeless. But the moment you post it on social media, you’re also feeding your ego.”

It’s better if your right hand doesn’t know what your left hand is doing.

Announcing your generosity will greatly dilute your reward from the Universe. Your resultant fame is reward enough.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/29/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/parlades-rant- should-not-go-unpunished/868468/

Three ladies and a general Whether Non, Locsin, Parlade or Badoy ought to be glorified or persecuted is of course up to which side of the fence you sit.

April 29, 2021 12:20 AM By Manny Angeles @tribunephl_mba

You’re reading it right. It’s not exactly the movie you may have seen or read about.

But events of the past few days saw three ladies and a general in the spotlight on account of issues surrounding the latest craze in town — the community pantry.

You may have grown tired of the issue but we can’t help it, especially if it involves a lady whose simple act of kindness sparked a nationwide movement, a celebrity known for her super heroine role, and an outspoken military general who has come under fire for linking the two, on different occasions, to the communist movement.

But wait, who’s the third lady? No less than the general’s co-spokesperson of the government’s anti-insurgency task force, the general’s lady Robin and nemesis of bandits masquerading as ideologic rebels.

Guess you may now have an inkling of the personalities we’re talking about.

Of the three, the woman of the hour seems to be Ana Patricia Non, organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry, whose simple act of kindness has sparked this nationwide movement that helps those in need at a time of tragedy and hate.

For organizing such movement that wowed the world, Non, has for all intents and purposes became a community rock star, so one media outlet says.

Now compare her to our second lady, a woman of grace, elegance and who, many say, has a heart of gold. Being a celebrity, an amazing actress at that, Angel Locsin is well known to her fans as a real-life Darna, the super heroine she portrayed in one of her movies. That’s because she has proven on many occasions to be a generous citizen who helps those in need.

Whenever calamities occur or emergencies happen, she is among the first people to offer whatever assistance she can contribute. So, it was not a surprise that she, too, organized her own community pantry to celebrate her birthday this month. But tragedy strikes at a time we least expect, as a senior citizen who lined up in her pantry met a tragic death after collapsing and declared a goner on arrival at a Quezon City hospital. Heroines are humans, too, and it must have brought untold grief to the actress. She was inconsolable and apologetic even as Filipinos were divided on whether she should be blamed for the tragedy or extolled for her generosity.

Locsin and the general in our cast, Lt. General Antonio Parlade Jr., once crossed paths when the actress and two other celebrities, Liza Soberano and Catriona Gray, were reportedly red-tagged, the same charge he implied on Ms. Non, which naturally caused an uproar and polarized the citizenry.

For all his controversial pronouncements, it’s no wonder then that Parlade, the Army’s Southern Luzon Command chief and spokesman of the National Trask Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, has earned brickbats from both critics and the opposition, particularly the Left, which has naturally challenged him to prove his charges.

Enter our third lady in the cast, no other than Lorraine Badoy, the Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary, who, like Parlade, has been criticized for her red-tagging spree, including those of a nun who she once accused of helping the terrorist rebels.

To recall, Badoy has publicly accused both registered lawmakers, academics, journalists and government critics of being communist rebels on more than one occasion in the past, earning her the sobriquet as Parlade’s tag team partner.

But while there are critics of the two, there are also supporters who back them in their efforts to neutralize the communist propaganda and end the decades-old insurgency once and for all. Whether Non, Locsin, Parlade or Badoy ought to be glorified or persecuted is of course up to which side of the fence you sit.

There’s no Adam and Eve here. Nor Satan who enticed Eve. Only three ladies and our beleaguered general who have shown that it takes more than guts to stand up to one’s convictions.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/29/three-ladies-and-a-general/

Japan under fire for Fukushima water Posted : 2021-04-28 17:29 Updated : 2021-04-29 10:02

Radio active waste discharge to endanger humans, ecosystems

By Chang Mari

On April 13, Japan unveiled a plan to release radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The decision is simply unprecedented. Opposition from other countries and strong criticism within the country have been marginalized by the Japanese government.

The decision is a breach of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) since it fails to meet the requirements of an environmental impact assessment, information sharing consultation and negotiation with impacted countries. Greenpeace has advocated requesting provisional measures from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as an immediate action.

Since one of the worst nuclear accidents in history, the Japanese government has downplayed the damage and dangers. Multiple radiation surveys by Greenpeace since 2011, however, reveal scientific facts that are in stark contrast to the Japanese government's claims.

For one, Japan claims that the discharge can be conducted without concerns since tritium will be treated to a safe level. But there is no safe level for radioactivity and the risks from radiation, including for tritium. And the water remains contaminated by many other radionuclides, such as strontium-90 and carbon-14 which are even more harmful than tritium. The Japanese government singled out tritium in an attempt to divert the public's attention and downplay the danger.

The Japanese government also claims that the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) can be used to remove cesium-137, strontium-90, and other more harmful radionuclides, which is inaccurate. ALPS has already failed, as recognized officially by the Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2018. Over 70 percent of the wastewater after initial treatment contained 100 times higher cesium-127 and 20,000 times higher strontium-90 than safety levels.

Even if the water is treated for a second time, the results are not guaranteed. The Japanese government is manipulating the facts by labeling the contaminated water as "treated," while the fact remains the same, that 1.25 million tons of wastewater in storage is highly toxic even after ALPS treatment.

Japan has also downplayed the danger of tritium. Once entering into living organisms, tritium exchanges hydrogen to form organically bound tritium, which remains in the human body for longer than 12.5 years, the half-life of tritium, causing necrosis, cancers and genetic disorders. The Japanese government withheld this fact until Greenpeace revealed the existence of carbon-14 in the contaminated water in "Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis" published in October 2020.

The U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) support the decision, claiming that the water poses no threat as long as the level is lowered to meet safety guidelines. The guidelines, however, are skewed to benefit the nuclear industry with no limit on the total amount of radionuclides. Radioactive water can be diluted to meet the guidelines, but it does not stop radionuclides from entering the ocean.

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry expressed concerns over the possible impact on Americans saying "that is why we have the IAEA." The IAEA, however, is established to promote the agenda of nuclear power, which makes it impossible to be an impartial mediator.

The decision to discharge was solely based on non-scientific assumptions and without validation. Additionally, by 2030 there could be an additional 450,000 tons of highly contaminated water in addition to what exists today.

In a report "Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant" published in March 2021, Greenpeace alerted Japan's neighboring countries to the gravity of the issue. The report was based on technical analysis by Satoshi Sato, a former GE nuclear engineer who led the GE team at the Fukushima plant, warning that the decommissioning technology opted for by TEPCO will produce contaminated water for over a century.

The fact is that as much as twice the amount of highly radioactive molten nuclear fuel exists at Fukushima than Chernobyl. Japan's plan presented just eight months after the March 2011 accident proclaimed that it would restore it to "greenfield" within 30-40 years. However, this lacked feasibility given technologies currently available. Sato pointed to expected technological advances for more effective decommissioning.

Ocean release will mark the beginning of decades of major radioactive pollution. Decommissioning for a century or longer will add more radioactive water. Sato warns that contaminated water to be produced in the future will potentially be even more lethal. The current fuel removal process of pouring tons of water into the damaged reactors increases the risk of plutonium and other very hazardous radionuclides being dispersed outside them.

The Fukushima accident and resultant radioactive water remind us that a nuclear accident is so disastrous that it threatens the long-term health of people and the environment. Japan's actions are deplorable conduct for a government which is legally required to protect its people from pollution.

As United Nations human rights special rapporteurs have warned the Japanese government's decision threatens the human rights and livelihoods of citizens in Japan, and also in Korea and other neighboring countries. Therefore, the Japanese government's move to discharge the wastewater cannot be tolerated.

The significance of Japan's decision extends beyond South Korea. It will pose a threat to generation after generation. The U.S. understands this, too, which is why it hasn't lifted its ban on agricultural and fishery imports from Fukushima since the accident.

Japan should not risk the life of global citizens and ecosystems only to pursue its political interests. It is putting international waters in danger for its own sake. International intervention supported by UNCLOS should be facilitated without delay to stop Japan's dangerous plan.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2021/04/197_307862.html

The main idea behind Biden's global strategy Opinion by Aaron David Miller Updated 1211 GMT (2011 HKT) April 28, 2021 What Biden said he'd do as President to shift foreign policy 02:34 Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author; view more opinion articles on CNN.

(CNN)You can do quite a bit in 100 days -- begin learning French; train your puppy; prepare for a 10K. But there's one thing you can't do: transform a cruel and unforgiving world.

Judging from the Biden administration's first 100 days -- an unrealistic and unrealizable metric by which to judge a presidency -- there's no danger of that happening. I've worked for a half dozen administrations, both Republicans and Democrats, and have never seen one where foreign policy priorities seem so influenced by a domestic agenda and the politics that drive them. Whether this pattern holds remains to be seen. But the prime directive of President Joe Biden so far is stunningly clear -- aspire to be a transformative leader at home and a smart, careful one abroad. It's America's broken house, stupid It's no exaggeration to assert that Biden faces the greatest challenge of national recovery of any President since Franklin D. Roosevelt without the benefit of a world war that would leave America stronger at home and abroad. Governing is about choosing, and Biden's been crystal clear in laying out his top priorities: beating Covid, dealing with climate, restoring the economy and striving for racial equality.

What Biden said he'd do as President to shift foreign policy 02:34 And if there were any doubt that for this administration foreign policy begins at home, in March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid out a foreign policy agenda -- virtually infused with issues tethered to domestic priorities: immigration, renewing democracy, climate and the Covid-19 pandemic. None of this means Biden plans to ignore America's role in the world. As someone who spent nearly 40 years as a senator and eight years as a vice president, Biden is acutely aware of the importance of not wasting political capital, especially with such narrow margins in the House and Senate, or roiling political waters at home that might undermine what he hopes will be a transformative domestic agenda. He and his foreign policy team have also sought to frame US foreign policy as one designed to be relevant to the American people and are framing their approach as a foreign policy that benefits the middle class.

Biden set to make first foreign trip in June to UK and Belgium Many of his foreign policy moves, such as recognizing the mass killings of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as genocide, to toughening up policy toward China by calling out human rights violations over its persecution of the Uyghur Muslims and repression in Hong Kong, have been politically popular. And for those policies that aren't well liked - - at least in Congress -- like rejoining the Iranian nuclear deal -- he has proceeded quite cautiously -- refusing to comply with Iran's demand to lift sanctions and promising a longer and stronger accord after reentry into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). When Biden has been faced with political opposition, as he was when he appeared to back off his campaign promise to raise the cap on refugee admissions, he's quickly retreated. And who would blame him? Since 1946, the average loss of a sitting president's party in the first midterms is 25 seats. With a slim majority in the House and a one seat advantage in the Senate, Biden has little margin for bad political decisions. Easy low-hanging fruit will do — for now With one or two exceptions discussed below, Biden's first 100 days in foreign policy has been understandably marked by caution, prudence and risk aversion.

What Biden and Blinken don't want to tell Americans about Afghanistan The world is a lot more complicated and less friendly than when Biden was Barack Obama's vice president and surely since his tenure as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And given the President's formidable domestic challenges, Biden has largely confined himself to repairing the damage his predecessor had done to America's image and credibility -- mostly through executive actions and orders. This includes reversing the travel ban that primarily targeted mostly Muslim-majority countries; rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord; and extending the New START treaty all represent an effort to rebuild and restore America's faith in diplomacy, multilateralism and leadership in the world. As president, Donald Trump's first two foreign trips were to Saudi Arabia and Israel, which broke with presidential tradition; in June, Biden will visit the UK to attend the G-7 and later Belgium for the NATO summit, signaling the importance of traditional American allies and interests. Managing the world -- not transforming it The riskiest thing Biden has done to date is to announce a September 11 deadline for leaving Afghanistan -- an issue in which the American public seems to have lost interest. And even here the main risk -- a degrading of American counterterrorism capability to prevent an attack on the continental US -- may take years to materialize, if at all. He's also been quite bold in identifying a set of US objectives to halve its greenhouse emissions by 2030, a deadline that seems extremely difficult to meet. Otherwise, an administration filled with aspiring internationalists and led by an experienced foreign policy president who talked during the campaign about putting America back at the head of the table, seem to have a pretty sober and realistic view of the challenges they face in a cruel and unforgiving world. Issues with Russia, China, and Iran are to be managed if possible, not somehow neatly wrapped up and placed in the win column. Ditto with seemingly intractable problems like North Korea, Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After the unhappy experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, nation-building abroad is to be avoided at all costs -- a trend line that now runs through three administrations (Obama, Trump and Biden). But then governing is about choosing. Perhaps the world that awaits Joe Biden will draw him into some major foreign policy crisis. His early moves abroad, however, reflect the instincts of a man focused on matters domestic. He knows that the success of his presidency -- and perhaps the future of the republic -- hangs not on overcoming challenges abroad but on those here at home. And by the looks of things, the American people couldn't agree more.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/opinions/biden-100-days-global-strategy- miller/index.html

HK in trouble as it loses autonomy

• By Joseph Tse-hei Lee 李榭熙

Once a world-class territory for entrepreneurs and investors, Hong Kong is now in trouble. Its full integration into the Chinese autocratic system began with the implementation of the National Security Law last year.

Proclaiming to safeguard security without deterring investment, Beijing has imposed a top-down authoritarian rule, dictated public discourse with state-run media, and replaced civil service professionals with ideological loyalists and independent judges with pliable cronies.

The new security regime authorizes the local government and police to employ violence to silence dissent and elicit obedience from Hong Kongers. Even though Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) and her cronies are firmly in power, they are morally bankrupt and callous, losing the legitimacy that they desperately need to govern.

Much attention has focused lately on the prosecution of veteran democracy advocates and conscientious journalists, the purge of popularly elected opposition lawmakers, and a crackdown on press freedom. However, very little has been said about Hong Kong’s diminishing status as a non-sovereign subnational entity.

Hong Kong’s autonomy under China’s “one country, two systems” framework allows for special treatment in trade relations, export controls, sociocultural and educational exchanges. This unique status laid the foundation for bilateral treaties with the US and other countries with respect to consular affairs, taxation arrangements, aviation and extradition, as well as legal services.

Furthermore, Hong Kong has pursued para-diplomacy, holding memberships in the WTO, the WHO, APEC, IMF and the Financial Task Force on Money Laundering. In sports, Hong Kong remains active in the International Olympic Committee and FIFA.

The territory still has dozens of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in major trading nations to lobby foreign governments, facilitate free-trade agreements and advance its commercial interests abroad.

However, when the new security order overrides the common law system, Hong Kong is constitutionally no different from any Chinese city. Should Hong Kong continue to receive separate treatment as opposed to other parts of China? Should Taiwan, the US, the UK, the EU and the rest of the world alter their bilateral agreements? Should the West implement the sanctions against Hong Kong Police Force for human rights breaches? Should global firms and non-governmental organizations review the new dangers posed by the evolving crisis?

Another worrisome problem concerns the strategic role of Hong Kong amid intensifying rivalries between China and the world. Given its proximity to China, Hong Kong used to be a vibrant international financial hub, thanks to its openness, transparent regulatory environment, and commitment to the rule of law and civic liberties.

In the Maoist era, Beijing adhered to the principle of “long-term planning and full utilization,” and used Hong Kong to bypass international restrictions after the Korean War. The territory enabled China to pursue illicit trade, earn foreign currency, and acquire medical and technological resources.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong contributed tremendously to China’s economic reforms. Since China joined the WTO in 2001, the territory’s common law system has enabled many state-owned enterprises to attract foreign investments for sustainable development.

This history has been a model for other nations to treat Hong Kong separately from China and give it better terms. Hence, maintaining Hong Kong’s autonomy is beneficial to China’s national and local interests.

In a polarized world where Hong Kong is compelled to side with China, it is bound to lose its neutrality. Knowing that China continues to use the territory to access the outside world, the US has begun to restrict the transfer of international capital and sensitive technologies from Hong Kong to the mainland.

The new security arrangement has changed the rules of the game. Most importantly, it suspends the “one country, two systems” experiment that was widely thought to expire in 2047. When Hong Kong no longer offers the same legal protections and civil liberties that were once integral parts of autonomy, the world has to review and revise bilateral linkages and relations.

Coming to grips with this hostile international environment is crucial to recognizing the costs of violating the autonomous constitutional status.

For Hong Kong to survive and thrive, its political elites must return to a rules-based governance structure, end widespread police and judiciary abuses, and communicate with pro-democracy opposition groups and the civic sector.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/04/29/2003756517

Getting it right on tech sovereignty By Farlina Md Said - April 29, 2021 @ 12:02am

- AFP Pix The term "sovereignty" is used to describe an independent state, whereby a government's legitimacy rests on its ability to keep the national interests above others. But in the digital age, with cyberspace operating as a borderless concept, the notion of "territory" is facing multiple challenges.

For example, while fibre optic cables and telco towers are legal entities, it's harder for states to stake a claim on submarine cables buried in deep waters that are not in a particular jurisdiction, data in transmission or content managed by overseas platforms.

The sovereignty, national interests and digital clash is best exemplified in the European Union, which has taken the fight against the American and Chinese tech giants with legislation forcing them to tackle issues like cybersecurity, data abuse, artificial intelligence, 5G development and intellectual property.

In Malaysia, the jurisdiction and sovereignty nexus lie in the National Cybersecurity Policy launched in 2006. The policy was superseded by the National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS), which identified 11 critical national information infrastructures (CNII) covering, among others, defence and security, water, health services, emergency services, trade, industry and economy.

The strategy aims to deepen cybersecurity practices and broaden links between the wide array of agencies, ministries and operators involved in the protection of Malaysia's CNII sectors.

Despite the policy being in place for almost 15 years, there are still "unfolding" sagas, like the recent repairs of submarine cables. The issue centred on granting exemptions to foreign vessels covered under the cabotage policy to undertake repairs. This laid bare the fact that legacy issues can impact on attempts to protect systems and users from cyber threats.

The strategic environment shaping a nation's digital sovereignty can determine spaces for engagements. Issues, such as mitigating transnational threats, data governance, overdependence on foreign technology in critical areas and social media platforms domiciled overseas, require international engagements and collaborations. Geopolitics and major power rivalry can also impact on the strategic options and economic development.

To confront these challenges, the nation must produce a long-term foreign policy on cybersecurity.

The NCSS does outline a cybersecurity international engagement plan, taking into account economic development, principles of an open, stable and trusted cyberspace, as well as promoting responsible state behaviour.

Foreign policy strategies and a flexible diplomatic toolbox should be part and parcel of preserving digital sovereignty. One can build a robust domestic system but there are still external threats. Without diplomatic approaches, there would not be a safe, secure and stable cyberspace.

An example we can emulate is the United Kingdom's integrated review on security, defence, development and foreign policy. It charts a cross-governmental approach with the goals of sustaining strategic advantage through science and tech, shaping the international order of the future (open societies and economies), strengthening security and defence at home and overseas as well as building resilience at home and overseas. These would be anchored on engagements aimed at increasing capacities of global cyber practices and diplomats capable of tackling emerging tech issues.

The foreign policy approach requires Malaysia to prepare responses to cyberattacks. The EU, for instance, employs strategies like sanctions, diplomatic engagements, holding joint investigations, conducting political and cyber dialogues to extremes, such as recalling diplomats, enacting sanctions or pursuing countermeasures.

However, the first approach as identified in the NCSS is to strengthen practices, processes and legislature on the domestic front. With plans in the future to improve data protection mechanisms, introduce a new Cybersecurity Act and execute programmes to fulfil the NCSS' 2020-2024 goals, Malaysia's approach to digital sovereignty must now confront a fast-evolving threat landscape in cyberspace.

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2021/04/686300/getting-it-right-tech- sovereignty)