Today’s News 18 May 2021 (Tuesday)

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

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 ‘Pandemic response to boost admin bets’ A Romero P Star 1 urged: add more work sectors to jab M Cinco PDI A1 2 Gov’t list

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page 3 Roque says some Duterte language on A Romero P Star 1 WPS ‘no accurate’ 4 Palace: Nothing to retract in Du30 sea row J Aning PDI A4 remarks 5 Duterte snubbing WPS critics on Enrile’s M Blancaflor D Tribune A1 advice 6 Show of force D Tribune A5 7 Duterte tells US to leave PH alone R Arcilla M Times A4 8 Enrile’s insights on West PH Sea dispute G Kabiling M Bulletin A2 helpful to gov’t- Roque 9 Strategy to enforce the Arbitral Ruling J Lina M Bulletin 5 10 Enrile to Du30: Befriend China J Pañares MST A1

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

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page 11 New Army chief assumes post today M Punongbayan P Star 8

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page 12 SC agrees to stop Esperon testimony M Ramos PDI A1 13 NPA committed 1,506 atrocities- AFP official D Reyes M Times A3 NPA committed 1,506 crimes, rights MST 14 A3 violations in past decades 15 28 bomba ng NPA natunton ng militar V Martin Ngayon 9

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page A Romero P Star 4 16 ‘Congress OK needed to extend Bangsamoro transition’ 17 3 ASG bandits killed in 2 Basilan clashes L Jocson M Bulletin 8 18 3 ASG men dead in 2 Basilan clashes PNA Tempo 3 19 2 pang BIFF dedo sa sagupaan D Franche Ngayon 9

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 20 Can submarines stop incursions in WPS? F Pascual Jr. P Star 6 21 Protest and resist P Tonight 4

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS New CSC order expands list of sexual https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/new 22 harassment actions -csc-order-expands-list-of-sexual-harassment- actions/ DOE clears 8 projects for grid impact https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/doe- 23 studies clears-8-projects-for-grid-impact-studies/ ty Summit to highlight DA https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140554 24 Nat’l Food Securi plans, achievements Metro Manila sizzles with 40-44°C heat https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/metro-manila- 25 index sizzles-with-40-44c-heat-index/ DFA advises Filipinos in Israel to take https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/dfa-advises- 26 'precautions' amid rising casualties in filipinos-in-israel-to-take-precautions-amid- conflict rising-casualties-in-conflict/ PH ready for mass repatriation of Pinoys https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ph-ready-for- 27 from Israel if situation calls for it –OWWA mass-repatriation-of-pinoys-from-israel-if- chief situation-calls-for-it-owwa-chief/ Dito launches in NCR, prepares for https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/18 28 accelerated growth /2098991/dito-launches-ncr-prepares- accelerated-growth NAVY NEWS Duterte tells Cabinet: No one talks about https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432953/duterte- 29 West PH Sea row except through spox tells-cabinet-no-one-talks-about-west-ph-sea- except-through-spox Duterte to ignore critics; gags Cabinet on https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-to- 30 West PH Sea issue ignore-critics-gags-cabinet-on-west-philippine- sea-issue/ Duterte meant only Scarborough Shoal as https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-meant- 31 being in China's possession — Roque only-scarborough-shoal-as-being-in-chinas- possession-roque/ Roque says some Duterte language on https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/18 32 West Philippine Sea ‘not accurate’ /2099041/roque-says-some-duterte-language- west-philippine-sea-not-accurate China warned ‘there will be trouble’ if PH https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/china-warned- 33 drills for oil in WPS—Duterte there-will-be-trouble-if-ph-drills-for-oil-in-wps- duterte/ Duterte insists ‘might makes it right’ over West https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/18/duterte-insists- 34 PH Sea might-makes-it-right-over-west-philippine-sea/ Enrile talks about Trillanes, Scarborough https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/enrile- 35 Shoal during Duterte weekly public address talks-about-trillanes-scarborough-shoal-during- duterte-weekly-public-address/ Upon JPE's advice, Duterte decides to ignore https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140579 36 critics on WPS issue Enrile questions US inaction in PH loss of https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/18/enrile-questions-us- 37 Panatag Shoal inaction-in-ph-loss-of-panatag-shoal/ US didn’t enforce agreement with China on https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/78 38 pullout from WPS —Enrile 7850/us-didn-t-enforce-agreement-with-china-on- pullout-from-wps-enrile/story/ Duterte reiterates arbitral ruling is https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-reiterates- 39 meaningless, Enrile says it is not arbitral-ruling-is-meaningless-enrile-says-it-is-not/ Enrile: UN well aware of arbitral tribunal https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432940/enrile-un- 40 decision on sea row, but can’t enforce it well-aware-of-arbitral-tribunal-decision-on-sea-row- but-cant-enforce-it Duterte, Enrile question role of Trillanes in https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432967/duterte- 41 talks with China during Scarborough standoff enrile-questions-role-of-trillanes-in-negotiations- with-china-during-scarborough-issue Duterte: People should demand the truth https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-people- 42 about WPS from Trillanes should-demand-the-truth-about-wps-from-trillanes/ Bypass? Trillanes to Enrile: Check your facts https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/78 43 7861/bypass-trillanes-to-enrile-check-your- facts/story/ Enrile to Duterte: Make China a friend, not https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/enrile-to-duterte- 44 foe; PH can't afford to antagonize Beijing make-china-a-friend-not-foe-ph-cant-afford-to- antagonize-beijing/ Enrile: Philippines to lose more if it https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/78 45 antagonizes China 7862/enrile-philippines-to-lose-more-if-it- antagonizes-china/story/ Enrile's insights on West PH Sea dispute https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/enriles-west-ph-sea- 46 helpful to gov't — Roque view-may-not-be-gospel-truth-but-ph-needs-his- insights-roque/ 'Is China truly a friend to PH?' Revilla asks https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/is-china-truly-a- 47 friend-to-ph-revilla-asks/ Legal analysts: South China Sea arbitral win https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/17/21/legal- of PH not a mere piece of paper analysts-south-china-sea-arbitral-win-of-ph-not-a- 48 mere-piece-of-paper

Carpio vs. Roque on value of arbitral award, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/78 49 possession of West Philippine Sea 7865/carpio-vs-roque-on-value-of-arbitral-award- possession-of-west-philippine-sea/story/ PH, US Coast Guard finishes month-long https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ph-us-coast-guard- 50 training series to strengthen maritime law finishes-month-long-training-series-to-strengthen- enforcement maritime-law-enforcement/ San Beda alumni urge Duterte to retract https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/san-beda-alumni- 51 statements on West Philippine Sea urge-duterte-to-retract-statements-on-west- philippine-sea/ AFP RELATED Enrile to Duterte: Marcos also blocked from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432990/like- 52 buying arms from US over rights issues duterte-marcos-also-blocked-from-buying- arms-from-us-over-human-rights-issues Don’t count on arms support from US, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432970/enrile- 53 Enrile warns Duterte warns-duterte-you-cant-expect-anything-from- us CA confirms promotion of AFP general set https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ca-confirms- 54 to retire next year promotion-of-afp-general-set-to-retire-next- year/ New Army Chief assumes post Tuesday https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/new-army-chief- 55 assumes-post-tuesday/ Palace wants to know who's red-tagging https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/palace-wants- 56 groups in post-PGH fire donation drive to-know-whos-red-tagging-groups-in-post-pgh- fire-donation-drive/ Designation list not glorified red-tagging: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140545 57 NTF ELCAC exec 1,506 atrocities in 10 years justify CPP- https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140531 58 NPA terror tag SC ends oral argument on ATA, cuts short https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/sc- 59 Esperon’s testimony ends-oral-argument-on-ata-cuts-short- esperons-testimony/ 2 ex-SC members give opposing views on https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/2-ex-sc- 60 37 cases vs. Anti-Terrorism Act members-give-opposing-views-on-37-cases- vs-anti-terrorism-act/ Jardeleza tells SC: Dismiss pleas vs anti- https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/17 terrorism law due to petitioners' lack of /2098886/jardeleza-tells-sc-dismiss-pleas-vs- 61 legal standing anti-terrorism-law-due-petitioners-lack-legal- standing Karapatan to SC, DOJ: ‘Stop arrests of https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/karapatan-to-sc- 62 activists on trumped-up charges’ doj-stop-arrests-of-activists-on-trumped-up- charges/ UP exec tells solons: Accord with DND is https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/17 63 gov't guarantee to academic freedom /2098910/exec-tells-solons-accord-dnd-govt- guarantee-academic-freedom Landmine blast at NPA camp in Iloilo https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/landmine-blast- 64 wounds soldier at-npa-camp-in-iloilo-wounds-soldier/ 3 ASG bandits killed in 2 Basilan clashes https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/3-asg-bandits- 65 killed-in-2-basilan-clashes/ Babaeng umano’y miyembro ng NPA, https://news.abs- 66 arestado sa Davao del Sur cbn.com/news/05/17/21/babaeng-umanoy- miyembro-ng-npa-arestado-sa-davao-del-sur INDO-PACIFIC NEWS Duterte: Benham Rise off limits to other https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/dute 67 countries rte-benham-rise-off-limits-to-other-countries/ Duterte: United States treats PH as https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-united- 68 'inferior,' an 'early warning detachment' states-treats-ph-as-inferior-an-early-warning- detachment/ Samoa set to appoint first female prime https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 69 minister pacific/samoa-set-appoint-first-female-prime- minister-2021-05-17/ U.S. gasoline shortage eases, but pumps https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us- 70 dry in some areas gasoline-shortage-improves-some-regions-still- suffer-hefty-outages-2021-05-16/ United States working "intensively" to bring https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de Israeli-Palestinian violence to an end: fence/united-states-working-intensively-to- 71 Antony Blinken bring-israeli-palestinian-violence-to-an-end- antony-blinken/articleshow/82708343.cms Bernie Sanders Calls Israeli Government https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders- 'Strong Right Wing,' Demands U.S. calls-israeli-government-strong-right-wing- 72 Respect Palestinian Rights demands-us-respect-palestinian-rights- 1592180 Biden-Moon summit to delve into Quad https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 73 cooperation relations/Indo-Pacific/Biden-Moon-summit-to- delve-into-Quad-cooperation EU, U.S. say they can partner to hold https://www.reuters.com/world/china/eu-us- 74 China to account on "trade-distorting say-they-can-partner-hold-china-account- policies" trade-distorting-policies-2021-05-17/ China’s rise pushes US toward action on https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 75 Competitiveness Bill news/chinas-rise-pushes-us-toward-action-on- competitiveness-bill-101621229649908.html China’s factory output slows as bottlenecks https://www.reuters.com/world/china/wrapup- 76 crimp production chinas-industrial-output-growth-slows-april- retail-sales-miss-forecasts-2021-05-17/ China’s ‘unsustainable’ first quarter growth https://www.scmp.com/economy/global- 77 laid bare as retail sales fade economy/article/3133808/chinas-economic- recovery-under-spotlight-weak-consumption China bars foreign curricula, ownership in https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china- 78 some private schools bars-foreign-curriculum-ownership-some- private-schools-2021-05-17/ Fearing internal turmoil, CCP doubles https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/fearing- 79 down on censorship effort internal-turmoil-ccp-doubles-down-on- censorship-effort/ China's Ruling Party Cancels Maoist https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/maoist- 80 Gatherings on Cultural Revolution anniversary-05172021091850.html Anniversary China offers to host Israeli-Palestinian https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 81 peace talks article/3133734/china-offers-host-israeli- palestinian-peace-talks https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/chinas- 82 China’s Warning to Bangladesh on the Quad warning-to-bangladesh-on-the-quad/ Why the suspicion on China's Wuhan lab https://theprint.in/opinion/why-suspicion-on- 83 virus is growing china-wuhan-lab-virus-is-growing/659575/ Activist Says Boycott of Beijing Olympics https://www.newsweek.com/activist-says- 84 Only Way Forward: 'Time For Talking With boycott-beijing-olympics-only-way-forward- the IOC Is Over' time-talking-ioc-over-1592250 Hong Kong publisher faces ruin after https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hong-kong- 85 admitting illegal assembly publisher-jimmy-lai-faces-ruin-after-admitting- illegal-assembly-6nb69076r Japan to restrict use of foreign tech in https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/J 86 telecom, power grids apan-to-restrict-use-of-foreign-tech-in-telecom- power-grids Pressure grows for Japan to call https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17 87 nationwide state of emergency /national/japan-nationwide-state-of- emergency-pressure/ Are Tokyo, IOC running out of time to make https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health- 88 a decision on the Olympics? environment/article/3133790/japan-pushes- olympic-test-events-public-opposition More than 80% of Japanese oppose https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/ 89 Olympics this summer: Poll olympics-more-than-80-of-japanese-oppose- games-this-summer-poll-14825274 With Biden's help, Korea and Japan make https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/05/ 90 nicer 17/national/diplomacy/Fukushima-radioactive- water-KoreaJapan/20210517160200538.html Expectations grow on Korea-US summit https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/202 91 1/05/197_308952.html Moon has $35 billion investment package https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/05/ for Biden 17/business/economy/Samsung-Electronics- 92 Hyundai-Motor-LG-Energy- Solution/20210517192200461.html Seoul wants Washington to reaffirm https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021 93 Singapore agreement during summit /05/103_308940.html US-China row pressing Korean firms on https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2021/0 94 investment 5/693_308944.html Malaysia and Indonesia back Palestinians’ https://www.scmp.com/week- cause asia/politics/article/3133817/israel-pounds- 95 gaza-malaysia-and-indonesia-fill-arab-void- back Myanmar’s election reflected people’s will, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 96 monitoring group says pacific/myanmars-election-reflected-peoples- will-monitoring-group-says-2021-05-17/ Myanmar UN envoy urges international https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- community to cut Tatmadaw's finance news/myanmar-un-envoy-urges-international- 97 flows community-to-cut-tatmadaw-s-finance-flows- 101621232600816.html UN General Assembly to consider call for https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 98 arms embargo on Myanmar military junta asia/article/3133710/un-general-assembly- consider-call-arms-embargo-myanmar India sealing relationships with US, UK, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de Europe after reality check from China fence/view-india-sealing-relationships-with-us- 99 uk-europe-after-reality-check-from- china/articleshow/82704017.cms Australia-China Trade Tensions Persist https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/australia- 100 With Cancelled Agreements and Sharp china-trade-tensions-persist-with-cancelled- Statements agreements-and-sharp-statements/ 'Quad should morph into economic NATO https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/internationa to counter China coercion' l/us/quad-should-morph-into-economic-nato- 101 to-counter-china- coercion/articleshow/82678713.cms How Much Support Does the CCP Really https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new- 102 Have? atlanticist/how-much-support-does-the- chinese-communist-party-really-have/ After years of quiet, Israeli-Palestinian https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17 103 conflict exploded. Why now? /world/israel-gaza-explainer/ Israel and the Palestinians: From the Two- https://www.csis.org/analysis/israel-and- 104 State Solution to Five Failed “States” palestinians-two-state-solution-five-failed- states Facebook Oversight Board’s Decision on https://www.justsecurity.org/76186/facebook- Trump Ban in a Global Context: The oversight-boards-decision-on-trump-ban-in-a- 105 Treatment of Political Leaders global-context-the-treatment-of-political- leaders/ https://reconasia.csis.org/huawei-global-cloud- 106 Huawei’s Global Cloud Strategy strategy/ DEFENSE NEWS US ready to pull troops from Philippines ‘in https://www.scmp.com/week- 107 months’: expert asia/politics/article/3133802/us-ready-pull- troops-philippines-months-if-no-new-vfa-expert Philippine Navy to receive first three https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 108 Shaldag Mk V patrol boats in Q1 2022 detail/philippine-navy-to-receive-first-three- shaldag-mk-v-patrol-boats-in-q1-2022 FBI reclassifies 2017 shooting of https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/ 109 Republican lawmakers as domestic may/16/fbi-reclassifies-2017-shooting-of-gop- terrorism lawmakers-as/ Panic At The Pump And The Real Threat https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/panic-at- 110 To Energy Security the-pump-and-the-real-threat-to-energy- security/ Who’s next on ransomware’s hit list https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly- 111 cybersecurity/2021/05/17/whos-next-on- ransomwares-hit-list-795343 Defending from future cyber attacks https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning- 112 energy/2021/05/17/defending-from-future- cyber-attacks-795335 Inside the Military's Secret Undercover https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-inside- 113 Army militarys-secret-undercover-army-1591881 Pentagon seeks ‘data advantage' in new https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 114 strategic guidance detail/pentagon-seeks-data-advantage-in-new- strategic-guidance The Pentagon Inches Toward Letting AI https://www.wired.com/story/pentagon-inches- 115 Control Weapons toward-letting-ai-control-weapons/ DOD Exercise Highlights Need to Address http://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/ 116 Climate Change, Its Impacts Article/2596591/dod-exercise-highlights-need- to-address-climate-change-its-impacts/ U.S. military offers J&J vaccines for South https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare- 117 Korean troops pharmaceuticals/us-military-offers-jj-vaccines- south-korean-troops-2021-05-17/ US Navy Fleet and Marine Tracker: May https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/usni-news- 118 17, 2021 fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-17-2021 Navy to Decommission Littoral Combat https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/navy-to- 119 Ships USS Freedom, USS Independence decommission-littoral-combat-ships-uss- Later This Year freedom-uss-independence-later-this-year The New Maritime Space Officer https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 120 021/may/new-maritime-space-officer US Navy CNO touts reliable Ford https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 121 systems, calls for additional study of light detail/us-navy-cno-touts-reliable-ford-systems- carrier calls-for-additional-study-of-light-carrier US Navy submariners are testing out their https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy- 122 own version of ‘birth control glasses’ submariners-sleep-deficit-blue-light/ US Navy launches the fourth YT 808-class https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/na harbor tugboats val-news/naval-news- 123 archive/2021/may/10152-us-navy-launches- the-fourth-yt-808-class-harbor-tugboats.html U.S. Navy drones to move from Guam to https://www.upi.com/Defense- 124 Japan News/2021/05/17/japan-drones- triton/2251621269467/ Bring Back The Air Force Battle Lab https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/bring- 125 back-the-air-force-battle-lab/ Space Force under fire after officer sacked https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning- 126 for comments defense/2021/05/17/space-force-under-fire- after-officer-sacked-for-comments-795346 Space Force to increase spending on https://spacenews.com/space-force-to-spend- 127 technologies to turn data into knowledge years-and-billions-of-dollars-to-convert-data- into-knowledge/ Officials: Jeanne D’Arc Exercise Tests https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/officials- 128 How Allies Can Work Together in Indo- jeanne-darc-exercise-tests-how-allies-can- Pacific work-together-in-indo-pacific France joins US-Japan Joint Military https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/3133830/jap 129 Exercises an-hosts-military-exercises-us-france-and- australia-amid-tension-over-east America Is Ill-Prepared for a Challenge https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/america 130 from China -ill-prepared-challenge-china-185345 America Is Ill-Prepared for a Challenge https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/america 131 from China -ill-prepared-challenge-china-185345 The Evolving Nature of China’s Military https://www.iiss.org/blogs/research- 132 Diplomacy paper/2021/05/china-military-diplomacy

China foresees threat to BRI projects amid https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de US drawdown from Afghanistan fence/china-foresees-threat-to-bri-projects- 133 amid-us-drawdown-from- afghanistan/articleshow/82675473.cms China honors military strategic planning http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0517/c90000- 134 units, individuals 9850616.html PLA modernises Xinjiang's military units in https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 'reaction' to India-China LAC row news/pla-modernises-xinjiang-s-military-units- 135 in-reaction-to-india-china-lac-row- 101621231048385.html Modernisation of PLAGF's Xinjiang Military https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 136 Command continues apace detail/modernisation-of-plagfs-xinjiang-military- command-continues-apace Chinese Army Inducts New Armored https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29583/Chi 137 Vehicles, Howitzers & Rocket Launchers nese_Army_Inducts_New_Armored_Vehicles_ _Howitzers___Rocket_Launchers China rocket debris spurs calls for limiting https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 138 space junk relations/China-rocket-debris-spurs-calls-for- limiting-space-junk2 China Demos Drone-guided Helicopter- https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29560/Chi 139 launched Missile Attack on Maritime na_Demos_Drone_guided_Helicopter_launche Targets d_Missile_Attack_on_Maritime_Targets PLA fighter jets take off for flight training http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0517/c90000- 140 exercise 9850720.html Chinese army operating helicopters from https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 141 new PLAGF base near Taiwan detail/chinese-army-operating-helicopters- from-new-plagf-base-near-taiwan New pictures of the China Navy second https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/na Type 075 landing helicopter dock val-news/naval-news- 142 archive/2021/may/10153-new-pictures-of-the- china-navy-second-type-075-landing- helicopter-dock.html Naval frigate flotilla conducts maritime http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0516/c90000- 143 training exercise 9850354.html Xi Jinping Wants to Dominate Asia: Can https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/xi- 144 the Chinese Military Succeed? jinping-wants-dominate-asia-can-chinese- military-succeed-185325 China’s ‘game plan’ has Pacific islands in https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/chin 145 its sights, US Rep. Ed Case says as-game-plan-has-pacific-islands-in-its-sights- us-rep-ed-case-says/ Taiwan could play major operational role in https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4204 146 US-China conflict 793 Taiwan unveils Army restructure aimed at https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia- 147 decentralizing military pacific/2021/05/17/taiwan-unveils-army- restructure-aimed-at-decentralizing-military/ Japan defense white paper brings up https://the-japan- 148 Taiwan situation for 1st time news.com/news/article/0007404957 Japan eyes low-interest loans for defense https://the-japan- 149 equipment exports news.com/news/article/0007403439

Nuclear emergency guidelines on thyroid https://the-japan- 150 radiation exposure under review in Japan news.com/news/article/0007405020 S.Korean Military to Purchase Hydrogen- https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29582/S_ 151 Powered Drones from Doosan Mobility Korean_Military_to_Purchase_Hydrogen_Pow ered_Drones_from_Doosan_Mobility New Camouflage Uniform For The https://www.navalnews.com/naval- 152 Republic Of Korea Navy news/2021/05/new-camouflage-uniform-for- the-republic-of-korea-navy/ Myanmar army ‘using civilians as human https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/myanmar- 153 shields’ army-using-civilians-as-human-shields- 7h5bvvn7q Murder attempt on Maldives ex-president https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Murder-attempt- 154 reveals rising radicalism on-Maldives-ex-president-reveals-rising- radicalism Gaza-Israel conflict shakes foundations of https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 155 Middle East coexistence relations/Gaza-Israel-conflict-shakes- foundations-of-Middle-East-coexistence Gaza Pummelled by Fresh Israeli Strikes, https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/17/g 156 More Than 200 Dead in a Week aza-pummelled-fresh-israeli-strikes/ Israel kills Islamic Jihad commander, https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- Palestinians renew rocket barrage news/israel-kills-islamic-jihad-commander- 157 palestinians-renew-rocket-barrage- 101621250143520.html Iron Dome intercepts drone during combat https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/202 158 for first time, says Israeli military 1/05/17/iron-dome-intercepts-drone-during- combat-for-first-time-says-israeli-military/ Israeli Multi Domain War Gets First Test In https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/israeli- 159 Gaza multi-domain-war-gets-first-test-in-gaza/ A former Associated Press editor https://www.businessinsider.com/former- suggested that Hamas did have offices in associated-press-editor-suggests-hamas-in- 160 the agency's Gaza City building, which gaza-city-building-2021-5 Israel destroyed over the weekend The beginning of a new intifada? https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the- 161 beginning-of-a-new-intifada/ Population-Centric Cybersecurity: Lessons https://mwi.usma.edu/population-centric- 162 From Counterinsurgency cybersecurity-lessons-from-counterinsurgency/ COVID NEWS Gordon: Phl herd immunity may take 15 https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/17/gor 163 years don-phl-herd-immunity-may-take-15-years/ DOH issues advisory to LGUs to prevent https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/doh- 164 vaccine wastage issues-advisory-to-lgus-to-prevent-vaccine- wastage/ PRC, DOH urged to stop probe into https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140546 165 ivermectin distribution in QC Studies on VCO against COVID-19 show https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/studies-on-vco- 166 ‘favorable results’ – DOST against-covid-19-show-favorable-results-dost/ Pfizer, Moderna vaccines effective against https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/18/pfi 167 Indian variants: study zer-moderna-vaccines-effective-against- indian-variants-study/ Sanofi, GSK say Covid-19 vaccine shows https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/17/news/ 168 positive result sanofi-gsk-say-covid-19-vaccine-shows- positive-result/873638/ US to donate 80 million coronavirus https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united- 169 vaccine doses in race with China states-canada/article/3133842/coronavirus-us- will-send-20-million-more-vaccine Global officials embrace what experts have https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17 170 long said: COVID-19 is airborne /world/science-health-world/airborne- coronavirus-experts/ 'Area of concern': Singapore warns new https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- virus strains infecting more children news/area-of-concern-singapore-warns-new- 171 virus-strains-infecting-more-children- 101621241839474.html India's virus cases decline, but WHO https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias- 172 expert says positive tests ominously high virus-cases-lower-who-expert-says-positive- tests-ominously-high-2021-05-17/ Taiwan's coronavirus spike: What went https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/T 173 wrong? aiwan-s-coronavirus-spike-What-went-wrong

Covid-sniffer dogs prepped for Bangkok https://www.nationthailand.com/in- 174 streets focus/40000988 Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 175 the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus 176 Covid map: Where are cases the highest? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 177 Can submarines stop incursions in https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/18/209 WPS? 9061/can-submarines-stop-incursions-wps 178 Philippine presidents and the West https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/17/209 Philippine Sea 8794/philippine-presidents-and-west-philippine- sea 179 Duterte tells US to leave PH alone https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/18/opinion/ columnists/topanalysis/duterte-tells-us-to-leave- ph-alone/873738/ 180 Big schemes eye 2022 https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/18/big- schemes-eye-2022/ 181 Can a United Opposition Defeat Duterte https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/can-a-united- at the 2022 Philippine Elections? opposition-defeat-duterte-at-the-2022-philippine- elections/ 182 How food secure are we? https://opinion.inquirer.net/140341/how-food- secure-are-we 183 China and Russia vaccine diplomacy https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/to- the-point-by-emil-jurado/354739/china-and- russia-vaccine-diplomacy.html 184 What social media apps know about us https://opinion.inquirer.net/140335/what-social- media-apps-know-about-us 185 Whither Malaysia's forgotten revolution? https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Whither-Malaysia- s-forgotten-revolution 186 Responsibility for the Latest Upsurge in https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17370/biden- Arab-Israeli Violence Goes to US arab-israel-violence President Joe Biden 187 Trumpets and Tank Engines: A Turning https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17372/turning- Point in Gaza? point-in-gaza 188 Stimulus spending could cause the next https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/stimulus- economic crash spending-could-cause-the-next-economic-crash/ 189 Westerners need to adapt to China’s http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0516/c90000- influence 9850357.html 190 The US is more politically divided than https://academictimes.com/the-us-is-more- other Western democracies — and it politically-divided-than-other-western- shows on social media democracies-and-it-shows-on-social-media 191 Paying cyber-ransoms spotlights ethical https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archi and legal concerns ves/2021/05/18/2003757584 192 End the US-China trade war for the sake https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3 of the pandemic-stricken world 133732/end-us-china-trade-war-sake-pandemic- stricken-world 193 Don't keep quiet about cyberthreats https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2021/ 05/690916/dont-keep-quiet-about-cyberthreats 194 Through the looking glass': How https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/05/17 conspiracy theories wreck lives /through-the-looking-glass-how-conspiracy- theories-wreck-lives-.html

New CSC order expands list of sexual harassment actions BYSAMUEL MEDENILLA MAY 18, 2021

GOVERNMENT officials and personnel who send inappropriate text messages and email, which are sexual in nature, to their colleagues could now face administrative sanctions.

In a new resolution No. 2100064, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) expanded the forms of sexual harassment to include those which are digitally done in line with the Safe Spaces Act.

It defined gender-based online sexual harassment acts as those that use information and communication technology in terrorizing and intimidating victims, and these include “physical, psychological, and emotional threats, unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist remarks and comments online whether publicly or through direct and private messages.”

CSC Resolution No. 2100064 is expected to take effect on June 1, 2021.

Prior to the issuance, only sexual harassment in work-related, training, or education are recognized by the government.

The new IATFF resolution strengthened the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) to prevent possible delays in investigations of complaints of sexual harassment. “Either the complainant or the person being complained of may request any member of the CODI to inhibit from the proceedings based on conflict of interest, manifest partiality, and other reasonable grounds. A CODI member may also voluntarily inhibit on the same grounds,” CSC said in a statement on Monday.

Among the functions of the CODI is to ensure that the complainant will not suffer from retaliation or any disadvantage in terms of benefits or security of tenure, as well as to guarantee the observance of due process, gender-sensitive handling of the cases, and confidentiality of the identity of the parties involved.

The CODI has 10 days to submit the results of its investigation on the alleged cases of sexual harassment to the “disciplinary authority” of the decision.

“Heads of agencies who will be found remiss on their duties under CSC Resolution No. 2100064 or not taking action on complaints may be charged with Neglect of Duty,” CSC said.

Government officials and personnel, who will be deemed violators of the government’s anti-sexual harassment policies may be sanctioned, ranging from a reprimand to outright dismissal from the service depending on the gravity of their violations. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/new-csc-order-expands-list-of-sexual-harassment-actions/

DOE clears 8 projects for grid impact studies BYLENIE LECTURA MAY 18, 2021

THE Department of Energy (DOE) has cleared 8 power projects, with capacities reaching nearly 2,600megawatts (MW), for the conduct of grid impact studies (GIS).

As of April, the agency issued permits to GNPower Ltd. Co., Ingrid3 Power Corp., 5 Barracuda Energy Corp., Camsur II Wind Energy Corp., Giga Ace6, Inc., Verdecore and Therma Power Visayas, Inc.

Prior to construction, a power firm must secure the go-ahead of the DOE for it to conduct a GIS. This is necessary in determining if the electricity to be generated by the power project can be absorbed by the country’s transmission system.

Among the biggest power projects in the list are the 1,250MW Stellar Land Dual-Fuel Power Plant of Ingrid3 in Tabangao, Batangas and the 1,200MW GNPower Sisiman LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant in Mariveles, Bataan of GNPower.

GN Power also plans to put up a 600MW LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant in Lanao del Norte.

Ingrid3 is a unit of AC Energy while GNPower is a joint venture of AC Energy and Aboitiz Power subsidiary Therma Power and Power Partners.

Giga Ace is building the 335MW Isla Wind Power Project in Mauban, Quezon. Other projects in the list are the 300MW Laguna Lake-Los Banos Solar Power Project of 5 Barracuda, 50MW Bay Energy Storage Project of Camsur II Wind Energy Corp., 42MW Pandora 2 Integrated Energy Storage Project of Therma Power, and the 62.5MWP Luntal Bayudbod Solar Power Project of Verdecore.

They received the green light of the DOE for the conduct of their respective GIS in April.

In all, the DOE has issued clearance to 24 power projects from January to April. If these will all push through, the country is assured of over 9,000MW of additional power generating capacity. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/doe-clears-8-projects-for-grid-impact-studies/

Nat’l Food Security Summit to highlight DA plans, achievements

By Christine Cudis May 17, 2021, 8:58 pm

FOOD SECURITY. The Department of Agriculture will banner its food security goals during the two- day National Food Security Summit that starts Tuesday (May 18, 2021). President Rodrigo Duterte will be the keynote speaker. (Photo courtesy of DA)

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will lay out its food security campaign amid the Covid-19 pandemic and population growth during the 2021 National Food Security Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The summit will address major challenges and enhance how Filipinos can have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and affordable food.

The opening ceremony will be held at the DA’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management Convention Hall in Diliman, Quezon City.

Former Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Asis Perez, in a virtual press briefing on Monday, said assessment and planning will help boost the country's food situation.

"The country must endeavor to produce more than enough for each of the major agriculture commodities to be entirely food secured. Among the items that need to be prioritized include rice, corn, legumes such as mongo and red beans, beef, pork, chicken and fish, and vegetables and fruits. Since these commodities constitute the bulk of the Filipino diet, everyone must work together and focus on boosting efficiency and competitiveness in producing these items locally," he said.

Norbert Chingcuanco, convenor of advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan, cited the generation of reliable industry data, reduced post-harvest loss, improved farm-to-market relations, and mainstreaming value-added products and processing.

"We can become a dominant exporter while still caring for and providing gainful economic growth to local communities. All these are possible if we produce efficiently, sustainably, and responsibly,” he said. Chingcuanco suggested that industry stakeholders and concerned government agencies develop a comprehensive database that contains updated information on the volume and value of production and stock inventory in the ponds and cages and areas where these products are located.

“Reliable data will guide us what and when to produce and help us evaluate if importation is indeed necessary for a certain commodity and season,” he said.

Chingcuanco will be one of the resource speakers of the summit.

Participants are expected to recommend needed strategies and policies to resolve major issues confronting the farming and fishing sectors, and provide inputs to update commodity and industry roadmaps under the new normal.

President Rodrigo Duterte will virtually keynote the summit’s plenary session on Tuesday while Senators Cynthia Villar and Francis Pangilinan will also be guest speakers. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140554

Metro Manila sizzles with 40-44°C heat index

Published May 17, 2021, 7:22 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) monitoring showed that the highest heat index in Metro Manila was 44°C at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, followed by 41°C at the Science Garden monitoring station in Quezon City, and 40°C in Port Area, Manila.

The heat index is the measurement of how hot it feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

Aparri, Cagayan and Sangley Point, Cavite recorded the highest heat index values on Monday at 47°C.

The top 19 stations that reached “dangerous” heat index levels on Monday were:

Aparri, Cagayan (47°C, 11 a.m.)

Sangley Point, Cavite (47°C, 2 p.m.)

Dagupan City, Pangasinan (46°C, 2 p.m.)

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (45°C, 2 p.m.)

Ambulong, Batangas (44°C, 2 p.m.)

NAIA, Pasay City (44°C, 2 p.m.)

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (44°C, 2 p.m.)

Clark Airport, Pampanga (43°C, 2 p.m.)

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (43°C, 11 a.m.)

Casiguran, Aurora (42°C, 2 p.m.)

Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte (42°C, 2 p.m.)

Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur (42°C, 3 p.m.)

Catbalogan, Western Samar (41°C, 2 p.m.)

Cubi Pt., Subic Bay, Olongapo City (41°C, 5 p.m.)

Dauis, Bohol (41°C, 2 p.m.)

Davao City, Davao del Sur (41°C, 12 p.m.) Iba, Zambales (41°C, 2 p.m.)

Masbate City, Masbate (41°C, 2 p.m.)

Science Garden, Quezon City (41°C, 2 p.m.)

A heat index between 41℃ and 54℃ is considered “dangerous” levels due to the high likelihood of heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

The highest heat index so far in 2021 was recorded in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on May 14 at 53℃.

On Tuesday, May 18, PAGASA said the intertropical convergence zone will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.

The rest of the country will continue to experience hot and humid weather conditions due to the prevalence of warm easterly winds.

However, there is a chance of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms by afternoon or evening.

Due to the possibility of sudden heavy rains during severe thunderstorms, PAGASA advised the public to take necessary precautionary measures in case flooding or landslides occur. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/metro-manila-sizzles-with-40-44c-heat-index/

DFA advises Filipinos in Israel to take 'precautions' amid rising casualties in conflict

Published May 17, 2021, 7:16 PM by Roy Mabasa

Despite the escalating situation in Israel, the Philippine government is maintaining the same alert level where Filipinos are advised to take precautions, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. In a statement, the DFA said they have not received a report of any Filipino casualty in the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians that has so far claimed the lives of over 200 people, including 57 children.

There are more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, many of them are in the service sector.

“For now, we are at same alert level, where Filipinos are advised to take precautions. At the moment, still no report of any Filipino among casualties,” DFA Strategic Communications Executive Director Ivy Banzon-Abalos said.

Abalos added that the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv and other embassies in nearby countries are readying contingency measures, in coordination with the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA).

Communication lines have been established between the embassy and the Filipino community as part of the contingency measures that are in place.

“The Philippine embassy is in touch with Filipino community networks to ensure it is able to reach out to as many Filipinos in case special assistance is required,” the DFA official said. On Monday, the United Nations Security Council made no progress in trying to resolve the escalating exchanges of rockets and airstrikes between the two sides. Last week, the Philippine government said it is preparing for possible evacuation of Filipinos in Israel as the Embassy called on the nationals to listen to the safety instructions and strictly follow the directives of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/dfa-advises-filipinos-in-israel-to-take-precautions-amid-rising- casualties-in-conflict/

PH ready for mass repatriation of Pinoys from Israel if situation calls for it –OWWA chief

Published May 17, 2021, 1:41 PM by Ellson Quismorio The Philippine government is ready to carry out a mass repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Israel in case the conflict there further escalates, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said on Monday, May 17.

OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac gives updates on the situation of Filipinos in Israel during the May 17, 2021 Laging Handa briefing. (Screengrab from Facebook live)

“Ang ating pananalig ay mag-improve ang situation, na hindi na humantong sa mass repatriation (We pray that the situation improves so that we would no longer have to conduct mass repatriation). [But] rest assured, we stand ready together with the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to conduct mass repatriation efforts,” Cacdac said during the Laging Handa press briefing.

He said that based on their past experiences in other countries of conflict like Lebanon and Libya, the opposing forces have always allowed the mass repatriation of OFWs or innocent civilians in general for humanitarian reasons.

“If and when the situation escalates or deteriorates into further conflict or God forbid, bloodshed, nandyan na ang usapin ng mass repatriation (the option of mass repatriation is there).”

Reports said that the fighting between the forces of Israel and Hamas have grown more ferocious the past few days, with rocket attacks persisting from both sides.

But Cacdac said the Filipinos in Israel have remained “in general, safe and sound” thanks to their access to bomb shelters, which most buildings in the state have. He said most OFWs there are domestic workers who stay indoors with their employers.

For those who do not have access to bomb shelters, the OWWA chief said officials from the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) are ready to provide assistance. “Tinutulungan po ng ating POLO, ng ating Embahada, na mailikas sila sa safer grounds, sa mga bomb shelters (The POLO and the Embassy is helping them get to safer grounds, to the bomb shelters).”

“Pero in general, well walang napabalitang nasaktan o nasawi. And in general, safe and sound po ang mga OFWs natin sa Israel (But in general, no casualties among OFWs have been reported. And in general, our OFWs in Israel are safe and sound),” Cacdac said.

Although there are nearly 30,000 OFWs in Israel, he said that those in the “immediately affected areas” of the fighting just number around 400. This is composed of the estimated 300 OFWs in Ashkelon and Ashlon in Israel, and the estimated 100 in Gaza Strip. (With reports from Ariel Fernandez) https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ph-ready-for-mass-repatriation-of-pinoys-from-israel-if-situation-calls- for-it-owwa-chief/

Dito launches in NCR, prepares for accelerated growth Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star ) - May 18, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Third telecommunications player Dito Telecommunity Corp. intends to accelerate its growth further, targeting at least two million subscribers by yearend, as it introduces its services to the National Capital Region (NCR).

Dito yesterday expanded its services to 46 more areas in the Visayas and Luzon, including Metro Manila.

“Dito has not stopped working, we have pushed harder than ever. Dito is now in 100 cities, including Metro Manila,” Dito chairman and CEO Dennis Uy said.

“Dito is now available in close to 2,000 stores in various cities nationwide from a mere 10 to 20 stores last March 8,” the Davao-based businessman said.

Uy said the new major telco player has so far managed to get 500,000 subscribers. Its debut in NCR is expected to give the company’s subscriber count a major boost.

“The half a million subscribers only covers the 54 cities and municipalities. And with the addition of 46 cities and municipalities, we expect that this will drastically increase,” Dito chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said.

“With our launch in NCR, hopefully we get more and more subscribers. For sure, it is safe for us to say definitely a couple of million by the end of the year, that’s our goal. Just do the math, in 54 cities we did 500,000 in less than two months,” Dito chief administrative officer Adel Tamano added.

The Dito officials said expansion would continue to more areas nationwide in the coming months.

Dito, owned by the Uy group and state-run China Telecommunications, was mandated to deliver its commitments of 37.03 percent national population coverage with a minimum average broadband speed of 27 Mbps in its first year of operation.

The new major player is targeting to capture 30 percent of the market “as soon as possible.” “We wanted to achieve 30 percent market share by year something, so that 500,000 (subscribers) is still small. I think 40 million to 50 million unique number of subscribers are what we are targeting,” Santiago said.

With the company’s network rollout continuing, Dito is confident on passing its second technical audit scheduled in July, according to Santiago.

He said Dito now has more than 3,000 towers which are enough to meet the 51 percent population coverage mandated for its next audit.

Santiago said Dito is in fact preparing early for its third year commitment of 70 percent population coverage.

“By July this year we are expecting to meet the 51 percent population coverage as mandated. Next year that’s 70 percent. Since we are about to be ready for our second year commitment, we are already initiating the rollout to meet the third year commitment of 70 percent,” Santiago said.

“We are about to roll out the additional minimum of 1,500 (towers) so we will be able to meet the 70 percent population coverage by year 2022,” he said. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/18/2098991/dito-launches-ncr-prepares-accelerated- growth

Duterte tells Cabinet: No one talks about West PH Sea row except through spox

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQ

INQUIRER.net / 11:04 PM May 17, 2021

MANILA, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has directed his Cabinet that discussions on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute with China would be done — internally and that a single person would be tasked to speak about it.

Duterte said during his Monday pre-recorded briefing that discussions would be presented to the government mouthpiece, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. government, to r “So this is my order now to the Cabinet and to all […] ‘yong ano, talking for the Duterte said. efrain from discussing itong West Philippine Sea with anybody,” -tayo lang (we do it ourselves), and there is one spokesman, si Secretary Harry (Roque) would do it. “If we have to talk, we talk, and tayo

TheNow President you get the arrived picture,” at the he decisionadded. as he consulted former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile on the issue, who then advised him not to entertain critics as he would only be answerable to the Filipino people. over disputed territory on the West Philippine Sea. Enrile was present during Duterte’s briefing, providing inputs on the discussion According to the nonagenarian who has served as defense minister for late dictator and forme former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio and former foreign affairs secretary r president Ferdinand Marcos, it’s best not to mind critics like Albert del Rosario.

“After all Mr. President you are only responsible to the Filipino people. And you are not responsible to any specific person for your foreign policy.

Yours is to protect the interest of the nation and its people in the best way you

can,” Enrile said.

“‘Wag mo nang sagutin Mr. President, they will enjoy that, if they are being Inanswered response, by Duterte a President,” said that he noted. he would just ignore his critics.

.

“Well, maybe I will just ignore my critics,” Duterte said, which Enrile lauded

“I will just say that after talking to Senator Enrile, you guys have become irrelevant.”

“To me you’re the only one that matters, so if you say that I do not waste my time Dutertewith them, invited I will Enrile not waste to discuss my time the to West them,” Philippine he added. Sea issue, especially on events that are related to the 2012 Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal standoff which ended in the United States intervening between China and the Philippines.

However, after the talks, it was only the Philippines which withdrew.

This has led to the filing of complaints before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which released a decision in 2016 saying that the Philippines has exclusive rights -dash line territorial claim has no legal and historical basis. over the West Philippine Sea, and that China’s nine https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432953/duterte-tells-cabinet-no-one-talks-about-west-ph-sea-except- through-spox

Duterte to ignore critics; gags Cabinet on West PH Sea issue

Published May 17, 2021, 11:02 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos President Duterte ordered his Cabinet members to refrain from talking about the West Philippine Sea issue in public, even as he affirmed his new policy of not engaging his critics on the issue.

“That’s my order now to the Cabinet and to all, for the government, to refrain from discussing itong (the) West Philippine Sea [issue] with anybody,” he said.

“If we have to talk, we talk. Tayo-tayo lang (just among us), and there is one spokesman, si (who is) Secretary Harry Roque,” he added.

The Chief Executive decided that he will just ignore the opinion of his critics about his policy on the West Philippine Sea, saying they just derail him from doing his official duties.

Duterte made the statement as he listened to former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile recalling what he knows about the issue on the disputed waters.

In his pre-recorded public address, the President said he will no longer react to whatever his critics will say about the issue.

“Maybe I will just ignore my critics,” he said Monday evening.

“[They just] derail me from my official duties and I will just say that, well, after talking to Senator Enrile, you guys have become irrelevant to me,” he added.

The 97-year-old former lawmaker agreed with Duterte’s decision and told the President to just let his critics ramble on.

“‘Wag mo nang sagutin (Do not answer them), Mr. President. They will enjoy that and they’re being answered by a president,” Enrile said.

“You are only responsible to the Filipino people and you are not responsible to any specific people for your foreign policy,” he added.

The issue on the West Philippine Sea resurfaced following the recent Chinese incursions in the disputed waters over the past few months. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-to-ignore-critics-gags-cabinet-on-west-philippine-sea-issue/

Duterte meant only Scarborough Shoal as being in China's possession — Roque

Published May 17, 2021, 3:08 PM by Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte made inaccurate references when he talked about the West Philippine Sea conflict but his position remained “consistent,” Malacañang said Monday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque came to the President’s defense after an online petition has been initiated urging Duterte to retract alleged “damaging” statements related to the West Philippine Sea. The petition, filed by former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio at change.org website, has earned more than 6,900 signatures.

When Duterte claimed China was in possession of the West Philippine Sea, Roque clarified the President was referring to Scarborough Shoal. He mentioned the President’s previous account that the country’s ship pullout led to the loss of the shoal to China in 2012.

On the President’s claim the arbitral award on the South China Sea issue was just a piece of paper, Roque explained that Duterte was referring to the lack of mechanism to enforce the court victory.

“Ilagay natin yan sa konteksto at perhaps sa lenggwahe ni Presidente, he may not be as accurate but consistent ang sinasabi niya (Let’s put it in context and perhaps in the President’s language, he may not be as accurate but his statements have been consistent),” Roque said during a televised press briefing Monday, May 17.

“So ‘yung China in control of West Philippine Sea, that refers to Scarborough. ‘Yung it is a piece of paper, it’s because under international law, walang established enforcement mechanism,” he added.

In the signature drive, Carpio demanded Duterte to retract three statements related to the West Philippine Sea that were supposedly “contrary” to the Constitution.

The statements questioned by Carpio are the following: 1. The July 12, 2016 Arbitral Award is just a scrap of paper that deserves to be thrown to the wastebasket; 2. The Chinese fishermen can fish in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea; and, 3. China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea.

“These statements are contrary to the Constitution, waive our sovereign rights under the Arbitral Award and even concede to China possession of the West Philippine Sea when in fact China is not physically and legally in possession of the West Philippine Sea,” the petition read.

Instead of retracting the statements, Roque opted to just explain what the President really meant.

“Ang papel ko bilang spokesperson ay linawin nga kung ano sinabi ng Presidente. Noong sinabi niya when China was in possession of West Philippine Sea, totoo ‘yun but he was referring to Scarborough Shoal (My role as a spokesperson is clarify what the President said. When he said China was in possession of West Philippine Sea, that’s true but he was referring to Scarborough Shoal),” Roque said.

“Kasi lahat ng binanggit niya when he mentioned West Philippine Sea, kadikit yung pangalan ni Secretary Albert meaning he was referring to the loss of Scarborough shoal at ‘yung katotohanan na kontrolado ng China ang Scarborough Shoal (Because everything he said when he mentioned West Philippine Sea, the name of Secretary Albert was mentioned, meaning he was referring to the loss of Scarborough Shoal at the truth is China controls Scarborough Shoal),” he added.

On the arbitral award that nullified China’s claims in the South China Sea was supposedly just a piece of paper, Roque maintained that there was no mechanism to implement the decision. He said one can only hope China would follow international law.

“Under international law, unless may Chapter 7 collective security measure, wala talagang pamamaraan para ipatupad ‘yan (there is really no way to implement that),” he said.

“You can only hope the China as a member state of UN and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council will of course comply with its obligations under international law but beyond that, talagang wala ibang pamamaraan (there is no other way),” he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-meant-only-scarborough-shoal-as-being-in-chinas-possession- roque/

Roque says some Duterte language on West Philippine Sea ‘not accurate’

Cecille Suerte Felipe, Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star

) - May 18, 2021 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte may have used “inaccurate” language in discussing the country’s maritime row with China, but his views on the issue have been consistent, his spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday.

Roque said when the President pointed out that China was in possession of the “West Philippine Sea,” he was referring to Panatag Shoal.

And when the President called the 2016 arbitral ruling a “piece of paper,” he was referring to the fact that under international law, there is no way to enforce the decision unless there is a collective security measure, Roque added.

“You know, my role as spokesperson is to clarify what the President is saying,” the Palace spokesman said.

“Let us put everything in context. Perhaps when it comes to the language of the President, he may not be as accurate, but he was consistent in what he was saying. So the ‘China in control of West Philippine Sea’ – that refers to Scarborough; the ‘It is a piece of paper’ – it’s because under international law, there is no established enforcement mechanism,” he added.

Roque was asked to react to the call of San Beda alumni for Duterte to retract his public statement on the West Philippine Sea and to uphold, defend and protect the integrity of the Philippines’ national territory. Duterte obtained his law degree from San Beda in 1972.

Roque also said former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile has accepted Duterte’s invitation to join him in his public address to discuss the West Philippine Sea row.

Roque said Enrile was expected to meet with the President yesterday to talk about how the Philippines lost Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal to China and why the United States brokered a deal between the two countries during the 2012 standoff between the Philippine Navy and Chinese maritime surveillance ships.

“Tonight, former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile will be the guest in the talk to the people. The President said former senator Enrile was there right at the beginning,” Roque said at a press briefing yesterday.

“We have to listen to what he will say as a former senator because it would be good to know the roles of former senator Antonio Trillanes and former (foreign) secretary Albert del Rosario in the loss of Panatag Shoal,” he added.

Duterte has been discussing the West Philippine Sea issue in his recent public addresses to rebut claims that he is not doing enough to assert the Philippine position.

Last week, the President revealed that he had invited the 97-year-old former lawmaker to discuss the dispute because he admires his “understanding” of the problem.

“It’s for Philippines history. Until now, we do not know the role of (former) senator Trillanes, what are the contents of what is called the ‘Brady notes’ that was given to him when he (Enrile) was Senate president,” Roque said.

He was referring to the notes of former Philippine ambassador to China Sonia Brady about her meeting with Trillanes, who had held backdoor negotiations with Chinese officials on the maritime row.

“We need also his (Enrile) insights because he was the longest serving secretary of national defense in our country and during the Marcos administration, PD (Presidential Decree) 1596, which declared Kalayaan Island Group as part of our territory, started,” Roque added.

Roque claimed that China started building military bases on artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea in response to the arbitral case filed by the Philippines during the previous administration. The case, which challenged China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea, was filed partly because of the 2012 Panatag standoff.

An arbitral court based in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016 and voided China’s claims. “That means the Scarborough Shoal incident is the reason why China has military bases on the artificial islands, most of which are part of our exclusive economic zone,” Roque said.

Duterte has accused Del Rosario of ordering the pullout of Philippine ships from Panatag Shoal in 2012.

Del Rosario, however, insisted that China was to blame for the crisis because it breached an agreement with the Philippines to withdraw ships from the shoal. Exaggerated assistance

Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros has questioned the Duterte administration’s persistent exaggeration of Chinese aid and development assistance to the Philippines.

The senator also disputed Malacañang’s statements that the country owes a huge “debt of gratitude” to China.

“We don’t owe anything to China. Perhaps Palace officials are still indebted to Beijing. It is surprising that those in power in Malacañang are protecting the name of China, even though the stench of their abuse of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea is overpowering,” she said. “What is the root of the special friendship they are talking about?”

The senator issued the statement as the government’s Investor Relations Office recently shared that China ranks only fifth among the Philippines’ sources of official development assistance. Japan remains the country’s top provider of ODA and infrastructure development partners.

The others are Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and South Korea. Japan’s total ODA to the Philippines hit $11.2 billion.

Despite the Palace’s much-vaunted pivot to China, Beijing’s ODA amounted to only $600 million.

“Malacañang should stop misleading the public. They should not pretend that China is the leading country in providing aid and loans to the Philippines. At first, it said Build, Build, Build. Why did it become Bow, Bow, Bow I guess? China is already seizing our territory in the WPS, then, are we still indebted? We, here in the Philippines, are the losers because of Malacañang’s behavior,” Hontiveros said.

In 2018, President Duterte said that China is an “important ingredient” in the Build, Build, Build program.

However, in November 2019, it was revealed that out of the 75 planned projects under the program, only nine had started construction. The poor completion rate was brought up in plenary deliberations on the proposed 2020 budget.

“Poor in a business sense, poor in foreign relations, poor in standing ground against bullies. That is what this administration is showing. More than 200 Chinese ships are still inside the country. Various sectors have protested, pleaded and stood up several times. It’s just the Palace that doesn’t go with the wind when she takes sides with the best friend,” Hontiveros added. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/18/2099041/roque-says-some-duterte-language-west- philippine-sea-not-accurate

China warned ‘there will be trouble’ if PH drills for oil in WPS—Duterte

Published May 17, 2021, 10:29 PM by Raymund Antonio Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned President Duterte early in his presidency that “there will be trouble” if the latter insisted on drilling for oil in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (WPS) that the Philippines and China, along with four other nations, are claiming as their own.

Malacañang aired the President’s pre-recorded “Talk to the People” on Monday but this time, former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, the architect of ex-President Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law, was in attendance.

Addressing the former senator as “sir,” Duterte recalled his visit to China and meeting with Xi. He did not mention when the conversation took place as the President visited Beijing two times, in October 2016 and August 2019.

“I said, Mr. President, I know that we have conflicting claims but you know I have plans of going to West Philippine Sea to dig my oil,” he told Enrile.

“Sabi niya in whisper you know, Mr. President, please do not do that. You will just sour up our, you know, we have a new beginning here, new friendship found but if you do that, he said almost (a) whisper, there will be trouble,” Duterte recalled.

During his campaign, the President promised he will ride a jet ski to the disputed waters and plant the Philippine flag in one of the islands no matter what China says. He has since admitted this campaign promise was a joke and that anyone who believed it was “stupid.”

Duterte said he was “prudent” during his earlier meetings with Xi, even taking with him his Cabinet officials such as then Armed Forces chief of staff General Eduardo Año, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

“In the early days of my administration, I announced a change of the direction of our foreign policy from being pro-Western to just neutral. Just playing it safe in the meantime because there might be really a trouble brewing,” the President said.

Duterte shared that he was “kinda a bit scants about their insistence to go back to the united council,” referring to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that includes China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and France as permanent members, which means they have veto power.

Armed dispute in the region will bring it under the UNSC, but China has veto powers that will leave anything the Security Council wants to do irrelevant and useless. China claims the entire region based on the nine-dash line found on ancient Chinese maps. This has been invalidated by the Philippines’ arbitral win in July 2016, but the President said this was a piece of paper that can be thrown in the wastebasket.

Recently, Duterte has been touchy about the issues in the West Philippine Sea, attacking mostly former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio who insisted that the President, who maintains a defeatist stance against Beijing’s aggression, needs to stand up against the Asian giant. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/china-warned-there-will-be-trouble-if-ph-drills-for-oil-in-wps-duterte/

Duterte insists ‘might makes it right’ over West PH Sea

Published May 18, 2021, 12:03 AM by Raymund Antonio President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 17, said that China’s “might makes it right” on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as he conceded that the Philippines cannot compete because it is not equal to the Asian giant.

“I was frank enough in the early days and I said that might makes it right. And we are not unfortunately on the side of might, so we can’t do anything because we can’t be in parity, in force,” the President said during his televised public address on Monday night.

For Duterte, the country just needs “to talk, just talk, and talk until such time by the grace of God, if there is an opportune time for all these things to correct itself.”

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the architect and implementer of Martial Law with former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was in attendance during Duterte’s talk to the nation.

The President complained that the public and the opposition have been criticizing him for not asking the United Nations (UN) for help to enforce the arbitral ruling the Philippines won in 2016.

“This is really the dilemma of the nation. For me, Sir, the beginning of this problem was when we retreated. And since then ‘yung mga (all the) paperworks about that the arbitral award has become meaningless,” Duterte said, referring to the decision of the Aquino administration to retreat from the standoff at the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) in 2012.

But former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario explained the decision was borne out of a negotiation with the United States and China, wherein both parties agreed to retreat from the shoal. China apparently reneged on the deal.

Enrile, who was also embroiled in territorial disputes with Malaysia over Sabah Island, was part of the Marcos regime that once relied on American military presence on Philippine soil to claim the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) as under the sovereignty of the Philippines and part of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Reports said the former dictator had “secret military operations” to take over the entire Spratly group of islands.

But on Monday night, Enrile maintained that the Philippines should have a “friendly approach” to the disputes because even with a resolution from the UN, the international body has “no police force.” “Sa level ng mga bansa mananatili diyan eh kung ano ang kakayahan mo kontra sa kabila, iyon lang (At the level of countries, what’s important there is your capacity against the other, that’s all). What operates in the level of relations, Mr. President, is what we call the law of nature, the law of force, and nothing more. That is international law,” the former senator said.

Critics have been calling out Duterte’s defeatist stance against Beijing’s aggressive incursions in the region believed to be the future flashpoint of war. The Philippines and China, along with Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei Darussalam, claim in whole and in part the oil- and mineral-rich waters. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/18/duterte-insists-might-makes-it-right-over-west-philippine-sea/

Enrile talks about Trillanes, Scarborough Shoal during Duterte weekly public address BYSAMUEL MEDENILLA

MAY 18, 2021

File photo of Antonio Trillanes in the Senate Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said several gaps remain unexplained regarding how the country lost Scarborough Shoal to China.

This, he said, includes the role of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on the negotiations with China at that time.

During the public address of President Rodrigo Duterte last Monday, Enrile noted that until now he still has no idea who asked the United States to broker an agreement for the Philippines and China to withdraw their forces in the said area.

“So ask [Former Foreign Affairs Secretary] Albert del Rosario who asked for the help of America [on the matter]? Was it Ambassador [Jose] Cuisa, who was the Philippine ambassador to Washington before or was it the Palace, President Aquino? We have no idea,” Enrile said.

To recall, during the Scarborough in 2012, the country complied with the agreement of the US and pulled out its forces in the area, while those from China remained. The incident allowed China to occupy the said area.

Enrile asked why did the US not help the country enforce the agreement it helped forged with China.

Enrile also disclosed how he was summoned to the Malacañang during the term of Aquino, when he was still the Senate President to discuss the Scarborough incident.

Present in the meeting were Aquino, Del Rosario, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Enrile said.

During that time, Enrile raised questions on the details of the US agreement and the role of Trillanes on the issue. However no less than Aquino vouched that he authorized Trillanes to hold backchannel talks with China in his behalf.

“Of the senators who were incumbent at the time, why was Trillanes selected as the negotiator for Aquino? And where did Trillanes get the influence over some authorities in Beijing in those days,” Enrile said.

The former lawmaker said these were the crucial points, which will determine, who is responsible for the Scarborough incident. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/enrile-talks-about-trillanes-scarborough-shoal-during- duterte-weekly-public-address/

Upon JPE's advice, Duterte decides to ignore critics on WPS issue

By Azer Parrocha May 18, 2021, 12:40 am

IGNORE CRITICS. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte discusses matters with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile regarding the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea prior to his talk to the people at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Monday night (May 17, 2021). Enrile advised Duterte to ignore critics of the President’s policy on the West Philippine Sea issue. (Presidential photo by Alberto Alcain)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he has decided to ignore those criticizing his foreign policy on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) upon the advice of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a special meeting with Enrile and some members of his Cabinet, Duterte said he was convinced that he would rather not “waste his time” explaining his decision to navigate the maritime row “peacefully” to avoid trouble with China.

“Maybe I will just ignore my critics. I would just say well, after talking to Senator Enrile, you guys have become irrelevant to me,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded meeting.

Enrile agreed with Duterte, adding that the President is not responsible to any specific person for his foreign policy.

“Mr. President, critics you'll always have. If I were you, I'll not mind them. Just mind history, the Filipino people,” Enrile said.

Duterte said Enrile’s suggestions were “the best advice” he received that night.

“To me you're the only one that matters. So if you say that I do not waste my time with them, so I will not waste my time with them,” he told Enrile.

He also expressed gratitude upon knowing that Enrile agreed with his stance on issues concerning the WPS. “It is not to our advantage as the senator has said that we go out and quarrel with China…The senator is one with me. One of the best minds sa ating (in our) generation has agreed with me,” he added.

Prior to Duterte’s declaration to ignore critics, Enrile told him that he would have also pursued the same approach to China’s continued aggression in the disputed waters if he were in the President’s shoes.

“I think history would judge you very well. If I were in your place, I would have done the same thing,” Enrile told Duterte.

Instead of making a foe of China, Enrile said it is better for the Philippines to "befriend" China without surrendering its sovereign rights.

“Kaya, Mr. President, I congratulate you for your effort to see to it that the country will survive in these critical times. Hindi dapat gamitin ang mainit na kaisipan na kagaya ng mga kritiko natin. Dapat balance lang approach natin at mahinahon (Hotheads like our critics should not be used. We must just balance our approach and be calm),” Enrile said.

No police force

Despite the Philippines’ win against China in a 2016 ruling over the South China Sea, Enrile noted that the ruling cannot be implemented.

“Kahit may resolution ang UN, di naman mapapatupad ng UN ang resolusyon nila, wala silang police force (Even if there is a UN resolution, the UN cannot implement its resolution, they don't have police force),” Enrile said.

Duterte concurred with Enrile, saying the Philippines could not do anything about the ruling because “we are not on the side of might.”

For now, he said talking with China is the best approach to dealing with the sea dispute.

Enrile also noted that the Philippines’ arbitral victory could not be enforced without a strong air force or navy.

“Tama ang posture niyo na kausapin ang China. Huwag gagamitin ang emosyon at init ng ulo (Your posture to talk with China is right. Don’t be carried away by emotions or temper),” he said.

Why Trillanes?

Meanwhile, Enrile raised questions anew on the reason why Senator Antonio Trillanes IV was selected by President Benigno Aquino III to hold backdoor negotiations with Chinese officials on the sea dispute.

“The mystery, Mr. President for me, is why Trillanes? Why was Trillanes selected as a negotiator for Aquino?,” he said. He suggested asking Trilanes to explain to the nation how he got that influence to reach out to the officials of China.

Duterte agreed, saying former Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady may be able to shed light on the issue about Trillanes.

He again blamed the past administration for withdrawing Philippine vessels from Scarborough Shoal to ease the standoff upon alleged advice of the US in 2012. Manila pulled out its ships but China stayed and eventually took possession of the territory.

Enrile agreed that the Philippines was placed at a disadvantage by retreating.

MDT review

Enrile also floated the possibility of discussing with the US plans to amend the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the US and the Philippines, noting that the pact failed to counter China’s aggression in the WPS.

“Kung may mangyari sa West Philippine Sea between China and the Philippines, hindi natin magagamit yungMutual Defense Treaty (If something happens in the West Philippine Sea between China and the Philippines, we cannot use the Mutual Defense Treaty),” he said, noting that the US would simply assure that they would come to the Philippines’ rescue only to be disappointed.

Citing his experience as Defense Minister during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Enrile said the US has failed to provide firearms to the Philippines.

“Sa karanasan ko bilang Secretary of National Defense nung panahon ni Presidente Marcos, di natin maasahan ang America sa ganitong usapin (From my experience as Secretary of National Defense during the term of President Marcos, we cannot expect anything from the US when it comes to matters like this),” he said.

Duterte has received flak, particularly from members of the opposition, for his alleged soft stance in enforcing the Philippines’ arbitral win against China.

However, he vowed that the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the WPS would not be compromised, even if China is the country's “good friend”. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140579

Enrile questions US inaction in PH loss of Panatag Shoal

Published May 18, 2021, 1:41 AM by Genalyn Kabiling The United States brokered a deal meant to end Panatag Shoal standoff in 2012, but did nothing to stop China from taking possession of the territory, according to former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Enrile recalled that the country ended up on the losing end of the US-brokered agreement after it pulled out its ships from the shoal and left China in control of the territory.

“Dahil doon sa pangyayaring ‘yon eh nagkakuwan tayo, nalugi tayo dahil umatras tayo, eh ang Tsina hindi nila mapaalis doon sa lugar na ‘yon (Because of the incident, we lost because we pulled out. They were not able to make China leave the place),” he said during a meeting with President Duterte and other government officials at the Malago Clubhouse inside Malacañang Park Monday, May 17.

“Hanggang ngayon hindi ko masagot kung bakit ‘yong mediator natin ay hindi tayo tinulungan para tumupad naman ang Tsina para doon sa kasunduan na umatras sila kaya ngayon sila ang nakapuwesto doon, tayo nawala (Up to now, I cannot answer why our mediator did not help us persuade China to comply with the deal to pull out. That’s why they are now positioned there, while we lost our place),” he added.

In 2012, two Philippine ships, including a naval vessel, were locked in two-month tense standoff with Chinese maritime surveillance ships at the Panatag Shoal. The country’s warship attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen in the area but the Chinese vessels blocked it.

The United States reportedly intervened and called for a simultaneous withdrawal of the ships to ease the tension. Manila withdrew its vessels but the Chinese ships did not go home and instead seized control of the territory.

In sharing his view on the Panatag Shoal incident, Enrile admitted that he was puzzled who tapped the United States to intervene in the standoff in the first place. He said it remained unclear whether it was then President Benigno Aquino III, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario or Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. sought the mediation of the US.

“Sinunod ng Pilipinas ‘yong kasunduan sa ilalim ng mediation ng Amerika pero ang Tsina ay hindi sumunod (The Philippines followed the agreement under the US mediation but China did not),” he said.

When China refused to pull out its vessels from Panatag Shoal, Enrile asked why America, being the mediator, did not act.

“Bakit noong hindi tinupad ng Tsina ang kasunduan na umatras din siya, bakit hindi man lang pinagsabihan ng Amerika ang Tsina na tuparin ‘yong kasunduan? (Why didn’t America tell China to follow the agreement when it did not pull out its ships?)” the former lawmaker asked.

“Ang impression kumbaga eh parang ginamit lang tayo doon sa bagay na ‘yon, ano man na interest ang nauukol para sa Amerika hindi ko alam pero ganoon ang impresyon ko. (My impression is we were just used there. Whatever interest America has, I do not know but that’s my impression),” he added.

President Duterte earlier hit the United States for its alleged inaction when the ship pullout deal during the Panatag standoff fell through. He said the US did not “enforce” the deal when China did not remove its ships from the area.

After the country lost Panatag to China, the Aquino government filed a complaint before an arbitral tribunal questioning Beijing’s excessive claims to the South China Sea. By 2016, the court ruled in favor of the Philippines but China has refused to recognize the tribunal decision. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/18/enrile-questions-us-inaction-in-ph-loss-of-panatag-shoal/

US didn’t enforce agreement with China on pullout from WPS —Enrile Published May 17, 2021 10:00pm Updated May 18, 2021 12:35am

The United States did nothing when China did not comply with the agreement to pull out its ships from the West Philippine Sea in 2012, former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said.

The US brokered the deal to ease the standoff between the Philippines and China in the Scarborough Shoal, which is being claimed by several countries.

In June 2021, Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal, which is near the main Philippine island of Luzon, following a three-month standoff after a Philippine Navy vessel tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found illegally hauling giant clams there.

The US moved to resolve the standoff by brokering a deal which asked both nations to withdraw their ships, however, on the Philippines withdrew.

Enrile asked what prompted then President Benigno Aquino III to retreat.

“Tayo ang na-onse pero ang namagitan between the Philippines and China eh hindi man lang sinabihan ang China na, ‘tuparin mo naman ang kasunduan,’ walang nangyaring ganun,” Enrile said.

Enrile, Defense Secretary during the Marcos regime, joined President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night in his regular Cabinet briefing to talk about the West Philippine Sea.

Why US brokered deal

Duterte said he remains wondering why the Philippines retreated from Scarborough Shoal.

"Bakit pmayag ang Pilipinas na umatras tayo? What drove Aquino to reach that decision to order the Navy to retreat," Duterte said.

Enrile echoed the question about the US involvement in the Scarborough standoff.

"Una, sinong humingi ng tulong ng Amerika? Pangalawa, bakit nung hindi tinupad ng China ang kasunduan na umatras din sya, bakit hindi man lang pinagsabihan ng Amerika ang Tsina na tuparin nya ang kasunduan," he said.

"Ang impression ko ay parang ginamit lang tayo sa kasunduang ito. Anumang interes na nauukol para sa Amerika 'di ko alam pero ganun ang impression ko… kaya ngayon sila ang nakapwesto dun, tayo ang nawalan," the former Senate President added. America's interest first

Enrile said the Philippines cannot rely on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States for help against China.

"If you read the Mutual Defense Treaty, sinasakop lang nung kasunduan natin sa Amerika ay kung may atake sa ating fighter planes o barkong pandigma sa Pacifico, saka lang pwedeng gamitin 'yun." he said.

He added, "Sabi nla yung West Philippine Sea is not part of treaty area of Mutual Defense Treaty, kung may mangyari between China and Philippines, hindi natin magagamit ang Mutual Defense Treaty... The treaty is there, pero hindi natin maasahan."

Enrile said the government may opt to talk with the US government if it wants the treaty amended to make America act promptly against China if needed.

Enrile also recalled his experience in dealing with the US when the Philippines asked for arms during the Vietnam War, but got nothing.

"Sa karanasan ko as Secretary of National Defense, hindi natin maasahan ang Amerika sa ganitong usapin," he said.

He said the request for 2,500 units of armalites fell on deaf ears because the US said it needed them as well during the war.

Because of this, Enrile said he proposed to then president Ferdinand Marcos to impose rent on the US for the stay of its bases in Clark Field in Pampanga. He said he pitched that the fee from the US for occupying portion of Clark and Subic will be used to buy firearms to beef up the country's armed forces.—LDF, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787850/us-didn-t-enforce-agreement-with-china- on-pullout-from-wps-enrile/story/

Duterte reiterates arbitral ruling is meaningless, Enrile says it is not

Published May 17, 2021, 11:11 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos President Duterte reiterated his stand that the 2016 The Hague ruling invalidating China’s claim in the West Philippine Sea will just be rejected by China calling it “meaningless” this time around.

Duterte made the statement as he dedicated his public address this week to talk about the West Philippine Sea issue with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as special guest.

In his pre-recorded public address on Monday evening, the President said it would be pointless to go to the United Nations (UN) about the issue because they cannot enforce it.

“For me, Sir, the beginning of this problem was when we retreated,” Duterte said, referring to the 2012 standoff between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.

“Since then, ‘yung mga (the) paper works about the arbitral award has become meaningless… The opposite camp of the political side ay sinasabi (is saying) that I should do my very best in asking the UN,” he added.

For his part, Enrile said that while the Arbitral Award was not meaningless, any resolution coming from the UN will not have much effect since the body does not have police powers.

“Sa aking paningin, hindi naman nasasayang yung decision ng arbitration diyan sa bagay na yan sapagka’t nandiyan na yun eh. Sa palagay ko nakarehistro ang decision sa record ng UN (I think the arbitration decision on the issue will not go to waste because it’s already there. This decision is already in the UN’s records),” he said.

“Kahit may resolution ng UN ‘yan, ‘di mapapatupad ng UN yung resolution nila. Wala silang police force eh. Wala namang world government na kagaya ng estruktura sa ating bansa (Even if the UN has a resolution, they won’t be able to enforce it because they don’t have police force. There is no world government that has a country’s structure),” he added.

Meanwhile, President Duterte reiterated that he does not want to go to war with China.

“Even if we put our entire Navy ships there, we will not start a war because we cannot afford it. I was just being frank with everybody,” he said.

According to Duterte, all the Philippines can do now is to “talk and talk” with China.

“I said that might makes it right and we are not, unfortunately, on the side of might. So we cannot do anything because we cannot be in parity in force and so we have to talk,” he said.

“Just talk and talk until such time by the grace of God if there’s an opportune time for all of these things to correct itself,” he added.

Last week, the President said he will not withdraw the country’s ships from the disputed waters but said he does not intend to start a war with China. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-reiterates-arbitral-ruling-is-meaningless-enrile-says-it-is-not/

Enrile: UN well aware of arbitral tribunal decision on sea row, but can’t enforce it

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQ

INQUIRER.net / 10:20 PM May 17, 2021

MANILA, Philippines Former senate president Juan Ponce Enrile has claimed

— Nations (UN), saying that the international body is very knowledgeable about it. there is no need to bring the Philippines’ arbitral tribunal victory to the United En against China before the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) based rile, however, disagreed with Duterte’s position that the Philippines’ victory

Dutertein The Hague, has invited Netherlands, Enrile to has grace become his pre- “meaningless.”re was aired on Monday night, and talk about the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue. corded “Talk to the People,” which Nevertheless, Enrile, who was also defense minister during the martial law era, also admitted that there is no reason to push Duterte to bring up the arbitral win before China or the UN.

Fishermen from Subic, Zambales prepare their boats for another fishing trip to Scarborough Shoal moments after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague favored the Philippines on its territorial dispute with China. (Allan Macatuno)

- “Mr. President, sa aking paningin, hindi naman nasasayang ‘yong decision no’ng arbitration dyan sa bagay na ‘yan sapagkat nandyan na ‘yon eh, palagay ko naka Duterte. rehistro ‘yong desisyon na ‘yon sa record ng UN, alam nila ‘yon,” Enrile told tan natin nanggaling din sa UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, at Kaya ano pang kailangang resolusyon ng UN para “Ang karapa

‘yon ay gawa ng United Nations. Enrilemalunasan further ‘yong noted sigalot that na the ‘yan UN parais not sa a atin?”world hegovernment asked. where countries can comply and expect justice through the enforcement of laws because the international body has no police power. —

ice force eh. Wala namang world government “Palagay ko kahit na may resolusyon ang UN, eh hindi naman maipapatupad ng UN na kagaya ng istraktura natin sa ating bansa, meron tayong hukuman, meron ‘yong resolution nila, wala silang pol tayong police, kung merong kailangang usapin tungkol sa hustisya mapupunta ka

sa hukuman,” he explained. sa. Sa mga level ng mga bansa, eh ang nanatili

“Hindi ganyan sa level ng mga ban dyan kung ano ang kakayahan mo kontra sa kabila. ‘Yon lang eh, it is what nature, the law of force and nothing more, that is operates in the levels of the nations, Mr. President. It’s what they call the law of international law,” he added. associate justice Antonio Carpio and former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Enrile was reacting to assertions from Duterte’s critics, particularly former senior Rosario, who urged the administration to utilize the PCA ruling, which was handed down in July 2016 already during the term of Duterte, to insist and defend the rights over the West Philippine Sea. – After a standoff at the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal in 2012, which resulted in the Philippines’ Philippines withdrawing from the area, the country filed a complaint against the Asian superpower before the PCA.

The PCA then decided that the Philippines has exclusive rights on the West -dash line claim has no historical and legal basis. Philippine Sea and that China’s nine Duterte has been criticized for setting aside the PCA decision, and even saying in a recent briefing that the historic arbitral victory is a mere piece of paper that can be thrown in the wastebasket. As Carpio and del Rosario insist on raising the PCA decision, Duterte insisted that further bringing up the ruling would only spell trouble, as China had supposedly raised the possibility of conflict should issues escalate.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432940/enrile-un-well-aware-of-arbitral-tribunal-decision-on-sea-row- but-cant-enforce-it

Duterte, Enrile question role of Trillanes in talks with China during Scarborough standoff

By: Daphne Galvez - Reporter / @DYGalvezINQ

INQUIRER.net / 12:34 AM May 18, 2021

MANILA, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile questioned on Monday the role of former Sen. Antonio Trillanes — IV in the negotiations between the Philippines and China during the 2012 standoff at Scarborough Shoal.

President Benigno Aquino III, then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, During Duterte’s taped public address, Enrile recalled a meeting he had with then and Trillanes during which it was revealed that Trillanes had been talking to officials of China about Scarborough Shoal.

Enrile said he then warned Aquino to be wary of such actions by Trillanes. He also questioned how Trillanes secured a connection with Chinese officials and how he acquired his influence over them.

llanes got his connections with Beijing. How was able to have connections there? I myself was a guest in Beijing, but I had no “Maybe we should find out where Tri

Aquinoconnections probably like Trillanes had no connections had,” Enrile either, said in Enrile Filipino. added.

“That’s still a mystery up to now for which we need to find an answer,” he said.

Scarborough Shoal is one of the disputed areas in the South China Sea. (Image from Agence France-Presse)

For his part, Duterte said he was baffled why Aquino designated a military man such as Trillanes to engage in back-channel talks with China.

According to him, Trillanes had gone to China 16 times, and shortly after his 16th visit, the Philippines lost possession of Scarborough Shoal.

Enrile did not answer this but instead offered more questions. directed as the negotiator for Aquino and where did Trillanes get the influence “The mystery to me was why Trillanes and not someone else? Why was Trillanes over some authorities in

Beijing in those days?” he asked. to reach out to the higher- “I think he should explain to the nation how he got that kind of influence to be able Enrile also claimed Trillanesups had in China,”bypassed he theadded. Philippine embassy in China and Del Rosario in his back-channeling with China.

Duterte said Filipinos should demand the truth, if not from Trillanes then from the people involved in foreign affairs during that time.

The Scarborough Shoal incident began in April 2012, when the Philippine Navy tried to apprehend Chinese fishing vessels at the shoal but were blocked by Chinese marine surveillance ships.

Duterte said he would want to know what or who prompted Aquino to retreat from the shoal.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432967/duterte-enrile-questions-role-of-trillanes-in-negotiations-with- china-during-scarborough-issue

Duterte: People should demand the truth about WPS from Trillanes

Published May 17, 2021, 11:06 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos

President Duterte urged the public to demand the truth about the West Philippine Sea issue from former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, saying the Philippines lost Scarborough Shoal to China after his backchannel talks with Beijing officials.

Duterte made the statement after former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that it remained a mystery to him how Trillanes was able to talk to high-ranking Chinese officials when former President Benigno Aquino III and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario do not even have that kind of connection.

In his pre-recorded public address on Monday evening, Duterte said Trillanes should explain to the public what really happened during the supposedly 16 times he went to China.

“One of these days maybe the Filipino people should demand the truth,” he said.

“If they cannot get it from the mouth of #Trillanes, then at least some people in the foreign ministry, perhaps [former Philippine] Ambassador [to China Sonia] Brady can explain,” he added.

“There is a monkey-wrench at arriving at the truth,” he continued.

President Duterte, who confessed to appointing retired military officials because they get the job done, expressed wonder why former President Benigno Aquino III would tap Trillanes to talk to Beijing.

“It is really a wonder to me why he (Aquino) chose a military man (Trillanes) to do the backchanneling. The problem is, it was so secretive,” he said.

Enrile, for his part, also wondered the same thing, adding that Trillanes should explain his connection with China.

“Siguro ang dapat tingnan natin saan ba nanggaling ang koneksyon ni Trillanes sa Beijing (Perhaps what we should look at is where Trillanes’ connection with Beijing came from),” he said.

In response, Trillanes said Aquino picked him to do the backchannel talks because he was more trustworthy compared to Enrile.

“Why did PNoy appoint me as backchannel negotiator? Because he found me trustworthy, unlike Enrile,” he said. The former Senator likewise said that President Duterte is diverting the issue.

“‘Wag niyo ibahin ang usapan, wala sa Scarborough ang problema. Nalutas na ni PNoy yun. Wala ng mga barko ng China sa loob nun. Wala ring reclamation dun (Do not change the subject. The problem is not Scarborough, that was solved by PNoy already. There were no ships nor reclamations there),” he said.

“Nasa Spratlys ngayon ang problema na ayaw harapin ni Duterte (The problem is the Spratlys which President Duterte refuses to face),” he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-people-should-demand-the-truth-about-wps-from-trillanes/

Bypass? Trillanes to Enrile: Check your facts

By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News

Published May 17, 2021 11:56pm Updated May 18, 2021 1:00am

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday dismissed claims that he "bypassed" the former country's diplomat in China after conducting backchannel talks on the Scarborough Shoal dispute.

Earlier, former legislator Juan Ponce Enrile claimed Trillanes "bypassed" former Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady for working as backchannel negotiator in the territorial rift between China and Philippines.

"Why did I bypass Amb. Brady? Check your facts Mr. Enrile. Amb. Brady first went to Beijing in early August or late July when I was wrapping up the backchannel talks," Trillanes said on Twitter.

"She was never present at any backchannel meeting from May to July," Trillanes also wrote, in all caps.

In addition, Trillanes said he informed Brady about the talks on the 2012 standoff between the two Asian nations at Scarborough Shoal.

"Upon her arrival, at the first instance, I briefed her on the whole talks at the Ph Embassy with no Chinese present. That was the only time I met her. After that briefing, I concluded the backchannel talks," said Trillanes. Nonetheless, Trillanes asked Enrile to check on media personnel covering foreign affairs for verification.

"Don't take my word for it. Our media friends assigned at DFA can check when she first arrived in Beijing, not when she was appointed as Amb," the senator said.

During this week's Talk to the Nation, Enrile questioned Trillanes' role as backroom negotiator in the territorial dispute during the Aquino administration.

"We probably need to know where Trillanes' connections in Beijing came from. How did he get connections there, when even I, who had been a guest of Beijing, didn't have the kind of connections he had where he could approach the leaders of China," said Enrile, in Filipino.

Enrile also later on criticized Trillanes' move to allegedly bypass Brady as well as former Foreign Affairs Chief Albert del Rosario after conducting backdoor negotiations with China on the Scarborough Shoal standoff.

"Ang problema ko diyan bakit si Trillanes? Bakit binypass niya yung embahada natin sa Beijing? At sa impression ko, pati si del Rosario na kalihim ng foreign affairs noon ay binypass din nya. Walang kamuwang-muwang si del Rosario sa meeting na yun sa Beijing," said Enrile.

(Why choose Trillanes? He bypassed our embassy at Beijing. In my impression, he also bypassed del Rosario, who had no idea about the meetings in Beijing.)

Meanwhile, Trillanes took a swipe at Enrile, saying former President Ninoy Aquino III chose him because he was "trustworthy."

"Why did PNoy appoint me as backchannel negotiator? Because he found me trustworthy unlike Enrile," Trillanes wrote in another tweet.

He also advised the Duterte government to face problems on China's continued presence at Philippines' territorial claims in Spratlys Islands in the South China Sea.

"Wag nyo ibahin ang usapan, wala sa Scarborough ang problema. Nalutas na ni PNoy yun. Wala ng mga barko ng China sa loob nun. Wala ring reclamation dun. Nasa Spratlys ngayon ang problema na ayaw harapin ni Duterte," said Trillanes. (Don't change the subject, Scarborough isn't the problem. President Aquino solved that. There are no more ships there. Spratlys is the problem, which Duterte already ignored.)

The Scarborough Shoal standoff started on April 8, 2012, when the Philippine Navy tried to confront Chinese ships at the shoal but were blocked by Chinese marine surveillance ships.

Trillanes, then a senator, conducted backdoor talks with China on the dispute in the months following the incident.

In June 2012, US Department brokered an agreement between the two Asian countries to pull out vessels simultaneously. Philippines followed America's call but China did not comply.—LDF, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787861/bypass-trillanes-to-enrile-check-your- facts/story/

Enrile to Duterte: Make China a friend, not foe; PH can't afford to antagonize Beijing

Published May 17, 2021, 10:22 PM by Genalyn Kabiling

The Philippines should befriend China “without surrendering our rights” instead of antagonizing the Asian neighbor over the West Philippine Sea dispute, according to former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile delivers his remarks when he attended a meeting with President Duterte and Cabinet members in Malacañang on May 17, 2021 (RTVM screenshot)

Enrile said the country could not afford to make China a “foe” and will gain nothing by antagonizing Beijing. The former Senate President instead suggested negotiating with China and possibly consider oil exploration in the contested sea.

Enrile issued the statement when he attended President Duterte’s regular “Talk to the People” in Malacanang on Monday night, May 17. He was invited by Duterte to attend the meeting at the Palace to shed light on the West Philippine Sea issues.

“As far as I’m concerned, we will not gain anything by antagonizing China. I’m not pro- China. I do not have any interest in China but as a Filipino, I will take this position to protect my countrymen, to protect our core territory, to protect our economy. Maybe we can get better by talking to China instead of being aggressive,” Enrile said in his remarks aired on state television.

“We are in this region. Realistically, we cannot ignore China. We have to deal with China. Instead of making China a foe or irritate China, why don’t we befriend China without surrendering our rights? We befriend China because we are Orientals, we understand each other,” he added.

Given that South China Sea is reportedly rich with oil reserves, Enrile is also doubtful that China would “easily bow to anybody without asserting its rights over the area.” He said the Philippines should “leave” the issue of China’s territorial claims and instead try to talk to get “better deal with China.”

“We cannot afford to antagonize China,” he said. “We lose more if we antagonize China. We have no choice except to negotiate with China,” he added.

He recognized that South China Sea was crucial to China’s growth, citing 80 percent of its energy and food pass through the strategic waterway. “To China, West Philippine Sea is a very strategic route. If that area is closed or controlled by America, Japan or any other country, China in two months will wither away as a nation. They will have famine, riots, they will have no economy,” he said.

Despite China’s claims over the disputed area, Enrile maintained that the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea springs from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying it was “simply interpreted” by the arbitral body.

He admitted though that the arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines could not be enforced even if the issue is elevated before the United Nations. He said the UN had no police power to enforce the ruling that nullified China’s claim over the sea.

For the meantime, Enrile suggested that the Philippines should focus on strengthening military capability, economic growth, and even pursuing oil exploration in the Philippine Rise also known as Benham Rise.

He said the country could go to Europe to get technology and capital for oil exploration in West PH Sea or “deal directly with China.”

“If I may suggest we get what we can get from China on the West Philippine Sea, use it to strengthen our military capability and exploit Philippine Rise,” he said.

Enrile also agreed with the President’s position to engage China in a dialogue to address the maritime conflict. He said it was prudent to talk rather than use emotion or let tempers flare.

“No one else can frame or formulate the foreign policy of the Philippines except President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, not Carpio, Albert Del Rosario or Juan Ponce Enrile. There’s only one person, that’s the President of the Philippines,” he said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/enrile-to-duterte-make-china-a-friend-not-foe-ph-cant-afford-to- antagonize-beijing/

Enrile: Philippines to lose more if it antagonizes China By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News

Published May 17, 2021 11:56pm

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday night claimed that the Philippines would "lose more" if it continued to antagonize China with the two countries' overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Enrile made the remark at President Rodrigo Duterte's televised briefing weeks after the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea reported seeing Chinese warships and militia vessels in the country's exclusive economic zone.

"We lose more if we antagonize China. We have no choice except to negotiate with China," said the 97-year-old former Senate President and defense minister under the Marcos dictatorship.

"Assuming there's no dispute about our right to over exclusive economic exploitation of our West Philippine Sea assets, still we need foreign money to make it a social wealth in our country," he added.

"Our choice is to go to Europe to get technology and capital to explore and exploit energy resources of our economic zone in West Philippine Sea or deal with China. China is the best energy explorer in the planet," Enrile said.

Enrile also claimed that engineering graduates "almost surpassed" the quality of graduates in US-based university Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ignore critics

Duterte said he would choose to ignore his criticisms against him in handling the issues on disputed waters.

"Maybe, I'll just ignore my critics, it will derail me from my official duties. After talking to Senator Enrile, you (Critics) guys have become irrelevant to me," Duterte told Enrile.

The former senator, for his part, echoed Duterte's decision to ignore critics. "That's the best thing Mr. President," Enrile said.

"After all, Mr. President, you are responsible for Filipino people. You are not responsible for any specific person to your foreign policy. Yours is to protect the interest of the nation and its people in the best way you can," he added.

Duterte had been calling out former Foreign Affairs Chief Albert del Rosario and former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio over losing Scarborough Shoal during their time.

But Carpio said there was no factual dispute that China secured Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) during Aquino administration.

In addition, del Rosario said China did not follow the 2012 United States-brokered agreement to simultaneously withdraw vessels in Scarborough Shoal.

'China understood us'

On the other hand, Duterte again defended China over its donations of 1 million doses of Sinovac vaccines which were used for Philippines' immunization campaign against COVID-19.

"China understood us, that's why I said when the pandemic started, I knew right away so I called (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping), sabi ko sa kanya na 'Mr President, we do not have the resources, we don't have sophisticated technology to manufacture vaccines right away.' Sabi niya, (Xi) 'Yes we are friends.'" Duterte said.

"So the first vaccines arrived in the Philippines were donated by China," the 76-year- old leader said.

Duterte also said "it is not wrong to express gratitude" to China over the donated vaccines.

"Binigyan tayo nung wala. Binigyan tayo tapos nakipag-giyera ka pa sa panahong ito. Wala ka ngang bakuna e," Duterte said.

In addition, Duterte claimed that Chinese forces are not harassing fisherfolk due to Philippines' dealings with China. "They were never provocative or punitive to our fishermen. I don't know, maybe it is becoming clear that we are more not really forceful but a little bit stronger in our dealings with them... Even if we put the entire navy there, we will not start a war," Duterte said. —NB, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787862/enrile-philippines-to-lose-more-if-it- antagonizes-china/story/

Enrile's insights on West PH Sea dispute helpful to gov't — Roque

Published May 17, 2021, 1:55 PM by Genalyn Kabiling The views of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile about the West Philippine Sea may not be the “gospel truth,” but he can shed light on events including the role of two former administration officials in the country’s loss of the Panatag Shoal to China, Malacañang said Monday.

Enrile has agreed to attend President Duterte’s regular “Talk to the People” on Monday night and will give his insights about the territorial conflict, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

The former lawmaker is expected to discuss the roles of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario during the Panatag Shoal standoff with China in 2012, Roque added.

“Sino ba talaga dapat sisihin sa kontrobersiya ng WPS at ano ang pinakamagandang polisiya na ipatupad ng ating Pangulo. Hindi naman gospel truth siguro ang sasabihin ni former Senate President JPE pero dahil nga sa napakatagal niyang karanasan bilang Secretary of National Defense, alam niya ang mga pangyayari (Who should be blamed for the West Philippine Sea controversy and what’s the best policy to be enforced by the President will be discussed. What former Senate President JPE will say may not be the gospel truth but he has a long experience as Secretary of Defense and he knows what happened),” Roque said during a televised briefing Monday, May 17.

“Sabi nga ni Pangulo, former Senator Enrile was there right at the beginning. Kinakailangan na pakinggan ang sasabihin ng dating senador dahil magandang malaman ang papel ni dating Senador Trillanes at dating Secretary Albert del Rosario sa pagkawala ng Scarborough Shoal sa Pilipinas. Ang pagkawala ng Scarborough Shoal ang naging hudyat ng kaguluhan sa West Philippine Sea na dati naman na tahimik (The President said former Senator Enrile was there from the beginning. We must listen to the view of the former senator because it is good to know the role of former Senator Trillanes and former Secretary Albert del Rosario on the loss of Scarborough Shoal in the Philippines. The loss of Scarborough Shoal was the trigger of the conflict in the West Philippine Sea that was previously serene),” he added.

President Duterte earlier invited Enrile to the Palace to discuss the issues related to the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said he was prepared to listen to Enrile, recognizing his intelligence as well as understanding of the maritime conflict.

Duterte previously blamed the past administration, particularly Del Rosario, for the alleged “wrong” pullout of local ships from Panatag Shoal to ease the standoff upon the reported advice of the United States. When Manila withdrew its ships, China chose to stay and took possession of the territory. in 2012, Enrile raised questions about the backdoor negotiations conducted by Trillanes with Chinese officials on the sea dispute. The former Senate President bared the contents of the notes written by then Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady on a meeting with Trillanes.

Roque said Enrile’s statement would be “for Philippine history” since the people supposedly don’t know about the role of Trillanes in the Panatag Shoal standoff based on the so-called “Brady notes.” He said it was important to know how the country lost possession of the shoal and who were involved.

He said they needed Enrile’s “insights” since he was the longest serving Defense secretary of the country. Enrile was appointed defense minister in 1970 during the Marcos administration until he joined the historic 1986 EDSA People Power revolution that ousted Marcos.

“We need his insights dahil siya ang ang longest serving na secretary of national defense ng ating bansa,” Roque added, adding Presidential Decree No. 1596 that declared Kalayaan Island Group as part of Philippines was signed during the Marcos administration.

Tension in the region reignited after Manila protested the unlawful presence of Chinese vessels in the country’s waters. President Duterte has refused to go to war with China over the conflict, saying Beijing remained a good friend of the country. Duterte however assured the nation that he would not compromise the country’s territory over the assistance given by China, including the coronavirus vaccines donated to Filipinos. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/enriles-west-ph-sea-view-may-not-be-gospel-truth-but-ph-needs-his- insights-roque/

'Is China truly a friend to PH?' Revilla asks

Published May 17, 2021, 12:25 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has also started questioning China’s sincerity as an ally to the Philippines for its repeated incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Ang tunay kasing magkaibigan ay naggagalangan, binibigyan ng payo at tumatanggap ng payo para magkaintindihan, pero sa kabila ng ating pakiusap ay nakararanas pa rin tayo nang panlalamang, ay hindi na ito tamang pakikipagkaibigan (True friends respect each other, give and take advice to better understand each other, but despite our pleas we are still being taken advantage of. This is not proper friendship),” Revilla said in a statement Sunday, May 16.

Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to file anew another diplomatic protest against China for the presence of at least 287 Chinese vessels in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as reported by the National Task Force on the WPS (NTF-WPS) last week.

Revilla said it is “high time for the Philippines to assess its friendship with China, which has repeatedly violated our sovereign rights”.

He further said that “if China indeed considers us a friend, it should show us respect”, and that its incursion in the Philippine territory “is clear show of disrespect”.

The administration ally said the Philippines should reconsider its diplomatic ties with China.

“Sa paulit-ulit na madiplomasyang protesta na inihain na natin at hindi talaga nila pinapansin ay maliwanag na kaibigan natin ang China pero hindi nila tayo itinuturing na kaibigan (Since it has ignored our repeated diplomatic protests, it is clear that China does not treat us as a friend),” Revila said.

In his statement, Revilla also said that President Duterte’s latest statements should quell doubts about the government’s stance about the territorial dispute with China.

Duterte, in his recorded speech aired last Friday, May 14, said he will not withdraw Philippine ships from the WPS even if China kills him.

Revilla said he supports Duterte’s remarks since “West Philippine Sea is ours no matter how China twists it”. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/is-china-truly-a-friend-to-ph-revilla-asks/

Carpio vs. Roque on value of arbitral award, possession of West Philippine Sea

Published May 18, 2021 12:19am

While it remains unclear whether the debate on West Philippine Sea will push through between retired Supreme Court Association Justice Antonio Carpio and presidential spokesman Harry Roque, GMA News asked them several questionS as regards the issue.

In this report by Ivan Mayrina and Raffy Tima on "24 Oras," Carpio and Roque were asked the following:

• The Philippines considers the 2016 Arbotral Ruling on the West Philippine Sea a big win over China. What is its real value since China refuses to acknowledges it? • Who has possession of the West Philippine Sea?

—NB, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787865/carpio-vs-roque-on-value-of-arbitral-award- possession-of-west-philippine-sea/story/

PH, US Coast Guard finishes month-long training series to strengthen maritime law enforcement

Published May 17, 2021, 12:42 PM by Richa Noriega Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have completed training courses facilitated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) instructors to strengthen maritime law enforcement in the country.

The PCG personnel have completed the training series, which includes the Boarding Officer Course, Outboard Motor Maintenance training, and Small Boat Operations event from March 8 to May 14.

“[It] focused on developing the capability of prospective PCG instructors who can plan and conduct similar courses in the future,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

The theoretical phase of the month-long training was conducted at the Outboard Motor Center of Excellence located in Balagtas, Bulacan, while the practical phase was held at the Coast Guard Surface Support Force (CGSSF) Headquarters in Port Area, Manila.

The training series also highlighted the Coast Guard personnel’s ability to continue critical training activities while maintaining operational priorities and coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) response commitments. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ph-us-coast-guard-finishes-month-long-training-series-to-strengthen- maritime-law-enforcement/

Enrile to Duterte: Marcos also blocked from buying arms from US over rights issues

By: Daphne Galvez - Reporter / @DYGalvezINQ

INQUIRER.net / 04:40 AM May 18, 2021

MANILA, Philippines Like President Rodrigo Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos was also blocked from buying arms from the United States over human — rights issues, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

During his taped public address, Duterte recalled how the government tried to acquire about 23,000 assault rifles for the Philippine National Police (PNP) but was halted by the US Congress due to human rights issues.

Congress because they said that I was a human rights violator and “You know, that was put on hold by [US] said, speaking partly in Filipino. [they rifles] will be used against my citizens,” Duterte that. There

Enrile laughed and said: “You’re not the only one to whom they did Enrilewas President served as Marcos.” defense chief under Marcos.

According to a 106 report from Reuters, the US State Department halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after Sen. Ben Cardin said he would oppose it,

Aides said Cardin, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee, was reluctant for the US to provide the weapons due to concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines.

f the Prosecutor said reasonable basis In 2020, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Office o there was a “ ” to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. In April 1986, around 10,000 victims of the martial law regime of Marcos filed a class suit at the United States District Court in Hawaii. The court decided in their favor on Feb. 3, 1995. The ruling was affirmed in 1996 by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The first batch of martial law victims received their compensation from the

Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) in May 2016. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432990/like-duterte-marcos-also-blocked-from-buying-arms-from-us- over-human-rights-issues

Don’t count on arms support from US, Enrile warns Duterte

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQ

INQUIRER.net / 02:26 AM May 18, 2021

MANILA, Philippines e Philippines, even in its current maritime— disputeDon’t count with China,on the formerUnited StatesSenate to P residentgive arms Juan support Ponce to Enrile th warned President Rodrigo Duterte in his taped briefing that aired Monday night.

Enrile based his warning on dealings with the US government in the 1970s as defense chief of then- President Ferdinand Marcos.

“In truth, in my experience as secretary of national defense i n the time of President Marcos, we could not rely on America in an issue like this,” he said in Filipino. He related how the Philippines, during the height of the Vietnam War, asked the US for 2,500 M-16 -insurgency campaign. He noted that at that time the rifles usedrifles byto bethe used Philippine for the military government’s were M1 anti Garands and carbines, the standard firearms during World War II.

According to him, he and Marcos went to Clark Air Base one day at around noon to meet with

“Admiral Gaylord of the 7th Fleet which was based Hawaii.” As there was no Gaylord who was commander of the US 7th Fleet, Enrile was probably referring to Admiral Noel Gayler, who was chief of the US Pacific Command from 1972 to 1976. Gayler was at Clark Air Base on Feb. 12, 1973, to welcome the first batch of released American prisoners of war coming from Vietnam.

Enrile recal the Vietnamled War. being told that the Philippines was “low priority” because the US needed the arms for

“In short, we were not able to get anything,” Enrile said in Filipino. So he said they were forced to turn to suppliers in Singapore and Taiwan instead. “It would be better if we buy our own arms,” Enrile recalled telling Marcos. “Let them pay us rent for their military bases.” enjoyedEnrile’s revelationUS backing, comes as evidenced as a surprise by the as state it was visit widely of Marcos believed to thethat US the in Marcos 1982 during administration the administration of President Ronald Reagan and the state visits of several US presidents starting with Richard Nixon in 1969.

Also, after Marcos was ousted by the Edsa People Power Revolution in February 1986, it was a US Air Force aircraft that took the late strongman and his family to Guam on his way to exile in Hawaii.

Enrile issued the warning as administration critics were pushing for the president to uphold the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration

West Philippine Sea. in The Hague favoring the Philippines’ claim over the Duterte has repeatedly insisted that pressing the claim on China might lead to a military conflict. But some of his critics said that would not happen as the US was obligated under the Mutual Defense Treaty to defend the Philippines. The treaty states, however, that the Philippines must not be the aggressor, which means US would only come to the rescue if it would be attacked.

Enrile believes that the Philippines should not rely on that treaty at the moment as the US had a lot on its plate such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and its own conflict with Russia.

— - -American. I have

“In truth, Mr. President, I’m saying this not because I’m anti American. I’m not anti many friends among Americans and I have a granddaughter who’s an American,” government he said. always“Now, bases there’s a difference between American citizens and their government. Their its moves in its relations with other countries on the national interest.” The former Senate president was at the briefing at the invitation of Duterte, specifically to discuss the West Philippine Sea issue, especially on events related to the 2012 Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal standoff, which ended up with the US intervening between China and the Philippines.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1432970/enrile-warns-duterte-you-cant-expect-anything-from-us

CA confirms promotion of AFP general set to retire next year

Published May 17, 2021, 3:13 PM by Mario Casayuran The powerful bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) on Monday, May 17, confirmed the promotion of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Brigadier General Henry Dayaoen as Major General.

Dayaoen’s confirmation appeared to have been rushed because he could no longer be legally promoted less than a year before his retirement on May 17, 2022.

The CA usually goes into plenary session on Wednesdays to confirm or bypass a presidential nominee or appointee.

Dayaoen’s confirmation was made during the CA’s plenary session presided by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, concurrent CA chairman.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate national defense committee, seconded the motion to confirm Dayaoen’s promotion made during a hearing by the CA national defense committee.

In a statement, Lacson said: ‘’Exactly one year from today or on 17 May 2022, Brigadier General Doyaoen is due for compulsory retirement in accordance with Presidential Decrees 1638 and 1650.’’

‘’Any delay in the confirmation of his nomination later than today would disqualify him from being promoted to the next high rank of Major General, in so far as the provision of Section 4, Republic Act 8186 is concerned, which states that — let me quote for the record, ‘except for the Chief of Staff of the AFP, no officer shall be assigned/designated to the aforementioned position’ — the word aforementioned hereby refers to the positions of Vice Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and major service commanders — ‘or promoted to the rank of Brigadier General/Commodore or higher if he has less than one year of active service remaining prior to compulsory retirement’,’’ Lacson explained.

Both Lacson and Dayaoen hail from Cavite province.

Lacson said there is no doubt in his mind that Doyaoen, a decorated and battle-seasoned military officer for 33 long years, has exemplified competence and commitment to duty worthy of the AFP’s higher echelon of command.

‘’In my 17 long years as a senator and a good number of years as a member of the CA, I cannot quite remember this body convening on the first day of the resumption of our congressional sessions for the sole purpose of deliberating on the confirmation of one single officer of the AFP. That credit goes to the chairman of the Committee on National Defense, Honorable (Representative) Luis “Jon-jon” Ferrer IV, and the members of the committee, for this unprecedented move,’’ he pointed out. Lacson said President Duterte, commander-in-chief of all armed forces, has accorded the CA the same respect and high regard in designating Maj. Gen. Andres Centino last May 14 as the new Commanding General of the Philippine Army to replace Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr.

He recalled that last March during the hearing of this same committee to confirm now four- star General Cirilito Sobejana, AFP chief of staff, he strongly disputed the designation of Lt. General Faustino as acting commanding general of the PA, one of the three major service commands of the AFP, ‘’as it was a clear transgression of the law.’’

“I was also forthright in saying that Lt. Gen. Faustino may have been the most competent officer to take over the reins of the 100,000-strong Philippine Army. His merits notwithstanding, unfortunately, he is not eligible to head a major service command of the AFP as he has less than one year of active service remaining before reaching the age of compulsory retirement,’’ he said.

Lacson thus thanked President Duterte for rectifying an oversight in the recent designation of Lt. Gen. Faustino as acting Commanding General of the Philippine Army in violation of RA 8186 as amended by RA 9188.

‘’This appreciation extends to Executive Secretary Salvador ‘Bingbong’ Medialdea, who personally relayed to me last Friday the concurrence of the President to this body’s strong and unwavering position to uphold the rule of law,’’ he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/ca-confirms-promotion-of-afp-general-set-to-retire-next-year/

New Army Chief assumes post Tuesday

Published May 17, 2021, 2:02 PM by Martin Sadongdong The Philippine Army (PA) will officially install Major General Andres Centino as its 64th Commanding General in a Change of Command ceremony that will be held on Tuesday, May 18.

Centino will replace Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., who was elevated to the office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana as his “Special Assistant on Peace and Development.”

As a special assistant of Sobejana on peace and development operations, Faustino will “closely supervise the programs, activities, and projects of the AFP Peace and Development Office” especially on matters pertaining to the normalization process of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB). It includes the assurance that the decommissioning of firearms of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MI:F) combatants remain on schedule.

Faustino will retire in November 2021.

Centino, on the other hand, will be vacating his current post as the commander of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division (4ID).

“The Philippine Army welcomes the appointment of Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the 4th Infantry ‘Diamond’ Division as the 64th Commanding General of the Philippine Army,” the Army said in a statement on Monday, May 17.

“His extensive knowledge and experience will greatly contribute in fulfilling the Philippine Army’s mandate in serving the people and securing the land,” it added.

Prior to his appointment, Centino held various key positions in the military. He served as the battalion commander of the 26th Infantry Battalion in 2008; Secretary Army General Staff in 2013; and commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade in 2017.

He was also assigned as the deputy chief of staff for operations, J3, at AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in 2019 before he eventually became the 4ID commander in 2020 where he led various successful operations against communist rebels in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) and Caraga (Region 13).

Both Centino and Faustino are members of the Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988.

Meanwhile, Faustino had served the Army in an acting capacity for barely three months. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/new-army-chief-assumes-post-tuesday/

Palace wants to know who's red-tagging groups in post-PGH fire donation drive

Published May 17, 2021, 2:33 PM by Argyll Cyrus Geducos Malacañang wanted to know who were the people red-tagging groups organizing donation drives for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) following the fire that hit the State-run institution on Sunday.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after several social media posts warned against donating to the University of the Philippine (UP) Office of the Student Regent and Tulong Kabataan, saying their initiative was “fake.”

In his press briefing on Monday, Roque urged the public to inform him about the people red-tagging UP for their call for donations.

“Sabihin niyo lang po sa akin kung sino yung nagre-red-tagging (Just tell me who is red-tagging UP) and we will call their attention,” he said.

Roque explained that it was only natural for the UP to call for donations for the PGH because the institution is part of the UP System.

“Ang UP-PGH po ay kabahagi ng UP System (UP-PGH is part of the UP System). So it’s only logical na ang UP Student Regent ay hihingi ng tulong (that the UP Student Regent will ask for help),” he said.

At 9 a.m. on Sunday, the University of the Philippines (UP) Office of the Student Regent said it was accepting emergency donations of water, food, and face masks for the PGH.

Below are the details for those who wish to donate:

• In-kind non-food donations may be dropped off at the Nurses Home or contact 0917 772 3947 • Food may be delivered to PGH ORTOLL Reproductive Center and can be coordinated with Dr. Michael Castillo (0956 592 8892) or Emelita Lavilla (0922 831 8994) • Cash donations may be paid directly to cashier-on-duty Rose Acabado (02 8554 0440 local 2016) • Online cash donations may be sent through the hospital’s account at the Development Bank of the Philippines: 00-0-05028-410-8.

Donors were told to email [email protected] once they have sent their donation, They may also coordinate with the Bayanihan Na operations center at 155-200.

Vice President Leni Robredo also joined the call for donations for PGH, urging those with big industrial fans to lend them to PGH to help dissipate the smoke that enveloped the hospital due to the fire. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/palace-wants-to-know-whos-red-tagging-groups-in-post-pgh-fire- donation-drive/ Designation list not glorified red-tagging: NTF ELCAC exec

By Priam Nepomuceno May 17, 2021, 5:14 pm

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Regional Director for Caraga, lawyer Marlon Bosantog (Screengrab from RTVM)

MANILA – An official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) on Monday said there is a huge difference between designation and red-tagging.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Regional Director for Caraga, lawyer Marlon Bosantog, in an online press conference on May 17, made this comment after hearing claims that the designation of the terrorist list is only glorified red-tagging.

"I would like to make comment dun sa (regarding the) concept (that) designation is a glorified red- tagging, in context, sinasabi nilang (they are saying that in) red-tagging, parang (if seems) you associate this person with the communist ideology but the designation is quite different because it's very specific, you are saying that this person is related to activities of terrorism, it does not pertain to ideology perception or ideology but it's more of the actions and these actions are backed up by testimonies, affidavit or pieces of evidence that were the product by the intelligence community or other people that came (to) verify as to why this person should be designated," said Bosantog, NTF ELCAC Legal Cooperation Cluster spokesperson, said during an online press conference.

He said comparing designation to red-tagging is like watering down the gravity of terrorism as an offense.

"We're concerned here on terrorism itself, its boundaries transcends ideologies, so it is done under the premise of due process, number one we have the ATC(Anti-Terrorism Council), it was passed by Congress, they have remedies available to them, kahit yung decision ng (even the decision of the) ATC can actually be questioned before the Supreme Court,” he added.

The Supreme Court, he said, has overarching power when it comes to actions by Executive Department, so they can actually review the actions of the ATC. So for me, we have (processes) open, the people designated have remedies. Republic Act 11479 defines terrorists as persons who engage in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person or endangers a person's life; cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or public facility, public place, or private property; and cause extensive interference with, damage or destruction to critical infrastructure.

It also defines terrorists as those who develop, manufacture, possess, acquire, transport, supply, or use weapons, explosives or biological, nuclear, radiological, or chemical weapons and release dangerous substances causing fire, floods, or explosions.

The ATC has formally designated Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison and 18 others, as well as 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other extremist groups as “terrorists”.

Signed by the council’s chairperson, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and vice-chairperson Hermogenes Esperon, on April 20, the ATC designated the “central committee members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army also known as Bagong Hukbong Bayan (CPP/NPA) as terrorists, which was designated under ATC Resolution No. 12 (2020) released on May 13. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140545

1,506 atrocities in 10 years justify CPP-NPA terror tag

By Priam Nepomuceno May 17, 2021, 4:26 pm

Brig. Gen. Noel Alejandro Nacnac, Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFPCLAC) director (Screengrab from PCOO page)

MANILA – The sheer number of atrocities committed by communist terrorists from 2010 to 2020 against civilians and military personnel justifies their designation as a terror organization.

"These 1,506 incidents show a nationwide pattern of organized, orchestrated, continuing, deliberate and systematic scheme perpetrated by the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) which justifies their designation as a terrorist organization," said Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) director, Brig. Gen. Noel Alejandro Nacnac, during Monday's "TAGGED: Debunking Lies by telling the truth" online press conference.

Nacnac said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) has recruited and utilized 544 children as "child warriors" during the said period.

Of the 544, Nacnac said 304 of these are male while 240 are female.

Some six of these "child warriors" were reported killed while another 11 were wounded during encounters with security forces.

He added that a total of 25 were reported to have been abused by communist terrorists while 464 have surrendered to authorities.

"These reports (are coming from) from field units, verifiable with names," Nacnac said.

The 464 child surrenderers, he said, could readily testify that they were used as "child warriors".

Nacnac added that Region 11 has logged the most "child warriors" with 141 compared to other regions in the Philippines.

The year 2019 has the highest number of "child warriors" with 119 recorded. Damaged properties

He added that from 2010 to 2020, the CPP-NPA perpetrated 532 incidents where civilian properties were destroyed.

He said 2017 was the year with the highest communist terrorist attacks against civilian properties as the military recorded 87 incidents.

Region 13, he said, has the highest number of CPP-NPA attacks against civilian properties with 107 recorded.

Communist terrorists were also involved in the 141 incidents involving anti-personnel mines (APM).

Nacnac said this can be broken down into the following: Three incidents for production; 22 for stockpiling; six for transporting; and 110 for actual use.

The number of APM casualties was placed at 224 individuals.

This can be broken down into 32 killed for the military and another 163 wounded for a total of 195 for the AFP.

Also, five civilians killed and 24 wounded for a total of 29 civilian casualties.

Nacnac said 2020 saw 68 incidents involving APMs while Region 8 has the distinction of the area where the CPP-NPA used the anti-personnel mines the most with 25.

Willful killings

In what Nacnac has termed as "willful killings", 373 deaths were attributed to the CPP-NPA and can be broken down into 77 military personnel and 296 civilians.

Nacnac said the year where the CPP-NPA conducted the most "willful killings" was 2019 with 66 incidents.

While Region 13 has the distinction of where the communist terrorists have conducted most of their "willful killings" with 66 in the record.

The CPP-NPA is also listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The AFP earlier expressed its support to Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC)'s Resolution Numbers 16 and 17 the designated 29 individuals as terrorists.

"The military organization further conveys its full confidence to the ATC’s decision which was carried out based on verified and validated information," AFP chief, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said in a statement. He added that the AFP will be able to further protect Filipino citizens from terrorist acts by closely working together with government law enforcement agencies and focusing our resources to bring the mentioned personalities to justice.

"We are optimistic that the ATC’s resolution will continue to empower government, under the rule of law, to eradicate terrorism in our country, and maintain a peaceful and progressive nation for every Filipino," Sobejana added. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140531

SC ends oral argument on ATA, cuts short Esperon’s testimony BYJOEL R. SAN JUAN

MAY 18, 2021

THE Supreme Court has decided to cut short the testimony of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon after he linked several groups with terrorist the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) during last week’s continuation on the oral argument on the 37 petitions assailing the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Law.

At the start of the ninth and last day of the oral argument, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said the Court would instead issue a resolution detailing the specific questions that the justices would like Esperon to answer.

The Chief Justice said Esperon’s response to the questions would have to be incorporated in the memorandum that would be submitted by the Office of the Solicitor within 30 days upon issuance of the resolution.

The Court made the decision following the filing of a motion by several petitioners assailing the constitutionality of ATA, seeking to expunge the testimony of Esperon and to delete from its records the controversial videos that Esperon was presented to the justices during oral arguments last Wednesday.

“With regards to motion to expunge [the] testimony, video presentation and annotations of respondent Hermogenes Esperon… the Court resolves to require respondent to comment,” CJ Gesmundo announced.

“The Court also decided not to continue the interpellation of Esperon based on the compliance that they have submitted earlier,” the chief magistrate added.

On the other hand, the CJ Gesmundo announced that Court agreed to issue a show-cause order to Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyer and one of the counsel-petitioners Theodore Te for his statement posted in social media castigating the Court for allowing Esperon to red-tag several groups in open session last week.

During the court proceedings, Esperon played a two-minute video of self-exiled CPP founder Jose Maria Sison wherein the latter can be heard mentioning the names of 18 organizations whom the latter called “allied organizations.” He also played a 1987 video of Sison supposedly naming the legal organizations in the supposed National Democratic Revolution.

Esperon disclosed that about 75 organizations such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Anakbayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Gabriela and several others were present in a meeting presided by Sison in Hong Kong sometime in 2020.

These groups, he said, are part of the so-called International League of People’s Struggles which meets every year.

The petitioners said Esperon should not have been allowed to testify since the SC is not a “trier of facts.”

In doing so, the petitioners said, of the Court provided Esperon the opportunity to openly red-tag progressive groups, which is one of the main issues raised in the petitions.

Amici curiae’s opposing views

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno and former SC Associate Justice and ex- Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, gave contrasting opinions on the issues raised against the ATA.

Both Puno and Jardeleza were designated by the Court as amici curiae (friends of the court) to give their impartial and expert opinion on the matter.

In his position paper submitted to the Court, Puno called on the SC to strike a balance between the protection of rights guaranteed under the Constitution and national security in resolving the 37 petitions seeking to declare the ATA of 2021 as unconstitutional.

“Your Honors, we are to seek the right balance between individual liberty and national security. This is not case of all or nothing matter but a matter of more or less,” Puno told the High Tribunal.

“The balance should not reduce individual rights into insignificance for they are inherent to human dignity. Neither should the balance put an end to the security of the people for they did not enter into a ‘suicide pact’ when they ratified the Constitution. The ideal is for us to be both free and safe,” Puno stressed. Puno admitted that there were certain provisions in the ATA that he considers as a matter of “constitutional concern,” particularly in the process of designation of terrorists.

Among these provisions are Sections 25, 35, 36, 38 and 41 with respect to designation of terrorists and the power of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to order freezing of their assets.

He questioned the Anti-Terrorism Council’s automatic adoption of the list of terrorists that comes from the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Puno explained that it is not clear whether the UNSC Resolution 1375 mandatorily ordered member-states to automatically adopt its list of terrorists.

“The process followed by the UN Security Council in arriving at the list may not conform with our Constitution. We are not aware how much of the process is open and how much is in camera,” the former Chief Justice told the Court.

“The standard of fairness in the listing process should be our legitimate concern. The criteria that guided the Security Council in preparing the black list can be changed from time to time. The change may be demanded by the lay of the legal landscape, which will vary from country to country. The change in criteria may not always be in accord with our fundamental law and automatically adopting the UN list may not give us any wiggle room to avoid unconstitutional difficulties,” Puno elaborated.

Another concern raised by Puno dwells on ATC’s authority to determine the person or organization to be designated as terrorists based on a probable cause.

“The disconcerting question is whether there is a meaningful remedy on the part of a person or organization designated by ATC as a terrorist when it’s finding of probable cause rests on erroneous ground,” Puno stressed.

Puno’s concern was anchored on the lack of express provision in the ATA that allows aggrieved parties to assail the factual basis of the designation made by ATC.

With regard to the freezing of assets of designated terrorists, Puno noted that AMLC’s may issue a freeze order valid only for 20 days but may be extended for a period not exceeding six months by the Court of Appeals.

He said this was in contrast with regard to the freeze orders involving terrorists determined by the UNSC and adopted by the ATC, which is indefinite until ordered lifted. “When a law makes distinction when there is no difference, there is a violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution,” Puno pointed out.

Puno also raised the possibility of violation of the principle of equal protection under the Constitution with regard to the implementation of Sections 26, 27, 28 and 36 pertaining to proscription of terrorists.

He noted that the proscription is used only for terrorist organizations, associations or groups of persons and not for individual persons listed as terrorists by designation.

Furthermore, the former Chief Justice raised the possibility of violation of existing rights of arrested persons with the implementation of Section 29 of the ATC, which authorizes in writing law enforcers to take custody suspected terrorists and detain them for a period of 14 days which can be extended for a maximum of 10 more days depending on several conditions.

“Undeniably, there will be cuts on the rights of detainees under our present law. Again, the difficult constitutional question to resolve is how deep can these cuts be allowed on detainees without destroying the essence of their rights,” Puno explained.

Likewise, Puno raised some “bothersome” provisions covering surveillance of terrorists such as the continued surveillance of persons already charged with terrorism and the use of any mode to perform this act.

“This runs against the conventional thinking that when a person is charged, the State has already the quantum of evidence to convict the person beyond reasonable doubt,” Puno said.

On the other hand, Jardeleza told the magistrates that the petitions should be dismissed on the grounds of lack of legal standing and that the Court is not a trier of facts.

“While a case for ‘pre-enforcement review’ of a criminal statute is possible, the same is allowed solely on grounds of vagueness. Since none of the petitioners has sought to avail of this exception, I humbly submit that…37 petitions should be dismissed,” Jardeleza said.

He added that cases presenting factual issues, such as the alleged torture of petitioners Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos, should be tried first under the doctrine of hierarchy of courts—before the lower court first—then the Court of Appeals.

Guru and Ramos, both Aetas, were charged with non-bailable offenses of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and for violation of the provision of the ATA before the Regional Trial Court of Olongapo City last September. Gurung and Ramos and two other female Aetas are accused of being members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

“Petitioners cannot short-circuit this process by simply invoking the ‘transcendental or paramount’ importance of their case,” he explained.

While the issues raised by petitioners against the ATA are important as it involves civil liberties, Jardeleza admitted that the facts presented by petitioners are insufficient for the Court to rule against the ATA.

“My point: Judges of the RTC and justices of the Court of Appeals are not only equipped to receive and ascertain the facts for this Court, they also, in their own right, make constitutional law,” the former magistrate said.

“I think it is time we start hearing from them by giving them the first crack at cases such as these,” he added.

Jardeleza also indicated that the observance of the doctrine of hierarchy of courts is necessary in order to unclog the Court’s docket and hasten the resolution of cases.

He noted that based on the Judiciary Annual Report of 2916, the Court has a total case load of 14,491 as of December 31, 2016; 14,411 cases in 2017; 15,339 cases in 2018 and 14,760 cases in 2019.

Despite efforts to introduce reforms by three former chief justices, namely, Teresita de Castro, Lucas Bersamin and Diosdado Peralta to unclog the Court’s docket, the number of pending cases from 2016 to 2019 also remained at the same level.

Thus, Jardeleza proposed that the Court consider imposing strict work or page limits to petitions filed before it and declaring that the 24-month period mandated by the Constitution to decide a case is mandatory and should be dutifully observed across all levels of the courts.

At the end of the oral argument, CJ Gesmundo said the Court has decided to require the petitioners to submit their memorandum on the basis of the clustering based on the issues they agreed to present in the oral argument.

He said a resolution would be issued setting forth the contents of the memorandum and would give the parties 30 days within which to submit their memoranda. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/sc-ends-oral-argument-on-ata-cuts-short-esperons- testimony/ 2 ex-SC members give opposing views on 37 cases vs. Anti-Terrorism Act

Published May 17, 2021, 4:36 PM by Rey Panaligan

Two “amici curiae” or “friends of the court” aired on Monday, May 17, opposing views on how the Supreme Court (SC) should deal with the 37 petitions that challenged the constitutionality of the Anti- Terrorism Act (ATA). Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno said the SC should resolve the petitions by striking a balance between the protection of individual rights and the necessities of national security. Retired Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza, on the other hand, said all the petitions should be dismissed because the SC is not a trier of facts and the existing cases involving ATA violations filed before the trial courts should first be resolved by the judges.

Puno and Jardeleza were appointed by the SC as “friends of the court” to enlighten the High Tribunal on ATA and the petitions filed against the new law that was enforced by the government starting July 18, 2020. After Puno and Jardeleza have aired their views, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo declared the ninth session of oral arguments terminated. He said all the petitioners, based on their clustering on issues tackled in the oral arguments, and the government – through the Office of the Solicitor General – are given 30 days from receipt of the resolution to file their respective memoranda. Gesmundo said the SC will issue a resolution that would spell out the issues to be tackled in the memorandum of the parties.

Puno told the SC:

“How to move the balance between individual rights and national security in the light of threats of terrorism will not be a walk in the park. The new balance should take into account the architecture of the our democratic government laid down in our Constitution, its pillars of separation of powers, checks and balances, inviolability of fundamental rights, the rule of law, the right of the minority against the tyrannicide of the majority, etc.

“At the moment, the point of the balance may remain an incertitude. In due time, however, I have no doubt that given its collective wisdom, the Court can capture all the fugitive ideas necessary to fix the point of the needle that will correctly balance the needs of individual rights and the necessities of national security.

“The balance should not reduce individual rights into insignificance for they are inherent to human dignity. Neither should be balance put an end to the security of the people for they did not enter into a ‘suicide pact’ when they ratified the Constitution.

“The ideal is for us to be both free and safe.” In supporting his view to dismiss all the petitions, Jardeleza told the SC that none of the petitioners “has claimed direct, personal, or constitutional injury, or has alleged actual prosecution under the ATA. as to be entitled to relief.” “Cases presenting factual issues, such as the veracity of the allegations of torture of petitioners Gurung and Ramos (two Aeta tribesmen who were arrested and charged with ATA violations before the regional trial court), must first be tried, under the doctrine of hierarchy of courts, and following the rules of evidence, before the trial courts, and then on appeal, by the Court of Appeals,” Jardeleza said.

He pointed out that “petitioners cannot short-circuit this process by simply invoking the ‘transcendental or paramount’ importance of their case.”

He also said:

“For the complete avoidance of doubt, the issues raised by petitioners against the ATA are important. The ATA indeed implicates civil liberties dear to all of us.

“There is, however, an absolute dearth of facts in the case record, as of the moment, to support a ruling against the ATA, at this time.

“The ATA is an act of Congress that enjoys the presumption of constitutionality. I stress the word presumptively. For when, and if, constitutional lines are crossed, as borne out by facts, we know where the Court’s heart lies. “My point: Judges of the RTC (regional trial court) and Justices of the Court of Appeals are not only equipped to receive and ascertain the facts for this Court, they also, in their own right, make constitutional law. I think it is time we start hearing from them by giving them the first crack at cases such as these.” https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/2-ex-sc-members-give-opposing-views-on-37-cases-vs-anti-terrorism- act/

Jardeleza tells SC: Dismiss pleas vs anti- terrorism law due to petitioners' lack of legal standing Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar.com) - May 17, 2021 - 5:08pm

MANILA, Philippines — Retired Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza, tapped expert to help the Supreme Court to resolve anti-terrorism law petitions, told the tribunal that the legal challenges against the law due to petitioners’ lack of legal standing.

But retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno, also an amicus curiae (friend of court) in the case at bar, said the SC must resolve the petitions based on merit and not be dismissed based on technical grounds — but he opined that the petitioners failed “discharge” their duty in mounting a facial challenge against the law.

The SC appointed Puno and Jardeleza as amici curiae in the 37 consolidated petitions against the Anti- Terrorism Act of 2020. As experts, they will help the SC dispose of the issues raised before it. Puno and Jardeleza delivered the statements on Monday, as the SC wrapped up its oral arguments.

Legal standing

The petitioners’ lack of legal standing has been one of the issues raised for the dismissal of the pleadings against the anti-terrorism law. They mounted a facial challenge against the law, arguing that the ATA infringes on freedom of expression and creates a chilling effect on the public.

Jardeleza, in his brief, cited the case of Aeta farmers Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos who are charged with ATA violation. Their petition in intervention was later junked as the SC noted the ongoing trial case against them.

He also noted that the Office of the Solicitor General also cited two other pending cases of ATA, and the recent designation of the Anti-Terrorism Council of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as terrorist organization.

“As for the matters of record, save for the petitions of Gurung and Ramos, and possibly of the three others in the Negros Occidental case, none of the petitioners in these cases has claimed direct, personal or constitutional injury, or has alleged actual prosecution under the ATA as to be entitled to relief,” he said.

Citing Southern Hemisphere v. the Anti-Terrorism Council, Jardeleza moved that all the 37 petitions be dismissed. “This is of course, without prejudice, to continuation of all other cases cited by the [solicitor general],” he added.

Jardeleza added that the claims of Gurung and Ramos of torture must be tried, under the doctrine of hierarchy of courts and following the rules of evidence before the trial courts. “Petitioners cannot short- circuit this process by simply invoking the ‘transcendental or paramount’ importance of their case,” he also said.

Overbreadth

But for Puno, the petitioners have legal standing as he noted that they are challenging the law “because on its face, it infringes freedom of speech due to its vagueness and overbreadth.” “A law that is vague and overly broad is considered as an immense evil and destructive of fundamental rights in a democratic regime, it ought to be struck down at the earliest opportunity by anyone in the body politic,” he stressed.

Puno moved to the SC that the petitions at bar be resolved on the merit and not dismissed outright based on technical grounds.

The retired chief justice noted that facial challenges on ground of the law’s overbreadth are difficult to mount since petitioners would have to prove that there can be no instance where the law is valid.

In the case against the anti-terrorism law, the petitioners “failed to discharge this heavy burden,” Puno said.

“With due respect to the petitioners, I respectfully submit that their valiant efforts fall short to justify striking down the whole Anti-Terror Law as unconstitutional on its face on the ground of vagueness or overbreadth,” he added.

But Puno noted that there can be subsequent challenges that may be filed against the law, on an applied basis.

Jardeleza also noted the same. Although said the petitions must be dismissed, he acknowledged that petitioners raised “very important” issues against the law, stressing that the ATA “implicates liberties dear to all of us.”

But he pointed out that there is “an absolute dearth of facts in the case record, as of the moment, to support a ruling against the ATA, at this time.”

Constitutional concerns on ATA sections

Puno however pointed out “other areas of constitutional concern” on the ATA. This includes sections on designation, proscription, arrest without judicial warrants and on surveillance.

On designation, Puno raised concern on the Philippines’ automatic adoption of UN Security Council’s list of terrorists, stating that the criteria used by the international body may change from time to time and may be demanded by different legal landscapes in member-countries.

Puno also raised apprehension on the Anti-Terrorism Council’s designation of terrorists, as he noted that “the finding of probable cause may lack sufficient evidentiary basis.”

He continued: “The disconcerting question is whether there is a meaningful remedy on the part of person or organization designated by ATC as a terrorist when its finding of probable cause rest on erroneous ground.”

Puno also noted that there seems to be no remedies on Section 29 of the law that allows prolonged period of detention without judicial warrant under written orders by the ATC.

The retired chief justice added that the resolution of the petitions against the anti-terrorism law will “lead to the adjustment of the existing balance between the rights of an individual against the right of the state to safeguard the security of our people.”

In open court, Puno stressed: “The balance should not reduce individual rights into insignificance, for they are inherent to human dignity. Neither should the balance out an end to the security of the people for they did not enter into a ‘suicide pact’ when they ratified the Constitution. The ideal is for us to be both free and safe.”

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo wrapped up the oral arguments on Monday. Parties are given 30 days to file their respective memoranda. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/17/2098886/jardeleza-tells-sc-dismiss-pleas-vs-anti- terrorism-law-due-petitioners-lack-legal-standing

Karapatan to SC, DOJ: ‘Stop arrests of activists on trumped- up charges’

Published May 17, 2021, 12:01 PM by Jeffrey Damicog

A group of human rights advocates has asked the Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop the arrests of activists “based on trumped-up charges.” In a strongly worded statement, Karapatan, through its secretary general Cristina Palabay said:

“We call on the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice to urgently review and put an end to these acts which put the lives and security of human rights defenders at grave risk, both to the fascist attacks of the State as well as the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country’s detention facilities. “The judiciary should not be complicit in criminalizing the work of activists, their unjust detention, and more so their unjust deaths behind bars.” Karapatan’s call was aired following the death of arrested peasant leader Joseph Canlas, who suffered from chronic kidney disease and heart ailment as well as having contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He died last May 11.

“According to Karapatan’s documentation, at least nine political prisoners have died in detention under the Duterte administration; four of them died since the COVID-19 pandemic commenced,” Palabay said. She lamented that the government continues to make arrests as she cited that last Friday, May 14, peasant leaders Marcela Diaz, 59, and Virgilio Lincuna, 70, were apprehended based on arrest warrants issued by the courts where they are facing “trumped-up homicide and murder charges, respectively.” “Both Lincuna and Diaz are most susceptible to COVID-19, considering their current health conditions,” she stressed. She said that Diaz is a stage four cancer patient, while Lincuna is a former political prisoner who survived from stroke.

“We call on the Commission on Human Rights and the International Committee on the Red Cross to monitor their situation and ensure that their conditions will not result to lamentable and tragic outcomes, such as the recent death of Ka Joseph Canlas,” she urged. “This abhorrent and merciless practice of arresting elderly and sick peasant leaders, human rights defenders, and activists on fabricated charges is fast becoming the State forces’ way of subjecting them to jail conditions which are detrimental to their health and well-being,” she said.

“Ka Joseph Canlas is the latest example of these inhumane acts — and we cannot afford to let Marcela Diaz and Virgilio Lincuna and other sickly and elderly political prisoners to suffer the same inhumane treatment and fate,” she added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/karapatan-to-sc-doj-stop-arrests-of-activists-on-trumped-up-charges/

UP exec tells solons: Accord with DND is gov't guarantee to academic freedom Christian Deiparine (Philstar.com) - May 17, 2021 - 8:37pm

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines leaders on Monday stressed before lawmakers the need to institutionalize the school's accord with the defense department, months since its widely criticized termination.

The House committee on technical and higher education began today its hearing on three proposed measures that would legislate the 1989 UP-DND accord. It was nixed by the DND in January on unproven claims that UP campuses are recruiting students to the armed communist movement.

UP President Danilo Concepcion said the university community supports the bills. He added that for them, the decades-long accord is not merely a deal but also a promise on keeping academic freedom in the campuses.

"Those accords are the government's formal declaration that [it] guarantees the enjoinment by UP of its academic freedom," he said. "Without academic freedom, UP's existence becomes meaningless."

The said deal bars entry to state forces on any UP campus without prior notifying school officials. Groups fear that the termination would shrink spaces for expressing dissent, especially at a time when some in government had resorted to red-tagging UP students.

Froilan Cariaga, UP Diliman student council chairperson, told the House hearing of the supposed violations of the accord done by the military and police in recent months.

He said students no longer feel safe with state forces' entry to campuses, and urged lawmakers to act on the issue at hand.

"We expound that innovation is impossible without critical thought," Cariaga said. "And what is education if not for the development of man and society? UP-USC urges the [committee] to defend safe spaces in which the Pagasa ng Bayan hones and prepares itself to serve the people and the country."

Lawyer Norman Daanoy, chief of the DND's legal affairs, was present in the hearing. There, he claimed that testimonies of rebels who surrendered to government showed that the accord is being used to "confuse or prohibit" law enforcers from holding operations in state-run campuses.

The official argued that for the DND, the abrogation can should not be reconsidered as the agency and the military are no longer involved in law enforcement.

He said it would be better for UP to discuss another existing accord with the Philippine National Police and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

UP Student Regent Renee Co sought to refute Daanoy's remarks, saying it was only their first time to hear the reason.

"Regarding the argument that DND is no longer the primary law enforcer, we see there is no reason that it could be a barrier on why the UP-DND accord cannot be maintained," she said.

Co said legislating the accord would restore crucial safeguards to members of the university community, which she said have been subjected red-tagging and harassment, to name a few.

"There are even death threats sent to members of faculty and students through texts, through chats, and even as personal message to their own addresses," she said. "There has been harassment, physical and verbal. There have been reports they were being surveillanced and there has also been detention."

The House committee moved to form a technical working group that will look to consolidate the three proposed bills. A similar measure has since been filed in the Senate.

In recent months, the Commission on Higher Education sought to mediate between UP and the DND. Officials from the two parties first met in February, but no progress has been announced so far. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/17/2098910/exec-tells-solons-accord-dnd-govt- guarantee-academic-freedom

3 ASG bandits killed in 2 Basilan clashes

Published May 17, 2021, 12:07 PM by Philippine News Agency ZAMBOANGA CITY – Three Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits were killed in two separate clashes as government troops continue the offensive against the terrorists in that province, military officials announced Monday.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the clash happened around 7:40 a.m. Sunday, May 16, in Sitio Kura- Kura, Barangay Baiwas, Sumisip, Basilan.

Vinluan said the troops were conducting focused military operations when they clashed with a group of ASG bandits led by mid-level leader Pasil Bayali in Sitio Kura-Kura, Barangay Baiwas.

The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes afterwhich the ASG bandits scampered in different directions leaving the remains of their two slain companions.

“We are still verifying the identification of the slain terrorist,” said Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan.

Gobway said another firefight ensued for about 15 minutes ensued, while the reinforcing troops were conducting clearing operations in the area that resulted in the death of another ASG bandit and the recovery of one M-16 Armalite rifle.

He said they are grateful that no soldier was hurt during the successive encounters.

“We thank the active participation of the local officials and the community of their desire to end terrorism by providing us real time information for the neutralization of the terrorists. Rest assured that we will continue to bolster our operations to keep the communities safe and secured,” Vinluan said.

Since January, a total of 18 ASG bandits were neutralized in Basilan province, four of whom were killed, 13 surrendered, and one was apprehended. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/3-asg-bandits-killed-in-2-basilan-clashes/

Babaeng umano’y miyembro ng NPA, arestado sa Davao del Sur ABS-CBN News Posted at May 17 2021 10:40 PM Timbog sa ipinatupad na search warrant Lunes ng madaling araw ng Santa Cruz Police, Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office, at iba pang unit ng Philippine National Police at Armed Force of the Philippines ang isang babae na miyembro umano ng New People's Army (NPA) sa Sitio Luceba, Barangay Zone 1, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Kinilala ng mga awtoridad ang inaresto na si Celia Corcuera alyas Madam Cherry, na target sa search warrant na pinalabas ni Digos City Regional Trial Court branch 19 executive judge Carmelita Davin.

Nasamsam mula kay Corcuera ang ang isang .38 caliber revolver at mga bala, dalawang bandila ng National Democratic Front (NDF), isang bandila ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan o New People's Army (NPA), at ilan pang gamit.

Nasa kustodiya ngayon ng Santa Cruz PNP si Corcuera at inihahanda ang kasong haharapin nito.

Dinala rin sa PNP Crime Laboratory sa Digos City ang mga narekober na gamit, kabilang na ang armas para sa ballistic examination.

- ulat ni Hernel Tocmo https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/17/21/babaeng-umanoy-miyembro-ng-npa-arestado-sa-davao-del- sur

Duterte: Benham Rise off limits to other countries BYSAMUEL MEDENILLA

MAY 18, 2021

Benham Rise photo from Wikipedia President Rodrigo Duterte said Benham Rise remains off limits to other countries except when they are simply passing the through the area.

He issued the statement following the advice of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

“Benham rise is exclusively Philippine property. I have made it clear to the world I will not allow any intrusion. Well, of course, except their right to innocent passage because that is everybody’s privilege,” Duterte said during his public address on Monday.

However, he said he will not allow any country to exploit Benham rise.

In 2018, Duterte declared the country has exclusive ownership of its economic zones including Benham rise.

This after the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang claimed the country cannot claim ownership of the Benham Rise. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/duterte-benham-rise-off-limits-to-other-countries/ Duterte: United States treats PH as 'inferior,' an 'early warning detachment'

Published May 17, 2021, 11:36 PM by Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte is putting his foot down against the alleged “inferior” treatment given by the United States to its longtime ally the Philippines.

Addressing the nation Monday night, the President said he intends to carefully study the country’s visiting forces agreement (VFA) with the United States after noticing that American merely treated the country as an “early warning detachment.”

Duterte said he once mentioned this concern during his conversation with then US President Donald Trump when he declined his invitation to visit the United States.

“I will like to just study very carefully with the coming of a renegotiation of the visiting forces agreement (VFA). Something has got to give,” Duterte said in his remarks aired on state television.

“President Trump invited me several times but I said for as long as you treat us like a something like inferior, ginagawa ninyo lang kami detachment ninyo (you’re making us a detachment), you’re making the Philippines a sort of early warning device detachment bago mag-abot ng Amerika (before reaching America), I said this could not happen during my time,” he said.

The President earlier wanted to scrap the military pact over alleged unequal provisions and US meddling but agreed to defer the termination for a year amid global challenges such as the pandemic.

The VFA, signed between Manila and Washington in 1998, spells out the guidelines of US troops when visiting the Philippines. It also affirms the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperate Agreement that allows US soldiers to conduct joint exercises with Filipino troops.

Recently, Duterte told the United States to pay if it wanted to retain the VFA with the country. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/duterte-united-states-treats-ph-as-inferior-an-early-warning- detachment/

Samoa set to appoint first female prime minister

Reuters

2 minute read

Fiame Naomi Mataafa is poised to become Samoa's first female prime minister, after the Pacific nation's top court on Monday helped break a month- long political impasse that followed a tightly contested April election. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/samoa-set-appoint-first-female-prime-minister-2021-05- 17/

U.S. gasoline shortage eases, but pumps dry in some areas

Stephanie KellyLaila Kearney

2 minute read

1/2 A motorist tops up the fuel in his car's gas tank after a lengthy wait to enter a gasoline station during a surge in the demand for fuel following the cyberattack that crippled the Colonial Pipeline, in Durham, North Carolina, U.S. May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake/File Photo

Gasoline shortages that have plagued the U.S. East Coast slowly eased on Sunday, with 1,000 more stations receiving supplies as the country's largest fuel pipeline network recovered from a crippling cyberattack.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-gasoline-shortage-improves-some-regions-still-suffer- hefty-outages-2021-05-16/

Moon weighs 'Quad lite' at Biden summit South Korea president walks fine line between US and China

U.S. President Joe Biden is due to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the White House on Friday. (Biden photo by Getty/Kyodo, Moon photo by Yonhap/Kyodo)

YOSUKE ONCHI, Nikkei staff writerMay 18, 2021 06:21 JST

SEOUL -- When South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House on Friday, the two are likely to discuss ways for Seoul to cooperate with the Quad.

To continue https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/Moon-weighs-Quad-lite-at-Biden- summit

EU, U.S. say they can partner to hold China to account on "trade-distorting policies"

Reuters

1 minute read

U.S. and European Union flags are pictured in Brussels, Belgium February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

The United States and the European Union issued a joint statement on Monday saying that they can partner to "hold countries like China that support trade-distorting policies to account". https://www.reuters.com/world/china/eu-us-say-they-can-partner-hold-china-account-trade-distorting- policies-2021-05-17/

China’s rise pushes US toward action on Competitiveness Bill

• The main part of the bill would authorize more than $100 billion over five years to boost research and development of innovative technology and manufacturing at colleges, universities and other institutions Bloomberg | , Hindustan Times, New Delhi

PUBLISHED ON MAY 17, 2021 11:13 AM IST

Bipartisan concern about China’s rising influence is driving the Senate toward passage of legislation aimed at bolstering US competitiveness in technology and manufacturing and delivering money to spur the domestic semiconductor industry.The Senate is poised to begin action this week on the package of bills based on a proposal from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young with the goal of finishing by the end of the month.

The main part of the bill would authorize more than $100 billion over five years to boost research and development of innovative technology and manufacturing at colleges, universities and other institutions and create a new entity within the National Science Foundation to focus on technology.

It’s also expected to include a $50 billion emergency appropriation aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing, as well as funding for a communications security initiative designed to counter China’s dominance of 5G networks, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The package is being pushed toward passage on an aggressive timetable by Schumer. The fervour among Democrats and Republicans to counter about China’s challenge to US economic primacy has made the legislation, known as the Endless Frontiers Act, one of the few bills to draw broad support at time when partisan divisions are running deep. Its fate also may serve as an indicator for other proposals, such as infrastructure, that have nominal bipartisan support. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/chinas-rise-pushes-us-toward-action-on- competitiveness-bill-101621229649908.html

China’s factory output slows as bottlenecks crimp production

Gabriel CrossleyKevin Yao

6 minute read

1/2 A worker welds a bicycle steel rim at a factory manufacturing sports equipment in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China September 2, 2019. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo

China's factories slowed their output growth in April and retail sales significantly missed expectations as officials warned of new problems affecting the recovery in the world's second-largest economy.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/wrapup-chinas-industrial-output-growth-slows-april-retail-sales- miss-forecasts-2021-05-17/

China’s economic recovery under spotlight as weak consumption, slowing factory output expose ‘unsustainable’ first quarter growth

• Private consumption remained weak in April and industrial production slowed, showing vulnerabilities in China’s economic recovery • New data showed some parts of the economy, particularly the services sector and retail, were being ‘held back’ by pandemic uncertainty on Monday, as new data showed activity across a range of sectors moderated far more than expected in AprilChina’s after economic a record recovery expansion remains in the disjointed first quarter and of threatens the year. to put the brakes on growth, analysts said

Private consumption was still weak last month while high commodity prices continue to prove a cond largest economy, economists said. headache for businesses in the world’s se -coronavirus economic recovery, something that was underlined again by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.The new data follows a warning last month from the Politburo about China’s “uneven” post

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3133808/chinas-economic-recovery-under- spotlight-weak-consumption

China bars foreign curricula, ownership in some private schools

Reuters

2 minute read

Children leave a school in Shekou area of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China April 20, 2021. REUTERS/David Kirton/File Photo

China's State Council has announced tough new curbs on school curricula and ownership of private schools, the latest in a series of measures intended to tighten control of the country's fast-growing education sector. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-bars-foreign-curriculum-ownership-some-private-schools- 2021-05-17/

Fearing internal turmoil, CCP doubles down on censorship effort IPDForum May 16, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

FORUM Staff From banning video games to placing new curbs on technology companies, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has embarked on a multifaceted censorship initiative to shield itself from domestic criticism.

formation flow and eliminate -19 pandemic The campaign aims to weaken tech giants’ control over in and its mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region, analysts reported. criticism of the CCP’s actions, such as the government’s handling of the COVID for example, introduced a scoring system for online games made in China. Games can be banned if they do not promote core The CCP’s Central Propaganda Department in April 2021,

April 2021 report by researchers at Freedom House, a United States-based socialist values or what the CCP considers the “correct” view of history, according to an nongovernmental organization.

The new rule is one of many the CCP added to an already invasive censorship program,

eport stated. signaling an “ongoing CCP nervousness about domestic dissent and alternative power Techcenters,” companies the Freedom are a majorHouse target. r The Chinese government in March 2021 requested that Alibaba Group dispose of its media assets, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported. Alibaba, an e-commerce company, owns the 117-year-old South China Morning Post newspaper, an English-language daily in Hong Kong. Besides acquiring the Post in 2016, Alibaba, pictured, has invested in other media outlets, including the streaming platform Youku Tudou, the Huayi Brothers entertainment company and the video-sharing site Bilibili, the Journal reported. The South China Morning Post is among the properties the government wants sold, which could curtail press freedoms in Hong Kong, Bloomberg reported. Alibaba founder Jack Ma faced intense backlash after he criticized the government in an toward the Alibaba Group as a whole, so the sale of media assets is likely a p October 2020 speech for stifling innovation. “The authorities have toughened their stance source with ties to a regional government told Nikkei Asia. art of that,” a Culture and Tourism announced February 5, 2021, that performers must adhere to 15 rules Another set of rules targets celebrities. An industry group under the PRC’s Ministry of codifying long-standing unwritten rules, according to Freedom House. The rules require celebrities to promote the CCP’s line while not “undermining national unity” or from the industry. “endangering national security,” the report said. Violators could be suspended or banned The CCP is also combining propaganda with its censorship efforts. An online push emerged in China in April 2021 to support the production of cotton in Xinjiang, which accounts for clothing companies for boycotting Chinese brands because they used forced labor of Uyghurs, the online magazine 20% of the world’s supply. The drive denounced international efforts to retaliate against boycotters. The Diplomat reported. The effort was made to look like grassroots support for the CCP’s It started, however, with a March 24, 2021, post on Weibo that went viral. The post denounced international brands such as H&M, a Swedish clothing company, for boycotting Xinjiang cotton. It was authored by the Communist Youth League, which is part of the CCP. mouthpiece, the People’s Daily newspaper, also published several articles,

The CCP’s including one that celebrated Xinjiang cotton as the “best in the world.” CCP has demonstrated its ability and willingness to deploy nationalist sentiment to counter “By manipulating the state media and online response in support of Xinjiang cotton, the

internationalhttps://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/fearing-internal-turmoil- criticism over human rights issues,” The Diplomatccp-doubles-down- reported.on-censorship-effort/

China's Ruling Party Cancels Maoist Gatherings on Cultural Revolution Anniversary

Websites and groups have been ordered to cancel any face-to-face gatherings marking the anniversary, as the authorities move to minimize any challenge to the current leadership.

2021-05-17

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has canceled a conference of prominent Maoist ideologists ahead of its 100th centenary, suggesting that CCP leader Xi Jinping is unwilling to allow the faction to increase its power base in a possible challenge to his "core" leadership.

While many commentators have noted an apparent shift towards political practises and ideological tropes that echo the Cultural Revolution (1966- 1976) under late supreme leader Mao Zedong in recent years, it appears that Xi is unwilling to allow actual Maoists free rein under his rule.

A conference titled "Commemorating the 55th Anniversary of the Proletarian Cultural Revolution" had been scheduled for Sunday, marking the May 16 directive that launched a decade of street fighting, violent "struggle sessions" and arbitrary denunciation in kangaroo courts on Mao's China.

However, it was suddenly canceled at short notice, and with scant explanation, according to Chinese scholar Li Gang.

"The activities that had been planned by the Maoist left to commemorate the Cultural Revolution have been stopped," Li told RFA. "Judging from various indicators, it is likely that the CCP ordered this."

Maoist, leftist websites and groups like Hongzhan, Practical Communism, Utopia, the Mao Zedong Thought Banner, Mao Zedong Research Institute, the Protagonist, The Red Song Society had all said they would take part in the canceled conference.

But sources said that Zhang Zhang, one of the organizers, was contacted by police on Saturday and told to call it off. Rounding up people Zhang told Hong Kong's pro-China Singtao Daily newspaper on Sunday that all offline meetings had been canceled, as it was "inconvenient" to go ahead, owing to poor attendance.

Asked if he had been ordered to cancel, he told the paper: "Either way, it's canceled, so what does it matter?"

Beijing-based political journalist Gao Yu said via Twitter that a wider crackdown is under way on any face-to-face meetings linked to the Cultural Revolution.

"They have rounded up and prevented people from attending around a dozen different meetings and dinner gatherings," Gao wrote.

According to Li Gang, the Cultural Revolution is still contested political ground, with the party under Xi recently changing the official description of the era to minimize Mao's responsibility for the bloodshed and social chaos.

"Does this cancelation mean that the authorities have changed course and stopped trying to reverse the official verdict on the Cultural Revolution?" Li said. "I don't think it does." https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/maoist-anniversary-05172021091850.html

China offers to host Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

• Beijing uses chairmanship of UN Security Council to press for immediate ceasefire and resumption of dialogue on two-state solution • Foreign Minister Wang Yi also urges the US to stop obstructing the council’s role in taking action on the conflict

-Palestinian peace talks is a bid to expand its influence in the Middle East as the new administration in Washington works out its playbook, analysts said. China’s offer to host Israeli During a virtual meeting of the 15-member

UN Security Council

on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again called for an immediate ceasefire between the two sides and for Israel to lift its blockade and siege of Gaza as soon as possible.

n the conflict, and to support its efforts to ease tensions and to find a political resolution. China took over as rotating chair of the councilWang also at the urged beginning the US toof stopMay. “obstructing” the council in taking action o https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133734/china-offers-host-israeli-palestinian- peace-talks

Why the suspicion on China’s Wuhan lab virus is growing. Read these new analyses An article in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a paper by Begin Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies present new facts on the coronavirus origin.

Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology | Photographer: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images via Bloomberg it’s been nearly eighteen months since the coronavirus brought the world on its knees, with India in the middle of a deadly second wave that is claiming 4,000 lives daily on an average. No one can tell when this will end. But it is possible to probe how this catastrophe began, and China’s role in it. Fortunately, even as cover ups go on. Several reports are out in the public domain and anybody who isn’t afraid of speaking the truth should be able to connect the dots.

One report out is that of the Independent Panel, set up by a resolution of the 73rdWorld Health Assembly. The specific mission of the committee was to review the response of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Covid outbreak and the timelines relevant. In other words, it was never meant to be an inquisition on China. And it wasn’t. Not by a long chalk. It went around the core question of the origin of the virus, even while indulging in what seems to be pure speculation. Then there are two recent publications investigating the origin of the virus, which are worthy of note. Neither are written by sage scientists, but by analysts viewing the whole sequence of events through the prism of intelligence. Which means that these efforts skip the big words, and get to the facts. Collate all these different sources, add a little more of the background colour, and you start to get the big picture.

The need to find out the truth becomes urgent as the situation worsens, for instance with dangerously high death rates in Aligarh Muslim University, where there is now speculation whether the deaths could be linked to a separate strain. There are arguments that India’s second wave could be a deliberate one, especially since the ‘double mutant’ has not hit any of its neighbours. Such speculation is likely to rise, given that China has now effectively closed any possibility of withdrawal from Ladakh, and the Chinese economy goes from strength to strength, growing a record 18.3 per cent in the first quarter of the new financial year. Unsurprisingly, even world leaders, like Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, have linked the pandemic to biological warfare.

Arising from this is the biggest potential danger: someone may decide to respond in kind in a bid to fix Beijing. That’s how intelligence operations work. After all, major countries haven’t been funding their top secret labs for nothing. In any scenario, there’s some serious trouble ahead, especially since the Narendra Modi government seems to be more intent on playing down the crisis than addressing it. https://theprint.in/opinion/why-suspicion-on-china-wuhan-lab-virus-is-growing/659575/

Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai faces ruin after admitting illegal assembly

Jimmy Lai appeared in court this morning, hours after the Hong Kong stock exchange halted the trading of shares in his media company

VERNON YUEN/GETTY IMAGES

Didi Tang, Beijing

Monday May 17 2021, 12.00pm BST, The Times

The Hong Kong newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai pleaded guilty today to the charge of illegal assembly related to a protest during the 2019-20 unrest in the territory, as the authorities moved to cripple him financially.

Lai, 72, appeared in a district court this morning, hours after the Hong Kong stock exchange halted the trading of shares in Next Digital, his media company. Lai holds about 70 per cent of the stock in the group, which publishes the Apple Daily, a tabloid newspaper known for its anti-communist stance, worth about £30 million. SPONSORED

The Hong Kong authorities froze assets belonging to him over the weekend, citing a national security law imposed on the territory by the Chinese government last year. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hong-kong-publisher-jimmy-lai-faces-ruin-after-admitting-illegal- assembly-6nb69076r

Japan to restrict use of foreign tech in telecom, power grids National security standards to cover 14 sectors with eye on Chinese equipment

Workers inspect power grid equipment in Japan's Hokkaido. (Photo by Kenta Ando)

Nikkei staff writersMay 18, 2021 02:37 JSTUpdated on May 18, 2021 04:31 JST

TOKYO -- The Japanese government will introduce new regulations for 14 critical infrastructure sectors to bolster cyber defenses, learning from the recent Colonial Pipeline hack that shut down a major energy artery in America's East Coast.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-restrict-use-of-foreign-tech-in-telecom-power- grids

Pressure grows for Japan to call nationwide state of emergency

• • A man walks past TV screens showing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaking during a news conference to announce the extension of a coronavirus state of emergency, in Tokyo on May 7. | AFP-JIJI • BY RYUSEI TAKAHASHI • STAFF WRITER • SHARE • May 17, 2021 With various coronavirus countermeasures active in nearly half the country, the looming possibility that the state of emergency will be expanded nationwide — and doubts over the efficacy of such a move — weigh heavily on Japan. After case numbers began to rebound in March, the central government declared a state of emergency and pre-emergency measures in places where infections were spreading rapidly. But new cases continued to rise as the nation’s fourth wave took shape. Still, the central government remains hesitant to further expand the order.

“Rather than expanding the order nationwide, we intend to enforce effective measures regionally,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said during a news conference Friday.

But prefectural governors say stronger steps should be taken now, before it’s too late. During a remote meeting last Wednesday with Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister leading the country’s coronavirus response, Kamon Iizumi, governor of Tokushima Prefecture and president of the National Governors’ Association, said a nationwide state of emergency “may be necessary considering the situation in a growing number of prefectures.” As of Wednesday last week, more than half of all hospital beds for virus patients were occupied in 20 prefectures, according to health ministry figures released Friday, and those figures continue to climb, as do new cases and deaths linked to COVID-19.

Hospitals are under the most pressure in Osaka Prefecture, where health ministry data showed 82.5% of beds for coronavirus patients were occupied. The central government says an area has reached Stage 4 — signifying an “explosive increase in new cases” — if more than 50% of beds reserved for COVID-19 patients are full.

According to the health ministry, the 20 prefectures that have reached Stage 4 include Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukushima, Gifu, Aichi, Shiga, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Oita, Kagoshima, Okinawa, Ishikawa and Gunma.

That list, which grew by six prefectures compared with the previous week, includes eight of the nine prefectures where a state of emergency is in effect, and three of the 10 where pre-emergency measures have been employed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17/national/japan-nationwide-state-of-emergency- pressure/

Japan pushes on with Olympic test events as public opposition mounts and IOC says Games should go ahead

• With 67 days to go, qualifying and test events are continuing – despite mounting public opposition and Japan’s ongoing wave of Covid-19 infections • A growing number of athletes are pulling out of the Games citing restrictions and risks. Even one of the government’s own advisers says he’s less optimistic

Preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games are going ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic, with athletics disciplines, skateboarding and basketball test events taking part in the last few days, and the city hosting additional dry runs of the BMX freestyle and shooting competitions on Monday.

With the Olympic countdown clock outside Tokyo Station ticking down to 67 days until the opening ceremony, the BMX test event is taking place at the Ariake Urban Sports Park, while the Asaka Shooting Range is hosting the other event.

More test events for the Games are due to take place in the coming days, including water polo and artistic swimming at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3133790/japan-pushes-olympic-test- events-public-opposition

More than 80% of Japanese oppose Olympics this summer: Poll

General view during the men's 3000m steeplechase final at a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games test event on May 9, 2021. (File photo: Reuters/Issei Kato)

17 May 2021 10:01AM(Updated: 17 May 2021 12:59PM)

TOKYO: More than 80 per cent of Japanese oppose hosting the coronavirus-postponed Olympics this year, a new poll published on Monday (May 17) showed, with just under 10 weeks until the Tokyo Games.

The latest survey comes after Japan expanded a COVID-19 state of emergency on Friday as the nation battles a fourth wave of virus infections. The surge has put pressure on the country's healthcare system, with medical professionals repeatedly warning about shortages and burnout.

The weekend survey by the Asahi Shimbun daily found that 43 per cent of respondents want the Games cancelled, and 40 per cent want a further postponement.

Those figures are up from 35 per cent who backed cancellation in a survey by the paper a month ago, and 34 per cent who wanted a further delay.

Only 14 per cent support holding the Games this summer as scheduled, down from 28 per cent, according to the poll of 1,527 replies from 3,191 telephone calls.

If the Games do go ahead, 59 per cent of respondents said they want no spectators, with 33 per cent backing lower fan numbers and 3 per cent a regular capacity Games.

For months, polling has found that a majority in Japan oppose holding the Games this summer. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/olympics-more-than-80-of-japanese-oppose-games- this-summer-poll-14825274

With Biden's help, Korea and Japan make nicer

Environmental activists condemn the Japanese government's plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant at a rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul Monday. [YONHAP] Pressure from the Joe Biden administration may be bringing some reconciliation between Korea and Japan.

Ahead of the first summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Biden on Friday, Seoul is pushing for bilateral consultations with Tokyo on the planned discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, a break from a harder stance on the matter.

Japan is also reacting positively, apparently mindful of the United States' efforts to mend relations between its two closest, constantly bickering Asian allies.

Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that bilateral consultations between Korea and Japan on the Fukushima issue are necessary, which would be "separate from a verification process through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." Korea has been trying to ensure that Korean experts will take part in the IAEA's monitoring of the Fukushima water release.

The Asahi Shimbun reported Sunday, citing Japanese and Korean diplomatic sources, Japan is set to accept a Korean proposal to establish a forum to discuss safety issues surrounding its decision to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.

Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, an arm of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, is expected to be among agencies to partake in such consultations, according to the sources. Japan's trade ministry is overseeing the decommissioning of the stricken plant.

The Korean government wants experts to join the consultative body, not just diplomats.

A massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, causing a meltdown at the Fukushima plant. More than 1.25 million tons of contaminated water is stored in over 1,000 tanks at the plant. The tanks are expected to be filled to their capacity by autumn 2022.

On April 13, Tokyo announced that in two years it would gradually release wastewater from the plant into the Pacific Ocean, which has been protested by the Japanese fishing industry, international environmental groups and neighboring countries.

Seoul immediately protested the decision and expressed “grave concern” over the impact on people's safety and the environment.

President Moon Jae-in suggested last month that Korea could raise the Fukushima issue at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The recent outreach appears to be stepping back from that threat to placate the United States, especially as the Moon administration enters its last year and worries about vaccine cooperation and U.S.-North Korea dialogue.

During U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s visits to Seoul last month, Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong requested U.S. help on the Fukushima issue.

Kerry said that the United States is “confident that the government of Japan has had full consultation with the IAEA,” indicating that Washington would not intervene in the discharge decision.

Analysts said the Korean government’s demands, including raising the issue at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, weren’t practical.

The Biden administration has been playing the role of a “divorce counselor,” as described in Korean media outlets, between Seoul and Tokyo, as ties between the neighboring East Asian countries deteriorated in recent years over history issues and a trade spat.

Behind-the-scenes mediation efforts by Washington come ahead of a possible first face-to-face meeting between Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the Group of Seven, or G7, summit in Britain next month.

According to Japanese media outlets, the United States, and Japan are in discussions to arrange a trilateral summit on the sidelines of the G7 meeting to be held in Cornwall from June 11 to 13, which Korea has been invited to attend as a guest. The United States says it is “positive” about holding such a three-way summit, and “Japan has no reason to reject,” a Japanese government source told Kyodo News Sunday.

The Tokyo Shimbun also reported there are discussions ongoing for Moon and Suga to meet separately for bilateral talks.

The last meeting between the leaders of Korea and Japan was in December 2019, when Moon and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met for 45 minutes on the sidelines of a Korea-China-Japan summit. The last trilateral summit was held in September 2017 on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session.

Park Jie-won, director of Korea's National Intelligence Service, in a visit to Tokyo last Wednesday reportedly relayed a message from Moon to Suga calling for an improvement in bilateral relations.

Park also held trilateral talks with U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Hiroaki Takizawa, Japan's cabinet intelligence director, last Wednesday. On a three-day visit to Seoul, Haines met Moon in the Blue House Friday, and discussed the Korea-U.S. alliance and the Korean Peninsula security situation ahead of the summit in Washington.

Haines was quoted as stressing that the bilateral alliance is not just about security but also universal values such as democracy, peace and human rights, according to the Blue House.

The Biden administration has been pushing for better trilateral coordination with Seoul and Tokyo to better coordinate North Korea policy and amid concerns over China’s rising assertiveness in the region.

Tokyo is cautious about a summit with Seoul, however. Kyodo News reported that if a summit is held, conservatives in Japan may criticize it, especially ahead of a general election in the fall.

Japan already has strengthened relations with the United States since the launch of the Biden administration by cementing its role as a member of the U.S.-led Quad security dialogue, also with India and Australia, and has more wriggle room.

Kyodo reported that thus, there is a possibility for some kind of unofficial brief contact between Moon and Suga at the G7 instead of an official summit.

“As President Biden has a strong will to improve relations between Korea and Japan, it is highly likely that a meeting will take place in any some form,” a diplomatic source in Tokyo said.

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/05/17/national/diplomacy/Fukushima-radioactive-water- KoreaJapan/20210517160200538.html

Expectations grow on Korea-US summit Posted : 2021-05-17 17:00 Updated : 2021-05-18 10:37

Combined deterrence needed to tackle NK nuclear threats

By Ahn Ho-young

President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., May 21. There will be no shortage of issues for the two leaders to discuss. However, from my own experience of preparing for, and participating in, Korea-U.S. summits, much of their time will likely be spent talking about how the two countries should work together toward North Korea's denuclearization.

On April 30, the U.S. confirmed that its review of the country's North Korea policy had been completed. White House press secretary Jen Psaki and other U.S. officials disclosed the outlines of Biden's new policy, even though we are still waiting to learn more about the specifics. A large number of countries around the world, especially their foreign ministers who gathered together in London for the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting, welcomed the new U.S. approach.

However, Pyongyang responded negatively. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan responded with a conciliatory tone, affirming that the new policy toward the North was aimed not at "hostility," but at "solutions," in order to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Around the same time, the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) organized a webinar May 11, where a large number of former officials and academics related to Korea and the U.S. participated to share their views on the Korean Peninsula. Much of their discussion revolved around North Korea's denuclearization. I wish to share some of the main ideas from this as food for thought for Presidents Moon and Biden.

First, I told U.S. participants: "Don't blame yourself too much for past failures." I made this comment because what I read in Jen Psaki's April 30 statement, and Washington gurus' subsequent comments about it, was a high degree of frustration, as well as an urge to try something new.

I understand their frustration and this urge. However, a good prescription needs a correct diagnosis. Past U.S. efforts failed, not because they were poorly conceived or implemented, but because of North Korea's all-consuming obsession with developing nuclear weapons and adherence to "salami tactics."

An example of a problematic ― though well-intentioned ― prescription based on frustration is, as I wrote in my column for The Korea Times several weeks ago, to cite David Ignatius' terminology, the idea of preaching the virtue of finding a "way station" for Biden.

In this strategy, the U.S. should initially move its focus away from denuclearization itself and toward preventing proliferation and the development of delivery vehicles, such as submarine-launched ballistic missiles by the North. I think that such ideas raise far more problems than solutions for the many reasons I shared at the time.

Second, many participants at the webinar emphasized the importance of sanctions. In fact, as many analysts agreed at the time, the convergence of three factors led to the 2018 "spring of peace" on the Korean Peninsula: North Korea's confidence in its nuclear capability; an exceptionally strong and effective global network of sanctions; and Moon's cajolement of Pyongyang to come forward to join the path of diplomacy.

After three years, those three factors are still there, with some modifications. What changed most drastically is North Korea's calculation. Up until the Hanoi summit in February 2019, North Korea seems to have guessed that, with Trump as president of the U.S., it was on track to achieve its "byongjin" policy, in which it could develop nuclear weapons and its economy at the same time. What North Korea learned in Hanoi only too poignantly was that even Trump wouldn't buy North Korea's "salami tactics."

On April 30, in announcing the completion of the U.S. policy on North Korea, Jen Psaki said, "Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience." The urge for a new path does not necessarily mean ignoring past experiences and lessons.

We must remind ourselves of the convergence of factors that worked in 2018. In this context, the recent London G7 ministers' meeting, through its joint statement, reaffirmed its commitment to "working together to ensure the full implementation of all related United Nations Security Council sanctions."

Third, many participants, including myself, advocated taking concrete actions to strengthen deterrence. Biden, through his speech to the joint session of U.S. Congress, April 28, said the U.S. will address the threat posed by North Korea "through diplomacy, as well as stern deterrence."

In view of the track record of the North, especially the fact that Pyongyang's engagement in talks and negotiations did not stop it from continuing to develop weapons of mass destruction, it only makes sense that Korea and the U.S. pursue a new path in parallel with further investment in deterrence.

The Asan Institute for Policy Studies and the Rand Corporation jointly issued a report titled, "Countering the Risks of North Korean Nuclear Weapons." The report estimated that by 2027 North Korea could have 200 nuclear weapons, which will equip Pyongyang with seriously enhanced coercive and war-fighting leverage.

This picture is a scary but realistic one. What is even more worrisome is, as the report stresses, "there is a growing gap between North Korea's nuclear weapon threats and the ROK's and the U.S.'s capabilities to defeat it."

For President Biden's stern deterrence to work, it is absolutely necessary to develop the combined capabilities of Korea and the U.S. We must ensure that the Combined Forces Command is educated, equipped and trained to deal with the security challenges arising from the increasing nuclear weapons in North Korea's arsenal. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2021/05/197_308952.html

Moon has $35 billion investment package for Biden

Korea's President Moon Jae-in holds a video conference with U.S. President Joe Biden for the Leaders Summit on Climate last month. [JOINT PRESS CORPS] An estimated 40 trillion-won ($35 billion) worth of investment in the United States is what President Moon Jae-in may offer U.S. president Joe Biden this week in exchange for a closer cooperation on vaccine supplies.

Korea’s major conglomerates – Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor -- and battery makers LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation have either confirmed or are expected to announce sizable investments in new factories on U.S. soil ahead of the first summit between the two leaders.

Executives from some of those groups – SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam from Samsung Electronics, LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Jong-hyun – will be in a delegation that accompanies Moon to Washington.

The primary player will be Samsung Electronics, unsurprisingly. It has already filed an investment plan worth $17 billion that involves expanding its existing chip plant in Austin, Texas with the state government.

A spokesperson for the chipmaker said that the negotiation is ongoing and nothing has been decided. Samsung announced last week that it will spend 171 trillion won to ramp up production of microprocessors in Korea and possibly elsewhere by 2030, adding 38 trillion won more to a previous plan.

The spokesperson declined to comment whether that announcement includes the possible investment in Texas.

Last week, Hyundai Motor and Kia confirmed a $7.4 billion investment in the U.S. through 2025 to start production there of electric vehicles (EVs). Hyundai Motor and Kia already have manufacturing facilities in Alabama and Georgia but neither are able to manufacture pure EV models at the moment.

Their plan jibes with the Biden administration's aggressive push towards green mobility. He has proposed a $174 billion investment package to encourage Americans to switch to eco-friendly cars.

Seoul-based market tracker SNE Research estimates that the U.S. EV market will grow at an average annual rate of 40 percent through 2025, going from 1.1 million units this year to 4.2 million units in 2025.

“Hyundai and Kia will invest in growing their EV manufacturing footprint to scale up production and satisfy U.S. market demand,” the Korean carmaker said in a release May 14. “Hyundai Motor will offer a suite of American-made electric vehicles to U.S. consumers starting next year.”

No further details have been leaked on how Hyundai Motor and Kia will expand its production facilities in the U.S., but industry insiders speculate that production of the Ioniq 5 will be expanded to Hyundai Motor’s Alabama factory from next year. The Ioniq 5 is currently manufactured at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan factory.

“Production of internal combustion engine sedans at the Alabama and Georgia factories is likely to be moved to Kia’ s Mexico factory and the vacancy will be filled with production of new EV models and other pick-up trucks and SUV models as well,” said Kim Jin-woo, an auto analyst from Korea Investment & Securities.

“Only 40 percent of Hyundai and Kia’s U.S. sales are produced locally at the moment so expanding U.S. facilities is a natural thing.”

LG Energy Solution, the world's second-biggest lithium-ion battery producer for EVs, pledged 5 trillion won investment through 2025 in the U.S. earlier this year to build at least two battery factories. In addition, through a 50- 50 joint venture with Detroit-based auto giant General Motors, the Korean battery company is building two battery manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Tennessee, each worth $2.3 billion.

SK Innovation is also expected to announce an additional $2.6 billion investment plan soon to build a third and fourth battery factory in Georgia, which are supposed to create 6,000 permanent jobs. Its first and second factories in Georgia, also a $2.6 billion investment, are currently under construction.

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/05/17/business/economy/Samsung-Electronics- Hyundai-Motor-LG-Energy-Solution/20210517192200461.html

Seoul wants Washington to reaffirm Singapore agreement during summit Posted : 2021-05-17 16:50 Updated : 2021-05-17 21:41

By Nam Hyun-woo

The South Korean government is seeking to use this week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden as a vehicle to revive its North Korea diplomacy and facilitate inter-Korean peace talks, according to government sources and experts, Monday.

In doing so, Seoul is looking to send a message to North Korea through a joint statement to be announced after the Moon-Biden summit, hoping this will include the Biden administration's reaffirmation of the 2018 Singapore agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, or an end-of-war declaration.

According to sources, the government wants to have the Singapore agreement put on the agenda for the summit scheduled for this Friday (local time). This is interpreted as a bid to have the Biden administration build its North Korea policy upon the declaration which includes the establishment of new U.S.-North Korea relations, a lasting and stable peace on the Korean Peninsula and the peninsula's complete denuclearization.

Though the Biden administration is yet to disclose whether its North Korea policy is based on the agreement, Moon said during last week's press conference that the U.S. aims to "build upon the foundation of the Singapore declaration," and the South Korean government "welcomes" this direction.

While saying he will address the North Korea issue during the summit, Moon added that such a policy direction is "almost in line with" what the South Korean government has desired, urging Pyongyang to return to negotiations. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/05/103_308940.html US-China row pressing Korean firms on investment Posted : 2021-05-17 16:53 Updated : 2021-05-17 17:30

By Yi Whan-woo

The Biden America is committed to forming distinctively anti-China supply chains jointly with allies to protect key industries that it sees as critical for national security.

This means Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK have to be diplomatically sensitive to prevent China from assuming they are a part of the anti-China alliance, according to analysts, Monday.

The four will send their respective business executives to the U.S. with President Moon Jae-in this week as part of the "unofficial economic delegation." They accordingly plan to announce large-scale investment plans at the time of the first Korea-U.S. summit on May 21, the total amount of which would reach some 40 trillion won ($35.2 billion).

Unlike previous presidential visits, this one will not include a large-scale business delegation due to safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The "big four" companies plan to invest in pharmaceuticals, large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles, bioscience and semiconductor chips, which the Biden administration addresses to "outcompete" China.

"The executives will certainly will be required to develop a diplomatic sense of awareness this time as the Washington-China row is escalating to an unprecedented level," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Ewha Womans University.

He noted the Biden administration has begun to flesh out an overarching strategy to bolster domestic investments and also to compete with China by enhancing its alliance with Korea, Japan, Australia and India, among others.

The allied countries are defined as those who share values of democracy and freedom against China's autocracy, in the U.S. vision to control the global economy.

An economist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, voiced a similar view with Park.

"The entrepreneurs, unfortunately, may need to take U.S.-China relations into account in making business decisions for a while," he said.

Of the four conglomerates, SK has several affiliates with a keen interest in estimated outstanding issues to be discussed and touched upon during the summit, such as semiconductor producer SK hynix, battery maker SK Innovation and SK Bioscience.

For instance, SK Innovation is currently building two battery manufacturing plants in Georgia and has plans to build two more. Accordingly, Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is also chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will be a part of the economic delegation.

Regarding Samsung Electronics, it was the only Korean company invited to a special White House meeting in April on the global semiconductor shortage. It was also invited to a conference held by the U.S. Department of Commerce this month to further discuss the chip shortage issue.

Samsung is set to announce the specifics of its massive semiconductor investment plan just before the start of the summit. The investment plan would be Samsung's best bet to expand its foundry chip-making line already in operation in the U.S. state of Texas. The amount of the investment would be around 20 trillion won, according to reports.

"It is doubtless the firms came up with investment plans in accordance with business strategy, but China may pick on them if the investments work against it," Park said. The professor noted the Korean companies in the 6G technology sector especially should actively join the U.S.-led global supply chain so that they will not be left out if the U.S. seizes the initiative in the wireless technology race.

"Compared to other sectors, wireless and other digital technologies undergo faster changes as well as related standard. Firms will not benefit much if they maintain ambiguous stances and remain passive in spending money for the U.S.- led digital connectivity partnership," Park explained.

Meanwhile, an economist at Hyundai Research Institute viewed China may not go for economic retaliation against individual companies that it sees as "actively" joining U.S. efforts to form a global supply chain. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2021/05/693_308944.html

As Israel pounds Gaza, Malaysia and Indonesia fill Arab void to back Palestinians’ cause

• With states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE having closed ranks with Israel to take on Iran, speaking up for the Palestinians has fallen to Southeast Asian Muslim nations • Hardline stance of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei will be closely watched by China and Russia as they seek to shift the US position on the violence in the UN Security Council

Southeast Asian Muslim- Israeli attacks on Gaza could prove to be the vital nudge needed to stop world powers from sitting on their hands over the worst violence between Israel majorityand Palestinians nations’ loud in years, condemnation observers of have the latestsaid.With the likes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – one-time champions of the Palestinian cause – seeming to have softened their strident support following an entente with Israel, the hardline stance by

Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei may keep the matter on top of the global agenda, the experts said.In China and Russia as they seek to convince the United States to join a unified position on the fighting within the United Nations Security Council, accordingparticular, Jakarta’sto Indonesian views politicalwill be closely Islam watchedobserver by Yon Machmudi. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3133817/israel-pounds-gaza-malaysia-and- indonesia-fill-arab-void-back

Myanmar’s election reflected people’s will, monitoring group says

Reuters

2 minute read

A woman wearing a protective face masks casts her ballot for the general election at a polling station in Yangon, Myanmar, November 8, 2020. REUTERS/Shwe Paw Mya Tin

Myanmar’s election last year reflected the will of the people and the army was unjustified in using alleged flaws as a reason to seize power, an international monitoring group said on Monday in its final report. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmars-election-reflected-peoples-will- monitoring-group-says-2021-05-17/

Myanmar UN envoy urges international community to cut Tatmadaw's finance flows

• Myanmar's ambassador to the UN called on the international community to suspend investments and tie-ups with companies linked to the military, in order to stop the crackdowns on people protesting against the February coup. ANI | , New York

PUBLISHED ON MAY 17, 2021 12:01 PM IST

Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Kyaw Moe Tun has urged the international community to cut off financial flows to the country's military Tatmadaw.

In an exclusive interview to NHK World, he called on the international community to suspend investments and tie-ups with companies linked to the military, in order to stop the crackdowns on people protesting against the February coup.

Kyaw Moe Tun said, "Any financial flow that goes through the military chain should be cut off immediately." He added, "They will be using this income for killing people of Myanmar."

He called for support for the national unity government, which was set up by those opposed to military rule. He also asked countries in the region to give refuge to people forced to leave their homes due to the military's actions, such as airstrikes, reported NHK World.

Kyaw also talked about the reported move by some anti-coup protesters to take up arms to confront the military. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/myanmar-un-envoy-urges-international- community-to-cut-tatmadaw-s-finance-flows-101621232600816.html

UN General Assembly to consider call for arms embargo on Myanmar military junta

• The draft, which has been under negotiation for weeks, is co-sponsored by 48 countries, with South Korea the sole Asian country • Introduced by Liechtenstein, with support from the EU, UK and US, the measure will be considered at the plenary meeting set for Tuesday

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft non-

Sunday. binding resolution calling for “an immediate suspension” of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said on Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry strong political significance.

If an approval by consensus cannot be reached, then the full General Assembly 193 member states will vote on the measure. – – https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3133710/un-general-assembly-consider- call-arms-embargo-myanmar

View: India sealing relationships with US, UK, Europe after reality check from China SECTIONS

For years the Indian system downplayed the importance of the Quad giving it some sort of an airy-fairy feel. It took the reality check of a Chinese virus coupled with a Chinese invasion for the Indian system to smell the coffee. The Quad summit was a seal on the India-US relationship, and a determined statement of how India sees its future with China. Almost unnoticed in the ferocity of the current Covid surge battering us, India’s foreign policy pivoted westwards, embracing partners and relationships that, if taken at the flood, could have interesting implications for India’s future.

A Quad leaders’ summit in March drew the curtains from the new focus. For years the Indian system downplayed the importance of the Quad giving it some sort of an airy-fairy feel. It took the reality check of a Chinese virus coupled with a Chinese invasion for the Indian system to smell the coffee. The Quad summit was a seal on the India-US relationship, and a determined statement of how India sees its future with China.

In the past month, India took two big steps: Crafting a post-Brexit relationship with the UK and putting its shoulder to the wheel of the India-Europe relationship. For both, improved trade is the bedrock. It’s even more important for India. After turning its nose up at RCEP in 2019, India has been in a somewhat forlorn space. The word in the government then revolved around moving on bilateral trade deals, attracting more investment and looking to the EU, UK and US. As the pandemic hit, calls for Atmanirbhar Bharat and resilient supply chains became the dominant narrative. Meanwhile, even a mini trade deal with the US proved elusive.

Taking advantage of Brexit, therefore, was very important. The enhanced trade partnership between India and the UK will start with market access to CBMs before graduating to an FTA. With the EU, the two sides have to pick up the threads from 2013 – the world has changed since then – and hopefully close the gap on an FTA before we’re much older. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/view-india-sealing-relationships-with-us- uk-europe-after-reality-check-from-china/articleshow/82704017.cms

Chinese President Xi Jinping attending the closing ceremony of National People's Congress (NPC) is seen on a monitor in Beijing, China on March 11, 2021. The Yomiuri Shimbun via Reuters

To watch the news broadcast inside China is to see the United States in chaos: police brutality against African Americans, the January 6th storming of the US Capitol, and people freezing to death during the Texas power shortages. When Chinese state councilor Yang Jiechi beratedthe United States, mentioning the Black Lives Matter movement as evidence of its human-rights abuses in a recent meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Anchorage, he was celebrated by the Chinese media for highlighting the hypocrisy of the American government. Anger at multinationals pledging to no longer source cotton from Xinjiang, in response to China’s treatment of the Uighur minority in the region, has led to an angry backlash, with Chinese consumers burning Nike shoes and denouncing Swedish clothing retailer H&M. The onslaught of negative news about the United States is part of an effort to make the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) look capable in contrast to a floundering US administration, thereby convincing the Chinese people that they should be pleased with their current leadership. This is important, as China has ever fewer supporters abroad while US President Joe Biden works to strengthen alliances in Europe and Asia (though Beijing has announced its intention to boost ties with its old allies Russia and North Korea). A recent survey by Gallup revealed that American perceptions of China are at an all-time low, worse even than after the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. The Chinese people have typically viewed other nations and particularly the United States showing respect for China as a source of legitimacy for the party and a demonstration of its growing global heft.

Serious challenges to China’s future economic growth make it doubly important to bolster popular support for the leadership. China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 6.5 percentin the final quarter of last year—faster than almost any country—and policymakers expect to easily meet their target of over 6 percent growth for this year. But the impressive numbers mask problems. In order to keep their economies humming during the pandemic, China’s local governments built up a potentially destabilizing $2.3 trillion of hidden debt in 2020, according to a Bloomberg report citing a Chinese government-affiliated think tank.

Income inequality in China has gotten worse thanks to a lopsided recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that has mainly benefitted the wealthy and jeopardized the household consumption of the less well-off. Last year, China’s richest 20 percent had an average disposable income of over 80,000 yuan ($12,000), 10.2 times that of the poorest one- fifth. That surpassed the United States, where the multiple was about 8.4, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. As one study put it, “the pandemic has exacerbated [China’s] preexisting inequalities.”

For now, however, Chinese leaders are touting their success in controlling the pandemic and returning the economy to normalcy far faster than most of the world has. At the same time, Beijing has squashed questions about COVID-19’s origins and the government’s initial cover-up of the outbreak. And even as China struggles to vaccinate its own people, it has sent Chinese-developed vaccines around the world— sometimes charging high prices for them—as a gesture of its magnanimous goodwill. Meanwhile, the Chinese media has denigrated US vaccines as unsafe. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/how-much-support-does-the-chinese- communist-party-really-have/

After years of quiet, Israeli-Palestinian conflict exploded. Why now?

• • Israeli security forces deploy amid clashes with Palestinians at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on May 10. | AFP-JIJI

• BY PATRICK KINGSLEY • THE NEW YORK TIMES • SHARE • May 17, 2021 JERUSALEM Twenty-seven days before the first rocket was fired from Gaza last week, a squad of Israeli police officers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, brushed the Palestinian attendants– aside and strode across its vast limestone courtyard. Then they cut the cables to the loudspeakers that broadcast prayers to the faithful from four medieval minarets. It was the night of April 13, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It was also Memorial Day in Israel, which honors those who died fighting for the country. The Israeli president was delivering a speech at the Western Wall, a sacred Jewish site that lies below the mosque, and Israeli officials were concerned that the prayers would drown it out.

The incident was confirmed by six mosque officials, three of whom witnessed it; Israeli police declined to comment. In the outside world, it barely registered.

But in hindsight, the police raid on the mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, was one of several actions that led, less than a month later, to the sudden resumption of war between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, and the outbreak of civil unrest between Arabs and Jews across Israel itself.

“This was the turning point,” said Sheik Ekrima Sabri, the grand mufti of Jerusalem. “Their actions would cause the situation to deteriorate.” That deterioration has been far more devastating, far-reaching and fast-paced than anyone imagined. It has led to the worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians in years — not only in the conflict with Hamas, which has killed at least 139 people in Gaza and eight in Israel, but in a wave of mob attacks in mixed Arab-Jewish cities in Israel.

It has spawned unrest in cities across the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians on Friday. And it has resulted in the firing of rockets toward Israel from a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, prompted Jordanians to march toward Israel in protest, and led Lebanese protesters to briefly cross their southern border with Israel.

The crisis came as the Israeli government was struggling for its survival; as Hamas — which Israel views as a terrorist group — was seeking to expand its role within the Palestinian movement; and as a new generation of Palestinians was asserting its own values and goals.

And it was the outgrowth of years of blockades and restrictions in Gaza, decades of occupation in the West Bank, and decades more of discrimination against Arabs within the state of Israel, said Avraham Burg, a former speaker of the Israeli parliament and former chair of the World Zionist Organization.

“All the enriched uranium was already in place,” he said. “But you needed a trigger. And the trigger was the Aqsa Mosque.” It had been seven years since the last significant conflict with Hamas, and 16 since the last major Palestinian uprising, or intifada.

There was no major unrest in Jerusalem when then-President Donald Trump recognized the city as Israel’s capital and nominally moved the U.S. Embassy there. There were no mass protests after four Arab countries normalized relations with Israel, abandoning a long-held consensus that they would never do so until the Palestinian- Israeli conflict had been resolved.

Two months ago, few in the Israeli military establishment were expecting anything like this. In private briefings, military officials said the biggest threat to Israel was 1,000 miles away in Iran, or across the northern border in Lebanon.

When diplomats met in March with the two generals who oversee administrative aspects of Israeli military affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, they found the pair relaxed about the possibility of significant violence and celebrating an extended period of relative quiet, according to a senior foreign diplomat who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak freely.

Gaza was struggling to overcome a wave of coronavirus infections. Most major Palestinian political factions, including Hamas, were looking toward Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for March, the first in 15 years. And in Gaza, where the Israeli blockade has contributed to an unemployment rate of about 50%, Hamas’ popularity was dwindling as Palestinians spoke increasingly of the need to prioritize the economy over war.

The mood began to shift in April.

The prayers at Al-Aqsa for the first night of Ramadan on April 13 occurred as the Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin, was making his speech nearby. The mosque leadership, which is overseen by the Jordanian government, had rejected an Israeli request to avoid broadcasting prayers during the speech, viewing the request as disrespectful, a public affairs officer at the mosque said. So that night, the police raided the mosque and disconnected the speakers.

“Without a doubt,” said Sabri, “it was clear to us that the Israeli police wanted to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque and the holy month of Ramadan.” A spokesman for the president denied that the speakers had been turned off, but later said they would double-check.

In another year, the episode might have been quickly forgotten. But last month, several factors suddenly and unexpectedly aligned that allowed this slight to snowball into a major showdown.

A resurgent sense of national identity among young Palestinians found expression not only in resistance to a series of raids on Al-Aqsa, but also in protesting the plight of six Palestinian families facing expulsion from their homes. The perceived need to placate an increasingly assertive far right gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel little incentive to calm the waters.

A sudden Palestinian political vacuum, and a grassroots protest that it could adopt, gave Hamas an opportunity to flex its muscles.

These shifts in the Palestinian dynamics caught Israel unawares. Israelis had been complacent, nurtured by more than a decade of rightwing governments that treated Palestinian demands for equality and statehood as a problem to be contained, not resolved.

“We have to wake up,” said Ami Ayalon, a former director of the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet. “We have to change the way we understand all this, starting with the concept that the status quo is stable.”

Israeli security forces advance amid clashes with Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on May 7. | AFP-JIJI

The loudspeaker incident was followed almost immediately by a police decision to close off a popular plaza outside the Damascus Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem. Young Palestinians typically gather there at night during Ramadan. A police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said the plaza was closed to prevent dangerously large crowds from forming there, and to head off the possibility of violence.

To Palestinians, it was another insult. It led to protests, which led to nightly clashes between the police and young men trying to reclaim the space. To the police, the protests were disorder to be controlled. But to many Palestinians, being pushed out of the square was a slight, beneath which were much deeper grievances.

Most Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed, are not Israeli citizens by choice, because many say applying for citizenship would confer legitimacy on an occupying power. So they cannot vote. Many feel they are gradually being pushed out of Jerusalem. Restrictions on building permits force them to either leave the city or build illegal housing, which is vulnerable to demolition orders. So the decision to block Palestinians from a treasured communal space compounded the sense of discrimination that many have felt all their lives.

“It made it feel as though they were trying to eliminate our presence from the city,” said Majed al-Qeimari, a 27-year-old butcher from East Jerusalem. “We felt the need to stand up in their faces and make a point that we are here.” The clashes at the Damascus Gate had repercussions. Later that week, Palestinian youths began attacking Jews. Some posted videos on TikTok, a social media site, garnering public attention. And that soon led to organized Jewish reprisals.

On April 21, just a week after the police raid, a few hundred members of a far-right Jewish group, Lehava, marched through central Jerusalem, chanting “Death to Arabs” and attacking Palestinian passersby. A group of Jews was filmed attacking a Palestinian home, and others assaulted drivers who were perceived to be Palestinian.

Foreign diplomats and community leaders tried to persuade the Israeli government to lower the temperature in Jerusalem, at least by reopening the square outside Damascus Gate. But they found the government distracted and uninterested, said a person involved in the discussions, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Netanyahu was in the middle of coalition negotiations after an election in March — the fourth in two years — that ended without a clear winner. To form a coalition, he needed to persuade several far-right lawmakers to join him.

One was Itamar Ben Gvir, a former lawyer for Lehava who advocates expelling Arab citizens whom he considers disloyal to Israel, and who until recently hung a portrait of Baruch Goldstein, a Jewish extremist who massacred 29 Palestinians in Hebron in 1994, in his living room.

Netanyahu was accused of pandering to the likes of Ben Gvir, and fomenting a crisis to rally Israelis around his leadership, by letting tensions rise in Jerusalem.

“Netanyahu didn’t invent the tensions between Jews and Arabs,” said Anshel Pfeffer, a political commentator and biographer of the prime minister. “They’ve been here since before Israel was founded. But over his long years in power, he’s stoked and exploited these tensions for political gain time and again and has now miserably failed as a leader to put out the fires when it boiled over.”

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Netanyahu, rejected that analysis. “Exactly the opposite is true,” Regev said. “He has done everything he can to try to make calm prevail.” On April 25, the government relented on allowing Palestinians to gather outside the Damascus Gate. But then came a brace of developments that significantly widened the gyre. First was the looming eviction of the six families from Sheikh Jarrah, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem. With a final court decision on their case due in the first half of May, regular protests were held throughout April — demonstrations that accelerated after Palestinians drew a connection between the events at Damascus Gate and the plight of the residents.

“What you see now at Sheikh Jarrah or at Al-Aqsa or at Damascus Gate is about pushing us out of Jerusalem,” said Salah Diab, a community leader in Sheikh Jarrah, whose leg was broken during a recent police raid on his house. “My neighborhood is just the beginning.” Police said they were responding to violence by demonstrators in Sheikh Jarrah, but video and images showed they engaged in violence themselves. As the images began to circulate online, the neighborhood turned into a rallying point for Palestinians not just across the occupied territories and Israel, but among the diaspora.

Israeli security forces restrain a Palestinian protester outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 9. | AFP-JIJI

The experience of the families, who had already been displaced from what became Israel in 1948, was something “every single Palestinian in the diaspora can relate to,” said Jehan Bseiso, a Palestinian poet living in Lebanon.

And it highlighted a piece of legal discrimination: Israeli law allows Jews to reclaim land in East Jerusalem that was owned by Jews before 1948. But the descendants of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes that year have no legal means to reclaim their families’ land.

“There’s something really triggering and cyclical about seeing people being removed from their homes all over again,” Bseiso said. “It’s very triggering and very, very relatable, even if you’re a million miles away.” On April 29, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority canceled the Palestinian elections, fearing a humiliating result. The decision made Abbas look weak. Hamas saw an opportunity, and began to reposition itself as a militant defender of Jerusalem.

“Hamas thought that by doing so, they were showing that they were a more capable leadership for the Palestinians,” said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political expert at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City.

On May 4, six days before the war began, the head of the Hamas military, Muhammed Deif, issued a rare public statement. “This is our final warning,” Deif said. “If the aggression against our people in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood does not stop immediately, we will not stand idly by.” War nevertheless seemed unlikely. But then came the most dramatic escalation of all: a police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, May 7. Police officers armed with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-tipped bullets burst into the mosque compound shortly after 8 p.m., setting off hours of clashes with stone-throwing protesters in which hundreds were injured, medics said.

Police said the stone throwers started it; several worshippers said the opposite.

Whoever struck first, the sight of stun grenades and bullets inside the prayer hall of one of the holiest sites in Islam — on the last Friday of Ramadan, one of its holiest nights — was seen as a grievous insult to all Muslims.

“This is about the Judaization of the city of Jerusalem,” Sheikh Omar al-Kisswani, another leader at the mosque, said in an interview hours after the raid. “It’s about deterring people from going to Al-Aqsa.” That set the stage for a dramatic showdown on Monday, May 10. A final court hearing on Sheikh Jarrah was set to coincide with Jerusalem Day, when Jews celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem by dint of the capture of East Jerusalem in 1967.

Jewish nationalists typically mark the day by marching through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and trying to visit Temple Mount, the site on which the Al-Aqsa Mosque is built. The looming combination of that march, tensions over Al-Aqsa and the possibility of an eviction order in Sheikh Jarrah seemed to be building toward something dangerous.

The Israeli government scrambled to tamp down tensions. The Supreme Court hearing in the eviction case was postponed. An order barred Jews from entering the mosque compound.

But police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque again, early on Monday morning, after Palestinians stockpiled stones in anticipation of clashes with police and far-right Jews. For the second time in three days, stun grenades and rubber-tipped bullets were fired across the compound, in scenes that were broadcast across the world.

At the last minute, the government rerouted the Jerusalem Day march away from the Muslim Quarter, after receiving an intelligence briefing about the risk of escalation if it went ahead. But that was too little, and far too late. By then, the Israeli army had already begun to order civilians away from the Gaza perimeter.

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday, the rocket fire from Gaza began. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17/world/israel-gaza-explainer/

Israel and the Palestinians: From the Two-State Solution to Five Failed “States” May 17, 2021

There is an important distinction between prediction and warning. No one can now predict how the current fighting between Israel and the Palestinians will end, or if it will even pause for a prolonged period – a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas can easily become the prelude to a new low-level, sporadic war of attrition or Intifada. History teaches all too well that any form of new agreement can become the prelude to new acts of political extremism and polarization – to acquiring new arms and defenses, taking new security measures, and creating forms of resistance and terrorism.

Any end or pause to the latest rounds of Israeli and Palestinian violence can bring neighboring Arab states and Iran back into supporting the Palestinians, divide outside states over support of Israel versus support of given Palestinian factions, and make the Palestinian issue a source of further divisions in Israel’s already divided neighbors.

No one can now choose between optimism and pessimism on the basis of clear probabilities. At the same time, there is a real danger in assuming that any ceasefire or negotiation will be a lasting solution to the forces that have turned the hope for a “two-state solution” into five key areas of Israeli-Palestinian tension and conflict that have become the equivalent of five failed “states.” From the Two-State Solution to Separation and Violence There is no one point in time when the Jewish portion of Israel’s population turned away from a “two-state solution.” In fact, many Jewish Israelis still back such an approach to peace. Many others back a more balanced approach to Palestinian rights and some form of partnership or at least peaceful coexistence with Israeli Palestinians. However, many other Jewish Israelis support the concept of Israel as a Jewish state, the steady expansion of Israeli control over Jerusalem, and the annexation of parts of the West Bank – and many Israeli political factions oppose any real form of a Palestinian state. These Jewish Israelis have been a steadily rising factor in Israeli politics and recent Israeli elections, and the latest round of violence almost certainly means their number has already increased significantly.

These Israeli Jewish shifts against the two-state solution did not occur without cause from a Jewish perspective – although Palestinians have reason to feel that way about Israel. The Camp David Accords in 1978 did not lead to the creation of two states, and the Palestinians responded with Arafat and his Fatah Party triggering the first Intifada – a mix of low-level violence and political protests – in 1987. This was the first serious step in the pattern of sporadic violence and warfare that has now intensified for more than 30 years.

The first Intifada did trigger new peace efforts that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993. This agreement initially appeared to be a more definitive move towards a two-state solution, but Israel and the Palestinians could not agree on a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem, on how to deal with Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and on a wide range of other lesser issues dividing the Jewish population and Palestinians. https://www.csis.org/analysis/israel-and-palestinians-two-state-solution-five-failed-states

EconomicHuawei’s Global and Cloud Strategic Strategy Implications

By Jonathan E. Hillman and Maesea McCalpin

MAY 17, 2021

The Issue

Many developed economies are restricting Huawei from their 5G networks, but developing economies are still welcoming the Chinese tech champion into the center of their government operations. The CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project identified 70 deals in 41 countries between Huawei and foreign governments or state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for cloud infrastructure and e-government services. Key Findings

• Emerging markets focus: The majority of deals (57 percent) are in countries that are middle-income and partly-free or not free. Africa leads the way with 36 percent of deals, followed by Asia (20 percent), the Americas (17 percent), Europe (17 percent), and the Middle East (10 percent). • Effective sales pitch: Huawei promises major commercial benefits to prospective customers, usually packages the delivery of hard infrastructure with services (60 percent of deals), and harnesses financing from Chinese policy banks to sweeten offers (nearly all deals for which financing could be identified). • Wide array of sensitive services loud infrastructure runs the gamut from small, modular data centers the size of a shipping container to multi-level buildings packed with servers,: Huawei’s and c its e-government services include document digitization, national ID systems, tax services, crisis communications, elections, and more. • Expanding trail of trouble: A significant share of deals (16 percent) have experienced complications from security, operational, or financial issues.

gaining traction, with nearly half of the deals with known start dates announcedDespite facing since legal 2018. and reputational challenges, Huawei’s offers are still • Allied action needed: The United States and its allies already have superior cloud products to offer, but competing more effectively in developing markets will require expanding financing for infrastructure, funding for technical assistance, and cooperating to remove and prevent regulatory barriers.

Huawei has made its cloud business a strategic priority. With U.S. sanctions limitingHuawei’s its access Strategic to mobile Niche semiconductors, cloud computing has become integral to its survival. The pandemic provided a boost, accelerating global adoption of cloud services by one to thre revenue by 168 percent e years and growing Huawei’s cloud during 2020, according to Ken Hu, Huawei’s speech rotating last year.chairman. “It is our goal to make it as convenient for customers to use Huawei’s cloud services as electricity,” Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei said in a As it seeks to achieve that goal, Huawei is gaining traction in the developing world. The CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project examined open sources and identified 70 deals in 41 countries between Huawei and foreign governments or state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for cloud infrastructure and e-government services through April 2021. As illustrated in the map below, these deals are concentrated in developing countries. https://reconasia.csis.org/huawei-global-cloud-strategy/

US ready to pull troops from Philippines ‘in months’ if no new VFA: expert

• Special forces involved in fighting Islamist terrorists in Mindanao could be pulled out by June if no new Visiting Forces Agreement is signed, US forum told • Warning over pact, in question since Rodrigo Duterte’s former police chief was denied a US visa, comes as alliance in South China Sea is called a ‘paper tiger’

Published: 10:30pm, 17 May, 2021 Why you can trust SCMP

Some 400 American soldiers and defence contractors deployed in the southern

Philippines could be pulled out within months if Washington and Manila do not sign a new Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by then.

So heard an international conference titled “The Philippines Hedging Between Alliance or Appeasement: Can the Biden Administration Tip the Balance?”

The US was “ready to withdraw” the contingent of soldiers from the Mindanao island group, where they are involved in operations against Islamist extremists and communist rebels, Renato De Castro, an international relations professor at De la Salle University in Manila, told the webinar hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University on Friday.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3133802/us-ready-pull-troops-philippines-months-if- no-new-vfa-expert

Philippine Navy to receive first three Shaldag Mk V patrol boats in Q1 2022 by Gabriel Dominguez

The Philippine Navy (PN) is expecting to receive the first three of eight Shaldag Mk V fast patrol boats ordered from Israel Shipyards in the first quarter of 2022, the state- owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) quoted PN Chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo as saying on 14 May.

The boats, which are meant to meet a PN requirement for missile-capable fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC-M), will be initially deployed in the ‘Mindanao area of responsibility’ where there are “continuous operations against LTGs [local terrorist groups] and CTGs [communist terrorist groups]”, said the vice admiral.

The 32.65 m-long vessels are “best suited operating in these environments to act as an effective deterrent not only against the terrorist groups but also against other lawless elements operating in the littoral areas”, he added.

The Philippine Navy expects to receive the first three of eight Shaldag Mk V patrol boats ordered from Israel Shipyards in the first quarter of 2022, according to PN chief Vice Adm Bacordo. (Israel Shipyards)

The statement came only two days after Israel Shipyards announced it had won a tender to supply Shaldag Mk Vs to the navy of an East Asian country. The company noted in a press release that the agreement includes a knowledge transfer and training regarding the construction and maintenance of the boats, as well an upgrade of the customer’s shipyard for this purpose.

Vice Adm Bacordo said that the project, which consists of two lots, is worth about PHP10 billion (USD209.4 million). Lot 1 is for acquisition of the naval platforms and the upgrade of Cavite Naval Shipyard, while Lot 2 is for the procurement of the onboard weapon systems, which includes remotely-controlled gun and missile systems, reported the PNA.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/philippine-navy-to-receive-first-three-shaldag-mk-v- patrol-boats-in-q1-2022 PANIC AT THE PUMP AND THE REAL THREAT TO ENERGY SECURITY

GREGORY BREW

MAY 17, 2021

COMMENTARY

On Friday, May 7, the Colonial Pipeline was taken offline by a cyber attack. A major piece of the national energy infrastructure, the 5,500-mile-long line carries 45% of all the fuel — including gasoline, aviation fuel, and home heating oil — consumed on the East Coast. The attack has been attributed to the hacker collective Darkside. By May 11, gasoline prices had spiked as gas stations in the American South reported drained inventories and panicked consumers hoarded gasoline.

Almost immediately, commentators compared the situation to the Arab oil embargo of 1973 to 1974. Such thinking reflects years of scholarship and public discourse focusing on energy security: the ability of consumers and governments to maintain access to energy flows, at reasonable prices, and handle potential disruptions.

Energy security is frequently linked within American discourse to questions of supply — we’re secure as long as we can fill our tanks. The United States, in this vision, can pump its way to security, achieve “energy independence” (or, more recently, “energy dominance”), and render foreign attempts to withhold supplies ineffective.

Such analogies, while tempting, focus attention on mythical dangers at the expense of real ones. The embargo of 1973 to 1974 was a minor incident that did little to threaten U.S. energy security. The chief source of contemporary energy insecurity, exemplified by the Darkside attack on the Colonial Pipeline, comes from a range of actions that constitute sabotage — the interruption of energy’s movement — rather than from deliberate efforts by oil producers to withhold supply, as in the 1973 embargo. Sabotage generally refers to acts of violence meant to disrupt, destroy, or deny energy resources. Drawing on the work of social scientist Timothy Mitchell, however, sabotage can be defined in broader terms to encompass actions that disrupt energy flows — be they the result of human decisions or the unpredictable consequences of global climate change. While the embargo was itself a form of sabotage, the term can cover a wide variety of situations, suggesting the broad array of challenges to contemporary energy security.

The United States enjoys relatively strong energy security, particularly from attempted embargos, thanks to abundant supplies provided by a global market. Yet the threat of sabotage, writ large, is very real, as the Colonial Pipeline shutdown illustrated. Conceiving of increased energy production as a protection against sabotage misses the big picture: To achieve energy security, it is more important to strengthen infrastructure like the pipeline against sabotage while decreasing dependence on fossil fuel consumption and diversifying energy sources in general to reduce the risk of disruption.

Energy Security and the Myth of the Embargo

The seminal moment for the study of energy security is the 1973 to 1974 oil embargo. In response to U.S. support for Israel before and during the October War, several Arab oil- producing states led by Saudi Arabia declared an embargo on all oil shipments to the United States. The embargo ended in March 1974.

Histories of the period illustrate how contemporaries regarded the embargo as a major turning point — the moment when effective control over oil resources passed from the hands of private Western oil corporations to oil-producing nations. The embargo and the “oil shocks” of the 1970s, together with the rising U.S. dependence on oil imported from overseas, convinced national security experts and policymakers that the United States needed to do more to “secure” future energy sources. Some even advocated for an invasion of the Arab oil fields. Such ideas influenced subsequent policies designed to expand the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.

In the popular imagination, the embargo has been expanded into a myth of American vulnerability. It is common to hear such myths within the domestic American energy industry, which continues to regard foreign oil imports as a national bete noire (it’s less common at larger multinational companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron as their perspective is more international). In this view, the only way to rectify the vulnerability revealed by the embargo was by expanding domestic oil and gas production, thus achieving energy independence. Others, including President Jimmy Carter, argued for conservation and greater diversity in energy production, including expanded investment in renewable sources like wind and solar, though his administration also sought to expand U.S. coal use.

Myths overstate the impact of the embargo and obscure the complex nature of energy security. The amount of oil kept out of the United States by Arab oil producers in 1973 and 1974 was small. Gasoline shortages in 1973 were the result of tightening in the supply-demand balance, an “energy crisis” which began in the late 1960s linked to the end of the Bretton-Woods economic system and the decline in American oil production after 1971, together with the Nixon administration’s attempts to impose price controls on domestic goods. The rapid increase in global oil prices was more the result of changes in the supply-demand balance, the falling value of the dollar, and negotiations between oil companies and the oil-producing states of OPEC, than aggressive action by oil- producing states looking to withhold energy supplies for political reasons.

Though the comparison is tantalizing, today’s struggle for energy security has little to do with vulnerability to oil embargos. The global oil market is fluid and supply regularly exceeds demand: when a source of oil becomes inaccessible, private actors and governments can shift to purchasing oil from a new source. Supply can always be secured — what changes is the source, price, and means of production.

Despite the theoretical security offered by an integrated global energy market, recent events have illustrated how energy crises can still erupt in sudden and unexpected ways. Besides the panic-buying of gasoline following the closure of the Colonial Pipeline, recall the catastrophic failure of energy systems during the Texas winter storm of February 2021. What these events illustrate is not vulnerability to embargos, but rather to sabotage. Sabotage doesn’t need to be deliberate, nor does it stem entirely from human action.

Dealing with the varying challenges posed by sabotage will define future efforts to achieve energy security.

Stopping the Flow: Sabotage

Sabotage can be defined as any act which interrupts the flow of energy. In simple terms, it can mean deliberate acts designed to damage or destroy energy infrastructure in order to achieve a political, strategic, or commercial goal — or, as in the Colonial case, to make a quick buck. Pipelines, waterways trafficked by oil tankers, refineries, or oil and gas fields themselves are common sites for acts meant to disrupt or impede the flow of energy.

Timothy Mitchell describes labor unions — specifically English coal miners — interrupting the flow of energy early in the twentieth century, using sabotage through coordinated work stoppages to extract political concessions. Though Mitchell does not address them, there are other instances in the history of oil where refinery workers successfully disrupted the flow of energy — most notably during the Islamic Revolution of 1978, when Iranian oil workers went on strike and shut down operations. Iranian oil production plummeted from 6 million barrels a day to less than 2 million barrels a day, causing a second “oil shock” that produced shortages in the United States and Western Europe.

When Western oil companies obtained control over Middle Eastern oil, they purposefully suppressed oil production (or “sabotaged” it, in Mitchell’s formulation) in countries where “resource nationalists” challenged their control. Acts of commercial sabotage included the boycott of Iranian oil following that country’s nationalization of its oil supplies in 1951 and the decision of major Western oil companies to under-invest in Iraq’s oil industry during a years-long dispute with the Iraqi government in the 1960s. Sabotage can be equated to acts of denial meant to prevent a foe from enjoying access to energy resources. In 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser nationalized the Anglo-French Suez Canal Company, seizing the vital waterway in the name of Arab nationalism. In October Anglo-French forces (with the assistance of Israel) launched an attack to retake the canal. Nasser, in response, sank several cargo ships at the canal’s entrance, blocking it to all traffic — an attempted sabotage. The closing of the Suez Canal threatened to wreak havoc with global shipping, while oil shortages in Western Europe and the United States were averted thanks to careful and rapid coordination by the major oil companies.

Other acts of denial fall under the sabotage umbrella. Iraq’s destruction of the Kuwaiti oil fields during the 1991 Gulf War spring to mind. Strikes against oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq War demonstrate offensive sabotage. During the Cold War, the United States drew up plans to destroy the oil fields of the Persian Gulf with nuclear weapons, rendering them unusable for future exploitation, should the region fall under Soviet control.

In other instances, sabotage can be demonstrative, designed to show capability by causing large amounts of damage without creating conditions for escalation. The drone attack on the Saudi oil facility at Abqaiq in September 2019 briefly brought half of all Saudi oil production to a halt. It proved that Saudi Arabia’s nemesis, the Islamic Republic of Iran, possessed the means to strike and potentially neutralize the country’s energy infrastructure.

Sometimes, sabotage can be accidental. In 1970, the pipeline carrying oil from Saudi Arabia west to the Mediterranean was closed after being rammed by a Syrian bulldozer. The incident (it may have been deliberate) allowed the Syrian government to pressure the American companies that owned the pipeline to pay more in transit fees. The pipeline was repaired and back in operation by 1971. Accidental sabotage was broadly illustrated by the closing of the Suez Canal in March 2021, when the Ever Given container ship became wedged within the waterway, holding up shipborne traffic (including oil tankers and ships carrying liquefied natural gas) while raising oil prices and shipping costs.

Nature itself carried out a devastating act of sabotage to the energy grid of Texas in February 2021. A shocking winter storm struck the state, breaking weather records while sending energy demand up. Low temperatures hampered producers’ ability to move power to consumers. Natural gas, which Texas produces in abundant quantities, could not move through frozen transmission networks. Energy systems failed to manage the historic cold, forcing regulators to throttle capacity to prevent further damage to power plants, which plunged the state into a blackout that left 4 million without power and heat and eventually claimed nearly 200 lives.

Specific decisions made Texas unusually vulnerable to sabotage. The state possesses its own energy grid and an unregulated energy market with few redundancies. The response from many Texan policymakers focused on blaming renewable energy sources like wind power and the need to increase oil and gas production. But this misses the larger danger. The storm demonstrated the need for improved resilience within Texas’ energy grid while illustrating how climate change could potentially sabotage whole energy systems, threatening the energy security of millions of Americans — no matter how much oil and natural gas the United States produces.

Resilience, Not “Energy Independence”

In the aftermath of the 1970s oil shocks, discussion of energy security tended to focus on issues of supply. From President Richard M. Nixon’s Project Independence to President Barack Obama’s embrace of the shale revolution in the 2010s, the national discourse around ensuring energy security focuses on obtaining adequate supplies and reducing foreign dependence.

A similar mantra emerged in May following the Colonial Pipeline shutdown. Yet this view is narrow and misses the complexity inherent in energy transmission systems. The global market ensures adequate supplies are always available in the long run, though short-term shortages are a risk that needs to be addressed. Rather than pursue energy independence or increase domestic production, the United States should take a dual approach of improving the resilience of energy systems while pivoting away from depending solely on fossil fuels, both to improve overall energy security and reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change damaging or disrupting the flow of energy.

First, energy systems should be strengthened against sabotage. The Colonial Pipeline incident demonstrated the need for resilience against cyber attacks, together with the broader need for improvements to American infrastructure. While efforts should be made to strengthen infrastructure against cyber warfare, safeguards should also be erected to ensure that supplies do not suddenly run out in the event of a shock brought on by consumer panic of the kind that has left major metro areas like Charlotte and Atlanta without gasoline.

Climate change poses a significant risk and does not conform to dominant security paradigms. Weather events have successfully shut off access to energy resources. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed or damaged 109 oil platforms and drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, while Hurricane Harvey shut off one-fifth of all Gulf oil drilling in 2017. Violent weather events prove that energy from all sources — natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar, and coal — are vulnerable to sabotage. Yet the worsening effects of climate change make a shift away from fossil fuels toward lower-emission sources of energy imperative.

Second, to prevent further climate sabotage, authorities, utilities, and energy companies should take steps to improve resilience against climate risks, while embracing a shift away from fossil fuels and toward a diverse mix that includes much larger amounts of renewable energy. It will be necessary to maintain fossil fuel-based thermal energy in order to provide for sudden surges in demand. Yet to mitigate the worst effects of global climate change, including the more and more violent storms that can knock out power grids, a shift toward lower emissions and net-zero carbon plans will be essential. Otherwise, the worsening effects of climate change will create circumstances for further catastrophic sabotage of energy systems.

The Biden administration regards both climate change and strengthening national energy infrastructure as top priorities and has indicated a commitment to reducing emissions and improving resilience. The Colonial Pipeline shutdown — and the unexpected shortages it produced — together with the Texas storm of February 2021 suggest the need for urgency on those points. The experience of the 1970s did teach Americans about the importance of resilience and the security that comes from a diversity of energy sources. Complete safety is impossible to achieve. But energy security can be maintained provided the United States moves on from the myths of the 1970s, recognizes the real risks for sabotage in an age of climate instability and cyber warfare, and takes steps to mitigate those risks, putting the days of panic-buying and gas lines in the rearview.

https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/panic-at-the-pump-and-the-real-threat-to-energy-security/

Who’s next on ransomware’s hit list By SAM SABIN

05/17/2021 10:00 AM EDT Presented by American Edge Project With help from Martin Matishak

Editor’s Note: Weekly Cybersecurity is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro’s daily Cybersecurity policy newsletter, Morning Cybersecurity. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

Q UI CK FI X

— The Colonial attack is a stark reminder of how pervasive ransomware has become. A look at where the next big attack could land.

— Only a week after Colonial was taken down, lawmakers are marking up legislation to strengthen pipeline security this week.

— Long-awaited Pentagon cyber data is on its way, two senior administration officials promised lawmakers.

HAPPY MONDAY and welcome to Morning Cybersecurity! I’m your host, Sam Sabin. Today’s newsletter is brought to you by the sweet relief of personally not seeing a cicada yet. I know the moment I come face-to-face with one of those creepy crawlers is coming, but for now, I’m grateful.

Send your thoughts, feedback and — especially — tips to [email protected]. Be sure to follow @POLITICOPro and @MorningCybersec. Full team info below.

A message from American Edge Project:

Colonial Pipeline Attack Shows Need for Cyber Vigilance: America is reckoning with the real-world consequences these threats have on our economy, our infrastructure, and our national security. Recently, the American Edge Project released a report discussing the drivers of risk and the incentives that can mitigate these cyber threats.

RANSOMWARE SO … WHO’S NEXT — The cyberattack that brought down Colonial Pipeline’s operations for nearly a week has prompted a lot of tough “wake-up calls” for Washington, like the need for cyber infrastructure dollars, movement on key cyber nominees in Congress and mandated incident reporting requirements for federal contractors. But Colonial also teaches one lesson we’re all still learning: ransomware attacks can target everyone and everything, and most targets are woefully underprepared to handle it. From schools, hospitals, healthcare and local government systems, here’s where ransomware could strike next:

— Education systems: In December, the FBI, CISA and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a division of the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, warned that ransomware attacks on K-12 educational institutions are on the rise, with malicious actors often targeting school computer systems by either slowing them down or making them inaccessible. Last month, hackers released 26,000 stolen school files after targeting the Broward School District in a ransomware attack.

— Healthcare and hospital sector: CISA, the FBI and HHS also warned in October about the ransomware risk to hospital and healthcare systems. In 2020, ransomware attacks cost healthcare organizations nearly $21 billion and targeted more than 600 clinics, hospitals and organizations, according to CompariTech. Ireland’s health department, the Health Service Executive, was the latest target this weekend.

— Local governments: The saga with the D.C. police force in recent weeks, where the personal information of about 20 officers was leaked after the department refused to pay a ransom, is just the latest example of ransomware targeting a local government entity. Plagued with old computer systems, local governments are vulnerable targets. Let’s not forget that Baltimore spent $18 million to build new systems after declining to pay a $76,000 ransom two years ago.

And there’s more: Cybersecurity company BlackFog, which has been tracking publicly- announced ransomware attacks each month since last year, reported 31 ransomware attacks in April, up from just 12 in April 2020 and making it the busiest month of 2021 so far. Victims include wholesale distributor JBI, the NBA, Apple partner Quanta and the Illinois Attorney General Office. — Not all hope is lost: There’s plenty organizations can implement quickly to protect themselves from ransomware, such as regularly backing up data, using air gapped machines and creating offline, password-protected backup copies of information.

ON THE HILL

LEGISLATING COLONIAL — In what might be considered a record-breaking pace for a typically slow-moving Congress, a bipartisan group of lawmakers have already introduced and plan to markup a bill Tuesday in response to the Colonial attack.

Called the Pipeline Security Act, the bill, reintroduced by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D- Mo.), would strengthen the federal government’s efforts to secure pipelines and pipeline facilities from cyberattacks by codifying TSA and CISA’s roles in securing pipelines, mandating TSA develop a strategy to staff up its pipeline security team and update its pipeline security guidelines, as well as improve congressional oversight of these efforts.

— House Homeland Security Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Kathk (R-N.Y.) are among the co-sponsors.

Last week’s cyberattack on Colonial brought to a head long-held concerns about the lack of resources TSA had dedicated to security. A 2018 audit from the Government Accountability Office found that the agency’s pipeline security measures at the time were inadequate. The measure hopes to shore up TSA’s capabilities.

— ICYMI: This is just the latest Colonial-related legislative push. My colleagues Eric and Martin have the lowdown on lawmakers’ push to introduce mandated incident reporting requirements for federal contractors in the coming weeks.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-cybersecurity/2021/05/17/whos-next-on-ransomwares- hit-list-795343

Defending from future cyber attacks By MATTHEW CHOI 05/17/2021 10:00 AM EDT With help from Kelsey Tamborrino, Annie Snider, Anthony Adragna, Eric Wolff and Colby Bermel.

Editor’s Note: Morning Energy is a free version of POLITICO Pro Energy's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

— There's bipartisan agreement the federal government should have a greater hand in defending critical fuel infrastructure from cyber attacks, but the oil and gas industry doesn't want to get too hasty with a major oversight overhaul.

— Lawmakers are brewing legislation to compel companies to report cyber attacks — a drive further invigorated by the Colonial Pipeline attack.

— The heads of Exxon, Devon and EOG Resources declined to participate in a hearing by the House Natural Resources Oversight subcommittee on “Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars and Corporate Welfare in the Oil and Gas Industry.”

HAPPY MONDAY! I’m your host, Matthew Choi. Congrats to Chris Bliley of Growth Energy for knowing Ethan Hawke starred in all the movies mentioned in last week’s trivia questions. For today’s trivia: What is Eilis’s hometown in Ireland in the movie “Brooklyn”? Send your tips and trivia answers to [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @matthewchoi2018.

Check out the POLITICO Energy podcast — all the energy and environmental politics and policy news you need to start your day, in just five minutes. Listen and subscribe for free at politico.com/energy-podcast. On today's episode: Behind progressive anxiety toward a CES.

A message from Chevron:

At Chevron, we believe in actions, not just words. Let’s cover some of the ways we’re reducing the carbon emissions intensity of our operations. Learn more below.

DRIVING THE DAY REFORGING THE ARMOR: The Colonial Pipeline hack prompted a fuel scramble just before a major travel holiday and shone a spotlight on some of the Biden administration’s political and administrative weak spots. But it has had an outcome rarely seen these days — getting Republicans and Democrats to agree on the need to bolster cybersecurity regulations in both the private and public sectors.

Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry is saying, hold your horses. Though industry leaders praised the Biden administration’s response to the hack, they told Pro’s Ben Lefebvre that they view a major overhaul on how private companies secure their cyber operations as a step too far.

“Any discussion of regulation is premature until we have a full understanding of the details surrounding the Colonial attack,”

Suzanne Lemieux, API manager of operations security and emergency response, told Ben in a statement,

Ben goes into the challenges of patching up the holes that allowed ransomware to freeze one of the most important pipelines in the country — from the mere scale of a multifaceted industry to the complications of past private-public security collaborations.

TELL US WHAT’S WRONG: Lawmakers from both parties are cooking up legislation requiring companies like Colonial to tell the feds when they fall victim to a major cyber attack. The bills had been in the works before the Colonial attack, spurred on by the

SolarWinds hack late last year, but the latest incident demonstrated how pressing the issue is.

Without reporting from companies, “the United States government is completely blind to what is happening,” Brandon Wales, the acting director of DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters on Thursday. “That just weakens our overall cyber posture across our entire country.” Wales told lawmakers last week that Colonial didn’t share details of the attack with CISA at first, though they did alert the FBI. The company offered data later in the week. Eric Geller and Martin Matishak have more for Pros.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-energy/2021/05/17/defending-from-future-cyber- attacks-795335

Exclusive: Inside the Military’s Secret Undercover Army

The largest undercover force the world has ever known is the one created by the Pentagon over the past decade. Some 60,000 people now belong to this secret army, many working under masked identities and in low profile, all part of a broad program called “signature reduction.” The force, more than ten times the size of the clandestine elements of the CIA, carries out domestic and foreign assignments, both in military uniforms and under civilian cover, in real life and online, sometimes hiding in private businesses and consultancies, some of them household name companies.

The unprecedented shift has placed an ever greater number of soldiers, civilians, and contractors working under false identities, partly as a natural result in the growth of secret special forces but also as an intentional response to the challenges of traveling and operating in an increasingly transparent world. The explosion of Pentagon cyber warfare, moreover, has led to thousands of spies who carry out their day-to-day work in various made-up personas, the very type of nefarious operations the United States decries when Russian and Chinese spies do the same.

Newsweek’s exclusive report on this secret world is the result of a two-year investigation involving the examination of over 600 resumes and 1,000 job postings, dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, and scores of interviews with participants and defense decision-makers. What emerges is a window into not just a little-known sector of the American military, but also a completely unregulated practice. No one knows the program’s total size, and the explosion of signature reduction has never been examined for its impact on military policies and culture. Congress has never held a hearing on the subject. And yet the military developing this gigantic clandestine force challenges U.S. laws, the Geneva Conventions, the code of military conduct and basic accountability.

There’s a lot of neat clandestine stuff with a big emphasis on ‘signature reduction’ – which also includes fake hands a fake faces.

This looks similar to me before I’ve had my morning coffee and bear claw…

https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=113699

Pentagon seeks ‘data advantage' in new strategic guidance The Pentagon is implementing new policies and procedures to codify best practices in the department’s data management operations in an effort to ensure US armed forces maintains “data advantage” over its adversaries in future conflicts.

“Data is a strategic asset [and] transforming the [US] Department of Defense (DoD) to a data-centric organisation is critical to improving performance and creating decision advantage at all echelons from the battlespace to the board room, ensuring US competitive advantage,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks wrote in a 5 May memorandum that was officially released by the Pentagon on 10 May.

The policy memorandum focuses on five main pillars across four major target areas within the department, designed to “ensure all DoD data is visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable, and secure”, she said in the memo. Those pillars include efforts to maximise data sharing and data use rights across the DoD, as well as to ensure the common data interfaces utilised by the department consist of “industry-standard, non-proprietary, preferably open-source, technologies, protocols, and payloads”, the memo stated.

The other pillars, in terms of data publishing and storage, state all data assets should be published in the Pentagon’s federated data catalogue, while storage should be conducted in a “platform and environment-agnostic, uncoupled from hardware or software dependencies”, according to the memo. Finally, DoD data policy makers are aiming to develop and adopt “industry best practices for secure authentication, access management, encryption, monitoring, and protection of data at rest, in transit, and in use”, it added.

The memorandum comes several months after the Pentagon issued its overarching strategy on how it will gather, store, and manage collected data, and leverage it towards development of advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/pentagon-seeks-data-advantage-in-new-strategic- guidance

The Pentagon Inches Toward Letting AI Control Weapons Drills involving swarms of drones raise questions about whether machines could outperform a human operator in complex scenarios. PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES LAST AUGUST, SEVERAL dozen military drones and tanklike robots took to the skies and roads 40 miles south of Seattle. Their mission: Find terrorists suspected of hiding among several buildings.

So many robots were involved in the operation that no human operator could keep a close eye on all of them. So they were given instructions to find—and eliminate— enemy combatants when necessary.

The mission was just an exercise, organized by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a blue-sky research division of the Pentagon; the robots were armed with nothing more lethal than radio transmitters designed to simulate interactions with both friendly and enemy robots.

The drill was one of several conducted last summer to test how artificial intelligence could help expand the use of automation in military systems, including in scenarios that are too complex and fast-moving for humans to make every critical decision. The demonstrations also reflect a subtle shift in the Pentagon’s thinking about autonomous weapons, as it becomes clearer that machines can outperform humans at parsing complex situations or operating at high speed.

General John Murray of the US Army Futures Command told an audience at the US Military Academy last month that swarms of robots will force military planners, policymakers, and society to think about whether a person should make every decision about using lethal force in new autonomous systems. Murray asked: “Is it within a human's ability to pick out which ones have to be engaged” and then make 100 individual decisions? “Is it even necessary to have a human in the loop?” he added. Other comments from military commanders suggest interest in giving autonomous weapons systems more agency. At a conference on AI in the Air Force last week, Michael Kanaan, director of operations for the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at MIT and a leading voice on AI within the US military, said thinking is evolving. He says AI should perform more identifying and distinguishing potential targets while humans make high-level decisions. “I think that's where we're going,” Kanaan says.

“Is it even necessary to have a human in the loop?”

GENERAL JOHN MURRAY, US ARMY FUTURES COMMAND

At the same event, Lieutenant General Clinton Hinote, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration, and requirements at the Pentagon, says that whether a person can be removed from the loop of a lethal autonomous system is “one of the most interesting debates that is coming, [and] has not been settled yet.”

A report this month from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), an advisory group created by Congress, recommended, among other things, that the US resist calls for an international ban on the development of autonomous weapons.

Timothy Chung, the Darpa program manager in charge of the swarming project, says last summer’s exercises were designed to explore when a human drone operator should, and should not, make decisions for the autonomous systems. For example, when faced with attacks on several fronts, human control can sometimes get in the way of a mission, because people are unable to react quickly enough. “Actually, the systems can do better from not having someone intervene,” Chung says.

The drones and the wheeled robots, each about the size of a large backpack, were given an overall objective, then tapped AI algorithms to devise a plan to achieve it. Some of them surrounded buildings while others carried out surveillance sweeps. A few were destroyed by simulated explosives; some identified beacons representing enemy combatants and chose to attack. The US and other nations have used autonomy in weapons systems for decades. Some missiles can, for instance, autonomously identify and attack enemies within a given area. But rapid advances in AI algorithms will change how the military uses such systems. Off-the-shelf AI code capable of controlling robots and identifying landmarks and targets, often with high reliability, will make it possible to deploy more systems in a wider range of situations.

https://www.wired.com/story/pentagon-inches-toward-letting-ai-control-weapons/

DOD Exercise Highlights Need to Address Climate Change, Its Impacts

MAY 17, 2021 | BY DAVID VERGUN, DOD NEWS The Defense Department's first climate and environmental security "tabletop" exercise, dubbed Elliptic Thunder, highlighted the growing security threats posed by climate and environmental change, while illustrating that prevention activities today are essential to avoiding dire consequences in the future, Annalise Blum, an American Association for the Advancement of Science policy fellow in Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy's Office of Stability and Humanitarian Affairs said.

Elliptic Thunder, which was co-sponsored by the Office of Stability and Humanitarian Affairs and the Joint Staff J5, took place March 25. Based upon future climate, economic and population forecasts, the exercise was set in East Africa in a notional future in which climate change had gradually disrupted natural systems, weakening several states in the region and increasing the risk of climate-driven extreme events. A combination of floods, droughts, and cyclones led to shortages of food, water, and energy — causing large-scale instability and migration. This instability expanded opportunities for extremist groups and strategic rivals to gain influence with consequences for U.S. national security and defense objectives.

Adam Mausner, senior policy advisor in SHA, noted that the exercise made clear that climate change is a national security issue, and should be tackled with the same urgency and resourcing as other major threats to our country. "Additionally, high-end conventional combat capabilities were of little use in the scenario, as our adversaries instead engaged in irregular warfare to gain advantage," he said.

Participants in the exercise included representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and the U.S. Africa Command; Joe Bryan, special assistant to the Secretary of Defense for climate; and representatives from the National Security Council, the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Intelligence Community and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The main takeaways of the Elliptic Thunder exercise included:

• Climate and environmental change will exacerbate existing threats and security challenges via increased frequency and severity of environmental stressors and extreme events. Compounding and cascading events are likely to be particularly disruptive. • Environmental changes have implications across the department with respect to great power competition, counterterrorism, our alliances and partners, basing, access to ports and landing sites, infrastructure investments and more. • DOD will need to develop and/or refine policies, authorities and organizations — as well as processes, budget and funding to best prepare for and respond to climate threats. • Improved understanding of emerging threats will help prevent and prepare for future environmental and climate security challenges. Enabling a shift to prevention activities will help avoid simply responding to crises. • Building partner capacity and resiliency will be critical to manage climate risks. Effective diplomacy and strategic messaging will be essential to countering adversaries who will seek to exploit climate- related insecurity for strategic advantage. • A whole-of-government approach is needed to address climate and environmental security threats across the federal government. Partnerships with industry, academia and non-profit organizations can improve sharing and coordination of data-collection, modeling, disaster response initiatives and early warning best practices. Blum noted that participants expressed interest in future tabletop exercises to address the impacts of climate change and environmental security challenges. Future exercises, she said, might include greater participation from allies and partners to include experts from NATO, the United Nations, the scientific community, the humanitarian and disaster recovery community and other relevant experts.

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2596591/dod-exercise-highlights- need-to-address-climate-change-its-impacts/

U.S. military offers J&J vaccines for South Korean troops Hyonhee Shin

A vial of the Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is seen at Northwell Health's South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York, U.S., March 3, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The U.S. military has offered to provide some Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) (JNJ.N) coronavirus vaccines for South Korean troops, the defence ministry said on Monday, as South Korea struggles with a shortage of COVID-19 shots.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-military-offers-jj- vaccines-south-korean-troops-2021-05-17/

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: May 17, 2021

May 17, 2021 11:22 AM

USNI News Graphic

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of May 17, 2021, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

Total U.S. Navy Battle Force:

296

Ships Underway

Deployed Non-deployed

Ships Ships Total Ships

Underway Underway Underway

60 36 96

Ships Deployed by Fleet

Fleet 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th

Forces Fleet Fleet Fleet Fleet Fleet Total

0 8 2 19 21 52 102

In Japan

Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-

6) conduct small boat operations on May 15, 2021. US Navy Photo

USS America (LHA-6) is in port in Sasebo, Japan.

In the Philippine Sea

Deck department Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), prepare to conduct an anchor drop test in the forecastle during sea trials on May 11, 2021. US Navy Photo

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is underway for sea trials after completing its winter maintenance period in Yokosuka.

Reagan’s selected restricted availability (SRA) was “conducted by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (IMF) Detachment Yokosuka employees, along with PSNS & IMF and Norfolk Naval Shipyard employees on temporary duty to Japan and the Ship Repair Facility in Yokosuka,” according to the service.

In the Gulf of Alaska

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Thomas Mashuda, from Pittsburgh, right, and Lt. Nikki Moyle, from

Fredrick, Md., pilot an MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to the ‘Wolf Pack’ of Helicopter

Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75, over the Gulf of Alaska on May 10, 2021. US Navy

Photo

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is in the Gulf of Alaska participating in exercise Northern Edge 2021, which started May 3. The exercise includes USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), its escorts and Carrier Air Wing 11. It also includes the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as other joint U.S. military units. Events in the exercise have been held across a wide area, from the Aleutian Islands to deep into the interior of Alaska. The ARG includes amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) and amphibious transport docks USS San Diego (LPD-22) and USS Somerset (LPD-25). The 15th MEU includes the Command Element; the Aviation Combat Element composed of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (Reinforced); the Ground Combat Element composed of Battalion Landing Team 1/4; and the Logistics Combat Element composed of Combat Logistics Battalion 15. Other units include Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Beach Master Unit 1, and Fleet Surgical Team 1 from San Diego and Assault Craft Unit 5 from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Carrier Strike Group 9

U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander, Pacific Air Forces, adjusts his flight suit equipment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on May 10,

2021, in the Gulf of Alaska during Exercise Northern Edge 2021 (NE21). US Navy

Photo

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported in San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 11

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Austin Sonnier, from Lake Charles,

Louisiana signals the pilot of an EA-18G Growler, assigned to the ‘Gray Wolves’ of

Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142, before it launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on May 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., is embarked aboard Theodore Roosevelt and includes a total of nine squadrons and detachments:

• The “Tomcatters” of VFA-31 – Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Golden Warriors” of VFA-87 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Blue Diamonds” of VFA-146 from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. • The “Black Knights” of VFA-154 from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. • The “Gray Wolves” of VAQ-142 – Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. • The “Liberty Bells” of VAW-115 – Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif. • The “Providers” of VRC-30 – Detachment – Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. • The “Eight Ballers” of HSC-8 – Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. • The “Wolf Pack” of HSM-75 – Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.

Cruiser

USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) transits the Gulf of Alaska as part of the Theodore Roosevelt

Carrier Strike Group on May 8, 2021. US Navy Photo

• USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), homeported in San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 23

USS Russell (DDG-59) transits the Gulf of Alaska, on May 8, 2021. US Navy Photo

Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on the carrier.

• USS Russell (DDG-59), homeported in San Diego, Calif.

In the North Arabian Sea

Aviation Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Eudaliz Garcia conducts pre-flight checks on a

F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, attached to the ‘Fighting Swordsmen’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, during flight operations aboard aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Arabian Sea on May 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), Carrier Air Wing 3 and IKE’s escorts are operating in the North Arabian Sea after arriving in U.S. Central Command in early April to support the ongoing anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve. CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie requested that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin keep the strike group in CENTCOM instead of continuing with its planned operations in other regions to support the movement of U.S. military forces and equipment out of Afghanistan.

“A big reason that the Eisenhower was extended in the region… the main reason she was extended in the region was to provide additional capability and options to Gen. [Austin] Miller as he continues to affect the removal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told USNI News last week.

The White House has set a Sept. 11, 2021, date to complete a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it’s unclear what the carrier presence in the region will look after the deadline.

Earlier in May, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said Iran’s behavior and the ongoing review of U.S. world military presence would determine how carriers would operate in the Middle East after the Afghan withdrawal.

“My take is that we continue these negotiations with Iran on a [new nuclear deal], that hopefully Iran begins to behave in an acceptable way, and that would lead to a reduced requirement for… a carrier strike group presence,” he said while speaking at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., reported USNI News.

Carrier Strike Group 2

ARABIAN SEA (May 12, 2021) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Morgan

Ray logs readings while standing watch aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Arabian Sea on May 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

Norfolk-based CSG 2 commands the Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG and is embarked on the carrier. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 3

A F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter, attached to the ‘Fighting Swordsmen’ of Strike Fighter

Squadron (VFA) 32, lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Arabian Sea on May 11, 2021. US Navy Photo

Carrier Air Wing 3, based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., is embarked aboard Dwight D. Eisenhower and includes a total of nine squadrons and detachments:

• The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA-32 – Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Gunslingers” of VFA-105 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Wildcats” of VFA-131 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Rampagers” of VFA-83 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. • The “Zappers” of VAQ-130 – Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. • The “Screwtops” of VAW-123 – Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) – from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. • The “Rawhides” of VRC-40 – Detachment – Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) – from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. • The “Dusty Dogs” of HSC-7 – Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) – from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. • The “Swamp Foxes” of HSM-74 – Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

Cruisers

Seaman Andrew Hudson scans for air contacts aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS

Monterey (CG-61) as the ship transits the Strait of Hormuz information with guided- missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN-729), right, patrol coastal boats and Coast

Guard patrol boats, assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 55 on May 10, 2021.

US Navy Phot

• USS Monterey (CG-61), homeported in Norfolk, Va. • USS Vella Gulf (CG-72), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

Destroyer Squadron 22

A MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter, attached to the ‘Dusty Dogs’ of Helicopter Sea

Combat Squadron 7, takes off from the flight deck of guided-missile destroyer USS

Laboon (DDG-58) during a vertical replenishment-at-sea in the Arabian Sea on May 8,

2021. US Navy Photo

Destroyer Squadron 22 is based at Norfolk and its leaders are embarked on Eisenhower.

• USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), homeported in Mayport, Fla. • USS Laboon (DDG-58), homeported in Norfolk, Va. • USS Mitscher (DDG-57), homeported in Norfolk, Va. • USS Mahan (DDG-72), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

In the Red Sea

USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC-1142) arrives in Athens, Greece on April 26, 2021. US

Coast Guard Photo

The Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutters USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) and USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC-1142) transited the Suez Canal on May 7 and are operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

They conducted a transit exercise on May 13 in the Red Sea with the Egyptian Navy frigate Taba and USS Mahan (DDG-72), reported Egypt Today.

Charles Moulthrope and Robert Goldman are traveling to their new forward-deployed homeport in Bahrain to replace decommissioning Island-class patrol boats as part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). Moulthrope and Goldman are the first two of six Sentinel-class ships scheduled to join PATFORSWA, which is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 55. Established in 2002 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest unit outside of the United States.

In the Eastern Atlantic

An AV-8B Harrier jet, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162

(Reinforced), prepares to land on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) on May, 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are in the Eastern Atlantic, just northwest of Scotland.

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) and amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD-17) make up the ARG. Embarked detachments for the Iwo Jima ARG include Amphibious Squadron Four, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) Six, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 21, Naval Beach Group (NBG) Two, Beach Master Unit (BMU) Two, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) Two and Four, and Sailors from Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) Two.

The 24th MEU, which is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., consists of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/8, a logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 24, and an aviation combat element, Medium Tilt-Rotor Squadron (VMM) 162 Reinforced. The 24th MEU also includes a Light Armored Reconnaissance detachment.

In the Mediterranean Sea

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) and Georgian coast guard vessels Ochamchire (P-23) and Dioskuria (P-25) conduct underway maneuvers in the Black Sea, May 2, 2021. US

Coast Guard Photo According to the Coast Guard, “The Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) transited from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, concluding the crew’s recent Black Sea operations and engagements, May 14, 2021.”

Hamilton entered the Black Sea in April as part of the first cutter to visit the Black Sea since 2008. The last U.S. Coast Guard cutter to visit the Black Sea, USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716), sailed to the Black Sea twice, in 2008 and 1995.

During its mission in the Black Sea, the cutter drilled with Turkish Navy Yavuz-class TCG Turgutreis (F 241), Georgian coast guard vessels Dioskuria (P 25) and Ochamchire (P 23) and Ukrainian navy vessel Island-class patrol boat Starobilsk (P 241) and Ukrainian border guard vessel Kuropiatnikov (BG 50), May 9th to 10th.

“The Hamilton crew conducted its final operations in the Black Sea with Romanian Navy Frigate Mărășești (F111) and Bulgarian corvette Bodri (BGS 14) on May 13, 2021,” according to the Coast Guard.

In the Western Atlantic

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for sea trials on May 12 following completion of its Extended Carrier Incremental Availability (ECIA).

US Navy Photo

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is out of maintenance at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and is underway in the Virginia Capes for sea trials.

Truman went into the shipyard in July 2020 for a modified repair period following back- to-back deployments. Instead of spending seven months in the yard for a full planned incremental availability, the ship was planned to spend the same amount of time in the yard for a new type of repair called an extended carrier incremental availability, USNI News previously reported. Due to delays, the ECIA took 10 months.

In the Eastern Pacific

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Airman Enrique Allred, left, from Pucallpa, Peru, and

Airman Andres Henriquez, from Fredrick, Md., participate in aircraft refueling training on the flight deck aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) on May 15, 2021.

US Navy Photo

The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) are underway in the Southern California Operating Areas.

In addition to these major formations, not shown are thousands of others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, Coast Guard cutters, EOD Mobile Units, and more serving throughout the globe.

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-17-2021

Navy to Decommission Littoral Combat Ships USS Freedom, USS Independence Later This Year

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 17, 2021 6:45 PM • Updated: May 17, 2021 7:18 PM

Littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) returns to Naval Base San Diego from her final deployment, April 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

The Navy will decommission the service’s first two Littoral Combat Ships later this year, USNI News has learned.

USS Independence (LCS-2) will decommission on July 31, Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman confirmed to USNI News. Meanwhile, USS Freedom (LCS-1) will leave the active fleet on Sept. 30, according to a decommissioning memo reviewed by USNI News.

Both ships will join the reserve fleet upon their decommissioning, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News.

The Navy last year proposed retiring the first four LCSs early in its Fiscal Year 2021 budget submission. Seeking to justify the service’s plans to decommission those ships, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday has said it would cost about $2.5 billion to update the first four LCSs to the configurations of other ships in the class and that funding could be better spent elsewhere.

Freedom commissioned in 2008 and will have served 13 years when it leaves the fleet. Independence commissioned in 2010 and will have served 11 years. Both hulls were expected to have had a service life of at least 25 years. When explaining plans to decommission the LCSs, service officials have noted that the first four ships in the class are test ships, a point rejected last year by one key lawmaker on the House Armed Services Committee.

Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), a former Navy nuclear-qualified surface warfare officer who is now the vice-chair of the HASC, last year rebuked former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly for using that rationale.

In a recent interview with USNI News, Luria said she would not back Navy plans to decommission ships in the fleet to pay for new capabilities like hypersonic weapons.

“I’m not buying it because we need to look at what’s Battle Force 2025, we need to look at what we have today and how we can use it and how we can use it most efficiently. The idea of divesting of current platforms that still have usable service life in order to invest in something that we might develop the technology for in the future – paired with our poor track record on [developing new] platforms – just makes absolutely no sense to me,” Luria told USNI News. “I agree with research and development into new technologies, I agree with a modest investment into developing capabilities for unmanned surface vessels; however, while that remains a technology that’s not mature, I do not agree with divesting of resources and assets that we have today that are desperately needed in order to deal with the issue we have with China, with Russia, and just around the world.”

USS Independence (LCS-2) sails in the eastern Pacific on Feb. 27, 2019. US Navy

Photo

While the LCS program has struggled to find its footing in the fleet, combatant commanders have recently sought to use the ships for region-specific missions. USNI News previously reported that U.S. 7th Fleet had been looking at the LCS to conduct both strike and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) missions.

Meanwhile, USS Freedom (LCS-1) recently deployed to U.S. Southern Command for anti-drug operations.

“There’ve been some real bright spots with Littoral Combat Ship deployments. You cite Freedom – it was a very successful deployment. They had a high operational availability,” U.S. Southern Command chief Adm. Craig Faller told Luria during a Congressional hearing last month.

“I would also cite the USS Gabby Giffords’ recent deployment, where the [commanding officer] on his own initiative, made a video for his crew and for his families that went public about their high operational success,” Faller added. “So that capability has proven and the CNO [Adm. Mike] Gilday’s commitment to getting the maintenance right is making a difference.”

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/navy-to-decommission-littoral-combat-ships-uss- freedom-uss-independence-later-this-year

The New Maritime Space Officer

By Vice Admiral Brian B. Brown, U.S. Navy

On the evening of 15 January 1991, the United States and its coalition stood on the brink of a major war against the fourth largest military in the world. Battle-hardened from a decade of fighting a brutal war against Iran and equipped with the most advanced export technology from the Soviet Union, the Iraqi military appeared to be a formidable adversary that would extract a horrific toll on any coalition attempting to liberate Kuwait. U.S. military planners expected 30,000 casualties with at least 10,000 deaths. Six weeks later, the war was over. The United States had lost 147 troops killed in action, while Iraq had suffered one of the most decisive defeats in modern military history, with at least 20,000 killed and much of its massive military destroyed. During this short conflict, the United States showcased new space-based capabilities that gave it a decisive advantage on the battlefield—exquisite targeting from overhead systems; improved battle damage assessment; precise positioning, navigation, and timing; a fully integrated command-and-control network that allowed for coordinated attacks across huge geographic areas; improved weather forecasting; and a space-based missile warning system.While space was not the only factor that gave United States an advantage, it did play a critical role in the coalition’s success. The conflict demonstrated two new realities of war. First, possessing a space capability is a necessity for modern militaries. Space has become the ultimate terrain or, as Chinese doctrine put it, “the commanding height of strategic competition.”1 Second, a conventional military that tries to fight as Iraq did, with tremendous lethality but without space capabilities, is likely to suffer the same fate as Iraq. Put differently, winning in space might not guarantee a win on earth, but losing in space will guarantee a loss. Today, these lessons are becoming only more acute for the U.S. Navy, which relies heavily on U.S. dominance in space to accomplish its mission. Unfortunately, that dominance is being challenged, with both China and Russia investing in space programs that will increase their lethality while holding U.S. space capabilities at risk. The Navy no longer can assume that all space capabilities will be readily available when it needs them. Accordingly, the Navy is evolving its strategy and tactics to solve increasingly complex problems that its adversaries present as a result of their space investments. For example, China’s space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) architecture allows it to target Navy ships with a variety of long- range weapon systems that force the Navy to choose between the potential loss of ships and lives or remaining so far from the conflict zone that its ships become irrelevant. The good news is that this and other space-related problems can be solved. To do so will require not only technological innovation, but also a community of space-smart officers with a deep understanding of both the space and maritime domains. These officers will be asked to integrate space capabilities into maritime operations and plans to increase lethality and solve complex problems posed by China, Russia, and other competitors. The Navy already has a deep reserve of exceptional thinkers in the maritime domain, but, unfortunately, only a handful of individuals who understand space well enough to leverage the full range of current joint space capabilities, let alone develop new innovations in tactics and technology. This space expertise deficit is an outcome of the Navy’s historic approach to building its space cadre through the additional qualification designator (AQD) system. The current AQD system develops “space aware” officers, but because of officer assignment limitations, diversity in source officer designators and established career paths, and the fact that repeat space tours are often detrimental to career progression, it does not build a space subject-matter expert. In fact, management via AQD has proven ineffective, and it has put the Navy behind in developing the expertise needed to remain competitive with peer and near-peer adversaries. This does not mean the AQD process is useless—the Navy will still need the AQD program to generate officers in different warfare specialties who have a basic understanding of space. But, to keep from falling behind in its competition with peer adversaries, the Navy needs true space experts who have the educational background and years of experience necessary to effectively integrate space capabilities and maritime operations. With these factors in mind, the Chief of Naval Operations recently approved the establishment of a new warfare specialty within the information warfare (IW) community: the maritime space officer (MSO). The MSO designator will be composed of officers who previously have qualified in a naval warfare specialty (aviation, surface, submarine, SEAL, explosive ordnance disposal, IW) and have chosen to laterally transfer into the MSO community. It will be a small restricted-line community with an initial base of 99 billets, from O-4 to O-6, at Navy and joint commands (such as the U.S. Space Command), within the intelligence community, fleet maritime operation centers, naval warfighting development centers, and Naval War College, and including various staff positions to support man, train, and equip functions.As a focused maritime specialty, MSO is designed to reward technical competence and expertise; it is not designed to build generalists or commanding officers. It will focus on integrating space and maritime capabilities at the operational level of war to make the Navy more effective at leveraging space capabilities and supporting joint space operations. Unlike the Space Force, this community will have a foot in both the space and maritime camps. Officers who want to build, fly, and operate satellites should consider interservice transfer to the Space Force; those who want to leverage space and naval expertise to compete, deter, and win if called on in the maritime domain should consider MSO. This small community of professional space integration and planning experts is needed now. MSO has the potential to be a force multiplier, complementing and improving the culture of Navy planning and execution and helping the nation maintain superiority in multiple domains. Most important, MSO will prevent the Navy from becoming a 21st- century version of the Iraqi military. The American people should expect nothing less from their Navy. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/may/new-maritime-space-officer

US Navy CNO touts reliable Ford systems, calls for additional study of light carrier by Michael Fabey

As aircraft launching-and-recovery systems prove their operational reliability aboard the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), the US Navy (USN) is looking to devote further analysis to the idea of developing a smaller “light carrier”, Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations (CNO), said on 13 May the virtual McAleese and Associates FY 2022 Defense Programs conference.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-navy-cno-touts-reliable-ford- systems-calls-for-additional-study-of-light-carrier

Navy submariners are testing out their own version of ‘birth control glasses’ ake the Silent Service well-rested again.

BY DAVID ROZA MAY 17, 2021

It’s great to hear that somebody’s actually getting a good night’s sleep, but who knew it would be aboard an active-duty nuclear submarine? That seems to have been the case for 42 lucky sailors aboard the USS Vermont, who last November took part in a study where they wore special glasses, called personal light treatment devices, to try to get their sleep schedule in a better rhythm.

Despite the glasses’ resemblance to the much maligned ‘birth control glasses’ issued to service members for decades, the study was a success, and many sailors wanted to keep wearing their glasses after it was over. While researchers still need to analyze the data, it could be a promising development for sleepy sailors across the Navy. “These PLTDs are inexpensive, unobtrusive, and if they prove to be an effective countermeasure to circadian misalignment among submariners during underway periods, the U.S. Navy will have one more option to help sailors get the rest and sleep they need to maintain their performance, enhance their moods, and potentially even improve their health,” said Dr. Sarah Chabal, a research psychologist with the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory and the lead researcher on the study, in a recent press release. The sailors must have been really sleep deprived, because the glasses look straight out of a high school chemistry class. Still, they address an unseen problem in the Silent Service: it can be hard to get some shut-eye when you’re stuck in a metal tube without a view of the sun or the night sky. Those external environmental cues help the body maintain a circadian rhythm, that internal clock telling us we should be awake during the day and asleep at night. Submarine crews take shifts to keep the boat running 24 hours a day, which means there are always lights on throughout the vessel. To make matters worse, sailors, like many of us, spend some time on their phones or computers relaxing in their bunks before going to sleep. The problem is that those devices emit blue light, which suppresses the release of nocturnal melatonin, an enzyme that helps humans fall asleep. That means sailors may take longer to fall asleep and have more difficulty staying asleep, the press release explained.

Loss of sleep and circadian misalignment can result in decreased performance, impulsiveness, and even health consequences, which can lead to dangerous and costly errors aboard a $2.7 billion submarine like Vermont. What to do about it? Wear some not-so-cool glasses, apparently. Murphy’s old adage perhaps applies: If it’s stupid but it works, it isn’t stupid. Chabal said that the goal of her study was “to investigate whether the judicious scheduling of light exposure through the use of personal light treatment devices, or PLTDs, can help sailors transition into and maintain their desired watch time.” Two types of glasses were used in the study: one provided blue light exposure to be worn in the morning immediately after waking, while the other blocked blue light and was worn at night before sleep. Meanwhile, a control group wore no glasses.

Lt. Cmdr. Joseph DeCicco, an undersea medical officer with NSMRL and Head of the Submarine Medicine and Survival Systems Department, went aboard Vermont in November with dozens of pairs of PLTD glasses as the crew prepared for a deployment to Brazil. All participants took sleep and mood surveys and wore sleep trackers on their wrists. DeCicco also collected biochemical circadian rhythm markers via saliva samples and measured the sailors’ cognitive performance with tablet-based games. “The sailors were fascinated by the study,” DeCicco noted. “They thought that using personal light treatment devices to tailor their sleep schedules to their personal needs is much better than forcing the entire crew to one sleep schedule or another. Additionally, the crew members overwhelmingly reported increased ‘awakeness’ during their appropriate awake period while wearing the glasses.” The study only lasted through Vermont’s trip to Brazil, but DeCicco pointed out that the sailors wanted to keep wearing the glasses on the journey back, past the end of the study. The press release did not say whether they were allowed to keep the glasses, but perhaps the Navy and other services will take note of the study’s success considering submariners are not the only service members stuck in perpetual fluorescent twilight: many sailors serving on massive aircraft carriers are usually stuck below decks most of the time, young Air Force missileers pull 24-hour shifts 60 to 80 feet below ground, and plenty of special operations members adopt a nocturnal sleep schedule while deployed. Could these military-grade BlueBlockers help them too? Hopefully, and if these glasses go the way of ‘birth control glasses,’ then somehow stylish hipsters will make them look cool in a few decades anyway.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-submariners-sleep-deficit-blue-light/

US Navy launches the fourth YT 808-class harbor tugboats

According to information published by the Facebook account of the Naval Sea Systems Command on May 17, 2021, Yard Tug (YT) 811 was successfully launched at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI), May 8. YT 811 is the Navy's fourth YT 808 Class harbor tugboat with a total of six under contract with DCI. Acceptance trials for YT 811 are planned for late summer followed by delivery to Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton Annex. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

U.S. Navy Yard Tug (YT) 811 harbor tugboat (Picture source: Facebook account of Naval Sea Systems Command)

Based on the Valiant class (YT-802) of US Navy Yard tugboats, the YT-808 will be the first of four updated variations built by Dakota Creek Industries. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., these 90 foot tugs will be used by the US Navy to perform ship-handling duties for the full range of US Navy surface warships, barges and submarines.

With an updated deck house, new EPA Tier IV engines and a new fendering system, these Tugs will have a free running speed of 12 knots minimum and a Bollard Pull of 40 short tons minimum. Construction on these tugs is planned to commence early in 2019.

A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships that cannot move well on their own, such as those in crowded harbours or narrow canals, or those that cannot move at all, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms.

They are powerful and durable for their size. Some are ocean-going, some are icebreakers or salvage tugs. Early models had steam engines, and modern ones have diesel engines. Many have deluge guns, which help in firefighting, especially in harbours

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news- archive/2021/may/10152-us-navy-launches-the-fourth-yt-808-class-harbor- tugboats.html

BRING BACK THE AIR FORCE BATTLE LAB

The U.S. Air Force has established a new, innovative organization whose charter is to “create an environment where innovative ideas are rapidly harvested and evaluated, leading to swift fielding of proven concepts,” with a mission to “rapidly identify and prove the worth of innovative ideas which improve the ability of the Air Force to execute its core competencies and joint warfighting.”

This wasn’t 2021 though — it was 1997. This was the Air Force Battle Lab. Despite some notable successes, the organization was shuttered in 2007 to shift fiscal support to ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the time since the battle lab became an obscure historical footnote, the Air Force has launched several innovation efforts and organizations, but none has filled the void left by the battle lab.

To answer Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown’s call to accelerate change or lose, the Air Force desperately needs to revive the battle lab.

What Was the Battle Lab?

The Air Force Battle Lab wasn’t actually a lab, it was a group of seven mission-specific labs.

Air Force Battle Labs, 1997-2007. (Image by author)

The battle lab existed to pair adapted mature technology with novel operating concepts to generate new warfighting solutions. To some readers, this may sound similar to several current Air Force efforts, but there are three distinct differences that separate the battle lab from anything the Air Force is presently doing.

First, the battle lab focused on exploiting mature (already fielded) technology and pairing it with novel concepts to generate new effects. For example, picture the F- 16 HARM targeting system that is used for the suppression of enemy air defenses. Imagine what could be done by installing it on an existing drone to penetrate further and loiter longer in areas deemed too risky for expensive manned fighters. Imagine no more — the battle lab did this in 2004 with an MQ-1 drone. The closest effort to this kind of work right now are research labs, but they are rightly focused on advancing the maturity (or technical readiness level) of nascent technology.

Second, the battle lab primarily existed to quickly close known capability gaps for airmen. Specifically, their goal was to field solutions within 18 months. Case in point: In the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom, the battle lab was tapped to solve critical communication issues inherent to operations in mountainous terrain that block line-of-sight communication for aircraft performing close air support. The battle lab’s solution was the Fighter Aircraft Command & Control Enhancement pod, which repurposed a standard training instrumentation pod that virtually all fighter aircraft carry on their missile rails during training. This pod was modified to carry an iridium satellite radio modem and a small VHF/UHF radio and provided a bolt-on workaround to continue the mission — years before the formal Urgent Operational Need process fielded a permanent satellite radio to solve the problem.

Last and most importantly, the battle lab was unique in that they existed to innovate for troops in the field. This is an important distinction worth highlighting. Despite the hype and emphasis on innovation throughout the Air Force in recent years, the reality is that very few of the technology, acquisition, and innovation organizations exist to provide direct near-term support to the operators at the forefront of executing the mission and/or put into harm’s way.

Astute readers may point to the efforts of AFWERX, the Air Force’s lead innovation organization. No doubt it is doing great work. However, AFWERX was not created to help airmen directly — it was created to help reinvigorate the small business defense industrial base. This distinction is easy to see once you identify the organization’s unique value proposition: industry outreach and the ability to generate massive volumes of small business research contracts. More AFWERX efforts reinforce this point. AFWERX’s Prime exists to expand emerging dual-use technology transition paths to accelerate (i.e., “prime”) markets — like flying cars. Finally, while AFWERX’s Spark Tank program is centered on airmen’s ideas, the program is structured to deal solely in the unclassified realm, and efforts are almost entirely limited to solving administrative and support pain points. These are beneficial to the mission in their own right, but these are not the ways or means to solve warfighting problems that operational airmen must contend with.

Why a Battle Lab

There are two imperatives for reviving the battle lab.

The first is bureaucracy. As the complexity of airpower continues to increase, there are more people than ever involved in the design, proposal, approval, and acquisition process to field capabilities that hope to generate the effects intended. As a result, the Air Force has found itself trapped in a paradigm where its strategic planning and programming efforts are yielding smaller returns on investment, and they are taking longer and longer to reach the end user in the field. This, in turn, creates more (and larger) capability gaps that are presumably solved sometime in the future with “program next” using the same process that created the issues in the first place. In the meantime, it is the operator deployed to execute the mission who assumes all the risk.

I am reminded of a recurring theme at the Air Force’s Weapons and Tactics Conference, an annual event attended by thousands of tacticians and dozens of general officers. A large part of the conference involves presenting operational problems for the operators to solve with innovative ideas. However, those operators closest to the warfighting problems are prohibited from proposing any material solution (i.e., no new hardware or software and no equipment modifications). In summary, they are asked to close capability gaps created by their own acquisition system, with only the tools that system has managed to provide them, and their disruptive material solutions aren’t even considered. Yes, there is value to imposing constraints to breed creativity, but there is also a point where a person can no longer be expected to “non-material” his or her way out of a material problem that was created by their own institution. The current process was not designed to be dynamic, and therefore it isn’t.

Secondly, the battle lab could provide a much-needed vehicle for tactical efforts to create operational impacts with strategic implications. It would do so by operating outside of the current planning, programming, budgeting, and execution process, a 1960s system that operates on the underlying premise of delivering one solution to one problem. In contrast, the battle lab would not only close tactical capability gaps but also rapidly create multiple ways to generate effects — and counter competitors’ capabilities. At the operational level, this translates into creating multiple dilemmas for the adversary. This is the key operational premise that underpins strategic competition and the National Defense Strategy.

There is little doubt that the Air Force wants to do this, but there is also little doubt it can do this by continuing to rely solely on its current organizational and institutional process that has proved unable to deliver.

Battle Lab 2.0

Innovation in the military is viewed mainly through the lens of technologists and futurists. After all, that’s where the money is. However, one of the underlying assumptions of this tech-centric culture is that capability and cost are directly correlated. This is wrong. In fact, it’s entirely possible to be extremely disruptive without being extremely expensive. As Chris Brose’s book The Kill Chain highlights, “new thinking is more important than new technology.” Right now, the Air Force has no organization charged to think like this — let alone act. Some might point to Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability, but this organization was created to centralize strategic force design and inform long-term budget decisions in order to build the force of the future. In fact, a few months ago it was quietly re-aligned and rebranded as Air Force Futures to clarify its scope. Think of the battle lab as teams of Lego masters. They would be focused on creating new effects by making innovative combinations of pieces sourced from the biggest Lego bin in the world: billions of dollars of military equipment that has already been procured, tested, and fielded. In many respects, the Air Force battle lab would be akin to a short- timeline, service-centric version of the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office, set up in 2012 to fund a handful of (usually classified) projects each fiscal year that test new ways of using existing weapons.

Adopting a line from DARPA’s purpose, the revived battle lab’s mission would be to create and prevent tactical surprise by developing novel, unorthodox, low-cost and high- payoff concepts that harvest, harness, and adapt technologies that already exist within the Department of Defense. This would close mission capability gaps for operators and create near-term disruption.

Rather than listing some promising ideas here and spoiling any future element of surprise, here are three unclassified historic examples to provide context.

A weapon: The Navy Weapons Center once created a very cheap anti-ship missile using off-the-shelf components by attaching an AGM-45 rocket motor to a Paveway II laser-guided bomb known as the AGM-123 Skipper. This crude but effective weapon was used to sink an Iranian frigate in 1988 during Operation Praying Mantis.

A Navy A-6 Intruder firing an AGM-123 Skipper. (Department of Defense)

A modification: In the aftermath of the failed Operation Eagle Claw, a combined Air Force, Navy, and Lockheed team was tasked to develop a unique hostage and team extraction vehicle (the weak link in the failed mission). Known as Operation Credible Sport, the team’s solution was a C-130 outfitted with rockets to permit a landing and subsequent take-off within the confines of a soccer stadium to rescue the American hostages held in Iran.

A Credible Sport YMC-130H forward-firing rockets during a short-landing test. (Department of Defense)

An adaptation: Just before Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Air Force contracted Northrop Grumman to modify a handful of target drones to lay chaff corridors. Completed in just 17 days, the modified drones were air-launched by a Navy DC-130 on the opening night of the war to clutter Iraqi radars ahead of the Air Force’s initial wave of manned strikes.

Modified BQM-34 target drones loaded on a Navy DC-130 in Masirah, Oman, on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Public)

Such technology mashups would augment — not replace — other acquisition/development efforts because the battle lab would operate off of needs, not requirements. For the unfamiliar, in defense parlance, requirements are largely driven by a bureaucratic top-down process and long-term strategic programming. Needs are quickly derived from the customer — the operator dealing with the warfighting problem first-hand. Right now, the only rapid needs-based support these airmen can get is from a system developed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that tragically mandates they be put into harm’s way before asking for help. This is not useful in an era of great- power competition.

The Minimum Viable Product

In this regard, the battle lab would provide a much-needed sense of urgency by prioritizing the most important and underappreciated variable in strategic competition — time. To preserve this key organizational attribute, as well as to temper technological appetite and to breed creativity, the proposed battle lab should aim to field minimum viable products within 18 months, the same timeline the original battle lab used 20 years ago.

It’s worth emphasizing the most important value of a minimum viable product is that it’s customer-focused — it’s the simplest version of a thing you can build that delivers value to the customer. In other words, it may not be perfect, but it will get to the operator in the field. This is a very different approach from the prototypes, demonstrations, and proofs- of-concept that currently crowd much of the defense innovation space.

This is the key for taking ideas from concept to combat to quickly close capability gaps while avoiding the trap of a more traditional byzantine requirements process or, worse, creating a pile of prototypes but delivering no capability to the help those dealing with the problem in the field. Minimum viable products permit the rapid fielding of solutions while still retaining the right and ability to iterate through the build-measure-learn cycle of product development to get end-user feedback and to continually iterate on solutions. This is fundamental to keeping the battle lab operating like a lean startup, even as it exists inside the Air Force’s bureaucracy.

Using this process, the battle lab would own the problem, maintain unique tactical and operational insights, and empower the operatorial Air Force all while implementing numerous Defense Innovation Board recommendations that have yet to be acted on by the Air Force.

Accelerate Change To be fair, the original battle labs weren’t perfect. Fortunately, the Air Force is in the business of applying lessons learned and is capable of building a better version of the battle lab today.

Where would the new battle lab(s) be located? How many labs should there be and what missions/areas should they focus on? How would it be manned, and who would own them? How would the battle labs discriminate among potential customers and problem sets to operate based upon value, opportunity, and needs? How would they expedite contracting to deliver on such aggressive timelines? How would they scale solutions past the minimum viable product stage?

These are all valid questions to be answered in time, but first the Air Force must come to the realization that it doesn’t need another innovation organization or technology accelerator. It needs a customer-centric capability accelerator — it needs to revive the battle lab.

https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/bring-back-the-air-force-battle-lab/

Space Force to increase spending on technologies to turn data into knowledge Space and Missile Systems Center headquarters at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. Credit: U.S. Space Force

Operators who monitor and track objects in orbit, for example, currently have to go to separate datasets for information and manually organize it in Excel spreadsheets

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force plans to spend billions of dollars over the next decade to convert huge amounts of data that resides in separate systems into a digital enterprise architecture.

Data is now stored in disconnected silos and it’s difficult to analyze it and make sense of it, Col. Jennifer Krolikowski, senior materiel leader for space command and control at the Space and Missile Systems Center, told SpaceNews.

“We need to do a lot of data-driven decision making,” she said. “The space domain is so data intensive.”

The Space Force will pursue a data management strategy known as “data as a service” to consolidate information into cloud platforms so it can be analyzed with artificial intelligence tools and delivered to users much faster than with current manual processes.

Space Force operators who monitor and track objects in orbit, for example, have to go to separate datasets for information and manually organize it in Excel spreadsheets. Data as a service automates that entire process.

The Space and Missile Systems Center, the procurement arm of the Space Force, last month awarded Palantir a $32.5 million contract for data as a service. The company will merge data used by the Space Force, the Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

“To do that you need to free the data and make sure that it’s not in stovepipes from different data owners which is how it is today,” said Krolikowski.

Palantir in April 2020 won a $10 million contract from SMC’s Space Enterprise Consortium to develop data-as-a-service tools. Palantir uses artificial intelligence to organize files, spreadsheets, emails, documents, images, videos and other data that is typically in disconnected stovepipes.

Palantir’s successful prototype led to the recent $32.5 million contract, Krolikowski said. Now SMC wants to start a larger effort with multiple providers that would compete for task orders, a contracting approach known as indefinite delivery indefinite quantity, or IDIQ. She noted that 16 companies competed for the consortium’s prototype contract a year ago. “We imagine it could be well over a billion dollars for the IDIQ, and we’re really excited to be able to do that within the next year,” said Krolikowski.

The scope and contracting strategy for the IDIQ are still being worked out, she said. It will likely be over 10 years long, and it could be in the single-digit billions, or even as large as $10 billion, Krolikowski said.

The initial data-as-a-service projects led by SMC have sparked interest and the demand is likely to grow, she said. “so we really see a lot of potential there.”

Many organizations across the Air Force and Space Force “want be able to come into our tech stack or come into the visualizations that we create. And so we’re working to build this IDIQ to help expand and scale,” said Krolikowski.

Some key problems the Space Force has to solve — such as ensuring spaceflight safety and protecting satellites from threats in orbit — require analyzing colossal amounts of data from many sources.

Under Palantir’s contract for data as a service, for example, Space Force officials will be able to access a dashboard showing the location of satellites and other objects in orbit, as well as information on the status of the satellite, who launched it, who controls it, and whether it is maneuvering.

“Now that I can bring in all of those things together and create a dashboard so that operators or my leadership can look at, they can click on that object and they can find out all of this information, all consolidated into one place,” said Krolikowski. The system is “pretty real time because it’s constantly pulling from the data feeds that it fuses together.”

Plans to increase the use of data as a service are in line with the Space Force’s strategy of being a technology-focused organization where data is viewed as a strategic asset

“Automation and machine learning will be particularly important,” says the Space Force’s vision document about being digital service, released May 6. Protecting space assets from threats, the document says, requires a “sophisticated, data-infused user-defined operational picture that is capable of fusing and presenting multi-source intelligence.”

https://spacenews.com/space-force-to-spend-years-and-billions-of-dollars-to-convert- data-into-knowledge/

Officials: Jeanne D’Arc Exercise Tests How Allies Can Work Together in Indo-Pacific

By: Dzirhan Mahadzir May 17, 2021 2:39 PM

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18), joined by the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH-154), the

French Navy’s amphibious assault helicopter carrier FS Tonnerre (L9014), and Japan

Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Ōsumi class tank landing ship JS Ōsumi, transit together during exercise Jeanne D’Arc 21 (ARC-21), off the coast of Kagoshima, Japan on May

14, 2021. US Marine Corps.

KUALA LUMPUR – Joint drills between allies in Japan between the U.S., Japanese, French and Australian navies helped the countries better understand how they can operate together in the Indo-Pacific, two U.S. officials leading the exercise.

Speaking at a media conference call on Monday, Capt. Brian Schrum, commanding officer of USS New Orleans (LPD-18), and Lt. Col. Jeremy Nelson, who commands the Marine force Jeanne D’Arc 21 contingent and the 3rd Landing Support Battalion, both said the joint exercise allowed the participating nations’ personnel to enhance their ability to work together in the Indo-Pacific.

“All the lessons and practices that we share with the Japanese, the Australian and the French allies during Arc 21 just make us more capable to responding to the current needs of the Indo-Pacific, whether it is responding to contingencies in the region or be called upon for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations,” Schrum said. Understanding partner nations’ capabilities and limitations and communicating well with each other throughout any execution is crucial for interoperability, both officers told reporters. Nelson said understanding each other’s staff planning processes and the personnel countries bring to planning sessions is just as important. He also said that individuals with similar capabilities from different partner nations should work together to form a common understanding when planning an exercise.

“Understanding what everyone brings to the fight and being able to communicate and understand one another is most important,” Nelson said.

For the Arc 21 exercise, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed the helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH-182); destroyers JS Ashigara (DDG-178), JS Asahi (DD-119) and JS Kongo (DDG-173); amphibious transport dock ship JS Osumi (LST-4001); missile boats JS Otaka (PG-826) and JS Shirataka (PG-829); and an unnamed submarine. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s personnel included troops from the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, in addition to CH-47 and AH-64 helicopters. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force also deployed F-2 fighters for the exercise.

U.S forces included amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18), P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and MV-22 Ospreys, while U.S ground elements consisted of elements from III Marine Expeditionary Force, including members of the Air Naval Gunfire Liason Company, a reconnaissance team, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists, a communication detachment and a logistic command element. The Royal Australian Navy deployed the frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH-154), while France deployed the landing helicopter dock FS Tonnerre (L9014) and frigate FS Surcouf (F711), which forms the French Jeanne D’Arc training and operational mission to the Indo-Pacific region. The embarked troops from Tonnere that participated include an army landing force from 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion and an engineer detachment of the 1st Foreign Legion Engineer Regiment (Combat engineering).

Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Japanese soldiers with Amphibious

Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japan Self Defense Force, exit a JSDF CH-47 Chinook helicopter prior to conducting a multilateral assault during exercise Jeanne D’Arc 21 at

Kirishima Maneuver Area, Japan on May 15, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo

While the ARC 21 exercise coincided during bad weather, the majority of the events proceeded as scheduled with some exceptions. Nelson said the exercise planned to rehearse receiving fuel from a helicopter for a ground refueling system for storage and then rapidly move that fuel to alternate aircraft when needed. Due to the weather conditions and safety issues, U.S. and Japanese forces did not conduct the refueling, but ground personnel mutually trained on the equipment and walked through the process of doing so in a day and night scenario.

The officials also said the ARC exercise, which began last week and wrapped up on Sunday, provided strong engagement and interoperability experience for the enlisted and junior officer personnel participating. Schrum said a number of at-sea activities, including domain awareness and advanced maneuvering training, were carried out despite the weather. He described having a JMSDF LCAC enter and depart the well deck of New Orleans several times as one of the more interesting activities, adding that the experience was good for the well deck crew and other ship personnel involved in the activity.

work with “It’s also important for our young junior officers and watchstanders on the ship, as they get the most out of understanding what it’s like to partnersNelson said and the allies same in wasthe region”, true for Schrumthe U.S. said.Marines involved in the exercise, as they established standard operating procedures for tactics in patrolling and urban combat and familiarized themselves with the equipment and weapon systems used by their partners. understood COVID mitigation measures, we worked through the language barrier“We worked and we through still able the to bad execute weather, planning we worked and executing through acomm safe exerciseon

that everyone mutually benefited from,” he said.

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/officials-jeanne-darc-exercise-tests-how-allies-can- work-together-in-indo-pacific

Japan hosts military exercises with the US, France and Australia amid tension over East China Sea

• Avery Choi Troops from Japan’s Self-Defence Forces, the US Marines and the French Army conducted joint drills at training grounds in Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture on May 15, 2021 - a first for France in the region. The joint exercises, which also included Australia’s navy, comes at a time when Washington and Tokyo are ramping up military activities amid rising tensions with China over territorial disputes in the East China Sea.

https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/3133830/japan-hosts-military-exercises-us-france- and-australia-amid-tension-over-east

America Is Ill-Prepared for a Challenge from China

May 17, 2021 Topic: military Region: Asia Blog Brand: The Reboot Tags: ChinaNetworked WarfareFuture WarfareMilitaryAir DefensesF-35 Modern militaries have a problem. by Kris Osborn

Here’s What You Need to Remember: The longest-range, most precise and effective weapons in the world, fired from new generations of advanced platforms, may still fall short when it comes to destroying enemy air defenses. But what about sensors, computing and networks to ensure victory? After all, a weapon or attack platform may be of marginal use if it is not able to locate crucial time-sensitive emerging targets across vast areas of territory.

While considered crucial in every war theater, the ability to strike in real-time from afar is of particular relevance in the Pacific, an area where operations are described as needing to confront the “tyranny of distance.” This predicament was taken up by Air Force Pacific Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach at the 2021 Air Force Association Symposium, who explained that the Pacific extended as much as 100 million square miles. He said the Pacific spans from “the West Coast of the U.S. to the Indian Ocean all the way to the Arctic. There are not many airfields and there is a lot of open water.”

Alongside technical specifics regarding weapons and sensors, the need to find enemy air defenses is nothing short of critical. These concerns have inspired the Pentagon’s Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) effort and the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) program. These platforms, such as a B-2 and F-35, would not only be able to leverage new technology to find and attack enemy air defenses themselves but also share targeting and surveillance data in real-time amid combat. This forms the basis for JADC2, as it represents an inspired endeavor to form a “mesh” of nodes creating a “kill web” across vast distances between attack aircraft, drones, surface ships and even ground-based weapons and radar systems.

When addressing the need to destroy enemy surface-to-air missile sites (SAMS), Air Force Pacific Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach specifically addressed JADC2 and ABMS in the context of engineering a fast-moving, secure, self-healing network able to instantly connect otherwise disaggregated or disconnected war platforms.

“JADC2 is an operational construct to present multiple dilemmas to our adversaries at a pace and volume such that they cannot win,” he said. The Air Force ABMS, its contribution to JADC2, has been conducting what it calls “on-ramps,” essential demonstrations, assessments and war preparation exercises intended to refine the kind of networking capability needed for new generations of warfare.

“There is an upcoming ABMS demo in Alaska where we will bring disparate networks together with a common operating picture. What if you don’t have internet or cell coverage? That is where these systems come together. There is no cell coverage in the middle of the ocean, so you have to establish your own network,” Wilsbach said.

As part of this rationale, Wilsbach explained the importance of having multiple nodes across a network to ensure continued functionality in the event that one note or connectivity point in the network is destroyed.

“You have to have more than one node, so it is self-healing. That way you don’t have to spend a lot of time manually changing what node you are on. I want to have one device that is talking through all of the network so it can operate when one node of the network gets challenged,” Wilsbach said.

Building in this kind of redundancy is essential to the emerging concept of JADC2, because if one sensor is disabled or rendered ineffective by enemy jamming or incoming fire, real-time information can still be transmitted to other nodes, sensors and “shooters” in position to respond. Interestingly, all of this can be massively expedited by artificial intelligence and advanced computing for the purpose of data organization, analysis and transmission. Advanced algorithms can gather massive volumes of incoming sensor data, bounce it off a seemingly limitless database and make instant determinations to identify threats and moments of relevance for human decision-makers. An ability to discern, find, identify and analyze crucial, time- sensitive combat variables from otherwise overwhelming pools of information can be the margin of difference in warfare. Air Force leaders refer to this as “information at the speed of relevance,” a thought which could be considered as somewhat defining to the rationale and implementation ofThis articl

The evolving nature of China’s military diplomacy: from visits to vaccines In 2020 and 2021, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) supported China’s civilian COVID-19-related diplomatic activities. This seemingly falls in line with President Xi Jinping’s call in 2015 for the PLA to play a more prominent role in supporting China’s foreign policy. However, compared with China’s civilian ‘mask diplomacy’ efforts, the PLA’s COVID-19-related military diplomacy were more limited in a number of ways. What do these activities tell us about the Chinese military’s place in China’s COVID-19- related foreign policy?

The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) military-to-military cooperation in response to the global coronavirus pandemic signals a growing role for the military within China’s diplomatic activities.

Historically, the PLA played a minor role in Chinese foreign policy. However, in the wake of a more nationalist and assertive Chinese foreign policy, the PLA’s role in national diplomacy and security strategy has grown to serve both strategic and operational goals and has reached new heights in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Military-to-military COVID-19-related engagement has taken place within a larger context of Beijing’s expanded diplomatic efforts to improve China’s global reputation following its initial delayed and mishandled response at the start of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.

Publicly available data shows that COVID-19 military diplomacy began in March 2020, when the PLA sent protective equipment and clothing to Iran. In February 2021, the PLA began to donate COVID-19 vaccines to overseas militaries. The PLA’s vaccine assistance to 13 countries globally fits within a wider vaccine-centric diplomatic effort by the Chinese government but so far has been far smaller in scale.

Between March 2020 and April 2021, the PLA has provided military medical assistance or donations to 56 countries around the world, and a United Nations peacekeeping mission. In all but two cases, the PLA’s medical diplomatic activities were directed at countries belonging to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Geographically, the PLA mostly engaged with countries in the Asia–Pacific and Africa. The focus on the BRI and South–South diplomacy also reflects China’s wider diplomatic narrative and foreign policy objectives. The PLA’s activities were usually framed within the ‘responsible stakeholder’ narrative that China sought to promote through its civilian aid diplomacy. It is likely that the PLA sought to cooperate with militaries wherever it could and focussed on countries with which it already enjoyed established friendly relations, rather than using the PLA’s military diplomacy to establish new strategic relations.

The PLA’s military diplomatic activities relating to the coronavirus demonstrate that the PLA will increasingly play a greater role in China’s foreign diplomacy, in line with President Xi’s instructions.

https://www.iiss.org/blogs/research-paper/2021/05/china-military-diplomacy

China honors military strategic planning units, individuals (Xinhua) 10:52, May 17, 2021

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Ten Chinese military units and 18 individuals were honored for their outstanding performance in military strategic planning.

Over the past years, the Chinese armed forces have endeavored to pursue reform and innovation. The armed forces also made every effort to advance the strategic planning for building a strong military in the new era, said a circular issued by the Central Military Commission.

It also stressed the importance of innovation in the design, implementation, and assessment of strategies. It called for continued improvement of strategic planning and macro-management, as well as promoting the high-quality development of the military.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0517/c90000-9850616.html

PLA modernises Xinjiang's military units in 'reaction' to India-China LAC row

• Xinjiang was finally thrust into the limelight after India refused to back down against Chinese territorial aggression in the areas of Galwan and Lake Pangong in 2020. There is abundant evidence, from online social media releases of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and state-controlled media, that the Chinese military has intensified efforts to modernize ground units in the Xinjiang Military District. The Xinjiang Military District is one part of the Western Theater Command. The latter boasts some 90,000-120,000 ground troops, principally divided into the 76th and 77th Group Armies (headquartered in the interior cities of Chongqing and Baoji respectively), according to research by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University in the USA. However, the Western Theater Command does not possess direct ground operational authority in the restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. Instead, both these high-altitude regions have their very own army-directed military districts to control the security situation. The Xinjiang Military District itself contains some 50,000-60,000 army troops, according to Dennis Blasko, a former US Army attache to Beijing and Hong Kong. Other analysis, such as that by the Belfer Center, believes the PLA has 70,000 ground troops in the district. Whichever figure is true, the fact is that Xinjiang Military District owns more troops than Tibet does, which controls an estimated 40,000 soldiers. MORE FROM THIS SECTION Over 2,300 people in UK infected with Covid-19 strain found in India Interestingly, the Xinjiang Military District in the far west of China has perpetually been something of a pauper when it comes to receiving the newest military equipment. This is probably because of a number of different reasons, chief amongst them being that the PLA is geared primarily for a conflict with Taiwan, and so units near that island nation are prioritized for the most modern combat gear. Additionally, Xinjiang's borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan are relatively secure, with no direct threat of cross-border intrusions. An order of battle compiled from several sources comes up with the following units in Xinjiang Military District: three motorized infantry divisions (the 4th, 8th and 11th Motorized Infantry Divisions); the 6th Mechanized Infantry Division; a special operations brigade; the 2nd Artillery Brigade; a "high-powered artillery brigade; two infantry regiments (the 1st and 2nd Independent Regiments); the 13th Air Defense Brigade; an engineer regiment; the 3rd Aviation Brigade; an intelligence/reconnaissancebrigade; and additional logistics units. There are also two border defense regiments (12th and 13th Border Defense Regiments). The PLARF has 646 Brigade near Korla. The brigade was known to have DF-21C medium-range ballistic missiles, but it seems likely the brigade has been re- equipped with the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile. PLA units are dispersed widely around Xinjiang, China's largest province that spans a staggering 1.6 million square kilometers. Right up till last year, these units were predominantly equipped with older equipment such as Type 88 main battle tanks, Type 63 armored personnel carriers and elderly towed artillery pieces. These are in no way cutting edge, especially compared to some of the flashy new gear appearing in other combined arms brigades in more favored PLA units and theaters. However, 2021 has been an exciting one for PLA soldiers in the Xinjiang Military District! Waves of new combat systems are rolling in to help modernize key units in the province. Of course, Chinese state media likes to herald such new arrivals, since it contributes to state propaganda efforts. However, it is useful to note in detail what new systems have already been inducted before the first half of 2021 has even concluded. Most recently, in May, delivery of new PHL-03 multiple rocket launchers was reported. It is likely that these 8x8 truck-based rocket launchers were delivered to the "high- powered" artillery brigade, since the PHL-03 is a key artillery system in the PLA. Video footage revealed ten such PHL-03 MRLs arrayed at a commissioning ceremony, along with four trans-loader vehicles and four support trucks. Also new in May for Xinjiang appears to be the PCL-161 self-propelled howitzer. The PCL-161 is a 122mm-caliber howitzer installed on a 4x4 lightly armored truck chassis. These have probably been rolled out to one or more of the district's motorized infantry divisions. The advantages of the PCL-161 are enormous compared to existing lumbering towed howitzers that take time to set up and depart from a firing position. Just three months earlier, the PCL-181 self-propelled howitzer arrived in Xinjiang. An even more sophisticated artillery piece for the PLA, the PCL-181 is mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis and it boasts a 155mm-caliber gun. This type of mobile, wheeled system would be distributed to artillery brigades to again replace obsolete towed howitzers. Artillery systems like the PHL-03, PCL-161 and PCL-181 enjoy greater digitization than their predecessors. They are typically accompanied by command-and-control and reconnaissance vehicles, as well as medium-altitude drones in the air. This networked capability results in targeting and fire missions that are far more precise. Taken together, then, these new artillery assets are critical to beefing up the PLA in China's far west. What about armored vehicles? Significantly, Chinese Type 15 light tanks - the term "light tank" is relative, for the vehicle still weighs 35 tons - were first observed in Xinjiang in February. Photos showed that at least ten of these ZTQ-15 tanks had been delivered, with the likely recipient being the 6th Armor Regiment of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Division. These tanks are more maneuverable in mountainous terrain thanks to their nimbleness and weight compared to a heavier and larger main battle tank. Instead of older vehicles like the tracked Type 63 armored personnel carrier, footage of the much more modern ZBL-09 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle with 30mm cannon was finally released in May. A CCTV article said the ZBL-09 type had been issued to a combined arms brigade in Xinjiang, with live-firing practice taking place near the Karakorum mountain range. This Type 09 family of combat vehicles is diverse, with all kinds of variants in service, but the 8x8 wheeled vehicle allows units to move quickly by road. With Chinese media having announced that a Type 09-based ambulance was already serving in Xinjiang, it was only a matter of time before news of main combat vehicles of the family (like the ZBL-09) be released as well. It is still unclear which unit(s) has received the ZBL-09, but it will presumably be one of the motorized infantry divisions. Meanwhile, the PLA's 84th Army Aviation Brigade based in Wujiaqu also has the very latest helicopter types in service. CCTV footage from February showed Z-20 and Z-8G helicopters performing a mission with several Z-10 attack helicopters. The Z-20, a blatant copy of the American Black Hawk platform, is the newest addition to the PLA helicopter fleet. It was designed for optimal performance at high altitudes, making it well suited to flying in Xinjiang and Tibet. The Z-8G, meanwhile, represents the latest generation of the long-serving Z-8 helicopter family. When we put all these revelations together, we can sense huge impetus to PLA efforts to beef up its fighting capability in Xinjiang. But why? It is obviously a reaction to last year's tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control. Whereas Tibet had been prioritized for new equipment long before Xinjiang was, "ugly stepsister" Xinjiang was finally thrust into the limelight after India refused to back down against Chinese territorial aggression in the areas of Galwan and Lake Pangong in 2020. Instead of forcing the Xinjiang Military District to respond with elderly, and probably dilapidated in some cases, equipment, the PLA has urgently funneled equipment such as artillery, armored vehicles and helicopters into Xinjiang. One could argue that this equipment was going to trickle down to Xinjiang in any case, but last year's border confrontation definitely seems to have sped up the process and given it greater urgency. Indeed, it is rather impressive, and scary for China's neighbors, to see how rapidly the PLA can manufacture and distribute new systems. Of course, it is possible that China is waging a carefully calculated propaganda campaign to intimidate neighbors like India. It may be that the new equipment is not reaching Xinjiang in large numbers, and that its arrival in small batches of equipment is simply being milked to maximum effect. Nonetheless, it does not change the fact that the PLA has been rapid in its development, manufacture and distribution of new equipment. While Indian Ministry of Defence procurements remain mired in red tape and bureaucratic inertia, the PLA is forging ahead. Chairman Xi Jinping has prioritized the modernization and mechanization of the PLA, and that this is happening is undeniable even in former forgotten backwaters like Xinjiang. General Zhao Zongqi, former head of the Western Theater Command, stepped down in December 2020, after nearly five years in the job. He was replaced by General Zhang Xudong, who prior to that had been commander of Central Theater Command ground forces. Intriguing is the role of Lieutenant General Xu Qiling, who Chinese media reported on 1 June 2020 had taken up the post of commander of Western Theater Command ground forces. Xu, formerly serving in the Eastern Theater Command, essentially swapped posts with incumbent He Weidong. This lateral exchange is a most unusual occurrence, and the fact that it was reported during a time of tensions suggests he may have been called in as a firm hand to oversee PLA activities. Blasko described it as "a strange move in the middle of a crisis". Speaking of the border tensions with India, the Belfer Center noted: "This means that China is regularly operating with a permanent Indian conventional force advantage along its border areas. In the event of a major standoff or conflict with India, it would have to rely upon mobilization primarily from Xinjiang and secondarily from the Western Theater Command forces deeper in China's interior. By contrast, Indian forces are already largely in position." Of course, one way of overcoming this numerical disadvantage along the Indian border is to beef up the equipment issued to Xinjiang Military District with more modern replacements, as we indeed see occurring. The Nanjiang (Southern Xinjiang) Military District is responsible for the Aksai Chin area along the Indian border. The 6th Mechanized Infantry Division with 10,000-13,000 personnel is important since it is the closest to Aksai Chin, the location where last year's Galwan Valley bloodbath occurred. Notably, only one Chinese highway (called G219) leads into the area. Once border defense and other services like the PLA Air Force and PLA Rocket Force are included, the Western Theater Command possesses some 235,000 personnel. According to Blasko, however, only a "small fraction is deployed near the Indian border, primarily because the restrictive mountainous terrain and high altitude limit the effectiveness, and increase the vulnerability, of large mechanized formations. This terrain favors the defense over mechanized attack confined to valley floors, especially if the defense is from fortified emplacements on the high ground."

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pla-modernises-xinjiang-s-military-units-in- reaction-to-india-china-lac-row-101621231048385.html

Modernisation of PLAGF's Xinjiang Military Command continues apace by Samuel Cranny-Evans & Gabriel Dominguez

The modernisation and mechanisation of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force's (PLAGF's) Xinjiang Military Command continues at a fast pace, with Chinese media revealing on 16 May that Xinjiang recently received elements of a medium combined arms battalion, including dozens of ZLB-09 (also known as Type 09)-series 8×8 platforms.

A screengrab from footage released by CCTV on 16 May of a recently held ceremony showing elements of a medium combined arms battalion entering service with the PLAGF’s Xinjiang Military Command. (CCTV)

Broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) released footage of an induction ceremony for about 70 protected wheeled platforms, including at least 14 ZTL-11 direct- fire-support vehicles armed with a 105 mm gun.

At least 19 ZBL-09 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), six supporting elements – including a ZBL-09-based armoured recovery vehicle – as well as six command-and-control (C2) platforms based on the 8×8 hull were also present. The formation also included two 6×6 armoured vehicles, which are most likely from the ZSL-92 family, and may be mortar vehicles, although this has not been confirmed.

Elements of the artillery company typically assigned to a medium combined arms battalion were also present at the event and included at least eight PLL-09 122 mm self- propelled howitzers (SPHs) based on the ZBL-09 hull, two or more artillery reconnaissance vehicles from the ZBL-09 family, CSK181 4×4 protected mobility vehicles that appear to be used in support of artillery formations, and what are likely to be 8×8 C2 vehicles for the artillery company.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/modernisation-of-plagfs-xinjiang- military-command-continues-apace

Chinese Army Inducts New Armored Vehicles, Howitzers & Rocket Launchers PCL-181 155mm wheeled vehicle-mounted howitzers The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Xinjiang Military Command has taken delivery of three new advanced weapon systems – armored vehicles, howitzers and self-propelled rocket launchers – over the past week. The unit deployed in a snowy plateau region at an elevation of more than 4,500m inducted dozens of Type 08 eight-wheeled armored vehicles of different variants with some of them equipped with large caliber rifled guns, auto cannons, machine guns and howitzer systems, js7tv.cn, a video news website affiliated with the PLA, reported on Sunday. Another newly delivered weapons system is a new-type, four-wheeled 122mm- caliber self-propelled howitzer, to a group which recently conducted its first live-fire target practice deep in the Karakorum Mountains at an altitude of 4,500m. The howitzer partially uses technologies from the PCL-181 155mm-caliber self-propelled howitzer. In addition, a batch of new PHL-03 long-range self-propelled heavy rocket launchers, which are highly mobile, fast-reacting, highly accurate, very deadly and jamming- resistant, recently went into service at a unit deployed in a snow-covered region at an elevation of more than 5,200m, Chinese media reported. The command received the first batch of newly developed Type 15 light tanks in early 2021.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29583/Chinese_Army_Inducts_New_Armored_Vehi cles__Howitzers___Rocket_Launchers#.YKN7aKgzbIU

China rocket debris spurs calls for limiting space junk US-China rivalry and acrimony complicates dealing with safety issues

China’s Long March 5B has a first stage that is 30 meters long and weighs 20 tons, which made it too large to burn up in the atmosphere on May 9. © Getty Images

MITSURU OBE, Nikkei Asia chief business news correspondentMay 17, 2021 13:58 JST

TOKYO -- Few think that their backyards will ever be ground zero for junk falling from space, even after parts from one of the world's largest rockets dropped near the Maldives this month, and from another that peppered the Ivory Coast last year.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-rocket-debris-spurs-calls- for-limiting-space-junk2

China Demos Drone-guided Helicopter-launched Missile Attack on Maritime Targets

PLA Z-19 helicopters In a recent live-fire exercise, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) guided Z-19 gunships to launch missile attacks on maritime targets beyond visual range using reconnaissance drones. The drills were conducted by an aviation brigade attached to the PLA 71st Group Army recently held the drill in the Yellow Sea. The drones detected, identified and tracked maritime targets from thousands of meters high in the air, and sent the data back to the command center in real time. Upon receiving orders, multiple Z-19 attack helicopters took off and rapidly headed toward the targets at low altitude. Instead of confirming with the naked eye, the pilots launched missiles at the targets based on the guidance of the drones once they entered missile range, state-run CCTV reported Tuesday. Both stationary and moving targets were hit, the report said. This technique reduces the time needed for an attack, and the chopper can leave the mission area immediately after launching the missile. It also makes use of the maximum potential of missiles. In addition, using drones to guide helicopters will work in low visibility conditions like in bad weather or when the enemy uses smoke. An expert told the Global Times, “In the frontline of battlefields, even when air superiority is secured, some enemies could still threaten helicopters with anti-aircraft weapons like portable missile launchers. But if helicopters launch attack without the enemy seeing them, their survival rate is bound to increase.” The tactic can be used in missions like amphibious landings, analysts said, noting that helicopters are not the only ones that can benefit, as other weapon platforms like fixed- wing aircraft and artillery could also partner up with reconnaissance drones. During the drills, the Z-19s also practiced aerial combat after completing surface target shootings, with live air-to-air missiles launched to take down target drones.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29560/China_Demos_Drone_guided_Helicopter_la unched_Missile_Attack_on_Maritime_Targets#.YKN8aKgzbIU Fighter jets take off for flight training exercise (China Military Online) 14:20, May 17, 2021

Fighter jets attached to an air force aviation brigade under the PLA Southern Theater Command taxi on the runway before a flight training exercise on April 20, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Guoyun)

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0517/c90000-9850720.html

Chinese army operating helicopters from new PLAGF base near Taiwan by Sean O’Connor

Analysis of commercial satellite imagery indicates that People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) helicopters are operating from a new helicopter base under construction on the Chinese coastline opposite Taiwan.

The Yuanqian helicopter base is located approximately 54 km southwest of the port city of Xiamen in China’s southeastern Fujian Province. A petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) storage area is under construction approximately 1.6 km southwest of the site and is likely intended to support the base, construction of which began between June 2019 and June 2020.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/chinese-army-operating-helicopters- from-new-plagf-base-near-taiwan

New pictures of the China Navy second Type 075 landing helicopter dock The Twitter account of Loongnaval published on May 12, 2021, new pictures of the Second Chinese Navy Type 075 landing helicopter dock ship. According to information released by Defense Studies, the ship has started sea trials on January 3, 2021. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Second type 075 Landing Helicopter Dock Yushen-class landing helicopter assault (Picture source: Twitter account of Loongnaval)

The Type 075 is a class of landing helicopter dock or amphibious assault ship designed and manufactured for the Chinese navy by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding, the largest shipbuilding group in China and the second-largest shipbuilding conglomerate in the world.

The Type 075 is comparable to the American Wasp-class, a class of landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships operated by the United States Navy. This type of ship is used by the U.S. Marine Corps and conduct landing operations using landing craft or helicopters as well as providing air support via AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft or F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters.

The Type 075 will be used by the Chinese navy to carry various types of helicopters to attack naval vessels, enemy ground forces or submarines. The vessels will be also used to deploy landing craft and troops, as well as command and control ship.

The development of the Type 075 LHD has officially started in 2011. The ship will offer new amphibious capabilities to the Chinese Navy. It features a full-length flight deck for helicopter operations, which can also serve as a platform for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. According to Chinese military sources, the Type 075 will be able to carry approximately 900 troops and conduct land operations.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news- archive/2021/may/10153-new-pictures-of-the-china-navy-second-type-075-landing- helicopter-dock.html Naval frigate flotilla conducts maritime training exercise (China Military Online) 13:38, May 16, 2021

Two warships attached to a naval frigate flotilla under PLA's Southern Theater Command carry out coordination drill during a maritime combat training exercise on April 21, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Bin)

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0516/c90000-9850354.html

Xi Jinping Wants to Dominate Asia:

Can the Chinese Military Succeed?

May 17, 2021 Topic: China Military Region: Asia Blog Brand: The Reboot Tags: NavyChinaStrategyU.S. Coast GuardMilitaryAdvantage At Sea

China’s Navy, the strategy explains, has nearly “tripled” in size over just the last two decades. by Kris Osborn

Here's What You Need to Remember: The sheer numbers of ships, and perhaps most notably the pace at which they are being added, is considered alarming to many Pentagon weapons planners who consistently call for a five-hundred-ship fleet U.S. Navy.

China is fast-building destroyers, amphibious ships, carriers, nuclear-armed submarines and fast-attack boats along with many other naval platforms as part of a visible effort to dominate the regional and international seas and, according to a recently released U.S. strategy, “displace the United States as the preferred partner in countries around the world.”

The Navy, Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard have a new strategy document, called “Advantage at Sea,” which takes a hard line on Chinese expansionism and details a number of what it describes as aggressive Chinese ambitions intended to “corrode international maritime governance, deny access to traditional logistical hubs, inhibit freedom of the seas, control use of key chokepoints and deter U.S. engagement in regional disputes.”

“It continues to militarize disputed features in the South China Sea and assert maritime claims inconsistent with international law. Its state-subsidized distant water fishing fleet steals vital resources from nations unable to defend their own exclusive economic zones,” the study writes.

The sheer numbers of ships, and perhaps most notably the pace at which they are being added, is considered alarming to many Pentagon weapons planners who consistently call for a five-hundred-ship fleet U.S. Navy. China’s Navy is well known to already be larger than the United States, and the country is leveraging its large domestic industrial capacity and shipbuilding ability.

“This rapid growth is enabled by a robust shipbuilding infrastructure, including multiple shipyards that exceed those in the United States in both size and throughput. In conflict, excess PRC industrial capacity, including additional commercial shipyards, could quickly be turned toward military production and repair, further increasing China’s ability to generate new military forces,” the strategy states.

China’s Navy, the strategy explains, has nearly “tripled” in size over just the last two decades, and the People’s Liberation Army Navy plans to operate as many as five carriers, double its fleet of destroyers and add new high-tech, heavily armed warships, amphibs and coastal patrol boats, among other things.

“China deploys a multilayered fleet that includes the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the China Coast Guard, and the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia—naval auxiliaries disguised as civilian vessels—to subvert other nations’ sovereignty and enforce unlawful claims,” the strategy states.

All of these factors, the strategy explains, are fundamental to China’s massive ambition to emerge as the preeminent global power through military modernization and what some have termed a kind of economic imperialism. The strategy explains this as “predatory lending” and visible attempts to control access to strategic maritime locations. Chinese expansionism is particularly apparent in Africa where the country has built a new military base near the U.S. facility in Djibouti and also engaged in controlling financial initiatives with many African nations to gain an unprecedented economic foothold and ability to control business throughout the continent.

“China has implemented a strategy and revisionist approach that aims at the heart of the United States’ maritime power. . . . China’s One Belt One Road initiative is extending its overseas logistics and basing infrastructure that will enable its forces to operate farther from its shores than ever before, including the polar regions, Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean,” the strategy states.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/xi-jinping-wants-dominate-asia-can-chinese- military-succeed-185325

Taiwan could play major operational role in US-China conflict: Analyst

Cybersecurity researcher says Taiwanese military capabilities would complement US Marines operations in conflict with China By Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/05/17 11:21

Taiwan's new Yushan-class amphibious dock transport ship. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan can play a significant role in preserving U.S. Marine Corps operational mobility in the case of a conflict with China, according to the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR).

INDSR cybersecurity researcher Hsieh Pei-hsueh (謝沛學) recently wrote an article in the think tank’s biweekly report analyzing the U.S. Marines’ presence in the Taiwan Strait and the role of Taiwan in the event of a regional conflict.

Hsieh pointed out that in response to the increasing threat posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region, senior U.S. Marines officials believe the force must develop its capability to carry out long-range precision strike capabilities and expeditionary advanced base operations. He added that Marines can use vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) MV-22 Osprey aircraft, littoral combat ships, assault boats, and unmanned aerial vehicles to quickly conduct island attacks.

Hsieh said that the U.S. hopes to transform its forward bases into a more comprehensive network with the use of amphibious assault ships, barges, and even floating platforms to strengthen its ground and air forces. As such, he claimed that Taiwan can serve as a key center of operations for this system. He said that if the Marine Corps use Taiwan's main island and its outlying islands, it could use at least six effective ports in Yilan, Hualien, Green Island, Orchid Island, Xiaoliuqiu, and the Dongsha Islands. These could shelter an American littoral combat regiment and mobile missile launchers, he added.

Hsieh also stated that Marines operations in the first island chain, namely amphibious landings and island raids, would have to be conducted in unfavorable conditions, such as insufficient air support, during a conflict with China. When the fighting in the Taiwan Strait reaches its peak, that is when Beijing will begin its landing operations against the country, he added.

The analyst mentioned that Taiwan’s new 10,000-ton amphibious dock transport ship the Yushan can strengthen the nation’s ability to transport troops and support its amphibious operations. Hsieh said that in the early stage of a conflict when Chinese forces have not yet entered Taiwan’s eastern waters, an amphibious combat fleet headed by the Yushan can first be docked at Yilan or an American Marine force can be stationed in the area on standby.

Hsieh said that the Marine Corps could use its BGM-109G cruise missile to compliment Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng II E cruise missiles to suppress China’s defensive strongholds and destroy its VTOL and missile strike capabilities. Taiwan can then launch counter-landing operations and wipe out invading Chinese ground forces that have not yet established a beachhead, the researcher speculated.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4204793

Taiwan unveils Army restructure aimed at decentralizing military 7

Taiwanese soldiers stay behind armed vehicles during a drill at the Hsinchu military base on Jan. 19, 2021. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Taiwan will reorganize its Army’s command structure to emphasize joint operations between its services and give regional commanders more operational flexibility in the event of a conflict, the country’s defense minister told lawmakers.

The reorganization will see the various corps and defense commands of the Taiwanese Army renamed as distinct “combat theater commands,” Chiu Kuo-cheng reported to the self-governing island’s parliament on May 10.

The Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the Army’s Penghu, Huadong, Sixth, Eighth and Tenth Army corps will be renamed the first to fifth combat theater commands responsible for the Penghu islands west of Taiwan and the areas of eastern, northern, southern and central Taiwan, respectively.

Chiu added that the leaders of each combat theater command will be responsible for coordinating the forces of each of Taiwan’s armed services in each region, in effect forming joint chiefs of staff to enhance interoperability and coordinate operations during conflict or peacetime operations, such as disaster relief.

Although each of the current Army corps are commanded by Army generals, Chiu left open the possibility that the new theater commands could be led by officers drawn from other services.

This possibility was welcomed by experts speaking to Radio Free Asia’s Chinese- language coverage of the announcement. The director of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Su Tzu-yun, suggested that the second theater command in eastern Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean and Taiwan’s outlying islands could be led by Air Force or Navy commanders due to the principal domains of that area.

He added that the new decentralized command structure would also potentially improve survivability of Taiwanese forces during a conflict by allowing theater commanders more latitude to act in the event that communications are jammed or disabled, impairing command and control.

The announcement also ties into Taiwan’s Overall Defense Concept, which focuses on developing the nation’s asymmetric defense capabilities and seeks to improve the ability to preserve its forces against China’s numerically superior and increasingly technologically advanced military. China sees Taiwan as a rogue province and has vowed to reincorporate the island into its territory, including by force if necessary.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/05/17/taiwan-unveils-army- restructure-aimed-at-decentralizing-military/

Japan to mention Taiwan stability in defense report for first time

• An undated photo shows a Chinese navy frigate passing between Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture and Taiwan. | DEFENSE MINISTRY / VIA KYODO Japan will mention the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait in its next annual defense report for the first time, as China’s military pressure on the self-ruled island intensifies, a draft of the document showed Thursday. “The stability of the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for the security of Japan and the stability of the international community,” said the draft of the white paper, which is set to be formally brought forward at a Cabinet meeting and released in July.

Again touching on security concerns over China’s military development, the defense report is set to have a new section focusing on U.S.-China relations, in which the government says “a change in the military power balance may impact regional peace and stability.” The planned reference to Taiwan comes after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden underscored in April “the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” It marked the first time in 52 years that leaders of Japan and the United States have referred to Taiwan in a joint statement — a move that immediately drew a protest from Beijing, which regards the island as a renegade province awaiting reunification by force if necessary. The draft of the report states Chinese military planes have been active around Taiwan, while the United States has been increasingly supportive of the island such as by selling weapons and boosting the presence of the U.S. military in the Taiwan Strait.

It warned that the trend favors China in terms of the military power balance between the country and Taiwan.

Also for the first time, the upcoming defense report is set to call repeated intrusions by Chinese vessels into Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea as a “violation of international law.” China claims the uninhabited islands, calling them the Diaoyu. China’s implementation of a new law in February that allows its coast guard to use weapons against ships it views as intruding into its territory is problematic under international law, it added. On U.S.-China relations, it said political, economic and military rivalry between them is becoming more apparent, adding that their military activities are growing active especially in the South China Sea.

Noting views that China is seeking to acquire advanced technologies from other countries for the development of its armed forces, the report said protection of them is another important issue Japan needs to deal with.

On North Korea, the paper said a ballistic missile Pyongyang launched in March was a “new type.” It said North Korea is believed to have already acquired the capability to attack Japan with a nuclear ballistic missile and is also pushing ahead with the development of ballistic missiles with irregular trajectories.

As for international cooperation, it said Japan will strengthen cooperation with the United States, Australia and India — four major democracies collectively known as the Quad — to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/14/national/taiwan-stability-defense-white- paper/

Japan eyes low-interest loans for defense equipment exports

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo A plaque for the Defense Ministry is seen in Tokyo in November 2020.

7:22 pm, May 17, 2021

The Yomiuri ShimbunThe government intends to provide low-interest loans through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to promote exports of defense equipment, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The move is intended to create an environment that will allow partner countries to purchase defense equipment more easily by offering low-interest loans through the JBIC, a government-affiliated financial institution.

Although the Japanese government lifted the ban on arms exports in 2014, the move has not boosted exports significantly. The government apparently hopes to break the impasse with this financial support framework.

As many pieces of defense equipment, such as destroyers and transport aircraft, are expensive, costing hundreds of millions of yen, foreign governments have often shown reluctance to purchase them.

There have been cases in which developing countries facing funding shortfalls asked the Japanese government for low-interest loans as a condition for buying defense equipment, according to sources. However, as private financial institutions often could not agree on interest rates, the government concluded that it was necessary to establish a framework to extend low-interest loans, the sources said.

The government plans to encourage Japanese exporters to use its fully funded Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), which underwrites insurance services for high-risk overseas transactions that are not covered by private sector insurers. Even if partner countries fall into arrears, NEXI can act as a guarantor. The Defense Ministry is currently negotiating with the Indonesian government to export Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers for the first time. It is expected to propose the use of such a financial support framework.

“This must become a positive factor in the contract negotiations,” a senior ministry official said.

In 2014, the government replaced the “Three Principles on Arms Exports,” which prohibited Japanese exports of defense equipment in principle, with the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology,” which allows exports only if they contribute to peace and Japan’s security. This move was also aimed at bolstering Japan’s shrinking defense industry by developing overseas markets.

However, in terms of exports of finished products, Japan has had only one deal, worth about ¥10.5 billion, with the Philippine government, which ordered air defense radars developed by Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007403439

Nuclear emergency guidelines on thyroid radiation exposure under review in Japan 8:25 pm, May 17, 2021 The Yomiuri ShimbunThe Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) plans to establish a system for measuring thyroid gland radiation levels of nearby residents in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear power plant accident, during a review of the government’s nuclear emergency response guidelines being undertaken this fiscal year.

Revisions will likely include a requirement to measure radiation levels of children under the age of 18 and pregnant women, who are most vulnerable to radiation exposure.

Radioactive iodine released during serious accidents such as a core meltdown can cause cancer if it enters the body and collects in the thyroid gland, which is located below the Adam’s apple. Children are particularly susceptible.

The NRA has reached a point at which it will soon use a highly accurate portable radiation measurement device, spurring the review. A team of experts was set up in February to begin discussions on revising the guidelines.

Officials are particularly concerned about areas where radiation levels reach 500 microsieverts per hour, which requires immediate evacuation, and those where levels continuously exceed 20 microsieverts per hour, which requires temporary relocation.

The NRA is considering mainly targeting children under the age of 18, pregnant women and nursing mothers in such areas.

Radioactive iodine-131 released in a nuclear accident halves in about eight days, highlighting the importance of taking measurements immediately after an accident to determine radiation exposure levels.

However, the measurement target until now was unclear and the response system and equipment were insufficient.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of health problems among residents living in the vicinity of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant where a major accident occurred in 2011, only about 1,000 of the 370,000 children under the age of 18 in Fukushima Prefecture have had their thyroid gland radiation levels measured.Speech

https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007405020 S.Korean Military to Purchase Hydrogen-Powered Drones from Doosan Mobility

Image for representation only.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has placed an order for hydrogen powered-drones produced by Doosan Mobility Innovation Inc. The contract valued 831 million won ($737,000) was made under the government's rapid acquisition process. The drones will be delivered to the Air Force by November. Officials told Yonhap News Agency that the hydrogen fuel cell-propelled drones have a greater flight time compared to battery-propelled drones and are equipped with low- noise and low-vibration technologies, allowing the military to carry out surveillance operations with lower risk of being detected. "We expect this project to become a starting point for the establishment of hydrogen- related infrastructure, and the energy to be used as a power source for various other weapons systems, such as large-sized drones and armored vehicles," an official said.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29582/S_Korean_Military_to_Purchase_Hydrogen_ Powered_Drones_from_Doosan_Mobility#.YKOB9KgzbIU

The new uniform features a Navy-exclusive 5-color camo pattern (Navy, Blue, Black, Khaki, Grey) and flame-resistant aramid fiber as its base material. It is said the fabric will suppress flame in less than two seconds if it catches fire. ROK Navy picture. New Camouflage Uniform For The Republic Of Korea Navy

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROK Navy) officially confirmed to the South Korean media that it finished supplying newly designed camouflage uniforms and boots for duties on board combat ships.

The well-informed source also declared the ROK Navy’s schedule to supply them for submarine crews as of June, 2021. The decision was made as the previous combat uniform, optimized for land-based combat duties, is exposed to dangerous naval environment including fire or explosion, narrow aisles, sharp and metal equipment of destroyers. Since the ROK Navy first expressed the necessity to introduce a new camouflage uniform in 2013, a South Korean domestic company developed the new uniform in October 2020, after a series of prototype tests to meet operational requirements of the ROK Navy. The new uniform is based on responsiveness to emergency such as general quarters situation and flame-resistance. The new navy working uniform was made of functional fabric to ensure fire resistance, antibiotic action, elasticity, and ventilation, while preventing static electricity. Particularly, aramid fiber, which limits the burning time of fire to less than two seconds, was added to the new naval uniform to protect crews. RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) pocket was also newly created on the left arm of the uniform.

1st Fleet Sailors assigned to Incheon-class frigate ROKS Gangwon (FFG-815) during first aid training. The old uniform can be seen in the background. ROK Navy picture.

The authorities told the press that naval service members at land bases will keep wearing the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). The blue-colored uniform is known to be very similar to that of the U.S. Navy Working Uniform-1 (NWU), but its camouflage pattern is arranged more densely than the U.S NWU, which would enhance the camouflage capability, according to the ROK Navy. The Korean Navy also added that the new NWU has been adequately produced to fit with combat and working environment on naval vessels, by dividing it into two seasonal uniforms. Its combination of color is composed of navy, blue, khaki, black, and grey. The Navy registered digital patterns of the NWU and design as an intellectual property in October 2018. The Korean Navy’s decision is based on the global trend of navies in the world. Several navies including the U.S., U.K., Singapore and Australia distributed unique designs of naval uniforms for naval duties to their crews in order to guarantee survivability and efficient activities on board. Naval News previously reported on the adoption of new digital camouflages by the Italian Navy and as well as the Belgian Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy.

The old uniform of ROK Navy sailors. ROK Navy picture.

Uniforms for crews for patrol killers (PKX-A and PKX-B patrol vessels), submarines, and destroyers are scheduled to disappear when the supply of new NWU and boots is completed. Considering the acquisition of new supplies and the remaining amount of existing items, the ROK Navy plans to maintain the current service regulation until 2023.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/05/new-camouflage-uniform-for-the- republic-of-korea-navy/

Myanmar army ‘using civilians as human shields’

Protesters salute during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon yesterday GETTY IMAGES

Western governments called for the Myanmar army to stop killing civilians, after reports that its soldiers used human shields as they took back a rebel town in the northwest of the country which was seized in the growing armed resistance to February’s coup.

Britain called for evidence of war crimes to be given to United Nations investigators as resistance fighters pulled back from the town of Mindat in Chin state, where several weeks of clashes reached a climax over the weekend.

Helicopter gunships, artillery and shoulder-launched missiles are being used by the Myanmar army against volunteer fighters armed with hunting rifles, shotguns and homemade bombs. Local reports say that members of the recently formed People’s Defence Force retreated from the town, along with most men

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/myanmar-army-using-civilians-as-human-shields- 7h5bvvn7q

Murder attempt on Maldives ex-president reveals rising radicalism Government probes attack as Islam extremists continue to sow strife in country

Mohamed Nasheed, the charismatic former president of the Maldives, was the target of a failed assassination attempt on May 6. © Reuters MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentMay 17, 2021 18:27 JST BANGKOK -- The Maldives may be known for its string of idyllic islands and luxury resorts, but a bomb explosion early this month in the capital, Male, targeting former President Mohamed Nasheed has exposed a darker side of the South Asian nation: its deadly pact with Islamic extremism.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Murder-attempt-on-Maldives-ex-president-reveals-rising- radicalism

Gaza-Israel conflict shakes foundations of Middle East coexistence Arab-Jewish ties fraying within Israel as US and China bicker over response

People inspect the rubble of a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on May 16. © AP GIANNIS SEFERIADIS, Contributing writerMay 17, 2021 19:08 JST ATHENS -- The worst Israeli-Palestinian violence seen in years continues to rattle the Middle East despite international calls for a de-escalation, amid warnings that the impact of this round will be felt long after the shooting stops.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Gaza-Israel-conflict-shakes- foundations-of-Middle-East-coexistence

Gaza Pummelled by Fresh Israeli Strikes, More Than 200 Dead in a Week

Israeli air strikes hammered the Gaza Strip Monday, after a week of violence between the Jewish state and Palestinian militants left more than 200 people dead as international calls for de-escalation went unheeded. Overnight Sunday to Monday, Israel launched dozens of strikes in the space of a few minutes across the crowded coastal Palestinian enclave controlled by Islamist group Hamas, according to AFP journalists and the army. Flames lit up the sky as explosions shook Gaza city. The strikes caused widespread power cuts and damaged hundreds of buildings, local authorities said. No casualties were immediately reported.

West Gaza resident Mad Abed Rabbo, 39, expressed “horror and fear” at the intensity of the onslaught. “There have never been strikes of this magnitude,” he said. Israel’s army said in a statement that it hit the homes of nine “high-ranking” Hamas commanders, without providing details on casualties.

The overnight bombardment also included a third round of strikes on what the army calls the “Metro,” its term for a Hamas underground tunnel network.

Fifty-four fighter jets pounded 15 kilometers (nine miles) of tunnels, which the army has previously acknowledged runs in part through civilian areas.

Gazan Mani Qazaat said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “should realize we’re civilians, not fighters,” adding “I felt like I was dying.”

‘Legitimate’ The renewed strikes come a day after 42 Palestinians in Gaza — including at least eight children and two doctors, according to the health ministry — were killed in the worst daily death toll in the enclave since the bombardments began.

In total, 197 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 58 children, and more than 1,200 wounded since Israel launched its air campaign against Hamas on May 10 after the group fired rockets. The heaviest exchange of fire in years was sparked by unrest in Jerusalem. In Israel, 10 people, including one child, have been killed and 294 wounded by rocket fire launched by armed groups in Gaza.

Israel’s army said about 3,100 rockets had been fired since last Monday from Gaza — the highest rate ever recorded — but added its Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted over 1,000. Netanyahu said in a televised address Sunday that Israel’s “campaign against the terrorist organizations is continuing with full force” and would “take time” to finish.

The Israeli army said it had targeted the infrastructure of Hamas and armed group Islamic Jihad, weapons factories, and storage sites.

Israeli air strikes also hit the home of Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas’s political wing in Gaza, the army said, releasing footage of plumes of smoke and intense damage, but without saying if he was killed. On Saturday, Israel gave journalists from Al Jazeera and AP news agency an hour to evacuate their offices before launching air strikes, turning their tower block into piles of smoking rubble. Netanyahu on Sunday said the building also hosted a Palestinian “terrorist” intelligence office. “It is a perfectly legitimate target,” he said.

Inter-Communal Clashes The violence between Hamas and Israel is the worst since 2014, when Israel launched a military operation on the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of ending rocket fire and destroying tunnels used for smuggling.

The war left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, mostly civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.

Opening the first session of the UN Security Council on the renewed violence on Sunday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the fighting “utterly appalling.” “It must stop immediately,” he said.

But the UN talks, already delayed by Israel’s ally the United States, resulted in little action, with Washington opposing a resolution.

President Joe Biden‘s administration says it is working behind the scenes, and that a Security Council statement could backfire. Israel is also trying to contain inter-communal violence between Jews and Arab-Israelis, as well as deadly clashes in the occupied West Bank, where 19 Palestinians have been killed since May 10, according to a toll from Palestinian authorities.

Major clashes broke out at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound — one of Islam’s holiest sites — on May 7 following a crackdown against protests over planned expulsions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Sheikh Jarrah has been at the heart of the flareup, seeing weeks of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

On Sunday, a car-ramming attack in Sheikh Jarrah wounded seven police officers, police said, adding that the attacker had been killed.

Police also said “a number of suspects” had been arrested during clashes in another east Jerusalem neighborhood overnight Sunday to Monday. Guterres warned the fighting could have far-reaching consequences if not stopped immediately.

“It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole.”

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/17/gaza-pummelled-fresh-israeli-strikes/

Iron Dome intercepts drone during combat for first time, says Israeli military 20

An Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system, left, intercepts rockets, right, fired by Hamas militants toward southern Israel from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 14, 2021. (Anas Baba/AFP via Getty Images)

JERSUSALEM — Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system has intercepted a drone belonging to the Hamas militant group, a first for the platform, according to the country’s defense forces.

In total, Israel has intercepted six drones using multiple countermeasures since hostilities began between Israel and Hamas on May 10, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday. A senior Air Force officer described the interception as a significant advancement.

Israel touted new capabilities for Iron Dome over the last year, including a drill where it worked alongside other air defense systems to confront multiple threats and another exercise this year during which it downed unmanned aerial systems.

Israeli media on May 13 reported that several drones were launched from the Gaza Strip. An F-16 fighter jet with a Python-5 air-to-air missile downed one of the drones, and an Iron Dome system intercepted another. Other drones were downed by “classified means,” local daily Yediot Ahronot reported.

The IDF on May 13 noted “a short while ago, the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted a UAV belonging to the Hamas terror organization that crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The Israeli Air Force monitored the UAV until interception. The IDF is continuing to protect Israel’s air space and will not allow activity such as this.” On May 17, the IDF added that this event was the first UAV interception by Iron Dome during combat. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which makes the Iron Dome, would not comment on the interception. The Israeli Defense Ministry, which has released information in the past about new Iron Dome capabilities, also would not comment on the event.

In March, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said “the technological capabilities developed by defense industries, including the Iron Dome and the multi-tier missile defense array, are central to the defense of the State of Israel. In the face of emerging and rapidly changing threats, these new capabilities provide the political echelon and defense establishment with the operational flexibility that is critical to our national security.” At the time, the Israel Missile Defense Organization said “the Iron Dome was tested in a range of complex scenarios and successfully intercepted and destroyed targets simulating existing and emerging threats, including the simultaneous interception of multiple UAVs as well as a salvo of rockets and missiles.” Since May 10, approximately 3,000 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Iron Dome intercepted more than 1,000 of them, representing about 90 percent of those determined to pose a threat. Many rockets fall in open areas or don’t even leave the Gaza Strip due to malfunctions. Hamas UAVs have now been added to the rocket threat. Sign up for our Unmanned Systems newsletter Every two weeks, get the exclusive, inside look at the challenges and opportunities drone tech presents

Subscribe

Tal Inbar, a UAV and aerospace expert as well as the former head of the Space Research Center at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, said drones are now an integral part of nonstate actors’ inventories, including those of Hamas and Hezbollah.

“This is a relatively new threat on the battlefield and homefront. You need effective means to intercept them,” explained Inbar, who is now a research fellow at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. He added that this interception illustrates that drones pose a challenge, as they are low flying and have a low radar cross section, but noted that the Iron Dome system has received updates to help it cope with new threats.

Israel uses three terms to refer to drones: malatim or UAVs for larger drones; rakfanim for quadcopters; and kli tais for aircraft, which also is used to refer to Hamas UAVs. Hamas’ use of drones is nothing new, but the group recently unveiled a video of the Shehab, a drone that is launched from a kind of catapult, slinging it into the air where it then flies to its target, apparently along a preprogrammed route. The drone includes a warhead, slamming into the target on a kamikaze mission. This is similar to an Iranian Ababil and the Qasef used by Houthi rebels in Yemen; the latter is based on the former. In September 2019 Iran used a series of kamikaze-style drones and cruise missiles to attack Saudi Arabian oil facilities.

Israel has been working on a number of systems to detect and neutralize drones, including new laser systems and a drone that uses a net to shoot down smaller drones. Rafael has developed lasers to down drones, and the company showed off the ability to intercept numerous small drones during a February 2020 demonstration. Israel has also used planes and helicopters with missiles to address drone threats, including one UAV that flew into Israeli airspace from Syria in February 2018. In July 2018, Israel used a Patriot missile to down a drone from Syria.

The U.S. Army has two Iron Dome system batteries, and the country’s Missile Defense Agency works with Israel on a variety of air defense projects, including the Arrow missile. Congress has also supported counter-drone work with Israel via the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, discussed cooperation on counter-drone threats in April 2021. A readout of their discussion noted that the “United States and Israel agreed to establish an interagency working group to focus particular attention on the growing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] and precision-guided missiles produced by Iran and provided to its proxies in the Middle East region.”

https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2021/05/17/iron-dome-intercepts-drone- during-combat-for-first-time-says-israeli-military/

Israeli Multi Domain War Gets First Test In Gaza

By ARIE EGOZIon May 17, 2021 at 12:50 PM

TEL AVIV: For the first time, the Israeli Defense Force is using multi-domain operations in the strike against Hamas in Gaza.

The air, infantry, armor, artillery and naval forces are finding, fixing and destroying targets in Gaza according to “who has the best shot,” an Israeli defense source here says.

Key to this is deployment of the “Ghost” unit, created about a year ago as part of the multi-year program known as Tnufa (Swing). The unit is the main pillar of the new multi- domain strategy.

The IDF’s new multidimensional unit is based very generally on the idea of the U.S military concept of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), that was developed years ago to lay the basis for the change in the US Army. The similarities to the American All Domain Operations are obvious.

Credit: IDF

Described by Israelis sources as a “battalion with the capabilities of a division,” it is equipped with highly sophisticated weapon systems that are capable of performing ground, air and sea operations without the need to ask other military echelons for assets or even to coordinate.

“This unit is capable of producing very accurate fire power based on intelligence generated by tools that have never been in the tool box of any unit in the IDF,” an Israeli source said.

For example, the massive attack on the Hamas web of tunnels in which 160 Israeli aircraft took part involved close cooperation between the air force and “many other forces,” the defense source says. In addition to the multi-domain approach to finding and fixing targets, the air force used “special weapons” to destroy the massive web of tunnels dug in Gaza in recent years.

All the other Israeli attacks on the launchers of Hamas rockets were also based on almost real time “detect and shoot” sequences that were the products of the multi domain strategy, the defense source says.

The ongoing operations against the Hamas proved that command and control systems and data transfer could be combined between fighter pilots, intelligence ground forces and naval units, in a way that would detect terrorists and a rapid and accurate attack on an unprecedented scale.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/israeli-multi-domain-war-gets-first-test-in-gaza/

A former Associated Press editor suggested that Hamas did have offices in the agency's Gaza City building, which Israel destroyed over the weekend

A former Associated Press editor suggested that Hamas did have offices in the agency's Gaza City building, which Israel destroyed over the weekend

Al Jazeera reporting on the destruction of al-Jalaa tower in Gaza City. Al Jazeera

• Israel on Saturday destroyed a Gaza building housing media outlets including the Associated Press.

• Israel said the building also contained Hamas activity, which the AP has denied.

• But a former AP editor suggested the militant group did have offices in the building.

• See more stories on Insider's business page. A former Associated Press editor has suggested that the militant group Hamas did indeed have offices inside a Gaza building that Israel destroyed over the weekend. Israel launched an airstrike on al-Jalaa tower, a structure in Gaza City that housed media outlets including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, on Saturday. The Israel Defense Forces said the building also contained military-intelligence assets for Hamas, including "intel for attacks against Israel." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called the building a "perfectly legitimate target," citing the same reason. The AP pushed back on Israel's claims, saying there was "no indication Hamas was in the building." But Matti Friedman, who worked as a reporter and editor at the AP's Jerusalem bureau from 2006 to 2011, contradicted his former employer on Sunday, tweeting: "A conversation with a friend who is intimately familiar with military decision-making right now suggests there were indeed Hamas offices there."

https://www.google.com/search?q=A+former+Associated+Press+editor+suggested+that +Hamas+did+have+offices+in+the+agency%27s

The beginning of a new intifada? 17 May 2021|Mohammed Ayoob

The latest round of Palestinian unrest and the de facto state of war between Israel and Hamas is the most serious flare up on the Israel–Palestine front since the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2014. According to reports, 197 Palestinians in Gaza have now lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes and 10 Israelis have been killed by Hamas’s rocket attacks.

While the ferocity of the confrontation and the rapidity with which it escalated may have come as a surprise, this turn of events should not have shocked any seasoned observer of the conflict. Given the current trajectory of Israeli policy and the reaction that it has produced, it was inevitable that this scenario would unfold sooner or later.

The roots of the conflict go back at least to 1948, if not to the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The Israeli refusal to relinquish the West Bank, which it occupied in 1967, the deliberate planting of Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands, and the often-brutal treatment of the occupied population accentuated the problem. However, the proximate cause of the latest conflagration is a confluence of factors that highlight the deep-seated contradictions undergirding the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the discriminatory treatment meted out by Israel to the Palestinian citizens who form a fifth of the country’s population.

The current Israeli attempt to evict Palestinian residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in Jerusalem epitomises the Palestinian plight and is reminiscent of the first war over Palestine in 1948–49, when large parts of what is now Israel was forcefully denuded of its Palestinian inhabitants. Sheikh Jarrah threw into sharp relief the discrimination enshrined in Israeli law that allows Jews to reclaim land in East Jerusalem that they owned before 1948 but denies descendants of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians expelled from their homes in the same year any legal means to reclaim their families’ land. The attempt to evict six Arab families (which is dependent a now-delayed appeal to Israel’s Supreme Court) led to demonstrations of support not only in the Arab parts of Jerusalem and the occupied territories but also in several Israeli towns with substantial Arab populations.

The tension was exacerbated by the Jerusalem police’s decision to prevent Arabs from entering the plaza around the Damascus Gate in the midst of Ramadan, thus impeding access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This led to daily clashes between Arab youths and police. The latter’s incursion into the Haram-al-Sharif that houses Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock on 7 May, the last Friday of Ramadan (an important day in the Islamic calendar), added a religious dimension to the Palestinians’ nationalist grievances. Islamist group Hamas jumped into the fray in support of Palestinian demands in Jerusalem and launched rocket attacks on Israel, leading to heavy Israeli retaliation by air and the threat of a full-fledged invasion of Gaza. Unlike the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2014, this time an Israeli ground attack could very well coincide with a new intifada which will not be limited just to the West Bank. There are indications that Palestinian citizens of Israel may also become involved in such a movement. Israeli Arab anger has boiled over after decades of discrimination in arenas including health, education and housing.

Adding insult to injury was the law passed by the Knesset in July 2018 designating Israel as Jewish nation-state, legally making Israeli Arabs second-class citizens. Diana Batutu, a Palestinian political analyst from Haifa, summed up the feelings of Palestinian citizens of Israel, saying ‘We are the people who they mistakenly did not ethnically cleanse from this place.’

The Israeli Arab feeling of alienation, especially after the nation-state law, has prompted them to identify with the cause of the Palestinians in the occupied territories even more than they did earlier. Demonstrations and large-scale rioting in Lod, Ramla and other cities with mixed Arab and Jewish populations, and the participation of Israeli Arabs in the Damascus Gate and Sheikh Jarrah protests provide a preview of what could happen during the next intifada.

The uncertainty over government formation in Israel after the last election has led to competitive extremism among rival political blocs and exacerbated the volatile situation. Extremist Jewish groups have engaged in highly provocative marches through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem, shouting incendiary slogans, including ‘death to the Arabs’. They have also randomly attacked Palestinians in cities with mixed populations thus further inflaming Palestinian passions both in Israel and the occupied territories.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, has taken the opportunity provided by the Sheikh Jarrah and Damascus Gate incidents to increase its appeal among Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank at the expense of the Palestinian Authority, and has succeeded in great measure. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision in March to postpone elections to the Palestinian parliament demonstrated his apprehension that his party Fatah would be defeated at the polls. It also dismayed Hamas because it deprived it of the chance to demonstrate its popularity in the West Bank.

This cycle of violence seems to be inexorably leading to a full-scale war between Israel and Hamas. All signs indicate that the present crisis, if left unchecked, could act as the trigger for an impending intifada that would encompass Jerusalem and the West Bank as well as Arab-populated regions of Israel. The Israeli government’s assumption that thanks to American support it could continue to dispossess Palestinians and treat Israeli Arabs as second-class citizens seems to be unravelling slowly but surely. Even the decision of US President Joe Biden’s administration to endorse Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ in the current phase of the conflict is unlikely to reverse this trend.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-beginning-of-a-new-intifada/

POPULATION-CENTRIC CYBERSECURITY: LESSONS FROM COUNTERINSURGENCY Emma Schroeder, Simon Handler and Trey Herr | 05.17.21

Editor’s note: This article is the tenth 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.

The Sunburst hack was a cyber-espionage campaign, not the opening gambit of a new cyber war. Clarifying the intent of malicious cyber campaigns is critical because many cyber-espionage capabilities and points of access are indistinguishable from those required for destructive or disruptive ends. Currently, the cyber domain is marked by an ongoing intelligence contest, involving consistently engaged adversaries seeking to gain leverage over one another. By taking advantage of the interconnectedness of digital networks, malicious actors can place sectors of society under threat with relative ease. Often blending in with normal network traffic, malicious actors ultimately force network defenders to distinguish adversarial from friendly elements within the general online user population. The United States is therefore not at war but is instead locked in a persistent competition with countless adversaries pursuing their strategic goals in and through cyberspace. These characteristics—interconnectedness, indistinguishability, and the ongoing intelligence contest—must inform US strategic thinking, which will benefit from the application of theory developed for other asymmetric conflicts, namely insurgencies. The value of leveraging counterinsurgency theory to develop a more nuanced understanding of competition in the cyber domain, and the US military’s role in that competition, accrue immediately. Counterinsurgency tactics are familiar to the US national security establishment, given its experience waging a mix of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations during the US-led post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and beyond. Cybersecurity, like counterinsurgency, calls for the application of nonkinetic tools by both conventional and special operations forces that are typically most comfortable and adept at leveraging kinetic approaches to competition and conflict. Rather than treating cyber as a special or alien domain requiring massive investments in theoretical and doctrinal development, the US military can build on years of hard-won combat experience and veins of significant theoretical value from its experience with counterinsurgency. In developing strategic responses to conflict within and through cyberspace, the United States should learn from past conflicts with similar characteristics. Population-centric counterinsurgency strategies provide a compelling lens. Though counterinsurgency has a distinct political character, the operational mechanics of insurgency and cyber operations have constructive similarities, including low barriers to entry and attribution ambiguity. Concomitantly, an increasing number of nonstate actors, both groups and individuals, have gained the ability to strike at valuable targets through cyberspace, despite their often-limited capabilities outside the cyber domain. Even (near-)peer competitors with substantial capabilities in other domains have turned to cyber operations as a lower-cost, variable-risk approach to achieve their desired ends, just as numerous states have chosen to sponsor terrorists and insurgent forces to the same end. Both insurgencies and cyber operations are characterized by sub-rosa engagements between actors of various shapes, motivations, and capabilities, as well as contests for information and influence that expose populations to harm as adversaries take measures to obfuscate themselves to appear as noncombatants and friendly intermediaries. Interconnectedness A reoccurring characteristic of cyberspace, namely its interconnectedness and pervasiveness in modern society, exposes civilian populations to direct cyber conflict, thereby preventing policymakers from imposing protective jurisdictional or geographic boundaries. During World War II, strategic bombing illustrated how a belligerent could reach into an enemy’s heartland and directly target its economic production and its population’s morale. Cyberspace appears to have similar environmental vulnerabilities with its large and ever-increasing attack surface; more specifically, cyberspace has expanded the sources of strategic power susceptible to an adversary’s attack. The ongoing epidemic of ransomware infections targeting healthcare facilities and state and local government agencies underscores how civilian entities and infrastructure are becoming increasingly exposed as more and more services and devices migrate to online operations and data storage. Critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and social media are owned and operated by private companies, but private sector vulnerabilities are a public national security concern because cyberattacks threaten the core of US national power. Characterized by its interconnectedness, it may seem impossible to separate private vulnerabilities from national security concerns in cyberspace—similar attempts to separate civilian and combatant populations during counterinsurgency operations proved difficult. For example, South Vietnam’s strategic hamlet program failed to create a reliable barrier between the population and the insurgents. However, just because separation is difficult in cyberspace does not mean that efforts to mitigate the risks to the civilian population and efforts to reduce the civilian attack surface are not effective. When malicious actors leverage or hide within legitimate network traffic and infrastructure, their behavior invites scrutiny on private internet service providers and other private intermediaries who carry the malicious traffic. Ultimately, because bad- faith actors often masquerade as friendly users, defenders are forced to solicit assistance and collaborate to distinguish between hostile and friendly parties. Private companies are not only frequent targets of malicious activity—they can also be their vendors and enablers. Malicious actors build, adapt, and cobble together tools and resources accessible on the internet to carry out their activities. These tools range from the basic to the complex, provide malicious capabilities, and serve as force multipliers, enabling comparatively weak actors to have outsized impacts. Dual-use tools and resources range from Google Maps to online classes on hacking and from spoofing technology to hacker-for-hire companies that create and sell sophisticated offensive cyber capabilities. These dual-use services both enable illicit activities and comprise a legitimate business sector. Coordination with private or on-the-ground groups is a common practice in counterinsurgency due to their proximity to the issue and higher commitment to security. However, a balance must be struck in this partnership, one that acknowledges the differing incentive structures of these actors— the tension between profit and national security, for example—as well as differing authorities. Private sector actors may have impressive capabilities to defend against and impose upon costs upon malicious actors, but they experience different incentives and are limited in their response options. Distinguishability The problem of where to focus defensive efforts highlights a second characteristic of conflict in the cyber domain: distinguishability. Linking cyber intrusions to their perpetrators—or attribution—is difficult and requires a concerted effort by the victim or target. Even when evidence of an attacker’s origin is found, the evidence can be interpreted differently or may be part of a false flag effort to obscure attribution, leading to misidentification. Even when positive identification is made, the hazy nature of the attribution process limits how victims can respond. In offensive cyber operations, deception and stealth are the norm and attacks are executed with the aid of domain complexity, obfuscation, and masquerading, as well as by leveraging the normal traffic and open source tools of the general online population—including individual users and private companies. Malicious actors can mask or conceal their activity as legitimate network traffic, allowing malicious traffic to be processed alongside such legitimate traffic, making it difficult to distinguish a malicious actor from a normal user.

Critically, both counterinsurgency and the cyber domain require defenders to distinguish and separate the adversary from the general population. In the cyber domain, core tenets from the canon of counterinsurgency literature can help the United States better understand and develop a strategy for cyber conflict. An irregular force is, by definition, fluid and integrated or enmeshed in the population. Mao’s concept of a “people’s war” is a form of irregular warfare that relies on militias formed from the local population. Mao’s warfare concept emphasizes that an insurgency’s support structure is rooted in the local populace, who must tolerate insurgent activity and potentially participate in the conflict. Ultimately, the counterinsurgent is faced with an enemy that is indistinguishable from the general population, meaning that every person can be a civilian, sympathizer, spy, or combatant—or any combination of these. Vo Nguyen Giap compared the engaged populace as a “sea of armed people” ready to strike at the enemy from any and every point. Specifically, the Galula school of population-centric counterinsurgency is well-suited to understanding and explaining the cyber domain. A central tenet of David Galula’s model is the separation of the malicious actor from the population, eliminating its active and passive support base. Unlike other counterinsurgency theorists (e.g., C. E. Callwell) Galula does not prioritize eliminating the insurgents, because an attrition-focused strategy assumes that the combatant and noncombatant are distinguishable. Similarly, for an attrition-style strategy to work in the cyber domain, accurate sorting between malicious actors and the general user population is necessary. Therefore, in irregular warfare and cybersecurity, a population-centric approach is more appropriate, as it acknowledges the distinguishability problem. The distinguishability problem forces the incumbent to offset the adversary’s advantages—namely mobility, stealth, and an ability to blend in with regular network activity or the general population. US efforts to combat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq are illustrative of how a large-scale traditional force can respond to an insurgent’s asymmetric advantage. The US military poured significant resources into hardening its defenses against IEDs at its points of greatest harm: individual soldiers and their vehicles. The United States also established the Joint IED Defeat Organization to swiftly develop novel technical solutions to IED detection and detonation jamming. These pinpoint defenses were developed alongside a substantial telephonic and video surveillance effort that enabled pattern-of-life analysis on suspected and known insurgents and allowed coalition forces to track the insurgents physically emplacing IEDs. Ultimately, the United States was able to develop tactics and techniques to better discriminate between civilian traffic and infrastructure and those that posed a threat (or potential threat) to coalition forces. The contours of the IED problem and the US response provide insight into how the United States can frame cybersecurity challenges and how it can respond to a dynamic threat—a strategic effort to address tactical weaknesses. Investing in research and development for creative point defenses while simultaneously conducting systematic digital forensics to track, map, and distinguish adversary patterns and behaviors from general user patterns in cyberspace can generate a dynamic and adaptive cyber defensive posture. The Intelligence Contest Similar to insurgent-held regions, the cyber domain is characterized by persistent low- grade engagement that falls below the threshold of war. The goal of most cyber operations is strategic access, enabling the operator to gather intelligence, to hold adversaries at risk, and to maintain freedom of maneuver in the competition space. However, the engagement dynamic in the cyber domain is partly explained by an intelligence contest or a continual back and forth between adversaries, each trying to gain information on the other while poisoning the information available to its opponent. Each actor seeks out information not solely for the purpose of intelligence or strategic posturing but to create employable leverage over the adversary. Leverage is gained through positioning, in both the classic mechanical sense and through the compression of time—by degrading an opponent’s ability to identify and respond to new information, while speeding up one’s own adaptive cycle or deployment-of-force cycle. Accurate identification of malicious actors in cyberspace, as in irregular warfare, relies entirely on the collection of reliable and actionable intelligence—without good intelligence, efforts to counter adversarial actions are less selective, and therefore less effective. Adversaries operate within the context of an asymmetric intelligence contest: incumbent powers require exhaustive, reliable, and up-to-date threat maps, while attackers only need to identify a single vulnerability or attack vector. Offensive campaigns can leverage software supply chains, bots, and even cloud networks to take advantage of economies of scale and increase the blast radius of their attacks, forcing defensive measures to be omnipresent. In essence, cyberspace has a vast, porous attack surface—one that is expanding rapidly as more data, devices, and services are stored in, connected to, and run on the internet. A compounding factor in cyberspace is that most of the infrastructure defining the domain is privately owned and operated by private entities. Therefore, the institutions that detect, analyze, and track intrusions into their own or others’ networks are particularly valuable for intelligence gathering. According to Galula, seeking informational dominance, even in its most fleeting forms, requires counterinsurgents to seek cooperation from populations within proximity to information, and with the capacity to collect and share it. Indeed, the relative prowess exhibited by the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division compared to the 4th Infantry Division at leveraging the local population for information in largely similar areas of operations and time periods in Iraq offers a compelling explanation for the much more successful counterinsurgency outcomes of the former unit. The civilian population had to weigh concerns for their own and their families’ security in deciding to provide information to troopers from the 101st. In the cyber domain, the intermediaries—entities like internet service providers and cloud service firms—similarly must balance their cooperation against competing business interests and risk aversion. Global companies like Microsoft and Amazon, are faced with a home jurisdiction that does not represent their worldwide market presence, leading them to shy away from appearing to be captive to US intelligence and law enforcement.

The cyber domain is characterized by constant competition and, like counterinsurgency, is not about tallies of wins and losses as much as it is about gaining strategic advantage over a competitor and exploiting its weaknesses. Insurgents do not go away but instead continue to evolve and develop new capabilities in response to defenders’ actions and countermeasures. Based on the US experience fighting insurgencies, it is impossible to be totally secure in cyberspace. Eventually, as demonstrated by Sunburst and the countless intrusions occurring daily, adversaries will find a vulnerability to exploit.

However, the United States can succeed in the cyber domain. To do so, it should accept the operational dynamics of the domain and engage to compete more effectively with adversaries. Emphasis should be placed on finding ways to encourage cooperation and codify relationships between the private and public sectors. Research and development efforts should focus on continuous innovation and rapid deployment of tactical countermeasures to shift the cyber landscape in favor of the defense, denying adversaries the ability to operate on their own terms. Organizations should rethink how they prioritize protecting their assets by first identifying and securing the assets of highest value to the adversary and then focusing resources on defending assets of internal value to the organization. And when a breach does, inevitably, occur, organizations should be quick to detect, remediate, and adapt systems to prevent similar security failures in the future. Failure is inevitable and obvious when it happens, but success in the cyber domain is incremental and less visible. To succeed, the United States should embrace failure as a growth concept and fully accept that defenses are not ubiquitous. Failing enables organizations to adapt their mitigation efforts to better manage risk by focusing on vulnerable points of strategic value to the adversary. Developing a cyber strategy that is more informed by the theoretical tenets of counterinsurgency is a step toward an operationally sound and adaptive approach to cybersecurity.

https://mwi.usma.edu/population-centric-cybersecurity-lessons-from-counterinsurgency/

Gordon: Phl herd immunity may take 15 years

Published 23 hours ago on May 17, 2021 03:15 PM

By Sundy Locus @tribunephl_sndy

Ads by optAd360 It will take at least 15 years for the Philippines to achieve herd immunity against the dreaded coronavirus at the current pace the country’s vaccination program is going, Senator Richard Gordon said on Monday.

In a television interview, Gordon urged the government to speed up its nationwide inoculation program that targets to immunize 50 to 70 million Filipinos.

From the current pace of 60,000 people per day, the senator said the country needs to vaccinate at least 240,000 individuals daily to achieve its goal after 1 1/2 years.

“We need to vaccinate 240,000 a day, right now we’re only doing 60,000 per day. At the rate we’re going it will take us 15 years,” he said.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said that the government is eyeing to increase the number of those who will be inoculated to 500,000 daily once the bulk of the coronavirus jabs start to arrive in the country by June.

Aside from hastening the vaccine procurement, Gordon also recommended hiring non- medical personnel to augment the population of vaccinators in the country.

He said that according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. it will take less than a day to train individuals to be vaccinators.

“The only problem is vaccinators should know how to handle the jabs. That is why you need a doctor to overlook the vaccination and to see if the patients will have a reaction,” he said.

Although rallying for speedier vaccination, the senator said he is not in favor of mass vaccination in mega-jab sites like the one to be established in Nayong Pilipino Foundation park in Parañaque. “I’m afraid of mass vaccinations. People will line up and there is a chance that they will be infected,” he said.

“What you need is more vaccination centers that are supervised. You cannot vaccinate 30,000 in one area only. I think it is going to cause a lot of problems,” he said.

If approved, Gordon emphasized that minimum health protocols should be strictly implemented during the mass inoculation programs. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/17/gordon-phl-herd-immunity-may-take-15-years/\

DOH issues advisory to LGUs to prevent vaccine wastage BYCLAUDETH MOCON-CIRIACO MAY 18, 2021

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday issued an advisory to local government units to help prevent Covid vaccine wastage in their vaccination sites.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the freezers should be monitored “Monday to Friday, 24/7 and the checking should be done every four hours”.

On May 10, authorities in the municipality of Makilala in Cotabato discovered that 348 doses of Coronovac were damaged after a brownout hit the place where the vaccines were stored on May 7 and the freezer was not turned back on because it was unplugged.

Vergeire said that the Inter-Agency Task Force has approved the inclusion of “all governors and city and municipal mayors or all local chief executives” under the Priority Group A1.5 of the priority population groups for Covid-19 vaccines.

“Regardless of the risk classification of their respective local government units,” Vergeire said, local officials are also “vulnerable” to infection because they continue to inspect their respective areas and their constituents as they respond to the pandemic.

As of 4 p.m. on Monday, the DOH logged 5,979 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,149,925.

There were also 6,602 recoveries 72 deaths.

Of the total number of cases, 4.7 percent (54,235) are active cases, 93.6 percent (1,076,428) have recovered, and 1.68 percent (19,262) have died.

Morever, 31 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on May 15, 2021.

Five labs were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the 5 non-reporting labs contribute, on average, 0.7 percent of samples tested and 1.0 percent of positive individuals. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/18/doh-issues-advisory-to-lgus-to-prevent-vaccine- wastage/

PRC, DOH urged to stop probe into ivermectin distribution in QC

By Filane Mikee Cervantes May 17, 2021, 5:49 pm

MANILA – The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on Monday approved a motion to formally write a letter to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Office of the President (OP) to stop the investigation into the illegal distribution of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as Covid-19 medicine.

Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera made the motion during the committee hearing into the alleged questionable guidelines and policies of the DOH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that hamper public health service delivery to the Filipino people.

Herrera particularly urged the PRC to stop looking into the revocation of licenses of doctors prescribing the use of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19.

The investigation concerns doctors who took part in a medical mission in Quezon City and prescribed the unregistered drug to the patients.

"I strongly move that we strongly recommend to the PRC to stop looking into revoking the licenses our doctors who are prescribing ivermectin due to lack of evidence on their part. They just want to make this medicine accessible to everyone," Herrera said.

The motion was approved by the committee after it was seconded by Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta.

The Quezon City local government is not endorsing the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin being distributed by two congressmen.

In an interview over news channel ANC last week, Mayor Joy Belmonte said the debate on the use of ivermectin should remain within the medical realm to prevent it from being a political issue.

“I think this is up to the regulating bodies. I want them to call them out. If they call them out for example, itongnational government agency, sabihin na (if the national government agency says that) Mayor Joy, do something about this, order your police officers to do something about this, definitely I will do that,” Belmonte said. Marcoleta and Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor have been leading the distribution of ivermectin to some QC residents, whom they say are “those in dire need” of treatment.

The FDA said as of the moment, human use of the anti-parasitic medication is for topical purposes only, not for Covid-19.

“Currently, the registered ivermectin products in the country for human use are 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,” a previous FDA statement read.

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) supported the FDA.

"The PMA stands by the policy statements of the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and the World Health Organization that current evidence on the use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19 is inconclusive," the PMA said.

The DOH has committed PHP22 million for clinical trials on the use of ivermectin.

Clinical trials are expected to start by June, which would run for eight months. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140546

Studies on VCO against COVID-19 show ‘favorable results’ – DOST

Published May 17, 2021, 7:26 PM by Merlina Hernando-Malipot Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) has long been considered as nature’s miracle medicine for its numerous benefits and healing properties.

Now, VCO is once again in the spotlight as it can be utilized to avoid “further transmission of the virus” and as a “viable and affordable treatment” against the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

These were revealed by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato de la Peña during the virtual “Talakayang HeaRTBeat” on Monday, May 17, as he presented the results of the studies conducted on VCO against COVID-19.

The “Talakayang HeaRT (Health Research and Technology) Beat” showcased several health research projects and innovations that have already provided significant inputs and contributions in the field of diagnostics, public health surveillance, and treatment for COVID-19.

It was organized by the DOST- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).

WATCH:

During the event, de la Peña explained that DOST explored the antiviral properties of VCO – which is a readily available commodity in the Philippines – against COVID-19.

“Based on available literature, compounds in coconut oil have shown to be safe and effective at killing viruses,” de la Peña. DOST, he added, also supported two research studies for VCO.

One is the in-vivo project led by Dr. Fabian Dayrit and his team from the Ateneo De Manila University.

“They aimed to determine through in-vitro experiments, whether lauric acid and its derivatives, can prevent or diminish the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2,” de la Peña explained.

De la Peña noted that for the results of in-vitro experiments led by Dayrit, the study has seen “favorable results “ where it was concluded that there is evidence to support that VCO indeed has antiviral properties against mild COVID-19 cases.

“These results are consistent with the previous literature in terms of VCO’s capability to destroy the virus, but not on its capability to prevent viral replication,” de la Peña said. “This work will provide the global health community insights on VCO as viable and affordable treatment against COVID-19,” he added. De la Peña said that the second project conducted clinical trials in Santa Rosa Community Quarantine Facility and at the Santa Rosa Community Hospital in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

Led by Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa from the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the project aimed to “evaluate the effects of VCO when given to suspect and probable cases of COVID-19” in a quarantine facility.

De la Peña noted that “favorable results” were also shown by the study of Agdeppa where it was concluded that VCO – when mixed with meals – “could reduce COVID-19 symptoms, thus, possibly preventing the progression or severity of the disease.”

Additionally, de la Peña said that immediate effects of the VCO intervention were observed among five of the 29 patients in the VCO Group who experienced decreasing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 as early as Day 2.

“The VCO group experienced no more symptoms at Day 18, while the Control Group exhibited no symptoms only at Day 23,” he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/17/studies-on-vco-against-covid-19-show-favorable-results-dost/

Pfizer, Moderna vaccines effective against Indian variants: study

Published 13 hours ago on May 18, 2021 01:39 AM ByAgence France-Presse Washington, UNITED STATES – The Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines should remain highly effective against two coronavirus variants first identified in India, according to new research carried out by US scientists.

The lab-based study was carried out by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Langone Center and is considered preliminary because it has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“What we found is that the vaccine’s antibodies are a little bit weaker against the variants, but not enough that we think it would have much of an effect on the protective ability of the vaccines,” senior author Nathaniel “Ned” Landau told AFP on Monday.

The researchers first took blood from people who were vaccinated with either of the two shots, which are predominant in the United States and have been given to more than 150 million Americans.

They then exposed these samples in a lab to engineered pseudovirus particles that contained mutations in the “spike” region of the coronavirus, which were particular to either the B.1.617 or B.1.618 variants, first found in India.

Finally, that mixture was exposed to lab-grown cells, to see how many would become infected.

The engineered pseudovirus particles contained an enzyme called luciferase, which fireflies use to light up. Adding it to the pseudovirus makes it possible to tell how many cells are infected, based on light measurements.

Overall, for B.1.617 they found an almost four-fold reduction in the amount of neutralizing antibodies — Y-shaped proteins the immune system creates to stop pathogens from invading cells.

For B.1.618, the reduction was around three-fold.

“In other words, some of the antibodies now don’t work anymore against the variants, but you still have a lot of antibodies that do work against the variants,” said Landau. “There’s enough that do work that we believe that the vaccines will be highly protective,” he added, because the overall levels remain well above those found in samples taken from people who recovered from infection with earlier unmutated virus.

But this kind of lab investigation cannot predict what the real world efficacy might look like — that will have to be investigated through other studies.

The coronavirus is known to latch on to a particular receptor on human cells called ACE2, which it uses to force its entry.

Landau’s team showed the Indian variants were able to bind more tightly to this receptor, like other variants of concern. This might be linked to its increased transmissibility compared to the original strain.

“Our results lend confidence that current vaccines will provide protection against variants identified to date,” the team concluded.

However, they do not preclude the possibility that newer variants that are more resistant to vaccines will emerge — highlighting the importance of widespread vaccination at the global level.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/18/pfizer-moderna-vaccines-effective-against-indian- variants-study/

Sanofi, GSK say Covid-19 vaccine shows positive result

PARIS: French pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi and Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) reported on Monday “strong immune responses” in early tests of their coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine, raising hopes it could join the fight against the pandemic.

The companies said the results of the Phase 2 study will enable them to move to a late-stage trial in the coming weeks — a reversal of fortune after their research was dealt a setback late last year.

The experimental vaccine “achieved strong rates of neutralizing antibody responses, in line with those measured in people who have recovered from Covid-19, in all adult age groups in a Phase 2 study with 722 volunteers,” it said in a statem

“A global pivotal Phase 3 study is expected to start in the coming weeks.”

An earlier study in late 2020 showed the vaccine provided a low immune response in older adults. The companies said the vaccine would not be ready until the end of 2021.

The initial failure was a setback that dented French pride as France is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council not to have its own vaccine after successes for Britain, China, Russia and the United States.

“Our Phase 2 data confirm the potential of this vaccine to play a role in addressing this ongoing global public health crisis,” said Thomas Triomphe, executive vice president and global head of Sanofi Pasteur

“As we know multiple vaccines will be needed, especially as variants continue to emerge and the need for effective and booster vaccines, which can be stored at normal temperatures, increases,” he said.

The firms are combining a Sanofi-developed antigen, which stimulates the production of germ-killing antibodies, with GSK’s adjuvant technology, a substance that bolsters the immune response triggered by a vaccine. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/17/news/sanofi-gsk-say-covid-19-vaccine-shows-positive- result/873638/

Coronavirus: Joe Biden announces vaccine donation plan to check China and Russia

• US president compares vaccine donation plan to World War II-era ‘arsenal of democracy’ effort • The White House did not announce where the doses will be shipped

US President Joe Biden billed a plan to distribute some 80 million Covid-19 vaccinedoses worldwide as part of efforts to counter China and Russia, and boasted of quantities distributed overseas that exceed what the two countries have contributed.

America“There‘s awas lot theof talk arsenal about of Russia democracy, and China in the influencing battle against in th thee world Covid-19 with p vaccines,”andemic, ourBiden nation said isin going an address from the White House. “We want to lead the world with our values. Just as in World War II,

Bidento be the pledged arsenal to ofsend vaccines 20 million for the doses rest of of Covid- the world.”19 vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration – those made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – to countries in need, in addition to the 60 million doses made by AstraZeneca slated to be shipped once that jab is approved by the regulatory body.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3133842/coronavirus-us-will- send-20-million-more-vaccine

Global officials embrace what experts have long said: COVID-19 is airborne

• • A worker disinfects a room after a COVID-19 patient departed at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego in January. | BLOOMBERG • BY JASON GALE • BLOOMBER • SHARE • May 17, 2021 A quiet revolution has permeated global health circles. Authorities have come to accept what many researchers have argued for over a year: The coronavirus can spread through the air.

That new acceptance, by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comes with concrete implications: Scientists are calling for ventilation systems to be overhauled like public water supplies were in the 1800s after fetid pipes were found to harbor cholera.

Cleaner indoor air won’t just fight the pandemic, it will minimize the risk of catching the flu and other respiratory infections that cost the U.S. more than $50 billion a year, researchers said in a study in the journal Science on Friday. Avoiding these germs and their associated sickness and productivity losses would, therefore, offset the cost of upgrading ventilation and filtration in buildings.

“We are used to the fact that we have clean water coming from our taps,” said Lidia Morawska, a distinguished professor in the school of earth and atmospheric sciences at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, who led the study. Likewise, “we should expect clean, pollutant— and pathogen-free air” from indoor spaces, she said over Zoom.

The study’s authors, comprising 39 scientists from 14 countries, are demanding universal recognition that infections can be prevented by improving indoor ventilation systems. They want the WHO to extend its indoor air quality guidelines to cover airborne pathogens, and for building ventilation standards to include higher airflow, filtration and disinfection rates, and monitors that enable the public to gauge the quality of the air they’re breathing.

A “paradigm shift is needed on the scale that occurred when Chadwick’s Sanitary Report in 1842 led the British government to encourage cities to organize clean water supplies and centralized sewage systems,” they wrote. “No one takes responsibility for the air,” Morawska said. “It’s kind of accepted that the air could be of whatever quality — containing viruses and pathogens.” SARS-CoV-2 multiplies in the respiratory tract, enabling it to spread in particles of varying sizes emitted from an infected person’s nose and throat during breathing, speaking, singing, coughing and sneezing.

The biggest particles, including visible spatters of spittle, fall fast, settling on the ground or nearby surfaces, whereas the tiniest — aerosols invisible to the naked eye — can be carried farther and stay aloft longer, depending on humidity, temperature and airflow.

It’s these aerosol particles, which can linger for hours and travel indoors, that have have stoked controversy.

Although airborne infections, like tuberculosis, measles and chickenpox, are harder to trace than pathogens transmitted in tainted food and water, research over the past 16 months supports the role aerosols play in spreading the pandemic virus.

That’s led to official recommendations for public mask-wearing and other infection- control strategies. But, even those came after aerosol scientists lobbied for more- stringent measures to minimize risk.

Morawska and a colleague published an open letter backed by 239 scientists last July requesting that authorities endorse additional precautions, such as increasing ventilation and avoiding recirculating potentially virus-laden air in buildings.

WHO guidance has been amended at least twice since, though the Geneva-based organization maintains that the coronavirus spreads “mainly between people who are in close contact with each other, typically within 1 meter.”

Morawska, who heads a WHO collaborating center on air quality and health, says that’s an oversimplification.

“There’s nothing magic about this 1 meter,” Morawska said. The closer to an infected person, the higher the concentration of infectious particles and the shorter the exposure time needed for infection to occur. “As you are moving away, the concentration decreases,” she said. Infectious aerosols remain concentrated in the air longer in poorly ventilated, confined indoor spaces, according to Morawska.

Although a high density of people in such settings increases the number of people potentially exposed to an airborne infection, enclosed indoor areas that aren’t crowded may also be hazardous — a distinction Morawska says the WHO should make clearer.

“The WHO, step by step, is modifying the language,” she said. Morawska, a Polish-born physicist who was previously a fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency, can take credit for the WHO’s changing stance, said Raina MacIntyre, professor of global biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

“Professor Morawska’s contribution, on the background of world-leading expertise in aerosol science, made a real impact by forcing WHO’s hand,” MacIntyre said in an email.

The role of airborne transmission “has been denied for so long, partly because expert groups that advise government have not included engineers, aerosol scientists, occupational hygienists and multidisciplinary environmental health experts,” MacIntyre wrote in The Conversation last week.

“A false narrative dominated public discussion for over a year,” she said. “This resulted in hygiene theater — scrubbing of hands and surfaces for little gain — while the pandemic wreaked mass destruction on the world.” Some people working in infection prevention and control and related fields have stuck rigidly to beliefs that minimized aerosol transmission, despite evidence challenging their views because “they do not want to lose face,” said Julian Tang, a clinical virologist and honorary associate professor in the department of respiratory sciences at England’s University of Leicester.

“We all have to adapt and progress as new data become available,” Tang said. That’s especially true in public health, where official policies and guidance based on “outdated and unsupported thinking and attitudes can cost lives,” he said. Morawska said she hopes the attention that the pandemic has drawn to face masks and the risks associated with inhaling someone else’s exhaled breath will be a catalyst for cleaner indoor air.

“If we don’t do the things we are saying now, next time a pandemic comes, especially one caused by a respiratory pathogen, it will be the same,” she said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/17/world/science-health-world/airborne- coronavirus-experts/

'Area of concern': Singapore warns new virus strains infecting more children

• Singapore health minister Ong Ye Kung told a news conference Sunday that the B.1.617 strain, first detected in India, "appears to affect children more". AFP |

PUBLISHED ON MAY 17, 2021 02:46 PM IST

Singapore will close schools from Wednesday as authorities warned new coronavirus strains like the one first detected in India were affecting more children in the city-state. The government has been tightening restrictions following a recent rise in local transmissions after months of near-zero cases.

At a virtual news conference late Sunday, authorities announced that primary and secondary schools as well as junior colleges would shift to full home-based learning from Wednesday until the end of the school term on May 28.

Hours before Sunday's news conference, Singapore confirmed 38 locally transmitted coronavirus cases, the highest daily count in eight months. Some of the cases involved children linked to a cluster at a tuition centre.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, citing a conversation he had with the ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak, told a news conference Sunday that the B.1.617 strain "appears to affect children more".

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/area-of-concern-singapore-warns-new-virus- strains-infecting-more-children-101621241839474.html

India's virus cases decline but WHO expert says positive tests ominously high Reuters

India reported a further decline in new coronavirus cases on Monday but daily deaths remained above 4,000 and experts said the data was unreliable due to a lack of testing in rural areas where the virus is spreading fast. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-virus-cases-lower-who-expert-says-positive-tests- ominously-high-2021-05-17/

Taiwan's coronavirus spike: What went wrong? Hotel cluster threatens success story as island logs 415 cases in three days

Soldiers wait to disinfect Taipei's Wanhua district, which has seen a concentration of coronavirus cases, on May 16. © Reuters

LOUISE WATT, Contributing writerMay 17, 2021 13:00 JST

TAIPEI -- A jump in local transmissions of COVID-19 in Taiwan has raised questions of what went wrong on an island that has been widely praised as a pandemic success story.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Taiwan-s-coronavirus-spike-What-went-wrong

Covid-sniffer dogs prepped for Bangkok streets

Covid-sniffing dogs led by volunteers will soon be screening Bangkok communities, as the capital battles record daily cases in Thailand’s third wave of infections.

Juti Krairiksh, Social Development and Human Security Minister, said volunteers were being sent to the sniffer-dog project at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Veterinary Science.

The project team has trained six Labrador retrievers to sniff out Covid-19 in human sweat.

Dr Kewali Chatdarong, Chula’s deputy dean for research and innovation, said the project utilised the dogs’ sense of smell – which is 50 times greater than that of humans – to detect infection in humans. The project was conducted by placing cotton wool and socks into cans for dogs to sniff. The dogs were successfully trained to sit when they detected

Covid-19 in sweat on the fabric. The Labradors were found to have an accuracy of 94.8 per cent in detecting asymptomatic patients. The dogs will be used to complement normal screening operations.

Juti said at least two ministry volunteers will be sent to each of Bangkok’s 50 districts, where they will train others to conduct sniffer-dog screening operations. The dogs will offer an alternative, speedy method to testing for Covid-19, especially when it comes to screening bedridden patients. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000988

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: May 18, 2021, 12:20 PM GMT+8

Brazil 2,076 74,452 N/A N/A

U.K. 1,955 68,288 2,542.7 2.5

U.S. 1,775 99,901 1,312.8 2.8

France 1,597 87,891 N/A 6.0

Germany 1,076 44,928 722.5 8.0

Russia 805 34,471 917.0 8.1

India 210 19,068 238.7 0.5

Japan 92 5,474 98.6 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of May 17, 2021, 11:33 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 160 million people and killed more than 3.3 millionglobally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

01002003004001 yrDays since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,00030,000,000CasesMainland 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

163,413,882 Confirmed cases worldwide 3,386,457 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of May 18, 2021, 12:20 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. 586,359 32,994,339 Brazil 436,537 15,657,391 India 275,187 25,008,447 Mexico 220,493 2,382,745 U.K. 127,946 4,468,582 Italy 124,296 4,162,576 Russia 114,263 4,892,938 France 107,973 5,942,370 Germany 86,386 3,608,320 Colombia 81,809 3,131,410 Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases Spain 79,432 3,615,860 Iran 77,222 2,765,485 Poland 71,675 2,855,190 Argentina 71,027 3,335,965 Peru 66,220 1,889,052 Show more

Note: Totals for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. include overseas territories and other dependencies. Cases and deaths for cruise ships have been separated in accordance with JHU CSSE data.

The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined.

Global Cases Added Per Day New cases: 343,972 Jan 21, 2020 May 17, 2021 U.S. New cases: 53,493 Jan 21, 2020 May 17, 2021 India 42,984 Brazil 30,148 Iran 14,319 Russia 9,204 Germany 5,381 France 3,351 U.K. 1,993 Mainland China 22 Note: On February 14, 2020, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases.

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

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

Mar 2020Jan 2021May 1700.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5K4.0KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaRussiaU.K.

Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of May 17. Negative values resulting from governments revising their totals have been excluded from rolling average calculations.

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

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

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

Vaccines are also in development, though the study of one leading candidate from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc is on hold in the U.S. while regulators investigate a potential safety issue. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

Share

Related Topics

Coronavirus pandemic

Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more than 160 million confirmed cases and three million deaths across nearly 200 countries.

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

Source: Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies Figures last updated 17 May 2021, 08:55 BST

In the table below, countries can be reordered by deaths, death rate and total cases. In the coloured bars on the right-hand side, countries in which cases have risen to more than 10,000 per day are those with black bars on the relevant date. Scroll table to see more data *Deaths per 100,000 people Filter:

New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** US 583,366 178.3 32,792,530 JAN 2020 MAY 2021 Brazil 435,751 208.0 15,627,243 India 274,390 20.3 24,965,463 Mexico 220,437 174.7 2,381,923 UK 127,679 190.2 4,450,777 Italy 124,156 204.8 4,159,122 Russia 113,927 78.2 4,883,734 France 107,616 165.6 5,877,787 Germany 86,166 103.7 3,602,939 Colombia 81,300 163.7 3,118,426 Spain 79,339 169.9 3,604,799 Iran 76,936 94.1 2,751,166 Poland 71,664 189.0 2,854,079 Argentina 70,522 159.0 3,307,285 Peru 66,220 207.0 1,889,052 South Africa 55,210 95.5 1,613,728 Ukraine 50,128 113.3 2,212,511 Indonesia 48,093 18.0 1,739,750 Turkey 44,760 54.4 5,117,374 Czech Republic 29,901 280.3 1,652,840 Romania 29,523 151.4 1,071,899 Hungary 29,175 300.5 798,147 Chile 27,832 148.6 1,286,548 Canada 24,904 67.2 1,335,782 Belgium 24,709 215.2 1,031,923 Ecuador 19,699 115.3 410,129 Pakistan 19,617 9.2 880,362 Philippines 19,191 18.0 1,143,963 Netherlands 17,466 102.4 1,599,761 Bulgaria 17,259 244.8 414,192 Portugal 17,007 165.8 842,182 Iraq 15,954 41.5 1,139,373 Egypt 14,327 14.6 245,721 Sweden 14,275 143.2 1,037,126 Bolivia 13,517 119.1 332,567 Slovakia 12,224 224.2 387,523 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Bangladesh 12,149 7.5 780,159 Tunisia 11,849 102.5 326,572 Japan 11,471 9.0 685,135 Greece 11,415 108.5 377,090 Switzerland 10,731 125.9 679,510 Austria 10,474 117.8 637,097 Jordan 9,259 92.9 724,154 Morocco 9,098 25.3 514,944 Bosnia and 8,981 270.2 202,143 Herzegovina Guatemala 7,887 45.7 241,369 Croatia 7,708 185.4 350,390 Lebanon 7,620 111.1 535,753 Paraguay 7,596 109.2 313,527 Saudi Arabia 7,162 21.3 433,094 Serbia 6,681 95.7 706,458 Israel 6,382 76.1 839,119 Panama 6,296 150.7 370,877 Moldova 6,027 148.7 253,845 Honduras 5,960 62.2 226,719 North Macedonia 5,211 250.2 154,698 Nepal 5,001 17.8 455,020 Ireland 4,941 102.5 254,870 China 4,846 0.3 102,746 Azerbaijan 4,779 48.0 329,843 Georgia 4,442 111.0 330,375 Slovenia 4,324 208.1 249,310 Armenia 4,323 146.5 220,860 Lithuania 4,103 146.5 265,536 Ethiopia 3,996 3.7 266,264 Dominican Republic 3,582 33.7 277,188 Costa Rica 3,547 70.9 282,741 Uruguay 3,459 100.3 240,512 Palestinian Territories 3,428 70.5 303,827 Kazakhstan 3,400 18.6 414,345 Algeria 3,374 8.0 125,311 Myanmar 3,212 6.0 143,065 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Libya 3,088 46.2 181,410 Kenya 3,003 5.8 165,465 Afghanistan 2,742 7.4 63,484 Belarus 2,701 28.6 376,341 Denmark 2,502 43.5 266,503 Sudan 2,446 5.9 34,889 Albania 2,432 84.4 132,015 Venezuela 2,396 8.3 215,301 Latvia 2,266 117.5 127,978 Kosovo 2,230 120.8 106,506 Oman 2,193 45.4 205,511 El Salvador 2,187 34.1 71,479 Nigeria 2,066 1.1 165,709 South Korea 1,903 3.7 132,290 Malaysia 1,902 6.0 470,110 Kyrgyzstan 1,711 27.1 100,732 Syria 1,698 10.0 23,738 Kuwait 1,693 40.9 291,629 United Arab Emirates 1,631 16.9 546,182 Zimbabwe 1,582 11.0 38,560 Montenegro 1,561 248.6 98,852 Yemen 1,289 4.5 6,543 Zambia 1,260 7.3 92,436 Estonia 1,222 92.4 127,053 Malawi 1,153 6.4 34,214 Cameroon 1,152 4.6 74,946 Senegal 1,125 7.1 40,850 Sri Lanka 962 4.5 142,746 Finland 931 16.9 90,105 Australia 910 3.7 29,978 Jamaica 860 29.3 47,319 Mozambique 826 2.8 70,442 Luxembourg 806 133.4 68,922 Cuba 804 7.1 124,454 Ghana 783 2.6 93,243 DR Congo 776 0.9 30,562 Norway 774 14.5 119,299 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Madagascar 763 2.9 40,141 Botswana 761 33.8 49,656 Somalia 753 5.0 14,486 Bahrain 746 47.5 200,977 Namibia 718 29.3 51,218 Eswatini 672 59.1 18,520 Uzbekistan 668 2.1 96,670 Angola 659 2.1 30,637 Thailand 614 0.9 111,082 Qatar 530 19.1 213,183 Mali 511 2.7 14,190 Mauritania 457 10.4 18,828 Malta 417 94.9 30,480 Uganda 347 0.8 42,779 Cyprus 346 29.1 71,064 Rwanda 344 2.8 26,141 Guyana 341 43.8 15,271 Belize 323 84.3 12,714 Lesotho 320 15.2 10,790 Ivory Coast 298 1.2 46,656 Trinidad and Tobago 285 20.5 16,255 Haiti 271 2.4 13,393 Cape Verde 249 45.8 28,168 Guadeloupe 236 59.0 15,429 Suriname 228 39.6 11,950 Bahamas 216 56.0 11,024 Mongolia 214 6.8 49,175 Niger 192 0.9 5,333 Nicaragua 184 2.8 7,086 Gambia 175 7.7 5,940 Chad 173 1.1 4,904 Mayotte 171 65.9 20,176 Réunion 169 19.1 22,644 Burkina Faso 164 0.8 13,397 Cambodia 154 0.9 22,544 Guinea 151 1.2 22,746 Djibouti 151 15.7 11,434 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Congo 148 2.8 11,343 Comoros 146 17.5 3,863 Gabon 143 6.7 23,799 French Polynesia 141 50.8 18,815 Papua New Guinea 136 1.6 13,707 Andorra 127 164.9 13,510 Togo 125 1.6 13,275 Curaçao 120 73.7 12,254 South Sudan 115 1.0 10,652 Equatorial Guinea 112 8.6 7,694 French Guiana 108 38.2 21,465 Aruba 104 98.3 10,854 Benin 101 0.9 7,995 Maldives 97 18.8 44,523 Central African 95 2.0 6,866 Republic Gibraltar 94 278.8 4,286 Tajikistan 90 1.0 13,308 San Marino 90 266.4 5,083 Martinique 87 23.2 11,490 Channel Islands 86 50.4 4,057 Liberia 85 1.8 2,114 Sierra Leone 79 1.0 4,107 Saint Lucia 75 41.2 4,818 Guinea-Bissau 67 3.6 3,746 Liechtenstein 58 153.0 2,985 Barbados 46 16.0 3,967 Vietnam 37 0.0 4,212 Sao Tome and Principe 35 16.6 2,327 Antigua and Barbuda 33 34.3 1,241 Seychelles 32 33.0 9,184 Monaco 32 82.7 2,493 Bermuda 32 51.0 2,466 Singapore 31 0.5 61,585 Iceland 29 8.6 6,537 Isle of Man 29 34.5 1,590 Saint Martin 27 72.5 2,282 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** New Zealand 26 0.5 2,651 Tanzania 21 0.0 509 Turks and Caicos 17 45.1 2,404 Islands Mauritius 17 1.3 1,282 Diamond Princess 13 712 cruise ship Eritrea 12 0.3 3,844 St Vincent and the 12 10.9 1,937 Grenadines Taiwan 12 0.1 1,682 Timor-Leste 10 0.8 4,458 Burundi 6 0.1 4,329 Fiji 4 0.5 172 Brunei 3 0.7 232 Laos 2 0.0 1,591 Cayman Islands 2 3.1 565 MS Zaandam cruise 2 9 ship Bhutan 1 0.1 1,286 Saint Barthelemy 1 10.2 974 Faroe Islands 1 2.1 670 British Virgin Islands 1 3.4 248 Grenada 1 0.9 161 Montserrat 1 20.0 20 Vanuatu 1 0.3 4 Dominica 0 0.0 178 New Caledonia 0 0.0 124 Anguilla 0 0.0 109 Falkland Islands 0 0.0 63 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 0.0 45 Greenland 0 0.0 31 Vatican 0 0.0 27 Saint Pierre and 0 0.0 25 Miquelon Solomon Islands 0 0.0 20 Marshall Islands 0 0.0 4 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Samoa 0 0.0 3 Micronesia 0 0.0 1 Show more

Note: The map, table and animated bar chart in this page use a different source for figures for France and the UK from that used by Johns Hopkins University, which results in a slightly lower overall total. US figures do not include Puerto Rico, Guam or the US Virgin Islands.

Confirmed cases have been rising steeply since the middle of last year, but the true extent of the first outbreaks in 2020 is unclear because testing was not then widely available. The 100 millionth Covid case was recorded at the end of January - about a year after the first officially diagnosed case of the virus.

Deaths have also been rising, however official figures may not fully reflect the true number in many countries. Data on excess deaths, a measure of how many more people are dying than would be expected based on the previous few years, may give a better indication of the actual numbers in many cases.

Who has vaccinated the most? Several coronavirus vaccines have been approved for use, either by individual countries or groups of countries, such as the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the 189 countries and territories administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 66 are high-income nations, 100 are middle-income and 23 low-income. The map below, using figures collated by Our World in Data - a collaboration between Oxford University and an educational charity - shows the total number of doses given per 100 people, mostly first doses.

Click or tap the map Reset Total doses per 100 people No data 0 10 20 30 40 50+ Scroll table Filter table:

Location Doses per 100 people Total doses World 18.9 1,474,328,166 China 28.3 409,025,986 US 81.8 273,545,207 India 13.2 182,251,006 UK 84.8 56,677,012 Brazil 24.8 52,771,668 Germany 47.0 39,414,342 France 42.8 28,924,834 Italy 45.3 27,416,033 Turkey 30.6 25,772,743 Russia 16.4 23,970,334 Mexico 18.0 23,168,462 Indonesia 8.3 22,721,097 Spain 46.4 21,683,707 Canada 48.8 18,415,880 Chile 86.7 16,569,925 Poland 41.7 15,776,030 United Arab Emirates 115.8 11,450,769 Saudi Arabia 32.8 11,419,299 Morocco 28.9 10,672,075 Israel 121.6 10,529,230 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Argentina 22.0 9,927,783 Bangladesh 5.8 9,471,065 Colombia 14.5 7,374,433 Hungary 76.3 7,366,464 Netherlands 40.1 6,875,100 Romania 34.5 6,638,418 Japan 4.8 6,112,406 Belgium 44.9 5,205,148 South Korea 9.1 4,674,151 Portugal 44.8 4,566,812 Greece 41.2 4,292,541 Sweden 41.4 4,177,688 Czech Republic 38.6 4,139,017 Serbia 59.3 4,038,392 Austria 44.7 4,027,734 Pakistan 1.7 3,836,291 Switzerland 40.4 3,495,727 Cambodia 19.5 3,267,516 Singapore 54.7 3,200,000 Dominican Republic 28.6 3,105,105 Australia 12.1 3,089,184 Philippines 2.7 2,921,196 Denmark 46.1 2,668,751 Kazakhstan 13.8 2,590,798 Myanmar 4.7 2,543,762 Peru 7.6 2,512,281 Nepal 8.4 2,453,512 Mongolia 73.9 2,422,303 Finland 43.1 2,387,156 Uruguay 66.1 2,296,155 Thailand 3.2 2,264,308 Norway 39.3 2,131,099 Slovakia 37.9 2,067,126 Qatar 70.7 2,035,475 Ireland 38.9 1,922,913 Malaysia 5.9 1,915,824 Nigeria 0.9 1,811,795 Azerbaijan 17.7 1,795,049 Iran 2.1 1,767,570 Sri Lanka 7.2 1,541,761 Ecuador 8.4 1,485,936 Bahrain 86.6 1,472,955 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Ethiopia 1.3 1,454,503 Kuwait 33.7 1,440,000 Egypt 1.3 1,371,976 El Salvador 20.8 1,350,587 Croatia 32.8 1,346,991 Lithuania 48.1 1,308,711 Uzbekistan 3.5 1,173,978 Bulgaria 16.1 1,116,741 Bolivia 9.4 1,103,071 Costa Rica 21.5 1,093,931 Jordan 10.7 1,091,048 Vietnam 1.0 977,032 Ukraine 2.2 958,552 Kenya 1.7 933,436 Ghana 2.7 852,047 Slovenia 40.6 843,113 Panama 19.3 834,556 Zimbabwe 5.4 796,947 Tunisia 6.3 749,039 Albania 22.7 653,330 Angola 1.9 626,572 Lebanon 8.6 586,734 Estonia 43.7 579,308 Laos 7.7 563,466 Afghanistan 1.3 504,502 Latvia 26.7 503,189 Bhutan 62.5 482,039 South Africa 0.8 478,733 Palestinian Territories 9.2 466,814 Iraq 1.1 453,361 Belarus 4.8 450,000 Maldives 82.5 445,887 Cyprus 49.6 434,550 Senegal 2.6 431,916 Uganda 0.9 430,301 Malta 95.3 420,815 New Zealand 8.1 388,877 Mozambique 1.1 355,995 Rwanda 2.7 350,400 Ivory Coast 1.3 333,793 Malawi 1.7 332,955 Oman 6.4 326,269 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Sudan 0.7 290,500 Guatemala 1.5 276,843 Luxembourg 43.1 269,883 Venezuela 0.9 250,000 Moldova 5.8 233,603 Mauritius 17.3 220,646 Guinea 1.6 204,717 Guinea 1.6 204,717 Iceland 59.7 203,735 North Macedonia 9.8 203,324 Taiwan 0.8 194,678 Paraguay 2.5 175,127 Nicaragua 2.5 166,350 Togo 1.9 160,000 Montenegro 22.3 140,148 Jamaica 4.6 135,473 Seychelles 133.3 131,068 Guyana 16.1 126,800 Somalia 0.8 123,570 Barbados 41.3 118,824 Zambia 0.6 107,790 Libya 1.6 106,559 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.2 106,464 Georgia 2.5 99,234 Fiji 10.4 93,000 Jersey 91.8 92,809 Isle of Man 90.5 76,977 Equatorial Guinea 5.4 75,518 Algeria 0.2 75,000 Gibraltar 221.0 74,461 Niger 0.3 74,106 Cayman Islands 112.2 73,721 Tajikistan 0.7 70,517 Cuba 0.6 70,000 Sierra Leone 0.8 64,966 Bermuda 102.8 63,994 Trinidad and Tobago 4.4 61,850 Honduras 0.6 57,639 Guernsey 82.7 55,478 Botswana 2.3 53,375 Namibia 2.1 53,163 Belize 13.3 52,753 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Suriname 8.8 51,573 Mali 0.2 49,903 Cameroon 0.2 44,391 Comoros 5.0 43,728 Kyrgyzstan 0.7 43,127 Turkmenistan 0.7 41,993 San Marino 114.2 38,766 Congo 0.7 38,151 Liberia 0.7 36,404 Bahamas 9.2 36,000 Eswatini 3.0 35,227 Dominica 45.9 33,037 Andorra 40.9 31,633 Antigua and Barbuda 31.9 31,262 Timor-Leste 2.3 30,599 Faroe Islands 55.2 26,977 Saint Lucia 14.3 26,200 Monaco 66.1 25,937 Turks and Caicos Islands 64.7 25,039 Gambia 1.0 24,659 Kosovo 0.000 22,096 Cape Verde 3.8 21,318 Grenada 17.3 19,519 Yemen 0.062 18,555 St Vincent and the Grenadines 15.1 16,726 Tonga 15.8 16,683 Greenland 28.7 16,268 Lesotho 0.7 16,000 Brunei 3.6 15,905 Liechtenstein 41.3 15,765 Mauritania 0.3 15,661 Saint Kitts and Nevis 29.3 15,567 Djibouti 1.3 13,042 Gabon 0.6 12,364 Samoa 6.0 11,950 Armenia 0.4 10,727 Benin 0.088 10,683 Sao Tome and Principe 4.4 9,724 Solomon Islands 1.4 9,340 DR Congo 0.009 8,446 Anguilla 46.0 6,898 Guinea-Bissau 0.3 5,889 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses South Sudan 0.049 5,459 Saint Helena 75.3 4,572 Falkland Islands 126.5 4,407 Nauru 27.7 3,000 Papua New Guinea 0.034 3,000 Syria 0.014 2,500 Tuvalu 20.4 2,400 Montserrat 38.2 1,909 Central African Republic 0.014 667 Madagascar 0.002 609 British Indian Ocean Territory 0 0 British Virgin Islands 0 0 Burkina Faso 0 0 Burundi 0 0 Chad 0 0 Cook Islands 0 0 Eritrea 0 0 Haiti 0 0 Kiribati 0 0 Niue 0 0 North Korea 0 0 Pitcairn 0 0 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 0 0 Tanzania 0 0 Tokelau 0 0 Vanuatu 0 0 Vatican 0 0 Show more

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country. Total vaccinations refers to the number of doses given, not the number of people vaccinated. It is possible to have more than 100 doses per 100 population as some vaccines require two doses per person.

Source: Our World in Data, ONS, gov.uk dashboard

Last updated: 17 May 2021, 10:54 BST

Overall, China and the US have given the most doses, with about 409 million and 274 million respectively, while India has administered more than 182 million so far. But when breaking the figures down by doses per 100 people in countries with a population of at least one million, Israel and the United Arab Emirates top the list.

Most countries are prioritising the over-60s, health workers and people who are clinically vulnerable. Some countries have secured more vaccine doses than their populations need, while other lower-income countries are relying on a global plan known as Covax, which is seeking to ensure everyone in the world has access to a vaccine. The Covax programme is currently 140 million doses short because of India's continuing Covid crisis. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest single supplier to the Covax scheme, has made none of its planned shipments since exports were suspended in March. Where are cases still high? With many countries now having started widespread vaccine rollouts, the number of daily cases is stable or falling in most regions. Asia, however, is the notable exception, mostly due to India's recent surge in cases.

Here's a breakdown of the situation by region: Asia Asia was the centre of the initial outbreak that spread from China in early 2020, but the number of cases and deaths there was initially lower than in Europe and North America. However, the recent surge in cases in India, Nepal and Japan is changing the picture. India, which has the second-highest number of cases in total after the US, is currently seeing about 300,000 new confirmed cases every day. The healthcare system is under extreme pressure, with hospitals at full capacity and daily reports of oxygen shortages.

The total number of coronavirus deaths reported in India is more than 274,000 - still well behind the numbers recorded in the US and Brazil. However, with many people avoiding testing, or struggling to access it, and deaths in rural areas often going unregistered, the actual death toll could already be much higher. • A visual guide to the Covid crisis in India As the chart below shows, India is far from the only country in Asia with rapidly climbing infections and many are experiencing the highest number of cases since the pandemic began. Thailand has also seen a spike in cases, centred on the country's prisons.

Europe Several European countries have seen spikes in Covid cases in recent months. But the number of daily infections has slowed in the worst affected countries, such as Turkey, France and Germany, and the overall trend in Europe is downward. Vaccine rollouts across the European Union have been problematic. There have been delays to deliveries and concerns over the safety of the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine, which a number of countries have withdrawn from use or restricted to certain age groups. • What restrictions are in place in Europe? • North America The US has recorded nearly 33 million cases and more than 580,000 deaths, the highest figures in the world. Daily cases now appear to be levelling off after a steep fall in February. Canada, which has a far lower death rate than the US, also experienced a recent surge. Daily cases there fell in January before rising in March and April.

Latin America In Latin America, there has been particular concern about a variant of the virus in Brazil. The country has recorded more than 15 million cases and 430,000 deaths - the world's second highest death toll - but the number of daily infections has slowed since March. Argentina and Colombia have both recorded more than three million cases.

Middle East Several countries in the Middle East have had severe outbreaks of the virus, with Iran and Iraq having seen the highest numbers of deaths. Iran has the highest official death toll in the region and the country has recently experienced its biggest spike in cases. Israel, which has rolled out a highly successful vaccination programme, has seen its number of daily infections drop significantly in recent months.

Africa Africa has recorded more than 4.7 million cases and more than 125,000 deaths - but the true extent of the pandemic in many African countries is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with more than 1.6 million cases, is the worst affected country on the continent, according to official figures. Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Egypt have all recorded more than 200,000 cases. • Coronavirus in Africa tracker

Oceania Australia and New Zealand have been praised for their response to the pandemic, with both countries having seen comparatively few deaths. In a sign of how effective their lockdown measures have been, the average number of cases in both countries is similar to that in French Polynesia, a sprawling network of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Elsewhere in the region, Papua New Guinea saw a recent spike in infections, taking total cases there to more than 13,000.

How did coronavirus spread? Covid-19 was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in late 2019 but the outbreak spread quickly across the globe in the first months of 2020. It was declared a global pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020. A pandemic is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time.

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

Can submarines stop incursions in WPS? If the navy’s surface ships are unable to stop Chinese encroachment in the West Philippine Sea, will adding three submarines to the naval force stop the rape of its natural resources and the building of military outposts?

A congressman says that deploying attack submarines will help drive away Chinese fishermen and militias that have been getting bolder in intruding and then controlling strategic areas in our exclusive economic zone.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chair of the House strategic intelligence committee, urged the rush purchase of at least one of three submarines on top of the four frigates and 12 corvettes that the Navy wants to acquire between now and 2028.

He said the recent sinking of an Indonesian submarine with its 53 crew in the Bali Sea during a torpedo drill should not deter the government from buying submarines. The sunken vessel, he pointed out, was 42 years old and refurbished several times.

“Attack submarines can stealthily conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance against Chinese militia vessels,” he added. “We are one of the world’s largest archipelagic states, like Indonesia, so submarines should be part of our mix of defensive combat ships.”

The Navy wants three Scorpene-class submarines from France capable of anti-surface vessel and anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes as well as special operations and intelligence gathering. They will be equipped with torpedoes, missiles and mines.

We believe, however, that more urgently than submarines, we need leaders who are not distracted by partisan politics and personal gain but motivated by unalloyed patriotism, honesty and competence.

Philippines a pygmy beside China

Look at the tale of the tape with a focus on naval power. For 2021, China is ranked No. 3 among the 140 countries assessed on the Global Firepower website, after the United States (No. 1) and Russia (No. 2). The Philippines is No. 48.

China’s estimated population is 1,394,015,970, with 3,355,000 total military personnel, 2,185,000 of them active. It has a 14,500-km coastline and 22,457 km of shared borders.

With a $178,200-million defense budget, China’s available naval assets total 777, which include 2 aircraft carriers, 50 destroyers, 46 frigates, 72 corvettes, 79 submarines and 123 patrol vessels. The Philippines’ estimated population is 110,846,590, with 315,000 total military personnel, 125,000 of them active. It has a 36,289-km coastline and no shared land borders.

Its defense budget is $4,250 million. Available naval assets number 103, which include 2 frigates, 4 corvettes, 55 patrol vessels and no aircraft carrier, no destroyers, no submarines – clearly no match to China’s naval might.

For the US, a Philippine treaty ally, the Global Firepower site counts 490 US total naval assets, which include 92 destroyers, no frigates, 21 corvettes and 13 patrol vessels.

The US is reported to have 83 nuclear-powered warships, including 72 submarines, and 10 aircraft carriers. These NPWs, making up about 40 percent of US naval forces, visit over 150 ports in some 50 countries.

With an estimated population of 332,690,850, the US has a defense budget of $740,500 million. Its coastline is 19,924 km, and its land borders with Canada and Mexico run 12,048 km.

My boarding a nuke ‘boomer’ submarine

In the late 1960s, I had the unexpected privilege of boarding USS Daniel Boone (SSBN 629), one of America’s nuclear submarines at the time, waiting to sail out from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Then covering foreign affairs for the old Manila Times, I was among seven journalists who toured several US military bases in the Pacific as guests of Admiral Chester William Nimitz, then the commander-in-chief Pacific.

The Daniel Boone, named after the American frontiersman, was the ninth nuclear- powered vessel built at the Mare Island shipyard at Vallejo, California. It was the fourth “boomer,” or ballistic missile submarine, built there.

Upon its commissioning on April 23, 1964, Daniel Boone was assigned to Submarine Squadron 15, becoming the first ballistic missile submarine assigned to the Pacific Fleet. It was decommissioned on Feb. 18, 1994.

As we stepped down the hatch, a sailor took our cameras (mine was a Canon bought two days earlier at the PX store in Honolulu using purchase privileges granted by our host the CinC-Pac). Cameras were not really needed as an official navy photog was covering our visit.

Inside the cramped sub were huge vertical cylinders supposedly holding a missile each that, an officer said, had been programmed to hit pre-selected targets. At that time, the only perceived potential enemy was Communist China so I presumed they were all aimed at the mainland. We learned that the crew spent much of their six-month duty underwater in radio silence, before coming out for air, sunlight and normal land life for the next six months. I could imagine that anyone with claustrophobia will suffer and die in three days.

No wonder I heard years later from a classmate who was in the navy (but found himself assigned later to the White House) that some people who had enlisted hoping to see the world courtesy of Uncle Sam ended up on submarine duty and did not see much of the planet.

Another classmate from Angeles City who also joined the US Navy spent some time on KP (kitchen patrol). He was proud to say that with Pinoys virtually in control of ships’ mess halls, adobo had become such a favorite that it was added to the regular menu on board.

Who can resist the aroma of pork slices or chunks marinated in a magic mix of salt, sugar, garlic and some spices? There would be a mutiny if this Pinoy concoction were withheld from the crew.

In Guam, in a surprise similar to the Daniel Boone experience, we were roused before dawn to witness (but not to photograph) the take-off from the Andersen airbase of a stream of B-52 giant bombers dispatched to rain death and destruction on Viet Cong targets in Vietnam.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/18/2099061/can-submarines-stop-incursions- wps

Philippine presidents and the West Philippine Sea The Philippines’ commitment to international law and regional stability is challenged by the South China Sea issue. According to a study entitled “Into China’s Rough Seas: Troubled Maritime Institutions in the West Philippine Sea – Implications for Philippine National Security” written by Rhisan Mae E. Morales of Ateneo de Davao University, different administrations of the Philippine government embarked on various measures fundamentally inclined to the principle of its foreign policy that ensures the integrity of its national territory and sovereignty. However, according to Morales, the initiatives turned out ineffective at the level of implementation because each administration had a different approach to the West Philippine Sea issue and, in general, with China. In the introduction of the study, Morales described how each administration acted on the issue.

It is interesting to note that the Marcos administration was responsible for the establishment of the Pag-asa Island as the Philippines’ northernmost frontier. President Marcos issued Presidential Decree (PD) 1596 that defined the extent of Philippine territory including the Kalayaan Island Group. So, when the Philippines became a signatory to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 1981, Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) 738 establishing a Cabinet Committee on the Treaty on the Law of the Sea (CABCOM-LOS). This committee was responsible for the implementation of the treaty at the domestic level, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the coordinating agency.

Since then, according to Morales, other administrations adapted the committee but modified its functions and composition to meet the current maritime issues. President Cory Aquino expanded the structure of the committee from six to twelve. But the study says that the South China Sea was not much of a concern during her time. Executive Order 186 was issued by president Fidel Ramos that changed the name of the committee to Cabinet Committee on Maritime Affairs. The committee became a recommendatory body that proposed practical solutions and policies in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other issues on marine security.

In 1994, the National Marine Policy (NMP) was adopted as an initial effort of the government to draw guidelines for national marine strategy and ocean management. Then, the Mischief Reef incident happened. The Chinese started building military posts in the area. What happened next? President Ramos called for demilitarization in the South China Sea. During the short-lived term of president Joseph Estrada, he again changed the name of the Cabinet Committee on Maritime Affairs to Cabinet Committee on Maritime and Ocean Affairs. In his first SONA, he included the protection of the territorial security of the region. Estrada called for the support of the United States over the Spratlys, but the US remained neutral to the conflicting claims in the South China Sea. Together with other ASEAN countries who have laid claim in the South China Sea, he called for a peaceful settlement.

Under president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we adopted the Regional Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. But reports say that the Arroyo administration entered into a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China in 2004. The JMSU allowed China and Vietnam to explore the Philippine-occupied islands in the Spratlys, including the Reed Bank in western Palawan. The joint exploration lasted for three years. China has not provided the Philippines with a clear result of the exploration. What we all know is that China is transforming our fishing grounds into Chinese military posts. Sadly, because of this, the Filipino fishermen have now limited access to the waters claimed by China. I believe that this is the time when the so-called ‘special’ relations with China began.

During the administration of president Benigno Aquino III (P-Noy), the Philippines filed an arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea on Jan. 22, 2013. These arbitration proceedings were initiated by the Aquino administration after a standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea in April 2012. On Sept. 5, 2012, President Aquino signed Administrative Order No. 29, renaming South China Sea waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to West Philippine Sea. These areas include the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.

According to AO 29, the Philippines exercises “sovereign rights under the principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to explore and exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources, whether living or non-living, both renewable and non-renewable, of the seabed, including the subsoil and the adjacent waters, and to conduct other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of its maritime domain, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds.”

Now, what is President Duterte’s claim over the West Philippine Sea? During his campaign for the 2016 elections he said that he would ride the jet ski to plant the Philippine flag on the man-made islands occupied by China. In a CNN Philippines Town Hall meeting last February 2016, he said that he would stop the expansion of China in the West Philippine Sea.

Days before he assumed the presidency in June 2016, he also stated that he would not surrender the country’s rights over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. But something happened along the way. He seemed to have recouped GMA administration’s relations with China. Regained ties for ‘economic’ reasons to the detriment of the Filipinos. How can we ever forget the ZTE-NBN deals during GMA’s time and now the POGO groups given special treatment, not to mention the dominant and aggressive presence of Chinese vessels in our EEZ?

Last week the President said “I, never in my campaign as president, promised the people that I would retake the West Philippine Sea. I did not promise that I would pressure China... I never mentioned about China and the Philippines in my campaign because that was a very serious matter.” Filipinos are getting annoyed, very upset and stupefied by all his contradicting lines.

To add insult to the injury, after Defense Secretary Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin said that the Julian Felipe Reef is within our EEZ, the presidential spokesperson Harry Roque countered the claim by saying that Julian Felipe Reef is outside our EEZ. Sanamagan!

This administration is just so full of it. Straighten up your script and acts. Enough of your bravado and innuendos!

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/17/2098794/philippine-presidents-and-west- philippine-sea

Duterte tells US to leave PH alone

ByReynaldo O. Arcilla May 18, 2021

55

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s oligarch, Amboy and Yellowtard of a Foreign Affairs Secretary, Teodoro “Tweeterboy” Locsin Jr., rebuked Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. for speaking on a Foreign Affairs issue.

Earlier, Roque said the Julian Felipe Reef was not part of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Tweeterboy Locsin told Roque to “drop the subject and leave it entirely to the Department of Foreign Affairs under ME, the only expert on the subject bar none.” Eh, di WOW!

“There is only one voice on what’s ours: mine. Period. Not even the military has any say. I speak for the President on this subject.

Oh yeah? We would like to hear him say or tweet that to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana who have been pronouncing themselves on the issue with nary a whimper from him.

Kinakaya-kaya n’ya si Roque. If anyone does speak for the President, including on foreign affairs, it is Roque. I watched the televised address of Digong. After speaking briefly, he asked Roque to report on, among others, the situation in the Julian Felipe Reef. It was obvious he directed Roque to make a study on it.

Locsin, on the other hand, sometimes speaks on certain foreign affairs issues that contradict the President’s views. We assume he does because of his claim he is “the only expert on the subject bar none.”

No, Sir, he does not have “exclusive remit” on foreign affairs. It is his boss, the President unless he has carte blanche from Digong on foreign relations issues, in which case, shouldn’t he chide the latter for contradicting some of “his” (Locsin’s) policies on foreign affairs?

Lately, Locsin said Roque may speak on international law, but not on foreign policy.

Huh? Aren’t the two inextricably linked with each other?

A slap on Locsin’s face We wonder how Tweeterboy Locsin who says he has “exclusive remit” on foreign affairs and claims to be “the only expert on the subject bar none” must feel about President Digong inviting former senate president Juan Ponce Enrile to join him and other officials in his weekly televised “Talk to the People” on May 17 to discuss the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.

“Pakinggan natin siya. He was there right at the beginning so sa kanya ako makinig kasi sa kanya ako bilib sa utak at pag-intindi nitong problema [dito sa] West Philippine Sea (Let us listen to him. He was there right at the beginning so I will listen to him because I am impressed by his knowledge when it comes to the West Philippine Sea),” Duterte said.

•

Nation’s fate this decade rests with virus and IATF

Ouch! That must have felt like a slap on Locsin’s face. Then again, who knows, something good might come out of it like Locsin realizing he is not all that infallible when it comes to foreign relations. His “get the f**k out” remark to China is a prime example. Maybe this time he will resign.

Word is Digong is really not happy with the way Locsin is dealing with the WPS issue. While the former is trying his best to strike a balance in our relations with China and the United States, Locsin makes no bones about showing his bias for the US.

He and “his” ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez (recall Locsin calls our envoys “my” ambassadors) are of the same ilk. Both are oligarchs and Yellowtards. (Romualdez’s latest column in another newspaper titled “The US clear path out of Covid” sounded like it emanated from the US State Department, if not the White House itself.) And both are rabid US worshippers! Their naiveté in believing the US verbal assurance of having our back covered from any aggressor is unbelievable. Were they born yesterday?

US officials keep assuring us any aggressive act from China will trigger the activation of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). The two blokes lap it up hook, line and sinker.

Words are cheap. If the US officials really mean what they say, they should have no problem readily agreeing to deleting that provision in the MDT that refers to action being taken by both parties to counter aggression in accordance with their constitutional processes and have it replaced with an automatic retaliation clause.

That’s what Locsin and Romualdez should insist on — reduce in writing what they keep assuring us verbally.

Now that Digong has vowed there will be no backing down from the deployment of our naval assets in the contested areas of the WPS, any reluctance or hemming and hawing on the part of the US to agree with our demand for the revision of the above- cited part of the MDT may encourage China to “test the waters” by challenging or even shooting at our naval assets.

What will the US do then? Go to its Congress in compliance with the relevant MDT provision? We doubt it will do that. What it will most likely do is to encourage both parties to resort to “peaceful and diplomatic means,” especially now the US is faced with the raging Israeli-Palestinian conflict that could lead to a much bigger problem in the Middle East, an “uncontrollable crisis” as described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

There is, of course, another option for us — ask the US to deploy naval and aerial assets in the contested areas in the WPS that, hopefully, will discourage China from taking any drastic action against us. (Romualdez has reported the US government is merely waiting for us to call for its help).

But as we said previously, we doubt very much if the US will do that — something that will force its hand to take immediate retaliatory measures in kind against China. What happens after that is anybody’s guess. Armageddon?

Give PH the ‘dignity of being a true republic’ In any case, it looks like none of the above will happen with the most recent statement of President Digong telling the US in no uncertain terms to “leave us alone” during his televised address to the people on May 14. The news was carried on May 16, 2021 only by this paper (The Manila Times) and the Philippine News Agency. None of the mainstream media where Yellowtards hold sway published it.

Digong also vowed to never allow the US to impose (again?) “imperialistic might” on the Philippines. He also demanded our country be given the “dignity of being a true republic.”

“Maski na hindi mo ako bigyan ng bagong armas, okay lang ‘yun tutal wala naman tayong kalaban. So, kung hindi tayo makipag-away, we do not fight with anybody, there’s really no point in acquiring ballistic missiles. We just ask to be left alone and live in peace,” he added.

Locsin, Romualdez and the other Amboys in the administration and the opposition — please take note.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/18/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/duterte-tells-us- to-leave-ph-alone/873738/

Big schemes eye 2022

Political observers said then if the accusation against Xi can be described as a crime against humanity, Noynoy Aquino also qualifies for a crime against humanity charge. Proof that those exerting pressure on President Rodrigo Duterte to insist on the unenforceable 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award that invalidated the nine- dash line territorial claim of China are expert agitators is their past antics.

The ruling was not recognized by the Asian economic giant, which did not participate in any of the proceedings of the United Nations-backed court. Retired Associate Justice Antonio Carpio was among the counsels of the government in the proceeding.

Sometime in June 2019, diplomatic passports issued to retired Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretaries and ambassadors were canceled after President Noynoy Aquino’s Secretary Albert del Rosario was detained and not allowed by Hong Kong Immigration to enter China’s special administrative region.

Since 1993, as a matter of courtesy, DFA grants diplomatic passports to former dignitaries of the agency.

Del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales had then filed a case before the International Criminal Court against China’s President Xi Jinping for crimes against humanity for denying Filipino fishermen their livelihood in occupying the West Philippine Sea.

Del Rosario and Morales then launched a media campaign to drum up their case against XI that usually ended up with criticisms being directed at President Rodrigo Duterte as a supposed accomplice.

Both knew of the poor chance of their case proceeding, as it was eventually dismissed by the international tribunal. However, the intent was for Filipinos to associate the ICC case with another similar complaint raised against Mr. Duterte filed by another destabilizer, Antonio Trillanes IV, about manufactured extrajudicial killings linked to the war on drugs.

Del Rosario knew what to expect by going to Hong Kong, despite carrying his diplomatic passport, since this was earlier the fate of Morales who was sent back to the country in an apparent effort to bolster their wayward petition to the ICC.

Topping it all was Vice President Leni Robredo, saying that the complaint filed against Xi by the two former Philippine officials is proof the Philippines can stand up to China, which was a veiled broadside on Mr. Duterte’s engagement of China. “It is as if we kept our hopes alive in our hearts, showing, if not proving, that we still have the strength to fight a giant like China,” Robredo said.

It was a ludicrous statement since Del Rosario and Morales were obviously merely drumming up propaganda with the ICC filing.

Political observers said then if the accusation against Xi can be described as a crime against humanity, Noynoy Aquino also qualifies for a crime against humanity charge for deliberately leaving his troops to be massacred by Muslim rebels that he watched on real time, despite the fact that these special forces commandos begged for assistance and air power in the 2015 Mamasapano tragedy.

Now the trio of Del Rosario, Morales and Carpio has exposed their true colors as they jointly announced recently the forming of 1Sambayan, which aims to be the dominant opposition coalition in the 2022 polls.

The all-consuming political ambition of the yellow mob is again at work.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/18/big-schemes-eye-2022/

How food secure are we? By: Cielito F. Habito - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:06 AM May 18, 2021 Ironically, our country’s dogged pursuit of rice self-sufficiency in the name of food security had the reverse undesired result of reducing Filipinos’ food security. This is because our food staple became less and less affordable over the years as government’s tight regulation of rice imports progressively drove up the domestic price of rice, rather than keep it stable or even bring it down. And because rice is always the first food a poor family will buy, high rice prices leave less, if any, of its tight food budget for protein foods and vegetables. Our persistently high rates of severe malnutrition, which in young children compromises lifelong brain and physical development, could well trace to this.

Today and tomorrow, the Department of Agriculture is holding a National Food Security Summit, culminating many pre-summits that preceded it. But there must be a common understanding of the central topic of food security, because what it means determines the appropriate actions to be taken to pursue it.

The globally accepted definition came from the 1996 World Food Summit of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Food security, it said, exists “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” FAO defines four dimensions in this definition: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Since 2012, the Global Food Security Index has been used as an assessment tool, which examines 59 unique indicators grouped into four categories: Affordability; Availability; Quality and Safety; and Natural Resources and Resilience. The last was a new addition in 2020, in recognition that climate change poses a major threat to the stability of food systems worldwide.

So how food secure are we? The Philippines ranks 73rd, or within the bottom half of all countries rated. Within the Asean, we are behind everyone except Cambodia and Laos. Among the categories, our lowest rating is in Natural Resources and Resilience (with a score of 35.8 out of 100), reflecting our vulnerability to natural calamities, especially yearly typhoons and periodic El Niño and La Niña that bring droughts and flooding. On this, we are worse than all our Asean neighbors except for Indonesia. In food affordability, we are behind all but Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. The three are pulled down by their lower average incomes, offsetting their advantage of lower food prices, being surplus rice producers and exporters.

People tend to confuse food self-sufficiency with food security, which are not equivalent. There is no question that food self-sufficiency is desirable for long-term food security, particularly if a country possesses the natural and technological endowments to make it possible. But food self-sufficiency is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for food security. Food self-sufficiency only ensures availability, but without wide accessibility and affordability of food, there is no food security for large segments of the population. A country can be food secure without being food self-sufficient, or it can be food self- sufficient but not food secure. Singapore would be an example of the first, and has consistently ranked among the most food secure in the world, and yet imports the bulk of its food needs. The Philippines is closer to the latter case, being nearly self-sufficient in our staple rice, but because Filipinos have to pay much more for their rice than consumers in our neighbors do, large numbers of Filipinos are food insecure, and malnourished.

Does this imply that we should just rely on imports for most or all of our food needs on the reasoning that they are cheaper? Of course not! What it implies is that we must pursue maximum domestic food production to the extent that we can produce it efficiently and productively, at a cost comparable to those elsewhere, as normally reflected by international prices. That, rather than relying on trade restrictions that only raised our food prices and food insecurity over the years, is what the Summit discussions and resolutions should be all about.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/140341/how-food-secure-are-we

China and Russia vaccine diplomacy

The Economist, in a recent article entitled “Vaccine DIplomacy Boost Russia and China’s Global Standing,” reveals what the two countries are doing as a way to reward old friends and win new ones:

“In January, as many rich countries were rolling out COVID-19 vaccine programs, others were behind. Today it’s harder to get the vaccines than nuclear weapons, complained Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia’s president. Mr. Vucic compared the situation to the sinking of the Titanic where everyone wanted a lifeboat only for themselves.

“Serbia has now surged ahead of many of its European neighbors in the vaccination race - mostly because it gained easier access to Chinese and Russian jabs. This is true in poor parts of the world. According to a recent tally by Agence France-Presse, a news agency, of more than one billion doses of vaccines that have been administered worldwide, just 0.2 percent have gone to people from low income countries.

“Many have turned to China and Russia for help. A report published on April 28 by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, shows how the two countries are filling a vaccine vacuum by helping poor economies secure doses. They have shipped millions of jabs to developing countries stuck at the brick of the global queue. Such vaccine diplomacy is designed to bolster the two countries’ global standing, improve bilateral relations and gain strategic influence.

“The EIU estimates that the Russian government intends to send shots to around 70 countries to export vaccines to around 90 countries. In comparison, the rich world would—notably, America and the EU—are providing little, and COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing initiative, is hampered by India’s recent restrictions on vaccine exports.

“To ensure they gain a foothold in places were Western is declining, both China and Russia are setting up vaccine production facilities abroad and training local workers. The two countries are playing a long game. But, besides enhancing their global prestige, they may also be using vaccines to reward loyal friends or secure particular favors.

“The EIU report points out that Russian officials began talks with the Bolivian government about access to mines producing pre-earth minerals and nuclear projects shortly after Russia had delivered a batch of its domestically produced Sputnik V vaccine. And China generously to Cambodia and Laos may be partly explained by gratitude or their backing for China’s position on the South China Sea.”

The reason why I decided to reprint this article from The Economist is to show that China’s “vaccine diplomacy” is not only to improve its bilateral relations but win new friends and allies on whatever policies and plans it has. In the case of the Philippines, China’s donations of Sinovac’s CoronaVac appears as a clear attempt to show to us Filipinos that President Duterte’s pivot to China despite what’s happening at the West Philippine Sea with the frequent incursion of Chinese militia vessels into what is known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has its positive aspect.

The Chinese line, for example, has made Duterte say that we, Filipinos, should thank China for all its donations of its Sinovac vaccines. Personally, I am not buying that line as enunciated by the President because despite all the promises of Duterte’s friend, China President Xi Jinping, of loans and investments, I have not seen it happening.

Recall Duterte saying he loves Xi. It is a case of unrequited love. Yes, there have been instances of China investing in the Philippines, but they appear negligible. I may go to the extent of warning Filipinos of a case of Chinese bearing gifts like that of Trojan Horse given by the Greeks to the Trojans, full of Greek armed men that sacked Troy when the Trojans were asleep. In the case of the Chinese giving Duterte vaccine donations, personally I feel uneasy as a Filipino because I am fully aware of what China is doing at the West Philippine Sea.

It is for this reason why the majority of Filipinos are leery and suspicious of China’s action. Somehow, China is really up to something.

Insofar as Russia is concerned, President Duterte’s pivot to Russia seems to be working out. While Putin still has to accept the invitation of Duterte to visit the Philippines, Putin gladly approved the procurement of about a million doses of Sputnik V for the Philippines.

But while the country has accelerated its procurement of more doses of brand vaccines, the country is still miles away from achieving its “herd immunity” goal, which raises the question why the vaccination of people is so much delayed and very slow. There must be something very wrong in the vaccine rollout, my gulay! This question is asked because it seems local government units move so slowly in the vaccination of their residents.

In Paranaque, for instance, in its vaccination center at MOA (Mall of Asia), people line up for three to four hours to get vaccinated.

* * *

It’s difficult to line up the main issues on the 2022 national and local elections. The impact of COVID-19 on the lives of people, especially those among the D and E, have been so great that Philippine recession continues to affect the lives of people. While joblessness has improved a bit, statistics still show that about 5 million or more lost jobs because the community quarantine restrictions and health protocols have made it very difficult for workers, like among jeepney and bus conductors and drivers because of limitations in the transport industry. Workers in restaurants and hotels have been affected too because of limited capacities. Gyms, cinemas and salons are still closed. Livelihood is also limited. And the government subsidies do not seem for the poor to sustain life and have food on the table.

All these have in fact resulted in the contraction of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to as much as 4.5 percent. Santa Banana, there is hunger among the poor!

The newspapers, radio and television may show critics of Duterte and his administration talking about the Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea and the countries EEZ, but these are all meaningless to people looking for work, hungry and who can hardly make both ends meet.

Poverty, joblessness and loss of livelihood are still the main issues for the majority of Filipinos this coming election. It’s a gut issue.

Santa Banana, the sad part of it all is that these gut issues have been with us for a long long time, and elections do not end them.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/to-the-point-by-emil-jurado/354739/china- and-russia-vaccine-diplomacy.html

What social media apps know about us By: William Emmanuel Yu - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:03 AM May 18, 2021 There are 73 million Facebook users in the Philippines. Indeed, Filipinos are true social media fans.

How much data do applications keep about us? I looked at the various permissions requested by top apps at the Google Play store and a few Pinoy favorites: TikTok, Grab, Zalora, Lazada, and Shopee.

The most common permissions these apps request are network information and access to storage and camera, which means access to pictures, recordings, documents, and the camera on our phone. That’s a lot of information!

These apps already have access to so much information about us because we freely hand it over to them.

According to a social experiment by ProPrivacy.com, 99 percent of users “agree,” without reading, to the terms and conditions of app use, even if such agreement requires naming rights to their firstborn child.

Some apps have client-to-server encryption, like TikTok, which means an unencrypted copy of our messages can be seen by the servers of Chinese company ByteDance. Chat apps, like WhatsApp and Viber, support client-to-client encryption but back-up copies of conversations can be stored elsewhere. Social messaging apps, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, clearly have content visible to themselves as platforms. Shopping apps, like Grab, Lazada, Zalora, and Shopee, have copies of transactional information and our product browsing history.

Have you ever wondered if websites and social media could read your mind? For example, I browse for travel destinations on a search engine. When I visit Facebook, I get advertisements about a particular vacation spot that I’ve been looking at. What is this wizardry?

This “mind reading” is made possible using HTTP Cookies, a small piece of data stored on our computers by browsers when we visit websites. This cookie contains pieces of information, like the website visited, transactions, and search terms.

Third-party ad-tracking cookies, on the other hand, are a special kind of cookies dropped on our computers by ad-tracking services that online platforms use. So, if we use different platforms that use the same ad- tracking networks, we can be served targeted advertisements based on information obtained by the ad network from other platforms; this results in effective advertising. So, in my vacation search example, the search engine and Facebook could be using the same ad-tracking network to ensure that I get personalized ads. The ad-tracking network is the glue that binds the different platforms together.

Some practices of ad-tracking networks seem to go against what we expect when we give consent to share information to a particular platform. It does feel like being digitally stalked. I consciously granted consent to the search engine but not to the ad-tracking network or to Facebook.

As a result, we are seeing moves across the industry to minimize, suppress, or find alternatives to this behavior, such as the push by popular browser makers Apple and Google.

It’s safe to assume that platforms have more information than what we explicitly give to them. The more information they have, the better they get at serving the appropriate content and advertising to us. This is like digital “dugo-dugo,” the modus operandi where exploiters come under one pretense, then users end up being victims because of personal information they unknowingly provide.

Interacting with friends and family online provides a wealth of information about us and other people, which in turn grows the network and may lead to an ad impression. Why do you think all apps request “Contacts” permission? As the saying goes, if you do not pay for the product, then you are the product.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/140335/what-social-media-apps-know-about-us

Whither Malaysia's forgotten revolution? Infighting and intrigue helped Pakatan Harapan engineer its own downfall Richard Heydarian May 17, 2021 17:00 JST

Mahathir Mohamad, right, raises the hand of Anwar Ibrahim during a rally in Port Dickson in October 2018: the relevance of the electoral tsunami in 2018 cannot be overstated. © AP Richard Heydarian is an Asia-based academic, columnist and author of "The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy" and the "The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Whither-Malaysia-s-forgotten-revolution

Responsibility for the Latest Upsurge in Arab-Israeli Violence Goes to US President Joe Biden by Con Coughlin May 17, 2021 at 5:00 am

▪ Even Mr Trump's harshest critics had to concede that, when it came to the Middle East, the Trump era had been a success. ▪ Prior to the latest eruption of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian militants, Mr Biden's only notable intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian issue had been to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in American aid to the Palestinians, thereby reversing the Trump administration's decision to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority over its refusal to maintain a dialogue with Washington. ▪ Now, with Palestinian militants once more targeting Israeli civilian areas with rockets and missiles, the folly of Mr Biden's ill-advised approach to the Middle East has been exposed.... Indeed, the extent of Iran's military support for Palestinian militants was revealed by an official with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation who boasted last week: "The rockets we use to pound Tel Aviv, our weapons, and our food are provided by Iran." ▪ Mr Biden's comment, made following a telephone discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, that he expected the violence to end "sooner rather than later" certainly seemed to be more an expression of wishful thinking than a realistic assessment of events unfolding on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian territorie

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17370/biden-arab-israel-violence

Stimulus spending could cause the next economic crash

Financial Times chief economist Martin Wolf has warned that US President Joe Biden’s big-spending stimulus program risks generating a burst of inflation that could lead to a financial crisis and deep recession before the 2024 presidential election.

This would bring the re-election of a triumphant and revanchist Donald Trump and spell the end of liberal democracy, according to Wolf, who says the Republicans are ‘increasingly an anti-democratic cult with a would-be despot as their leader’.

Even the stalwart Democrat-leaning former US Treasury secretary, Larry Summers, has criticised the Biden government’s outlays as ‘substantially excessive’, telling Wolf in an interview that ‘it doesn’t seem to me that the preponderant probability is that it will work out well’.

Biden’s US$1.9 trillion stimulus package comes on top of a US$900 billion stimulus package last December and ahead of a proposed US$3 trillion outlay on infrastructure and social welfare reform. At the same time, the US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to between 0% and 0.25% and is flooding the economy with cash by buying bonds and lending money to financial institutions.

The scale of Australian government’s budget spending in response to Covid-19 is also enormous. The combined Commonwealth injection into the economy over the four years from 2019–20 to 2022–23 is $475 billion with $452 billion in deficits, compared with the $23 billion in surpluses that were being forecast in December 2019, before the pandemic struck.

Budget spending is hitting a peak, outside of wartime, of 32.1% of GDP this year and will still be 26.2% of GDP in 2024–25. During the peak of the response to the global financial crisis in 2009–10, outlays only reached 25.9% of GDP.

There are grounds for concern that the Australian government, like the Biden administration, is paying too little heed to the threat of inflation. The economy is recovering strongly—much more powerfully than was the case after the financial crisis—with unemployment having dropped from 7.5% to 5.6% since last October and forecast to keep falling to 5% by the middle of next year despite the end of the ‘JobKeeper’ program.

In Australia, as in the US, the signs of a boom are everywhere. House prices are soaring, as are used car prices. Consumer goods are flying out the door of retailers in both countries. It’s hard to book space on container ships to the US because demand for consumer goods is so hot. Consumer confidence in Australia is at its highest level in 11 years.

The evidence is in the markets as well. Commodity prices are booming. Iron ore is hitting fresh records while copper, often seen as a bellwether for global manufacturing demand, has been trading at record levels above US$10,000 a tonne. Australian share prices are back to the peak they reached before the financial crisis, while in the US, the S&P 500 was at a record 4,230 points before the latest round of inflation jitters.

Commentary on the budget focussed on inflation risks. The Australian Financial Review’s ‘Chanticleer’ columnist Tony Boyd remarked that the budget would help stocks exposed to housing and construction which were ‘in the inflation trade sweet spot’ while the losers would be hospitality, tourism and farm industries all suffering from staff shortages because of border closures.

The Australian’s contributing economics editor Judith Sloan argued Treasury’s forecast that wage growth this year would only be 1.5% was too low given the emerging labour shortages. ‘Wage pressures are all on the upside as employers seek to lure workers away from other employers or from out of the workforce.’

In the US, the early signs are that prices are on the move. The April consumer price index showed the biggest jump in prices since September 2008, when the economy was running hot on the eve of the global financial crisis. The annual rate of price growth increased from 2.6% to 4.2%.

There is as yet no parallel move in Australia. The latest quarterly report on consumer prices showed that the underlying rate, which removes the influence of the biggest price increases and falls, was only 1.1%, the lowest since it started being calculated in the early 1980s.

The behaviour of inflation across the advanced world has been an economic mystery over the past 10 years. The accepted economic theory holds that once the jobless rate drops below a minimum level where all those that want and are available to work have a job, wages will start to rise and prices will follow.

The central bank can influence the inflation rate because when it cuts rates, it’s easier for people to borrow and invest. This boosts demand and lowers unemployment.

However, across the advanced world, strong employment growth in the years leading up to the pandemic failed to generate the least heat in wages or inflation. Central bank interest rate cuts seemed to produce a boost in asset prices but not in wages or in consumer prices. Since Philip Lowe took on the role of Reserve Bank of Australia governor in September 2016, the inflation rate has averaged only 1.5%, far short of the 2.5% midpoint of the bank’s 2–3% target band. Is this time different? Policymakers reassure themselves that if prices and wages did start rising, then central banks would know what to do, raising rates to dampen demand and ease price growth.

But there are dangers here. The biggest cause of recessions worldwide since World War II has been central banks acting too late to respond to an overheated economy and then moving too far too quickly. The diminishing population of Australians who can remember the recession that then-treasurer Paul Keating said in 1990 that we ‘had to have’ would also recall the interest rate rises that precipitated it, when mortgage rates reached 20%.

As part of its Covid-19 response, the US Federal Reserve has said it will tolerate inflation rising above its 2% target and will not, in any event, be lifting rates before 2024 at the earliest. The RBA’s Lowe agrees: ‘Our judgment is that we are unlikely to see wages growth consistent with the inflation target before 2024’, he said in March.

The risk is that all the government spending and central bank liquidity leads to wages and prices rising, perhaps by as much as 5%, before the central bank starts to take action. With household debts in Australia and corporate debts in the US reaching record levels, any upward move in rates could bring a liquidity squeeze that could be precipitated by a plunge in bond markets before central banks act.

The White House has let the New York Times know that officials are keeping tabs on ‘real-time’ price movements several times a day, and are confident that any spike in prices will be temporary, not harmful and will reflect the one-off effect of disruptions to supply chains during the pandemic.

Wolf says he ‘desperately’ hopes that Biden succeeds. ‘He has taken a huge gamble on the success of his programme. It may be the most consequential gamble taken by any democratic leader in my lifetime. The future of democracy is at stake,’ he writes.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/stimulus-spending-could-cause-the-next-economic- crash/

Westerners need to adapt to China’s influence

(Global Times) 14:49, May 16, 2021

Kerry Brown Photo: Courtesy of Kerry Brown

Editor's Note:

The West and China "need to have a forum for learning, that is a two-way process." Kerry Brown, director of the Lau Institute at King's College London, believes that there are many lessons from China that the world can draw on. Why does Brown hold such an observation? What are some ways Western countries can view their relations with a peacefully rising China? Why do dialogues between Western countries and China always seem difficult? Brown shared his opinions on these issues with Global Times (GT) reporter Sun Wei.

GT: How many years have you been studying China? How many researchers does the Lau China Institute at King's College, London currently have? Could you talk about your recent research topics or your upcoming book?

Brown: I first visited China in 1991, 30 years ago. I started studying Mandarin [Putonghua] in Melbourne, Australia in 1992, and then undertook a postgraduate degree in it in 1993. The Lau Institute has currently six full-time academic staff. These are people the institute directly funds. Most other similar institutes have affiliates. So we are pretty unique. We also have 30 doctoral students, and usually about 40 masters students each year. Currently, I am working on an annotated selection of the key works of major European thinkers on China since the time of Marco Polo to the 1970s - people like Voltaire, Montesquieu, Leibniz, Marx, Hegel, Weber, Russell, Kristeva and Barthes. This will be published later this year.

GT: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently said he wants more business deals with China, and warned that a cold war with China would be a "mistake." PM's father Stanley urged him to "stand up" to Tory hawks, saying post-Brexit UK must work "even closer" with China. What's the public view in general? Do they oppose or worry about the so-called new cold war?

Brown: British public opinion to China historically has never been either that warm or that hostile. Until COVID-19 most people probably didn't think much about China and any role it might play in their lives. Of course, with the pandemic, and the arguments over virus spread, management, and so on, China has become of more interest to politicians, commentators, and a wide range of different people. It is good there is wider interest in China, but not so good that it is often people with the most extreme views and the loudest impression of being certain despite having little to go on in terms of real experience have found a platform. I sometimes feel nostalgic for the time when China was a less hot topic in the UK!

GT: China had had golden relationship with the UK, Germany, France and so on, but there has been a lot of turbulence in recent years. Why there are so many back and forth moves? What is the reason that the dialogue between Western countries and China always seems difficult?

Brown: This is why I decided to gather the ideas of key thinkers from European history like Leibniz and Voltaire, Hegel and Marx on China. In many ways they are symptomatic of the kinds of structural issues we still see today. Broadly, the Leibniz school is seeking a sort of objectivity - to try to set aside our own convictions and proclivities and see China "scientifically." For Voltaire, there was an attitude verging on worship of a China he knew only remotely and idealized. This was more about his own disillusionment with the politics of 18th-century Europe. For Montesquieu, China was negative - despotic and backward. In many ways, that same division still exists in Europe today. Social media with its deadly ability to decontextualize things and remove nuance hasn't helped. I really wonder how things would be if we had all the same issues between China and Europe as we do now, but no social media in Chinese or English (or other European languages). Surely things would have been better in some respects, at least in terms of the quality of our respective discourse towards each other.

GT: In a recent dialogue with the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, you said, the US and Europe "were going to China to teach to show how you do things. I think that we need to kind of have some recognition that there are many things where China can come to the rest of the world and teach and show how you can do." Why did you have such an observation, and what kinds of governance experience can the US and Europe use for reference?

Brown: Clearly there are things that China has achieved in terms of developing improved livelihood for a large number of its citizens, and building infrastructure, that it can [teach], and has been teaching to other countries. My point was that the European habit of always wanting to be the explainer and teacher (and I acknowledge, I am as prone to this as anyone else!) needs to change now. Yes, there are many areas where Europe is still strong in terms of knowledge production. But there are an increasing number of areas where China can teach Europe things - environmental science is one. We need to be open to this.

GT: European countries have recently been caught up with the third wave of the coronavirus. How would you compare China's anti-epidemic measures with those of Europe and the US? Brown: The measures China introduced were effective, of course. But European governments assessed that the social and political costs of implementing measures like these in Europe were too high. That meant they had to use different means, with far messier outcomes. Europeans are not happy with the huge suite of powers that their governments have assumed to deal with the pandemic, and would want these removed as soon as the pandemic recedes. We have all learned that different assessments of how to deal with a pandemic and what public tolerance for these are have occurred across the world. There is no easy conclusion to draw though; some democracies have done very well in combating the pandemic too. This really has been a searing learning process. We all need to be a bit more humble at the moment - and that includes everyone.

GT: This year marks the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) that was launched at the country's most recent two sessions. In the next five years, what kind of challenges might China face? This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. How do you evaluate the changes in China in the past 100 years?

Brown: Of course, they have been simply immense. It is often forgotten, but in 1920 in terms of life expectancy, health, public living standards, China was a wholly different place than that which exists today. It has been on an immense journey. People in Europe are prone to feel that the world in 2021 is getting worse. But in fact, on almost every measure, things are improving in terms of reduction of poverty, disease, well- being, and this is largely due to the achievements in China, India and across Africa.

For the challenges facing China, the main one will be how to find its proper international space when of course its values and attitude towards the prevailing international system are different. This is due to its own history and culture, and the speed of its rise, which have been as disorientating for it as they have for the outside world, and pose many challenges about what sort of space China wants, what the world wants from China, and how best to try to create a balanced, viable and sustainable system that can accommodate these different pressures and approaches.

For China's domestic development, the main thing is to maintain sustainably the current speed of improvements in people's material lives in ways which continue to reach people's expectations without creating frustration and dissatisfaction if there are pauses, or challenges, to this attempt. China needs to deal with vast environmental issues, and it is good that it is working with the wider world in trying to answer some of these.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0516/c90000-9850357.html Paying cyber-ransoms spotlights ethical and legal concerns

• By Michael Riley and Kartikay Mehrotra / Bloomberg

The US government’s fight to choke off ransom payments collected by hackers hit a major snag on Thursday last week, following news that Colonial Pipeline paid a hefty sum to hackers who for several days last week effectively shut down the country’s largest fuel pipeline and created gas shortages along the US east coast.

The decision went against FBI and the US Department of the Treasury warnings that such payouts would only spread pain down the line by encouraging more hacking, raising questions around the ethics of paying the ransoms.

Cybersecurity experts, lawyers and insurers say that their pleas run up against the hard logic faced by many ransomware victims. Often the quickest way to restore debilitated computers systems is to pay, and victims typically have insurance to cover the cost. For those who resist, hackers have found new ways to increase the pain.

“It’s just a cold calculation by the policy holder and the carrier,” said Robert Cattanach, who works on cybersecurity litigation at the law firm Dorsey and Whitney. “As unfortunate as this dynamic is, at the end of the day, the insurance company is going to do what’s going to mitigate its exposure.”

While a ransom of US$5 million in cryptocurrency might seem like a hefty sum, victims do the math and find that their daily losses add up to much more, Cattanach said, referring to the amount that Colonial paid the hackers.

However, others worry that Colonial’s payment is going to embolden other criminals.

“It’s a terrible precedent to set and disappointing,” said an oil trader who was not authorized to discuss the topic publicly and requested anonymity. “But Colonial is a high-profile company, and it’s faster and cheaper to pay and then buy some better firewalls.”

Ransomware is a variation of malware that encrypts a victim’s computers, rendering them useless. The hacking group then demands a payment in exchange for a decryption key.

Adrian Nish, head of Cyber Technical Services for BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, said his firm tracks about 20 major ransomware groups, most based in Russia or Eastern Europe, and many of them have the capacity to hit scores of victims per month. It is difficult to come across definitive data on ransomware victims because most prefer to keep the matter quiet. Ransoms demanded by hacking groups vary widely, and can reach tens of millions of US dollars.

However, the initial demand is often whittled down during negotiations, cybersecurity experts say.

The original ransom demand from the Colonial hackers — suspected to be a group called DarkSide — is not known.

A survey last year of senior IT and security decisionmakers by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings said 27 percent of victims paid the ransom, and the average payment was US$1.1 million.

In March, the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky said 56 percent of victims paid the hackers.

A ransomware task force said in a report by the Institute for Security and Technology that cyber-ransoms paid last year totaled US$350 million, a 311 percent increase over 2019. The average payment was US$312,493.

Although the Colonial attack was especially serious because of the impact on US energy supplies, there have been other major ransomware attacks over the past few weeks. The victims include the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department and Scripps Health, a major hospital system in the San Diego area.

In the case of the police, the hackers eventually released what it said were personnel files on nearly two dozen people after the department did not meet the ransom demand.

The logic against paying ransom is simple: It makes the crime less profitable and discourages would-be hackers from joining in.

There is also no guarantee that a victim’s files would be returned, according to the FBI.

After news of Colonial’s ransom payment broke, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated the FBI’s position.

However, she added: “What I’m here to do is just convey the policies of the United States government, and it doesn’t feel particularly constructive to call out companies in that manner at this point in time.”

Tyler Hudak, the head of incident response at the cybersecurity firm TrustedSec, said the calculation a company makes about whether to pay or not relies on a few variables.

The most important is whether the company has backups of the hijacked data, which would be necessary to restart its systems without help from the hackers. However, even that might not save a victim. Many ransomware groups have begun to steal sensitive data before locking up a company’s computers, providing them with a second point of leverage.

“Like many groups, DarkSide uses a double-extortion scheme, which means they also steal data and threaten to leak it,” Hudak said. “Even if you don’t need to pay because your data is backed up, you might decide to pay to stop the leak.”

In the case of Colonial, the decrypter tool the hackers provided to help restore their systems was so slow that the company had to restore machines using existing backups anyway, a person familiar with the investigation said.

“Across the board, the decryption programs are not as well-written as the encryption programs, which is what makes the hackers money,” Hudak said.

In one case involving DarkSide, Hudak said that he and his team took 12 hours to restore a single server using the hackers’ tool.

In almost every case, victims must decide if paying the attacker is legal. In October last year, the Treasury Department created legal roadblocks for ransomware victims considering payment to attackers on the US sanctions list.

The challenge is that it might not always be clear who the hackers are, where they are located or if cryptocurrency addresses that they assign for payments are covered by sanctions.

“It’s all about risk versus reward,” Hold Security founder and chief information security officer Alex Holden said. “Can you ensure that you’re not breaking the law by paying, and what are the repercussions if you do break the law? Is it worth it?”

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/05/18/2003757584

Don't keep quiet about cyberthreats By B. A. Hamzah - May 18, 2021 @ 12:06am

The Colonial Pipeline Houston Station facility in Pasadena, Texas on May 10. Last Friday, the company was forced to pay US$5 million in ransom to hackers who launched a cyberattack on its operations. - AFP PIC

In late 2019, Parliament approved the White Paper on Defence. Among the recommendations was that Putrajaya be extra vigilant against possible cyberattacks on critical national infrastructure.

In an increasingly digital interdependent world, criminals look for ransom, and state actors and their proxies seek to exploit defence vulnerabilities in cyberspace to gain strategic advantages during times of crisis.

We use cyberspace to store data on critical aspects of national power, believing they are safe there.

Little do we realise that broadband has become a favourite spot for hackers seeking vulnerabilities in the highly integrated computer network that is powered by the Internet.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

• 'Don't sack so fast' • Vaccination: Educate, don't threaten • #TECH: Don't Mizz it • NPTA: Don't ignore clusters linked to educational institutions A security breach in any device in the network can endanger our economy and jeopardise the security of the whole nation.

The government must think of a more proactive strategy to deal with cyberattacks.

Few countries in the world have water-tight defence mechanisms against cyberattacks, with one happening every 39 seconds in the United States. A recent attack this month by a group of criminals from Eastern Europe on Colonial Pipeline, a company that supplies oil and gas to the eastern coast of the US, put the company in two minds whether or not to pay the ransom.

According to Bloomberg, the company eventually paid the hackers US$5 million to restore its operations.

The cyberattacks on Estonia (2007) and Georgia (2008) put both states out action for weeks when their computer network systems and the data of critical national infrastructure were compromised.

Exactly who was behind the cyberattacks was not known.

Both governments blamed Russia for the attacks, but Moscow denied any involvement.

Similarly, in Georgia, Russian forces mounted cyber operations before bombing the villages and cities in South Ossetia.

Another emerging security threat in cyberspace are lethal autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

The modern versions that include killer robots and mini-suicide or Kamikaze drones are extremely lethal.

These weapons use facial recognition data to destroy targets.

Some irresponsible parties have used AI weapons to interfere with global navigational systems.

Kamikaze or suicide drones are "loitering munitions".

Fitted with cameras, these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) "loiter" in the air to gather and relay intelligence to troops on the ground.

They are capable of self-detonation to destroy targets.

In the past, states were reluctant to show off their AI and cyberweapons in their arsenal for obvious reasons.

They are now more willing to use them against military targets to gain operational advantages.

For example, the US deployed cyberweapons to disable Iranian maritime operations in the Gulf of Hormuz in June 2019. The attack on Iran's computer network was an immediate response to the downing of the US Global Hawk surveillance drone by an air-to-air missile in the Strait of Hormuz.

Defence against cyberattacks requires a holistic approach.

It requires strong commitment from both society and the nation.

Everyone must play a role in achieving national cyber resilience.

This means everyone needs to get involved in preventing, detecting, and defeating cyberattacks to ensure business and political survivability.

The threat from AI and cyberweap- ons can no longer be swept under the carpet.

While the nation must invest more in new technologies and human talent, the nature of the threat requires global cooperation.

Malaysia needs to be active in international forums, like the United Nations, to push for regulations in cyberspace and AI applicability, for example.

Putrajaya should also work with other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for a region-wide solution, while strengthening national resilience in cyber matters.

Apart from Asean, Malaysia needs to strengthen cyberspace cooperation with major powers in the region like China and Japan, as well as the US.

These countries have state-of-the-art technology that we can learn from.

Putrajaya should also team up with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Singapore via the Five Power Defence Arrangement on cyberspace cooperation, especially in the field of cyber intelligence.

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2021/05/690916/dont-keep-quiet-about- cyberthreats

WORLD 'Through the looking glass': How conspiracy theories wreck lives A protester is seen inside the US Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Agence France- Presse/Win McNamee/Getty Images) Share Cécile Feuillatre (AFP) Paris, France ● Mon, May 17, 2021 Suddenly a loved one becomes a stranger. A dad, a mom or a friend lost to a parallel world made up of conspiracy theories and dangerous fantasies destroying couples and families. Some call conspiracy theories the evil of the century. Others say they are a reflection of a world starved of meaning. Either way, they are spreading fast on the internet, with very real consequences offline. A forum on the US website Reddit offers a glimpse into conspiracy distress. QAnon Casualties, launched in 2019, counts more than 150,000 members whose loved ones believe in QAnon, an extremist movement claiming that former US president Donald Trump has been leading a secret war against Satan-worshipping paedophiles.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/05/17/through-the-looking-glass-how- conspiracy-theories-wreck-lives-.html