Today’s News 12 May 2021 (Tuesday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page Navy ties up with Seaversity on virtual G Verdejo M Times B8 1 training DOH logs 1ST two lndian Covid-19 variant in C Ciriaco B Mirror A3 2 Philippines

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 3 COVID variant from India now in Phl S Crisostomo P Star 1 4 First 2 India variant cases in PH confirmed PD Chui PDI A1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page 5 ‘Debate not best way to spend our time’ P Leebrago P Star 2 6 Black out from debate projected Duterte as J Bondoc P Star 7 loser, Carpio as hero 7 Du30: Jet Ski ride a ‘campaign joke’; those L Salaverria PDI A4 who believed it were ‘stupid’ 8 State-of-the-Art buoys to assert Benham rise T Santos PDI A4 belongs to PH 9 Riding a jet ski to Spratlys? Duterte says he R Antonio M Bulletin 2 can’t even swim 10 Duterte told: Blame China for not honoring A Hachero Malaya A12 withdrawal deal 11 Duterte epitome of courage- Panelo J Garner D Tribune A6 12 Duterte: Jet ski statement merely a joke K Calayag M Times A1 13 ‘I’m not scared of you’ M Purificacion M Times A3 14 President’s joke no laughing matter- Lacson M Purificacion P Journal 3 15 Jet ski ni Digong sa Spratly, joke lang G Garcia Ngayon 2

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

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page DJ Yap PDI A5 16 Lacson hits Parlade’s retention, won’t support NTF- Elcac’s budget AFP details Diaz, Torres, 115 more to PSC K Satumbaga M Bulletin 10 17 service 18 AFP details 117 military athletes to PSC + Malaya A9 19 Lawmakers to strip NTF- ELCAC of funds S Locus D Tribune A1 20 AFP to detail 117 military athletes to PSC P Journal A14 21 AFP to detail 117 military athletes to PSC P Tonight 10 22 AFP OK’s ‘DS of PH team members K Satumbaga Tempo 8

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page Farmer-leader survived Palparan, but not T Orejas PDI A8 23 COVID 24 NPA leader, wife surrenders J Roson D Tribune B15 25 23 NPA rebels, supporters surrender R Palo M Times A7

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page 26 Rody appeals for Mindanao peace C Mendes P Star 2 27 Rebels told: Don’t force my hand D Tribune A3 28 Duterte appeals for peace in Mindanao C Valente M Times A2

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 29 The roots of red-tagging M Tan PDI A7 30 Senators weigh in on WPS P Journal 4 31 Yes Jose, it was just a ‘piece of paper’ P Gutierrez P Tonight 4

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Philippine economy shrinks 4.2% in first (https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/busi 32 quarter ness/philippine-economy-shrinks-first-quarter- 2021-covid-19-14786486) Build, Build, Build projects also affected by (https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/buil 33 lockdowns d-build-build-projects-also-affected-by- lockdowns/) Duterte declares state of calamity due to (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte- 34 African Swine Fever outbreak declares-state-of-calamity-due-to-african- swine-fever-outbreak/) Phivolcs raises Alert Level 1 over Bulusan (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/phivolcs-raises- 35 Volcano alert-level-1-over-bulusan-volcano-4/)

Public urged to join online Q2 quake drill on (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139807) June 10 36

Halfway into the school year under (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/halfway-into-

distance learning, issues on access, the-school-year-under-distance-learning- 37 quality, safety still persist) issues-on-access-quality-safety-still-persist/ 38 Dagupan City swelters with 50°C heat (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/dagupan-citys- index swelters-with-50c-heat-index/) Filipinos not stupid, they were 'deceived' – (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/filipinos-not- 39 House solons on Duterte's jet ski joke stupid-they-were-deceived-house-solons-on- dutertes-jet-ski-joke/) SocMed to dominate campaign in 2022 (https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/12/news 40 /national/socmed-to-dominate-campaign-in- 2022/872465/) ‘Behavior biggest challenge in curbing (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 41 COVID-19’ 2/2097637/behavior-biggest-challenge- curbing-covid-19) NAVY NEWS Palace: China militarization in PH waters, (https://news.abs- 42 'not okay, but what can we do?' cbn.com/news/05/11/21/malacanang-not-okay- what-can-we-do-scarborough-china) China honors ‘status quo’ agreement with (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/china-honors- PH; no new reclamation during Duterte's status-quo-agreement-with-ph-no-new- 43 term — Palace reclamation-during-dutertes-term-palace/)

China says 'consensus' reached with PH (https://news.abs- 44 on sea dispute cbn.com/news/05/11/21/china-says- consensus-reached-with-ph-on-sea-dispute) China claims PH deal on sea issue (https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 45 stories/354221/china-claims-ph-deal-on-sea- issue.html) Duterte: United States 'afraid of China,' did (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte-united- 'nothing' after botched Panatag deal 46 states-afraid-of-china-did-nothing-after- botched-panatag-deal/)

Palace: Duterte wants hush on sea dispute (https://news.abs- with China 47 cbn.com/news/05/11/21/duterte-aquino-roque- west-philippine-sea-china-quiet)

Retract remarks on WPS if you don’t want (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430562/stateme 48 them mistaken for policy, Carpio tells nts-may-be-mistaken-as-policy-then-duterte- Duterte must-retract-damaging-remarks-says-carpio) Statements binding even outside planned (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 49 WPS debate, Duterte reminded 1/2097476/statements-binding-even-outside- planned-wps-debate-duterte-reminded) US-brokered 'deal' to end 2012 (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/us-brokered- Scarborough Shoal standoff only an deal-to-end-2012-scarborough-shoal-standoff- 50 exercise of 'good offices' — Locsin only-an-exercise-of-good-offices-locsin/)

Hontiveros to DFA: lead talks with ASEAN (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/hontiveros-to- 51 on WPS dispute dfa-lead-talks-with-asean-on-wps-dispute/)

Roque: Aquino gov't committed war act by (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nati sending Navy ship to Scarborough on/787034/roque-aquino-gov-t-committed-war- 52 act-by-sending-navy-ship-to- scarborough/story/) 'Why withdraw the ship?' Locsin on 2012 (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139857) 53 Scarborough standoff Locsin blames previous administration for (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/locsin-blames- 54 withdrawing PH Navy ship during the previous-administration-for-withdrawing-ph- 2012 Scarborough standoff navy-ship-during-the-2012-scarborough- standoff/) What's the fuss about Julian Felipe Reef? (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/whats-the-fuss- PH not in possession of territory, Roque about-julian-felipe-reef-ph-not-in-possession- 55 says of-territory-roque-says/)

Contradicting gov’t agencies, Palace says (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 Julian Felipe Reef not within Philippines' 1/2097503/contradicting-govt-agencies- 56 EEZ palace-says-julian-felipe-reef-not-within- philippines-eez) Roque wrong in saying Julian Felipe Reef (https://news.abs- is outside PH EEZ - maritime law expert cbn.com/news/05/11/21/roque-wrong-in- 57 saying-julian-felipe-reef-is-outside-ph-eez- maritime-law-expert) DFA has the last say in foreign affairs, says (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/dfa-has-the- Locsin, after Roque's 'faux pas' on Julian last-say-in-foreign-affairs-says-locsin-after- 58 Felipe Reef roques-faux-pas-on-julian-felipe-reef/)

Lacson: European countries seek balance (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/lacson- 59 of power in the West Philippine Sea european-countries-seek-balance-of-power-in- the-west-philippine-sea/) Coast Guard installs sea buoys to mark (https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/coa 60 Benham Rise domain st-guard-installs-sea-buoys-to-mark-benham- rise-domain/) PCG seals off ship from India as some (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/pcg-seals-off- 61 crewmen test positive for COVID ship-from-india-as-some-crewmen-test- positive-for-covid/) AFP RELATED Duterte pleads for end of violence in (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139948) 62 Maguindanao Rody asks BARMM to deny terrorists (https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 63 sanctuary stories/354224/rody-asks-barmm-to-deny- terrorists-sanctuary.html) Duterte threatens all-out offensive vs BIFF (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte- 64 for 'full-blown terrorism' threatens-all-out-offensive-vs-biff-for-full- blown-terrorism/) Duterte to visit Cotabato after Datu Paglas (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139856) incident 65

Justices grill govt lawyers on ATA 2021 (https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/justi 66 enforcement ces-grill-govt-lawyers-on-ata-2021- enforcement/) No standards under anti-terror law, IRR to (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430552/definitio 67 determine what acts are terrorism n-of-terrorism)

ATA enforcement will not result in human (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/ata- 68 rights violations — OSG enforcement-will-not-result-in-human-rights- violations-osg/) In anti-terrorism law debates, OSG lawyers (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 asked: What is fear? What is 'to provoke' 1/2097612/anti-terrorism-law-debates-osg- 69 gov't? lawyers-asked-what-fear-what-to-provoke- govt) Questions for Esperon pile up as SC (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 70 justices bring up Parlade's red-tagging in 1/2097527/questions-esperon-pile-sc-justices- anti-terror debates bring-parlades-red-tagging-anti-terror-debates) Designation of 6 add'l spokespersons (https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/designation-of- makes NTF-ELCAC operations even more 6-addl-spokespersons-makes-ntf-elcac- 71 questionable – senators operations-even-more-questionable-senators/)

'Air of arrogance' in keeping Parlade as (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/1 72 spokesperson will ‘cost’ NTF-ELCAC — 1/2097462/air-arrogance-keeping-parlade- Lacson spokesperson-will-cost-ntf-elcac-lacson) Lacson says Lorenzana promised to 'ease (https://news.abs- out' Parlade from NTF-ELCAC cbn.com/news/05/11/21/lacson-says- 73 lorenzana-promised-to-ease-out-parlade-from- ntf-elcac) No conflict of interest on Joel Egco's new (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139899) 74 NTF-ELCAC role

Parlade’s social media posts an exercise of (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430568/govt- 75 freedom of expression – gov’t lawyer lawyers-on-parlades-personal-social-media- posts-he-is-exercising-freedom-of-expression) (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430576/baguio- 76 Baguio council tackles PMA’s ‘dirty linen’ council-tackles-pmas-dirty-linen) NPA leader, wife surrenders (https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/12/np 77 a-leader-wife-surrenders/) IS-linked group’s sub-leader killed in (https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/11/is- 78 Maguindanao linked-groups-sub-leader-killed-in- maguindanao/) Mga pampasabog at kagamitan ng (https://news.abs- rebeldeng NPA, nadiskubre sa Leyte cbn.com/news/05/11/21/mga-pampasabog-at- 79 kagamitan-ng-rebeldeng-npa-nadiskubre-sa- leyte) INDO-PACIFIC NEWS Southeast Asian economies struggle as (https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 80 coronavirus challenges persist asia/article/3133041/malaysia-philippines- among-southeast-asian-economies) Philippines calls on China to stop (https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/phi 81 harassing Coast Guard ships lippines-calls-on-china-to-stop-harassing- coast-guard-ships/) U.S. Senate Democrats aim to expand (https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/us- 82 voting as Republicans seek to rein it in senate-democrats-aim-expand-voting- republicans-seek-rein-it-2021-05-11/) US reaches out to North Korea again for (http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20 83 policy briefing 210511000763) US willing to share COVID vaccine with N. (http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20 84 Korea if requested: report 210511001045) U.S. business lobby calls on China to play (https://www.reuters.com/business/us- 85 fair, warns of consumer boycott danger business-lobby-calls-china-play-fair-2021-05- 11/) Biden shows ‘more continuity than (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ article/3133105/biden-shows-more-continuity- 86 expected’ from Trump policy on China expected-trump-policy-china)

US-China tensions worsen treatment of (https://www.scmp.com/economy/china- foreign firms in China, AmCham says economy/article/3133077/us-china-tensions- 87 worsen-treatment-foreign-firms-china- amcham)

Washington playing a 'losing game' with (https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05- China 11/Expert-Washington-playing-a-losing-game- 88 with-China-10aH5iF3ZCw/index.html)

2 million posts deleted for ‘historical (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/arti cle/3132957/china-deletes-2-million-online- 89 nihilism’ as party centenary nears posts-historical-nihilism)

How is China’s Communist Party (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/arti 90 structured? cle/3132921/how-chinas-communist-party- structured) Xi ramps up purge of former military- (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Xi-ramps-up- 91 industrial chiefs purge-of-former-military-industrial-chiefs)

China demographic crisis looms as (https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china- 92 population growth slips to slowest ever 2020-census-shows-slowest-population- growth-since-1-child-policy-2021-05-11/ ‘Strong’ birth rate policy intervention (https://www.scmp.com/economy/china- 93 needed to avoid China population crisis economy/article/3133073/china-population- strong-birth-rate-policy-intervention-needed) China nearing ‘turning point’ as slowing (https://www.scmp.com/economy/china- 94 birth rate points to economic risks economy/article/3133088/china-population- beijing-urged-act-face-brutal-facts-slower) Chinese activists who posted censored (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/arti 95 Covid-19 articles face court cle/3133037/chinese-activists-who-posted- censored-covid-19-articles-face) Case highlights China’s grip on Web (https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archi 96 ves/2021/05/12/2003757272)

Beijing Tries to Put Its Imprint on (https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-tries-to- 97 Blockchain put-its-imprint-on-blockchain-11620735603) China may target Australian LNG despite (https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chin 98 costly coal ban a-may-target-australian-lng-despite-costly- coal-ban-russell-2021-05-11/) China looks to Turkmenistan for more gas (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 99 as it cuts Australian supplies article/3133084/china-looks-turkmenistan- more-gas-it-cuts-australian-supplies) China Warns of ‘Damage’ to Relations if (https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/bangla 100 Bangladesh Joins Quad Initiatives desh-quad-05102021174758.html)

No Religion in Tibetan Schools, China Tells (https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/schools 101 Parents -05102021144812.html)

‘Based on lies’: China demands UN (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ meeting on Uygurs be cancelled, claiming article/3133009/based-lies-china-demands-un- 102 political bias meeting-uygurs-be-cancelled)

China dismisses U.S. plot to contain China (https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05- by using Xinjiang issue 11/China-dismisses-U-S-plot-to-contain-China- 103 by-using-Xinjiang-issue- 10aB617iRqw/index.html)

Taiwan Blasts China's 'Shameless Lies' (https://www.newsweek.com/taiwan-blasts- After Beijing Claims Nobody Cares More chinas-shameless-lies-after-beijing-claims- 104 About Taiwanese nobody-cares-more-about-taiwanese- 1590461) Taiwan denounces China's 'shameless (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 105 lies' about WHO access pacific/taiwan-says-china-is-maliciously- blocking-it-who-2021-05-11/) Japan election set for fall as COVID and (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-election- 106 Olympics come first set-for-fall-as-COVID-and-Olympics-come-first)

Ad campaign critical of Japan's (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/ad- 107 coronavirus response makes waves campaign-critical-japans-coronavirus- response-makes-waves-2021-05-11/) Suga opposes China's maritime actions in (https://www.thejakartapost.com/seasia/2021/0 108 talks with Vietnam leader 5/11/suga-opposes-chinas-maritime-actions- in-talks-with-vietnam-leader.html) Record numbers of Chinese granted (https://www.scmp.com/week- 109 refugee status in Japan asia/politics/article/3132976/record-numbers- chinese-granted-refugee-status-japan) S. Korea, New Zealand share concerns (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202 110 over Japan's Fukushima water release 1/05/120_308667.html) plan Moon's leaflet stance effort to manage NK (http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20 111 ties before summit with Biden: experts 210511000854) North Korea Leaves Room to Renew (https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/north-korea- 112 Dialogue with the US leaves-room-to-renew-dialogue-with-the-us/) North Korea Orders Youth League (https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/youth- 113 Reshuffle for More Effective Self-Criticism 05102021190202.html) Sessions ‘Small minority’ of Singaporeans sowing (https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle- racism against Indians: ministers culture/article/3133086/small-minority- 114 singapore-residents-sowing-racism)

Singapore on ‘knife’s edge’ amid labour (https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2113951/ 115 shortage singapore-on-knifes-edge-amid-labour- shortage) Thai court grants bail to 2 protest leaders (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 116 in jail for royal insults pacific/thai-court-grants-bail-2-protest-leaders- jail-royal-insults-2021-05-11/) Myanmar reporters, activists arrested in (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 117 Thailand pacific/myanmar-reporters-activists-arrested- thailand-2021-05-11/) DVB calls on Thailand not to deport its (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/11/dv 118 journalists to Myanmar b-calls-on-thailand-not-to-deport-its-journalists- to-myanmar) Myanmar marks 100 days since coup, as (https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- junta maintains pretence of control asia/article/3133012/myanmar-marks-100- 119 days-coup-junta-maintains-pretence)

Thousands suspended at Myanmar (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- universities as junta targets education pacific/thousands-suspended-myanmar- 120 universities-junta-targets-education-2021-05- 10/) Myanmar coup latest: Unity government (https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar- 121 vows 'justice' for crimes against humanity Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Unity-government- vows-justice-for-crimes-against-humanity) Vietnamese Social Media Platform Fined, (https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/med 122 Suspended Over Vague ‘Violations’ ia-05102021184655.html) Bangladesh hits back after China envoy (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 123 warns against joining Quad relations/Bangladesh-hits-back-after-China- envoy-warns-against-joining-Quad) Pakistan would not hold talks with India (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/d until New Delhi reverses its decision on efence/pakistan-would-not-hold-talks-with- 124 Kashmir: Imran Khan india-until-new-delhi-reverses-its-decision-on- kashmir-imran- khan/articleshow/82558432.cms) Australia commits to years of budget (https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/ 125 deficits to sustain recovery from pandemic article/3133081/australian-government- commits-several-years-budget-deficits) Moscow rejects US ransomware attack (https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 126 claims news/moscow-rejects-us-ransomware-attack- claims-101620720035626.html) Russia Recoils From Possibility of Stable (https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/202 127 Relationship With U.S. 1/05/11/russia_recoils_from_possibility_of_sta ble_relationship_with_us_776600.html) French court rejects claim for 'Agent (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 128 Orange' damage in Vietnam war pacific/french-court-rejects-claim-agent- orange-lawsuit-2021-05-10/) How China is colonising nations through (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/d 129 debt efence/view-how-china-is-colonising-nations- through-debt/articleshow/82544768.cms) Transatlantic Cooperation on the China (https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/transatlantic- Challenge cooperation-on-the-china-challenge/) 130

The imminent threat of corrosive capital (https://adrinstitute.org/2021/05/12/the- 131 from China imminent-threat-of-corrosive-capital-from- china/ North Korea Is China's Weapon (https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea- 132 chinas-weapon-opinion-1589898) Strengthen Asia to Weaken Beijing (https://www.wsj.com/articles/strengthen-asia- 133 to-weaken-beijing-11620684893)

Earth's orbit is running out of real estate — (https://academictimes.com/earths-orbit-is- but physicists are looking to expand the running-out-of-real-estate-but-physicists-are- 134 market looking-to-expand-the-market/)

DEFENSE NEWS A Tale Of Two Seas: The Caribbean And (https://cimsec.org/a-tale-of-two-seas-the- South China Sea In Great Power caribbean-and-south-china-sea-in-great- 135 Perspective power-perspective/)

Malaysia captures eight Abu Sayyaf (https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 136 militants with help from the Philippines asia/article/3132998/malaysia-captures-eight- abu-sayyaf-militants-help) Philippines releases funding for ‘second (https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 137 horizon' procurements detail/philippines-releases-funding-for-second- horizon-procurements) Philippine and US Marines Tackle Cyber (https://www.marines.mil/News/News- 138 Battlefield Display/Article/2602771/us-philippine-marines- tackle-cyber-battlefield/) China on AFP's planned logistics hub: We (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nati hope some will stop stirring up trouble on/787075/china-on-afp-s-planned-logistics- 139 hub-we-hope-some-will-stop-stirring-up- trouble/story/) 120+ retired military flag officers warn US (https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/12 0-retired-military-flag-officers-warn-us-under- 140 ‘under assault’ by socialists, Marxists, urges Americans to fight back assault-by-socialists-marxists-urges- americans-to-fight-back/) The Illegality of Targeting Civilians by Way (https://www.justsecurity.org/76049/the- of Belligerent Reprisal: Implications for illegality-of-targeting-civilians-by-way-of- 141 U.S. Nuclear Doctrine belligerent-reprisal-implications-for-u-s- nuclear-doctrine/)

Top U.S. fuel pipeline remains days from (https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us- 142 reopening after cyberattack govt-top-fuel-supplier-work-secure-pipelines- closure-enters-4th-day-2021-05-10/) US officials believe Russia may be behind (https://www.businessinsider.com/directed- the suspected directed-energy attacks that energy-attacks-us-officials-think-russia-maybe- 143 are getting government employees sick behind-report-2021-5) around the world, report says Cybersleuths blunted pipeline hack and (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/1 144 choked data flow to Russia 1/world/cyberattacks-russia-us-colonial- pipeline/) Why this security expert calls the Colonial (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/05/11/natio 145 Pipeline attack ‘our worst nightmare’ nal-security-colonial-pipeline-attack.html) DoD strengthens its emphasis on data, (https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense- 146 gives CDO new responsibilities main/2021/05/dod-strengthens-its-emphasis- on-data-gives-cdo-new-responsibilities/) New Pentagon directive to manage gobs of (https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it- 147 data: Make it all sharable networks/2021/05/11/new-pentagon-directive- to-manage-gobs-of-data-make-it-all-sharable/) Biden vows to protect oil, gas and water (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Terrorism/Bide 148 infrastructure n-vows-to-protect-oil-gas-and-water- infrastructure) Biden Looks for Defense Hotline With (https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/10/biden- 149 China china-xi-jinping-defense-hotline-pentagon/) Former American defence official says US (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 150 on self-defeating China trade war tack article/3133101/us-self-defeating-china-trade- war-tack-former-american-defence) Reed prioritizing China deterrence fund, (https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021 151 comms and unmanned ships /05/11/reed-prioritizing-china-deterrence-fund- comms-and-unmanned-ships/) Nominees for defense budget and intel (https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning- 152 chiefs face senators defense/2021/05/11/nominees-for-defense- budget-and-intel-chiefs-face-senators-795214) Russian spy unit suspected of directed- (https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united- 153 energy attacks on US personnel states-canada/article/3132972/russian-spy- unit-suspected-directed-energy-attacks) Claims of Microwave Attacks Are (https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/10/microwa 154 Scientifically Implausible ve-attacks-havana-syndrome-scientifically- implausible/) US State Dept approves potential sale of (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-state- 155 AEGIS Combat System to Canada - dept-approves-potential-sale-aegis-combat- Pentagon system-canada-pentagon-2021-05-10/) JROC Takes More Control Over Service (https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/jroc- 156 Weapon Buys takes-more-control-over-service-weapon- buys/) Report to Congress on Navy SSN(X) Next- (https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/report-to- 157 Generation Attack Submarine) congress-on-navy-ssnx-next-generation- attack-submarine US Navy Next-Generation Attack (https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/ 158 Submarine (SSN[X]); May 10, 2021 20705392/navy-next-generation-attack- submarine-ssnx-may-10-2021.pdf) 355-Ship Fleet is ‘Arbitrary’ Goal, Navy (https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/sasc- 159 Needs To Pursue Autonomous Vehicles chairman-355-ship-fleet-is-arbitrary-goal-navy- needs-to-pursue-autonomous-vehicles) US Navy Designing Faster, More Efficient (https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/ 160 Drone Subs With ‘Shark Skin’ us-navy-drone-subs-shark-skin/)

Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors (https://www.navytimes.com/news/your- US Navy LCS maintenance woes navy/2021/05/10/cannibalized-parts-systems- 161 can’t fix: could get worse, watchdog warns that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes- could-get-worse-watchdog-warns/) US Navy Forecasting Provides 45-day (http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News- Advanced Environmental Predictions Stories/Article/2602963/navy-forecasting- 162 provides-45-day-advanced-environmental- predictions/ The US Navy has its own helicopter (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-navy- 163 squadron dedicated to supporting special- has-a-squadron-dedicated-to-special- operations missions operations-support-2021-5) The U.S. Navy In The Indian Ocean: India’s (https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/the-u-s- 164 ‘Goldilocks’ Dilemma navy-in-the-indian-ocean-indias-goldilocks- dilemma/) US Marines eye tactical resupply drone (https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your 165 prototypes -marine-corps/2021/05/10/marines-eye- tactical-resupply-drone-prototypes/) The US Marine Corps Might Soon Get (https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/the- 166 Plastic .50 Caliber Bullets marine-corps-might-soon-get-plastic-50- caliber-bullets/) US Air Force Tests Air-Launched Rapid (https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/ 167 Response Weapon usaf-tests-rapid-response-weapon/)

Reserve Sentinels Support Global (http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News- Economic Stability Stories/Article/2602747/reserve-sentinels- 168 support-global-economic-stability/)

Space Force seeks bids for rocket engine (https://spacenews.com/space-force-seeks- testing and space transportation bids-for-rocket-engine-testing-and-space- 169 technologies transportation-technologies/)

Japan and US defense chiefs to meet in (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 170 Singapore in June relations/Japan-and-US-defense-chiefs-to- meet-in-Singapore-in-June) Japan PM Suga planning to attend (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/1 171 Singapore security forum in June 1/national/suga-singapore-forum/)

Japan conducts drills with France and US (https://www.scmp.com/week- 172 with eye on China, North Korea asia/politics/article/3133085/japan-conducts- first-joint-drills-france-and-us-eye-china-north) Training Phase Of ARC21 Combined (https://www.navalnews.com/naval- Amphibious Exercise Begins In Japan news/2021/05/training-phase-of-arc21- 173 combined-amphibious-exercise-begins-in- japan/) U.S. and French troops begin joint military (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/1 174 drills with SDF in Japan 1/national/sdf-us-france-joint-drills/) Interview: French Indo-Pacific Commander (https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/interview- 175 Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey french-indo-pacific-commander-rear-adm-jean- mathieu-rey) South Korea, U.S. reinforce alliance with (https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/south- 176 cost-sharing pact korea-u-s-reinforce-alliance-with-cost-sharing- pact/) South Korea Develops Autonomous Drone (https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/ 177 Navigation Technology south-korea-autonomous-drone-navigation- technology/) Chinese Think Tank: Norwegian Flagged (https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29547/No Civilian Ship “Spying” for U.S. Near Taiwan rwegian_Flagged_Civilian_Ship____Spying__ 178 __for_U_S__Near_Taiwan__Chinese_Think_T ank#.YJqgxagza00)

China accuses US of biowarfare to deflect (https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/chi 179 COVID blame na-accuses-us-of-biowarfare-to-deflect-covid- blame/) China Announces Facility Capable of (https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/ 180 Producing 100 Drones Annually china-drone-facility-sichuan/) 'Outright lies', says China on reports that it (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/d probed weaponising coronaviruses in 2015 efence/outright-lies-says-china-on-reports-that- 181 it-probed-weaponising-coronaviruses-in- 2015/articleshow/82547023.cms) When and Why China Might—or Might (https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/05/w 182 Not—Attack Taiwan hen-and-why-china-mightor-might-notattack- taiwan/173937/) China’s Long March 5B rocket makes (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 183 splash, but good news burns up in the article/3133089/chinas-long-march-5b-rocket- atmosphere makes-splash-good-news-burns) PLA releases videos showing marines in (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 184 island landing drills ‘targeting Taiwan’ cle/3133096/pla-releases-videos-showing- marines-island-landing-drills) PLA holds mock battle between carrier- (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223 185 borne, land-based aircraft over Yellow Sea 188.shtml) China fields J-10 jets powered by (https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia- 186 homemade engine pacific/2021/05/11/china-fields-j-10-jets- powered-by-homemade-engine/) PLA’s modified rocket launchers filmed on (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 187 plateau facing India cle/3132956/china-india-border-tension-plas- modified-rocket-launchers) India's Navy Is Now a Force To Be (https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/indias- 188 Reckoned With navy-now-force-be-reckoned-184864) Vietnam reduces cybercrime with security (https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/vietnam- 189 initiatives reduces-cybercrime-with-security-initiatives/) Australia’s vulnerability to Chinese (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/australias- 190 aggression exposed by bungled submarine vulnerability-to-chinese-aggression-exposed- deal by-bungled-submarine-deal-kjzs39qw0) Australia plans big defence and security (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/d investments efence/australia-plans-big-defence-and- 191 security- investments/articleshow/82546789.cms) All hands on deck to salvage sunken (https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/04 192 Nanggala submarine /24/indonesian-navy-says-missing-kri- nanggala-402-submarine-sank.html) Russia’s New Yasen-Class Submarine (https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/russias- 193 new-yasen-class-submarine-is-an-underwater- missile-truck/) Global rules against cyberattacks must be (https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Global-rules- updated against-cyberattacks-must-be-updated) 194

What Has Covid-19 Taught Us about (https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-has-covid- 19-taught-us-about-strengthening-dods-global- 195 Strengthening the DOD’s Global Health Security Capacities? health-security-capacities)

FULL PDF REPORT: What Has Covid-19 (https://csis-website- Taught Us about Strengthening the prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs- 196 DOD’s Global Health Security Capacities? public/publication/210511_Cullison_DOD_Heal th_Security.pdf) Will Culture Defeat Strategy? The British https://mwi.usma.edu/will-culture-defeat- Military And Irregular Warfare After strategy-the-british-military-and-irregular- 197 Afghanistan And Iraq ( warfare-after-afghanistan-and-iraq/)

The Deadly Israeli-Palestinian Escalation (https://www.csis.org/analysis/deadly-israeli- 198 palestinian-escalation) The Tension Between Secrecy & (https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/202 199 Innovation 1/05/11/the_tension_between_secrecy_and_in novation_776630.html) Conflicts In Wargames: Leveraging (https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/conflicts- 200 Disagreements To Build Value in-wargames-leveraging-disagreements-to- build-value/) Why National Cyber Defense Is a ‘Wicked’ (https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/05/w 201 Problem hy-national-cyber-defense-wicked- problem/173940/) COVID NEWS Philippines detects Indian variant as daily (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- COVID-19 cases near 8-week low pacific/philippines-records-first-two-cases- 202 indian-coronavirus-variant-2021-05-11/)

(https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139879) 203 PH ‘very careful’ to control spread of India’s Covid variant 9 high-risk areas priorities under https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139931) 204 ‘center of gravity’ plan Coronavirus: world’s most vaccinated (https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3132 nation sees cases double; variant first 981/coronavirus-worlds-most-vaccinated- 205 identified in India found in Thailand, nation-sees-cases-double-indian) Philippines India’s seven-day COVID average at new (https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias- 206 high, WHO issues warning on strain seven-day-covid-average-new-high-who- issues-warning-strain-2021-05-11/) Explainer: What we know about the Indian (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare- variant as coronavirus sweeps South Asia pharmaceuticals/what-we-know-about-indian- 207 variant-coronavirus-sweeps-south-asia-2021- 04-30/) Vaccines, medicines effective against (https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- Covid variant B.1.617, says WHO official news/who-official-gives-verdict-on-vaccine- 208 efficacy-against-indian-covid-variant- 101620736267275.html) US approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for (https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- kids between 12 and 15 years of age news/us-approves-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for- 209 kids-between-12-and-15-yrs-of-age- 101620703044232.html) China’s Sinovac Shot Found Highly (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/202 Effective in Real World Study 1-05-11/china-s-sinovac-shot-found-highly- 210 effective-in-real-world-study?srnd=premium- asia) North Korea reports no coronavirus cases: (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202 211 WHO 1/05/103_308614.html)

Covid-19 antibodies last 8 months after (https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 212 infection, says study news/covid19-antibodies-last-8-months-after- infection-says-study-101620741297024.html) Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across (https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- the World coronavirus-cases-world- 213 map/?srnd=coronavirus)

Covid map: Where are cases the highest? (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105) 214

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 215 WPS or bust? (https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/cros sroads-by-j-a-dela-cruz/354210/wps-or-bust- .html) 216 Back out from debate projected Duterte (https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/12/209 as loser, Carpio as hero 7682/back-out-debate-projected-duterte-loser- carpio-hero) 217 Debate was actually a set-up by Carpio (https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/12/deba te-was-actually-a-set-up-by-carpio/) 218 Not a debate but full-blown probe of (https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/12/opinion/ Panatag loss, anti-China drive needed columnists/topanalysis/not-a-debate-but-full- blown-probe-of-panatag-loss-anti-china-drive- needed/872432/) 219 Monster at the gates (https://opinion.inquirer.net/140150/monster-at- the-gates)

220 The roots of red-tagging (https://opinion.inquirer.net/140142/the-roots-of- red-tagging 221 Laban ng Masa’s 2022 foreign policy (https://opinion.inquirer.net/140140/laban-ng- agenda masas-2022-foreign-policy-agenda) 222 About that ‘rules-based international (https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/12/209 order’ 7671/about-rules-based-international-order) 223 Xi Jinping’s grand economic strategy (https://www.scmp.com/economy/china- stems from China’s new perception of economy/article/3132928/xi-jinpings-grand- world economic-strategy-was-born-out-chinas-new)

224 China makes us rethink capitalism (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/11 /commentary/world-commentary/china-and- capitalism/) 225 Three realities for the West to (https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/ understand about China 3132997/three-realities-west-understand-about- china) 226 Long March rocket’s re-entry a warning (https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/ from the heavens that US, China hubris 3132876/long-march-rockets-re-entry-warning- must change heavens-us-china-hubris-must)

227 Is democracy in decline, retreat or under (http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=2021 siege? 0510000208)

228 China’s steady erosion of media freedom (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article rose from Sichuan’s ruins /3133056/how-chinas-steady-erosion-media- freedom-rose-sichuans-ruins) 229 If China Shrinks, It's the World's Problem (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/202 1-05-11/china-s-census-is-a-problem- everywhere-but-china?srnd=premium-asia) 230 What the evolving international order (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/11 means for Japan /commentary/japan-commentary/japan- international-order/) 231 How India’s shift to the West over China (https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/ threatens relations with Russia and its 3132811/how-indias-shift-west-over-china- strategic autonomy threatens-relations-russia-and-its)

232 From Pandemic to Pan-shortages (https://geopoliticalfutures.com/from-pandemic- to-pan-shortages/) 233 The Pandemic’s Next Phase (https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/11/coronavirus -pandemic-next-phase-india-nepal-brazil-who/) 234 Palestinians: Our True Goal is to Destroy (https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17361/palesti Israel nian-goal-destroy-israel)

235 Addressing Security Challenges in the (https://www.csis.org/events/addressing-security- Eastern Mediterranean challenges-eastern-mediterranean)

Philippine economy shrinks 4.2% in first quarter

Strict lockdowns to contain the coronavirus have thrown millions out of work in the Philippines and hammered consumer spending AFP/Jam STA ROSA 11 May 2021 04:09PM(Updated: 11 May 2021 04:09PM)

MANILA: The Philippine economy shrank in the first three months of the year as coronavirus restrictions suppressed activity, but a top official said there were signs the country was "on the mend".

Gross domestic product contracted 4.2 per cent from a year ago, the statistics authority said, marking the fifth straight quarter of decline as efforts to combat COVID-19 deepened the country's economic pain.

The number of infections has surpassed a million in the Philippines - the second highest virus caseload in Southeast Asia - where authorities have used crippling lockdowns to ease pressure on overstretched hospitals.

But the measures have thrown millions out of work, forced businesses to scale back operations and smothered consumer spending.

"The latest economic performance shows the limits of economic recovery without any major relaxation of our quarantine policy," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua told a briefing.

But there were tentative signs of a rebound, with Chua pointing to quarter-on-quarter growth of 0.3 per cent and a pickup in employment.

"The country's strong economic position before the pandemic and improving economic data in recent months point to an economy that is on the mend," Chua said.

"These are improvements that will support our recovery towards our growth trajectory or target of 6.5 to 7.5 per cent (this year)," he added - assuming vaccinations "ramp up in the middle of the year".

So far, nearly two million people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, official data showed Monday. Fewer than half a million are fully vaccinated.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/philippine-economy-shrinks-first-quarter-2021-covid- 19-14786486

Build, Build, Build projects also affected by lockdowns

BY SAMUEL MEDENILLA MAY 12, 2021

SOME of the government’s big-ticket projects under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) program failed to deliver when it comes to generating economic growth in the country, Malacañang acknowledged on Tuesday, but traced this to the disruptions caused by existing restrictions for the entry of foreigners.

In an online press briefing on Monday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, “I know of one flagship project under the Build, Build, Build project, [whose proponent] requested for the entry of their 97 expats last May 9 [2021]. They were not immediately allowed to enter due to the intensified [restrictions],” Roque said.

However, he noted that even after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) eventually relaxed the travel restrictions, half of the concerned foreign consultants refuse to enter the country due to concerns over the rising numbers of local Covid-19 cases.

Roque said such cases could have contributed to the 24.2-percent decline in the contribution of the construction industry to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) during the first quarter of the year.

Construction was among the early exemptions to the lockdowns imposed since March 2020 after Covid-19 entered Philippine shores, and the government had to resort to sweeping quarantine restrictions to prevent its spread.

While most enterprises especially in tourism and services remained shuttered, the construction sector, particularly projects under the ambitious infrastructure project, were among those where the mobility curbs were lifted.

As to the 1.2-percent decline in the GDP contribution of the agriculture sector, Roque attributed it to the impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF) on the local hog industry, which, with all its allied and downstream enterprises, is estimated at P300 billion. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/build-build-build-projects-also-affected-by-lockdowns/

Duterte declares state of calamity due to African Swine Fever outbreak

Published May 11, 2021, 12:25 PM by Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has placed the entire country under a state of calamity due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, that led to the billions of pesos in losses to the local hog industry and the spike in prices of pork products.

In Proclamation No.1143, the calamity declaration mobilizes government funds and resources to contain the spread of the deadly ASF, revive the hog industry, and ensure stable supply and cost of products. It will be in effect for a year unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant.

The latest proclamation was signed by the President on May 10, 2021 upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

“There is an urgent need to address the continued spread of ASF and its adverse impacts, to jumpstart the rehabilitation of the local hog industry, and to ensure the availability, adequate and affordability of pork products, all for the purpose of attaining food security,” the proclamation read.

The calamity declaration would “afford the national government and local governments ample latitude to utilize appropriate funds, including the quick response fund, in their response efforts to contain the continuing spread of the ASF and restore normalcy in ASF-affected areas.”

Under the proclamation, the President directed government agencies and local government units to assist, cooperate, and mobilize resources to take “critical, urgent, and appropriate measures in a timely manner” to curb the ASF spread.

The concerned agencies must also address the supply deficit in pork products, reduce retail prices, and jumpstart the rehabilitation of the local hog industry.

Law enforcement agencies with the support of the military have also been directed to take measures “to ensure peace and order in affected areas, as may be necessary.”

The proclamation noted that the ASF was responsible for the reduction in the county’s swine population by three million since it was first reported in 2019. This resulted in “more than P100 billion in losses to the local hog sector and allied industries” and the increased prices in pork products.

The disease has so far spread to 12 regions, 46 provinces, 493 cities and municipalities and 2,571 barangays in the country. New cases are still being reported despite the interventions made by the government, it added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte-declares-state-of-calamity-due-to-african-swine-fever-outbreak/

Phivolcs raises Alert Level 1 over Bulusan Volcano

Published May 11, 2021, 10:44 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Tuesday evening, May 11, raised the status of Mt. Bulusan to Alert Level 1 as the active volcano in Sorsogon manifested a “low-level unrest.”

Phivolcs said Bulusan Volcano’s monitoring network has recorded a total of 124 earthquakes since May 8, 2021.

It warned that the volcano’s increased seismicity “could be followed by steam-driven or phreatic eruptions at the summit crater or from flank vents on the upper to middle slopes.”

Phivolcs also observed sustained inflation of the upper slopes that began on March 6, 2021, consistent with short-term inflation of the edifice measured by continuous GPS monitoring since February 2021.

“These parameters indicate that volcanic processes are underway beneath the edifice that are likely caused by shallow hydrothermal activity,” it said.

From a normal status (Alert Level 0), Phivolcs said “abnormal” status (Alert Level 1) now prevails over Bulusan Volcano.

It advised the local government units and the public to prevent from entering the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone and remain vigilant when entering the two-kilometer extended danger zone “due to the increased possibilities of sudden and hazardous phreatic eruptions.”

“Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft,” Phivolcs said.

Moreover, people living within valleys and along river/stream channels especially on the southeast, southwest, and northwest sector of the edifice were asked to stay vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall should a phreatic eruption occur. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/phivolcs-raises-alert-level-1-over-bulusan-volcano-4/

Public urged to join online Q2 quake drill on June 10

By Priam Nepomuceno May 11, 2021, 9:54 am

MANILA – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has urged the public to participate in the second quarter online Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) scheduled on June 10.

In a statement on Monday night, the agency said other activities for the second quarter online NSED include the #BidaAngHanda Online Quiz Bee which will be held on June 4, and a webinar on earthquake preparedness on June 8.

The #BidaAngHanda challenge video will be launched to encourage the public to share their earthquake preparedness activities.

The ceremonial pressing of the button for the NSED will be held at 9 a.m.

The event can be watched via livestreaming on Civil Defense PH and NDRRMC Facebook pages where viewers can do the "duck, cover, and hold" gesture in their houses and offices once the ceremonial alarm sounds.

Evacuation drills and the conduct of simulation scenarios are still suspended to prevent possible exposure to coronavirus disease 2019.

Information materials on the NSED and announcements on earthquake preparedness will also be released on the social media pages of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and NDRRMC.

The NDRRMC also encouraged other government offices, media, and the public to propagate the event's key message:

“Maging handa sa banta ng lindol. Makiisa sa second-quarter online Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) sa June 10, 2021, 9:00 a.m. at mag-DUCK, COVER, and HOLD sa inyong mga tahanan at opisina dahil #BidaAngHanda (Be prepared for the threat of earthquakes. Join the second quarter online Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on June 10, 2021, 9:00 a.m. and do the DUCK, COVER and HOLD in your homes and offices because #BidaAngHanda).”

The first quarter NSED conducted last March 11 was joined by thousands of netizens.

This is the country's fourth online NSED following the conduct of two online drills in the third and fourth quarter of 2020. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139807

Halfway into the school year under distance learning, issues on access, quality, safety still persist

Published May 11, 2021, 6:37 PM by Merlina Hernando-Malipot Problems in access to distance learning modalities, lacking education materials, and poor state of school facilities unfit for the conduct of face-to-face classes still persist after the first half of School Year (SY) 2020 – 2021.

These issues were revealed by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines on Tuesday, May 11, based on the results of the survey conducted to assess the implementation of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) distance learning program.

The group conducted a nationwide online survey among public school teachers from March 29 to April 11.

The survey gathered responses from 6,731 public school teachers from kindergarten to senior high school levels – with 5,303 respondents coming from the National Capital Region (NCR) and 1,428 from all the other 16 regions.

Issues on access, quality remain persistent

Citing the result of the online survey, ACT noted that 95 percent of teachers from NCR and 81 percent from other regions reported that their students “continue to face problems with the cost of gadgets and internet connectivity.”

Of which, ACT said that 48 percent and 53 percent of the respondents, respectively, also indicated that at least 30 percent of their students have “difficulties financing the demands” of distance learning.

ACT Secretary Raymond Basilio said that majority of students – particularly in public schools – come from low- income households or those most hit in the economic recession brought about by the pandemic.

“Some belong in homes that house two to three families, with only one or two gadgets shared by multiple learners – many lost their source/s of income,” Basilio said.

“The government is essentially forcing these families to choose between putting food on the table and ensuring their children’s education, as they reel from the various effects of a bungled pandemic handling,” Basilio added.

ACT said that teacher-respondents also reported that their students are “lagging behind in lessons.” Based on the survey, 95 percent of those from NCR and 86 percent from other regions admitted that portions of their classes lag behind, while 24 percent and 29 percent, respectively said that 30 percent or more have difficulties keeping up.

ACT noted that teachers are also “behind their lesson schedules” as reported by 27 percent of respondents from NCR and 43 percent from other regions – with percent and 34 percent respectively delayed by as much as one to two weeks. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/halfway-into-the-school-year-under-distance-learning-issues-on-access- quality-safety-still-persist/

Dagupan City swelters with 50°C heat index

Published May 11, 2021, 5:41 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The heat index continued to soar as hot and humid weather prevailed over several parts of the country on Tuesday, May 11.

Based on the monitoring of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the following stations recorded the highest heat index values on Tuesday.

Dagupan City, Pangasinan (50°C, 2 p.m.)

Aparri, Cagayan (46°C, 2 p.m.)

Ambulong, Batangas (45°C, 2 p.m.)

Sangley Pt., Cavite (45°C, 2 p.m.)

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (44°C, 2 p.m.)

Casiguran, Aurora (43°C, 2 p.m.)

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

Cotabato City, Maguindanao (43°C, 2 p.m.)

NAIA, Pasay City (43°C, 2 p.m.)

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (43°C, 2 p.m.)

Cubi Pt., Subic Bay, Olongapo City (42°C, 2 p.m.)

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (42°C, 11 a.m.)

Iba, Zambales (41°C, 11 a.m.)

Legazpi City, Albay (41°C, 2 p.m.)

PAGASA attributed the warm and humid weather conditions to the prevalence of the easterlies over Visayas and Luzon except for Palawan.

READ: How to stay cool amid the scorching weather

The highest heat index so far in 2021 was recorded in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on May 8 at 51℃. PAGASA also reminded the public to take extra precautions during a severe thunderstorm activity as it could trigger flash floods or landslides.

Furthermore, the weather bureau has spotted a low pressure area (LPA) at 640 kilometers east of Davao City around 3 p.m.

The LPA embedded in the intertropical convergence zone is expected to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Palawan and Mindanao.

PAGASA advised the public to remain alert against possible flash floods or landslides due to the occurrence of moderate to at times heavy rains. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/dagupan-citys-swelters-with-50c-heat-index/

Filipinos not stupid, they were 'deceived' – House solons on Duterte's jet ski joke

Published May 11, 2021, 5:35 PM by Ben Rosario President Rodrigo Duterte drew flak in the House of Representatives following his admission that he was joking when he made a 2016 campaign promise that he would “jet ski” his way to the Spratlys and plant the Philippine flag there as a manifestation of the country’s claims over the West Philippine Sea.

Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Magdalo Partylist Rep. Manuel Cabochan said that for openly admitting he was joking about his campaign promise, Duterte had also confessed deceiving Filipinos.

“Many did not take it literally then that he will actually jetski himself to the Spratly’s and plant the Philippine flag. The expectation was for him, when elected, is to uphold our claims and defend our sovereign rights against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea,” said Zarate.

“The presidency is not a joke,” he stressed.

According to Zarate Duterte’s admission had made “all his promises, endorsements and even his utterances now a s worthless or mere jokes. “He made it very clear now, then, that his failing presidency is anchored, among others, on a tragic, sick joke.”

“We are seeing now how Pres. Duterte duped the people by telling them what they want to hear when he was then still courting their votes, but, once in power, he does an about face and did the opposite,” said the progressive leader.

Zarate noted that aside from the “jetski bravado”, Duterte has also failed to deliver campaign promises that he would end the drug problem in “three months”, terminate the practice of labor contractualization or Endo, solve the EDSA traffic, eradicate corruption and pursue peace negotiations.

“The Filipino people are not stupid. The 16M who voted for Duterte were deceived big time,” said Cabochan in a separate statrement.

“Duterte intentionally lied to the people. He betrayed their trust” Cabochan added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/filipinos-not-stupid-they-were-deceived-house-solons-on-dutertes-jet-ski- joke/

Socmed to dominate campaign in 2022

ByWilliam B. Depasupil May 12, 2021

SOCIAL media or socmed will set the tone of political campaigning in the 2022 national and local elections from the traditional face-to-face political rallies amid the government’s ban on large gatherings, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Commissioner Antonio Kho Jr. said socmed campaigning has been classified by the poll body as a form of broadcast advertisement to ensure that prospective candidates would comply with the spending limit set by the Comelec for broadcast advertisements.

“Definitely, there will be changes in actual campaigning. It will never be the same again. There are apprehensions that it (actual campaigning) is a super spreader event,” Kho pointed out, citing as an example the unregulated political rallies in India that resulted in a spike in Covid cases.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, candidates would instead use the social media.

Kho acknowledged that there is no law that regulates socmed in relation to political campaigns but because of the health crisis, Comelec was prompted to issue regulations to control socmed for election purposes.

“It is a control point for paying vloggers and websites, among others. It will be linked to the statement of expenses of candidates. We will control them on expenses,” Kho added.

The commission en banc earlier promulgated Comelec Resolution (CR) 10488, setting the rules and regulations implementing Republic Act 9006 or the “Fair Election Act” in connection with the scheduled national and local elections.

Section 9-C of CR 10488 states, “Each registered political party and candidate shall register with the Education and Information Department of the Comelec, the website name and web address of the official blog and/or social media page of such political party or candidate.” https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/12/news/national/socmed-to-dominate-campaign-in-2022/872465/

‘Behavior biggest challenge in curbing COVID-19 Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star ) - May 12, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen months into the pandemic, people’s fear of COVID-19 seems to have diminished, driving them to become complacent with health protocols, a member of the Department of Health’s Technical Advisory Group (DOH-TAG) said Monday night.

According to TAG member and pediatric infectious disease expert Anna Ong- Lim, people were more afraid of the “unknown” brought about by COVID-19 last year.

“Now, it seems we have become more relaxed since one year had passed and we are still here. People now have more courage and this translates to behavior,” she told ‘The Chiefs’ on One News.

Lim was commenting on how some 500 people went swimming in the Gubat sa Ciudad resort in Caloocan City during Mother’s Day last Sunday, violating health protocols and quarantine restrictions.

The expert noted it is “saddening” that this happened despite the repeated warnings of all sectors on how the virus is transmitted.

“It’s not the swimming that is the problem. It’s the close contact with people in a manner that does not provide you protection. Water does not transmit the virus but it is when you get close to each other,” she maintained.

Lim added behavioral issues are actually challenges for containment of infection.

“In the hierarchy of controls, the behavioral aspect is at the bottom of the inverted pyramid because it is the hardest to control,” she said.

Because of this, she underscored the need to strengthen other prevention strategies that are “independent of behaviors such as environment and engineering controls.”

“We should not rely only on behavior, just like now when people’s patience is running thin and they are no longer afraid to do things they want to do,” she pointed out. Lim cautioned that what happened at the resort will “backfire on the communities” where the guests come from.

“I don’t think those people come from very far places … just wait, in about two weeks’ time, cases will surely increase,” she added.

Meanwhile, the DOH has denied accusations that it had purchased P1 billion worth of Remdesivir, an investigational drug for the treatment of COVID-19.

In a statement, DOH clarified that they had initially planned to procure Remdesivir and other investigational drugs, but this did not push through.

The DOH said to be able to procure investigational drugs, a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR), or an emergency use authorization (EUA) is needed.

“As such, the procurement could not proceed as none of the investigational drugs have been granted these requisite regulatory approvals during the time of procurement,” it noted.

Despite this, a number of DOH hospitals, including specialty hospitals in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon – now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic – have been issued Compassionate Special Permits (CSP) to use the drug.

A CSP allows the procurement of investigational drugs even without CPR or EUAs. The CSP is a special permit that allows institutions to avail themselves of unregistered drugs and devices and use them under certain conditions.

“Thus, to ensure continued access to promising investigational drugs, especially when experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, funds of around P3 million to P5 million were downloaded to these authorized facilities for the procurement of COVID-19 therapeutics,” the DOH added.

According to DOH, the continued use of Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients of certain disposition is “fully supported by a consensus panel of 19 medical societies as reflected in the Philippine COVID-19 Living Recommendations.” https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/12/2097637/behavior-biggest-challenge-curbing-covid-19

Palace: China militarization in PH waters, 'not okay, but what can we do?'

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 05:34 PM

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday said it was "not okay" for China to continue its militarization of the West Philippine Sea, but at the same time asked what the Philippines could do about this.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said China and the Philippines are enjoying a "renaissance" of bilateral ties under President Rodrigo Duterte. Beijing has not made any new reclamation or seized another feature in the waterway, Roque said in a press briefing.

However, China continued construction on reclaimed land at Panganiban (Mischief) Reef during the Duterte administration, and deployed fast-attack missiles there.

Asked to address this, Roque said, "Hindi po sa okay, pero anong magagawa po natin?"

(It's not that it is okay, but what can we do.)

China, he said, occupied Mischief Reef in 1995, and started the construction of a military base there when Manila pursued an arbitration complaint against in incursion in Philippine waters.

"Ang usapan po, walang bagong reclamation, walang bagong teritoryo na aagawin sa atin, and they’re holding as far as that promise is concerned," he said.

(The deal is no new reclamation, no new territory will be seized from us.)

Pressed on whether or not the Philippines would let China continue its militarization, Roque asked a reporter, "Anong gusto mong gawin?"

"Gusto mo bang magpadala roon ng kasundaluhan para sabihing huwag na kayong magtayo ng extension ng inyong runway diyan? Gusto mo bang lusubin na iyan ng ating mga Philippine Navy para paalisin sila?" he said.

(Do you want to send soldiers there to tell them not to extend the runway there? Do you want the Philippine Navy to invade and drive them away?)

Roque noted that China soldiered on with its activities in the area, despite the Philippines' military exercises with US, its defense ally.

"Iyan ang punto ng Presidente, ‘ano ang gusto ninyong gawin ko, makipag-giyera sa Tsina?’ Hindi nga niya gagawin iyon," he said.

(That's the point of the President, 'what do you want me to do, wage war with China?' He will not do that.) Beijing shuns the 2016 arbitral ruling of a United Nations-backed court that junked its "historical" claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea, within which is the smaller West Philippine Sea.

Duterte has refused to press China to obey the ruling, as he sought investments and loans from the economic giant. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/malacanang-not-okay-what-can-we-do-scarborough-china

China honors ‘status quo’ agreement with PH; no new reclamation during Duterte's term — Palace

Published May 11, 2021, 3:20 PM by Raymund Antonio Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Tuesday, May 11, said that China honors the status quo agreement with the Philippines, insisting that there were no reclaimed islands under the Duterte administration.

The Palace official stressed that unlike during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, China did not reclaim islands, islets, and reefs during President Duterte’s administration. Roque was referring to the “loss” of Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) off the coast of Zambales in 2012.

“Well, ang importante po yun pinagkasunduan ni Presidente at ni Presidente Xi (Jinping) na status quo hindi po nababago. Walang bagong reclamation, walang bagong teritoryo silang nakukuha at wala tayong teritoryo na naibibigay (What’s important is that the agreement between the President and President Xi did not change. There is no new reclamation, they haven’t taken a new territory from us, and we did not give up our territory),” he said during his online press briefing.

“As of now, mukha naman (it looks like) the agreement holds,” Roque added.

The Philippines lost the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after Aquino ordered the withdrawal of a PH Navy ship from there during a standoff with China. But the previous administration maintained that this was done after an internal negotiation with China, which reneged on the deal after the Philippines pulled out.

During the Ramos administration, China also took control of Mischief Reef.

But while Roque argues that the country has not lost new territories to Beijing, it has turned its back on the 2016 arbitral win, invalidating China’s historic nine-dash line. Not only did the President said it was a piece of paper that can be thrown in the trash, but he has also been negligent in pushing the country’s legal advantage over its claims in the disputed region.

Since Duterte took power, it also barely protested the increasing presence of Chinese fishing vessels and militia in the waters claimed by the Philippines. Even when some 200 Chinese paramilitary vessels were found in Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in March 2021, the President has remained largely pro-Beijing.

The spokesperson dismissed the presence of the Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef, which sits just 170 nautical miles west of Palawan province, and is within the country’s maritime zone, specifically its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “Uulitin ko po yun mga napakadaming fishing boats sa Julian Felipe iyan po’y napakalayo sa atin (I will repeat, the many fishing boats in the Julian Felipe are too far from us),” he said.

Meanwhile, Roque, an international law expert who once supported the case filed at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, came again to China’s defense regarding the 2016 arbitral win that invalidated China’s nine-dash-line claim.

“Ang pinag-aagawan po natin mga isla. Iyong naresolba ng UN Tribunal of the Law of the Sea ay mga usaping maritiime zones. So, talagang hindi po nagbigay ng solusyon iyong desisyon na iyon na ating napalunan (I will repeat. What we’re arguing about are claims on the islands. What the UN Tribunal of the Law of the Sea resolved are issues in maritime zones. So, the win did not really give a solution),” he insisted.

He admitted, though, that the decision gave clarity to the fact that “historic claims” have no legal basis in international law.

China’s nine-dash line, found in ancient Chinese maps, is the basis of its historic claims of the whole West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Maritime zones refer to a country’s internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ, continental shelves, and the high seas.

Despite the administration’s defeatist stance against China, the Palace official maintained that the Philippines continues to seek a more enforceable Code of Conduct (COC) in the region. A COC must be drafted together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/china-honors-status-quo-agreement-with-ph-no-new-reclamation-during- dutertes-term-palace/

China says 'consensus' reached with PH on sea dispute

ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 06:36 PM MANILA — China on Tuesday said issues pertaining to the South China Sea disputes must be resolved through "dialogue and negotiation," recalling an alleged "consensus" with the Philippines "to properly and peacefully handle the issue."

Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying also called for a stop to what Beijing described as efforts to "stir up trouble" in the South China Sea when asked about a reported plan of the Philippine military to set up a logistics hub.

"Our two countries have reached the consensus to properly and peacefully handle the issue through dialogue and negotiation... We hope certain individuals will refrain from stirring up trouble on this issue," Hua said in her May 10 regular press conference in Beijing.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana reportedly said they plan to turn Pag-asa Island into a logistics hub with the aim of driving away Chinese maritime militia and other Chinese vessels from the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Beijing has continued to ignore a UN-backed tribunal ruling while Duterte sought closer ties with China for his administration's infrastructure projects.

Duterte recently blamed the administration of his predecessor Benigno Aquino III for China's seizure of parts of the resource-rich waterway.

He last week also challenged former Supreme Court senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate that the former magistrate accepted and from which Duterte later backed out.

Carpio is a long-time advocate of the Philippines' sovereignty and a vocal critic of what he calls China's "creeping invasion."

—With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/china-says-consensus-reached-with-ph-on-sea-dispute

China claims PH deal on sea issue posted May 12, 2021 at 01:20 am by Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta

China on Tuesday bared a consensus has already been reached with the Philippines to “properly and peacefully handle” issues on maritime disputes in the South China Sea disputes through "dialogue and negotiation."

When asked for comment on Manila’s plan to set up a logistics hub in the West Philippine Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying said moves that "stir up trouble" should be stopped.

"Our two countries have reached the consensus to properly and peacefully handle the issue through dialogue and negotiation... We hope certain individuals will refrain from stirring up trouble on this issue," Hua said in her May 10 regular press conference in Beijing.

She, however, did not give details as to when the consensus was reached, the nature of the agreement whether it was verbal or written, and who were involved in the discussions.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Tuesday contradicted Defense and Foreign Affairs officials by insisting that the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef was not even inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In an online briefing, Roque questioned why so much fuss was being made about the presence of Chinese ships—at one point more than 200 of them—in the reef, when the area wasn’t even in the country’s EEZ.

Roque said administration critics were making a big deal over the presence of the ships merely to disparage President Duterte’s pivot to China.

“We're making a big thing out of the fact, when that area was never under our possession,” Roque said.

Roque’s pronouncements drew sharp rebuke from Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who issued a “last warning” against those talk as if they are more knowledgeable than the DFA. “This is my last warning. When it comes to foreign affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs has the exclusive remit. I don’t come from diplomacy; I come from a life that settled the hash of a lotta people who talked tough and ended up biting dirt. I don’t talk, I deal,” Locsin said in a Twitter post.

Earlier in the day, the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified it has not altered its position on the Julian Felipe Reef issue amid Roque’s pronouncements.

The DFA has lodged almost daily diplomatic protests against China to press for the withdrawal of its militia vessels at the Juliann Felipe Reef, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group and is located 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza town in Palawan.

In one of its diplomatic notes, the DFA said the Chinese vessels scattered in in Julian Felipe Reef “blatantly infringe upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.”

Roque’s remarks also directly contradicted those of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), which first raised the alarm over the Chinese ships.

The Palace official, however, denied he had weakened the country’s position on Julian Felipe Reef.

"It doesn't weaken anything because we aren't giving up our claim to Julian Felipe pursuant to Marcos appending Julian Felipe to the territory of the Philippines," Roque said.

“Julian Felipe Reef was not even included in the case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration that we won,” he said. “It is located too far from us. But we are not abandoning our claim.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said Roque's statement echoed “the traitorous statements of his true-blue pro-China boss Duterte” but said he expected little else from “Team China in Malacañang."

Instead of using China's 9-dash line map as his main reference, Gaite said Roque should use Google Earth “to educate himself where Julian Felipe Reef is, which is obviously well within the 200 nautical miles from the Philippine's baselines."

He said Roque and Duterte’s recent statements were as good as surrender.

“They really gave up, even though they didn't want to admit it. They no longer have the slightest interest in defending our territory, not even verbally. Even lip-service is really gone,” Gaite said.

“We are probably the laughing stock of our Southeast Asian neighbors. Of all the claimants in the territories in the South China Sea, we are the only ones with a government that does not want to stand up, we are the only one with a government that is too cowardly to stand up for our sovereignty,” Gaite said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duterte’s campaign promise to jet ski to the Spratlys to plant a Philippine flag was clearly a joke—but Senator Panfilo Lacson said it was no laughing matter.

"What President Rodrigo Duterte may consider a joke could be no laughing matter for Filipinos especially when it involves key issues like our territory in the West Philippine Sea,” Lacson said.

"His spokesperson would say he is joking, but there are times he seems serious in his statements. We don’t know anymore. We have a very big problem on our hands," Lacson said.

"When he addresses the nation, we don’t know when he is joking or serious. Is it up to us to understand which is which? It's really hard for Filipinos," he added.

"With such confusing statements, including Duterte's claim that only stupid people would believe his jet ski claim, it is time we learn as an electorate and be more discerning of those running in elections -- not only for President but also for other posts, including lawmakers," Lacson said.

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima chided Duterte for fooling the Filipino people by using his deceptive tricks to win the 2016 election, particularly his promise to ride a jet ski to the Spratly Islands.

"Duterte’s recent remark only affirmed what we already know: That he really has no plans to invoke our sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea,” she said.

"Duterte’s campaign in the 2016 elections was waged on pure gimmickry with no solid program of government on which to anchor his outlandish promises. That’s why all we can hear now are his excuses why he cannot execute. And he even has the gall to call those who believe in his campaign promise as stupid. Classic Duterte!” She said he was a “big joke on the country” that wasn’t funny.

During a televised address last May 10, Duterte said his election promise to ride a jet ski to challenge Chinese incursion in Philippine waters was a “pure joke” and that those believed it were “stupid.”

Former Philippine ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. on Tuesday insisted that China reneged on its agreement with the Philippines to pull its ships out of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 amid a standoff there.

“The US’ suggestion was for us to withdraw, but I told them I cannot make that recommendation. What I recommended was simultaneous withdrawal [by both the Philippines and China]. The US talked the Chinese ambassador and China agreed [to the simultaneous withdrawal of ships],” Cuisia said, in an interview with radio dzBB. The former envoy was commenting on the repeated allegations made by President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies that it was the Aquino administration's fault that the Philippines lost control over Scarborough Shoal.

Cuisia stressed that it was the United States that proposed the pullout of Philippine vessels from Scarborough to avoid possible violence. The former ambassador said he proposed that China should do the same.

The agreement was brokered by then-US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Cuisia said.

“We set a time and date of such withdrawal. On June 15, we withdrew [our ships]. Two hours later, then-Foreign Affairs Secretary [Albert] del Rosario called me saying China did not withdraw as reported by our Philippine Navy. That is the problem. China did not withdraw,” Cuisia said.

Cuisia said he immediately informed the US of China’s refusal to withdraw from Scarborough Shoal, but the US supposedly asked the Philippine side to give China more time.

“I said okay but they should withdraw within the day,” Cuisia said. The Chinese ships never left.

“The next morning, I got a call from Secretary del Rosario again that they haven’t pulled out yet. I brought this to all ASEAN ambassadors, and they can all confirm that China agreed to such an agreement,” he said.

After the Philippine pullout, returning to the shoal was no longer possible because China had 77 vessels there and the Philippines had only eight before the agreement was reached. Cuisia also pointed out that Duterte should blame China for what happened in 2012 instead of chastising Del Rosario. “I don't understand why the President keeps blaming Del Rosario. Why can't he blame China for fooling us?” Cuisia said in Filipino.

According to Cuisia, he repeatedly pressed the US to do something about China. “But of course they also need China’s support in US-Iran nuclear deal.

When China did not conform to the agreement, what else can you do?” he said. He said the US could have slapped sanctions on China but did nothing.

This incident prompted the Aquino administration to sue China before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013. In 2016, the arbitral tribunal ruled and invalidated China's claim of sovereignty in the entire South China Sea under the so-called “nine-dash line” and outlawed China's aggression against Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground. The same decision also ruled that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

But Duterte has downplayed the legal victory as it has no enforcement mechanism and also because of China has refused to recognize it.

Cuisia said such a statement by the President is a clear betrayal of Filipinos. “Filipinos should know that this government is not protecting our interest. They are squandering the huge victory that we won,” Cuisia said. “That is a national tragedy.” In other developments:

* Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to lead talks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding the prolonged presence of China’s vessels in the West Philippine Sea. She issued the statement after geo-intelligence firm Simularity reported that over 200 vessels are still in the disputed waters as of May. These vessels are believed to be the same fleet spotted over Julian Felipe Reef in March.

* Lacson said Filipinos, including those in the Armed Forces, were confused about the President’s statements about China. "In the meantime, our fishermen are harassed in our own exclusive economic zone (EEZ). We cannot fish and we’re losing billions and that affects our economy.” https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/354221/china-claims-ph-deal-on-sea-issue.html

Duterte: United States 'afraid of China,' did 'nothing' after botched Panatag deal

Published May 11, 2021, 11:11 AM by Genalyn Kabiling

The United States offered to mediate to resolve the 2012 Panatag Shoal standoff between the Philippines and China, but did “nothing” when the deal fell through, according to President Duterte.

In a televised address Monday, May 10, the President argued that the United States was probably scared of China so it sought to ask the Philippine ships to withdraw from the contested shoal years ago to ease the tension. But when China did not leave the area as part of the supposed deal, Duterte questioned the alleged inaction of the United States.

The President was referring to the controversial pullout of two Philippine ships from Panatag Shoal to end a two-month standoff with Chinese vessels in 2012. At the time, the Aquino administration issued the pullout order, citing bad weather.

Authorities later claimed that the United States supposedly brokered talks and convinced the two nations to withdraw their vessels from Panatag Shoal to ease the tension. Manila complied with the ship withdrawal but Beijing stayed put and consequently took control of the shoal.

“Tayo ang umalis because ‘yong sabi ni (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Teodoro) Locsin about the good offices, ang ibig sabihin nagmamagandang loob lang, offer to mediate na para hindi magkaupakan, that was what the America was there for (We left the area because, as Secretary Locsin said about the good offices meaning out of goodwill, they offered to media so there won’t be any attack. That was what the America was there for),” Duterte said.

“Ang akin ngayon is — my sentiment is bakit hindi nila in-enforce? (Why did they not enforce it?) He could have said, look, you allowed us to mediate. Then the result of that mediation must be followed, eh ipapasubo mo ako eh (you’ll push me against my will),” he said.

Duterte appeared to bear a grudge against the United States for not doing anything after the deal did not go as planned.

“But America did nothing, apparently, I don’t know, maybe afraid of China would turn its direction towards them so para tayo umalis talaga at hindi na tayo nakabalik (we left the area and we haven’t returned since),” he said.

The President previously blamed the past administration for the loss of the Panatag Shoal when it removed the local ships during the stalemate with China years ago. Duterte recently said former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario should be investigated and held accountable over the ship pullout. He threatened to execute the former administration official “by hanging.” In his remarks Monday, the President admitted that the country would not have any problem if the country’s ships did not leave Panatag Shoal back then. He conceded that China was in “possession” of the area.

“Sino ang nagbigay ng possession sa China sa West Philippine Sea? Sila, kay kung hindi sila umalis, ‘di walang problema (Who gave possession of the West Philippine Sea to China? They did. If they did not leave the area, there is no problem),” he said.

The President has drawn criticisms over his supposed weak stance in asserting the country’s ownership of the West Philippine Sea amid the recent incursions of China into local waters. Duterte however tried to assure the nation that he would not forge any compromise on the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights on the territory regardless of the coronavirus vaccines donated by China.

In a speech last month, the President admitted that the country should no longer count on the United States to help resolve the territorial conflict with China. He said the United States had a chance to come to the country’s aid in the past but did nothing, adding its longtime ally would not risk a nuclear war. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte-united-states-afraid-of-china-did-nothing-after-botched-panatag- deal/

Palace: Duterte wants hush on sea dispute with China

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 06:08 PM | Updated as of May 11 2021 06:19 PM Sea row 'not be-all, end-all' of PH-China ties: Malacañang

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte wants the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines to quiet down, Malacañang said on Tuesday, even as it blamed the previous administration for the conflict.

China militarized man-made islands in the West Philippine Sea after the government of former President Benigno Aquino III pursued an arbitral case against China in 2014, said Palace spokesman spokesman Harry Roque.

"Huwag ninyo pong kakalimutan kung bakit po mainit ang usapin, hindi po dahil kay Presidente Duterte," he said in a press briefing.

"Nadatnan na po niya iyan at ang nais nga po niya ay mas maging tahimik muli itong isyu na ito dahil hindi naman ito ang end-all and be-all ng ating diplomatic relations with our neighbor China."

(Don't forget why this issue is heated, it's not because of President Duterte. It was there when he arrived, and he wants this issue to quiet again because this issue is not the end-all and be-all of our diplomatic relations with our neighbor China.)

The Aquino administration in 2012 sent a warship to arrest the crew of Chinese boats fishing at Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

China in response sent civilian maritime vessels to circle the Filipino ship. The standoff ended when the Philippines withdrew its ship, following a deal that the United States brokered.

Beijing "deceitfully breached" the deal and kept its ships in Scarborough, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albery del Rosario. This prompted Philippines pursued its arbitration complaint against China.

Shortly after Duterte took office in 2016, a United Nations-backed court ruled in favor of Manila and junked Beijing's "historical" claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea, within which is the smaller West Philippine Sea.

China, however, shuns the ruling and still occupies Scarborough, a rich fishing ground.

Its maritime dispute with Manila flared up again after over 200 Chinese ships swarmed Philippine waters.

Duterte would not have removed the Philippine ship from Scarborough before China pulled back its vessels, said Roque.

But he said China's alleged duplicity in staying at Scarborough is "not a reason" to distrust the nation. "We have to give the assumption of good faith particularly to our neighbor. Eh ngayon naman po, iyong ating agreement na status quo, hindi naman po nalalabag iyan," he said.

(The agreement for status quo is not being violated.)

"The agreement holds. Walang bagong occupation, walang bagong reclamation, status quo po tayo," he added.

(There is no new occupation, no new reclamation. We are on status quo.) https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/duterte-aquino-roque-west-philippine-sea-china-quiet

Retract remarks on WPS if you policy, Carpio tells Duterte By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQdon’t want them mistaken for

INQUIRER.net / 11:38 PM May 11, 2021

MANILA, Philippines If President Rodrigo Duterte backed out from his own debate challenge to avoid his statements from being misconstrued as official foreign policy, — then he must also retract all his damaging remarks about the West Philippine Sea, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said in a statement issued on Tuesday, May 11.

rnment, under the present or future administrations, then he must now retract the following “Now that the President acknowledges that what he says could bind the gove

Hestatements specified that these he threepublicly statements: made recently,” Carpio said.

• That China is “in possession” of the West Philippine Sea the West Philippine Sea • That Chinese fishermen can fish in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in ring the Philippines over China, which was issued on July 12, scrap of paper to be • That the ruling favo thrown in the wastebasket 2016, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, is a “ ” knows that these statements could bind the Philippine government under present “If the President does not retract these statements that he made publicly, then he and future

Duterte madeadministrations,” those statements Carpio in a said.pre-recorded address that aired last Wednesday, May 5.

In that same address, he challenged Carpio a debate about those points. The next day Carpio accepted the challenge, but Duterte backed out and instead assigned his spokesman, Harry Roque, to take his place. #DuterteDuwag trending on Twitter. Duterte’s withdrawal was widely criticized on social media, with the hashtag ed out of the debate not because he afraid of Carpio but because his words might be taken as policy. On Monday, May 10, during his “Talk to the People,” Duterte said he back In 2019, Carpio already called out Duterte for claiming that the whole West Philippine been conducting military exercises in the area, which meant that China did not have Sea was already under China’s control. Carpio pointed out that other countries had exclusive control of the area. According to Carpio, China has occupied only seven artificial islands in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands), Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, and Sandy Cay.

allow Chinese ships to fish even ins Prior to Carpio’s rebuff, Duterte declared that he would them away. ide the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), his government could not drive In the past few weeks, Duterte and Carpio had been trading barbs due to the Chinese maritime militia ships had been seen near the Julian Felipe Reef, which is inside the EEZ. President’s reluctance to uphold the PCA decision in the face of reports that But Duterte insisted that raising the decision would do nothing and might only escalate into a military conflict with China, to whom, he said, the Philippines was indebted.

policy, Carpio tells Duterte Retract remarks on WPS if you don’t want them mistaken for

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter / @GabrielLaluINQ

INQUIRER.net / 11:38 PM May 11, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — If President Rodrigo Duterte backed out from his own debate challenge to avoid his statements from being misconstrued as official foreign policy, then he must also retract all his damaging remarks about the West Philippine Sea, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said in a statement issued on Tuesday, May 11.

“Now that the President acknowledges that what he says could bind the government, under the present or future administrations, then he must now retract the following statements that he publicly made recently,” Carpio said.

He specified these three statements: • That China is “in possession” of the West Philippine Sea • That Chinese fishermen can fish in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea • That the ruling favoring the Philippines over China, which was issued on July 12, 2016, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, is a “scrap of paper to be thrown in the wastebasket”

“If the President does not retract these statements that he made publicly, then he knows that these statements could bind the Philippine government under present and future administrations,” Carpio said.

Duterte made those statements in a pre-recorded address that aired last Wednesday, May 5. In that same address, he challenged Carpio a debate about those points. The next day Carpio accepted the challenge, but Duterte backed out and instead assigned his spokesman, Harry Roque, to take his place.

Duterte’s withdrawal was widely criticized on social media, with the hashtag #DuterteDuwag trending on Twitter.

On Monday, May 10, during his “Talk to the People,” Duterte said he backed out of the debate not because he afraid of Carpio but because his words might be taken as policy.

In 2019, Carpio already called out Duterte for claiming that the whole West Philippine Sea was already under China’s control. Carpio pointed out that other countries had been conducting military exercises in the area, which meant that China did not have exclusive control of the area.

According to Carpio, China has occupied only seven artificial islands in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands), Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, and Sandy Cay.

Prior to Carpio’s rebuff, Duterte declared that he would allow Chinese ships to fish even inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), his government could not drive them away.

In the past few weeks, Duterte and Carpio had been trading barbs due to the President’s reluctance to uphold the PCA decision in the face of reports that Chinese maritime militia ships had been seen near the Julian Felipe Reef, which is inside the EEZ.

But Duterte insisted that raising the decision would do nothing and might only escalate into a military conflict with China, to whom, he said, the Philippines was indebted.

Statements binding even outside planned WPS debate, Duterte reminded

(Philstar.com) - May 11, 2021 - 2:30pm MANILA, Philippines — Citing the Palace's position that presidential statements are binding, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to retract some statements on the West Philippine Sea that are similarly binding.

In a statement, Carpio noted that, in backing out in his challenge for debate, Duterte acknowledged that his policy statements may be binding on the government.

“So eh policy statement kung anong itanong niya masasabi ko and I might bind future actions of the government pagdating dito sa West Philippine Sea,” Duterte said in a public address aired Monday night.

(So, these policy starements. You might ask me something and I say something and I might bind future actions of the government when it comes to the West Philippine Sea.)

The retired justice, who has been on the receiving end of Duterte’s tirades in televised meetings, urged Duterte some of his statements that involve the West Philippine Sea and the country’s historic arbitration win.

He listed the following statements:

• That “China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea” • That Chinese fishermen can fish in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea • That the Arbitral Award of July 12, 2016 is a “scrap of paper to be thrown to the waste basket"

“If the president does not retract these statements that he made publicly, then he knows that these statements could bind the Philippine government under present and future administrations,” Carpio also said.

Maritime law experts have raised alarm on Duterte’s defeatist approach to the Philippines’ historic win against Beijing. University of the Philippines College of Law professor Jay Batongbacal noted that, in past years, Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, referred to this arbitral award as basis to challenge China's excessive claims in the South China Sea. "It is not right that who won is the one saying that this is just all trash," he added.

After a series of insults to Carpio, part of the legal team that won the ruling, Duterte challenged the retired justice to a debate on issues on the West Philippine Sea.

Although it was his idea to debate, Duterte later assigned his spokesperson Harry Roque to argue in his stead. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo has also tried to insert himself into the discussion on a debate on the West Philippine Sea. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Jonathan de Santos https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/11/2097476/statements-binding-even-outside-planned-wps- debate-duterte-reminded

US-brokered 'deal' to end 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff only an exercise of 'good offices' — Locsin

Published May 11, 2021, 9:28 AM by Roy Mabasa

The United States was merely exercising “good offices” when it told the Philippines and China to “stand down” during the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Monday night.

Locsin made this clarification in an apparent rebuttal to the statements of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario who claimed that China “deceitfully breached” an agreement brokered by the US for the Philippine Navy ship and the Chinese vessels to withdraw from the Scarborough Shoal to defuse the tension.

“But when they confronted themselves, the interference — the participation of the United States was to try to stop people from attacking each other. It’s a — they think it’s their job. So they said, “stand down”. So they stood down. And then United States told both sides, not taking sides, said ‘withdraw’… These are only good offices of the United States, it is a suggestion, ‘I think you should both withdraw’,” the DFA chief said during the Talk to the People with President Duterte.

Locsin pointed out that the Americans could not force the Philippines and China to withdraw from the standoff and merely put up a suggestion for both sides to stand down or withdraw “so you guys don’t kill each other”.

In the same breath, the foreign affairs secretary said the United States has no obligation to defend the Philippines when it opted to withdraw from the standoff unless attacked, as provided for under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

“When we withdrew, the United States has no obligation, Mr. President, to go to war. The thing about the Mutual Defense Treaty is you have to be attacked. Nobody was attacked. We withdrew,” he said.

On the possibility that China could have attacked the Philippine Navy ship had it remained in the “face-off”, Locsin said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told him years later that China has no intention to do that.

“If the Chinese wanted to attack, there was nobody to attack. The other side left. And I don’t know if they would have attacked. That’s one thing. I have talked to the Chinese, to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, they have no intention to do that,” the top Filipino diplomat said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/us-brokered-deal-to-end-2012-scarborough-shoal-standoff-only-an- exercise-of-good-offices-locsin/

Hontiveros to DFA: lead talks with ASEAN on WPS dispute

Published May 11, 2021, 1:15 PM by Hannah Torregoza Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, May 11 urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to lead discussions with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding the prolonged presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Hontiveros said the DFA should start actively reaching out to other ASEAN member states that also have claims in the South China Sea (SCS), such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to strengthen the Philippine’s rights on its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS region.

The senator said it would also be to the country’s advantage if the Philippines and Indonesia strengthen its bilateral ties considering that it is the only ASEAN member state that has publicly acknowledged the country’s 2016 victory at The Hague.

“Let’s gather forces one by one. While the ASEAN as a union cannot yet enforce a policy that could push China to follow international law, let’s not stop building and strengthening alliances with those we know unambiguously contest China’s excessive claims in the entire SCS,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Let’s do everything we can before it’s too late. We need to keep asserting and reasserting our rights. Our claims can only be made stronger if ASEAN has a uniform, consistent and solid message: China pack up and get out,” she said.

Hontiveros cited that a report by the geo-intelligence firm Simularity showed that over 200 Chinese vessels are still in the disputed waters as of May.

According to Simularity’s CEO Liz Derr, seven ships were spotted over Julian Felipe Reef on May 3, 150 ships over Hughes Reef and another 50 ships on Gaven Reef—all areas are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Nakailang diplomatic protests na tayo, hindi pa rin tuluyang napaalis ang Tsina (We have already filed so many diplomatic protests, yet China still refuses to leave). Every time a diplomatic protest is lodged, a stronger action point among Southeast Asian nations should go along with it,” she pointed out.

“We have a very capable DFA, which is why I trust that through proactive collaboration and sheer political will, we would be able to convince other countries in the region to help us keep pressuring China,” she reiterated.

The lawmaker further said it is imperative that the Philippines should not be the only one that must be speaking against China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea issue.

“Dapat malakas na manindigan na rin ang ASEAN. Manguna na ang DFA na makipag ugnayan sa mga bansa sa ASEAN (The ASEAN should have a firm stand about this issue. Our DFA should initiate and lead in discussing this with other ASEAN countries),” she stressed. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/hontiveros-to-dfa-lead-talks-with-asean-on-wps-dispute/

Roque: Aquino gov't committed war act by sending Navy ship to Scarborough

By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA News

Published May 11, 2021 3:32pm

The Palace on Tuesday accused the Aquino Administration of committing an act of war against China when it sent a Philippine Navy ship to the Scarborough shoal in 2012.

Roque made the assertion on the same day that the former Philippine envoy to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. told GMA News that China violated its agreement with the Philippines in 2012 for the two parties to simultaneously pull out ships from the Scarborough Shoal amid a prolonged standoff.

The agreement was brokered by the United States.

"Nagpadala po ng kaisa-isahang Navy boat nung panahong yun ang administrasyong Aquino. Pag nagpadala ka ng gray ship, that's an act of war," Roque said.

(We sent our lone Navy ship during the Aquino administration. When you send a gray ship, that is an act of war.)

Roque went on to again blame the Aquino Administration for the loss of the Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground.

"Bagamat nauna po ang administrasyong Aquino na magpadala ng Navy boat, sila rin po ang unang umalis sa Scarborough Shoal, dahilan kung bakit kontrolado ito ngayon ng mga Tsino," Roque said.

(While the Aquino Administration was the first to send a Navy boat, they were also the ones who pulled out. That is why China has control of it now.)

Asked why the blame is on the Aquino Administration rather than China who did not fulfill their end of the pullout agreement, Roque conceded that it was wrong to trust China.

"Nagkamali sila ng pagtiwala [sa Tsina]," Roque said. (They were wrong to trust China.)

The Scarborough incident prompted the Aquino Administration to sue China before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013.

In a July 2016 ruling, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China's claim of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea and condemned China's aggression against Filipino fisherfolk in the Scarborough Shoal.

The same Hague court decision also ruled that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank were within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

President Rodrigo Duterte, however, downplayed the legal victory, which he characterized as nothing more than a piece of paper that belonged in a wastebasket. — DVM, GMA News https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787034/roque-aquino-gov-t-committed-war-act-by- sending-navy-ship-to-scarborough/story/

'Why withdraw the ship?' Locsin on 2012 Scarborough standoff

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora May 11, 2021, 2:39 pm

MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. continued to question the reason behind the pulling out of the Philippines' ship in Scarborough Shoal during a standoff with China in 2012.

"If you believe, your government at that time believes that that is yours, why will you withdraw?" Locsin asked during the Talk to the People of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night.

"[W]hy did we yield possession? And that’s, I think, the first thing you must ask. Who gave the order to withdraw that ship? Because it is from there that we start having the problems that are separate -- actually a separate issue from the arbitral award," he added.

In April 2012, the Philippine government sent the BRP Gregorio del Pilar to Scarborough Shoal after a surveillance aircraft spotted eight Chinese vessels anchored inside the lagoon.

Upon inspection, it discovered a large amount of illegally collected corals, giant clams, and live sharks in the compartments of said ships.

At the time, two Chinese maritime surveillance ships managed to position themselves between the Philippine warship and the Chinese fishing vessels preventing the navy from arresting the poachers -- the start of a tense standoff over the shoal, which is well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. Eventually, the Philippine ship withdrew.

Recalling the incident, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario last week explained that the United States brokered a deal for both nations to simultaneously pull out the ships but Chinese President Xi Jinping "deceitfully breached" the deal.

Locsin, on the other hand, said Washington's participation was merely "to try to stop people from attacking each other" because it cannot force the Philippines nor China to withdraw in the first place.

"These are only good offices of the United States, it is a suggestion, 'I think you should both withdraw.' So what you should have done --- I don’t want to say that like I know better after the fact --- but the truth is, if I --- if I have UNCLOS on my side saying we are within the exclusive economic zone and the Chinese ship is not, from my point of view, then I would say, I’ll just look at the other side and say go. When you go, I’ll go but you go first. Instead, our side withdrew," he said.

"So what happens to our claim that this is ours? You just gave it up," he added.

Locsin added that the Chinese side had "no intention" of attacking during the 2012 impasse, based on his previous conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi.

"I have talked to the Chinese, to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, they have no intention to do that. If we had kept up that face-off, it might have ended up in just the two sides talking to each other. But why we withdrew when we had UNCLOS in place that said under this law, we have the right to be here, you don’t? But we did," he said. When the Philippines pulled out its ship and the Chinese did not, Locsin said Washington had no obligation to go to war because the Mutual Defense Treaty can only be triggered with an attack against a Filipino public vessel.

"Nobody was attacked. We withdrew. If the Chinese wanted to attack, there was nobody to attack. The other side left," he said.

"There’s no obligation to defend if you are not attacked and that is what was avoided, one ship walked - -- ah sailed away," he added.

Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine territory and is located 124 nautical miles off the municipality of Masinloc in Zambales. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139857

Locsin blames previous administration for withdrawing PH Navy ship during the 2012 Scarborough standoff

Published May 11, 2021, 8:23 AM by Roy Mabasa Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. blamed the previous administration for withdrawing the Philippine Navy vessel first during the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff that eventually left the features to the possession of the China.

Speaking at the Talk to the People with President Duterte Monday night, Locsin explained the Philippines has the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on its side given that Scarborough Shoal is way within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Locsin, along with Presidential Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana joined the President in his regular talk to help explain the circumstances that led the Philippines to withdraw from the Scarborough Shoal standoff.

“We were the first to withdraw. But we have — under UNCLOS which is very — which is already old, we have first right to be there but we pulled out. Now, who needs to explain then?” Locsin said.

What the previous administration should have done at the time of the standoff, according to Locsin, is to allow the other side’s vessels to go first since “we are within the exclusive economic zone and the Chinese ship is not”.

Last week, the President challenged former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate on the issue of the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff between a Philippine Navy ship and several Chinese Coast guard and fishing vessels.

“I think before you start any debate about the merits of the — or the obligations generated by the arbitral award, you must first settle the issue: Who in a game of chicken stopped his car on the edge of the abyss first?” Locsin said.

On the earlier statements of former Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario that the United States brokered a deal for both sides to “stand down”, Locsin said the US position at that time which was not to take any side, was merely a “suggestion”.

“But when they confronted themselves, the interference — the participation of the United States was to try to stop people from attacking each other. It’s a — they think it’s their job. So they said, ‘stand down’. So they stood down. And then United States told both sides, not taking sides, said ‘withdraw’. Now, if you believe, your government at that time believes that that is yours, why will you withdraw? These are only good offices of the United States, it is a suggestion, ‘I think you should both withdraw’,” the country’s top diplomat said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/locsin-blames-previous-administration-for-withdrawing-ph-navy-ship- during-the-2012-scarborough-standoff/

What's the fuss about Julian Felipe Reef? PH not in possession of territory, Roque says

Published May 11, 2021, 5:10 PM by Genalyn Kabiling The Philippines has claims over Julian Felipe Reef but has never been in possession of the area where hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted last March, according of a Palace official.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque wondered about the fuss over Julian Felipe Reef, which he argued was not supposedly even part of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“We were never in possession of that area and we’re making a big thing out of the fact that that area naman in the first place was never under our possession,” Roque said during a televised press briefing Tuesday, May 11.

“Pinalalaki po ang issue. Ang issue po talaga diyan is unang-una, fishing—kasi alam mo, ni hindi po iyan kabahagi ng ating EEZ iyong Julian Felipe (The issue is being blown out of proportion. The issue really there is first fishing. Because you know, Julian Felipe is not even part of our EEZ),” he added.

Last March, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the coast guard authorities reported 220 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted “moored in line formation” at the Julian Felipe Reef on March 7. The reef is located within the country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to the task force.

Manila has filed several diplomatic protests against Beijing over the unlawful presence of the Chinese vessels in the area. China claimed that it owns the reef and that the fishing vessels were seeking refuge from rough seas.

Some Chinese vessels eventually left the area but other ships reportedly scattered to other parts of the West Philippine Sea.

In his remarks Tuesday, Roque bewailed that critics were supposedly unfairly blaming President Duterte over the Julian Felipe Reef incident. He said the critics were making a big deal out of the issue.

“Ang claim po natin Julian Felipe is an island, and an island generates maritime territory. Pero ni hindi nga po iyan kabahagi noong ating arbitration, napakalayo po talaga niyan sa atin (Our claim is Julian Felipe is an island and an island generates maritime territory but it is not part of the arbitration, it is very far away from us),” Roque added.

Roque, however, assured that the country was not abandoning its claim over Julian Felipe Reef.

“Ang sinasabi ko lang eh bakit ba binabato na naman sa Presidente iyan, eh wala namang isyu na hindi tayo in possession of that part of the disputed West Philippine Sea. Katotohanan po iyan (What I’m saying is why are they throwing it at the President. There is no issue that we are not in possession of that part of the disputed West Philippine Sea. That’s the truth),” he added In a later statement, Roque clarified that he never claimed that the reef was “not ours.”

He said the country has never abandoned its claim over the reef, citing a Presidential Decree issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos that it is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

“While Julian Felipe Reef is not within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), because it forms part of the territorial sea of Mckennan which we claim in accordance with the Marcos Presidential Decree, it is in our country’s interest to continuously pursue our claim through diplomacy or in the future, by submitting it to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice,” he said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/whats-the-fuss-about-julian-felipe-reef-ph-not-in-possession-of-territory- roque-says/

Contradicting gov’t agencies, Palace says Julian Felipe Reef not within Philippines' EEZ

(Philstar.com) - May 11, 2021 - 6:43pm MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:14 p.m.) — Julian Felipe Reef is not actually within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Malacañang said Tuesday, undermining previous statements made by government agencies that have condemned the outsized presence of Chinese ships in the area.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said this amid heightened scrutiny of the Duterte administration's policy towards China and its unrelenting incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef lies some 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan, well within the 200 nautical miles of the Philippine baseline which comprises the country's EEZ as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) in March sounded the alarm over some 220 Chinese militia vessels massed within the vicinity of the reef, prompting the Department of Foreign Affairs to file daily diplomatic protests and the Department of National Defense to send assets to the area. The forceful response stemmed largely from a consensus position among top officials, as evidenced by several statements and even heated exchanges between Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and China's envoy to the Philippines, that the reef is well within the country's EEZ.

But Roque during a briefing broke from this consensus, saying in Filipino: "Because you know, [Julian Felipe Reef is] not even part of our EEZ, is it... It's outside. Its that far."

In a statement released later Tuesday, Roque said Julian Felipe Reef "should be delimited under [UNCLOS] given the overlaps of maritime zones."

"The basis of our claim is that while Julian Felipe Reef is indeed within our 200 nautical miles of EEZ, it nonetheless forms part of the territorial sea generated by two High Tide Elevations (HTEs) currently occupied by China (Mckennan) and Vietnam (Sin Cowe)," Roque said.

"We reiterate that the Philippines has claim – and has never abandoned our claim -- over Julian Felipe Reef by virtue of a Presidential Decree issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos saying it is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands."

"Per the 2016 SCS Arbitral Award, these HTEs generate a Territorial Sea, which is prior to an EEZ under the UNCLOS."

Presidential Decree 1596 defining the Kalayaan Island Group was issued years before the Philippines became a signatory to UNCLOS in 1982. In 2012, the Aquino administration, through Administrative Order No. 29, named the following areas within the country's exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea: "The maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago are hereby named as the West Philippine Sea. These areas include the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo De Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal."

"I have never claimed that Felipe reef is not ours," Roque said in his statement.

"[I]t is in our country's interest to continuously pursue our claim through diplomacy or in the future, by submitting it to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice."

Roque during his regular press briefing also dismissed concerns raised over Julian Felipe Reef as politically motivated exaggerations from administration "enemies" even though it is members of President Rodrigo Duterte's Cabinet who have been most outspoken over the presence of Chinese ships in the area.

The truth is, Roque said, the Philippines has "never been in possession" of the reef, echoing Duterte's statement that the country "lost" possession of the West Philippine Sea to China.

Earlier Tuesday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who chairs the Senate defense panel, warned that Duterte's contradicting statements on the West Philippine Sea diminish statements of his secretaries as the president is the chief architect of the country's foreign policy.

Roque, however, insisted that he was not weakening the Philippines' position on Julian Felipe Reef.

"It doesn't weaken anything because we aren't giving up our claim to Julian Felipe pursuant to Marcos appending Julian Felipe to the territory of the Philippines," he said. Top diplomat Teodoro Locsin Jr. in a now-deleted tweet seemed to take issue with Roque's statement.

"Huh? Oh, God. @DFAPHL Igor! Memo on my desk tomorrow," he said, in response to a tweet calling Roque's statement a "[b]etrayal upon betrayal." If Julian Felipe Reef is not within the Philippines' EEZ, Locsin asked: "Where the ef is it?"

In a later series of tweets reacting to Roque’s statement, Locsin said the DFA “and no one else” has the last word on the Philippines’ EEZ.

“Ask no one outside DFA,” he said. “If I want ignorance I’ll ask for it.”

The tweet has since been deleted.

In a separate tweet, which is still up as of this writing, Locsin said “somebody dropped the ball of possession; later he picked up the paper of maritime features not generating their own EEZ just in case we drop the ball of possession yet again and lose our EEZ.”

It is unclear who exactly he was referring to.

My God just came in on a very early flight; all this was settled last night: somebody dropped the ball of possession; later he picked up the paper of maritime features not generating their own EEZ just in case we drop the ball of possession yet again and lose our EEZ. Now this? https://t.co/8LfNhsR8ng — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 11, 2021 Locsin has previously chided Roque for contradicting him on foreign policy, telling him to "lay off" and slamming him as “not competent” in the field. — Bella Perez-Rubio with a report from James Relativo https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/11/2097503/contradicting-govt-agencies-palace-says-julian- felipe-reef-not-within-philippines-eez

Roque wrong in saying Julian Felipe Reef is outside PH EEZ - maritime law expert

ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 11:08 PM MANILA - Harry Roque, the spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, is wrong in saying that Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea which Chinese vessels swarmed in March, is far-flung and outside of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a maritime law expert said Tuesday.

Atty. Jay Batongbacal of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea warned that Roque’s erroneous remarks may be used by China to its advantage since he speaks for Duterte and is also a lawyer.

“Kung susukatin yung distansya mula sa Julian Felipe Reef hanggang sa Palawan - yung pinakamalapit po na point sa Palawan is nasa Rizal - ang sukat po nun is 175 nautical miles. So, that’s very well within the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone,” Batongbacal told ABS-CBNs’ TeleRadyo.

(If we measure the distance from the Julian Felipe Reef to the nearest point in Palawan, which is Rizal town, that’s 175 nautical miles.)

“So, yung sinasabi po niyang napakalayo po n’yan at labas po yan sa EEZ, hindi po tama yun. At madaling patunayan yun, kahit sino na magsusukat,” he added.

(So, when he said that it’s too far and is already outside the EEZ, that’s incorrect. This can easily be proven by anyone who will measure the distance.)

Batongbacal also countered Roque’s statement that the reef is outside the Philippines’ EEZ “because it forms part of the territorial sea of McKennan Reef.”

“Yung McKennan Reef, hawak po siya ng Tsina. At meron daw po siyang territorial sea na 12 nautical miles, aabot po yan dun sa Julian Felipe Reef. Pero, ang McKennan Reef, kahit hawak siya ng Tsina, nasa loob pa rin siya ng Kalayaan Island Group and therefore, kini-claim din yan ng Pilipinas… bilang parte ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas,” Batongbacal said.

(McKennan Reef is already controlled by China. And it supposedly has a 12 nautical mile territorial sea, which covers the Julian Felipe Reef. But, even if McKennan Reef is under China’s control, it is within the Kalayaan Island Group and therefore the Philippines claims that it is part of its territory.)

“Kaya, yung territorial sea na yun, kahit umaabot siya sa Julian Felipe Reef, ibig sabihin nun, atin pa rin yung Julian Felipe Reef kasi atin yung McKennan Reef.”

(That’s why, that territorial sea reaching Julian Felipe Reef means the Julian Felipe Reef is ours because McKennan Reef is also ours.)

As to the issue of “possession” of the reef, as mentioned also by Roque, Batongbacal said no country for now has that in the legal and technical sense of the word.

Nonetheless, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea have been consistent in asserting that the reef is within the country’s EEZ and that it is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands, noted Batongbacal.

“Parte (ang Julian Felipe Reef) ng Pilipinas, base sa ating mga batas - PD 1596 - dahil nasa loob siya ng Kalayaan Island Group. Tapos, kahit i-assume mo na hindi siya parte ng Pilipinas dahil hindi pa naman defined yung territorial sea ng Julian Felipe Reef…, it would still be part of our exclusive economic zone. So, kumbaga, in either case, sa atin po yun,” he said.

(The Julian Felipe Reef is part of the Philippines, based on our law, the Presidential Decree 1596, which says it’s part of the Kalayaan Island Group. Although, even if you assume that it’s not part of the Philippines because the territorial sea for Julian Felipe Reef has not yet been defined…, it would still be part our exclusive economic zone. So, in either case, that’s ours.)

PD 1596 was issued in 1978 by then President Ferdinand Marcos. Aside from specifying what forms part of the Kalayaan Island Group, it also created the Kalayaan Municipality as part of Palawan province, with Pag- asa Island as seat of government.

Asked about the implication of Roque’s statement, Batongbacal said, “Yun po yung nakakatakot talaga dun, lalo na kung opisyal yan na may pagkakaalam sa legal situation - kumbaga, abogado siya -, spokesperson siya ng Presidente ng Pilipinas, tapos magsasalita siya in public about yung legal situation, maaari po talagang gamitin yan laban sa atin ng China.”

(That’s worrisome, especially if the official has knowledge about the legal situation, since he’s a lawyer, and he’s also the spokesperson of the President of the Philippines, and he talks in public about such legal situation, China may really use that against us.)

"Lahat ng statement ng DFA, ng NTF-WPS, ng DND-AFP, lahat din ng ginawa ng AFP saka ng PCG at BFAR tungkol diyan sa Julian Felipe Reef yan, all of it is based on the assumption na nasa loob siya ng ating exclusive economic zone at parte siya ng Kalayaan Island Group. So, para ngang biglang sasabihin ngayon, 'Wala pala kayong karapatan.' So, mali din talaga ang dating," he added.

(All the statements of the DFA, the NTF-WPS, of the Department of the National Defense-Armed Forces of the Philippines, and all the activities of the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources at the Julian Felipe Reef are based on the assumption that it is within our EEZ and it's part of the KIG. So, now, it's like they are being told, 'We have no rights there.' So, this makes Roque's statement confusing.)

The DFA's position on the reef remains unchanged despite Roque's pronouncement, said Ivy Banzon-Abalos of the agency's Office of Strategic Communication and Research.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. also said in a tweet that the DFA has the "last word" on the matter.

"This is my last warning. When it comes to foreign affairs the Department of Foreign Affairs has the exclusive remit," he said.

"I don’t come from diplomacy; I come from a life that settled the hash of a lotta people who talked tough and ended up biting dirt. I don’t talk, I deal," he added. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/roque-wrong-in-saying-julian-felipe-reef-is-outside-ph-eez- maritime-law-expert

DFA has the last say in foreign affairs, says Locsin, after Roque's 'faux pas' on Julian Felipe Reef

Published May 11, 2021, 7:48 PM by Roy Mabasa Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday issued a “last warning” against those who “talked tough and ended up biting dirt” following the confusion caused by the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque regarding the Philippine stand on Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.Prior to Locsin’s latest tweet on Roque’s faux pas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has reiterated that the Philippine statement claiming Julian Felipe Reef as part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone “remains unchanged”.

“This is my last warning. When it comes to foreign affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs has the exclusive remit. I don’t come from diplomacy; I come from a life that settled the hash of a lotta people who talked tough and ended up biting dirt. I don’t talk, I deal,” Locsin tweeted.

During his regular briefing, Roque told reporters that Julian Felipe Reef is “not part of our EEZ” and the issue, he added, is just being “blown out of proportion”.

Julian Felipe Reef is located 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza town in Palawan

Locsin, in his earlier tweets, was fuming upon learning of the Presidential spokesperson’s spiel

“My God just came in on a very early flight; all this was settled last night; somebody dropped the bal l of possession; later he picked up the paper of maritime features not generating their own EEZ just in case we drop the ball of possession yet again and lose our EEZ. Now this?” Locsin tweeted.

He emphasized that the final word on the issue of the West Philippine Sea lies in the hands of the DFA and “no one else” as he expects the department to issue a statement tomorrow regarding the Julian Felipe Reef issue.

“Last word on this is @DFAPHL’s and no one else. I want it tomorrow. Ask no one outside DFA. If I want ignorance I’ll ask for it. Nail it on the door of San Augustine. And that will be that. Or I’m taking a pistol and that’s not a figure of speech. Not one day of p— rest,” he said.

Even maritime expert Jay Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS) cannot hide his bewilderment over Roque’s statement on Julian Felipe Reef.

“This directly contradicts each and every official statement and diplomatic protest issued by DFA, every s tatement of NTF-WPS, and every action of AFP and PCG, about this matter since March,” Batongbacal said in a tweet.

Earlier, former DFA Secretary Albert Del Rosario turned down Roque’s invitation for him to debate on the West Philippine Sea issue and even questioned the latter’s credibility as spokesperson of the President of the Republic.

“We are made to understand, however, that Secretary Roque’s own department is undergoing serious credibility challenges. The question arises – Is the problem with the marketer, or is it the product, or both” Del Rosario said in a statement. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/dfa-has-the-last-say-in-foreign-affairs-says-locsin-after-roques-faux-pas-on- julian-felipe-reef/

Lacson: European countries seek balance of power in the West Philippine Sea

Published May 11, 2021, 11:42 AM by Mario Casayuran

Some European countries want to ensure that there is a balance of power in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as they fear China, if it takes control in the WPS, would charge fees from passing vessels, including their own.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson issued the statement as he reiterated it is time the Philippines strengthen its ties with its natural allies such as the United States, Japan, Australia and European countries.

Critics stressed that China employs a ‘’might is right’’ tactic in claiming its ‘’’historic’’ right over most parts of South China Sea.

During an interview with Manila Bulletin years ago on the WPS issue, former Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II said China’s intransigence might lead to its collecting toll fees on whoever would ply the SCS.

One third of global shipping pass through the SCS which is particularly critical for China, Japan and South Korea.

“Each country works in its own interest. We should take advantage of that, that they have their own national interest to pursue in the WPS,” Lacson said.

Lacson lamented that while Filipinos – including our own armed forces – are confused on the President’s statements, China continues to make incursions into our territory in the West Philippine Sea.

“In the meantime, our fishermen are harassed in our own Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). We cannot fish and we’re losing billions and that affects our economy. China has become of late very aggressive to the point they rammed a commercial fishing vessel owned by Filipinos though of course they compensated,” he said.

“We buy galunggong from China but the fish came from our waters. Isn’t it an irony we own the fish we are buying?” he added.

In a related development, what President Duterte might consider a “joke” could be no laughing matter for Filipinos especially when it involves key issues like our territory in the WPS, he pointed out.

Lacson said this after the President said Monday night that he was only joking when he said during the 2 016 campaign that he would ride a jet ski to the Spratlys.

“It’s very hard to read his mind. He may be sending mixed signals such that we don’t know if he’s serious or joking. His spokesperson would say he is joking, but there are times he seems serious in his statements. We don’t know anymore. We have a very big problem in our hand,” Lacson said in an interview on ANC.

“When he addresses the nation, we don’t know when he is joking or serious. Is it up to us to understand which is which? It’s really hard for Filipinos,” he added.

With such confusing statements – including Mr. Duterte’s claim that only stupid people would believe his jet ski claim – Lacson said it is time we learn as an electorate and be more discerning of those running in elections – not only for President but also for other posts, including lawmakers. https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/lacson-european-countries-seek-balance-of-power-in-the-west-philippine- sea/

Coast Guard installs sea buoys to mark Benham Rise domain BYRENE ACOSTA

MAY 12, 2021

Days after holding its maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine Coast Guard will install three of the 10 state-of-the-art lighted ocean buoys at the Philippine Rise, or Benham Rise.

The scheduled installation of the buoys today will mark the Philippine Rise as forming part of the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to the Coast Guard.

The planting of the buoys is deemed very symbolic as the government is currently contending with the presence of Chinese vessels in parts of the Kalayaan Island Group and WPS.

The Coast Guard said the 30-foot-long buoys arrived in Cebu from Valencia, Spain, on May 7 and were since carefully assembled by the PCG Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) and M- NAV Solutions Inc.

The Uni-Orient Pearl Ventures Inc. Shipyard where the buoys were delivered also assisted during the assembly process.

On Monday, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral George Ursabia Jr. inspected the buoys, which are equipped with modern navigation aids, specialized mooring systems and a remote monitoring system.

The buoys’ monitoring system uses satellite technology to transmit data to the PCG national headquarters in Port Area, Manila.

Ursabia said the presence of buoys in the Philippine Rise will effectively “communicate that said vicinity waters is considered a special protected zone. Hence, mining and oil exploration are strictly prohibited to preserve its rich natural resources.”

The Philippine Rise is located 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Aurora and it was supposed to have been the site of the second leg of the Coast Guard’s maritime training exercises.

An earlier statement from the office of Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said that instead of the Philippine Rise, the second part of the exercise would just be held at the Scarborough Shoal. It was near the shoal where two Coast Guard vessels, which were participating in the first leg of the exercise and were also conducting maritime patrol, were shadowed and blocked by the Chinese Coast Guard.

At the Ayungin Shoal, Philippine Coast Guard vessels, which have also joined the exercise and were conducting patrol also challenged and drove away Chinese ships.

The Coast Guard said the buoys would also be used by its personnel to “mark the designated food supply exclusive zone and ensure safe navigation in the Philippine Rise.” https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/coast-guard-installs-sea-buoys-to-mark-benham-rise-domain/

PCG seals off ship from India as some crewmen test positive for COVID

Published May 11, 2021, 2:10 PM by Richa Noriega

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has heightened the routine maritime patrols near the MV Athens Bridge from India to ensure the safety and security of the remaining Filipino crew members as some of them tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Among the 21 Filipino crew on board the vessel, 12 of them tested positive for COVID-19. Two of those who tested positive were hospitalized.

The cargo vessel arrived in the country on Thursday, May 6, and is currently anchored round 10 kilometers or 5.4 nautical miles away from Cavite shore.

The PCG restricted other sea vessels from going near the vessel to prevent the spread of the viral disease, what with concerns that those who tested positive would bring in the India variant.

Captain Jeffrey Solon, officer-in-charge of Marina Office of the Deputy Administrator for Planning, said two more of the crew members had difficulty breathing but were stabilized in the hospital.

“The two of the four hospitalized have shown progression of the COVID-19 symptoms and now strictly being monitored. The other two are recovering but still being monitored. The result of what variant, we are still awaiting information,” Solon told the Manila Bulletin on Tuesday, May 11.

Solon said in total four of the 12 seafarers who tested positive for COVID-19 were hospitalized, while the remaining eight were in a quarantine facility and “doing good.”

The remaining nine other crew members are aboard the vessel on quarantine and set to disembark on Friday, May 14, and to be isolated in a hotel for 10 days.

“The relievers will board the vessel starting May 14 and those on board are all doing fine and not showing any symptoms,” Solon said.

The Panama-flagged cargo vessel departed from India on April 22 and arrived in Haiphong, Vietnam on May 1. There, all of its personnel were subjected to a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

It was later found out that 12 of the 21 crew members aboard the ship got infected with the COVID-19.

The PCG said it received a request from the vessel’s captain on Thursday, May 6, to execute a medical evacuation of two crew members who both needed urgent medical care. The vessel, at that time, was located 12 nautical miles west of Corregidor Island in Manila Bay.

The PCG has delivered at least 10 oxygen tanks and transported the two critical crew members to a hospital for further assistance on Friday, May 7.

Duterte pleads for end of violence in Maguindanao By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos May 11, 2021, 7:07 pm Share

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday sought the help of Bangsamoro officials to stop the violence and terror acts perpetrated by extremist groups such as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao.

Duterte made the appeal during his meeting with Bangsamoro officials, as well as the police and military commanders, at the Camp Siongco in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao.

In his speech, Duterte admitted that he could not afford to wage a war against his fellow Filipinos.

“The violence is very much present. Nakikiusap ako (I am pleading you) because you know, government cannot wage a war against [its] own people. Hindi talaga puwede iyan (That is unacceptable),” he said.

Duterte lamented that the BIFF continues to throw a monkey wrench in the works to thwart progress in Mindanao.

Despite the BIFF’s attempt to sow terror in the region, Duterte said launching an “all-out” offensive against bandits is not an option because it would cost the lives of innocent people.

“This conflict will cost lives and it will cost innocent lives,” Duterte said. “Kung hindi ko mapipigilan (If I fail to stop it) and there will be an all-out offensive, iyan na ang problema (that would be the problem). If I give the order, I will no longer withdraw it.”

Moved to tears

Around 200 heavily-armed BIFF members seized the public market of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao on Saturday morning.

The Army’s 6th Infantry Division was able to regain control of the Datu Paglas town market center on Saturday dawn.

The BIFF gunmen withdrew and splintered into small groups after a brief military air and ground assault.

Duterte said he was “moved to tears” when he learned about the recent development in Maguindanao.

“I am moved to tears to see what is really happening. It’s pure carnage and the ultimate beneficiaries of the violence created here are the civilians. Tayong nasa position, tayong may pera, tayong may armas (We who are in the position, have money, and have arms), we do not have nary a care because we can do what we want with arms,” he said. ‘Bloody, sad’ war

Duterte, during his visit to Maguindanao, said he is ready to listen, including to those who want to “reconfigure” the region.

“Kaya nga ako nagpunta dito (I am here) just to remind you that whatever happens, Mindanao would still be a part of the Philippines. That is the reality,” he said. “We just talk. You can begin it now na nandito pa ako na makikinig sa inyo (while I am still here and ready to listen).”

Duterte gave the assurance, as he stressed that he is avoiding a situation that could make things “go out of control”.

He said it would be “bloody” and “sad,” should he decides to order an all-out war against extremist groups in Mindanao.

“If I give the order for an all-out offensive, it will be bloody and sad,” Duterte said. “Ayaw kong pumatay ng Muslim. Ayaw kong pumatay ng Kristiyanos. Gusto kong manahimik ang buhay natin sa mundong ito (I do not want to kill Muslims. I do not want to kill Christians. I want a peaceful life in this world). You know, we only live once.” (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139948

Rody asks BARMM to deny terrorists sanctuary posted May 12, 2021 at 01:40 am by Manila Standard

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked local leaders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to refuse terrorist armed groups seeking sanctuary in their communities.

President Duterte inspects weapons recovered after a recent clash between government forces and the renegade members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Federation Front after a meeting with BARMM officials, several local government officials, military and police commanders in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao on May 11, 2021. He was with Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, his former presidential assistant, during the inspection trip. Duterte said keeping the bandits out of the BARMM was necessary to prevent him from ordering an all-out military offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the area. “This cannot go on. If they cannot be stopped and there will be an all-out offensive, that will be a problem. If I give the order, I will no longer withdraw it,” he pointed out. “I'm begging you. Help me. Because otherwise, if I give the order for an all-out offensive, it will be bloody and it will be sad,” the President added. Duterte made the remarks after meeting with BARMM officials, police and military commanders of the 6th Infantry Division (6ID) at Camp Brigadier General Gonzalo Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. His visit came three days after a firefight erupted between state forces and at least 100 BIFF members in the municipality of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao last May 8. “I don’t want to kill Muslims. I don’t want to kill Christians. I want a peaceful life for all of us in the world,” Duterte said. The military has since cleared Datu Paglas of BIFF members and identified the leader of the armed group as Mohiden Animbang, alias Karialan, who was reportedly involved in IED (improvised explosive device) attacks in Datu Saudi Ampatuan last March, which left two people dead and two others wounded. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked local leaders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to refuse terrorist armed groups seeking sanctuary in their communities. Duterte said keeping the bandits out of the BARMM was necessary to prevent him from ordering an all-out military offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the area. “This cannot go on. If they cannot be stopped and there will be an all-out offensive, that will be a problem. If I give the order, I will no longer withdraw it,” he pointed out. “I'm begging you. Help me. Because otherwise, if I give the order for an all-out offensive, it will be bloody and it will be sad,” the President added. Duterte made the remarks after meeting with BARMM officials, police and military commanders of the 6th Infantry Division (6ID) at Camp Brigadier General Gonzalo Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. His visit came three days after a firefight erupted between state forces and at least 100 BIFF members in the municipality of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao last May 8. “I don’t want to kill Muslims. I don’t want to kill Christians. I want a peaceful life for all of us in the world,” Duterte said. The military has since cleared Datu Paglas of BIFF members and identified the leader of the armed group as Mohiden Animbang, alias Karialan, who was reportedly involved in IED (improvised explosive device) attacks in Datu Saudi Ampatuan last March, which left two people dead and two others wounded. Earlier, Duterte visited Cotabato to convince the BIFF to stop using violence, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/354224/rody-asks-barmm-to-deny-terrorists-sanctuary.html

Duterte threatens all-out offensive vs BIFF for 'full-blown terrorism'

Published May 11, 2021, 7:45 PM by Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has warned of ordering an all-out military offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) if local officials could not help the government quell the latest threat to peace and security in the south.

President Duterte delivers address during a visit to a military camp in Maguindanao on May 11, 2021 (RTVM screenshot)

In his visit to Maguindanao Tuesday, the President lamented that the BIFF was engaged in “full-blown terrorism” and expressed concern for the safety of civilians.

“The monkey wrench of the whole situation now is the BIFF and they continue to inflict hindi lang maliliit (not only small attacks). They continue to burn, ambush, detonate bombs, talagang a full-blown terrorism,” Duterte said during a visit to a military camp in Maguindanao.

“Ngayon, nagmamakaawa ako sa inyo tulungan ninyo ako (Now, I’m pleading for your help) because otherwise, I said, if I give the order for an all-out offensive, it will be bloody and it will be sad,” he said before an assembly of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) officials as well as military and police officers.

Duterte said if he gives the order on the all-out offensive, he would no longer withdraw it. “I will wait for the next president to do what he wants with Mindanao,” he said.

The President made the appeal after several BIFF members attacked Datu Paglas, Maguindanao over the weekend. The armed Islamic State-linked fighters occupied a public market forcing residents to leave the area for safety. The rebels eventually left the place after a brief clash with government troops.

Duterte, in his remarks, expressed sadness over the latest violence, saying this “cannot go on.”

“I am moved to tears to see what is really happening now. It’s pure carnage and the ultimate beneficiaries of the violence created here are the civilians,” he said.

Despite raising the possible all-out offensive plan, Duterte still appeared reluctant to use such option even though “the violence is very much present.” He said he “loves” both Muslims and Christians and would not want to kill anyone. “Nakikiusap ako (I am asking) because you know government cannot wage a war against his own people,” he said.

“Ayaw kong pumatay ng Muslim, ayaw kong pumatay ng Kristiyanos, gusto kong manahimik ang buhay natin sa mundong ito (I don’t want to kill Muslims, I don’t want to kill Christians. I want to live quietly in this world). You know, we live only once,” he added.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/duterte-threatens-all-out-offensive-vs-biff-for-full-blown-terrorism/

Duterte to visit Cotabato after Datu Paglas incident By Azer Parrocha May 11, 2021, 2:03 pm Share

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to go to Cotabato City on Tuesday in the aftermath of the botched attack of Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao on Saturday.

In an interview over PTV-4, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will deliver a message to the BIFF that he would not tolerate violence.

“Mamaya po ay tutungo po ng Cotabato ang ating Presidente. Makipagusap po siya dun at talagang ang mensahe niya ay ipararating niyang mensahe sa BIFF na siya ang kanyang katungkulan ay ipagpatupad ang batas at hindi pupuwede na patuloy na gumagamit ng dahas laban sa kapwa Pilipino (The President will go to Cotabato later. He will have dialogue there to send a message to the BIIF that under his administration, the law will be implemented, and using violence against fellow Filipinos will not be tolerated),” he said.

Roque, in a press conference, said Duterte will also hold a meeting with members of his Cabinet, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Ang objective po ng Presidente para iparating ang mensahe na hindi po niya puwedeng pabayaan ang kaniyang katungkulan na ipatulad ang batas (The President's objective is to convey the message that he cannot neglect his duty to implement the law),” he said.

Reports showed that about 200 heavily-armed members of the BIFF seized the public market of Datu Paglas town at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the BIFF under the Kagui Karialan faction occupied the town’s public market and established a defensive position there.

He said no casualty was reported on the government side, and could not say if the BIFF extremists had casualties.

At least 5,000 individuals have been displaced by the conflict and were staying at nearby public schools as military clearing operations continued at the town center. Government forces were able to regain control of the Datu Paglas town market center after the military launched air and ground assaults on the rebels’ position until the BIFF withdrew toward the mountainous area of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

In a statement on Sunday, AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana urged residents and local government officials in Maguindanao to be more vigilant.

He said the AFP will not stop until the threat posed by the BIFF terrorists is neutralized. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139856

Justices grill govt lawyers on Anti-Terrorism Act of 2021 enforcement

BYJOEL R. SAN JUAN MAY 12, 2021 2 SHARES 2 4 MINUTE READ GOVERNMENT lawyers have allayed fears raised by several associate justices of the Supreme Court that the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2021 will not result in violation of the basic human rights of the people guaranteed under the Constitution.

The assurance was made during Tuesday’s 7th oral argument on the 37 petitions seeking to declare the ATA as unconstitutional.

During interpellation, Associate Justices Henri Jean Paul Inting and Justice Amy Lazaro- Javier both questioned government lawyers on the apprehension of the petitioners that the ATA would lead to rampant violations of human rights and the Bill of Rights.

Justice Inting questioned Assistant Solicitor General Marissa dela Cruz Galandines whether the President, his Cabinet officials and leaders of law enforcement agencies have issued statements assuring full respect to human rights.

“I’m asking this question in order that the public will be assured that the ATA will be implemented in full respect with human rights and the Bill of Rights,” Justice Inting told Galandines.

In response, Galandines assured Justice Inting that the government has lined up several measures and programs for the efficient implementation of the law.

She also noted that Solicitor General Jose Calida even echoed the President’s previous statement where he assured those who do not have any involvement in any terrorism activities should not worry about the ATA.

The assistant solicitor general also told the Court that the Anti-terrorism Council (ATC) released last April 21 a report detailing various programs being undertaken by different departments of the government in relation to ATA. “The ATC has taken the lead of developing and publishing a handbook for police and military personnel. There is also a continuous rollout of trainings and workshops for law enforcers,” Galandines said.

She added that the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) has published on its web site a primer of frequently asked questions about the ATA.

Furthermore, Galandines told the Court that the government has already started the implementation of the national action plan on preventing and countering violent extremism.

On the other hand, Justice Javier asked Assistant Solicitor General Raymund Rigodon for his response on the fears expressed by petitioners, some of them former members of the Court, of possible massive rights violations “in view of what petitioners refer to as a grant of excessive and uncheck of powers under the law.”

Rigodon branded the claim as “speculative” and told the Court that a possibility of abuse “is not a ground to invalidate the law.”

Javier also asked Rigodon on what the government has done so far to allay the fears of the public towards the ATA.

Rigodon echoed Calida’s opening statement where the latter pointed out that the government is not the enemy in connection with the ATA’s implementation but the terrorists.

He added that the President has assured the people that they have nothing to fear as long as they are not part of any activity related to terrorism.

“Is that enough? Enough to allay the fears, the apprehensions, the suspicion and repugnance of the public toward ATA? Is lip-service enough?” Justice Javier asked.

Justice Javier also raised the possibility that law enforcers would have varying interpretation with regard to the implementation of the ATA as the very definition of terrorism under the law “relies on intent, which is a statement of mind.”

“The ATA tasks the law enforcement officers and military personnel to ascertain intent based on nature and context. But one law enforcer’s reading of nature and context may differ from one another,” Justice Javier pointed out.

“Without any definite criteria or guide on how to read nature and context, law enforcers may have different ideas as to what constitute terrorism. So what has the government done to ensure that the members of the police and the military will not have varying interpretations and understanding of the ATA,” she asked.

Justice Javier specifically asked Rigodon whether the government has conducted seminars, lectures and other initiatives to ensure that there would be no misunderstanding in the implementation of the ATA “at the expense of human lives.”

Rigodon told the Court that the ATC has released guidelines for police officers and military personnel with respect with the implementation of the ATA.

Justice Javier, however, expressed doubts that the issuance of guidelines would be enough “considering that law enforcers are non-lawyers and the ATA is such a technical and legal thing.”

“How does the government assure the people and make sure that the understanding is one and the same so that we will avoid the ‘misimplementation’ of the ATA,” she asked.

The Court has yet to hear amici curiae legal opinions of former Chief Justice Reynato Puno and former SC Associate Justice and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza on the issue.

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

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/12/justices-grill-govt-lawyers-on-ata-2021-enforcement/

No standards under anti-terror law, IRR to determine what acts are terrorism By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - Reporter / @T2TupasINQ INQUIRER.net / 09:29 PM May 11, 2021

Inside the Supreme Court session hall for the oral argument on the Anti-Terrorism Act. Photos from SC Public Information Office

MANILA, Philippines – Government lawyers on Tuesday admitted that neither the Anti- Terrorism Act nor its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) provide for standards to determine what acts are terrorism.

Section 4 of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, provides that terrorism “by its nature and context, is to intimidate the general public or a segment thereof, create an atmosphere or spread a message of fear, or to provoke or influence by intimidation the government or any international organization or seriously destabilize or destroy fundamental, political, economic or social structures of the country…”

When asked about what is the standard for “atmosphere of fear,” “influence by intimidation,” or “provocation” before it can be considered “terrorism,” government lawyers said to rely on the basic rule of statutory construction.

“My problem is the language of the law. It says “create an atmosphere” or spread a message of “fear,” do we have any standard in the law that defined what that means? Do we have something that says blah…blah…blah is equivalent to creating an atmosphere of fear…Is there a standard [in the law or the IRR],” Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa asked.

Duterte declares May 13 a holiday for Eid’l Fitr NEWSINFO Duterte: Jet ski promise just a campaign joke, stupid

He added: “under your recollection, there is none?”

Assistant Solicitor General Marissa Dela Cruz-Galandines said “correct Your Honor.” “To provoke or influence by intimidation, there is no standard on what constitutes an act that provokes by intimidation, correct,” Caguioa asked to which Galandines again replied “correct Your Honor.”

Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda asked why did the government not use a modifier the level of “provocation” that can be called terrorism such as the word “serious.”

Assistant Solicitor General Raymund Rigodon said, “it goes into the wisdom of the law.”

“What I fear about is that the phrase ‘provoke the government’ is so vague so as to include any kind of provocation,” Zalameda said.

But Rigodon said, “there is a rule of statutory construction that if the intention is not to give a word or a phrase a technical meaning, it should be interpreted in its ordinary meaning.”

“So, let me ask you what is our ordinary meaning, your understanding of the phrase ‘atmosphere of fear’,” Caguioa asked.

“You can refer to the definition in the Merriam Webster Dictionary,” Rigodon said.

Oral argument will resume on Wednesday with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe interpellating and the justices will then ask questions to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430552/definition-of-terrorism

ATA enforcement will not result in human rights violations — OSG

Published May 11, 2021, 6:52 PM by Rey Panaligan

Office of the Solicitor General The implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) will not result in violations of human rights enshrined in the Constitution, government lawyers told the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday afternoon, May 11.

On the seventh session of oral arguments on 37 petitions challenging the constitutionality of ATA, lawyers from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said that the government has adopted measures for an efficient enforcement of the law.

Fears of the petitioners and the public on human rights violations were aired by Associate Justices Henri Jean Paul B. Inting and Amy C. Lazaro Javier during their interpellations of OSG lawyers.

Assistant Solicitor General Marissa Dela Cruz Galandines was asked by Justice Inting if top government officials have made public pronouncements on full respect for human rights in the enforcement of the law.

Galandines said that during the past oral arguments Solicitor General Jose C. Calida reiterated President Duterte’s assurance that those who are not involved in terrorism should not worry about ATA.

She then cited the various programs undertaken by the government.

“The ATC (Anti-Terrorism Council) has taken the lead of developing and publishing a handbook for police and military personnel. There is also a continuing rollout of trainings and workshops for law enforcers,” Galandines said.

She stressed that the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) has published on its website a primer of the frequently asked questions about the ATA . Also, she said, the government has adopted and started implementing a national action plan to curb and counter violent extremism.

Justice Javier, on the other hand, asked Assistant Solicitor General Raymund Rigodon on the fears of several petitioners, some of them former members of SC, due to the “grant of excessive and unchecked powers under the law.”

Rigodon said the fears are “speculative” and pointed out that the possibility of abuse “is not a ground to invalidate the law.”

He then referred to Calida’s opening statement which declared that the government is not the enemy but the terrorists are.

“Without any definite criteria or guide on how to read nature and context, law enforcers may have different ideas as to what constitute terrorism,” she added.

Then she asked Rigodon: “So, what has the government done to ensure that the members of the police and the military will not have varying interpretations and understanding of the ATA?”

Rigodon said that the ATC has released guidelines on the implementation of ATA.

Not satisfied with the answer, Justice Javier said that “considering that law enforcers are non-lawyers and the ATA is such a technical and legal thing, how does the government assure the people and make sure that the understanding is one and the same so that we will avoid the mis-implementation of the ATA?”

Manila Bulletin failed to hear Rigodon’s reply due to some unavoidable distortions on the audio of the live streaming that was facilitated by the SC’s public information office (PIO).

At 5:40 p.m., Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo declared the oral arguments terminated and announced that the legal debates will resume on Wednesday, May 12, starting at 2:30 p.m.

The Chief Justice did not give any reason for Wednesday’s resumption of the hearings that are normally done once a week.

After the justices have finished their interpellations, the SC will call its two “friends of the court” – former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno and former Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza – to air their views on ATA.

It was not known immediately when the oral arguments will be terminated and if the reiterative pleas of the petitioners for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) that could stop immediately the implementation of ATA which started on July 18, 2020 would be taken up.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/ata-enforcement-will-not-result-in-human-rights-violations-osg/ In anti-terrorism law debates, OSG lawyers asked: What is fear? What is 'to provoke' gov't? Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar.com) - May 11, 2021 - 9:34pm

MANILA, Philippines — In oral arguments on the petitions against Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 on Tuesday, government lawyers admitted that the law contained undefined terms in the law's section defining the very crime it seeks to deter.

On Tuesday, Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda opened the oral arguments on Tuesday by drawing up a scenario where an actress puts up a community pantry where social distancing was not observed therefore endangering the lives of people amid a pandemic. She then announces that the aid is for those neglected by the government. “Is that provoking the government?”

Related Stories

LIVE: Oral arguments on petitions vs the anti-terrorism law — Day 7

Questions for Esperon pile up as SC justices bring up Parlade's red-tagging in anti-terror debates

Section 4 of the anti-terrorism law states that acts listed on the provision, with the purpose to “intimidate the general public or a segment thereof, create an atmosphere or spread a message of fear, to provoke or influence by intimidated the government… or serious destabilize or destroy political or economic or social structures of the country to create a public emergency or seriously undermine public safety.”

Zalameda zeroed in on the phrase “to provoke.” He asked: “How do you measure provocation of the government as to constitute an act of terror under the ATA, can it be merely the slightest provocation?”

The justice pressed: Why was there no modifier in the word provocation such as “seriously” like the other listed purposes? Why did the Congress use the phrase “provoke” and not enforce or compel the government as with other anti-terrorism measures?

Assistant Solicitor General Raymund Rigodon said this goes into the wisdom of the law, as crafted by the Congress — the doctrine of political question is used to refer to questions beyond judicial questions.

Rigodon also said since not all terrorist groups may have demands from the government, such as what was provided for in the Human Security Act of 2007, “Congress enumerated purposes that are not as limiting as under HSA.”

But Zalameda raised: What I fear about is that the phrase “provoke the government” is so vague so as to include any kind of provocation. It did not say that to provoke the government to do or to abstain from doing an act. Just it stated that to provoke the govt. What is fear?

Still on the definition of terrorism under Section 4, Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa asked what is the ordinary meaning of atmosphere of fear? How many people does it involve?

Rigodon said: “You can refer to the definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.”

But what about the phrase “segment” of the public, how many people does that cover?

Caguioa pressed: “If two people are fighting and in his [arresting officer] that is a segment he can arrest the person for terrorism?… Two people are marching against the government for redress of grievances, who determines that that is a segment?”

Rigodon said it will be up to the police officer or arresting officer.

But Caguioa pointed out that the police would arrest a person committing a crime that has no standards on what is “a message of fear or an atmosphere of fear.”

Rigodon said that jurisprudence holds that “the absence of a standard or definition of certain term will not render that statute as unconstitutional.”

Under Caguioa’s grilling, Rigodon also acknowledged that there is no definition of the atmosphere of fear, a segment of general public, extensive interference and extensive damage.

The justice stressed: “Remember, you are depriving a person of a fundamental liberty, a fundamental right to be free and are you saying that that can be done even if there is no standard? Or if the standard is susceptible to different tin interpretations as many as policemen as there are who have different interpretation of what a segment is what an atmosphere of fear is.”

Is lip service enough?

Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier noted that anti-terrorism law faces legal challenges from various sectors, including two former members of the SC Bench.

Asked about what the government has done to allay the fears of the people on the anti- terrorism law, Rigodon noted that Solicitor General Jose Calida said the government is not the enemy and that President Rodrigo Duterte said those who are not terrorists have nothing to fear.

But Lazaro-Javier continued: “The ATA triggers fears of massive rights abuses in view of what petitioners refer to as the grant of excessive and unchecked powers to the state under the law,” she noted. Rigodon responded that the petitioners’ allegations are merely speculation and “jurisprudence teaches us that assuming that there is a possibility is not a ground to invalidate the law.”

The justice continued: “Is that enough to allay the fears, the apprehension, suspicion and repugnance of the public towards ATA? Is lip service enough?”

Rigodon referred to Section 2 of the law that states that the State recognizes that the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach, but Lazaro-Javier said: “Please pardon me but I think the answer is not responsive to my question. So please I have no time to debate with you on this so please present this in your memorandum.”

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, in his interpellation, asked Assistant Solicitor General Marissa Galandines what would be the feeling of someone jailed.

She surmised, fear.

Leonen continued that someone who is jailed, though you are a chief justice or a lawyer, would helpless. There will also be psychological trauma with even one hour spent in detention center.

“If the accusation was merely on the basis of suspicion and later on you are released, it is not true that there is no damage. There is fundamental damage correct?” Leonen asked, to which Galandines answered in the affirmative.

Leonen stressed that for persons mistakenly accused and detained, “all these becomes moot for them… the Constitution for them leaves when the Supreme Court tells them sorry ‘you’re collateral damage. Sorry we cannot take care of you.’”

The justice continued: “That’s why were very careful with this particular case, to make the right pronouncement, that if we proceed with it, that we are careful that we do not hold the hands of government for something that we do not truly understand, there are many kinds of terrorism.”

The oral arguments will continue on Wednesday, May 12.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/11/2097612/anti-terrorism-law-debates-osg-lawyers-asked- what-fear-what-to-provoke-govt

Questions for Esperon pile up as SC justices bring up Parlade's red-tagging in anti-terror debates Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar.com) - May 11, 2021 - 7:23pm

MANILA, Philippines — Questions for National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperson are piling up as Supreme Court justices again brought up Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade’s repeated red-tagging in the ongoing oral arguments on the petitions against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier in Tuesday’s setting noted that Parlade, a ranking military officer and spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, accused Gabriela and Kabataan party-list, which have consistently won seats in the Congress, of being fronts to the Communist Party of the Philippines.

A proscription petition against the CPP and its armed wing New People’s Army pending before the courts but the Anti-Terrorism Council had designated them as terrorists.

“When the spokesperson give statements linking a group to the CPP-NPA does he do so in his official capacity as spokesperson or are these statements simply his personal opinions?” Lazaro-Javier asked.

Assistant Solicitor General Marissa Galandines said since Parlade is a private citizen, he has freedom of expression. She added that Parlade’s posts are his personal opinions and not the official position of the government.

This was also the OSG’s position when it submitted its comment on petitioners’ pleading that asked the SC to compel Parlade to explain a Facebook post which retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said is a “clear threat” to them. Lazaro-Javier pressed: “You are also a general, an assistant solicitor general, and the head of OSG is also a general. You are the lawyer of the government. Are you authorized to disavow the statements of the spokesperson?”

In the end, Galandines fended off questions on Palade’s red-tagging to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.

“May we be allowed, we submit that these are factual matters involving the AFP and NTF- ELCAC and submit that the NSA [Esperon] can better answer,” she told the justice

Cannot overrule Parlade

But Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, in his separate interpellation, cited the case of an unnamed “military person” who does not answer to the chain of command. Leonen noted: “This is the first time that I heard that a military person, even a colonel or general, does not answer to the chain of command, does not have that discipline and cannot be told ‘you cannot say that because you belong to the institution’. You want to say that get out of the institution first.”

He added he cannot criticize the SC without disrobing first.

When Parlade was in hot water for his continued red-tagging in March, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines has “no way” to overrule Parlade’s statements as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson.

Leonen added: “For as long as you are in government and you speak something, and if that speech is made in relation to an Executive agent, and there is only one Executive, then don’t you think that is also the voice of the Executive.”

He continued: “Unless the Executive says, Be quiet. Hindi mo pwede sabihin yan, hindi ko policy yan.’ Gusto mo sabihin yan. You want your personal freedom of expression, you go out of government first’.”

The oral arguments will resume, for its eighth setting, on Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.

Other magistrates, including Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang, had earlier said they have questions for Esperon.

Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo have yet to grill the petitioners. After the SC wraps up its interpellation of government lawyers, retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno and retired Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza, designated amici curiae (friends of court), will deliver their statements.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/11/2097527/questions-esperon-pile-sc- justices-bring-parlades-red-tagging-anti-terror-debates

Designation of 6 add'l spokespersons makes NTF- ELCAC operations even more questionable – senators

Published May 11, 2021, 5:22 PM by Hannah Torregoza Opposition senators on Tuesday questioned the designation of six more spokespersons for the administration’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Senator Risa Hontiveros said the performance of the anti-insurgency task force should not be dependent on the number of spokespersons.

“Wala naman sa dami ng spokespersons ang performance ng ahensya. Pagdating sa budget, simple lang: kapag pangit ang performance, kailangang magpaliwanag ng ahensya kung bakit hindi ito dapat babawasan ng pondo (The performance of an agency does not rely on the number of spokespersons they have. When it comes to the budget, it’s simple: when they don’t perform well, the agency should explain why their budget should not be slashed),” Hontiveros said when sought to comment.

“There is an appropriate time to study that. Darating din tayo dyan (We will come to that),” she stressed.

With so many proxies for the agency, Hontiveros said she expects the NTF-ELCAC to be able to respond to lawmakers’ questions regarding its budget once they take the red- tagging and other issues hounding the agency.

“Ngayong may anim pa silang dagdag na tagapagsalita, siguro naman may makakasagot kahit isa: Kailan matatapos ang mga projects na pinondohan ng NTF-ELCAC? (Now that they have six more designated spokespersons maybe they should be able to answer: when will the projects under the NTF-ELCAC stop)?” she said.

“At kailan mailalabas ang natitira pang pera para sa ibang lugar (And when are they going to release the rest of the budget for other places)? Show us results,” she told the agency.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, for his part, said this is the first he has seen so many spokesperson that would be benefitting from public funding, when the money could have been used to assist persons hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He pointed out that these new spokespersons, while already currently holding government positions, will incur additional expenses for their task under this agency.

“Kataka-taka ano ba talaga ang agenda?…Sana gamitin na lang ‘yung budget nay un para matulungan yung mga pangangailangan n gating mga kababayan,” Pangilinan said in an online press briefing. “We find this questionable, and when the budget debates come, we will raise this as part of our obligation and our duty to ensure oversight over the executive department,” Pangilinan said.

A total of P19-billion has been earmarked under the 2021 budget for the NTF-ELCAC. Of the amount, P16.4-billion have been allocated for the development of barangays cleared of insurgency.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier questioned the ‘speedy’ release of the P10.6-billion funds for the NTF-ELCAC following criticisms hurled at the agency for its red-tagging activities against organizers of community pantries.

The Senate earlier adopted Senate Committee Report No. 186, calling for the removal Parlade as NTF-ELCAC’s spokesperson. However, NTF-ELCAC vice chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the agency will retain him as spokesperson. Esperon also said increasing the number of the agency’s spokespersons is meant to push the task force’s stance on several issues and improve their system of information exchange.

Drilon, however, insisted the decision of the NTF-ELCAC to retain Lt. Gen. Parlade as its spokesperson is a patent violation of the Constitution.

“We will continue to question his appointment as well as the appropriateness of using P16.4-billion in people’s money for anti-insurgency funds instead of using it to expand the ayuda (cash assistance), subsidize the salaries of private sector workers or buy COVID-19 vaccines,” Drilon said in a statement.

“Why would a mere task force need too many mouthpieces? This is unprecedented. This is the first time I am hearing of a mere task force with 8 spokespersons. Is it a judicious use of funds? It only reinforces the fear that NTF-ELCAC is a propaganda machine,” the minority leader stressed.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/11/designation-of-6-addl-spokespersons-makes-ntf-elcac-operations-even- more-questionable-senators/

'Air of arrogance' in keeping Parlade as spokesperson will ‘cost’ NTF-ELCAC —

Lacson (Philstar.com) - May 11, 2021 - 12:32pm

MANILA, Philippines — National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon displayed an "air of arrogance" by refusing to dismiss one of the anti-communist task force's two controversial spokespersons and choosing instead to designate six more mouthpieces, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson told reporters that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on April 27 promised him that Parlade would be eased out from his position as spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict following the Senate's call for his dismissal.

He added that Esperon, who is vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, while still "reasoning out and justifying" Parlade's post also previously confirmed that the red-tagging general would be subtly eased out as the task force's spokesman.

Lacson said it was due to this informal commitment from Lorenzana and Esperon that he was taken by surprise a few days ago when he learned that Parlade would be retained as spokesperson and would be serving alongside seven others.

Esperon, in a press conference on Monday, announced Undersecretaries Jonathan Malaya (Local Government), Severo Catura (Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat), Joel Egco (Presidential Task Force on Media Security), as well as Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago (Metro Manila Development Authority), and lawyer Marlon Bosantog (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples) and Gaye Florendo (NCIP), as new spokespersons for the task force.

The task force also retained Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy as spokesperson, the other half of a widely controversial tandem along with Parlade.

Lacson said Esperon reached out to him on Sunday to say that Parlade would be relieved just before he retires on July 26.

Esperon has not offered any further explanation for the decision to hire an additional six spokespersons, Lacson noted as he slammed the move to hire additional spokespersons as one laced with "hubris."

"It's as if there is an air of arrogance," he said partially in Filipino. "There is no point listening or discussing this issue with people who don't want to listen to reason anymore."

"The fact of the matter is, he has not been eased out," Lacson added. "It comes off to us as a bit arrogant and...it will cost them." The price to be paid by the task force, according to Lacson, might be taken from its multi- billion peso budget which the senator previously said he will no longer defend with the same enthusiasm for 2022 following its refusal to adhere to the Senate's recommendation.

"Normally, the task force requests an augmentation [in their budget]...but if they don't want to listen to us [over] a simple provision of the Constitution, we might not listen to them."

Lacson, who seems to have no issue with Parlade serving as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson outside of the conflict presented by his military post, also said that it would be better if the task force dismissed him now and rehired him after his retirement.

Senators in a committee report said there was a constitutional infirmity in Parlade's appointment to the civilian task force as he currently serves as an active member of the military as commander of the Southern Luzon Command. They renewed this call last month amid Parlade's red-tagging of community pantry organizers.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/11/2097462/air-arrogance-keeping-parlade-spokesperson- will-cost-ntf-elcac-lacson

Lacson says Lorenzana promised to 'ease out' Parlade from NTF-ELCAC Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 06:45 PM

• Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn • Viber MANILA - Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has promised that Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade would be "eased out" from the government's anti- communism panel "shortly before he retires."

Lorenzana gave the statement via a text message on April 27, about a week before the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) designated Parlade as one of the panel's 8 spokesperson, Lacson told reporters in an online press conference.

"Nasa akin pa message ni Sec. Lorenzana. Nag-usap sila ni Sec. Esperon at nag-agree sila na i-ease out nila si Parlade," he said, referring to National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC vice chair Hermogenes Esperon.

(Sec. Lorenzana's message is still with me. He and Sec. Esperon spoke and they agreed to ease out Parlade.)

"Pag nagbitaw kami ng salita sa isa't isa, that's the nexus that binds us together... hindi ko maintindihan bakit hindi nila kaya panghawakan yung binitawan nilang salita," the senator said.

(The words we tell each other, that's the nexus that binds us together... I can't understand why they can't stick with the words they said.)

Several senators have been pushing for Parlade's removal from the anti-communism panel as the Constitution bans active military officials from being appointed in offices that are civilian in nature.

Parlade also drew the ire of lawmakers after he likended a community pantry organizer to Satan and called senators "stupid."

"Hindi ko maintindihan why they are standing their ground na i-retain doon," Lacson said.

(I don't understand why they are sanding their ground to retain him there.)

"Hindi naman nakakatulong. Nakakasama pa yung pronouncements [niya]," he said.

(He's not helping. His pronouncements are even putting them at a disadvantage.)

Paralde has been repeatedly bashed online for accusing several celebrities and lawmakers of being part of the communist movement, without showing evidence to back his claim. The Senate minority bloc plans to question the need for the NTF-ELCAC to have at least 8 spokespersons, Sen. Pangilinan said in a separate online press conference.

"Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng maraming spokesperson. Sana gamitin na lang yung budget na 'yun para sa ayuda," he said.

(This is the first time that I saw that many spokespersons. I hope they can just use that budget for cash aid.)

"When the budget debates come, we will raise this," he said.

An agency's performance does not depend on the number of its spokesperson, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.

"Pagdating sa budget, simple lang: kapag pangit ang performance, kailangang magpaliwanag ng ahensya kung bakit hindi ito dapat babawasan ng pondo," she said in a statement.

(It's simple when it comes to the budget: If the performance is not good, the agency has to explain why their fund should not be slashed.)

Lacson, who has been defending NTF-ELCAC's budget in recent years, said he would not object to moves to cut the panel's 2022 funding.

"Kapag may nag-push na mag-reduce ng budget, I wouldn't have the same enthusiasm or interest in defending their budget," he said.

(If someone pushes for the reduction of their budget, I wuldn't have the same enthusiasm or interest in defending their budget.)

"If they don't want to listen to us for a simple provision ng Constitution... I myself refuse to listen to them," he said.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/lacson-says-lorenzana-promised-to-ease-out-parlade-from-ntf- elcac

No conflict of interest in Joel Egco's new NTF-ELCAC role By Azer Parrocha May 11, 2021, 4:35 pm Share

Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco (File photo)

MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday said it does not see any “conflict of interest” in the designation of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco as one of the eight spokespersons of the government’s anti-insurgency task force.

Egco, who is also Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), was recently designated as spokesperson for “Mass Media Engagements” and “Fact-Checker” of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF- ELCAC).

Some sectors expressed concern over Egco’s new NTF-ELAC role amid the task force’s reputation for alleged red-tagging of journalists and other media workers.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he does not see a conflict of interest in Egco’s new job because his other roles require him to ensure the safety of all media workers.

“Sa tingin ko po, wala naman po ‘yan conflict of interest dahil ang trabaho nga po ni USec. Egco pagdating sa media security ay subaybayan at siguraduhin na ang lahat ng pumapatay sa ating mga mamahayag ay mapaparusahan sang-ayon po sa ating batas (I think there is no conflict of interest because when it comes to media security, it is USec Egco’s job to monitor and ensure that all those who kill our journalists are punished in accordance with our law),” he said in a press briefing.

Citing a study conducted by the media watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), Roque said most media killings can be traced to local politics and not red-tagging.

“Karamihan po ng killings ay yung mga local po na mga pulitiko na nagpapapatay ng mga local media at hindi naman po related sa red-tagging. ‘Yan po ang katotohanan (Most of the killings are by local politicians who kill local media and are not related to red-tagging. ‘That’s the truth),” he said.

He acknowledged that some journalists have been red-tagged, but noted that legal remedies are also available such as the writ of habeas corpus which can be used to secure the release of a person who is being unlawfully detained, and writ of Amparo which can be used if a person’s right to life, liberty, and security has been violated or under threat.

“Bagamat may ilang mga peryodista na na-redtag na ay meron naman pong remedyo. ‘Yan po yung writ of amparo at saka yung writ of habeas data para burahin kung ano yung naging basehan ng red-tagging (Although there are some journalists who have been red-tagged, there are remedies. That is the writ of Amparo and the writ of habeas data to erase what was the basis of red-tagging),” he said.

On Monday, NTF-ELCAC Vice-Chair and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon announced the designation of six new spokespersons, including Egco, to join Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen Antonio Parlade Jr. and PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy as co-spokespersons of the task force.

“Remember, the national task force is composed of all agencies of government and so we are just drawing the support and pool of talents from all the government agencies,” Esperon said in a press conference.

He said eight spokespersons are necessary because the said officials, which come from different agencies, could not speak for NTF-ELCAC on a “full-time basis.” (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139899

ise of freedom of expression Parlade’sBy: Tetch Torres-Tupas social media - Reporter posts / @T2TupasINQ an exerc INQUIRER.net / –12:43gov’t AM lawyerMay 12, 2021

Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and concurrent spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict, the anti-insurgency body under the Office of the President. (File photo by JOSEPH VIDAL / Senate Public Relations and Information BureausAle)

MANILA, Philippines — Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), is exercising his freedom of speech when he “red-tagged” several groups and individuals as having ties with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) or the New People’s Army (NPA).

Assistant Solicitor-General Marissa de la Cruz-Galandines made this point on Tuesday during the oral arguments over petitions filed at the Supreme Court seeking the nullification of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Parlade, who is the commander of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has made several social media posts accusing celebrities, journalists, community pantry organizers, advocacy groups of having ties with the communist.

He also issued a statement against the petitioners. The fact was raised to the Supreme Court by retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and retired Associate Justice and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

READ: 2 former Supreme Court justices push back vs Parlade threats Solicitor-General Jose Calida earlier said Parlade’s social media statements were his own opinions and did not come from the government.

During Tuesday’s oral argument, Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier asked: “When the spokesman give statements linking groups to CPP-NPA, does he do so in his official capacity as a spokesman, or are these statements simply his personal opinion?”

“Since he is a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines, he has the freedom of expression,” Galandines said. Parlade, along with Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, was given a gag order after red-tagging Ana Patricia Non, who initiated a community pantry in Quezon City, which inspired others all over the country to set up their own.

READ: Gag order aims to stress that Parlade, Badoy not against ‘bayanihan’ – Esperon “To label somebody as thus is to deny that person its sovereignty to be able to participate in the field of ideas because you have already curtailed that particular individual,” Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said.

“The spokesperson who wears a military uniform has freedom of expression… Your excuse was he has freedom of expression. We cannot stop it. He is part of the executive. And again, maybe our concept of freedom of expression is too liberal for those in government but too restrictive for those outside,” he added.

The oral arguments will resume on Wednesday.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430568/govt-lawyers-on-parlades-personal-social-media-posts-he-is- exercising-freedom-of-expression

Baguio council tackles PMA’s ‘dirty linen’ By: Vincent Cabreza - Reporter / @Inquirer_Baguio Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:40 AM May 12, 2021

FUTURE OFFICERS Clean and well-pressed uniforms for classroom lectures, outdoor training, parades and other occasions are important to Philippine Military Academy cadets in Baguio City as they prepare to become officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This photo of a parade and review at Borromeo Field in Fort del Pilar was taken in 2016. —EV ESPIRITU

BAGUIO CITY—The people who have kept the uniforms of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadets clean, starched and pressed have complained to the city council that they were unceremoniously sacked and replaced by the military school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Addressing the council during its session on Monday, the Baguio Benguet Laundry Service Cooperative (BBLSC) claimed that the military school had not granted them a service extension even until December 2020.

The group was told that it would be replaced by a Pampanga-based laundry firm in September that year.

“Some of us no longer renewed our business licenses this year when we lost (the cadets as clients) and could not cope with the pandemic … Eighty employees lost their jobs,” said Byron Joseph Latonero, the cooperative’s chair.

Sample collection records showed that the eight groups collectively charged as much as P1.2 million for a month in 2019.Contract, standard rate

Some of them have been washing cadet uniforms since 2006 and 2007, starting out as informal arrangements, and were surprised when told that their services were no longer needed, Latonero said.

But the PMA merely set its house in order by requiring only one group providing the service for the cadets, said PMA lawyer, Lt. Col. Maria Estela Esteban, who spoke during the virtual council session.

Esteban said the new laundry service provider was bound by a formal contract with a standard rate, unlike in previous years when laundry charges fluctuated. The PMA, every year, trains about 1,100 cadets who spend part of their monthly P35,000 allowances and stipends on laundry.

“Cadets are not permitted to wash their own clothes at their barracks,” Esteban told the council.

She said the academy had received complaints about the quality of work provided by the groups which used to provide the laundry service.

The PMA had also locked down its campus last year to protect the cadets, she added.

“Because of the pandemic, we deemed it necessary to regulate the entry and exit of people at Fort del Pilar,” Esteban said.

The PMA subsidized the cadet’s laundry expenses until 2015 when the cadet corps assumed this obligation.

The contract with the Pampanga-based laundry firm was with the cadet corps, not the PMA, and is good for only a year, Esteban said.

Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda advised BBLSC to prepare and offer its service after the current contract lapses.The Pampanga contractor was initially provided a twice weekly schedule for collecting and delivering the cadets’ uniforms inside the PMA.

But given the risks under a public health crisis, the PMA put up a laundry station inside the school which the contractor now rents so it can assign 35 workers on campus, Esteban said. INQ

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1430576/baguio-council-tackles-pmas-dirty-linen)

NPA leader, wife surrenders According to the 10th ID, its area of responsibility now has only eight guerilla fronts, of which three are already considered ‘weakened’ and two are set to be declared as ‘dismantled’ this year John Roson

The military on Tuesday announced that a ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) and his wife surrendered to authorities in Davao City.

State troops facilitated the surrender of alias “Jay-Jay,” believed to be the commanding officer of Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit, Sub-Regional Committee 2, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) and his party wife alias “Sassy” on Sunday in Bugac, Barangay Ma-a.

The Army’s 10th Infantry Division also disclosed that the couple yielded an Ingram sub- machine gun, two magazines for AK-47 rifles, 120 rounds of ammunition, cellphones, SIM cards, flash drives, an SD card, and an “extortion letter.”

The couple was brought to the police station in Mawab, Davao de Oro, where their surrender was recorded, and underwent medical checks at the local health center.

“Jay-Jay” and “Sassy” also executed affidavits stating their willingness to go back to the folds of the law, cooperate with the authorities, and be put under protective custody.

Maj. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., 10th ID commander, welcomed the surrenderees and commended troops who worked for the accomplishment — which came on the heels of the deaths of another couple serving as leaders under the SMRC in an encounter with troops in Trento, Agusan del Sur, on 26 April.

The fatalities were identified as Danny Huit alias “Bosyong,” secretary of Guerilla Front North of the SMRC’s Sub-Regional Command 1 and Naneth Catalino alias “Bambam,” a member who also served as the unit’s medic.

According to the 10th ID, its area of responsibility now has only eight guerilla fronts, of which three are already considered “weakened” and two are set to be declared as “dismantled” this year.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/12/npa-leader-wife-surrenders/ IS-linked group’s sub-leader killed in Maguindanao Published 16 hours ago on May 11, 2021 10:22 PM By John Roson

A sub-leader of an armed group linked to the Islamic State was killed in an operation in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao, on Tuesday, the military reported.

Killed was Kopang Sahak alias “Tarzan,” a sub-leader of the Daulah Islamiyah-Maguid group, according to a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command.

Troops of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade conducted an operation to capture Sahak, who was listed in an arrest order issued by the Department of National Defense and had a standing arrest warrant for frustrated murder, the report said.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Wesmincom chief, said the intelligence-driven operation in Brgy. Dapaiawan resulted in a firefight with Sahak’s group around 8:39 a.m.

“[Sahak] sensed the presence of the troops who will serve the warrant. There was a brief exchange of fires that caused his instant death,” said Lt. Col. Alaric delos Santos, Wesmincom spokesperson.

“No firearm was recovered because his cohorts took it when they escaped,” he added.

According to the military, 11 ranking Daulah Islamiyah members have been killed in encounters with government forces in Central Mindanao this year.

Four who also belong to the Maguid group were killed in a police-military raid in T’Boli, South Cotabato, on January 21.

The Maguid group, better known as Ansar al Khilafah Philippines, had ties with the Lanao-based Maute group and reportedly backed the latter when it tried to establish a caliphate by staging the 2017 siege of Marawi City.

Its leader Mohammad Jafar Maguid alias “Tokboy,” however, failed to join the siege as he got killed in a raid in Sarangani in January 2017, months before the militants stormed Marawi.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/11/is-linked-groups-sub-leader-killed-in-maguindanao/

Mga pampasabog at kagamitan ng rebeldeng NPA, nadiskubre sa Leyte ABS-CBN News Posted at May 11 2021 06:23 PM Natunton ng militar ang lugar kung saan itinago ang mga gamit sa paggawa ng bomba, granada, at personal na kagamitan ng mga rebeldeng kasapi ng New People's Army (NPA) sa masukal na bahagi ng Barangay Maligaya sa bayan ng Mahaplag, Leyte nitong Sabado.

Nakuha sa nasabing lugar ng mga sundalo mula sa 802nd Infantry Brigade ng Philippine Army ang tatlong improvised hand grenades at iba pang gamit sa paggawa ng bombang gaya ng detonating switch; apat na blasting caps; tatlong piraso ng PVC pipes, at iba pa.

• Mga armas, nakuha ng militar matapos ang sagupaan sa mga hinihinalang NPA sa Borongan Bukod sa mga ito, nakarekober din sa lugar ng 3 cellphones, 9 na piraso ng SIM card, isang radio transceiver, at iba pang kagamitang pang-komunikasyon ng mga rebelde.

Nasamsam din ang mga bala ng matataas na kalibre ng baril, mga gamot, personal na gamit, at mga subersibong dokumento.

Ang mga nasabing kagamitan ay natunton ng mga sundalo sa tulong ng isang dating miyembro ng NPA sa nasabing lugar.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/mga-pampasabog-at-kagamitan-ng-rebeldeng- npa-nadiskubre-sa-leyte

Malaysia, Philippines among Southeast Asian economies struggling amid coronavirus resurgence

• Quarterly figures from the Philippines and Malaysia on Tuesday add to recent weaker signals from Indonesia and Thailand. All four nations have had virus surges • Among the region’s biggest economies, only Singapore and Vietnam have shown year-on-year expansions in the first quarte

The Philippine and Malaysian economies continued contracting in the first three months of the year, adding to signs that some of

Southeast Asia ’s biggest nations are struggling amid a resurgence in coronavirus cases.

The quarterly figures released on Tuesday – which came in below all forecasts for the Philippines – add to recent weaker signals from top regional economies Indonesia and Thailand. All four countries have faced a surge of Covid- 19 cases in recent weeks, part of the broader challenge across Asia’s developing economies to stem a renewed outbreak, particularly in India

.

Philippines calls on China to stop harassing Coast Guard ships

Philippine Coast Guard (RoyKabanlit/WikiCommons)

MAY 11, 2021 RADIO FREE ASIA This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.

The Philippines on Monday accused Chinese ships of harassing its coast guard in the South China Sea, with Manila calling it a “blatant infringement’ of sovereignty and the foreign secretary using profanity to demand that Beijing withdraw vessels from his country’s exclusive economic zone.

Between Jan. 1 and March 18, Philippine maritime patrols had spotted “hundreds of Chinese vessels” in parts of the South China Sea that Manila claims as territory, including Pag-asa, Subi and Loaita islands, Lankiam Cay, Second Thomas Shoal, Jackson Atoll and Scarborough Shoal, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The DFA said it “protested the shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuver, and radio challenges by the Chinese Coast Guard of Philippine Coast Guard vessels conducting legitimate maritime patrols and training in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc on 24 to 25 April 2021.” https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/philippines-calls-on-china-to-stop-harassing-coast-guard-ships/

U.S. Senate Democrats set to advance sweeping election law changes

Richard Cowan

Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday pushed forward sweeping legislation on political campaigns and elections they argued would expand access to voting, even as Republican-controlled states rushed to impose new restrictions. https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/us-senate-democrats-aim-expand-voting-republicans-seek-rein-it- 2021-05-11/

US reaches out to North Korea again for policy briefing

By Lee Ji-yoon

Published : May 11, 2021 - 14:32 Updated : May 12, 2021 - 10:56

The US government last week reached out to North Korea again to explain the outcome of its policy review on Pyongyang, and the North responded to confirm the contact, according to diplomatic sources on Tuesday.

Even though North Korea didn’t immediately accept the overture for dialogue, its response, first in months, is raising expectations about the possible resumption of the stalled talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

There had been reportedly multiple attempts for the US to reengage with the North over the past year. But no meaningful contact has been exchanged, including two overtures denied in recent weeks. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210511000763

US willing to share COVID vaccine with N. Korea if requested: report

By Yonhap

Published : May 11, 2021 - 23:55 Updated : May 12, 2021 - 09:52 The United States may consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines with North Korea if requested by the impoverished nation, if the vaccines will reach the intended beneficiaries, a US news outlet reported Tuesday.

CNN noted the sharing of vaccines may help resume diplomatic dialogue with the North but that no request for assistance has been made.

"While we are open to considering DPRK requests for humanitarian assistance, these would need to be accompanied by effective monitoring to ensure that it reached the intended beneficiaries," it reported, quoting an unidentified senior administration official. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210511001045

U.S. business lobby calls on China to play fair, warns of consumer boycott danger

Reuters

U.S. and Chinese flags are seen before a meeting between senior defence officials from both countries at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 9, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

China should implement its commitments to equal treatment for foreign business and abandon "implicit" guidance to replace foreign products with domestic alternatives, the American Chamber of Commerce in China said on Tuesday. https://www.reuters.com/business/us-business-lobby-calls-china-play-fair-2021-05-11/

Joe Biden shows ‘more continuity than expected’ from Donald Trump policy on China

• Foreign policy scholars in Beijing say a ‘rational’ US president is better than a ‘reckless’ one despite containment strategy • They call for more backchannel discussions rather than fiery public meetings between officials like the Alaska talks in March

and systematic approach on China. Photo: EPA-EFE Chinese foreign policy scholars say US President Joe Biden’s administration has taken a more focused US President Joe Biden has so far shown more continuity from his predecessor than expected when it comes to China, according to Chinese foreign policy scholars.

But at a seminar on the US leader’s first 100 days in office on Tuesday, they concluded that a “rational” Biden was better than a “reckless”

Donald Trump, even as Beijing faces a continued containment strategy from Washington.

“Judging from Biden’s first 100 days, there is more continuity than the changes that we expected. The Biden administration also has a more focused and systematic approach,” said Ni Feng, head of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133105/biden-shows-more-continuity-expected- trump-policy-china

US-China tensions worsen treatment of foreign firms in China, AmCham says

• Annual white paper breaks down economic and commercial issues that it says are plaguing foreign business community • AmCham China calls on Beijing to stop encouraging local governments to replace foreign- made products or services with domestic equivalents

In its annual white paper, AmCham China said there remain challenges for foreign firms operating in the country. Photo: AP

An across-the-board deterioration in

US-China relations last year became the top challenge to doing business in China, according to a report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China on Tuesday.

Many long-standing economic and commercial issues that plague the foreign business community remain unaddressed. This includes the amount of support China gives its state-owned enterprises, its preferential treatment for domestically invested enterprises, and its preference for domestic technologies and products over foreign technologies, AmCham China said in its annual white paper – a more than 500-page assessment of the operating environment for American businesses in China.

“When US-China bilateral relations worsen, we often find that the implementation in the marketplace, particularly in the provinces and municipalities where our members do business, will suffer,” said Greg Gilligan, chairman of AmCham China. “We feel that local officials are reacting to the levels of tension in the relationship and are taking the safer path, which is to offer preference to a domestic industry.” https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3133077/us-china-tensions-worsen-treatment- foreign-firms-china-amcham

Expert: Washington playing a 'losing game' with China

The U.S. policy towards China is "a losing game" with "no plan beyond an aggressive opening," said former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Chas W Freeman Jr. in a presentation at the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs on February 11.

Washington saw China as a threat to U.S. military primacy and sought to contain it. But "the principal challenge that China presents is not military but economic and technological," said a digest piece published by the East Asia Forum on May 10 based on Freeman's observations.

The U.S. is using China as the antidote to its "post-Cold War-enemy-deprivation syndrome" and "a gratifying driver of U.S. defense spending," said the article, adding "There are U.S. aircraft and ships aggressively patrolling China's borders, but no Chinese aircraft and ships off America's coast."

In order to contain China, Washington developed some well-founded complaints about Chinese economic behavior and waged a trade war. However, the policy delivered a toll on the U.S. economy.

The article pointed out: "U.S. farmers have lost most of their $24 billion Chinese markets. U.S. companies have had to accept lower profits, cut wages and jobs, defer wage hikes, and raise prices for American consumers. The U.S. shift to managed trade has cost an estimated 245,000 American jobs while shaving about $320 billion off GDP." https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-11/Expert-Washington-playing-a-losing-game-with-China- 10aH5iF3ZCw/index.html

China deletes 2 million online posts for ‘historical nihilism’ as Communist Party centenary nears

• Deleted posts had ‘polluted’ the online environment with ‘harmful’ discussion of history, cybersecurity administration says • Posts ‘distorting’ party history or attacking the leadership are targeted in crackdown on discussion that challenges the official narrative

Discussion of history that is deemed harmful is being censored amid efforts to ensure “social stability” China’sfor the internetparty’s centenary.regulator has Photo: said it Shutterstock has overseen the deletion of more than 2 million posts containing “harmful” discussion of history, amid preparations to mark the Communist centenary in July.“For a while, some people have disseminated harmful information with historical nihilism on the internet, under the guise of reflection and declassification,” said Wen Youhua, a division director at theParty’s Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), during a press conference in Beijing on Saturday.

“Historical nihilism” is a term coined by the Chinese government that refers to discussion or research that challenges its official version of history. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3132957/china-deletes-2-million-online-posts- historical-nihilism

Explainer | How is China’s Communist Party structured?

• All business, social and army units on the ground with three Communist Party members or more must establish a party cell • The Communist Party has been frank about its ambitions to take control over all aspects of life in China

Delegates applaud as China's President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2021. Photo: AFP

This is the second in the South China Morning Post’s series of explainers about China’s Communist Party,

in the lead-up to the party’s 100th anniversary in July. In this piece, Jane Cai explains how the second-largest political party in the world is structured.

With about 92 million members and nearly 5 million party units across the nation, the Communist Party of China influences and oversees almost every aspect of life in China, from the government to the army, society and business.To an outsider, the sheer scale of the Communist Party’s influence in China can be mind-boggling.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3132921/how-chinas-communist-party-structured

Xi ramps up purge of former military- industrial chiefs

Anti-corruption campaign picks up ahead of next year's party congress

A picture of Chinese President Xi is seen behind soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army at a military base in Beijing. © Reuters

SHUNSUKE TABETA, Nikkei staff writerMay 11, 2021 06:31 JST

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has been targeting former and sitting executives in the country's military-industrial complex, including those involved in the country's nuclear program and the development of aircraft carriers, under his anti-corruption campaign.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Xi-ramps-up-purge-of-former-military-industrial-chiefs

China demographic crisis looms as population growth slips to slowest ever

Ryan WooKevin Yao

China's population grew at its slowest in the last decade since the 1950s as births declined, sowing doubt over Beijing's ability to power its economy as it succumbs to the same ageing trends afflicting developed nations like Japan. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-2020-census-shows-slowest-population-growth-since-1-child- policy-2021-05-11/

China population: strong birth rate policy intervention needed to avoid looming crisis, analysts say

• China’s overall population rose to 1.412 billion in 2020, but the number of new births fell for a fourth consecutive year to 12 million • Analysts have called for Beijing to further relax or even abolish limits on the number of children, while also offering financial subsidies to offset higher costs

Chinese mothers gave birth to 12 million babies last year, down from 14.65 million in 2019, marking an 18 per cent decline year on year. Photo: AFP

Increasing the number of children a couple is allowed to have – or abandoning the limit altogether – and providing financial support to families to offset the associated costs are policy changes that should be considered to shore up China’s birth rate and avoid a population crisis in coming years, experts said.

population rose to 1.412 billion in 2020 based on the results of China’s once-in-a-decade census conducted in November and December last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Tuesday,China’s while the country recorded 12 million new births last year.

While the overall population rose from 1.4 billion in 2019, the number of new births represented a fourth consecutive drop in the annual birth rate after Chinese mothers gave birth to

14.65 million new babies in 2019, marking an 18 per cent decline year on year. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3133073/china-population-strong-birth-rate- policy-intervention-needed

China population: Beijing urged to act in face of ‘brutal’ facts of slower birth rate, declining workforce

• New census data confirms China’s workforce will decline over the next decade, a trend that could weaken long-term productivity, consumer demand and innovation • Experts warn if China does not address its low birth rate it could see a fate similar to Japan, where economic growth slowed as the population declined

population rose to 1.412 billion in 2020. Photo: Reuters According to the seventh national population census conducted at the end of last year, China’s overall China’s population has grown to 1.412 billion over the past decade, the slowest pace since the 1950s, in a continuing demographic shift to a declining labour force and rapidly ageing society that is expected to weigh on the country’s economic progress in the years ahead.

While the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the population would stay above 1.4 billion “for a certain period of time” as it unveiled the results of a once-in-a-decade census on Tuesday, experts warned that strong steps would have to be taken to tackle the country’s falling birth rate to avoid the same fate as Japan, which has seen weak economic growth under the same trend.The population of mainland China grew 5.38 per cent in 2020 from 10 years earlier, the smallest rate of expansion since the census began in 1953, according to the survey results. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3133088/china-population-beijing-urged-act-face- brutal-facts-slower

Chinese activists who posted censored Covid-19 articles face court

• Cai Wei and Chen Mei await verdict after they were tried in Beijing on Tuesday after more than a year in detention • Supporters gave flowers symbolising freedom and justice to the families of the men, who used GitHub to save banned stories

Photo: AP Chen Mei’s mother (left) and Cai Wei’s father with flowers given to them by the defendants’ supporters. Two Chinese activists swept up in a crackdown against reporting on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic were tried in a Beijing court on Tuesday, after more than a year in detention.Cai Wei and Chen Mei, who pleaded guilty, archived censored articles about Covid-19 and ran an online discussion forum before they were detained in April last year and charged with “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” – a catch-all offence which has been used to punish a number of activists who contradicted the official narrative on the pandemic. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3133037/chinese-activists-who-posted-censored-covid- 19-articles-face

Case highlights China’s grip on Web

PERSECUTION: Two coders had created an online archive that stored articles that had been scrubbed from the Chinese Internet, especially those on the COVID-19 pandemic

Two amateur computer coders yesterday pleaded guilty to “stirring up trouble and picking quarrels” in a case that highlighted a growing Chinese government crackdown on online activity.

Chen Mei (陳玫), 28, and Cai Wei (蔡偉), 27, created an online archive that stored articles that had been censored from the Chinese Internet, and an accompanying forum that allowed people to discuss them anonymously.

In court, prosecutors zeroed in on 2049bbs, the forum accompanying the archive.

They said Cai was responsible for building a Web site that had insulted the government, and Chen had paid for it, Chen’s mother, Wei Xiuwen, told reporters outside the court.

Family and friends believe what got them in trouble was archiving articles showing an alternative to China’s official narrative about its COVID-19 response just as the country started facing questions over its handling of the initial outbreak.

The case was tried at Wenyuhe People’s Court in the northeastern outskirts of Beijing.

The court said sentencing would come at a later date.

The charge “stirring up trouble and picking quarrels” is a catch-all charge often used for politically sensitive cases.

Chen’s mother, who traveled from northwestern Shaanxi Province to attend the hearing, said her son wore a full-body medical protective suit and had his hands cuffed and feet shackled.

She could tell which one was her son, as he is shorter than Cai, but was unable to make eye contact.

The only time her son spoke was to plead guilty, she said.

The two men have been held for more than a year since authorities detained them without warning in April last year, along with Cai’s girlfriend, Tang Hongbo.

Family and friends only knew something was wrong when they realized they had not had any contact with any of them three in days. Tang was later released after it became clear that she did not know about the others’ work online.

Their parents had not seen them for more than a year, as both lived in Beijing for work. Throughout the process, the families pressed for the two to have access to their own lawyers, but the court appointed lawyers for them instead.

“If I can shoulder the consequences for him, I would,” said Cai’s father, Cai Jianli, from Guangdong Province in southern China.

The parents were not able to speak with their children.

Cai and Chen created the archive in 2018, keeping hundreds of censored articles. The forum saw discussions on sensitive issues that could not be freely discussed on the Chinese Internet, including the anti-government protests in Hong Kong and complaints about the Chinese Communist Party.

Forum users also discussed the pandemic after cases were first detected in Wuhan in late 2019.

Terminus2049, the archive itself, primarily housed articles that had been deleted from Wechat and Sina Weibo, popular social media platforms that are subject to regular algorithmic and human censorship.

While similar databases existed, most were blocked in China. Terminus2049 was available on Github, a code-sharing platform that is not blocked. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2021/05/12/2003757272

Beijing Tries to Put Its Imprint on Blockchain China offers cheap server space, other enticements, in effort to spread its vision

As China moves closer to rolling out its new digital cash, there are concerns the government will track every transaction––not just of citizens but of foreign companies in the country. WSJ travels to Chengdu to see this money revolution in action. Photo: Lorenz Huber for The Wall Street Journal

By James T. Areddy

May 11, 2021 8:20 am ET

China, home of the Great Firewall, is trying to bring order to a scrappy corner of cyberspace and in the process put its mark on the next-generation internet.

A Beijing-backed— initiative aims to shape a category of online record-keeping called blockchain. Most commonly associated with bitcoin, blockchain holds broad promise for business and other uses but has been hobbled by a lack of uniform technical standards.

community of developers to adopt its vision for the technology. Success could put China With an offer of ultracheap server space, Beijing is beckoning blockchain’s global in a powerful position to influence future development of the internet itself and promote international use of Chinese innovations, like a homegrown Global Positioning System and a digitized national currency. https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-tries-to-put-its-imprint-on-blockchain-11620735603

Column: China may target Australian LNG despite costly coal ban

Clyde Russell

5 minute read

LNG tanker "Asia Integrity" is seen at ENN's liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) may be the next commodity on China's hit list of what it won't buy from Australia, even as more signs emerge that the costs of Beijing's ban on importing Australian coal are mounting.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-may-target-australian-lng-despite-costly-coal-ban-russell- 2021-05-11/

China looks to Turkmenistan for more gas as it cuts Australian supplies

• Chinese foreign minister says his country wants to expand cooperation on the resource with the Central Asia state • Turkmenistan is already China’s biggest supplier of the resource

The Central Asia- Handout China gas pipeline is a signature project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: China is looking to Turkmenistan to expand natural gas supplies as it cuts back on Australian energy imports.

Wrapping up a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov and the country’s deputy prime minister Serdar Berdymukhamedov in Xian on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said cooperation on natural gas was the “ballast stone” of the bilateral relationship.

“China sees Turkmenistan as a long-term cooperative partner on natural gas, and is willing to formulate a comprehensive cooperation plan with the Turkmenistan side with a future-oriented perspective,” Wang said, according to a foreign ministry statement on Monday night. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133084/china-looks-turkmenistan-more-gas-it- cuts-australian-supplies

Quad Initiatives China Warns of ‘Damage’ to Relations if Bangladesh Joins The South Asian country won’t gain anything by participating in four-nation strategic alliance, Chinese ambassador says.

2021-05-10

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as she arrives for a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, July 5, 2019.

AFP Ties between Bangladesh and China could be “substantially damaged” if the South Asian country joins any initiative launched by the Quad alliance, Beijing’s envoy to Dhaka told reporters on Monday. Bangladesh will gain nothing by participating in efforts by the Quad, Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming said, as member countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue woo Dhaka to be part of their Indo-Pacific efforts.

“Bilateral relations with Bangladesh would be substantially damaged if it joins hand with [Quad] initiatives,” Li said in response to reporters’ questions about the group comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

“It is not wise to ponder over joining [initiatives] with such a small group or club. [The Quad] is a narrow-purposed geopolitical clique, and Bangladesh should not join it, since it will not derive any benefit from it,” he added. Li’s comments partially corroborate what Chinese state media reported about Defense Minister Wei Fenghe’s talks with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on April 27. According to the Xinhua news agency, Wei told Hamid that Beijing and Dhaka must make “joint efforts against powers outside the region setting up a military alliance in South Asia.” Wei raised the issue of the Quad during his talks with Hamid, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told BenarNews. A Bangladesh official who attended the Wei-Hamid meeting, but who was not authorized to speak to the media, said Hamid did not talk about the Quad.

“Defense Minister Wei seemed displeased at the formation of the Quad. The honorable president listened patiently, but he did not utter a single word about the Quad,” the official told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Beijing’s warning came after the Quad, at a virtual meeting in March, agreed to deliver 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines to Indo-Pacific nations by 2022, a move that analysts said was a perfect counterpoint to China’s so-called vaccine diplomacy.

Analysts also said it was a big step in countering China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, Beijing’s geopolitical program to build a modern-day Silk Road through a network of ports, railways, roads and trade routes to connect China to markets in Southeast Asia, South Asia and beyond. Bangladesh is among countries that China is targeting under OBOR. In 2016, Beijing and Dhaka signed a memorandum under which China agreed to lend Bangladesh U.S. $25 billion tied to 27 Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. And now, with the halt in COVID-19 supplies to Bangladesh from India, Dhaka is looking to Beijing to fill the vaccine gap. On Monday, Ambassador Li said China’s gift of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine would reach Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The vaccine aid arrives “just in time,” Xinhua quoted Li as saying. “[I]t is the latest outcome of China-Bangladesh anti-pandemic cooperation, which again shows that our two peoples are in the same boat, and we will stand with each other till the end of this battle,” he said. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/bangladesh-quad-05102021174758.html

No Religion in Tibetan Schools, China Tells Parents

Parents may no longer carry religious items onto school grounds, as China continues to enact policies wearing away at Tibetans’ distinct cultural identity.

2021-05-10 Parents of Tibetan schoolchildren may no longer carry rosaries, prayer wheels, or other religious items onto school grounds, Chinese authorities in one Tibetan county say, as China continues to enact policies wearing away at Tibetans’ distinct cultural identity. Family members are also forbidden now to recite mantras or other prayers when visiting their children’s schools, a Tibetan living in Sog (in Chinese, Suo) county in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s Nagchu (Naqu) prefecture told RFA’s Tibetan Service. Posted on school blackboards beginning in April, the new regulations remind students and their families that “Schools are places to cultivate and produce socialist scholars, and should not be used as places in which to follow rituals and traditions,” RFA’s source said. “The restrictions are now in place in all junior and middle schools in Sog county, and students have been told to make sure their parents or guardians know the regulations must be followed,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Chinese Communist Party members and government employees including retired workers are already forbidden from making open displays of religious practice, “but these new restrictions on the behavior of students’ parents are a complete violation of their rights and an insult to Tibetan religion and culture,” the source said.

“Since China is gearing up this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the [July 23] founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), authorities are stepping up their efforts to spread the Party’s ideology in Tibetan counties, towns, monasteries, and schools,” he said. “These places are all being told to report back to ensure their loyalty to the CCP,” he added. Language rights threatened Restrictions already in place on the use of the Tibetan language in Tibetan schools, with preference given to instruction in Mandarin, are meanwhile causing Tibetan children to lose fluency in their own language, sources say. Language rights have become a particular focus for Tibetan efforts to assert national identity in recent years, with informally organized language courses in the monasteries and towns deemed illegal associations, and teachers subject to detention and arrest. Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago.

Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans’ political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/schools-05102021144812.html

‘Based on lies’: China demands UN meeting on Uygurs be cancelled, claiming political bias

• China’s diplomatic mission to the UN says current situation in Xinjiang is ‘at its best in history with stability … and harmonious coexistence’ • On eve of meeting between US, UK and German ambassadors to the UN, Beijing accuses US of hypocrisy regarding welfare of Muslims

At least 1 million Uygurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in Xinjiang region, according to rights groups Photo: AFP

China on Monday urged the United States, Germany and Britain to cancel an upcoming videoconference on Beijing’s crackdown on the Uygur Muslim minority, and called on other United Nations members not to attend the event.At least 1 million Uygurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, according to rights groups who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.The videoconference, scheduled for Wednesday, “is based on sheer lies and political bias,” China’s diplomatic mission to the UN said in a statement. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133009/based-lies-china-demands-un-meeting- uygurs-be-cancelled

China dismisses U.S. plot to contain China by using Xinjiang issue

The spokesperson of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations (UN) on Monday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to a side event being organized by the United States, Britain, Germany and a few non-governmental organizations in New York on the human rights situation in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The spokesperson urged the co-sponsors to cancel the event which interferes in China's internal affairs and called on other UN member states to boycott the event.

"The three countries and other co-sponsors, out of anti-China political motivation, are using human rights issues as a political tool in a vain attempt to create division and turbulence in Xinjiang, interfering in China's internal affairs and disrupting China's peaceful development," said the spokesperson. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-11/China-dismisses-U-S-plot-to-contain-China-by-using-Xinjiang- issue-10aB617iRqw/index.html

Taiwan denounces China's 'shameless lies' about WHO access

Reuters

3 minute read

Taiwan Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Joanne Ou speaks at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, February 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard

Taiwan's foreign minister criticised what he called China's "shameless lies" on Tuesday in an escalating dispute about Beijing blocking the island from the World Health Organization (WHO), saying China clearly did not care about Taiwan's people.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-says-china-is-maliciously-blocking-it-who-2021-05-11/

Japan election set for fall as COVID and Olympics come first

Suga's performance to impact Biden's Indo-Pacific strategies

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has signaled that a no-confidence motion by the opposition would trigger a snap election. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)

Nikkei staff writersMay 11, 2021 02:00 JSTUpdated on May 11, 2021 07:06 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga looks likely to wait until autumn to call an election as the coronavirus outbreak rages on and the opposition gives up on a no-confidence vote that could have forced his hand.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-election-set-for-fall-as-COVID-and-Olympics-come-first

Ad campaign critical of Japan's coronavirus response makes waves Reuters

A newspaper ad criticising the Japanese government's response to the nation's fourth pandemic wave was widely shared on social media on Tuesday as public concerns mount over COVID-19 and official plans to host the Olympics, now just two months away. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/ad-campaign-critical-japans-coronavirus-response-makes- waves-2021-05-11/

Record numbers of Chinese granted refugee status in Japan

• New high of 11 comes despite travel restrictions, as those fleeing China cite alleged intolerance of religious and political beliefs and Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang • Support groups say Hong Kong residents are expected to be among those seeking asylum in near future

Security guards stand at the gates of what is officially known as a vocational skills education centre in Xinjiang. Photo: Reuters

Nearly one-quarter of the foreign nationals granted refugee status by Japan in 2020 were Chinese, a record high despite the dramatic decline in people arriving from China on tourist visas last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.Support groups for refugees in Japan said some of those fleeing China cited alleged intolerance of religious and political beliefs, while some were from

Xinjiang, the far-western region of the country where Beijing has been accused of detaining up to 1 million Uygur Muslims in internment camps.

Countries including the United States have accused China of genocide, arguing that the camps are part of a systematic attempt to destroy the ethnic group, but Beijing claims the centres are “re-education” facilities offering vocational training that are aimed at preventing religious extremism and terrorism. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3132976/record-numbers-chinese-granted-refugee- status-japan

Korea, New Zealand share concerns over Japan's Fukushima water release plan Posted : 2021-05-11 21:09 Updated : 2021-05-12 09:23

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta held telephone talks on Tuesday and shared concerns about Japan's planned release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the ministry said.

Last month, Tokyo approved a plan to dump more than 1 million tons of radioactive water from the wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking strong criticism from its local fishing industry and neighboring countries.

During the talks, Chung expressed concerns about the plan, and stressed the importance of the verification by international organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to the ministry.

Mahuta also mentioned worries about Japan's plan among island nations in the Pacific, vowing to continue consultations with the IAEA, it added.

Minister Chung also asked for Mahuta's attention to the swift resumption of the bilateral working holiday program which has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The ministers agreed to deepen friendly, cooperative relations in various fields, such as human exchanges and economic cooperation in the post-coronavirus era, as they mark the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations next year," the ministry said in a release. (Yonhap)

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/05/120_308667.html

[News Focus] Moon's leaflet stance effort to manage NK ties before summit with Biden: experts

By Ahn Sung-mi

Published : May 11, 2021 - 15:43 Updated : May 11, 2021 - 17:52

In a speech marking the start of his final year in office, President Moon Jae-in issued a strongly worded statement, apparently condemning an activist group for sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the inter-Korean border.

“It is never desirable to dampen inter-Korean relations by violating inter-Korean agreements and current laws. I stress that the government has no choice but to strictly enforce the laws,” Moon said Monday in a televised speech.

While the president did not specifically say which activities violated the agreements or the laws, it was apparent that Moon was targeting Park Sang-hak, a well-known North Korean defector who claimed to have dispatched propaganda leaflets into the North in defiance of a new law that criminalizes such actions.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210511000854

North Korea Orders Youth League Reshuffle for More Effective Self- Criticism Sessions

With unfamiliar group leaders, youth will snitch on each other ‘more honestly.’

2021-05-10

In a photo taken on September 12, 2018 North Korean student youth league members walk through Pyongyang.

North Korea is ordering local leaders of the country’s main youth organization to change reviewers of self-criticism meetings to force young people to snitch on each other “more honestly,” sources in the country told RFA. The new policy requiring people from outside one’s youth group evaluate mandatory self-criticism sessions is designed to break up cozy relations that have formed within units in which people rehearse their lines and cover for each other, the sources said. Every North Korean citizen must perform saenghwal chonghwa, or self- criticism, where they must confess their own state loyalty shortcomings, then publicly report any disloyal tendencies in their peers. Experts say the state uses these sessions to turn citizens against each other in order to control them more effectively. For adults, self-criticism is done during mandatory meetings of their local neighborhood watch unit, while youth start from the age of 13, when they begin attending meetings of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League. The league, formerly known as the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, is modeled after the Soviet Komsomol. In late April, the league held a nationwide congress in Pyongyang, where it received its new name, and new directives from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on how to conduct the sessions.

“As soon as the 10th Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League was over, they started inspections of the weekly self-criticism sessions for the youth here in Ryanggang province,” a resident of the northern border province told RFA’s Korean Service last week. “During the inspections, low-level chairpersons that lead Youth League organizations in each factory observe the sessions in different factories, to review and report on them,” said the source. Across the country, many citizens have come to take the weekly sessions for granted, and they collude with each other beforehand on how they will criticize each other, so they can avoid raising any red flags by being too harsh. Leaders of the sessions may also form friendships with attendees and allow them to simply go through the motions week after week. The new policy on youth confessions aims to put a stop to this. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/youth-05102021190202.html

‘Small minority’ of Singapore residents sowing racism against local, expat Indians: minister

• Singapore’s law and home affairs minister K Shanmugam was among senior officials who condemned an alleged attack on a woman of Indian descent • He said the conduct of the attacker, a Chinese man, was ‘consistent’ with the uptick of racism during Covid-19, including towards Chinese people in the US

-Indian sentiments. Photo: AFP Singapore’s Minister of Law K. Shanmugam says some people are deliberately stoking anti A small minority of Singapore’s residents are sowing racism against local and expatriate Indians in the same manner as the discrimination being imposed on Asian people in the United States, the city state’s law and home affairs minister K. Shanmugam warned on Tuesday.

The minister’s sharp comments in parliament followed similar condemnation among senior officials, including Prime Minister

Lee Hsien Loong, over an alleged racist attack against a local Indian woman last Friday.

Police said on Tuesday that a 30-year-old man had been arrested in relation to the incident for being a public nuisance, “uttering words with intent to wound the racial feeling of others” and voluntarily causing hurt. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3133086/small-minority-singapore-residents- sowing-racism

Singapore on ‘knife’s edge’ amid labour shortage

PUBLISHED : 11 MAY 2021 AT 16:52 WRITER: BLOOMBERG NEWS

View of construction of new private residential properties in Singapore on April 29 this year. (Reuters photo)

Singapore, battling an uptick in Covid-19 cases after months of success in containing the pandemic, says the virus situation is at a tipping point as it grapples with the costs of imposing more restrictions.

Companies in the country’s construction, marine and process sectors will be especially hard-hit by stricter border measures imposed amid a rise in new Covid-19 cases, while the economy faces a shortage of foreign labour with entry approvals set for prolonged delays, according to Lawrence Wong, the minister who co-chairs the government’s virus taskforce.

Any company seeking to bring in foreign workers from higher-risk countries "will now face considerable delays" and the waiting time for an entry approval could be more than six months, Wong said. The new restrictions treat every country and region of the world as "high- risk" except Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2113951/singapore-on-knifes-edge-amid-labour-shortage

Thai court grants bail to 2 protest leaders in jail for royal insults

Reuters

2 minute read

1/5 Chaiamorn "Ammy" Kaewwiboonpan shows a three-finger salute from a car as he is released, outside Klongprem Central Prison in Bangkok, Thailand May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

A court in Thailand on Tuesday granted bail to two leaders of anti-government protests who have spent weeks in pre-trial detention on charges of insulting the country’s powerful king. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-court-grants-bail-2-protest-leaders-jail-royal-insults-2021- 05-11/

Myanmar reporters, activists arrested in Thailand

Reuters

2 minute read

Three reporters and two activists from Myanmar have been arrested in Thailand for illegal entry and face possible deportation, the reporters' news organisation and local police said on Tuesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-reporters-activists-arrested-thailand-2021-05-11/

DVB calls on Thailand not to deport its journalists to Myanmar

The three journalists and two activists are expected to appear in court on Tuesday on charges of ‘illegal entry’.

People in Myanmar continue to protest against the military coup [Stringer/Reuters]

Three Myanmar journalists and two activists are set to appear in a court in Thailand on Tuesday charged with “illegal entry” as the reporters’ news organisation urged the authorities not to deport them to Myanmar because their lives would be at risk.

The group was detained during a “random search” in the northern city of Chiang Mai on Sunday, DVB said in a statement. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/11/dvb-calls-on-thailand-not-to-deport-its-journalists-to- myanmar

Myanmar marks 100 days since coup, as junta maintains pretence of control

• Dissent is no longer as visible since security forces began using live ammunition, but the resistance movement has organised widely and swiftly underground • There are fears the country could now become a failed state, as its economy, education and health infrastructure near ‘the brink of collapse’

Protesters hold up the three- Yangon on Tuesday. Photo: EPA finger salute during a demonstration against Myanmar’s military coup in After Myanmar’s military seized power by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, they couldn’t even make the trains run on time: state railway workers were among the earliest organised opponents of the February takeover, and they went on strike.Health workers who founded the civil disobedience movement

against military rule stopped staffing government medical facilities. Many civil servants were no- shows at work, along with employees of government and private banks. Universities became hotbeds of resistance, and in recent weeks, education at the primary and secondary levels has begun to collapse as teachers, students and parents boycott state schools. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3133012/myanmar-marks-100-days-coup-junta- maintains-pretence

Thousands suspended at Myanmar universities as junta targets education

Reuters

4 minute read

Students hold a banner and flash the three-finger salute as they take part in a protest against Myanmar’s junta, in Mandalay, Myanmar May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

(This May 10 story corrects to lecturer from rector in paragraph 3.) https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thousands-suspended-myanmar-universities-junta-targets- education-2021-05-10/

Myanmar coup latest: Unity government vows 'justice' for crimes against humanity UN chief renews call on junta to 'respect the will of the people'

The three-finger salute, raised here by the crowd at a night protest at Hledan junction in Yangon, has become a ubiquitous symbol of resistance in the 100 days since the Myanmar coup. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writersApril 17, 2021 17:14 JSTUpdated on May 12, 2021 04:48 JST

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

The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election in November. But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud.

For all our coverage, visit our Myanmar Coup page. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Unity-government-vows-justice- for-crimes-against-humanity

Bangladesh hits back after China envoy warns against joining Quad 'We decide our foreign policy,' foreign minister insists

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen, left, with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in 2019: Momen has lashed out at remarks from Beijing's ambassador in Dhaka. © Reuters

SYFUL ISLAM, Contributing writerMay 11, 2021 22:08 JST

DHAKA -- Bangladesh on Tuesday reacted sharply to comments from China's ambassador warning against Dhaka's possible participation in the U.S.-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Bangladesh-hits-back-after-China-envoy-warns- against-joining-Quad

Australian government commits to several years of budget deficits to support recovery from coronavirus pandemic

• Australia’s borders are unlikely to fully reopen until the middle of 2022, hampering airlines and tourism, as well as property development and universities • Deteriorating relations with China, Australia’s largest trading partner, have also created headaches for exporters with import curbs hitting wine and seafood producers

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg outside Parliament House in Canberra. Photo: EPA

Australia’s government on Tuesday pledged billions in spending to sustain an economic recovery from the Covid-19 slump that has blitzed even the most optimistic projections, a move that will keep public finances in the red for years to come.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative administration has abandoned any pre-pandemic commitments to a budget surplus, a significant boost in tax receipts from mining exports has helped trim the projected deficit for the current financial year.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the budget shortfall will hit A$161 billion (US$127 billion) in the year ending June 30, a record but much lower than the government’s October forecast of A$213.7 billion, thanks to a significantly improved economic outlook. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3133081/australian-government-commits-several- years-budget-deficits

Moscow rejects US ransomware attack claims

• "We categorically reject the baseless fabrications of individual journalists and reiterate that Russia does not conduct 'malicious' activity in the virtual space," the Russian embassy in the United States said in a statement. AFP |

PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 2021 01:33 PM IST

Russia on Tuesday rejected US accusations that a Russia-based group was behind a ransomware attack that forced the shutdown of the largest oil pipeline in the eastern United States.

"We categorically reject the baseless fabrications of individual journalists and reiterate that Russia does not conduct 'malicious' activity in the virtual space," the Russian embassy in the United States said in a statement.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden said there was no evidence of Russian government involvement in the cyber attack on the US fuel pipeline but said there were indications the ransomware was "in Russia."

"They have some responsibility to deal with this," he said.

The FBI identified the group behind the hack of Colonial Pipeline as DarkSide, a shadowy operation that surfaced last year and attempts to lock up corporate computer systems and force companies to pay to unfreeze them.

The Russian diplomatic mission said Moscow had repeatedly advocated dialogue with Washington on international information security issues. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/moscow-rejects-us-ransomware-attack-claims- 101620720035626.html

Russia Recoils From Possibility of Stable Relationship With U.S.

The traditional May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow was not a grand affair this year, unlike the one originally planned for 2020, which had to be postponed and curtailed because of the severe aggravation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rumble of tanks on Red Square last Sunday signified, nevertheless, that the pause in Kremlin policymaking caused by the extended May holiday (see EDM, May 3) is over, and the instrument of choice in Russian foreign policy—military might—is ready for new demonstrations and deployments. President Vladimir Putin was content to take a break from “irksome” matters such as the violent border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan or the diplomatic row with the Czech Republic (Carnegie.ru, May 4). Rather than spend any more time on those, Putin likely believes he needs to prepare political ground for the planned summit with United States President Joseph Biden in mid- June, even if insightful analysts in Moscow play down expectations for any sort of breakthrough (Russiancouncil.ru, May 6).

Biden’s offer is clear: if Russia refrains from troublemaking and plays by international rules, the US is ready to develop stable relations (Riddle, May 5). This proposition was elaborated at the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in London last week (May 3–5), where Russia was a major theme for discussions. Notably, the seven participating powers decided to soften their final resolution from wording about deterring multiple threats to expressing a preference for reducing tensions (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, May 5). The problem for the Kremlin with this invitation to refrain from military threats, cyberattacks and other international security transgressions is that Russia’s role in European affairs would then shrink to irrelevance, instead of desired dominance over its recognized domain (see EDM, May 6). Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov forcefully rejected the plan to make Russia abide by Western rules, decrying it as a malicious attempt to exercise “totalitarianism” in world affairs (Kommersant, May 7). https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/05/11/russia_recoils_from_possibility_of_stable_relations hip_with_us_776600.html

French court rejects claim for 'Agent Orange' damage in Vietnam war

Dominique Vidalon

3 minute read

:00 A French court on Monday threw out a lawsuit by a French-Vietnamese woman against more than a dozen multinationals that produced and sold a toxic herbicide dubbed "Agent Orange", used by U.S. troops during the war in Vietnam. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/french-court-rejects-claim-agent-orange-lawsuit-2021-05-10/

The imminent threat of corrosive capital from China

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute

States have continued to prioritize the implementation of various mitigation measures to recover from the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging economies, including those that are in dire need of capital, have become more reliant on foreign investments to generate jobs, support key industries, and accelerate economic growth.

By allowing the transfer of technology and capital from developed countries, foreign investments have played a critical role in ensuring long-term economic growth and development. Despite its economic benefits, however, some of these investments have become a cause for serious concern due to their nature and potential impact on private enterprise and democratic processes.

There is growing e such as China, have adverse effects on recipient countries. By undermining the rule of law and exploiting governance gaps, thesevidence investments that “corrosive have become capital,” a or tool foreign for authoritarian investments s emanatingtates to manipulate from autho countries,ritarian states especially those with weak transparency and accountability mechanisms, to pursue their foreign policy agenda and advance their political and economic influence.

In Southeast Asia, China has strategically used its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to broaden its network of economic relations and put pressure on countries, including the Philippines, to align with its policies. The BRI is a long-term infrastructure development and investment program launched in 2013 with the ambitious goal of increasing connectivity in the region and the rest of the world. The program involves bilateral exchanges with - program, however, it has also gained much criticism from the international community due to its predatory financing,China in terms lack ofof transparency,policy coordination, and disregard financial of integration, democratic and values, investment including flows. human Despite rights its and image the ofrule a “winof law.win”

In its entirety, the impact of Philipp

- ines’ economic relations with China fromced 2016 the to evidential 2019 has negative been at best implicationsminimal or negligible. of trade relations This is based with onChina, ADRi’s its Official October Development 2019 Occasional Assista Papence,r entitled and the “TurningPhilippine Point: Offshore What GamingPhilippines’ Operations Political (POGOs).Economic Shift to China Means.” In brief, the paper tra

In particular, China has pledged funding for the implementation of the flagship infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build Program (BBB). Due to the supposed priority given on economic largesse by the current

Philippine Sea for warmer relations with China. To this date, however, none of the Chinese-funded projects such asadministration, the New Centennial President Water-Source Rodrigo Duterte Kaliwa chose Dam to Project, set aside the the Chico country’s River Pump strateg Irrigatioic interestsn Project, over theand West the Safe Philippines Project have significantly progressed. Instead of realizing development projects, China has deviously succeeded in accelerating its maritime expansion through the increased presence of coast guard vessels, declared administrative posts on reclaimed features, and extended jurisdiction beyond the West Philippine Sea. https://adrinstitute.org/2021/05/12/the-imminent-threat-of-corrosive-capital-from-china/

Strengthen Asia to Weaken Beijing s opening to grab supremacy will vanish once its neighbors develop.

MainChina’ Street: In the woke narrative, it’s all about Trump, Covid-19 and white supremacy. Image: David Ryder/Getty Images

Walter Russell Mead

May 10, 2021 6:14 pm ET

The American debate over China policy is heating up. Last month, Foreign Affairs published an article by Charles Glaser calling on the U.S. to retreat from East Asian commitments as American power declines. In prominent publications ranging from the National Interest to the Atlantic, analysts argue that the U.S. should moderate its China policy for the opposite reason: Beijing is a paper tige attention. Further out in the liberal mists, some blame hotheaded China hawks for r and doesn’t deserve this violence against Asian-Americans and want a softer American China policy as a way of building community at home.

The pushback is understandable the American discussion has moved very far, very fast. Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass has urged Washington to — make a formal commitment to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, while George Soros has termed Xi Jinping the most dangerous enemy that open societies face. And

Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated his predecessor Mike Pompeo’s Thecharacterization doves are right of Beijing’s that something treatment as consequential of Chinese Uighurs as U.S.-China as a “genocide.” policy should be thoroughly debated. They are right, too, that unless that policy stands on a realistic assessment of the costs and consequences, America could find itself committed to policies that voters at home and allies abroad might be unwilling to support when the going gets tough.

But the biggest problem with the U.S. China policy debate today is not that it is too war, minimizes hawkish. It’s that the discussion is framed too simplistically. It overstates the danger of Washington’s chances of obtaining its objectives peacefully, exaggerates Beijing’s assets, and inflates the challenge into an inexorably growing, almost unbeatable threat. In the long run American prospects are much brighter than many hawks or doves understand, but for that reason the short-term perils may be greater even than some hawks have acknowledged. https://www.wsj.com/articles/strengthen-asia-to-weaken-beijing-11620684893

Earth's orbit is running out of real estate — but physicists are looking to expand the market

By Monisha Ravisetti

May 11, 2021

We're running out of elbow room up in orbit. (Unsplash/NASA)

Low Earth orbit is reaching capacity as tech companies such as SpaceX, OneWeb and Amazon race to industrialize space with satellites, and in response, physicists are attempting to lay out safe and affordable options for expanding the market into medium Earth orbit, a much riskier arena.

While recognizing that tapping into medium Earth orbit is ultimately safer than continuing to pack its lower counterpart with even more spacecraft, the authors of a new study say the new endeavor will be associated with its own expenses and potential dangers. The analysis, published May 3 in Acta Astronautica, proposes a twofold solution: a lower-cost launch plan involving a stop in low Earth orbit, and added protections to prolong the life of spacecraft.

https://academictimes.com/earths-orbit-is-running-out-of-real-estate-but-physicists-are-looking-to-expand- the-market/

A TALE OF TWO SEAS: THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH CHINA SEA IN GREAT POWER PERSPECTIVE

MAY 11, 2021 GUEST AUTHOR LEAVE A COMMENT By Akshat Patel

The South China Sea is to China as the Caribbean Sea is to the United States. Just as the United States repeatedly thwarted European powers from the Caribbean throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, China intends to thwart an American presence in the South China Sea in this century.1 In 1962, the ambitions of two superpowers reached a crescendo in the form of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Along the same lines, the ambitions of two of today’s great powers are resulting in skirmishes across the South China Sea. In the same way that the clash in the Caribbean was a deciding factor in who the victor of the Cold War would be, American maritime superiority will be decided in large part by who the reigning power in the South China Sea will be.

The parallels between Soviet-U.S. relations vis-à-vis the Caribbean and China-U.S. relations vis-à- vis the South China Sea are as striking as they are instructive. The Red Navy’s mistakes in its transatlantic ventures serve as salutary course corrections for the U.S. Navy’s transpacific undertakings today.

Then, as Now By the twentieth century, the United States had established itself as the dominant power in the Americas. Politically stable and economically vibrant, the United States overshadowed the smaller republics of the Caribbean. Blessed with two adjacent oceans and two peaceful neighbors, the United States was virtually immune to a land-based invasion. The only way for a foreign power to establish a foothold in the American hemisphere was through the Caribbean. While “the Caribbean was the natural maritime extension of the continental United States, it was also the part of America’s security environment most vulnerable to European attack,” notes Robert Kaplan, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.2

In October of 1962, the Soviet Union attempted to exploit this potential American vulnerability through Cuba. The Soviets wanted to establish a naval base and station land-based nuclear missiles on the island nation. President Kennedy ordered an embargo around Cuba to expunge Soviet ambitions from the Caribbean and compelled Khrushchev to blink in the ultimate staring contest. In exchange for withdrawing nuclear missiles from Cuba, the Soviets extracted a public promise to not invade Cuba and a private promise to withdraw American nuclear missiles from Turkey.3 Both sides avoided direct conflict by reaching an agreement that neither desired. The Soviets surrendered their Caribbean aspirations and the United States surrendered its Cuban advances.

China enjoys many of the same benefits of geography as the United States. Surrounded by natural barriers to aggression such as frigid Siberia, the Gobi Desert, the impenetrable Himalayas, and the lush forests of Vietnam and Laos, China is largely shielded from terrestrial attack. Just like the United States, China’s vulnerability is to the southeast. Not only do most Chinese live near the coast, but the South China Sea serves as their primary economic lifeline.4The straits of Malacca, Makassar, Sunda, and Luzon all pour into the South China Basin and control both China’s energy supplies from the Middle East and its exports to the West.5 Just as the Caribbean is littered with small island nations eclipsed by a colossal United States, the South China Sea is peppered with littoral states over which China casts a large shadow.

The fallout over control of an American sea of 1.5 million square miles foreshadowed the rest of that great-power competition – the Cold War. Similarly, the contest for an Asian sea of comparable proportions will act as a bellwether for the great-power competition taking place today. Five claimants occupy almost 70 different atolls and have built more than 90 different outposts in the South China Sea.6 With 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands, 7 in the Spratly Islands, and 3,200 acres of newly constructed land, China is by far the most aggressive player in the area.7 Malaysian, Philippine, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese maritime claims have been brushed to the wayside while China charges forward to secure its “blue national soil.”8 China is aware of its vulnerability to the southeast and stands to gain immensely by shielding against it. By turning the South China Sea into a Chinese enclave, Beijing would not only safeguard the lives and livelihood of its citizens, but would also create a strategic disadvantage for the United States. The South China Sea is a conduit linking the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean and Chinese control of that critical juncture would jeopardize American maritime dominance. Lucrative global trade routes would cease to be international common grounds and the redoubts of allied nations would fall under a Chinese penumbra. American merchants would be subject to harassment by the Chinese coast guard and the U.S. Navy would no longer be able to crisscross the Indo-Pacific theater with impunity.

To circumvent China’s efforts to dominate the South China Sea, American naval policy is rightly learning from Soviet efforts. By maintaining naval bases in South Korea, Japan, and Guam while simultaneously encouraging a naval buildup in Singapore, Taiwan, and the Philippines, the United States is building a multilateral coalition to check Chinese forays into the Pacific.9 As the Soviet Union attempted to tamp down American influence in the Americas through Cuba, the United States is curbing Chinese influence in Asia through Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations.

Empowering the Right Platform When Che Guevara expressed concern at the Soviet gambit in the Caribbean, Soviet Minister of Defense Rodion Malinovsky replied, “There will be no big reaction from the U.S. side.”10 The Soviet defense minister expected little retaliation from the United States because, as he viewed it, he was exercising soft power by bringing Cuba into the fold. As the term “Cold War” reminds us, neither side was ever interested in a full-fledged, direct, violent conflict; instead, the Cold War was a great-power competition in which both sides tried to undermine the other through maximum power projection while suffering minimal losses. To project this power, the Soviets wanted to permanently station an entire fleet in the Caribbean: two cruisers, four destroyers, eleven diesel electric submarines, and two submarine tenders.11 But, at the last minute, the Soviets changed their plans. Instead, they sent forth four covert Foxtrot-class diesel submarines as the vanguard of the Red Fleet.12

The reigning Soviet naval doctrine prioritized submarines over surface ships. In 1956, Khrushchev stated that “submarines were the most suitable naval weapon and they would receive emphasis in the future development of the Soviet Navy.”13 As a result, new construction of major surface vessels was virtually terminated under his premiership.14 According to a 2017 CIA analysis of the Soviet Navy, “Khrushchev declared surface naval forces…no longer useful and predicted they would soon become obsolete.”15Motivated by advances in technology, the Soviets wanted to reduce overall military manpower and costs by replacing a large surface fleet with a more effective, smaller submarine fleet.16 In other words, they prioritized a denser more capable force over a more numerous, less capable one.

By attempting a transatlantic overture to the Caribbean, the Soviets made the right geopolitical decision. By sending submarines, they made the wrong tactical decision. Submarines are mobile, undersea intelligence gatherers packed with brutish lethality. They are about “sheer aggression,” not power projection.17 They are best suited to spy and wreak havoc, not as conspicuous icons of power. By deploying covert submarines to the Caribbean, the Soviets were guaranteed to alarm Americans and provoke a strong response. President Kennedy ordered a maximum Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) effort to track and surface the submarines.18 The Soviets were not harmlessly posturing by deploying submarines within sailing distance of Florida while simultaneously stationing land based nuclear missiles at America’s doorstep. They were committing an act of belligerence that the Unites States met with force. The Atlantic Fleet mobilized to detect and ferret out the furtive aggressors. As Defense Minister Malinovsky’s comment suggests, the bold step to Cuba was never supposed to culminate into the hair-raising crisis that it did. His intention was to assert Soviet dominance without causing an international scene. This is exactly the United States’ objective in the South China Sea today.

To maintain American primacy in the South China Sea, Chinese maritime ambitions must be curtailed without devolving into the grand standoff that occurred in the Caribbean. Submarines should not be the U.S. Navy’s primary tools in this great-power competition. Because of the raw aggression that submarines communicate, they are ill-suited for missions that display military power and best suited for missions that exercise military power. The surface fleet’s strengths are altogether opposite.

Aircraft carriers, simultaneously symbols of national power and of national prestige, are excellent tools for communicating power, but a ruinously costly platform to lose.19 Losing a symbol of national pride would deal irreparable damage to the national psyche. The U.S. Navy must look to its destroyers and cruisers as the primary combatants of this great-power competition. While not as awe-inspiring as an aircraft carrier, they are still an excellent form of communication. The U.S. Navy has rightly increased destroyer and cruiser freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea, and it must continue this upward trajectory.20 By regularly challenging expansive Chinese claims, Washington must continue to signal Beijing that the South China Sea is not a Chinese lake. Frequent FONOPs through contested sea lanes go much farther in projecting maritime strength, communicating intentions, and deterring aggression than stealthy submarine deployments. To do this effectively, and not repeat Soviet mistakes, the United States needs a larger surface fleet.

The battle of ‘capability vs. numbers’ is a perennial struggle that has haunted the minds of American naval policy wonks for decades. Examined holistically, there is a clear winner. “The trend towards fewer, more capable ships is both unarguable and . . . inexorable,” notes Admiral John Ellis, former Commander of United States Strategic Command.21 Over the past twenty-five years, the number of ships in the U.S. Navy has decreased by nearly half while the demands placed on the American fleet remain the same.22 “Today, that means twice the percentage of the fleet is deployed than was at the height of the Cold War,” notes ex-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead.23 At the same time, the Congressional Budget Office recently determined that the Navy is only able to fulfill 60 percent of deployments requested by combatant commanders.24 In short, at some point, numbers do matter. Simple math dictates that if the U.S. Navy has fewer ships, either they need to be deployed more often or they must be asked to execute fewer missions. The Navy must stem its unrelenting pursuit of a leaner, cutting-edge fleet. Naval budgeteers must be willing to substitute a pricey aircraft carrier for a dozen more destroyers or cruisers. Vulnerable aircraft-carriers and stealthy submarines will not be the heroes that secure American maritime superiority, it will be destroyers and cruisers.

Together,not Alone The Cuban missile crisis of 58 years ago stands as the most studied event of the nuclear era—so much so that there are essays about why we should stop writing essays about it.25 Yet, until fall 2002, American national security experts were not aware that the fourFoxtrot-class diesel submarines deployed to Cuba had been armed with nuclear-tipped torpedoes.26 The CIA’s four intelligence reports on Soviet arms buildup leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis categorically ruled out the presence of nuclear weapons in the Caribbean.27 Instead of preparing Americans for the possibility of nuclear catastrophe, intelligence reports based on complacent assumptions made the discovery of this fact all the more shocking. In short, the Soviet Union caught the United States flat- footed.

Handicapped by the technology of the time and oblivious to the presence of tactical nuclear weapons, the U.S. Navy decided to release a Notice to Mariners (NTM) detailing how depth chargeswould be used to peacefully signal the submarines to surface. Moscow never sent an acknowledgement of receiving the NTM.29 Upon detecting the nuclear torpedo laden B-59, American naval forces started dropping depth charges in accordance with the NTM. Unaware of American intentions, suffering from inhospitable conditions and agitated by the subsurface explosions, Captain Savitsky gave the order to ready the nuclear torpedo: “We’re gonna blast them now! We will die, but we will sink them all— we will not become the shame of the fleet.”30 It is because cooler heads prevailed on the B-59 that day that the Caribbean was not subject to a nuclear explosion. Second Captain Vasily Arkhipov overruled Captain Savitsky and prevented the opening shot of a nuclear war.

Now as then, complacency continues to surprise and compel the United States into ad hoc, reactive measures. In 2012, both China and the Philippines swarmed a collection of rocks and reefs known as Scarborough Shoal. Up until then, both countries claimed the Shoal as theirs, but it was under de facto Philippine control. 550 nautical miles from the closest Chinese land mass and 124 nautical miles from the main Philippine island of Luzon, the Scarborough Shoal episode exemplifies China’s ambitions in the South China Sea.31 To mediate their dispute, the United States hastily brokered a bilateral agreement for both sides to retreat and, in effect, return control to the Philippines. Only one side held to its word. China used the agreement to deceive the Philippines into retreating while maintaining its presence. Without American reprisal or condemnation, China has since then controlled Scarborough Shoal.

The United States must not let the People’s Liberation Army (Navy) bully China’s neighbors. Unlike Khrushchev’s about-face with Castro, the United States must stand steadfast beside its allies. Despite increased FONOPs in the South China Sea, a recent public opinion poll of ASEAN citizens indicated that almost two-thirds of respondents believed U.S. engagement with ASEAN nations had declined. Another one-third said they had little to no confidence in the U.S. as a strategic partner and provider of regional security.32The United States must reaffirm its commitment to the South China region through military sales, combined exercises, and economic empowerment. It is much harder to reverse a change in the status quo than to maintain it through deterrence. By turning the cause of American maritime dominance into a multilateral quest, China’s unilateral offensives will be rendered moot. One More Time

The Soviet Union was not defeated through armed conflict; it was defeated through persistent coercion. As the United States negotiates its presence in the South China Sea, and by extension its maritime dominance, it must rely on the same strategy that overwhelmed the Soviet Union while not resurrecting Soviet mistakes. The Soviet decision to forsake their surface fleet and their allies precipitated their withdrawal from the Caribbean, which in turn forecasted their global retreat and eventual downfall. The United States must simultaneously lean on its surface fleet and its ASEAN allies to maintain its position as the bailiff of the world’s saltwater commons.

Sun Tzu pithily remarked that the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. We have done it once before, now we must do it again. https://cimsec.org/a-tale-of-two-seas-the-caribbean-and-south-china-sea-in-great-power-perspective/

Malaysia captures eight Abu Sayyaf militants with help from the Philippines

• The militants were arrested in Sabah state, where they fled in March because of military assaults on their bases in the southern Philippine province of Sulu • Philippine military officials said it was ‘highly possible’ that the group was planning to carry out kidnappings for ransom in Malaysia

Malaysian soldiers seen on patrol during an operation in Sabah state. Photo: Handout via EPA

Malaysian authorities have captured eight suspected Abu Sayyaf militants who may have been planning ransom kidnappings in the country, said Philippine military officials who provided information that helped lead to the arrests.

The Filipino militants were arrested on Saturday in Sabah state on Borneo island, where they fled in March because of military assaults on their jungle bases in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, Philippine marine brigade commander Colonel Hernanie Songano said.

“It is highly possible that they intend to make Sabah their staging point for their kidnapping activities,” Songano said in a statement. “They know that it will be very difficult for them to launch atrocities in Sulu due to the persistent military operations in the area.”

The suspected militants may have been helping arrange the travel of foreign militants to the southern Philippines, Songano said, without providing further details.The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have collaborated for years on fighting kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf militants of Malaysians in Sabah and several Indonesian crewmen on cargo vessels along their vast sea border.

Philippine military officials said the suspected militants were led by Abu Sayyaf commanders Sansibar Bensio and Mabar Binda, who were involved in past clashes with the Philippine military, including 2011 fighting in Sulu where a marine officer was beheaded.

The two were allegedly involved in the kidnappings of Swiss citizen Lorenzo Vinciguerra and Dutch national Ewold Horn in the southernmost Philippine province of Tawi Tawi in 2012. The two kidnap victims were taken to nearby Sulu, where Vinciguerra fought with and escaped from his captors in December 2014. Horn was killed while trying to escape during a military assault in May 2019.

The Philippines and the United States both consider the Abu Sayyaf a terrorist organisation for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings. The militants have been weakened considerably by battle defeats, surrenders and infighting but remain a national security threat.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3132998/malaysia-captures-eight-abu-sayyaf- militants-help Philippines releases funding for ‘second horizon' procurements by Jon Grevatt

The Philippine government has released funding worth about PHP12 billion (USD252 million) to support a series of acquisitions under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ‘second horizon’ modernisation programme.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued the funding through a recently published ‘Special allotment release order’ (SARO). High-profile procurements supported through the notice include a ground-based air defence (GBAD) system, a medium-lift transport aircraft, and a light tank.

The Philippines has approved funding of PHP3.42 billion (USD71.5 million) to procure a ground-based air defence system. The country is expected to seek to acquire the Spyder platform produced by Israeli firm Rafael. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

Many of the procurements supported through the funding are already in process, although the funding approval provided by the SARO enables the projects to be finalised through contracts and associated payments. Israeli firms Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are some of the principal beneficiaries.

Funding for the procurements is sourced from the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP). In fiscal year (FY) 2021, the RAFPMP – underpinned by legislation enacted in 2012 – allocated PHP33 billion for military procurement, an increase over the PHP25 billion allocation in 2020.

The largest procurement to receive RAFPMP funding in the new SARO is the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF’s) GBAD programme, which will receive PHP3.42 billion. In November 2020 this project also received funding worth PHP2.39 billion. The PAF is meeting the requirement by procuring from Israel the Spyder self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/philippines-releases-funding-for-second-horizon- procurements U.S., PHILIPPINE MARINES TACKLE CYBER BATTLEFIELD 11 MAY 2021 | Cpl. Nicholas FilcaIII Marine Expeditionary Force PRINT

SHARE

CAMP HANSEN, Japan --

When addressing the subjects of technology and innovation in his 2020 statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding Marine Corps readiness, the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, stated that "it is not just a matter of a straight budget plus up. It is about creating the multi-dimensional structures, the cross-functional partnerships, and the innovative culture that can leverage the new technologies to transform how the Marines operate."

To channel this nature of innovation, advancement, and technological warfare, Marines of Defensive Cyberspace Operations-Internal Defensive Measures Company, 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, along with members of the Philippine Marine Corps, conducted an inaugural virtual meeting to identify cyber vulnerabilities and hone their strengths, April 19.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting served as the beginning of virtual interactions with Philippine forces to not only prove that interoperability must be a consistent building process that is adapting and expanding, but that the importance of cyber warfare and safeguarding networks and information against regional adversaries demands a nearly incessant commitment to the mission.

"Today we conducted a subject matter expert exchange that mostly consisted of cybersecurity, including host discovery and vulnerability programs," Warrant Officer Zachary DeLong, a Defensive Cyberspace Weapons Officer stated. Weak network defenses present a unique set of challenges that threaten not only individual systems but the stability of the region.

In his opening remarks, Maj. Jean Paul San Gabriel, a Cyber Expert of the Philippine Marine Corps stated t impact in the region by that “throughout the years, the PMC and MARFORPAC have made significan conductingPMC is strengthening International the Defensecapacity andfor archipelagicSecurity Engagements. defense as Inpart the of advent the naval of the and Corps’ joint forces.modernization, Included in this capacity building is cybersecurity operations which is the 4th U.S., PHILIPPINE MARINES TACKLE CYBER BATTLEFIELD 11 MAY 2021 | Cpl. Nicholas FilcaIII Marine Expeditionary Force

Operational Domain of Warfare of the AFP. Unlike the air, sea, and land, cyberspace is a human- built domain and does not lie in the natural world. To put it simply, its complexity differs a lot from the other three. So it is high time that the Corps develop a way to adapt to this environment and cope with its evolution in order to be prepared for future warfare.”

"...PMC is strengthening the capacity for archipelagic defense as part of the naval and joint forces." Maj. Jean Paul San Gabriel, Philippine Marine Corps cyber expert

Using open-source programs such as Wireshark, which analyzes web traffic and various features of a utilized network, and Nessus, which analyzes how vulnerable a network is to various attacks. In the face of an unpredictable network defense environment, U.S. and Philippine Marines built upon their methods of maintaining a strong cyber posture within it.

While addressing near-peer threats to network and system security provides a distinct level of urgency, this exchange served as more than just an analysis of network defenses. "A lot of it was sharing knowledge and experience with a partnered nation and giving some feedback while continuing to build relationships in the pacific region," stated Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Brown, a Defensive Cyberspace Operator.

"It's going to feed into how we respond in the future. If we see something unique that we can share with somebody else, and they see something unique to them, we can [incorporate] that into what we're looking for," Brown said.

DeLong explained that the virtual exchange proved that III MEF's continuous commitment to strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region does not have to be limited to physical interactions saying the training, "allows us to work better in a coalition force."

Though this is the first time U.S. and Philippine forces have worked virtually to address network vulnerabilities, Brown does not believe it should be the last. "We're hoping to expand on what we did today and reaching out to forces that utilize the same methodologies we do. If we keep hearing from everybody, it only makes us better, and I can't wait to do it again."

https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/2602771/us-philippine-marines-tackle-cyber- battlefield/

China on AFP's planned logistics hub: We hope some will stop stirring up trouble By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News

Published May 11, 2021 6:35pm

Asked about the logistics hub, Hua said, "China's position on the South China Sea issue is clear, firm and consistent... "e hope certain individuals will refrain from stirring up trouble on this issue."

China enjoys its friendship with the Philippines but is hoping that some individuals would not stir up trouble after the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced plans to put up a logistics hub in Pag-asa Island.

Hua Funying, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, made the remarks weeks after AFP chief of staff General Cirilito Sobejana said the military was considering transforming part of Spratly Islands into a hub, where boats could refuel and resupply.

Asked about the logistics hub, Hua said, "China's position on the South China Sea issue is clear, firm and consistent."

"The South China Sea issue might be an issue between China and the Philippines, but it is not insoluble," Hua said.

"China and the Philippines enjoy a friendship spanning thousands of years whereas the South China Sea issue arose only several decades ago," she added.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/787075/china-on-afp-s-planned-logistics-hub-we-hope- some-will-stop-stirring-up-trouble/story/

120+ retired military flag officers warn US ‘under assault’ by socialists, Marxists, urges Americans to fight back More than 120 retired military flag officers with Flag Officers 4 America published an open letter Monday warning that the United States is in “deep peril” and under “tremendous assault” by supporters of socialism and Marxism, urging Americans to get involved in “a fight for our survival as a Constitutional Republic like no other time since our founding.” “Under a Democrat Congress and the Current Administration, our Country has taken a hard left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government which must be countered now by electing congressional and presidential candidates who will always act to defend our Constitutional Republic. The survival of our Nation and its cherished freedoms, liberty, and historic values are at stake,” the letter states.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/120-retired-military-flag-officers-warn-us-under-assault-by- socialists-marxists-urges-americans-to-fight-back/

The Illegality of Targeting Civilians by Way of Belligerent Reprisal: Implications for U.S. Nuclear Doctrine by Scott Sagan and Allen Weiner May 10, 2021

Although the United States has, in recent years, unequivocally accepted the notion that international humanitarian law (IHL) applies to its nuclear operations, there’s a catch. To date, the U.S. government has not declared that it no longer reserves a purported right to target civilians by way of reprisal, in response to an unlawful attack against U.S. or allied civilians. As we have argued elsewhere, and as Adil Haque recently called on the Biden administration to do, it is time for the United States to acknowledge that customary international law today prohibits targeting civilians in reprisal for an adversary’s violations of the law of war. The Biden administration is conducting a nuclear posture review, which will provide an opportunity to clarify its position. Even without reliance on the doctrine of belligerent reprisal, the United States can credibly deter illegal attacks against civilians through responsive strikes that do not target the adversary’s civilians and that comply with IHL.

The Application of IHL to the use of Nuclear Weapons

The United States has not always been clear or consistent regarding the application of IHL to the use of nuclear weapons. For instance, in 1977, when the United States signed Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflict (Protocol I), it declared that the rules established by the Protocol “were not intended to have any effect on and do not regulate or prohibit the use of nuclear weapons.” In the intervening decades, however, international consensus has emerged that IHL would apply to any use of nuclear weapons. By 2013, the Obama administration, explicitly embraced the notion that all nuclear weapons use plans “must …be consistent with the fundamental principles of the Law of Armed Conflict.” The United States reaffirmed, in the Trump administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, that any U.S. nuclear military operations “would adhere to the law of armed conflict.” This means that the United States accepts, among other IHL obligations, that its nuclear targeting policies must apply the principle of distinction (that it may not direct attacks against the civilian population or civilian objects), and the principle of proportionality (that it may not launch attacks that would cause incidental civilian harm that is excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the attacks). The United States also accepts that it is legally required, under the principle of precaution, to take all feasible measures to minimize incidental damage to civilian populations and civilian objects.

And yet there is an enormous caveat lurking behind the seemingly categorial U.S. statement that it “will not intentionally target civilian populations or civilian objects” in its nuclear operations. The United States has not to date foresworn the possibility that it might direct attacks against the civilian population, or otherwise launch attacks that cause disproportionate civilian harm, by relying on the customary international law doctrine of belligerent reprisal. This doctrine permits, “in exceptional cases,” acts that would otherwise violate IHL “when used as an enforcement measure in reaction to unlawful acts of an adversary.” Despite its relative obscurity, even among international lawyers, in 2016, then STRATCOM Judge Advocate General lawyer Theodore Richard argued that the doctrine of belligerent reprisal remains “an important part of nuclear weapon policy and deterrence theory.”

It is time for the United States to acknowledge that whatever the law may have allowed decades ago, it is no longer permissible under customary IHL to intentionally target civilians by way of reprisal. State practice and the associated expressions of legal obligation (opinio juris) support our position that it is no longer legally permissible to make civilians the object of attack with nuclear (or other) weapons by way of reprisal. Even a state that sustains an illegal attack against its civilian population must respond in a way that comports with IHL. The United States should end its “calculated ambiguity” about the doctrine of belligerent reprisal and make categorical its recognition that it may not intentionally target civilian populations or civilian objects.

The Customary International Law Roots of Belligerent Reprisal

The longstanding doctrine of belligerent reprisal provides a means of self-help by which states that are victims of IHL violations committed by their adversaries can, by engaging in proportionate violations of IHL, induce their adversaries to comply with the law. Belligerent reprisals thus are meant to promote compliance with the law of war. The doctrine is as controversial as it is longstanding, however. Apart from the prudential concerns that the use of belligerent reprisals may lead to escalating violence, belligerent reprisals have been morally condemned as a “barbarous” means of seeking compliance because “they are not directed specifically at the individual authors of the initial violation.” The scope of belligerent reprisals has accordingly been subjected to ever-tightening restrictions, aimed primarily at protecting vulnerable persons in wartime. The 1949 Geneva Conventions, for instance, expressly prohibit reprisals against persons protected by those Conventions, namely, sick and wounded soldiers in the field (art. 46); sick, wounded, and shipwrecked sailors (art. 47); prisoners of war (art. 13); and civilians who find themselves “in the hands” of enemy forces (art. 33). There is little doubt that the prohibition on reprisals against these classes of persons protected by the 1949 Geneva Conventions has acquired customary international law status (Rule 146).

Protocol I extended the prohibition on reprisals. Article 51(6) provides that “[a]ttacks against the civilian population or civilians by way of reprisals are prohibited.” The protection against reprisals in Protocol I goes beyond that in the Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention governing civilians because it is not limited to the treatment of those “in the hands” of a party to a conflict, e.g., persons in occupied territory, but applies to all civilians. Although the United States has not become a party to Protocol I, it has long accepted that key IHL provisions in that treaty – including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution – reflect codifications of binding customary international law. These principles accordingly apply to all U.S. military operations, including nuclear operations. The United States has in the past asserted that unlike the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, the prohibition on reprisals against civilians in Protocol I was not a customary international law rule, and that the United States accordingly retains the right to target civilians by way of reprisal. In justifying this position in 1987, then-State Department Legal Adviser Abraham Sofaer stated: “To formally renounce even the option of such attacks, however, removes a significant deterrent that presently protects civilians and other war victims on all sides of a conflict.” The United States reiterated this position on reprisals in 1995 in its submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in connection with proceedings in the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion.

Belligerent Reprisals Today

Whatever the United States may have asserted twenty-five years ago, the prohibition on targeting civilians by way of reprisal today is a customary international law rule that applies even to states that are not parties to Protocol I. It consequently also applies to nuclear operations.

We recognize, of course that merely saying that customary international law prohibits belligerent reprisals against civilians does not make it so. At the same time, merely denying that the prohibition on targeting civilians by way of reprisal has acquired customary international law status does not resolve the matter, either. Following Michael’s Reisman’s characterization of the “ceaseless dialectic” by which international law develops, we must evaluate the legal status of the purported prohibition on belligerent reprisals against civilians by considering not only what states do, but also their assertions about what they and other states may or may not lawfully do. What is striking in this regard is the utter absence of any support among states in recent history for the existence of a right of states to intentionally target other states’ civilians, even in reprisal for attacks against civilians by the adversary.

In its 2005 encyclopedic study on customary IHL, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) observed that while “the vast majority of States have…committed themselves not to make civilians the object of reprisals,” the ICRC could not yet conclude that a customary rule specifically prohibiting reprisals against civilians had “crystallized” because of “very limited” contrary practice. Yet the record cited by the ICRC is hardly sufficient to refute the existence of widespread and consistent practice informed by opinio juris – the standard for establishing a customary international law rule – condemning reprisals against civilians. Part of the “limited practice” the ICRC refers to is the fact that when Protocol I was negotiated, five states – Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom – made statements that seemed to affirm the right of belligerent reprisal. A careful reading of the record, however, reveals that the statements of most of these states – Egypt, France, Germany, and Italy – merely affirmed the right to react to serious and repeated violations of the law of armed conflict with means admissible under international law. In view of the widespread consensus today about the illegality of reprisals against civilians, such statements hardly represent a clear assertion that these states believe that international law permits them to direct attacks against civilians. In any event, Egypt subsequently asserted before the ICJ in the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons case that the prohibition on reprisals against civilians reflects customary international law (para. 43), and recent military manuals of France and Germany prohibit reprisals against civilians, citing Article 51(6) of Additional Protocol I.

The other form of practice that might give rise to doubts about the customary international law status of the prohibition on reprisals targeting civilians is the conduct of states in wartime. Michael Newton, for example, refers to “the many instances of state practice … that would indicate recourse to reprisals in fact if not in phraseology.” But such practice is insufficient to undermine the customary international law character of the prohibition on reprisals against civilians unless the states that engage in such attacks claim that they are legally entitled to do so – that is, their practice alone does not evidence the other element required to create customary international law, opinio juris. The argument that reprisals against civilians are permitted under customary international because states sometime employ them is no more persuasive than the argument that customary international law permits targeting of medical facilities because warring parties sometimes target them, or that there is no customary international law prohibition against torturing prisoners because states sometimes torture prisoners.

The only recent international armed conflict in which states appear to have claimed the right to target one another’s cities in reprisal for such attacks by the other side is the “War of the Cities” phase of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Although neither Iran nor Iraq were parties to Protocol I, the international community hardly acted if it believed those states were legally permitted to target civilians by way of reprisal. To the contrary, the U.N. Security Council in Resolution 540 explicitly condemned “all violations of international humanitarian law” committed by the parties to the conflict and “call[ed] for the immediate cessation of all military operations against civilian targets, including city and residential areas”; in Resolution 598, the Council again deplored “the bombing of purely civilian population centres.” In its own unilateral statement, the U.S. State Department – rather than defending the right of states to target civilians pursuant to the doctrine of belligerent reprisal – said the United States “deplores the tragic and needless loss of both Iranian and Iraqi lives, especially through attacks on civilian populations” and urged both states “to respect their obligations under international conventions designed to mitigate the human suffering of warfare.” In short, there is widespread practice, backed by opinio juris, to support the notion that the prohibition of attacking civilians in reprisal has acquired customary international law status. We are unaware of a single instance in which a state has invoked the doctrine of belligerent reprisal as a basis for directing attacks against civilians that has not generated harsh condemnation by the international community.

A Persistent Objector?

Could the United States claim that it qualifies as a persistent objector to the now-crystallized customary international law prohibition on reprisal attacks against civilians? The record of U.S. behavior of the past decades would not support such a claim. The most recent assertion by the United States that Protocol I’s prohibition on reprisals against civilians is not a customary international law rule dates back to its assertion before the ICJ in 1995 – over 25 years ago – that Article 51(6) of Protocol I was a “new rule” that had “not been incorporated into customary international law.” Since then, rather than affirming the right to target civilians in reprisal, U.S. statements of nuclear targeting policy have categorically declared that the United States will not intentionally target civilians; the U.S. statement at the 2015 NPT Review Conference similarly declared that U.S. nuclear plans “will apply the principles of distinction and proportionality and will not intentionally target civilian populations or civilian objects,” with no caveats.

The Department of Defense Law of War Manual, updated in 2016, simply recounts Legal Adviser Sofaer’s 1987 U.S. assertion that the prohibitions on belligerent reprisals against civilians in Additional Protocol I are “counter-productive and that they remove a significant deterrent that protects civilians and war victims on all sides of a conflict.” But the Manual does not state expressly – as the United States has demonstrated it knows how to do in other contexts – that the prohibition on reprisals set out in Protocol I does not reflect or contribute to the development of customary international law.

Although there is no precise formula for determining how persistently a would-be persistent objector must object to an emerging rule, where a rule is clearly supported by an overwhelming majority of states, David Colson persuasively argues that “the persistent objector must continually make its position known to ensure that the law does not find tacit consent through a relatively short period of silence.…[T]he more isolated a State becomes in its legal perspective, the more active it must be in restating and making clear its position.” The United States record of objection to the prohibition on targeting civilians by way of belligerent reprisal falls far short of that standard.

Deterring Attacks Against U.S. and Allied Civilians

Some strategists share the fears of former Legal Adviser Sofaer that acknowledging the impermissibility of belligerent reprisals would remove a deterrent that presently protects American and allied civilians from unlawful attacks by U.S. adversaries. We doubt that adversaries will be more likely to launch attacks illegally targeting civilians if the U.S. declares that reprisals directed against civilians are impermissible. As we have noted, a nuclear posture that rules out the option of directing attacks against civilians would be more ethical than one that retains it; such a nuclear posture would be more likely to be followed by U.S. military leaders and thus would be more credible and more effective. Moreover, the proper application of IHL would still permit costly nuclear or conventional responses to any nuclear attack against U.S. or allied civilians, including attacks directed against legitimate adversary military and leadership targets. This prospect is more likely to deter the autocratic leaders of U.S. adversaries than would the threat of attacks against their civilians.

https://www.justsecurity.org/76049/the-illegality-of-targeting-civilians-by-way-of-belligerent-reprisal- implications-for-u-s-nuclear-doctrine/

US officials believe Russia may be behind the suspected directed-energy attacks that are getting government employees sick around the world, report says Sinéad Baker

16 hours ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Klimentyev/Getty Images

• The US has been probing suspected directed-energy attacks on government employees, Politico reports. • Sources told Politico that investigators are looking into Russia's GRU as a potential suspect. • The report says victims had the symptoms that US officials in Cuba and China experienced in 2016. • See more stories on Insider's business page.

US officials believe that Russia may be behind the suspected directed-energy attacks on US government employees around the world, Politico's Lara Seligman and Andrew Desiderio reported.

Three current and former officials told Politico that US officials suspect the GRU, Russia's foreign intelligence agency. But the report added that the investigators do not have a smoking gun tying the suspected attacks to Russia.

A congressional official who was briefed on the issue told Politico that US officials told lawmakers that the investigation into the suspected attacks was expanding, and that it was focused on whether the GRU was involved.

William Burns, the director of the CIA, is also receiving daily briefings on the investigation, Politico reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

NEWSLETTER

Start your day with the biggest stories in politics and the economy. Sign up for 10 Things in Politics. Email address

By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

The suspected attacks have affected US personnel at embassies around the world, Politico reported.

Politico previously reported that officials were investigating a suspected attack on federal government personnel in Miami last year, as well two suspected attacks on National Security Council officials: one who was walking near the White House and another in Virginia.

The victims had the symptoms of what has been dubbed the "Havana syndrome" — a set of unexplained symptoms that suddenly struck US officials in Cuba and China in 2016, Politico reported.

US and Canadian diplomats in Cuba started hearing strange sounds and reporting symptoms such as nerve damage and headaches. Doctors said they were caused by mild traumatic brain injuries.

US officials in China and Russia have reported similar symptoms. Studies have pointed to microwave radiation as the main suspect.

A spokesperson for Avril Haines, the director of National Intelligence, told Politico that the US intelligence community has "no definitive information about the cause of these incidents" and has not concluded whether a foreign entity was responsible.

https://www.businessinsider.com/directed-energy-attacks-us-officials-think-russia-maybe-behind-report- 2021-5

Cybersleuths blunted pipeline hack and choked data flow to Russia

• • Holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline's Dorsey Junction Station in Woodbine, Maryland, on Monday. A small group of private-sector companies, with help from several U.S. agencies, disrupted ongoing cyberattacks against Colonial Pipeline and more than two dozen other victims. | REUTERS

• BLOOMBERG • SHARE • May 11, 2021 A small group of private-sector companies, with help from several U.S. agencies, disrupted ongoing cyberattacks against Colonial Pipeline Co. and more than two dozen other victims, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Colonial was able to recover some stolen data because of the intervention, which stopped the flow of stolen data headed to Russia — believed to be the ultimate destination, according to three people involved with or briefed about the investigation into the breach.

The takedown, which occurred on Saturday, was enacted by companies that included operators of U.S.-based servers used by the hackers, the people said. The intervention involved the White House, FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and National Security Agency, and shut off key servers used by the hackers, said the people, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Colonial was the victim of a ransomware attack last week in which the hackers stole nearly 100 gigabytes of data, a breach that caused the company to shut down operations of the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S. The hackers were using the servers that were disabled as a repository for storing information before relaying it to computers in Russia, the people said.

But Colonial’s data hadn’t yet been sent, which allowed investigators to retrieve it, the people said.

On Monday, President Joe Biden stopped short of blaming the Kremlin but said "there’s evidence” the hackers or the software they used are "in Russia.”

"They have some responsibility to deal with this,” he told reporters at the White House, after announcing that "my administration will be pursuing a global effort of ransomware attacks.” Representatives from the White House, FBI, NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, which overseas the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Russian Embassy in Washington.

The takedown represents an unusually swift response to a cyberattack that’s had an uncommonly large impact, throttling gasoline supplies across the eastern U.S. and threatening a spike in prices.

Besides Colonial, the more than two dozen other victims of the ransomware attacks were across a range of industries, two of the people said. They wouldn’t identify the other victims of the attacks. Reuters previously reported that investigators managed to thwart some of the data theft by taking a cloud server offline and that the server carried data from other ransomware attacks under way.

The White House had pulled together an inter-agency task force to address the breach, including exploring options for lessening the damage, according to an official. Biden can invoke an array of emergency powers to ensure supplies keep flowing to big cities and airports along the East Coast. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Colonial said Monday that it is bringing the Texas-to-New Jersey pipeline back online in stages and intends to have it fully operational by the end of the week.

The FBI confirmed that the attackers used DarkSide ransomware in the attack; others have linked the attack to a ransomware group using the same name. Among the evidence linking the group to Russia is its use of the Russian language and its exclusion of Russian companies as hacking targets, according to cybersecurity experts.

They stole nearly 100 GB of data from Colonial’s network on Thursday before locking up computers with ransomware and demanding payment, Bloomberg reported. Colonial shut down its computer network and the pipeline’s operations while it assessed the damage. In the aftermath of the takedown, DarkSide issued a statement on the dark web Monday hinting at contrition. "We are apolitical. We do not participate in geopolitics,” the message says. "Our goal is to make money and not creating problems for society. From today, we introduce moderation and check each company that our partners want to encrypt to avoid social consequences in the future.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/11/world/cyberattacks-russia-us-colonial-pipeline/

Why this security expert calls the Colonial Pipeline attack ‘our worst nightmare’

Sue Gordon served as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence from 2017 to 2019 and spent more than three decades with the CIA. She joined “Squawk Box” on Tuesday to discuss the United States’ options to respond to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/05/11/national-security-colonial-pipeline-attack.html

DoD strengthens its emphasis on data, gives CDO new responsibilities

By Scott Maucione @smaucioneWFED

May 11, 2021 7:38 am

The Defense Department is transforming itself into a data-centric organization, and is tasking its chief data officer with new responsibilities to help it along its way.

In a memo, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon adopted five “data decrees” to “generate transformative proficiency and efficiency gains across the DoD Data Strategy’s focus areas.”

Hicks wrote that the changes are “critical to improving performance and creating decision advantage at all echelons from the battlespace to the board room, ensuring U.S. competitive advantage. To accelerate the department’s efforts, leaders must ensure all DoD data is visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable, and secure.”

The decrees state that the Pentagon will maximize data sharing and rights for data use, publish data assets in a federated catalog, and make data useable by artificial intelligence and machines. DoD will also store data in a safe manner that is uncoupled from hardware and software and implement best practices to secure authentication, access management, encryption and protection of data. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2021/05/dod-strengthens-its-emphasis-on-data-gives-cdo- new-responsibilities/

New Pentagon directive to manage gobs of data: Make it all sharable

Andrew Eversden

Joint Task Force Civil Support Commanding General Maj. Gen. Jeff Van listens to a brief during a recent Joint All-Domain Command & Control System demonstration. The Pentagon wants to better manage its data to enable joint warfighting. (MC2 Michael H. Lehman/U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON — Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks released a new plan to manage and learn from the department’s vast data stores that starts with a simple decree: Any DoD data is a resource for the whole agency.

In other words, components must view data as a strategic asset and avoid trapping their valuable information in their own siloed storage systems. Her directive announced May 10 is another signal from the department that it recognizes that harnessing data for decision-making is the center of its future war-fighting concept to connect sensors and shooters across domains and services.

Hicks ordered components to prioritize sharing data, to store it following common standards so it’s widely useable, and to protect it using sound security methods.

Her memo, signed earlier this month, listed five decrees to ensure that data is ready for Joint All-Domain Command and Control:

1. “Maximize data sharing and rights for data use: all DoD data is an enterprise resource.

2. “Publish data assets in the DoD federated data catalog along with common interface specifications. 3. “Use automated data interfaces that are externally accessible and machine- readable; ensure interfaces use industry-standard, non-proprietary, preferably open- source, technologies, protocols, and payloads.

4. “Store data in a manner that is platform and environment-agnostic, uncoupled from hardware or software dependencies.

5. “Implement industry best practices for secure authentication, access management, encryption, monitoring, and protection of data at rest, in transit, and in use.”

The memo empowered Pentagon Chief Data Officer Dave Spirk as the lead policymaker for the agency’s data. Spirk, the CDO of Special Operations Command before moving to the Pentagonin June last year, helped write the Pentagon’s data strategy, focused on using data for enable joint war-fighting. That department released the strategy last year.

“The DoD CDO shall have access to all DoD data; facilitate the adjudication of data-sharing and/or access disputes; and oversee implementation of the DoD Data Strategy,” Hicks wrote.

To improve data management for joint all-domain operations, the memo directed the DoD CDO to work with the Joint Staff, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and relevant cross-functional teams, such as the JADC2-CFT or Algorithmic Warfare- CFT to identify and eliminate gaps in system interoperability in order to “create joint war-fighting advantage through data-driven mission command across the competition continuum.” The CDO must deliver an action plan by July 1 to Hicks that includes milestones to address gaps.

The memo also established the department’s Advanced Analytics (Advana) platform as the “single enterprise authoritative data management and analytics” platform for senior leadership in the Pentagon in order to ensure “objective and informed decision-making.” The CDO and component CDO must approve any other data management and analytics platforms to ensure the new system has open standards, the memo stated.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2021/05/11/new-pentagon-directive-to-manage- gobs-of-data-make-it-all-sharable/

Biden vows to protect oil, gas and water infrastructure

Cyberattacks up 50% globally as hackers target critical networks

Crude oil storage tanks are seen at the Cushing petroleum hub in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A cyberattack has brought renewed attention to the vulnerability of American energy infrastructure. © Reuters

AKINOBU IWASAWA and ALEX FANG, Nikkei staff writersMay 11, 2021 04:28 JST

TOKYO/NEW YORK -- The weekend cyberattack on a major U.S. pipeline system served as a grim minder of the threat facing infrastructure that forms the backbone of the economy as incidents occur with increasing frequency.

To continue reading, subscribe today https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Terrorism/Biden-vows-to-protect-oil-gas-and-water-infrastructure

Biden Looks for Defense Hotline With China The United States says it’s ready to call China in a crisis. Will Beijing pick up?

By Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy’s Pentagon and national security reporter.

Then-Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (right) accompanies then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to view an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on Aug. 18, 2011. LINTAO ZHANG/GETTY IMAGES

MAY 10, 2021, 1:24 PM

The Biden administration is increasingly looking to avoid accidental escalation with China, a senior defense official said, by cooperating on channels to reduce the risk of planes, ships, and troops butting heads on an increasingly crowded map in the Asia-Pacific.

The push to add more defense hotlines comes in the lead-up to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s trip to Singapore for what is known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the top defense summit in the region, where U.S. and Chinese officials have traditionally gaggled on the sidelines. If a meeting comes together at the forum early next month, it could be a chance for the new administration’s second face- to-face with Beijing, after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had a testy exchange with Chinese officials in March.

But when Austin does get a chance to talk to his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, he hopes to prioritize crisis communications and risk reduction in areas such as the South China Sea, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. The idea is to create multiple avenues to communicate with Beijing to manage the growing strategic competition between the two powers and prevent the onset of a potential conflict, especially as the Chinese navy—the largest in the world— expands its reach further into the Indo-Pacific and is taking an increasingly belligerent posture in the Western Pacific.

Still, the Department of Defense is tempering its expectations, given Chinese reluctance in the past to engage in crisis management. “The challenge is, in large part, that the Chinese have never been particularly receptive to doing things the way that the U.S. likes to do them,” the senior defense official said.

China has stepped up pressure on U.S. allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific in the last several months, including near-daily buzzing of Taiwanese and Japanese air defense zones, and the use of civilian fishing vessels to harden claims to disputed areas in the South and East China Seas, where the U.S. Navy conducts freedom of navigation operations. Just days after President Joe Biden took office, the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group sailed through the South China Sea, after China passed a law in January authorizing coast guard vessels to fire on foreign vessels seen as endangering Chinese sovereignty. And officials and experts expect U.S. and Chinese vessels to face more close calls, with China building more ships every year to overtake the U.S. Navy as the world’s largest.

The Biden administration has kept in place the high-level defense policy system that existed between U.S. and Chinese officials, who gathered in January 2020 to work on reducing risk in the Asia-Pacific and improving crisis communications between the two sides, according to a readout. In a lower-level dialogue, China and the United States last talked about improving safety between U.S. and Chinese naval and air forces two years ago, but China skipped the last round of talks, according to a second senior defense official, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

But the desire for an improved hotline was thrust into the spotlight this week as Kurt Campbell, Asia head at the National Security Council, said that China should “rethink their previous ambivalence” to deconfliction. And the issue of China overstepping came to a head this week when a Chinese rocket and space station module passed within 200 miles of the International Space Station on launch before falling to earth this weekend.

Experts said any conflict between the United States and China would more likely emerge from sustained military escalation than an accidental clash of planes or ships. But some noted that the Biden administration’s push for a hotline could help mitigate criticism from Beijing or other Asia-Pacific countries likely to blame Washington for increasing tensions in the region. “If the United States continues to focus its attention on the Western Pacific, if it’s going to take steps to strengthen its military posture in the region, if it’s going to have China in its sights a bit more when it comes to defense modernization, inevitably that’s going to create some natural tension,” said Evan Montgomery, the director of research and studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington think tank. “One thing the pursuit of the hotline does at least optically is it helps to offset some of those criticisms.” One of the models that officials looked at in the Trump administration was similar to U.S. deconfliction mechanisms with the Russians in Syria, which allowed both sides to warn each other when they crossed into rival airspace on either side of the Euphrates River in the war-torn country. Chinese officials have asked for updates and briefings on that model, a former senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

The need for a new and improved mechanism to avoid accidental escalation has been self-evident for some on the American side, as well as elements in the Chinese navy. But China’s political culture remains a challenge. Instead of seeing a formal crisis communications channel as an insurance policy against a hot war, Chinese officials may view the guardrails as a sign the United States is willing to countenance greater military risks in the region.

“The Chinese perspective is that if I establish a crisis communication hotline with you, things can get lower and worse,” the former official said. “The lack of a net inherently moderates the policy risk that I might take.”

Others see China taking advantage of the Pentagon’s perceived fear of stumbling into wars the United States doesn’t want, in order to expand territorial claims in the region.

“China can say, well, if you want to reduce the risk of an accident you should just not be here,” said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a center fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “They also use that strategically to try and pressure the United States to reduce its military presence in the area.”

There are already a few existing mechanisms to ensure any encounters between U.S. and Chinese forces stay below the threshold of conflict, though they’re seldom used. A hotline between the United States and China established during the Clinton administration—after an eight-month crisis in the Taiwan Strait— went unused. Later, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama agreed to establishfurther secure calling links to notify one another of military crises, but those, too, have sat idle.

“Even where mechanisms exist, they’re not fully utilized,” the second senior defense official said.

A more robust system could create channels of communication between U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Chinese forces, as well as ways to defuse any interactions between U.S. and Chinese surface ships and aircraft, the current senior defense official said. Those channels could allow the United States and China to cooperate on areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as Chinese naval power expands further into the Indo-Pacific, the official added.

But efforts to develop military-to-military hotlines have also been complicated by major structural differences between Pentagon and Chinese military operations in the region. China’s People’s Liberation Army, known as the PLA, which includes air and naval forces, was reorganized into five smaller theater commands in 2016 at Xi’s directive. These are only focused on China’s subregions, while U.S. Indo-Pacific Command covers the entire region.

The second senior defense official said that the Pentagon has traditionally been challenged in developing hotlines to China because U.S. combatant commands are “not necessarily a natural partner to any element in the PLA.” There are at least three Chinese theater commands “that are substantially involved in issues that are of interest to us, probably all five for that matter,” the official added.

Even if the Biden administration gets its hotline, large parts of the U.S.-China relationship will remain couched in ambiguity. Campbell, Biden’s top Asia hand, said this week that the United States would not reverse its policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan over whether the Pentagon would come to the defense of the island if it were under attack from China.

Some former Trump administration officials are hoping that the hotline gets done to give the new team experience in dealing with the Chinese military. “The less contact people have with the Chinese the more they form distorted views about the way the Chinese behave,” the former senior defense official said.

But others worry that establishing a hotline to Beijing could stop the Biden administration from taking a consistent tack with China.

“Is the message ‘China, don’t worry, we’re not trying to undermine your rise, we’re just friends here,’ or is the message ‘If you step out of line, then you’re going to be in trouble?’” said Skylar Mastro. “It’s really hard to communicate both messages at the same time.” https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/10/biden-china-xi-jinping-defense-hotline-pentagon/

US on self-defeating China trade war tack, former American defence official says

• Chas Freeman says the United States made the wrong move in response to China’s economic and technology challenges • In the long run, the US cannot outspend China on the military, he says

1 official Chas Freeman. Photo: Handout The US has made the wrong moves in response to China’s challenges, according to former American defence The aggressive China policy will prove self-defeating and threatens to weaken both sides, according to a former senior American defence official. US’ In an article published in the influential East Asia Forum on Sunday, former assistant secretary of defence Chas Freeman said the United States was not thinking strategically.

“Washington would be easy to spot in a game of chess. It’s the player with no plan beyond an aggressive opening. That is no strategy at all. The failure to think several moves ahead matters,” Freeman wrote in the online publication run by the Australian National University.

The former defence official and now visiting scholar at Brown University said the US erred in its decision to respond to China’s economic and technology challenges by increasing defence spending.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133101/us-self-defeating-china-trade-war-tack- former-american-defence

Reed prioritizing China deterrence fund, comms and unmanned ships

By: Joe Gould 7 hours ago

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2018. (Sgt. James K. McCann/Army)

WASHINGTON ― Securing funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deter China’s military will “remain a priority” of Senate Armed Sources Committee Chairman Jack Reed in the upcoming the upcoming defense policy bill.

Speaking at the Reagan Institute, Reed said Tuesday “additional funding” would be sought for PDI, though he was not specific. The comments come weeks after U.S. Indo-Pacific Command called for roughly $27 billion for the fund over five years and days ahead of President Joe Biden’s budget request for fiscal 2022.

“PDI will remain a priority for the committee as we seek to provide additional funding for required military capabilities, for strategic forward-based military posture and enhanced training infrastructure, and opportunities,” said Reed, D- R.I.

Echoing the Pentagon’s identification of the Indo-Pacific as a primary area of interest and of China as the leading threat there, Reed warned that China’s military is growing fast and investing in emerging technologies. He credited the U.S. military for tailoring its systems for that potential fight and for its own efforts to develop emerging technologies.

Beyond weaponry, Reed said it’s important for Washington to invest in economic, informational and diplomatic levers of power. He outlined the debate over the top-line for the defense budget but largely sidestepped a position himself. Reed said belt-tightening in Biden’s $715 billion Pentagon budget request, which is essentially flat, will force tough choices and divestment from some legacy weapons platforms that are less relevant to the Pacific.

Reed named a series of priority capabilities ― such as instantaneous, uninterrupted encrypted communications ― ahead of the Senate committee’s markup of the annual defense policy bill, which has been pushed late to July. “One of the big platforms we need is not necessarily a fighter aircraft or a carrier, or new troop carrier. We need completely uninterruptible conductivity,” he said. That involves space, it involves technologies, it involves adapting. https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/05/11/reed-prioritizing-china-deterrence-fund-comms-and- unmanned-ships/

Nominees for defense budget and intel chiefs face senators

By BRYAN BENDER 05/11/2021 10:00 AM EDT Updated 05/11/2021 10:45 AM EDT With Connor O’Brien

Editor’s Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense'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.

HAPPY TUESDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, on the anniversary of Congress declaring war on Mexico in 1846. It was a conflict that shaped so many legendary U.S. military leaders — Grant, Lee, Jackson, Hill, Pickett, McClellan, Davis — who later went to war with each other, including a number who hailed from the West Point Class of 1846. It was either one of the best or one of the worst, depending on your perspective. We're always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at [email protected], and follow on Twitter @bryandbender, @morningdefense and @politicopro.

BUDGET, INTEL PICKS FACE SENATORS: The Senate Armed Services Committee this morning kicks off its push to fill numerous vacancies at the Pentagon with a nomination hearing for President Joe Biden's picks for Pentagon comptroller and intelligence chief, at 9:30.

Mike McCord is a seasoned Pentagon hand who held the same post of undersecretary of defense for financial management during the Obama administration. He'll likely field questions about efforts to audit the Pentagon's books and plans to redirect funding to higher priority programs.

Ronald Moultrie is a former National Security Agency official who co-authored a cybersecurity readiness review for the Navy. Senators may also press him on a plea by four-star military commanders to declassify more intelligence about Russia‘s and China's destabilizing activities to more effectively wage the information war. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-defense/2021/05/11/nominees-for-defense-budget-and- intel-chiefs-face-senators-795214

Politico | Russian spy unit suspected of directed-energy attacks on US personnel

• CIA Director William Burns is now receiving daily briefings on the investigation, which is focused on potential involvement by the notorious GRU • Victims report symptoms consistent with ‘Havana syndrome’, including headaches, loss of balance and hearing, ringing in the ears, and sometimes brain damage

A man walks past the headquarters of the Russian General Staff's Main Intelligence Department (GRU) in Moscow in December 2016. Photo: AFP

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman and Andrew Desiderio on politico.com

on May 10, 2021.

US officials suspect that a notorious Russian spy agency may be behind alleged attacks that are causing mysterious health issues among US government personnel across the world, according to three current and former officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

Officials do not have a smoking gun linking Russia’s military intelligence unit, the GRU, to the suspected directed- energy incidents, said the people, who were not authorised to speak publicly. The intelligence community has not reached a consensus or made a formal determination. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3132972/russian-spy-unit-suspected- directed-energy-attacks

US State Dept approves potential sale of AEGIS Combat System to Canada -Pentagon

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Lockheed Martin is seen at Euronaval, the world naval defence exhibition in Le Bourget near Paris, France, October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD/File Photo

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale to Canada of 4 AEGIS Combat Systems made by Lockheed Martin in a deal valued at up to $1.7 billion, the Pentagon said on Monday. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-state-dept-approves-potential-sale-aegis-combat-system-canada- pentagon-2021-05-10/

JROC Takes More Control Over Service Weapon Buys

The JROC now will issue "strategic directives" to the services prescribing how they craft buying plans to substantiate the emerging Joint Warfighting Concept, Brig. Gen. Rob Parker, Joint Staff J6 deputy director, says.

By THERESA HITCHENSon May 11, 2021 at 5:02 PM

WASHINGTON: The Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), led by Joint Chiefs Vice- Chairman Gen. John Hyten, is asserting new powers to direct how the services fulfill Joint Warfighting Concept (JWC) is not undercut by competing service imperatives and parochial rivalries. Combatant Commanders’ needs to ensure the future

Gen. Rob Parker, deputy director of the Joint Staff J6 directorate for Command, Control, This represents “a little bit of a different take on how the JROC has been run before,” said Brig. Communications, & Computers/Cyber. The idea, he told AFCEA today, is for the JROC to be

“more prescriptive, directive to the services.” ft buying plans to substantiate the Rather than simply transmit requirements to the services, the JROC now will issue “strategic emerging JWC, Parker explained. directives” to the services prescribing how they cra capabilities, [and] look for their endorsement so that they could move forward, get resourcing “Traditionally, you would see the services coming to the JROC to lay out their requirements,

Vice [i.e. Hyten] wants to be more directive, so these strategic directives are focused at each of and execute,” Parker said. But under the new approach, he said, “using Title 10 authorities, the the supporting warfighting concepts https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/jroc-takes-more-control-over-service-weapon: fires, information advantage, contested-buys/ logistics, C2.”

Report to Congress on Navy SSN(X) Next-Generation Attack Submarine

May 11, 2021 9:21 AM

The following is the May 10, 2021 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Navy Next- Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress.

The Navy wants to begin procuring a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), called the Next-Generation Attack Submarine or SSN(X), in FY2031. The SSN(X) would be the successor to the Virginia-class SSN design, which the Navy has been procuring since FY1998. Congress approved $1 million in initial research and development funding for the SSN(X) program in FY2021.

An issue for Congress for FY2022 and subsequent years is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy’s funding requests and acquisition strategy for the SSN(X) program. Congress’s decisions on this issue could affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

Submarines in the U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy operates three types of submarines—nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), nuclear-powered cruise missile and special operations forces (SOF) submarines (SSGNs), and nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). The SSNs are general- purpose submarines that can perform a variety of peacetime and wartime missions.

Virginia-Class Program

Since FY2011, Virginia-class SSNs have been procured at a rate of two boats per year, and a total of 34 have been procured through FY2021. Most Virginia-class boats procured in FY2019 and subsequent years are to be built with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), an additional, 84-foot-long, mid-body section equipped with four large-diameter, vertical launch tubes for storing and launching Tomahawk cruise missiles or other payloads. When procured at a rate of two boats per year, VPM-equipped Virginia-class SSNs have an estimated procurement cost of about $3.4 billion per boat. https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/report-to-congress-on-navy-ssnx-next-generation-attack-submarine

SASC Chairman: 355-Ship Fleet is ‘Arbitrary’ Goal, Navy Needs To Pursue Autonomous Vehicles

By: Mallory Shelbourne May 11, 2021 7:22 PM

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) steam in formation during a Strait of Hormuz transit, Sept. 18 on Sept. 18, 2020. US Navy Photo

-ship fleet total, the service should concentrate more effort on developing autonomous vehicles, the top lawmakerRather than on focusing the Senate on theArmed “arbitrary” Services 355 Committee said today.

Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute, SASC Chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D- R.I.) emphasized the importance of capability over quantity. many aircraft or ships rather than look at the threat. Look at what capabilities “In many cases it’s arbitrary. It sends a signal that we’re going to have-ship … soNavy and larger fleet. you need,” Reed said when asked for his thoughts on calls for a 355 and I think [former Defense] Secretary [Mark] Esper tried to emphasize this when he talked about his number was we have to move more“One oftoward the things autonomous – vehicles and particularly surface vehicles and sub- – surface vehicles.” ments from his counterpart in the lower chamber. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D- Wash.)Reed’s remarkshas long echocriticized previous the objective com of a 355-ship Navy and argued that the service and the Pentagon need the right capabilities, not necessarily a specific quantity of platforms. While the Navy had for years said it was building toward a fleet of 355 ships, a shipbuilding proposal unveiled at the end of the Trump administration called for a significant boost to the shipbuilding account that would bring the fleet to 546 ships including battle force ships and unmanned surface and sub- surface vehicles plans to approach– shipbuilding, as the Fiscal Year 2022 budget has yet to be released. – by 2045. But it’s unclear how the Biden administration https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/sasc-chairman-355-ship-fleet-is-arbitrary-goal-navy-needs-to-pursue- autonomous-vehicles

US Navy Designing Faster, More Efficient Drone Subs With ‘Shark Skin’

The US Navy announced that one of its researchers, Nicole Xu, is working on faster, more energy-efficient underwater vehicles with surfaces that mimic shark skin.

Xu, a postdoctoral research associate from the Laboratories for Computational Physics & Fluid Dynamics, is testing bioinspired surfaces on hydrofoils before adding them to vehicles such as the WANDA UUV.

This research employs 3D printing of the hydrofoils, which are then tested in a water tunnel, according to the press release.

“Shark skin comprises arrays of teeth-like denticle structures, which contribute to fast and stealthy swimming by turbulent drag reduction,” Xu said.

Naval Research Laboratory Aerospace Engineer Jason Geder describes Xu as demonstrating “extraordinary motivation and initiative, as well as technical expertise in the area of unpiloted systems research.”

Beyond shark-inspired tech fitted to underwater vehicles, the US Army is seeking to equip robots with organic muscle tissue for added agility and versatility. The Army Research Laboratory believes that its high-tech equipment could use this real muscle instead of mechanical arms to move and manipulate objects in the environment.

“Though impressive in their own right, today’s robots are deployed to serve a limited purpose then are retrieved some minutes later,” US army research scientist, Dr. Dean Culver explained. “ARL wants robots to be versatile teammates capable of going anywhere Soldiers can and more, adapting to the needs of any given situation.”

In March, the US army also received its first set of semi-autonomous “robot dogs” which have the ability to crouch low and creep into shallow spaces. Dubbed “Quad-legged Unmanned Ground Vehicles,” the canine-inspired automatons will be used as extra security around a military installation in Florida. https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/us-navy-drone-subs-shark-skin/

Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors can’t fix: LCS maintenance woes could get worse, watchdog warns Geoff Ziezulewicz

A government watchdog report warns that the Navy's system for maintaining littoral combat ships could lead to even tougher challenges. (Navy)

When they first started filling the surface fleet’s ranks 13 years ago, the Navy’s littoral combat ships were billed as agile, efficient vessels capable of taking on a variety of missions.

Part of that efficiency involved small crews, which in turn required heavy reliance on contractors for even routine maintenance.

But such choices have led the embattled class to encounter maintenance challenges not seen elsewhere in the fleet, issues that could imperil the ability of such ships to get out of maintenance on time and therefore lessen the number of ships available for operations, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.

GAO investigators found that the Navy doesn’t even know how to repair many commercial systems onboard LCS and is starting to pay the manufacturers of such systems for the required data to troubleshoot and fix issues on the ships.

In one instance, a broken part aboard one LCS was replaced by a cannibalized working part from another LCS because the part’s manufacturer “did not have a procedure to fix it,” according to GAO.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2021/05/10/cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix- lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns/

Navy Forecasting Provides 45-day Advanced Environmental Predictions 11 May 2021

From Cassandra Eichner, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON - Navy ESPC V1 provides the Navy with the first ever high-resolution ensemble capability for the ocean and sea ice that delivers both ensemble mean forecasts as well as a measure of uncertainty up to 45 days out.

-navigating environment just got a little less mysterious thanks to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory-developed Navy Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) globalEarth’s forecasting ocean system that went live in late August.

Navy ESPC V1 provides the Navy with the first ever high-resolution ensemble capability for the ocean and sea ice that delivers both ensemble mean forecasts as well as a measure of uncertainty up to 45 days out.

- Reynolds, a meteor “Atmosphere, ocean and sea ice conditions affect naval operations,” said Carolyn forecast informationologist that fills at NRL’s the gap Marine between Meteorology weather andDivision climate in Monterey,timescales to California. “The transition of this new system provides, for the first time, environmental

Fleetadvise Numerical decision makers.” Meteorological and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) released the new forecast system to provide these important program elements, and provide users a range of forecasts and an understanding of the accuracy of the forecast.

forecast out to seven days, but now Navy ESPC V1 provides an extended high resolution capability“Previously, out global to 45 ocean days andand thesea ensemble ice forecasts mean consisted is typically of a moresingle accurate determin thanistic a project collaborator. single forecast,” said Joe Metzger, a meteorologist at NRL’s Ocean Sciences Division and With Naval forces operating in dynamic environments around the world, having an accurate global long-range forecast provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Naval Oceanographic Office, and National Ice Center is critical to the safety of service members and for operational planning.

-level Navy preparation for subseasonal-to-seasonal ahead“ESPC isof enablingtime the typhoonhigher season in the Western Pacific will be particularly light or particularlyprediction,” saidheavy Bill allows Kerr, better the technical force protection director at preparation FNMOC. “For and instance, application knowing of re

Kerrsources.” believes this initial implementation is just the tip of the iceberg for how ESPC will revolutionize environmental forecasting.

evolving testbed for Navy R&D, and the same systems provide dynamically “The real payoff for this technology is still in the future, when ESPC becomes a rapidly - reconfigurable modeling capabilities in one coupled system for operations,” Kerr said. “It’s good now, but it’s going to be game changer for environmental forecasting.” NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C., with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; and Monterey, California, and employs approximately 2,500 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2602963/navy-forecasting-provides-45-day- advanced-environmental-predictions/

The US Navy has its own helicopter squadron dedicated to supporting special-operations missions

13 hours ago

Crews assigned to the Firehawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 (HSC-85) conduct desert landing training in an HH-60H helicopter near El Centro, California, August 10, 2016. US Navy/MCS2 Chad M. Butler

• The Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is widely known for supporting special-ops missions. • But the Navy also has its own dedicated squadron for special operations — Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85. • See more stories on Insider's business page.

The Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is the primary aviation unit that flies in support of special operations.

When Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs hunted Mohamed Farah Aidid in Somalia, the 160th supported them from the air. When the Navy SEALs took down Osama bin Laden, the Nightstalkers flew them in and out. When the British SAS and Navy SEALs rescued aid workers taken hostage by Afghan bandits during Operation Jubilee, well, you can guess who flew them.

However, despite SEALs being flown by the 160th in the aforementioned operations, the Navy does have its own dedicated squadron for special operations. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-navy-has-a-squadron-dedicated-to-special-operations-support-2021- 5

THE U.S. NAVY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN: INDIA’S ‘GOLDILOCKS’ DILEMMA

ABHIJIT SINGH

MAY 11, 2021

COMMENTARY

India’s strategic community was in a frenzy last month after USS John Paul Jones carried out a freedom of navigation exercise near India’s Lakshadweep Islands. Indian observers were mystified by the timing of maneuver, coming as it did at a moment when U.S.-Indian relations are on a high. The disquiet in New Delhi was compounded by a U.S. 7th Fleet press release that said the operation was carried out in India’s exclusive economic zone “without requesting India’s prior consent” to assert “navigational rights and freedoms”— language that many Indian observers saw as needlessly provocative.

Analysts in India should not have been surprised. Following the Biden administration’s announcement of ambitious plans to counter China, the United States has moved to boost its military presence in the Indo- Pacific region. In recent weeks, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps have bolstered their deployments, jointly conducting expeditionary strike force operations in the South China Sea. While much of America’s focus is on tackling China’s grey zone challenge in the East Asian littorals, the Indian Ocean, too, is receiving more attention than ever. There is a growing sense in Washington that the free and open Indo-Pacific strategy has neglected the Indian Ocean region, where China has made steady inroads. With the maturation of the Quad, a loose security partnership of the United States, India, Australia, and Japan, many U.S. analysts believe the time is right for the U.S. Navy to stage a return to the Indian Ocean region.

Washington’s moves, however, are a tad too much for India’s comfort. Despite strong ties with the United States and a shared understanding of China’s aggressive rise in the Indo-Pacific, New Delhi remains wary of a large U.S. footprint in littoral South Asia. While the Indian navy has sought closer engagement with the U.S. Navy, particularly in the aftermath of the India-China border clash in June last year, Indian observers believe that prevailing circumstances in the eastern Indian Ocean do not merit increased pressure by the U.S. Navy. As this essay explains, despite warming bilateral ties, New Delhi and Washington have somewhat incompatible expectations in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. Navy has been increasingly active, obtruding — wittingly or unwittingly — on what many in India see as India’s sphere of natural influence. The general view among Indian commentators is that the best course for the United States and India is a middle path, whereby the U.S. Navy could aid the Indian navy materially and technologically in ways that might create greater stability and peace in the Indian Ocean. https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/the-u-s-navy-in-the-indian-ocean-indias-goldilocks-dilemma/

Marines eye tactical resupply drone prototypes Todd South

1 day ago

Just like Amazon wants to use drones to drop off packages on your doorstep, the Marines want to use UAS systems for tactical resupply to squads in the field. Military Times' Todd South looks goes to Periscope Aviation's headquarters for a look at where heavy-lift drone technology is headed.

The Marines are one step closer to finding ways to transport vital supplies to Marines on the move via drones.

In 2020, the Corps sought prototype drones that would be able to carry a 60 pound payload on a 20 km roundtrip.

After evaluations at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, the Corps picked Periscope Aviation and Malloy Aeronautics to build competing drones under the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System program.

The program is basically the Marines Corps’ way of seeing what’s available from industry for smaller payload, shorter range resupply that could be scaled up quickly for larger payloads at farther distances with the right technology investment.

Marine Corps Times recently visited the Leesburg, Virginia, headquarters of Periscope Aviation to view a demonstration of their prototype and talk with Periscope CEO Nick McCarter.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/05/10/marines-eye-tactical-resupply- drone-prototypes/

US Air Force Tests Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon

The AGM-183A ARRW, a hypersonic missile designed by Lockheed Martin, is to improve the USAF's strike capabilities.

The US Air Force (USAF) announced on Monday an electronics test in its development of a hypersonic missile capable of targeting enemy military bases in challenging locations as well as surface warships.

The successful test has shown that a B-52H Stratofortress bomber can deploy the USAF’s AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) after receiving target data from electronic sensors at a distance of more than 1,000 miles (1,620 km) and complete simulated missile strikes from 700 miles (1,134 km) away.

“We were really exercising the data links that we needed in order to complete that kill chain loop, and then get the feedback to the players in the airspace that the simulated hypersonic missile was fired and effective,” 53rd Test Management Group deputy commander Lt. Col. Joe Little said.

The test involved a more than 13-hour flight from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana to Alaska and back. It took place during Northern Edge 21— a military exercise that “provides training, improves joint interoperability, and enhances combat readiness” of service members from the USAF, US Army, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. The AGM-183A ARRW is a hypersonic missile designed by Lockheed Martin to improve the US Air Force’s strike capabilities.

It provides “rapid response, time critical capability that will overcome distance in contested environments using high speed and altitude” and “enables the US to hold high value, time-sensitive targets at risk in contested environments from stand-off distances,” as stated on the Lockheed Martin website.

The ARRW has previously undergone multiple tests, one of which took place on April 5, when a missile booster vehicle failed to launch from a B-52H Stratofortress. The test was conducted from Edwards Air Force Base in California over the Point Mugu Sea Range in the Pacific Ocean.

Lockheed Martin was awarded $480 million in August 2018 for hypersonic missile development. In December 2019, it received a $988.8 million contract modification for the critical design review, test, and production readiness support of the ARRW. The missile is expected to be operational by 2022. https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/usaf-tests-rapid-response-weapon/

Reserve Sentinels Support Global Economic Stability 11 May 2021

From Coalition Task Force SENTINEL Public Affairs

Confidence in a rules-based international system is essential to the stability of the global economy. Without it, commerce could not flow as freely as necessary to keep up with the world’s demand. For this reason, eight partner nations work together within the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) to cultivate that confidence in the Middle East region. Partner nations include Albania, Bahrain, Estonia, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

Serving as the operational arm of IMSC is Coalition Task Force (CTF) Sentinel, a group of 85 staff members created to deter state-sponsored malign activity throughout the Over half of the CTF Sentinel staff are from the United States, and 55 of thoseMiddle are East mobilized region’s Selected international Reserve waters. (SELRES) Sailors, providing operational support in keeping sea lines of communication open for business.

A primary component of CTF collaboration is key leader engagements, or KLEs. Responsibility for planning, coordinating and executing the frequent KLEs falls to Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. KateSentinel’s Gardener.

Gardener performs her KLE role in addition to serving as protocol officer and planner of multiple major command evolutions; however, she says her KLE responsibilities are the highlight of her assignment.the command’s

-level

“Interacting with foreign navies and being in the room during many of these high Transitioningtalks is simply to inspiring,” the Navy sheReserve said. after more than eight years on active duty, Lt. Cmdr. Morgan Hill, CTF has international presence through her recent travels to Souda Bay, Crete, Djibouti and Mozambique. Sentinel’s future operations lead, seen her command’s

been a part of my life, my identity and soul since I left for college at the U.S. Naval Academy ever“The beenNavy ahas part of in that we are directly affecting global commerce by providing reassurance to the merchantover 10 years community ago,” she in strategicsaid. “Sentinel’s chokepoints mission like is the unlike Strait any of I've Hormuz. Some days— I have to take a pause to realize how cool my job is and how unique of a position I’m in. Who else can say that they sit in meetings with people from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates on a weekly

CTFbasis?” joint force efforts to monitor and provide support to merchant shipping is integral to the mission and is the primary task of Quartermaster 3rd Class Alesha GreeneSentinel’s as a CTF Sentinel Maritime Trade Officer (MTO). https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2602747/reserve-sentinels-support-global- economic-stability/

Space Force seeks bids for rocket engine testing and space transportation technologies by Sandra Erwin — May 11, 2021

The U.S. Space Force is seeking next-generation space transportation technologies. Seen here is a SpaceX Jan. 24, 2021, launch of the Transporter-1 rideshare mission. Credit: SpaceX

Projects will be co-funded by the government and contractors under “other transactions authority” agreements managed by the Space Enterprise Consortium

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force on May 11 issued three requests for industry proposals on technologies that the military will need to reach space and to operate spacecraft in orbit.

The Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise is seeking proposals for next-generation rocket engine testing, launch vehicle upper stage enhancements, and capabilities to maneuver in space. Proposals are due June 10.

The projects will be co-funded by the government and the contractors under “other transaction authority” agreements managed by SMC’s Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC).

“SMC intends to partner with industry to invest in next generation rocket engine testing, upper stage resiliency enhancements, and orbital transfer and maneuver capabilities,” Col. Rob Bongiovi, director of SMC’s Launch Enterprise, said May 11 in a statement.

Bongiovi said these projects will deliver technologies for the next phase of the National Security Space Launch program. The Space Force last year selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as its launch providers for the next five years under NSSL Phase 2. SMC wants to start pushing the development of next-generation space transportation technologies in preparation for Phase 3.

The plan is to “accelerate development of transformational space access capabilities and make them available for future NSSL procurement contracts,” Bongiovi said. “We are eager to work with SpEC to maximize acquisition flexibility and speed to award the next generation rocket engine testing and upper stage resiliency enhancements by September 2021 and the orbital transfer and maneuver capabilities in early 2022.” Col. Tim Sejba, SMC’s program executive officer for space development, said these are the first of many projects that will be overseen by SpEC. “Over the next 12 months, we expect to release 11 projects with a cumulative value exceeding $1.5 billion,” said Sejba. https://spacenews.com/space-force-seeks-bids-for-rocket-engine-testing-and-space-transportation- technologies/

Japan and US defense chiefs to meet in Singapore in June

Tokyo and Washington hope their closer ties will give China pause

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Austin visited Japan in March. The Japanese and U.S. governments have been holding a series of summit and ministerial-level discussions every month.

JUNNOSUKE KOBARA, Nikkei staff writerMay 11, 2021 20:25 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plan to meet in Singapore early June, for the second time since March, to address pressing regional security issues, in particular China-Taiwan tensions, and rising cybersecurity threats.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Japan-and-US-defense-chiefs-to-meet-in-Singapore- in-June

Japan PM Suga planning to attend Singapore security forum in June

• • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is planning to attend a major security forum to be held in Singapore next month, government sources say. | AFP-JIJI • KYODO • SHARE • May 11, 2021 Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is arranging to participate in a major security forum to be held in Singapore next month, government sources said Tuesday, as Japan cooperates with like-minded countries to counter China's growing military influence in the region.

Suga, who would be the first Japanese leader in seven years to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, is slated to give a keynote speech, the sources said.

During the June 4-5 gathering, sponsored by British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Suga is expected to call for a free and open Indo-Pacific region, a vision promoted by Japan and the United States as China increases its maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas.

The annual conference, which has been held in Singapore since 2002, was canceled last year after the COVID- 19 pandemic forced many countries to restrict travel and shut their borders.

The last time a Japanese prime minister attended the event was in 2014 when Suga's predecessor, Shinzo Abe, called for a rules-based order in the Asia-Pacific region.

The event has been providing a platform for ministers and top military officials from more than 40 countries, including the United States and China, to discuss major security challenges in the region.

Suga plans to make the visit ahead of the summit of the Group of Seven major nations to be held June 11 to 13 in Cornwall, southwestern England, as he tries to gradually resume in-person diplomacy, which has been stalled by the pandemic.

But he could still opt not to go if he decides to extend again the ongoing COVID-19 state of emergency beyond its end date, currently set for May 31, according to the sources.

The current state of emergency, which was declared in late April as Japan struggled with a fourth wave of infections, was originally scheduled to end Tuesday but was extended amid surging infections driven by the spread of variants of the virus, putting increased strain on the country's medical system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/11/national/suga-singapore-forum/

Japan conducts first joint drills with France and US with eye on China, North Korea

• The drills, which sees troops training in activities such as simulated urban combat, comes months after France reaffirmed its commitment to the Indo-Pacific • The French fleet is part of an increased presence of European forces in the region, with a German warship due to visit Japan and a UK Royal Navy task force to train there later this year

The Surcouf will station itself in the East China Sea. Photo: Twitter

French naval and ground units on Tuesday began taking part in joint military manoeuvres with their Japanese and US counterparts in southern

Japan, with the exercises simulating a number of scenarios, including defending remote islands and intercepting vessels at sea.

The week-long drills are the first time that French units have carried out exercises in Japan with American and Japanese forces, with analysts suggesting the drills are designed to send a message to an increasingly expansionist and aggressive

China.The manoeuvres are being staged in Nagasaki Prefecture at the Ground Self-Defence Force’s Camp Ainoura, the headquarters of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3133085/japan-conducts-first-joint-drills-france-and-us- eye-china-north

U.S. and French troops begin joint military drills with SDF in Japan

• • Ground Self-Defense Force personnel conduct an amphibious drill with the U.S. Marines in February 2020 in Okinawa Prefecture. Japan, France and the United States began a large-scale joint military drill in Nagasaki Prefecture on Tuesday. | KYODO • KYODO • SHARE • May 11, 2021 Large-scale ground military exercises involving troops of the Self-Defense Forces, the United States and France began in southwestern Japan on Tuesday to increase cooperation in the face of China’s growing assertiveness.

“ARC21” will be held through next Monday as Tokyo seeks to deepen defense cooperation beyond its U.S. ally to “like-minded countries,” Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said ahead of the drills.

France “is the only European country with a permanent military presence in the Indo- Pacific region,” Kishi told a news conference in Tokyo. “It is also a like-minded country that shares with Japan the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The move comes as Tokyo and Washington work to boost their alliance over regional issues including the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by Beijing, in the East China Sea amid an escalation in China’s maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas.

France has strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, where it has territories including the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean and French Polynesia in the South Pacific.

The forces of the three countries will engage in urban warfare drills followed by amphibious operation exercises, according to the Ground Self-Defense Force. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/11/national/sdf-us-france-joint-drills/

Interview: French Asia Pacific Commander Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey

By: Dzirhan Mahadzir

May 11, 2021 4:27 PM • Updated: May 11, 2021 11:02 PM

Charles De Gaulle – The carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) docked at Changi Naval Base during its 2019 deployment to the region Photo by Dzirhan Mahadzir

KUALA LUMPUR Far from France, Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey, Joint Commander French Armed Forces in the Asia-Pacific (ALPACI), is responsible for French security– interests in the Indo-Pacific growing in complexity as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to build, he told USNI News. – an area of the world that’s

ntend to assume our international responsibilities by regularly deploying military units through an association of mainland forces and overseas-based “We i deployments are enhanced by a network of support bases and French officers assets,” Rey said in response to written questions from USNI News. “Those includingThe U.S. and defense China attachés are shaping and theliaison regional officers.” strategic context, he said. Combined with the global armament effort in Asia and the reconfiguration of strategic balances, the competition has led to increased uncertainties and enhanced various existing threats, including the consequences of climate change, environment protection, natural disasters, illegal trafficking, piracy, maritime terrorism and illegal migration, all of which continue to destabilize also threatened by Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, he said. this vast area. The Pacific, which owns the world’s largest fishing resources, is Rey said that France is a nation of the Indo-Pacific, with overseas territories like French Polynesia, New Caledonia and La Réunion forming a significant part of the French maritime domain that accounts for millions of square miles than 1.6 million inhabitants, 7,000 permanent-based defense personnel and 200,000in Exclusive expatriates Economic in Zones.the coastal “[B]eyond countries these of sovereignthe Indo- zones, we have more https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/interview-french-indo-pacific-commander-rPacific,”ear-adm-jean-mathieu-rey he said.

South Korea, U.S. reinforce alliance with cost-sharing pact Felix Kim May 10, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

Felix Kim

A new cost-sharing agreement between South Korea and the United States will strengthen the defense alliance to counter increasingly complex threats in the Indo-Pacific region, experts and government officials agree.

-ho, defense analyst and professor of international studies at Seoul “Washington and Seoul reached agreement on defense sharing for the next six years, including National University, told FORUM the past year,” Sheen Seong The burden-sharing ratio between the allies will be adjusted as the size of the Republic of . “This stabilized the fundamental basis of the alliance.”

not been released, officials involved said the pact Korea (ROK) defense budget changes, he added, characterizing the agreement as “both represents a meaningful increase in contributions from South Korea to help pay for U.S. forces practical and logical.” Although details have on the Korean Peninsula.

rch 18, 2021, meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Sheen’s words echoed statements by ROK Minister of Defense Suh Wook following his Ma -U.S. alliance will grow a step further based on a stronger strategic ding to the ROK Lloyd Austin. “The ROK Ministry of National Defense. (Pictured: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and communication and cooperation system between them,” Suh said, accor

Republic of China and North Korea during their March 2021 meeting in Seoul.) Republic of Korea Minister of Defense Suh Wook discussed threats posed by the People’s About 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. In 2019, the allies struck a deal that required South Korea to pay about U.S. $924 million for the U.S. presence. The new deal is expected to increase that annual contribution.

With that deal being finalized, the allies in the coming months will turn their attention to a range of defense issues. Those include the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to the ROK from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK); defense and deterrence of threats posed by North Korea; defense of Indo-Pacific waterways; and trilateral defense cooperation involving Japan, South Korea and the U.S., Sheen said. OPCON transfer has been progressing since early 2006, he said, but momentum has intensified on from its Yongsan Garrison base in Seoul to Camp Humphreys, about 65 kilometers south of the capital city. The transfer illustrates that the ROK military is taking on with USFK’s relocati

Deterringgreater responsibility and defending for against the nation’s conventional defense, andhe added. nuclear threats posed by North Korea requires continued military strength and readiness, Sheen said. Achieving Suh’s stated goal of

“permanent peace” on the peninsula, however, also will require engagement with Pyongyang “handled in very close coordination between the two ally partners,” Sheen said.

U.S. officials emphasized that their commitment to defending South Korea is enduring. “The Mutual Defense Treaty, and U.S. forces in Korea are specifically postured to fight tonight if United States’ security commitment to the Republic of Korea is unshakable, consistent with the The Washington Postnewspaper. needed,” said Army Lt. Col. Martin Meiners, a Pentagon spokesman, according to Trilateral defense cooperation with Japan will be important going forward, particularly in most important pillar of Indo- missile defense, Sheen said. He characterized USFK’s presence on the peninsula as “maybe the spots for conflict, particularly in the East and South China seas, stability on the Korean Pacific stability.” In a region with no shortage of potential hot Peninsula is crucial to peace in the broader region, he said.

-largest shipbuilding country, South Korea strongly supports freedo With its economy heavily dependent on trade and as the world’s second of navigation and rule of law is critical for South Korea, not only for military security but also m of navigation, he said. “Maintaining freedom

economichttps://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/south-korea-u-s-reinforce-alliance-wi security,” he said. th-cost-sharing-pact/

South Korea Develops Autonomous Drone Navigation Technology

The technology is said to allow UAVs to set an optimized and safe path to a destination without human intervention.

TONG ONG MAY 11, 2021

1 MINUTE READ

The South Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced on Tuesday that it has developed a technology that allows unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to reach their destinations while autonomously avoiding threats and obstacles.

The technology is said to allow UAVs to set an optimized and safe path to a destination without human intervention. To do this, it uses a sensor to collect external information and automatically generate an algorithm for navigation.

“We will continue to develop technologies such as an artificial intelligence-based technology capable of recognizing strategic situations, and an optimization technology for the simultaneous operation of multiple drones,” the agency said.

UAVs and smaller drones that can autonomously reach their destinations have been available for years. However, these vehicles are usually unable to detect, in real time, obstacles such as high-rise buildings and large trees, and navigate around them. To address this, pilots have to set the flight course on a path where hazards or obstacles do not exist. Military UAVs will have improved survivability during operations and the civilian sector can make use of this technology for applications such as enhanced aerial mobility for drone taxis, the agency stated.

In April, South Korean Army Chief of Staff Gen. Nam Yeong-shin announced that the army is accelerating efforts to deploy its drone bot combat system early. The drone bot combat unit will use small, swarming UAVs to focus on reconnaissance and surveillance operations.

“The drone bot combat system will be one of the army’s core capabilities in the future. We will strive further for its early deployment in close cooperation with the government, related industries, and the academic circle,” Nam said.

North Korea was also reported to have successfully tested its own unmanned reconnaissance and attack drones, capable of “precision reconnaissance of areas deep within the frontline” and “precision suicide attacks” on targets. https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/south-korea-autonomous-drone-navigation-technology/

for U.S. Near Taiwan: Chinese Think Tank Norwegian Flagged Civilian Ship “Spying”

Grand Canyon II Support Vessel: Image via Helix Energy

The Grand Canyon II, a Norwegian flagged multirole support vessel affiliated to Helix Energy, a US oil and gas services company, has been undertaking “undisclosed operations” during the past months, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing-based think tank, said on Sunday. In early March, the ship arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, from Guam to carry the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter that was salvaged on March 17 after it crashed into the ocean 92 nautical miles east to Okinawa on January 25, 2020. According to tracking data released by SCSPI, the Grand Canyon II has been operating near the island of Taiwan and in the South China Sea over the past month. Data also shows that since late 2020, the ship had stayed in Taichung and Kaohsiung in the island of Taiwan, and Nagasaki and Yokosuka in Japan, Global Times reported quoting the SCSPI. Without providing any evidence, the Global Times report said quoting an unnamed military analyst, “since the ship had worked with the US military, the Grand Canyon II is very likely to be a spy ship hired by the US military for special missions”. The US has had a history of using civilian vessels for military missions. This particular ship could be supporting the US Navy in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering near the island of Taiwan, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Monday. It could conduct reconnaissance and eavesdropping missions by collecting surrounding radio signals, place detection devices into the sea for hydrological survey or even use sonar devices to track submarine activities, Wei mentioned while noting that it could also serve as a secret base and special agents could use it for transport and covert operations. According information posted on the website of Helix Energy, “The Grand Canyon II includes dedicated survey systems, including Multiple HiPap transponders, dedicated survey areas on the bridge with multiple video links and remote monitoring stations throughout the client offices and vessel work areas,” suggesting a role in survey work. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29547/Norwegian_Flagged_Civilian_Ship____Spying____for_U_S__N ear_Taiwan__Chinese_Think_Tank#.YJtqw-gzbIV

China accuses US of biowarfare to deflect COVID blame Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. (Voice of America photo/Released)

MAY 11, 2021 RYAN MORGAN

On Monday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the U.S. of engaging in research that could be used for “bio-warfare and bio- terrorism.”

Hua raised the accusation during a press conference, in response to a question about a leaked Chinese document from 2015 in which officials said coronaviruses can be “artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponized and unleashed in a way never seen before.” Sponsored

Hua downplayed the leaked documents and said it is “not any classified internal document, but rather a piece of openly available academic work.” Hua then said the Chinese documents cited U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Ainscough. Hua claimed Ainscough wrote that bioweapons are part of U.S. air force projects to counter weapons of mass destruction.

“The argument by Ainscough shows that it is the U.S. that is researching the technology of genetic engineering applied to bio-warfare and bio-terrorism,” Hua said.

“Some in the U.S. take every opportunity to cite and play up so-called ‘internal documents’ and ‘reports’ to denigrate and smear China,” Hua said. “However, facts and truth always prove that they are either the offender playing the defendant, or making vicious interpretations by taking words out of context or with presumption of guilt, or spreading sheer lies.” https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/05/china-accuses-us-of-biowarfare-to-deflect-covid-blame/

China Announces Facility Capable of Producing 100 Drones Annually

The industrial park will produce military and commercial drones.

FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditShare via EmailPrint

China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group – a subsidiary of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) – has announced the development of a facility dedicated to producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Sichuan province, Janes reported. The 10 billion Chinese yuan ($1.55 billion) facility in Zigong city will produce military and commercial drones, according to a statement issued by the Sichuan government. The industrial park, which will be operational by 2023, will provide service “across the entire UAV industrial chain” including design, research, development, testing, assembly, manufacturing (including 3D printing), commissioning, and sustainment, Janes added. The facility’s expected production of 100 drones every year is emblematic of China’s recent rise as one of the world’s largest exporters of combat drones.

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/05/11/china-drone-facility-sichuan/

When and Why China Might—or Might Not—Attack Taiwan

U.S. policymakers can only guess at what’s driving Beijing, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do about it.

JACOB STOKES |

MAY 11, 2021 08:00 AM ET

Security tensions are brewing in East Asia. China has on several recent occasions sent military aircraft to fly around Taiwan, including into its air defense identification zone, complete with taunts from the Chinese pilots. Officials and analysts worry that an attack on the self-governing island could be in the offing. But when? Sometime between tomorrow and mid-century. Or never. No one knows, and that’s because no one really knows what drives China’s decision-making.

Some commentators have advanced what might be called structural theories about when and why China could attempt to invade Taiwan. General Secretary Xi Jinping has proclaimed the goal of achieving the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by the centennial anniversary of the founding the People’s Republic of China in 2049 (often shorthanded as “mid-century”). Rejuvenation and unification are inextricable in the eyes of the CCP. Xi asserted in January 2019 that the “Taiwan question…will definitely end with China’s rejuvenation.” Others expect it sooner: by 2035, when state-run media say the People’s Liberation Army, will “basically” be modernized enough to fight and win a regional war against another advanced military. The implication being that China will invade once it concludes the PLA can win.

Alternative structural assessments see a more imminent peril. They argue the world, especially the United States, is entering a dangerous decade in relations with China generally and with regard to Taiwan specifically, where Beijing’s relative power is reaching an apex compared to would-be geopolitical competitors. Those theories posit that Chinese leaders might conclude they must attempt to forcibly annex Taiwan while they are at their strongest or risk it falling out of their grasp forever. Others acknowledge China faces future challenges but note that even slowing economic growth rates would arrive on top of a massive base, so Beijing’s power, at least relative to Taiwan, will likely continue to accrue. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/05/when-and-why-china-mightor-might-notattack- taiwan/173937/

China’s Long March 5B rocket makes splash, but good news burns up in the atmosphere

• Casualties avoided, but China is criticised for failing to plan a ‘targeted re-entry’ to determine where debris would land • The rocket and its predecessor – debris from which landed in Africa – have made the largest uncontrolled descents in 30 years, amid differing views on the risks

The returning rocket stage was 33 metres long and weighed over 20 tonnes, making it the sixth-largest object to re-

Its fragments enterplunged the into Earth’s the Indian atmosphere. Ocean with Photo: no Xinhuacasualties, but the fall to Earth of the Long March 5B rocket focused attention on forays into space – against the inevitable backdrop of broader tussles with the West. China’s As the rocket was re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday, US space agency Nasa said China had failed to “meet responsible standards”, before China hit back, saying the operation was conducted within international law.

Space operation experts said that the criticism of China was based on established space practice, but the descent of the Long March 5B highlighted differences between Chinese and US views, magnified on this occasion by the giant size of the launcher rocket and China’s failure to plan a “targeted re-entry” of its debris.

China announced that the “great majority” of the debris had burned up before it reached the Indian Ocean near the Maldives – confirming its earlier prediction that it was unlikely to cause any harm. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133089/chinas-long-march-5b-rocket-makes- splash-good-news-burns

PLA releases videos showing marines in island landing drills ‘targeting Taiwan’

• Navy says recent exercises involving amphibious landing docks aimed to improve rapid response in enemy territory • Analyst says combat training is preparation for a possible conflict over Taiwan and more such drills are expected

Marines land on an island during one of the recent drills. Photo: PLA Navy

The Liberation Army has conducted island landing drills apparently targeting Taiwan, amid heightened tensions across the strait. People’s Video footage released by the PLA Navy on Monday shows marines from the Eastern Theatre Command in a recent landing exercise involving a Type 071 amphibious transport dock, the Yimengshan, along with landing craft and armoured vehicles. It was not clear where or when the drill was conducted.

The navy also released a video last week showing a recent landing drill by the Southern Theatre Command in which another Type 071 amphibious landing dock, the Qilianshan, made its debut with sister ship the Wuzhishan, in an exercise in an unknown location that included vertical landing training using ship-borne helicopters.

The navy said the drills were aimed at training marines in rapid response in enemy territory and using different amphibious platforms and weapon systems. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3133096/pla-releases-videos-showing-marines-island- landing-drills

PLA holds mock battle between carrier-borne, land- based aircraft over Yellow Sea

By Liu Xuanzun

Published: May 11, 2021 08:07 PM

Fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command get ready to take off from the runway for a flight training exercise in late April, 2021.Photo:China Military

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently held a mock battle between a group of aircraft carrier-borne fighter jets and a land-based joint warplane formation, as the two sides became the whetstone for each other and honed the forces' capabilities in both countering and using aircraft carriers, experts said on Tuesday.

In the exercise above waters of the Yellow Sea, the PLA Northern Theater Command Air Force and Navy joined forces and dispatched land-based warplanes including KJ-200 early warning aircraft, J-10A fighter jets and JH-7A fighter bombers in the red team, as they faced the challenge of the blue team consisting of a group of J-15 carrier-borne fighter jets coming from the sea, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

In a combat session, the red team's J-10A fighter jets engaged in contesting regional air superiority with the blue team's J-15s, winning the JH-10A fighter bombers some opportunities to quickly penetrate the defense line as they eliminated their maritime targets.

Land-based anti-aircraft missile installations also participated in the drill, likely as a part of the red team.

The exercise simulated attack and defense under many different battlefield environments including air-to-air, air-to-sea and air-to-ground, CCTV reported.

No scenarios were preset in the exercise, as neither side had any idea of what was coming, Senior Captain Bian Fengchun, the deputy commander of the participating naval aviation force, told CCTV.

"The exercise practiced the buildup of the reconnaissance and early warning system, fast anti-sea attack and coordinated attack and defense, and the officers' skills in battlefield command were also enhanced," Bian said. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223188.shtml

China fields J-10 jets powered by homemade engine

By: Mike Yeo 13 hours ago

15

MELBOURNE, Australia — Chengdu J-10 jets powered by indigenous engines have entered operational service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, representing China’s confidence in the local technology to equip the single- engine, multirole aircraft. Images posted by China National Radio of a PLAAF live-firing exercise at an unspecified location show J-10C Vigorous Dragons with the distinctive exhaust nozzles of the WS-10B Taihang turbofan engine, marking the first time the WS- 10 has been officially seen on an operational J-10. The serial numbers on the tails of the J-10Cs were removed from the images by Chinese censors, making it impossible to identify the PLAAF unit operating the jets. The confirmation of J-10s powered by an indigenous engine represents a key milestone for China’s aviation industry, and it suggests China is now satisfied by the performance and reliability of the WS-10. China has been testing the engine on the J-10 since at least 2011, with the engine seen on J-10B and J-10C test bed aircraft belonging to the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, although the engines were not seen on production aircraft until the fourth production batch of J-10Cs in 2019.

It’s unknown when these initial aircraft with WS-10 engines were delivered to the PLAAF. China does not routinely publicize such milestones, although Andreas Rupprecht, who has authored several books on Chinese military aviation, believes a Shantou-based PLAAF brigade was the first to receive the aircraft. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/05/11/china-fields-j-10-jets-powered-by- homemade-engine/

China-India border tension: PLA’s modified rocket launchers filmed on plateau facing India

• Digital version of the PLA’s truck-mounted PHL-03 long-range multiple rocket launchers deployed to Xinjiang command: CCTV • New design allows rocket launcher to strike multiple targets simultaneously

The updated version of PHL-03 rocket system has automated computerised fire control systems with

ChinaChina’s has BeiDou equipped satellite its border positioning troops facing system India fitted with toa modified the rocket truck-mounted launchers. rocket, state media reported.

The digital version of the PHL-03 long-range multiple rocket launchers were filmed mass deployed to an artillery battalion of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command, CCTV said at the weekend.

This unit is stationed on the plateau area, at 5,200-metre (17,000-feet) altitude, where the PLA was involved in a deadly clash with Indian troops in June. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3132956/china-india-border-tension-plas-modified- rocket-launchers

Vietnam reduces cybercrime with security initiatives Tom Abke May 11, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

Tom Abke

Vietnam is making strides in its battle against cybercrime after a punishing 2020 that saw a 10% jump in cyberattacks across some sectors of its economy. The country experienced a 20% drop in such attacks for the first three months of 2021 compared with the same period a year earlier.

The cybersecurity success follows a suite of measures taken by the government and its private sector partners.

from January through March 2021 compared with nearly 1,600 for the first quarter of 2020. Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) recorded 1,271 cyberattacks The largest drop was in malicious code installation, or malware attacks. The Hanoi Times newspaper credited a coordinated campaign between the government and private sector. according to the MIC. It was implemented from September through December 2020 across all One effort focused on scanning and removing malware “in the entire Vietnamese cyberspace,” provinces and cities and achieved a 50% reduction in malware infections.

Another campaign component was to create secure computer networks for major international events hosted by Vietnam, the MIC stated. Hanoi hosted numerous online events in part

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Vietnam also hosted virtual events as a temporary member because of the coronavirus pandemic and Vietnam’s role as the 2020 chair of the Association of of the United Nations Security Council. The MIC lauded cybersecurity experts from the ministries of Defense and Public Security and from private firms for successfully guarding the events and preventing disruptions.

model of security measures by the end of 2020, the MIC added. The National All ministries, branches and local offices of Vietnam’s government adopted a multilayered Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) worked with the Security Operation Center to implement the cybersecurity plan.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of strong cybersecurity systems in the finance sector, the NCSC and International Events and Consulting Group organized a drill for mock cyberattacks that featured 30 businesses and organizations in banking, insurance and securities. The MIC also sponsored national and international cybersecurity competitions, including the WhiteHat Grand Prix 06 and an ASEAN student contest to generate public enthusiasm and showcase rising stars in cybersecurity.

The WhiteHat Grand Prix 06, pictured, was the sixth global cybersecurity competition organized by Vietnam. The competition, which concluded in December 2020, attracted a record 739 teams from 84 countries and territories.

ontributed to promoting and developing cybersecurity human

“The competitions have c resources in Vietnam, while promoting and enhancing Vietnam’s image and position in the international arena,” the MIC news release stated. https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/05/vietnam-reduces-cybercrime-with-security-initiatives/

Russia’s New Yasen-Class Submarine Is An Underwater Missile Truck

ByCaleb Larson Published 1 day ago

Image: Creative Commons. Nearly 12 years after construction began on Russia’s first modified Yasen-class submarine, the Russian Navy raised St. Andrews’s Flag — the ensign of the Russian Navy — on the advanced subvariant of the original Yasen-class family of nuclear attack submarines. Compared to the parent design, the modified Yasen-class (alternatively known as the Yasen-M-class) is about 40 feet shorter, as it lacks one of the flank sonar arrays seen on its predecessor. https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/russias-new-yasen-class-submarine-is-an-underwater-missile-truck/

What Has Covid-19 Taught Us about Strengthening the DOD’s Global Health Security Capacities? May 11, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to millions of deaths and cases of enduring illness, destabilized economies, diminished U.S. international standing, and exposed the U.S. military to challenges not experienced in over a century. Since the pandemic began, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has been heavily involved in addressing challenges to the armed forces while supporting the overall national Covid-19 response.

Future biological threats will undoubtedly present new challenges. Yet broad U.S. military expertise in health, biosecurity, and biosafety will continue to contribute substantially to coordinated, interagency global health security efforts. Below are five recommendations for how the Biden-Harris administration and members of Congress can help steer impending deliberations over the future of the DOD’s contributions to global health security. As U.S. diplomatic engagement expands to address the worsening vaccine crisis and other related global health security challenges, there will soon be increased calls for the DOD to contribute in new and important ways that draw on its exceptional logistics, planning, lift, and scientific capacities. These recommendations are meant to complement the excellent and extensive recent analysis by Mark Cancian and Adam Saxton of the CSIS International Security Program on how the U.S. military responded to Covid-19 to guarantee the protection and readiness of U.S. forces and how it supported the civilian pandemic response at home. That study and this white paper are both part of the work of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security. Broad U.S. military expertise in health, biosecurity, and biosafety will continue to contribute substantially to coordinated, interagency global health security efforts. https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-has-covid-19-taught-us-about-strengthening-dods-global-health- security-capacities

WILL CULTURE DEFEAT STRATEGY? THE BRITISH MILITARY AND IRREGULAR WARFARE AFTER AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ

Christian Tripodi | 05.11.21

In their recent introduction to the Irregular Warfare Initiative, Jacob Shapiro and Patrick Howell propose

thatample a combinationopportunity forof Russian friction revanchismto occur in a and range China’s of contested increasing spacesly muscular, and thus global for the ambitions re-emergence provides of irregular warfare (IW) as a persistent operational requirement for Western forces. The authors warn pointedly against mimicking the post-Vietnam era, when IW was abandoned by the US Army in favor of a renewed focus on major combat operations against peer and near-peer enemies. Responsibility for this lesser form of war counterinsurgency in particular was devolved to special operations forces (SOF) alone. This institutional— and intellectual apartheid, the— authors argue, was instrumental in dictating that the bulk of US conventional forces would be largely unprepared when eventually required to engage again, at scale, with the demands of IW in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is interesting from a British perspective to ponder these warnings. On the first point, and at face value at least, the integrated review of security, defense, development, and foreign policyBritish displays government’s a willing recent appetite flagship to recognize irregular warfare as a core mission for UK forces. Talk of persistent engagement in hostile environments populated by a range of violet nonstate actors and the likelihood of state-on-state competition in the so-called gray zone has resulted in the formation of a new special operations Ranger Regiment. The regiment is designed to function specifically in such environments 6th Division and its component 77th

Brigadeand to operate promise alongside to deliver local information allies and operations proxies. The and UK’s unconventional capabilities for operations conducted below the threshold of war while the Royal Marines have given notice of their intent to recast themselves (in part) as gray zone operators. But these are all specialist formations a combination of tier-2

SOF and other niche units. The broader British Army remains untouched by such innovations— or taskings. -Vietnam era is

Thisparticularly is where ger Shapiro and Howell’s substantive point in relation to the mistakes of the post warfare over themane. course The of USthe Army’s four decades broader following institutional Vietnam willingness is held to to have sidelin underminede thinking aboutthat irregular s in Iraq and Afghanistan. But organization’swhat of a Western subsequent army that performance approached in its the missions counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afgh campaiganistann having suffered no similar trauma during those preceding decades? One that was, conversely, supremely confident in its expertise in counterinsurgency, which considered itself to have a deeply entrenched institutional memory that would

allowcounterinsurgency it to navigate withirregular some warfare’s relish? specific complexities and thus greeted the prospect of

That was the British Army. And the question, of course, is a rhetorical one. An organization that considered itself well suited to the demands of IW in the form of counterinsurgency and stabilization operations instead encountered great difficulty in understanding how to approach a war where military supremacy counted for little, and which furthermore demanded an uncanny ability to conceptualize violence and politics as being fundamental components of the same operating space. In this way the chastening experience of the British Army in places such as Basra and Helmand from 2003 to 2011 raises questions as to the extent to which it can function as an effective actor in those forms of irregular conflict that dislocate its basic understanding of how war works. https://mwi.usma.edu/will-culture-defeat-strategy-the-british-military-and-irregular-warfare-after- afghanistan-and-iraq/

The Tension Between Secrecy & Innovation

One of the most harmful effects of China’s cyber espionage and from whistleblowers who publish classified information is the bureaucratic response that it triggers. Most agencies double down on secrecy. They install software to track access, monitor online behavior, and frequently attempt to entrap staff with “honeypots” and fake spearfishing bait to see who violates the rules. Those caught up in this morass of hi-tech security are usually singled out, with career reckoning implications. The purpose of these actions is to reinforce a culture of secrecy inside the organization.

Such bureaucratic behavior is predictable and understandable, at least to a degree. But it comes with a price. It sends a message that idea sharing and brainstorming with outsiders isn’t consistent with the values of the organization.

Contact with people in other departments and outside organizations is necessary for innovation. There’s a tension then, between secrecy and innovation. And we need to acknowledge this tension because we’re in a long-term competition, where innovation is such a critical part of American strategy.

For real innovation, people in different technology fields need to exchange ideas with one another, and with those in operational commands. Secrecy gets in the way of this conversation. Without an exchange of viewpoints with those outside of departmental lines, the tendency will be to think inside the box defined by the “official” security procedures and systems. The result is like Walter Lippmann once said, “When everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/05/11/the_tension_between_secrecy_and_innovation_77 6630.html

CONFLICTS IN WARGAMES: LEVERAGING DISAGREEMENTS TO BUILD VALUE

THOMAS NAGLE

MAY 11, 2021

COMMENTARY

Millennium Challenge 2002 is likely the most infamous wargame of the last several decades. During an event billed as the key to U.S. military transformation, Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper, while commanding an inferior opposing force in the scenario, quickly sunk 19 U.S. ships and rendered the carrier battle group ineffective. Despite the controversy that followed, Lt. Gen. B. B. Bell, the commander of U.S. forces in the game, identified a number of valuable tactical lessons for dealing with asymmetric warfare. He also recognized the importance of red teaming in the planning process, and went on to establish more than 20 red teams in the organizations he led. Not all lessons gleaned from wargaming are highlighted so dramatically. In fact, valuable information can be easily missed.

While the idea that wargames play a key role in helping organizations identify useful insights is widely accepted, there is less agreement on the mechanisms that best accomplish this task. The wargaming literature underscores the importance of networks, the role of weak signals, and internalization of the experience. While all of these (and others) play a role, this article will explore three key parallels between wargaming practices and sound executive decision-making that can help convert contentious debate into insights: including diverse perspectives, debating their merits publicly, and revisiting key recommendations multiple times. These practices are particularly useful when decision- makers are struggling to discern the signals of valuable information from the pervasive background noise.

An Executive Decision Model

A simple model of an executive decision process is helpful for understanding the dynamics that will shape a decision-maker’s (or wargame sponsor’s) understanding of an issue. The basic model consists of an executive (or key decision-maker) being advised by a panel of advisers, each bringing a unique perspective based on their area of expertise and their sub-organization’s functions. For example, a U.S. president is advised by Cabinet members and others. This model is quite common and can be found with CEOs (advised in the areas of marketing, engineering, operations, etc.), general officers in the military (advised in the areas of intelligence, operations, logistics, etc.), nonprofit directors (advised in the areas of fundraising, budgeting, outreach, etc.), and others. https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/conflicts-in-wargames-leveraging-disagreements-to-build-value/

Why National Cyber Defense Is a ‘Wicked’ Problem

Vulnerable supply chains, sloppy security, and a talent shortage made events like the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the SolarWinds hack all but inevitable.

TERRY THOMPSON, THE CONVERSATION |

The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline on May 7, 2021, exemplifies the huge challenges the U.S. faces in shoring up its cyber defenses. The private company, which controls a significant component of the U.S. energy infrastructure and supplies nearly half of the East Coast’s liquid fuels, was vulnerable to an all-too-common type of cyber attack. The FBI has attributed the attack to a Russian cybercrime gang. It would be difficult for the government to mandate better security at private companies, and the government is unable to provide that security for the private sector.

Similarly, the SolarWinds hack, one of the most devastating cyber attacks in history, which came to light in December 2020, exposed vulnerabilities in global software supply chains that affect government and private sector computer systems. It was a major breach of national security that revealed gaps in U.S. cyber defenses.

These gaps include inadequate security by a major software producer, fragmented authority for government support to the private sector, blurred lines between organized crime and international espionage, and a national shortfall in software and cybersecurity skills. None of these gaps is easily bridged, but the scope and impact of the SolarWinds attack show how critical controlling these gaps is to U.S. national security.

The SolarWinds breach, likely carried out by a group affiliated with Russia’s FSB security service, compromised the software development supply chain used by SolarWinds to update 18,000 users of its Orion network management product. SolarWinds sells software that organizations use to manage their computer networks. The hack, which allegedly began in early 2020, was discovered only in December when cybersecurity company FireEye revealed that it had been hit by the malware. More worrisome, this may have been part of a broader attackon government and commercial targets in the U.S. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/05/why-national-cyber-defense-wicked-problem/173940/

Philippines detects Indian variant as daily COVID- 19 cases near 8-week low Neil Morales 3 minute read

Felipa Tabladillo, 86, receives a dose of China's Sinovac Biotech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination site for bedridden and persons with disabilities, in Makati city, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 7, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David

The Philippines has detected its first two cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India, its health ministry said on Tuesday, even as confirmed daily COVID-19 infections fell to a near eight-week low. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-records-first-two-cases-indian-coronavirus-variant- 2021-05-11/

PH ‘very careful’ to control spread of India’s Covid variant

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos May 11, 2021, 4:15 pm

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo)

MANILA – The Philippine government remains “very careful” to control the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant first detected in India.

This, after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the detection of India’s Covid-19 variant in the Philippines.

In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque assured the public that the government is exhausting all efforts to contain the spread of the Indian variant.

“Matindi naman po ‘yung ating pagiingat (We are being very careful),” Roque said. “Ginagawa natin ang lahat para po mapigilan ang pagpasok ng variant na ito (We are doing everything to stop the entry of this variant).”

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a separate online press briefing, said at least two cases of India’s “double mutant” B.1.617 variant has been reported in the Philippines.

The two individuals infected with Covid-19 variant from India are both male overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Vergeire said.

One of the two patients is a 37-year-old OFW from Oman, while the other one is a 58-year-old OFW from the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, director of the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau, said the two B.1.617 variant-infected OFWs have no close contacts and already recovered from the coronavirus disease.

Roque said the country has not reported community transmission of the new variant from India.

The Philippine government has imposed travel restrictions on travelers from India until May 14, to prevent the entry of the new variant that is responsible for New Delhi’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

The Philippines has expanded the coverage of the travel ban by also prohibiting travelers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to enter the country until May 14. The Indian subcontinent covers India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, and the island nations of Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Returning Filipinos from India and Indian subcontinent where travel restrictions are currently implemented need to follow strict health and quarantine protocols, Roque said.

“So lahat po ng nais umuwi mula sa India, ipagbigay alam niyo lang po sa ating embahada at meron naman pong mga hakbang na ginagawa para ma-repatriate sila. Pero kapag narepatriate po sila, intindihin niyo po you will be subjected to very strict quarantine requirements (For those who want to return home from India, just tell the embassy and necessary measures are being undertaken for your repatriation. But you must understand that you will be subjected to very strict quarantine requirements),” he said.

All travelers who wish to enter the Philippines, including those who have already been inoculated against Covid-19, are required to undergo 14-day mandatory quarantine, based on Resolution 114 issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on May 6.

All arriving travelers must stay in a quarantine facility for 10 days and observe home quarantine in the last four days, according to the IATF-EID Resolution 114.

India’s Covid-19 variant has been dubbed as “double mutant” because it carries two mutations, E484Q and L425R.

Experts say the E484Q mutation is similar to the E484K mutation or the “escape mutation” which helps the virus get past the body’s immune system, while L452R is found to be an efficient spreader of the virus.

Prioritizing ‘total health’

Despite the detection of the Indian variant in the country, Roque said the government would continue to prioritize the country’s “total health,” Roque said.

“We are aiming for total health. Alam po natin na habang nakasarado ang ating ekonomiya, marami po talagang nahihirapan, maraming nagugutom (We recognize that while many will continue to suffer from poverty and hunger if we do not reopen further our economy),” he said.

Roque said the government aims to improve the country’s healthcare capacity and healthcare facilities rather than order the temporary shutdown of some businesses in the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Ito rin po ang dahilan kung bakit pinapataas po natin ang health care capacity at patuloy po nating patataasin iyan kasi whether or not there is a new Indian variant, mas mura po para sa ating bansa na mag-invest sahealthcare facilities kaysa isarado po ang ating ekonomiya (This is the reason why we are improving our healthcare capacity because whether or not there is a new Indian variant, it is more affordable for our country to invest in healthcare facilities instead of shutting down our economy),” he said. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139879

9 high-risk areas priorities under ‘center of gravity’ plan

By Lade Jean Kabagani May 11, 2021, 6:34 pm

RESBAKUNA. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles (right) and Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña place "Resbakuna, Kasangga ang Bida" stickers on the cargo boxes containing Pfizer vaccines at the NAIA Terminal 2 in Pasay City on Monday (May 10, 2021). The Philippines now has 7,764,050 vaccines that also include CoronaVac, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V jabs. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – High-risk areas will be under the “Focus and Expand–Center of Gravity” vaccination strategy in a bid to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., Chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said the center of gravity refers to economic centers that are most exposed to Covid-19 transmission.

"Ang maganda po talaga magkaroon po tayo ng strategy na tinatawag nating focus and expand through center of gravity. Iyong center of gravity po, ito po ‘yong tinatawag natin na economic centers. At the same time, ito po ‘yung mga vulnerable areas (The good thing is that we have a strategy called focus and expand through the center of gravity. The center of gravity will be the centers and the vulnerable areas)," Galvez reported in the Cabinet meeting Monday night in Matina, Davao City.

The government will focus its vaccination program on nine high-risk areas – National Capital Region (NCR) Plus (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal), Pampanga, Batangas, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.

The other regions in the country, he added, will be grouped under “expansion areas” – Region III, Region IV, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio City, Zamboanga City, Bacolod, Iloilo, General Santos, Iligan City in Region X, and Caraga Region.

"So pagka na-address po natin, na-strengthen natin ang ating vulnerabilities at the same time we strengthen our economy, iyon po ang center of gravity po natin (Once we addressed that and at the same time we strengthen the economy, then that will be the center of gravity)” Galvez said.

Metro Davao and Cebu will also get steady supplies of vaccines, Galvez added.

In June, the Philippines will receive 1.1 million Pfizer doses, 4.5 million of Sinovac, 250,000 Moderna jabs, 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses, and two million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V.

To date, the country is administering an average of 65,879 Covid-19 jabs daily. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139931 Coronavirus: world’s most vaccinated nation sees cases double; variant first identified in India found in Thailand, Philippines

• Cases in Seychelles, where 57 per cent have been fully inoculated with Sinopharm shots, increased to 2,486 people – 37 per cent of whom have had two doses • Meanwhile, health authorities in Thailand and the Philippines have confirmed their countries’ first cases of a virus variant reported first in India

Seychelles' Minister for Fisheries Jean-François Ferrari waits to receive a dose of the Sinopharm Covid- 19 vaccine at the Seychelles Hospital in Victoria on January 10. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

Seychelles, which has vaccinated more of its population against

Covid-19 than any other country, saw active cases more than double in the week to May 7, raising concerns that inoculation is not helping turn the tide in some places.

The World Health Organization said vaccine failure could not be determined without a detailed assessment and that it was working on evaluating the situation. Kate O’Brien, director of the WHO’s department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals, told a briefing on Monday that the body was in direct communication with Seychelles and that a detailed assessment was needed looking at factors like strains of the virus and the severity of cases.

The Health Ministry of the archipelago off of Africa’s east coast said on Monday that the number of active cases had more than doubled since last week to 2,486 people, and 37 per cent of those have received two vaccine doses. Cases are also surging in the Maldives, another Indian Ocean island nation that is a popular tourism destination. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3132981/coronavirus-worlds-most-vaccinated-nation-sees-cases- double-indian

Bodies float down Ganges as nearly 4,000 more die of COVID in India

Reutersin 1 seconds

Scores of bodies are washing up on the banks of the Ganges as Indians fail to keep pace with the deaths and cremations of around 4,000 people a day from the novel coronavirus.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-seven-day-covid-average-new-high-who-issues-warning- strain-2021-05-11/

Explainer: What we know about the Indian variant as coronavirus sweeps South Asia

Reuters

3 minute read

1/3 A patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) receives treatment inside the emergency ward at Holy Family hospital in New Delhi, India, April 29, 2021. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

India has recorded the world's sharpest spike in coronavirus infections this month, with political and financial capitals New Delhi and Mumbai running out of hospital beds, oxygen and medicines. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-we-know-about-indian-variant- coronavirus-sweeps-south-asia-2021-04-30/

Vaccines, medicines effective against triple-mutant Covid variant from India, says WHO official

• The B.1.617 variant, believed to be driving the deadly second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in India, is the fourth variant that has been classified as a variant of global concern.

By hindustantimes.com | Edited by Kunal Gaurav, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 2021 06:13 PM IST

The World Health Organization (WHO) representative to India on Tuesday said that the vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics continue to be effective against the coronavirus variant B.1.617, first identified in India, after the UN health agency classified it as a variant of global concern. According to news agency ANI, Dr Roderico H Ofrin’s statement on vaccine efficacy against the Indian variant of concern was based on what the WHO knows so far as per the discussions with experts globally.

"There has been an increasing rate of detection of this variant along with an increase and a surge of Covid-19 cases in parts of India. However, the relative contribution of this variant in the rapid increase of cases in the country remains unclear," said the WHO official. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/who-official-gives-verdict-on-vaccine-efficacy-against-indian- covid-variant-101620736267275.html

US approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for kids between 12 and 15 years of age

It’s the same vaccine that is being administrated to people 16 years and older and will be delivered in two separate shots of primer and a booster. In a trial involving 2,260 participants, none of those given the vaccine contracted Covid-19 while 16 among those given a saline placebo tested positive

By Yashwant Raj

PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 2021 08:47 AM IST

US health regulators have approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for people between 12 and 15 years of age, making it the first for children.

It’s the same vaccine that is being administrated to people 16 years and older and will be delivered in two separate shots of primer and a booster. In a trial involving 2,260 participants, none of those given the vaccine contracted Covid-19 while 16 among those given a saline placebo tested positive.

Calling the emergency use authorisation “significant step” in the fight against the epidemic, Janet Woodcock, acting head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said, “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from Covid-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic.”

She added: “Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our Covid-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-approves-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-kids-between-12- and-15-yrs-of-age-101620703044232.html

North Korea reports no coronavirus cases: WHO Posted : 2021-05-11 10:53

Updated : 2021-05-11 10:53

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on around 26,000 people so far but found no infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 751 North Koreans underwent virus tests from April 23-29, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 25,986 so far, but none were found to have been infected.

Of the 751 newly tested citizens, 139 people showed flu-like symptoms but all of them turned out to be those of acute respiratory illnesses, the report said.

North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free but has taken relatively swift and tough measures against the pandemic, such as imposing strict border controls since early last year.

The North is expected to receive around 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines through a global vaccine distribution program, but they have not been delivered to the country yet. (Yonhap) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/05/103_308614.html

Covid-19 antibodies last 8 months after infection, says study

• The researchers, working with Italy's ISS national health institute, studied 162 patients with symptomatic coronavirus who turned up at the emergency room during the country's first wave of infections last year. AFP |

PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 2021 07:50 PM IST

Antibodies against coronavirus remained in the blood of patients with Covid-19 for at least eight months after they were infected, Italian researchers said Tuesday.

They were present "regardless of the severity of the illness, the age of the patients or the presence of other pathologies," according to a statement from the San Raffaele hospital in Milan.

The researchers, working with Italy's ISS national health institute, studied 162 patients with symptomatic coronavirus who turned up at the emergency room during the country's first wave of infections last year.

Blood samples were taken in March and April a nd again at the end of November from those who survived. Some 29 patients died. "The presence of neutralising antibodies, while reducing over time, was very persistent -- eight months after diagnosis, there were only three patients who no longer showed positivity to the test," said the statement, issued jointly with the ISS. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/covid19-antibodies-last-8-months-after-infection-says-study- 101620741297024.html

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: May 12, 2021, 12:21 PM GMT+8

Brazil 2,023 72,670 N/A N/A

U.K. 1,954 68,088 2,479.1 2.5

U.S. 1,765 99,248 1,291.5 2.8

France 1,584 86,693 N/A 6.0

Germany 1,063 44,300 706.8 8.0

Russia 789 34,104 904.0 8.1

India 191 17,531 233.0 0.5

Japan 88 5,191 94.6 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of May 11, 2021, 5:53 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 155 million people and killed more than 3.3 million globally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

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

159,338,918 Confirmed cases worldwide 3,313,013 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of May 12, 2021, 12:21 PM GMT+8 1–99

100–999

1,000–9,999

10,000–99,999

100,000–999,999

1,000,000–9,999,999 10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases U.S. 582,834 32,778,374 Brazil 425,540 15,282,705 India 249,992 22,992,517 Mexico 219,323 2,368,393 U.K. 127,890 4,455,446 Italy 123,282 4,123,230 Russia 112,063 4,840,948 France 107,096 5,861,384 Germany 85,385 3,557,904 Spain 79,100 3,586,333 Colombia 78,771 3,031,726 Iran 75,568 2,691,352 Poland 70,336 2,838,180 Argentina 68,311 3,191,097 Peru 64,373 1,853,370 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: 386,639 Jan 21, 2020 May 11, 2021 Brazil New cases: 72,715 Jan 21, 2020 May 11, 2021 U.S. 33,119 France 19,791 Germany 19,696 Iran 18,133 Russia 7,989 U.K. 2,490 Mainland China 16 India 0 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 1100.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5K4.0KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaRussiaU.K.

Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of May 11. 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

Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more than 158 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 10 May 2021, 09:16 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 579,214 177.1 32,561,010 JAN 2020 MAY 2021 Brazil 422,340 201.6 15,184,790 India 246,116 18.2 22,662,575 Mexico 218,985 173.5 2,365,792 UK 127,605 190.1 4,434,860 Italy 122,833 202.6 4,111,210 Russia 111,425 76.5 4,824,621 France 106,392 163.7 5,777,087 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Germany 84,844 102.1 3,530,887 Spain 78,792 168.7 3,567,408 Colombia 77,854 156.8 3,002,758 Iran 74,910 91.6 2,654,811 Poland 70,012 184.6 2,833,052 Argentina 67,325 151.8 3,147,740 Peru 64,103 200.4 1,850,290 South Africa 54,735 94.7 1,596,595 Ukraine 48,413 109.4 2,177,968 Indonesia 47,012 17.6 1,713,684 Turkey 43,029 52.3 5,031,332 Czech Republic 29,711 278.6 1,645,448 Romania 28,966 148.5 1,066,111 Hungary 28,602 294.6 791,709 Chile 27,218 145.3 1,247,469 Canada 24,577 66.3 1,293,625 Belgium 24,551 213.8 1,016,609 Ecuador 19,222 112.5 400,296 Pakistan 18,993 8.9 861,473 Philippines 18,472 17.3 1,101,990 Netherlands 17,340 101.6 1,561,603 Portugal 16,992 165.7 839,582 Bulgaria 16,929 240.1 410,202 Iraq 15,771 41.0 1,112,725 Sweden 14,173 142.1 1,007,792 Egypt 13,904 14.1 237,410 Bolivia 13,228 116.5 318,610 Slovakia 12,019 220.4 385,475 Bangladesh 11,934 7.4 773,513 Tunisia 11,429 98.8 320,813 Greece 11,029 104.8 362,004 Japan 10,860 8.5 642,213 Switzerland 10,706 125.6 670,613 Austria 10,382 116.8 631,076 Jordan 9,076 91.1 719,233 Morocco 9,072 25.2 513,864 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8,790 264.4 200,693 Guatemala 7,733 44.8 235,098 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Lebanon 7,486 109.1 532,839 Croatia 7,469 179.7 344,494 Paraguay 7,130 102.5 297,789 Saudi Arabia 7,072 21.0 426,384 Serbia 6,558 93.9 700,408 Israel 6,377 76.1 838,894 Panama 6,271 150.1 367,656 Moldova 5,952 146.9 252,749 Honduras 5,665 59.1 220,185 North Macedonia 5,093 244.5 154,026 Ireland 4,921 102.1 252,809 China 4,846 0.3 102,625 Azerbaijan 4,680 47.0 326,716 Georgia 4,305 107.5 322,468 Slovenia 4,293 206.6 246,082 Armenia 4,234 143.4 219,270 Lithuania 4,045 144.4 258,623 Ethiopia 3,888 3.6 262,702 Nepal 3,720 13.2 394,667 Dominican Republic 3,532 33.2 271,548 Kazakhstan 3,372 18.4 398,295 Costa Rica 3,365 67.3 265,486 Palestinian Territories 3,358 69.1 301,751 Algeria 3,328 7.9 124,104 Myanmar 3,210 6.0 142,947 Uruguay 3,122 90.5 220,683 Libya 3,070 46.0 179,970 Kenya 2,895 5.6 163,554 Afghanistan 2,686 7.2 61,842 Belarus 2,632 27.8 368,888 Denmark 2,497 43.4 259,056 Albania 2,412 83.7 131,723 Sudan 2,365 5.7 34,461 Venezuela 2,291 7.9 207,870 Latvia 2,212 114.7 123,963 Kosovo 2,207 119.6 105,784 El Salvador 2,154 33.5 70,380 Oman 2,120 43.9 201,350 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Nigeria 2,065 1.1 165,419 South Korea 1,875 3.7 127,772 Malaysia 1,683 5.3 440,677 Kyrgyzstan 1,660 26.3 98,654 Syria 1,657 9.8 23,379 Kuwait 1,645 39.8 285,068 United Arab Emirates 1,613 16.7 536,017 Zimbabwe 1,576 10.9 38,419 Montenegro 1,540 245.3 98,303 Yemen 1,271 4.5 6,482 Zambia 1,257 7.2 92,092 Estonia 1,201 90.8 125,126 Malawi 1,153 6.4 34,171 Cameroon 1,152 4.6 74,946 Senegal 1,119 7.1 40,692 Finland 922 16.7 88,723 Australia 910 3.7 29,931 Mozambique 823 2.8 70,212 Jamaica 806 27.5 46,708 Sri Lanka 801 3.8 125,906 Luxembourg 801 132.6 68,153 Ghana 783 2.6 92,951 DR Congo 772 0.9 30,323 Norway 767 14.4 116,365 Somalia 747 5.0 14,415 Botswana 734 32.6 48,417 Cuba 732 6.5 115,981 Madagascar 722 2.7 39,012 Namibia 689 28.1 50,070 Bahrain 685 43.6 189,356 Eswatini 671 59.1 18,480 Uzbekistan 662 2.0 94,759 Angola 633 2.1 28,740 Qatar 508 18.3 210,992 Mali 500 2.6 14,108 Mauritania 456 10.4 18,667 Thailand 421 0.6 85,005 Malta 417 94.9 30,447 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Uganda 346 0.8 42,355 Rwanda 338 2.7 25,652 Cyprus 336 28.3 69,432 Guyana 325 41.7 14,362 Belize 323 84.3 12,686 Lesotho 319 15.1 10,773 Ivory Coast 291 1.2 46,442 Haiti 263 2.4 13,164 Guadeloupe 236 59.0 15,429 Cape Verde 232 42.7 26,441 Suriname 215 37.3 11,112 Bahamas 212 55.0 10,773 Trinidad and Tobago 211 15.2 13,355 Niger 192 0.9 5,321 Nicaragua 183 2.8 6,989 Gambia 175 7.7 5,929 Chad 171 1.1 4,877 Mongolia 170 5.4 45,459 Mayotte 170 65.5 20,134 Burkina Faso 162 0.8 13,379 Guinea 150 1.2 22,633 Réunion 150 17.0 21,451 Djibouti 149 15.5 11,335 Congo 148 2.8 11,147 Comoros 146 17.5 3,854 Gabon 143 6.7 23,432 French Polynesia 141 50.8 18,790 Andorra 127 164.9 13,423 Cambodia 126 0.8 19,743 Togo 124 1.6 13,154 Papua New Guinea 121 1.4 11,630 South Sudan 115 1.0 10,637 Curaçao 114 70.0 12,235 Equatorial Guinea 112 8.6 7,694 French Guiana 104 36.8 20,366 Aruba 101 95.4 10,770 Benin 100 0.9 7,884 Gibraltar 94 278.8 4,286 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Central African Republic 93 2.0 6,674 Tajikistan 90 1.0 13,308 San Marino 90 266.4 5,067 Martinique 87 23.2 11,490 Channel Islands 86 50.4 4,056 Liberia 85 1.8 2,114 Maldives 84 16.3 35,815 Sierra Leone 79 1.0 4,085 Saint Lucia 75 41.2 4,654 Guinea-Bissau 67 3.6 3,741 Liechtenstein 58 153.0 2,970 Barbados 45 15.7 3,942 Vietnam 35 0.0 3,444 Sao Tome and Principe 35 16.6 2,318 Monaco 32 82.7 2,479 Antigua and Barbuda 32 33.2 1,237 Singapore 31 0.5 61,359 Bermuda 30 47.8 2,434 Iceland 29 8.6 6,506 Isle of Man 29 34.5 1,590 Seychelles 28 28.8 6,373 Saint Martin 27 72.5 2,260 New Zealand 26 0.5 2,644 Tanzania 21 0.0 509 Turks and Caicos Islands 17 45.1 2,402 Mauritius 17 1.3 1,256 Diamond Princess cruise 13 712 ship Eritrea 12 0.3 3,742 St Vincent and the 12 10.9 1,912 Grenadines Taiwan 12 0.1 1,184 Burundi 6 0.1 4,177 Timor-Leste 4 0.3 3,227 Brunei 3 0.7 230 Fiji 3 0.3 139 Cayman Islands 2 3.1 548 MS Zaandam cruise ship 2 9 Laos 1 0.0 1,302 New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases ** Bhutan 1 0.1 1,221 Saint Barthelemy 1 10.2 974 Faroe Islands 1 2.1 668 British Virgin Islands 1 3.4 216 Grenada 1 0.9 160 Montserrat 1 20.0 20 Vanuatu 1 0.3 4 Dominica 0 0.0 175 New Caledonia 0 0.0 124 Anguilla 0 0.0 99 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 Miquelon 0 0.0 25 Solomon Islands 0 0.0 20 Marshall Islands 0 0.0 4 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 now 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 181 countries and territories administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 68 are high-income nations, 96 are middle-income and 17 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 16.6 1,297,543,452 China 22.5 326,167,369 US 77.7 259,716,989 India 12.2 168,304,868 UK 79.4 53,041,048 Brazil 22.1 46,875,460 Germany 41.1 34,408,840 France 37.3 25,414,386 Turkey 29.5 24,918,773 Italy 39.8 24,054,000 Indonesia 8.0 21,993,299 Russia 14.9 21,754,829 Mexico 16.5 21,228,359 Spain 40.7 19,048,132 Canada 42.2 15,917,555 Chile 82.1 15,703,842 Poland 36.1 13,670,541 United Arab Emirates 112.7 11,145,934 Saudi Arabia 30.4 10,584,301 Israel 121.3 10,501,225 Morocco 26.7 9,864,561 Bangladesh 5.7 9,316,086 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Argentina 20.1 9,082,597 Hungary 70.5 6,809,350 Colombia 12.0 6,096,661 Romania 30.6 5,891,855 Netherlands 33.0 5,651,843 Belgium 39.6 4,591,359 Japan 3.5 4,436,325 South Korea 8.2 4,181,003 Portugal 38.9 3,963,372 Serbia 55.8 3,798,942 Sweden 36.4 3,679,451 Czech Republic 34.1 3,654,376 Greece 35.0 3,647,689 Austria 40.3 3,632,879 Pakistan 1.5 3,320,304 Switzerland 34.7 3,001,029 Cambodia 17.3 2,884,922 Australia 10.4 2,654,338 Nepal 8.4 2,453,512 Philippines 2.2 2,408,781 Dominican Republic 21.6 2,345,528 Denmark 40.4 2,339,464 Singapore 37.8 2,213,888 Mongolia 67.5 2,213,376 Kazakhstan 11.5 2,158,924 Finland 38.9 2,154,469 Uruguay 57.7 2,005,442 Peru 5.9 1,939,155 Norway 35.4 1,919,369 Qatar 62.9 1,813,240 Thailand 2.6 1,809,894 Ireland 36.4 1,799,190 Slovakia 32.8 1,792,674 Malaysia 5.5 1,766,651 Azerbaijan 16.6 1,687,397 Nigeria 0.8 1,665,698 Iran 1.8 1,485,287 Kuwait 33.7 1,440,000 Bahrain 80.9 1,375,967 Ecuador 7.1 1,245,822 Ethiopia 1.1 1,215,934 Lithuania 42.7 1,162,170 Croatia 27.6 1,131,607 Sri Lanka 5.3 1,125,740 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses El Salvador 17.2 1,114,544 Jordan 10.7 1,091,048 Myanmar 1.9 1,040,000 Costa Rica 18.7 950,252 Bulgaria 13.5 938,064 Bolivia 7.5 878,563 Ukraine 2.0 863,085 Kenya 1.6 853,081 Ghana 2.7 849,527 Panama 18.1 780,569 Slovenia 35.5 737,817 Zimbabwe 4.6 684,243 Egypt 0.6 660,000 Uzbekistan 1.8 600,369 Albania 20.7 596,766 Estonia 40.1 532,605 Vietnam 0.5 509,855 Lebanon 7.5 509,705 Tunisia 4.2 499,369 Bhutan 62.4 481,491 Angola 1.4 456,349 Maldives 79.9 431,792 Senegal 2.6 427,377 Uganda 0.9 395,805 Latvia 21.0 395,512 South Africa 0.6 382,480 Malta 81.4 359,429 Rwanda 2.7 350,400 Cyprus 38.0 332,423 Belarus 3.5 328,500 Oman 6.4 326,269 Malawi 1.7 319,323 New Zealand 6.3 304,900 Iraq 0.7 298,377 Ivory Coast 1.0 262,639 Venezuela 0.9 250,000 Afghanistan 0.6 240,000 Luxembourg 36.3 227,314 Palestinian Territories 4.2 213,989 Guatemala 1.2 206,951 Moldova 4.6 184,660 Laos 2.5 184,387 Iceland 54.0 184,304 Guinea 1.3 173,623 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Guinea 1.3 173,623 Togo 1.9 160,000 Paraguay 2.0 143,441 Sudan 0.3 140,227 Jamaica 4.6 135,473 Nicaragua 2.0 135,130 Seychelles 129.9 127,721 Guyana 16.1 126,800 Somalia 0.7 117,567 Mauritius 9.2 117,323 Montenegro 17.4 109,507 North Macedonia 5.2 107,978 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.2 106,464 Taiwan 0.4 92,049 Suriname 15.4 90,338 Jersey 87.5 88,404 Zambia 0.4 77,348 Isle of Man 89.1 75,783 Equatorial Guinea 5.4 75,518 Barbados 26.3 75,476 Algeria 0.2 75,000 Gibraltar 220.4 74,256 Cayman Islands 106.2 69,772 Sierra Leone 0.8 64,966 Trinidad and Tobago 4.4 61,120 Georgia 1.5 58,533 Bermuda 93.4 58,193 Honduras 0.6 57,639 Mozambique 0.2 57,305 Fiji 6.2 56,000 Mali 0.2 49,903 Botswana 2.1 49,882 Belize 12.0 47,675 Guernsey 69.5 46,587 Namibia 1.4 36,417 Eswatini 3.0 34,897 San Marino 100.2 34,011 Dominica 44.5 32,008 Antigua and Barbuda 30.4 29,754 Andorra 37.4 28,881 Kyrgyzstan 0.4 27,858 Bahamas 6.5 25,692 Saint Lucia 13.7 25,200 Turks and Caicos Islands 64.7 25,039 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Monaco 62.1 24,390 Faroe Islands 48.1 23,519 Kosovo 0.000 22,096 Gambia 0.9 20,922 Grenada 15.1 17,000 Lesotho 0.7 16,000 St Vincent and the Grenadines 13.1 14,526 Congo 0.3 14,297 Greenland 25.1 14,278 Liechtenstein 36.3 13,829 Comoros 1.5 13,440 Saint Kitts and Nevis 24.6 13,070 Cameroon 0.041 11,000 Brunei 2.4 10,715 Djibouti 1.0 10,246 Sao Tome and Principe 4.4 9,724 Gabon 0.4 8,897 Samoa 3.7 7,435 Mauritania 0.2 7,038 Anguilla 46.0 6,898 Tonga 5.1 5,367 Solomon Islands 0.7 4,890 Saint Helena 75.3 4,572 Falkland Islands 126.5 4,407 Papua New Guinea 0.032 2,900 Timor-Leste 0.2 2,629 Syria 0.014 2,500 Cape Verde 0.4 2,184 Montserrat 38.2 1,909 DR Congo 0.002 1,700 Niger 0.006 1,366 South Sudan 0.009 947 Libya 0.011 750 Nauru 6.5 700 Armenia 0.019 565 Benin 0 0 British Indian Ocean Territory 0 0 British Virgin Islands 0 0 Burkina Faso 0 0 Burundi 0 0 Central African Republic 0 0 Chad 0 0 Cook Islands 0 0 Cuba 0 0 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Eritrea 0 0 Guinea-Bissau 0 0 Haiti 0 0 Kiribati 0 0 Liberia 0 0 Madagascar 0 0 Niue 0 0 North Korea 0 0 Pitcairn 0 0 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 0 0 Tajikistan 0 0 Tanzania 0 0 Tokelau 0 0 Turkmenistan 0 0 Tuvalu 0 0 Vanuatu 0 0 Vatican 0 0 Yemen 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: 10 May 2021, 13:03 BST

Overall, China and the US have given the most doses, with about 326 million and 260 million respectively, while India has administered almost 170 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.

Several African countries have received vaccines through the Covax initiative, with vaccinations now underway in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, among others.

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 400,000 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 246,000 - 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.

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.

North America The US has recorded more than 32 million cases and about 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 that has been spreading rapidly in Brazil.

The country has recorded more than 15 million cases and 420,000 deaths - the world's second highest death toll - but the number of daily infections has slowed since March. Argentina, Colombia and Mexico have all recorded more than two 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 4.6 million cases and more than 120,000 deaths - but the true extent of the pandemic in many African countries is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with nearly 1.6 million cases, is the worst affected country on the continent, according to official figures.

Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia. Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Kenya and Algeria have also recorded more than 100,000 cases.

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 nearly 12,000.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 WPS or bust? posted May 12, 2021 at 12:10 am by J.A. Dela Cruz

"Is this really what we want?" This question is being asked as the West Philippine Sea dispute with China regurgitates all over the place yet again, following the non-debate between President Duterte and retired Justice Carpio. So consumed are the proponents of that debate (1Sambayan et al) that it was as if the outcome will bring about a sudden change in our fortunes in the midst of the pandemic.

It is as if getting the Chinese out of the rocks and other features we claim to be ours in that part of the vast ocean will usher in a new dawn of cheers and good fortune. So, for them it’s very much like WPS or BUST. But is that really what we want? Or better still is that the end-all and be-all of our relations with China? Of course not.

In the first place, even if for some magical reason the Chinese let go and let us occupy all of the seven features presently under Chinese control our stay will remain under a cloud. There are four other claimants who will continue to harangue us for “illegally occupying” the disputed features. Are we prepared to face the challenges engendered by that possibility? I don’t think so and we must avoid such an outcome at all costs.

Secondly, the continuing noises which have been engendered by this contrived dispute mostly from our side runs the risk of tainting our otherwise friendly and beneficial relations with the Chinese in a host of areas from trade, investments and currency exchanges, cultural and people-to-people relations, employment and social services, education and training and security and related concerns. Are we going to downgrade or even cut off our relations on these key areas to pursue with all the forces we can muster to quite simply make a big issue of “upholding our sovereignty” over an unenforceable claim?

Indeed, have we come to that point in our relations with China that we are prepared to pursue a zero-sum strategy to the exclusion of all other options?

Having made the WPS issue their principal “call-to-action initiative” to rouse public outcry over this administration’s governance of the country’s affairs, it behooves Carpio and company to come out clean and stake their proposed solution to this increasingly toxic impasse. What are they prepared to do aside from making all kinds of accusations about China’s motives and Duterte’s complicity or even duplicity? They have paid for a tribunal of their liking which merely came out with an unenforceable and, worse, not even clear-cut findings on the entitlements of claimants in the WPS. They have also been parading all over the place with all sorts of harangues and shaming operations against Duterte and others who disagreed with their position. They have also been inviting other countries outside of the other claimants and even ASEAN to demonize China and “stand up”to its “bullying.” They have also encouraged, even lauded the continued exercises and patrols undertaken by various navies in and around the disputed areas in a bid to shame and bring China to its knees.

What else is up their sleeves to finally resolve this matter to their satisfaction and get this issue on the table? If they have any more, this is the right time to come out with these so our people and the community of nations can make sense of such proposals. Otherwise, if they have run out of possible solutions short of getting our forces in harm’s way, they should now put this issue to rest and raise other issues of governance against this administration which may finally find some traction with the public at this time. I can assure them no matter how demonized the Chinese have been in their view, the public will not countenance a zero sum, WPS-or-bust solution. I can find somebody to debate with Carpio et al on that proposition.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/crossroads-by-j-a-dela-cruz/354210/wps-or-bust-.html

Back out from debate projected Duterte as loser, Carpio as hero

GOTCHA - Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star ) - May 12, 2021 - 12:00am

The folly in President Duterte’s challenge to debate Antonio Carpio was that people expected him to back out. Upon announcement of his retreat, friends and foes groaned in texts: “Hay, sabi ko na nga ba!” The Cabinet’s assignment of his spox Harry Roque in his stead only magnified the shame. Memes instantly mocked, “Sa Japan kapag napahiya, nagha-harakiri; sa Pilipinas, nagha-hariroki” and “Biden-POTUS, Duterte-POTSU” (dud). Another, with a photo of potbellied Duterte, counseled that he take back too his threat to slap Albert del Rosario, a taekwondo master and descendant of warrior-martyr Gregorio del Pilar.

A leader does not taunt only to turn tail later. Adding to the months-long hashtag #DutertePalpak, Netizens joined in with new #DuterteDuwag and #DuterteTraydor. Broadcasts from 2003 were reposted online of then- Davao City mayor Duterte daring feisty commentator Waldy Carbonell to a gun duel at a specified date, time and spot at City Hall then not showing up.

Carpio came out a hero. Circulating in social media: “Duterte has made Carpio ‘presidentiable’.”

Soft-spoken, polite and patriotic, the former Supreme Court justice is the opposite of Duterte. For years he has been debunking through facts and law Beijing’s claim to the entire South China Sea. To Beijing’s challenge of “historic rights,” he dug up ancient Chinese maps and records, none of which mention the SCS. On the contrary, old Spanish, Japanese, British and American maps, navigation charts and treaties show the West Philippine Sea overlap in the SCS as Philippine territory. Beijing thus had no right to occupy Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and concrete seven Philippine reefs in the Spratlys as island-fortresses.

Carpio’s research helped win in July 2016 international arbitration for the Philippines. The Hague court outlawed Beijing’s sea claims. China and Duterte belittled the ruling. Beijing in August 2017 blockaded a ninth Philippine sea-feature, Sandy Cay, within the territorial waters of Kalayaan Island municipality of Palawan.

Cussing Carpio on national TV last Wednesday. Duterte said, “Pareho man tayo abogado. Gusto mo mag- debate tayo?” He enumerated two or three topics. Accusing Carpio of involvement in the withdrawal of Philippine Navy ships from Panatag during the 2012 standoff with China, the President said he would resign if unable to prove it. The 2016 Hague ruling supposedly is trash paper because unenforceable. China reportedly is in possession of the West Philippine Sea. Carpio gladly accepted “the challenge to debate anytime at the President’s convenience.”

It would have been an enlightening exchange. As the Philippine Bar Association said in offering to host the event, “The Filipino public will benefit immensely from a frank and straightforward discussion on a matter that affects the entire citizenry.” Hours later Duterte withdrew. Popping in for his boss, Roque proposed a new set of topics that were not in dispute to begin with.

Had the debate pushed through, Duterte could have been put on the defensive. Carpio would have cited facts:

• Duterte in November 2016 set aside The Hague ruling. A President is bound by law and Constitution to defend sovereign rights in the Philippine exclusive economic zone. Duterte had invoked $24 billion in new Chinese loans. That only less than five percent has materialized to date would have been detailed. • Duterte in September 2016 limited naval patrols to only territorial waters 12 miles from shore. That left open to Chinese incursions the remaining 188 of the 200-mile EEZ. Unprotected, Filipinos could not fish or survey oil and gas. Territorial waters are only seven percent of the WPS.

• Duterte disclosed in July 2019 a “verbal agreement” with President Xi Jinping since 2016 for Chinese to fish in the WPS. Again unconstitutional, since natural resources are reserved for Filipino citizens and firms.

• Duterte said in the November 2018 ASEAN-India Summit in Singapore, in his 2019 and 2020 State of the Nation Addresses and on TV last Apr. 19, 2021, that “China is in possession of the WPS.” Fact is, China controls only nine reefs, shoals and cays. Freedom-of-navigation patrols by naval powers in the area are unchallenged by China. But conceding possession to China derogates national territory and sovereign rights.

• Duterte in his 2019 State of the Nation announced he is “inutile” in defending territorial seas and EEZ. He surrendered national interest.

Carpio’s alleged role in the Navy’s 2012 departure from Panatag would have been easily disproved. Testimonies, official reports and attendance logs will show him busy then in the judiciary. But people expect Duterte to not stand by his word of honor to resign despite his false accusation. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/12/2097682/back-out-debate-projected-duterte-loser-carpio- hero

Debate was actually a set-up by Carpio Whichever way the debate turns out, it will be to Carpio’s political advantage. The debate was the underhanded Carpio’s stealthy trap for the President.

Published 11 hours ago on May 12, 2021 03:20 AM

By Concept News Central

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has been repeatedly sending diplomatic protests to China regarding Chinese expansionist activities in the West Philippine Sea, which Locsin correctly insists violate International Law.

Ex-Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has been repeatedly badgering President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that those diplomatic protests are not enough. Without saying so bluntly (something which Carpio has cleverly dodged so far), Carpio wants President Duterte to go to war with China. Carpio believes that the United States will join that war because of Manila’s mutual defense treaty with Washington, D.C.

What the Philippines will do if America refuses to join that war is something Carpio, as expected, conveniently fails to discuss.

President Duterte does not want war with China because it is a war the Philippines cannot hope to win on its own. Besides, the Constitution categorically mandates that the Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy. Moreover, the President has enough problems already with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Isn’t ex-Justice Carpio aware of that constitutional mandate? Why does he want war? Does his law office (called “the Firm” during its heyday under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) have any corporate clients who stand to profit if a war breaks out between the Philippines and China?

In any debate, it is important for a debater not to lose his cool. A debate is about logic and reason, and a debater who loses his temper will argue outside of logic and reason, and end up the loser.

Carpio is aware that President Duterte is known for losing his temper while speaking in public. For that reason, analysts assert that Carpio deliberately kept on badgering the President over the West Philippine Sea issue in the hope that Carpio can get the President angry enough to challenge Carpio to a debate. If that debate takes place, Carpio’s simple strategy is to exploit the President’s penchant for getting angry, and to get the President furious enough to lose the debate, not because of poor argumentation but because of sheer anger.

After many attempts to get President Duterte’s goat, Carpio’s trick finally worked last week.

Exasperated with Carpio’s endless unfounded tirades, an angry President Duterte issued an obviously spur-of-the-moment challenge to debate with Carpio over the West Philippine Sea issue. Naturally, Carpio accepted the challenge.

Being a top Malacañang adviser during a previous administration, the scheming Carpio knew that President Duterte’s advisers will ultimately advice the President not to push through with the debate. Carpio was aware that presidential protocol prohibits a sitting president to debate with anyone, except when the president is a reelectionist and the debate is with a challenger to the presidency, and done during the campaign period.

Since President Duterte is prohibited by the Constitution from seeking reelection, and because Carpio does not satisfy the foregoing requirements, it is improper and even demeaning for the President to debate with Carpio.

The crafty Carpio also knew that even if he loses in the debate, he would have nonetheless generated plenty of free nationwide publicity for himself, enough to launch his planned political career.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/05/12/debate-was-actually-a-set-up-by-carpio/

Not a debate but full-blown probe of Panatag loss, anti- China drive needed

ByRigoberto D. Tiglao

May 12, 2021

WE trivialize the loss of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and the damage the Yellows’ anti-China policy has wrought on the nation if we merely call for debate on it. We trivialize the fact that our quarrel with China was due to an oligarchic group rushing to be energy giants if we merely debate on it.

A debate isn’t what is needed. What’s necessary is simply putting facts out in the light of day, which the Yellows have managed to hide because of their control of a substantial part of media.

The only beneficiary of such debates will be lawyer Antonio Carpio if my thesis is accurate that he has all this time merely been lawyering for that First Pacific-led oligarchic group, whose project since 2011 to extract gas in the disputed

Reed (Recto) Bank had been blocked by China.

As in all court cases, he’ll just be charging his appearance fee and even research expenses. Carpio has not responded to my asking him if he is indeed lawyering for that group.

We need a full-blown investigation — by a congressional committee or a “presidential truth commission” — on how the past regime lost Panatag Shoal and how and why it filed that arbitration suit against China that turned out to be a disaster for us, but which has, as I will explain below, raised the risk of war in the South China Sea, even a global nuclear war — and I am not exaggerating.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/12/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/not-a-debate-but-full-blown- probe-of-panatag-loss-anti-china-drive-needed/872432/ Monster at the gates

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:07 AM May 12, 2021

With the COVID-19 variant B.1.617 spreading in India, breaking news that two overseas Filipino workers from Oman and the United Arab Emirates had tested positive for it was truly disturbing. They have apparently since recovered, but the question becomes more urgent: How is the Philippines preparing for another possible surge of the pandemic?

It was only late last month that the government banned the entry of travelers from India starting April 29 up to May 14, which is two days away. At the time of the announcement, as many as 73 Filipinos in India had tested positive for COVID-19 and were being assisted in their medical needs by the Philippine Embassy, per Ambassador Ramon Bagatsing Jr. (The number has since risen and one embassy officer has since died of the respiratory disease.) By then the vast South Asian country was struggling to cope with dramatic numbers of infections and deaths a fresh wave of misery unleashed by the B.1.617 variant first detected there in October and, with — its sublineages of varying mutations and characteristics, now listed as a variant of

Plainly“global put,concern” B.1.617 by isthe more World transmissible, Health Organization. more deadly because able to elude vaccine protections, and thus more dangerous than the original strain.

What is the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious agile health system? (Other countries, including New Zealand, Pakistan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, etc., Diseases doing to reinforce the Philippines’ fr were reported to have quickly moved to avert transmission by banning travelers from India even before the Philippines could bestir itself to do so.) On May 6, Inquirer health columnist Dr. Rafael Castillo raised the need for a contingency plan “for when wondered whether there was sufficient supply of oxygen for patients who would have the Indian variant hits us.” In an interview with Inquirer reporter Patricia Chiu, he no space in crowded hospitals, or “additional tents, in case cases go back to 15,000 to These20,000 are in avalid single concerns day.” for the people in charge of the nuts and bolts of the Philippine defense against the ever-mutating coronavirus. Castillo mentioned a narrow window of 45-60 days in which to prepare for what WHO chief scientist variant. Soumya Swaminathan has described as the “extremely rapidly spreading” B.1.617 Castillo again raised the idea of targeted vaccination instead of mass vaccination for example, inoculating residents of the National Capital Region and adjoining provinces — Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, or NCR Plus, but not those aged 20-40 years old for whom, he said in a recommendation he made as early as March 22, the risk of dying from COVID- than vaccine-generated, immunity that can potentially weaken their innate 19 is low. “It’s better to allow their system to develop natural, rather

Inimmunity,” that early he recommendation, wrote then. - Castillo noted the rate with which “escape mutations” -system- were developing and called for a shift from a “vaccine centric strategy” to “a more accination for the elderly and other high-risk holistic multipronged approach” that included promoting the use of immune boosting agents. “Let’s reserve the v persons…” he wrote.

It may or may not be an acknowledgment of Castillo’s pitch, but health officials are senior citizens, or th now employing “sectoral” vaccinations (health workers, people with comorbidities, Plus, or economic centers nationwide), the idea being to make judicious use of the e most at risk of infection) and “geographic” vaccinations (NCR uneven supply of vaccines reaching our shores. And, of course, to help the prostrate economy recover.

But first, the monster at the gates. The WHO said last week that B.1.617 had been of deaths in India was pulling the overall toll past 240,000, with new infections seen in over 1,200 sequences “from at least 17 countries.” At this writing, the number increasing the total since the start of the pandemic to more than 22.3 million. vaccines worldwide, the European Union called for an end to vaccine export limits To address what the WHO called the “moral outrage” of the inequitable distribution of and the United States backed waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines acts of reassurance that will, however, produce yet distant results.

On May 7,— Malacañang announced new guidelines, including two-week quarantine and strict swab tests, for Filipino and foreign travelers to the Philippines. It is hoped that logistics have also been fine-

tuned and that it’s true, as the Palace mouthpiece claimed, that “we have foresight and we have learned what to do…”

https://opinion.inquirer.net/140150/monster-at-the-gates

The roots of red-tagging

By: Michael L. Tan - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:03 AM May 12, 2021

The current wave of red-tagging in the Philippines, where describes certain people as being communists, has become more vicious in recent the government “tags” or weeks, attacking journalists, actors, NGO workers, religious, educators, and members of Congress and, lately, even those who organize community pantries or food banks for the poor.

Red- sometimes used. The first red scare came after the Bolshevik victory in 1917 and the tagging’s roots are not Filipino but American, where the term “red scare” is establishment of the Soviet Union. The US saw the new powerful communist state as a threat to American capitalism.

World War II saw an uneasy alliance between the Allied forces (the US and several western European countries) and the Soviet Union against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) but after the war, the rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union intensified. The communist victory in China in 1949 and the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 fanned anti-communist paranoia and a new red scare.

A Committee on Un-American Activities was formed in the US Congress, its most vocal advocate being Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who with support from the Federal Bureau of - -called communists, mainly targeting writers, actors, academics, scientists, and politicians. Investigation launched “witch hunts” against so Signs of being a communist were often arbitrary including support for public health, vaccination, and mental health care services; even fluoridation of water supply, all signs of too much government intervention, which was equated with socialism and communism. A third red scare emerged during the Trump presidency, anyone with ultra- ideas more liberal than Trump being called socialist or communist. Given Trump’s Back toright the views, 1950s: that Loyalty meant checks many became more “communists” common in US being gove tagged.rnment agencies and at least 3,000 federal workers were fired for suspected communist sympathies. Suspects were subjected to character assassination, the most frequent one being labeled as homosexual or sex perverts. In an era where homosexuals were strongly stigmatized, the accusations led to several suicides among the victims. lose public support. Moreover, toward the end of the 1950s, the US Supreme Court McCarthyism’s viciousness (and his attack on Hollywood personalities) made him under Justice Earl Warren rendered several decisions that declared it illegal to fire someone supposedly because of membership in the communist party.

By the 1960s, McCarthyism seemed dead but it turns out the FBI continued with its counter-intelligence program. If y about American actress Jean Seberg who had made a name as part of French New ou have Amazon Prime, look up “Seberg,” a film Wave cinema. In the late 1970s, Seberg began to support civil rights groups, including the radical Black Panther Party. The FBI then began stalking her, tapping her phone and launching character assassination including false allegations that she was pregnant with the child of a Black Panther member.

In 1979, Seberg committed suicide.

Following the passage of a Freedom of Information Act, American civil liberties - called counter-intelligence program. defenders were able to obtain many documents revealing the extent of the FBI’s so And the Philippines?

https://opinion.inquirer.net/140142/the-roots-of-red-tagging

By: Rasti Delizo - @inquirerdotnet

PhilippineLaban Daily ng Inquirer Masa’s / 04:02 AM 2022May 12, 2021 foreign policy agenda

-Point Program clearly and sharply articulates an innovative foreign policy agenda for the Philippines The recently publicized “Laban ng Masa’s 25 for the 2022 Elections” beyond the coming year. Among the three distinct political alignments vying for Pres - Laban-based alliance, 1Sambayan, and Laban ng Masa it appears that the latter national political offices in next year’s general elections— ident Duterte’s PDP coalition now has a confidently assertive and well-thought-out global policy direction — to progressively guide the Philippine state and our peoples on the world stage.

This is highly important for the Philippine electorate to both critically value and support, because of the currently disruptive nature and destabilizing dynamics of the post-

pandemic world order. Laban ng Masa’s platform principally states that it shall many external challenges and threats facing the country. This stands in utter contrast “Formulate a truly independent and internationalist foreign policy” in response to the to the existing reactionary and pro-imperialist positions of the elite-based trapo parties. Thus, LnM hopes to be able to newly redirect the general course of Philippine external relations on the basis of winning the 2022 national elections.

-needed systemic change via structurally transformative policy reforms in a comprehensive Laban ng Masa’s declared program is essentially focused on advancing much common opposition candidate for president to victory in 2022, LnM will push for the manner. The program states that, “When the insurrection of the electorate brings the immediate formation of a National Council of Progressive Filipinos to coordinate

executive, legislative, and mass movement efforts.” To implement these priority Asmeasures, a mass movement-basedLnM would “begin socialist the transition political to center, a democratic LnM aims socialist to firmly system.” advance an alternative foreign policy path that emphasizes key principles of non-alignment in

Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the US, rejecting the expansionist and sphere-of- world affairs: “Ending the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense influence claims of big powers like China and the US in the greater South China Sea, negotiating a mutually beneficial agreement with neighboring countries for a commons-based development and utilization of natural resources in disputed areas, pushing demilitarization of the region, and strictly enforcing and demanding recognition by all nuclear powers of the 1995 Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free

Treaty.” an alliance of governments in the global South to oppose the encroachments of the US, Likewise, LnM’s stated agenda in foreign affairs asserts that it shall “lead in forming China, and other dominant powers while making use of their competition to widen the political and economic space for maneuver of developing countrie -imperialist stance due to its opposition to s.” This both American imperialism and Chinese social imperialism, the two great power emphatic assertion highlights LnM’s anti blocs that are intensifying their contention over vast realms of the Asia-Indo-Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia.

Laban ng Masa absolutely believes in the need to vitally uphold and practice the principles of internationalist solidarity. It holds the view that a truly independent and democratic Philippines must continually build and develop relationships with - state actors worldwide. It is a basic socialist precept to establish even closer unities people’s movements, mass organizations, national liberation forces, and other non populace. Moreover, the globally exploited working class masses and oppressed with such people’s organizations since they represent the majority of the world’s nations form and reflect the popular social base of state entities across the globe. ially just, and

LnM’s global outlook is exemplified by a progressively democratic, soc forward. peacefully cooperative orientation to ably lead our country’s foreign relations

https://opinion.inquirer.net/140140/laban-ng-masas-2022-foreign-policy-agenda

About that ‘rules-based international order’

Thomas L. Knapp (The Philippine Star ) - May 12, 2021 - 12:00am The Biden administration has taken to frequently asserting its intention to return versus the Trump administration’s departure therefrom to something called a “rules-based international order.”

What is this supposed “order?” What obligations does it impose, and upon whom? Which governments meet those obligations? Which don’t?

Google returns about 197,000 results on the phrase “rules-based international order.” The top result leads to a paper from the United Nations Association of Australia, which defines it as “a shared commitment by all countries to conduct their activities in accordance with agreed rules that evolve over time, such as international law, regional security arrangements, trade agreements, immigration protocols and cultural arrangements.”

The US government, on the other hand, usually invokes the term when making unilateral demands of, or militarily intervening against, other governments. Washington defines it as “the US makes the rules; the rest of the world must do as it is ordered.”

On the rare occasion that it takes an even slightly broader view, that view – as voiced by an anonymous US State Department official at a recent press briefing – is that a handful of governments (in this case the G7 group) “has a global perspective, which is not true of every country in the world.” The (US-dominated) G7 makes the rules; the rest of the world must do as it is ordered.

A major problem with the “rules” in question, in addition to the US government wanting to enforce them pursuant to its own agenda while violating them whenever it pleases, is that the US government can’t be trusted to follow the rules even when it makes, and explicitly agrees to, them. Two recent examples:

The Trump administration, in violation of US and international law (“the rules”), began shirking its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka “the Iran nuclear deal,” in 2018. Instead of bringing the US back into compliance as promised during the 2020 presidential campaign, the Biden administration continues to attempt to negotiate new conditions for holding up its end of a binding international deal.

After two decades of war, the Trump administration negotiated an Afghanistan peace deal with the Taliban, under which US troops were required to exit the country by May 1 of this year. The Biden administration hemmed, hawed and reneged on that obligation, pushing the withdrawal back by more than three months.

Absent a powerful referee (the US regime loves to style itself the world’s “only remaining superpower,” immune to pressure from lesser regimes or even the United Nations), the only possible basis for a “rules-based international order” is trust. And the US regime continually proves itself untrustworthy.

If the Biden administration really wants a “rules-based international order,” the first step is to start following the rules.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/05/12/2097671/about-rules-based-international-order

Xi Jinping’s grand economic strategy was born out of China’s new perception of the world

• -circulation policy, with a greater focus on domestic consumption and production, has paid off in the short term but will continue to be tested • DisruptionsChina’s dual in cross-border trade flows prompted a strategic economic rethink at the highest level

China has embraced an inward-facing economic strategy, known as dual circulation, that President Xi Jinping said will help the country rely less on the outside world. Photo: Xinhua

A man’s behaviour is often shaped by his perceptions of the world around him. He may feel relaxed in a safe and comfortable environment, but turn alert and defensive in a hostile one. A country’s chosen strategies and decisions, to some extent, are also a reflection of policymakers’ impression of the world.

China’s inward-looking economic strategy, known as dual circulation, emerged as China’s reading of the world changed. According to the transcript of a speech by President Xi Jinping in January that was recently published, the coronavirus’ disruption of cross-border trade flows directly contributed to Beijing’s new economic strategy.

In Xi’s own words, he found that “the global supply chain witnessed a partial breakdown” in early 2020, when he toured the coastal province of Zhejiang as the coronavirus was spreading throughout the world. As a result, part of China’s domestic economy stopped functioning, as “many local companies couldn’t source much-needed materials from abroad, overseas personnel couldn’t get into China, and cargos couldn’t be shipped out”.

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3132928/xi-jinpings-grand-economic-strategy- was-born-out-chinas-new

China makes us rethink capitalism

• CARTOONARTS INTERNATIONAL • BY BRAD GLOSSERMAN • CONTRIBUTING WRITER • SHARE • May 11, 2021 China regularly forces us to check our assumptions about how the world works. The country’s return to regional and global prominence challenged preconceived notions (in the West) about leadership. Then, there was the stubborn defiance of expectations that one- party communist rule would give way to democracy. Sharpening tensions between China and the West (and its neighbors) reflect a whole series of inaccurate priors about ways that Beijing’s policies would evolve. Now, China is forcing us to reassess how capitalism works and how the world should adjust to its refusal to mimic Western corporate and business practices. These differences assume great significance in the race to catch up with and overtake the West in the development of leading-edge technologies. Make no mistake: China is in many important ways a capitalist country; but Chinese capitalism is a very different animal from that practiced in the West.

Let’s start with some shibboleths and misperceptions. First, there is a belief that China can’t innovate and its technological progress is the product of massive intellectual property theft from the West. Proponents of this theory either rely on simple prejudice or China’s use of administrative provisions to force companies that want to do business in the country to turn over technology.

They are wrong. Historically, the Chinese were extraordinary innovators, inventing paper, printing, the compass and gunpowder. Lee Kai-fu, former head of Google China and now a venture capital investor in China, argues that “Chinese companies are innovating as much as the American ones.” They “use their scale, spending, and efficiency at the grunt work level, … (burning) cash like crazy and (relying) on armies of low-wage delivery workers to make their business models work,” he said. This “alternate internet universe” befuddles “analysts entrenched in Silicon Valley orthodoxy.”

Lee concedes that “the Chinese culture does not frown upon copycatting as much as Americans do,” but adds that “that is more of a cultural issue, not a business one.” Dubious of Lee’s conclusion? Then listen to Eric Schmidt, former chair of Google. He worries that China is poised to overtake the U.S. in key fields such as artificial intelligence in a few years.

Second, the charges that China illegally acquires all its technology are wrong as well. While theft is an issue, every credible economic historian acknowledges that China’s behavior is no different from that of other developing countries. (Be wary of the often-cited claim that China has “stolen” $600 billion in intellectual property from the U.S. It’s exaggerated and inexact.) Laggards, the U.S. included, always engaged in industrial espionage. Capable governments — Japan and South Korea prime among them — imposed limits on foreign direct investment that capped ownership of domestic companies and obliged investors to share their intellectual property. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/11/commentary/world-commentary/china-and-capitalism/

Three realities for the West to understand about China

• continues to grow, Beijing will not wish to change a system that works well, especially when it sees things differently from the US • TheAs China’s era of Paxeconomy Americana needs to be followed by an era of cooperation, with help from friends, to create global security and prosperity

People's Liberation Army soldiers assemble during military training at the Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on January 4. China needs to allay fears that it will use its growing military might to cow its neighbours. Photo: AFP

The fate of the world will be influenced greatly by what sort of relationship the United States and China develop in the coming years and decades. To forge a fruitful rather than angst-ridden, if not destructive, relationship for themselves and the rest of the world, the two countries need to fundamentally change the way they approach each other.

The US and the West more broadly need to recognise three realities about China. The first is that China is a giant economy that is only getting bigger and more technologically advanced.With that increasing economic strength will come commensurate military power. China, at 19 per cent of the global economy, has overtaken the US as the world’s largest economy on a purchasing power basis. China and the US together produce more economic output than the next 12 economies combined, and the next 21 on a nominal exchange rate basis.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132997/three-realities-west-understand-about-china

Long March rocket’s re-entry a warning from the heavens that US, China hubris must change

• of former US president Donald Trump • InBeijing’s the absurdity disparaging of the ‘wolf new warrior’ political diplomacyparadigms is in starting Beijing toand look Washington, more like the approachword hypocrisy no longer has any meaning

Throughout the ages, astronomical phenomena have often been seen by humans as an omen. Chinese imperial rulers, in particular, developed the world’s most sophisticated and detailed observations of the night sky as a fundamental tool of governance.

Disturbances and aberrant phenomena in the firmament needed to be taken seriously as they might signal war, famine or pestilence. They might have also been seen as a message from the heavens that governing policies must change.

Keep this in mind as we ponder the remnants of China’s Long March 5B rocket, which streaked over the Mediterranean in the predawn hours of Sunday and splashed down around the Maldives

. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132876/long-march-rockets-re-entry-warning-heavens- us-china-hubris-must

How China’s steady erosion of media freedom rose from Sichuan’s ruins

• Journalists and activists hoped the 2008 earthquake would open a crack in censorship • Instead, it was the start of more than a decade of tight control of traditional and online outlets

Schools were reduced to rubble when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Beichuan county in Sichuan province 13 years ago, killing tens of thousands of people. Photo: AP

Thirteen years ago on Wednesday, the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan was struck by the most devastating earthquake in decades, resulting in 87,000 deaths.I still remember vividly standing in a persistent drizzle at the quake-flattened Beichuan Middle School on the early afternoon of May 13, 2008, nearly 24 hours after the disaster hit. The signs of rapid destruction were everywhere – a sea of fallen trees, mud and debris lay where three school buildings, each five to seven stories high, once stood. Parents clambered over piles of rubble, desperately pulling out bodies and calling out the names of their loved ones. As many as 1,600 students were killed at the only high school in

Beichuan county, one of the worst-hit in the calamity.

While the Sichuan earthquake took a heavy toll on life, property and the environment, it also saw a brief period of unusual media and online activism in China, which some described as opening a crack in Chinese censorship.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3133056/how-chinas-steady-erosion-media-freedom- rose-sichuans-ruins

What the evolving international order means for Japan

• • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden hold a joint news conference after their talks at the White House in Washington on April 16. | KYODO

• BY YOICHI FUNABASHI, YUICHI HOSOYA AND KEN JIMBO • CONTRIBUTING WRITERS • SHARE • May 11, 2021 In the first installment of a three-part series, executives at the Asia Pacific Initiative — Chairman Yoichi Funabashi, Research Director Yuichi Hosoya and Ken Jimbo, Executive Director for the Japan-U.S. Military Statesmen Forum — discuss how the international order involving the U.S. and China has evolved over the years and how it has affected the Japan-U.S. relationship. YH: Roughly eight years have passed since then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama held talks in February 2013, their first meeting after Abe’s second stint as prime minister began. Japan-U.S. relations and U.S.-China relations have changed greatly since then.

At the time of the meeting, while Abe’s historical revisionist stance had been criticized as an obstacle to peace in Asia, U.S.-China relations were relatively stable under the Obama administration.

However, after Donald Trump became U.S. president, tensions between the United States and China heightened, leading to deepening confrontations.

The two nations’ clashes have intensified even further in the past year, after then-deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger harshly criticized China’s control over freedom of speech under President Xi Jinping’s government, in a speech delivered online in Chinese on May 4 for a symposium held at the University of Virginia.

Looking from the perspective of geoeconomic structural changes, how should we interpret those changes? What is the true nature of those changes?

YF: There is a big difference between the Japan-U.S. relationship of eight years ago and that of now. Because of fierce criticism of Abe, the Obama administration gave Japan the cold shoulder in 2013. Compared with those times, Japan and the U.S. are currently maintaining a very good relationship. The Biden administration has high expectations for Japan. For instance, even before being inaugurated, Biden made clear that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty would apply to the Senkaku Islands. Biden also expressed support for the so-called Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy in a recently-held online meeting of the “Quad” alliance of Japan, the U.S., Australia and India. The U.S. is apparently trying to get closer to Japan. Amid that background, it was obvious that the meeting between Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held on April 16 would be a success.

This indicates that Japan’s strategic value, including its potential value, has risen greatly in the eyes of the U.S. in the last eight years.

This is attributable to the fact that U.S.-China relations had been through tremendous qualitative changes.

One of the changes was in China’s behavior, which appears to be based on the notion that the U.S. is declining in power and there is not much it can do.

China believes the international order centered on the U.S. is in the middle of collapse. That is how the U.S. thinks of China and we can say that is what prompted the U.S. to change its China policies and raise Japan’s strategic value.

Then, on the other side of the same coin, there is China’s hegemonic — or Sinocentric — way of thinking that China is, and should be, at the center of the international order.

China has the sense that it is supported by the majority of the world, including the United Nations’ family of organizations and those involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and claims that Western countries, such as the U.S., are in the minority.

This doesn’t mean China is attempting to completely break the international order led by the U.S. in the past. But Beijing is showing clearer signs that it wants to lead efforts to replace the logic of Western nations that have taken the lead in the international order — those which it calls the minority with vested interests — with the logic of the global majority.

I think that is also something that has changed greatly from before.

Geoeconomic competition

There is another change that has occurred in the past eight years that we should not forget about. Geoeconomics — the economy having power, or even becoming weaponized — is playing a greater role in the global political power game.

The Trump administration repeatedly imposed higher tariffs on China to counter its geoeconomic threats, and the Biden administration is believed to be basically maintaining the same stance against China.

While the “Quad” grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States seeks to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it significantly has not sought to involve China. | POOL / VIA REUTERS In other words, U.S. geoeconomic policies toward China have changed little, even after the Republican administration turned over power to the Democrats, indicating that something like a bipartisan agreement is being formed.

A recent U.S. survey showed that 67% of Americans have negative feelings toward China.

I think they are beginning to feel the threat of China — not a military threat like the possibility of a nuclear attack, but rather the threat of battles over techno-hegemony in the fourth industrial revolution, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum computers, as well as cyberattacks, military-civil fusion, social surveillance, massive government subsidizing of companies in strategic sectors and expansion of influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

One example that signified the U.S. government’s stance was its restriction on re-exports of U.S. semiconductors to China by foreign companies, including those in Japan.

On the other hand, China is countering geoeconomic threats, such as semiconductor export restrictions, which could vitally hit its supply chain, by reorganizing the global supply chain into something that China can rely on.

At the same time, China is aiming to raise other countries’ dependence. It is trying to strengthen economic pressure on other states by taking advantage of the asymmetrical economic power relations — countries being more dependent on Beijing than Beijing is on them — and using it to achieve geoeconomic goals. If such geoeconomic conflicts between the U.S. and China are prolonged, countries like Japan, which are highly dependent on the two nations economically, will face various risks.

For example, if the U.S. bans a Japanese firm from re-exporting chips to China and the firm fails to fulfill its contract with a Chinese company, the firm could be asked to compensate that company.

How to cope with such risks that are likely to become higher is a challenge concerning Tokyo’s future relationship with Washington and Beijing.

Japan and the U.S. are allied partners, but that doesn’t mean Japan should scramble to respond to requests from the U.S. to not conduct business with Chinese companies blacklisted under the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Rather, it is necessary for the Japanese and U.S. governments to clearly position such geoeconomic risks and measures against risks within their national security policies and coordinate their actions to implement these measures.

Decline of liberal economy

KJ: Robert Blackwill of the Council on Foreign Relations defines geoeconomics as “the use of economic instruments to achieve geopolitical goals.” More emphasis has been placed on geoeconomics in recent years as economic components in national security became increasingly salient. We can no longer deal with geopolitics without taking geoeconomics into account. In the beginning of this century, globalization and economic liberalization were widely regarded as sources of innovation, and such trends were irreversible — most symbolically described in Thomas Friedman’s book “The World Is Flat.” China has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of globalization.

However, while the wealth of emerging economies and global top earners expanded rapidly in the last two decades, the income of the middle class and laborers in industrialized economies remained stagnant.

People in the middle class became strongly aware of the fact that the benefits of globalization are unevenly distributed.

This dissatisfaction built up and led to the Trump phenomenon in the U.S. and Brexit in the United Kingdom. The Biden administration, which advocates “a foreign policy for the middle class,” cannot avoid bearing in mind such people’s sentiments.

As the Trump administration said, “economic security is national security” — economy and national security are getting closer than ever. Economic policies are now closely related to the distribution of interests within a country and are also connected to geopolitical objectives through economic cooperation, trade and investment.

And as Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations pointed out, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the basic direction of world history rather than reshaped it.

While people’s movements have been restricted both at home and abroad, the connectivity of goods, money and digital supply chains has been maintained.

In such a situation, I believe that the fact that China, regarded as the epicenter of the pandemic, has been one of the first to show economic recovery and growth is what accelerates the changes in international order even more.

These changes, which had already been extremely serious even before the pandemic, are made up mainly of three elements.

The first is the change in the global power balance, the second is the shift from free economy to state capitalism and the third is the global decline of democracy.

Inefficiency is unavoidable in democracy, but more people began problematizing inefficiency in democracy as a governance model and global democracy has continued to recede in the past 15 years.

I think it is under such changes that talk of U.S. decline, as previously mentioned, has emerged.

In the field of national security, it is becoming difficult for the U.S. to maintain an advantage over China by itself and with conventional strategy.

Furthermore, while the U.S. continues to hold military strength to deter and control large- scale global conflicts, it is becoming harder for Washington to gain people’s support for international military interventions like those conducted in Afghanistan and Iraq in the past.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a fractious relationship, marking a continuation of a longer running cooling of ties. | REUTERS

And no effective deterrence model has yet been constructed against so-called gray zone challenges in which it is difficult to judge immediately whether military intervention is needed.

Such a reduction in U.S. presence is behind China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and other attempts to expand its interests in various regions. This is the change in power balance.

State capitalism

The second change is the shift to state capitalism.

China, dubbed the world’s factory, developed remarkably thanks to its export-driven economy, and the liberalization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the financial system was actively discussed at the beginning of this century.

In the mid-1990s, Paul Krugman argued in his essay “The Myth of Asia’s Miracle” that productivity will not improve in Asian economies without liberalization. But China in recent years has had a large number of SOEs listed among the world’s top 500 companies by market capitalization.

One of the reasons for Chinese companies’ strong performance is the structural changes made to the Chinese economy.

China’s economy developed around such sectors as manufacturing, energy and finance, but in the past eight years, information and communication tech companies — namely Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and Huawei — have shown remarkable growth to lead the economy as a new core sector.

While economic liberalization was believed to be inevitable for such sectors as manufacturing to evolve further, the emergence of the digital economy completely changed the situation, as digital resources including big data have become the cornerstone of national governance for China’s communist regime.

In addition, as Xi’s authoritarian approach became more conspicuous, expectations for political reform toward liberalization diminished.

As a result, I believe that in the U.S., both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party came to the conclusion that it was time to end the engagement policy with China and promote a strategic competition.

As mentioned earlier, Washington’s China policies pushed during the four years under the Trump administration, including tariffs and restrictions on Chinese firms, are not something unique to Trump or his partisanship, but will certainly be succeeded by the Biden administration.

Economic competition between the U.S. and China covers a wide range of areas, including not only tariffs but also restrictions on investments by foreign firms, export control, control on emerging technologies and government procurement restrictions. It is serious security competition in the economic domain.

Under such circumstances, the world that has competed to liberalize economies until now lost its place to go back to and is being directed toward state capitalism.

Lastly, amid changes in the global power balance and a drift toward state capitalism, democracy as a global governance mechanism has been put in an extremely difficult position.

According to Freedom House, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that monitors freedom and democracy around the world, democracy has been on the decline for 15 consecutive years since 2006. The world has not been able to bring back the trend toward democratization.

Freedom House also reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a deterioration of democracy in 80 countries in the past year.

Although there are some hopeful examples of democracies being close to overcoming the pandemic, like New Zealand and Taiwan, we have to take seriously the fact that the global decline in democracy has accelerated in the past 15 years and that we have not been able to create the power to recover it.

From U.S.-China to Japan-U.S.

YH: It is also possible to discuss these changes from a historical perspective. As said earlier, the Japan-U.S. summit meeting held in February 2013 lasted only for about two hours, and the Obama administration had adopted a cold attitude towards Japan.

I think this was because the U.S. at the time was focusing on the international order centered on its relationship with China.

In June of the same year, the U.S.-China leaders’ meeting was held in Sunnylands, California, over two days. People around the world saw images of Obama and Xi walking side by side and many had the feeling that a stable international order would be created under the cooperation of the Group of Two.

Moreover, in a speech delivered at Georgetown University in November the same year, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice talked about seeking to “operationalize a new model of major power relations” when it comes to China, making it clear that the U.S. attached the most importance to its relations with China, not with its ally Japan.

This came as a surprise to many who had been advocating the significance of the Japan- U.S. alliance, as it gave the impression that the Obama administration was focusing more on economy than alliance, and it sounded like a message that the U.S. was giving more weight to cooperation with China, with the world’s second largest economy, despite having different values, rather than to Japan, which shares the values of freedom and democracy.

But in the latest meeting, Suga and Biden pledged to work together to build a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This indicates a significant shift of focus from U.S.-China relations to Japan-U.S. relations.

If we redefine this change in an even longer time span, we can say that, first of all, the trend of the expansion of democracy — something no one doubted in the world after the Cold War ended in 1989 — is undergoing major changes.

In 1989, Francis Fukuyama published an essay, “The End of History?” In it, he outlined a very optimistic blueprint that the defeat of communist ideology would lead to the expansion of democracy across the world, assuming that, ideologically, the countervailing force to American values had been eliminated historically.

In today’s world, however, Biden believes that the primary challenge of the international order is a confrontation between democracy and autocracy.

While it is subject to debate whether we should call the current situation a Cold War, we should at the very least be aware of the significance of the U.S. president thinking about the global order in the scope of the U.S.-China conflict.

In other words, the optimistic argument of 1989 that liberal democracy would penetrate throughout the world, including China, has disappeared.

A hands-off policy

Secondly, there was the failure in humanitarian intervention in international conflicts.

In 1999, the U.S. and other Western nations didn’t hesitate to launch air strikes on Kosovo to halt the crisis unfolding there, starting an era of humanitarian interventionism which set military action as the standard for responding to the violation of human rights against large groups.

But the situation has changed since then, as the U.S. failed in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and faced the limit of its power. Then came the era of non-intervention.

The launch of the Obama administration, a decade after the Kosovo conflict, brought a hands-off policy and indirectly suggested the end of an era in which the U.S. intervened in international affairs as the world’s policeman.

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama’s first meeting seemed jovial, its brevity raised eyebrows among some commentators. | REUTERS

In 2012, Obama said the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would be a “red line” for military intervention, but he never enforced it, later saying it was not him who set the line. American unilateralism accelerated under the Trump administration, but Trump was not the starting point. Today’s structural changes have been ushered in during the 12 years since the start of the Obama administration when the U.S. became reluctant to intervene in global conflicts.

Moreover, looking at today’s Japan-U.S. relationship in a longer historical span, I feel it is a new form of ties that succeeds the ideas described in the Atlantic Charter issued in August 1941, during World War II.

The charter was a joint statement released following a meeting between then-U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to set out the principles of world order to which the U.S. and the U.K., which shared common values, should lead the world to aim for after the war.

Today, we are seeing Japan and the U.S., which also share common values, playing a key role in aiming for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region instead of in the Atlantic.

War broke out between the two countries in 1941. But 80 years later, the two nations, which fought a fierce battle in the Pacific, are working together to establish values such as democracy, human rights and rule of law.

The Suga-Biden meeting was significant, if not as important as the Atlantic Charter, in that sense.

It should also be noted that the Declaration by United Nations released in January 1942 was drafted by the U.S., the U.K., the Soviet Union and China.

The only shared goal among the four was to defeat the forces of fascism, and the Soviet Union and China could not be regarded as sufficiently democratic nations.

But today, the Quad countries which came together for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region all share the values of democracy.

Shift from economy to values

One more incident that we should not overlook in the history of changing international order is the normalization of U.S.-China relations following then-U.S. President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing.

Nixon’s announcement of his upcoming visit to China was dubbed the “Nixon shock,” as that was when he effectively accepted the Communist Party that leads the People’s Republic of China as the country’s government. Nixon and his national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, decided to take the strategy of largely receding from the importance of sharing the values of freedom and democracy to focus on the economy and choose to cooperate with China which had a different set of values.

Considering such a historical background, high-ranking Chinese officials like Yang Jiechi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have called on the U.S. for cooperation on economic and strategic interests, but the U.S. keeps a distance from such proposals.

This indicates that some 50 years after the normalization of U.S.-China relations, the Washington has returned to the stance of prioritizing ties with allies that share common values and perceiving world order within the scope of democracy versus autocracy.

I think 2021 will be remembered as a pivotal year when the U.S. shifted from the policy of managing its relations with China stably and strategically — a stance that has continued ever since the Nixon shock — to a policy of giving priority to ties with allies, especially Japan.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/11/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-international- order/

How India’s shift to the West over China threatens relations with Russia and its strategic autonomy

• involved in US- led initiatives, including G7 meetings and military exercises • ItsIndia’s neutrality ties with towards Russia Russia could couldbecome gradually strained fade as New if this Delhi drift ge contints moreues, locking it into the Western camp and limiting its autonomy

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left Subrahmanyam Jaishankar following a bilateral meeting in London on May 3. Photo: AP , attends a press conference with India‘s foreign minister India and Russia recently agreed to launch a “two-plus-two” foreign and defence dialogue, an important milestone in relations.Russia has joined an exclusive clique of Australia, Japan and the United States in enjoying interactions with India in a two-plus-two format (involving two appointed ministers from each country). It speaks volumes of India’s attempts to diversify its foreign policy planning while pursuing strategic autonomy in relations with major powers.With the rise of the Quad and India’s participation in the grouping, as well as its place in US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy, New Delhi has shown its inclination towards the US-led Western world. This Cold War cliché reestablished its significance with

initiative to coalesce like-minded states for competition “between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies”, the latter represented by China and Russia. Biden’s https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132811/how-indias-shift-west-over-china-threatens- relations-russia-and-its

From Pandemic to Pan-shortages

By George Friedman

May 11, 2021

Open as PDF

With some notable and grave exceptions, the COVID-19 crisis is winding down for much of the world. But as it does, another problem is popping up, one that could with little effort turn into another crisis. Put simply, there is not as much stuff flowing as there once was.

There is, for example, a well-documented shortage of microchips. The most common explanations for it are friction in the production process due to personnel rules developed to fight COVID-19, along with a significant increase in demand for microchips for a range of products, including automobiles.

There is a shortage of chickens said to be developing in the United States due to increased demand and a lack of workers.

There is a shortage of copper, the price of which is surging, due to increased demand and decreased supply.

There is a shortage of plastics that seems to have originated in the testing and production of the COVID-19 vaccine.

There is a shortage of truck drivers in the U.S., apparently the result of insufficient numbers of instructors. The length of time needed to become a truck driver in the U.S. has increased from two months to six months.

There is, relatedly, a looming shortage of gasoline.

There are reports of supermarkets not receiving shipments from producers. The reason given is the shortage of truck drivers, along with shortages of certain products that cannot be produced without scarce components. There is a shortage of chlorine, which is used in many things, including swimming pools. This could be as bad for the hospitality industry as it is for the social needs of children in the upcoming summer.

Finally, and far from least, there is a looming shortage in ketchup, the cause of which I have no idea.

This is just a partial list, of course, and though I’m sure the shortages are more complicated than I have so far explained, it’s clear that the shortages are real and that they will take some time to harmonize.

They have some things in common. First, the COVID-19 regulations inevitably disrupted the physical production of things, like chicken and copper. The introduction of Zoom allowed management and intellectual production to continue, but the things that are lacking now are material things that required physical presence. Demand was constrained by unemployment and caution in moving about for a time, so there was a delay in when the shortages started and when we started to really notice. Second, as people get vaccinated or simply go about their daily lives again, demand will outstrip the supply. Last, the pandemic created a displaced workforce. Physical workers could not afford to endure layoffs and reduced hours. They had to get creative in finding other jobs or perhaps starting their own businesses. They might have been paid less, but their old jobs were not available. At some point in the crisis, they had to find work to earn steady incomes and now are disinclined to leave.

There are far more specific and complex reasons for the problems in every industry. But there is a core underlying theme. The rules promulgated to fight COVID-19 affected the physical production and delivery of goods – and their workers – more than it affected intellectual and white-collar work.

https://geopoliticalfutures.com/from-pandemic-to-pan-shortages/

Palestinians: Our True Goal is to Destroy Israel by Bassam Tawil May 11, 2021 at 5:00 am

▪ The Palestinians are upset because Jews are being permitted to tour the Temple Mount. The Palestinians do not want to see Jews visiting their holy site; they do not want to see Jews in Jerusalem, and they do not want to see any Jew at all in the land that stretches from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. ▪ No one is disputing the Palestinians' right to protest Israeli policies. Yet when the protests turn into large pro-Hamas demonstrations, with calls for bombing Tel Aviv and killing Jews, they expose the true deadly intention of the protesters. ▪ When thousands of Palestinians chant "We are all Mohammed Deif" they are saying that they see themselves as terrorists ready to attack and destroy Israel. They are saying that Deif is their role model because he managed to murder many Jews and remains at large, despite Israeli attempts to apprehend or kill him. ▪ Hamas owes its growing popularity to the anti-Israel inflammatory campaign waged in the Palestinian media, especially social media platforms, the mosques and public rhetoric of Palestinian leaders. Hamas also owes its popularity to the ongoing corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority and its autocratic president, Mahmoud Abbas. ▪ The demonstrations in favor of Hamas should also sound alarm bells with the Biden administration and serve as an accurate indicator as to Palestinian priorities. The Biden administration is talking about reviving the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the "two-state solution." Hamas and the thousands of Palestinians who chanted slogans in support of Hamas and Deif, however, have a different solution in mind: the annihilation of Israel and the deaths of Jews -- the more the merrier.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17361/palestinian-goal-destroy-israel

Addressing Security Challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean A Conversation with Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos Tuesday, May 11, 2021 9:00 am - 9:45 am Please join CSIS for a conversation with Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos. As a vital partner for the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece is witnessing significant shifts in its regional security environment.

Minister Panagiotopoulos will discuss the reasons behind growing instability in the region and Greece’s initiatives to advance security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, working closely with regional partners.

As NATO prepares to update its Strategic Concept starting this summer, Minister Panagiotopoulos will also reflect on Greece’s priorities for the updated concept; discuss how NATO can enhance its political cohesion and address new challenges; and outline ideas for expanding and deepening the U.S.-Greece strategic defence partnership.

The conversation will be moderated by Heather A. Conley, CSIS Senior Vice President for Europe, Russia, and the Arctic, and Rachel Ellehuus, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program.

https://www.csis.org/events/addressing-security-challenges-eastern-mediterranean