Today’s News 22 February 2021 (Monday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page Weakened Immune System? Get the Covid- D Pazzibugan PDI A3 1 19 Vaccine 2 Global Vaccine Doses Top 200m AFP PDI A2 Pasay locks down 33 barangays as COVID J Zurbano M Standard A3 3 infection rate doubles PSG remains mum on use of COVID-19 A Versa Tempo 2 4 vaccine-FDA 5 Next imposition: COVID-19 vaccine passport M Business A6 Smuggled Chinese Covid drugs worth P9M D Tribune A7 6 seized PHL sets sights on becoming PPE hub in E Rosales B Mirror A4 7 Asia

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 8 Too early to ease curbs, experts say M Cinco PDI A1 9 18 more UK variant cases detected – DOH M Jaymalin P Star 1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page 10 Biden gov’t: SCS ruling final, legally binding P Brago P Star 2 11 Military unmoved by China’s new law, J Andrade PDI A4 asserts sovereignty in WPS 12 Senator Lacson is not questioning the J Locsin M Standard B1 President’s right to ensure that the US fulfills its VFA obligations

D. INDO-PACIFIC Title Writer Newspaper Page 13 AFP vows to protect maritime areas D Reyes M Times A3 AFP Patuloy na ipaglalaban ang soberenya Tonite 4 14 ng bansa ng West PH Sea 15

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page Swaths of Surigao del Sur flooded as R Rosauro PDI A3 16 ‘Auring’ heads to E. Samar priority list for H Torregoza M Bulletin 2 17 Gov’t to include teachers in COVID-19 vaccine – Go 18 FDA: More info needed on Sinovac vaccine G Naval Malaya A12 19 EUA delay hounds Sinovac arrival M Gonzales D Tribune A1 4th round of oral arguments on terror law set A Hachero Malaya B11 20 Tuesday

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page 21 NPA slain in Lanao Sur clash R Pareño P Star 10 22 150 rebels, supporters surrender in Cagayan M Punongbayan P Star 10 Esperon: After Davao, barangay dev’t A Recuenco M Bulletin 2 23 program to go to Bicol, Caraga, and Western Visayas Valenzuela creates anti-insurgency task A Calalo M Times A8 24 force 25 NSA defends use of funds for Davao R Araja M Standard A3

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page 26 Abu killed in shootout; kidnapping plot foiled J Andrade PDI A4 27 Abu Sayyaf member killed in Sulu V Reyes Malaya B11 28 Sulu anti-terrorist forces enhance skills D Tribune B15 29 Gun smuggler ng ASG utas sa engkwentro D Franche Ngayon 9 30 UNDP provides rice to ex-MILF combatants M Times B8

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL FEATURE Title Writer Newspaper Page 31 Lacson’s office clarifies J Locsin P Star 7 32 Notable Books F Jose P Star 7 33 Remembering People Power 1986 C Maslog PDI A7 34 From victims to victors R Guiam PDI A7 Junk EDCA, the product of Yellows R Tiglao M Times A1 35 Sinophobia 36 Thirty-five years and counting J Baylon Malaya A6 37 No bed of roses D Tribune A4 Pag- N Alquitran PM 3 38 rescue sa Lumad ‘child warriors’, ‘di peke! – Sinas

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Storm Dujuan: 51,400 Filipinos evacuated https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- 39 across 5 provinces news/storm-dujuan-51-400-filipinos-evacuated- across-5-provinces-101613893972895.html P1.2B set aside for areas hit by Auring; https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/p1-2b- 40 rescue under way set-aside-for-areas-hit-by-auring-rescue-under- way/ to a tropical depression https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/auring-weakens- 41 Auring’ weakens in into-a-tropical-depression/ Maya- https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/maya-2- 42 2, PHL’s 2nd cube satellite, launched phls-2nd-cube-satellite-launched/ Students will not be forced to return to https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/21/Student school during in-person classes dry run s-not-forced-return-school-in-person-classes-dry- 43 – DepEd run-DepEd-.html

NAVY NEWS USAID, RMN partner to promote marine https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129375 44 conservation in Visayan Sea AFP RELATED Philippines’ US$16 billion price tag for US https://www.scmp.com/week- 45 forces deal: extortionate? asia/politics/article/3122425/duterte-wants-us16- billion-vfa-american-military-fair-price-us PSG still unresponsive on FDA’s probe on https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/psg-still- 46 unauthorized vaccine use— Domingo unresponsive-on-fdas-probe-on-unauthorized- vaccine-use-domingo/ Esperon explains why Davao got huge https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/esperon-explains- chunk of anti-insurgent brgy development why-davao-got-huge-chunk-of-anti-insurgent-brgy- 47 fund development-fund/

NSA defends use of funds for Davao https://manilastandard.net/news/national/347630/n 48 sa-defends-use-of-funds-for-davao.html Peace talks can’t simply resume due to https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/77 49 existing termination order —Esperon 6819/peace-talks-can-t-simply-resume-due-to- existing-termination-order-esperon/story/ Oral debates on cases vs. anti-terrorism law https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/oral-debates-on- 50 resume Tuesday cases-vs-anti-terrorism-law-resume-tuesday/

BDP needed for dev't of CPP-NPA cleared https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131417 51 villages in Davao Region

Rebel slain in Lanao Sur as Army retrieves https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131382 52 remains of NPA fighter

150 members of communist ‘Militia ng https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1398328/150- 53 Bayan’ surrender in Cagayan members-of-communist-militia-ng-bayan- surrender-in-cagayan INDO-PACIFIC NEWS U.N. Security Council to meet on global https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/wor 54 warming impact on world peace ld/un-security-council-climate/

West cannot solve global issues without https://en.mehrnews.com/news/170212/West- 55 Russia, China: spox cannot-solve-global-issues-without-Russia-China- spox Biden government: South China Sea ruling https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/22/20 56 final, legally binding 79471/biden-government-south-china-sea-ruling- final-legally-binding US concerned China's new coast guard law https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/21/21/us- 57 could escalate maritime disputes concerned-chinas-new-coast-guard-law-could- escalate-maritime-disputes Biden's first month was a 'honeymoon,' but https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-one- 58 bigger challenges loom ahead month/bidens-first-month-was-a-honeymoon-but- bigger-challenges-loom-ahead-idUSKBN2AL0AC Biden's first month shows toughness on https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/02/21/ 59 China as policy review continues bidens-first-month-shows-toughness-on-china-as- policy-review-continues.html Biden signals tougher line on China with https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/articl 60 key appointments e/3122370/us-china-tensions-joe-biden-signals- tougher-line-beijing-key US-China tech war: calls for Biden to fund https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech- 61 US semiconductors grow louder in war/article/3122552/us-china-tech-war-calls-biden- Washington fund-us-semiconductors-grow-louder Deaths in Texas caused by cheap power https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- plants unable to run in cold: Bill Gates news/deaths-in-texas-caused-by-cheap-power- 62 plants-unable-to-run-in-cold-bill-gates- 101613899544352.html Xi gears up for centenary https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/22/xi- 63 gears-up-for-centenary/ India, China complete troop pullout from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india- 64 lake area china/india-china-complete-troop-pullout-from- lake-area-idUSKBN2AL0E6 China pins hopes on Balkans as gateway to https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/articl 65 Europe but faces growing doubts e/3122502/china-pins-hopes-balkans-gateway- europe-faces-growing China Coast Guard vessels re-enter https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/nati 66 Japanese waters near the Senkakus onal/senkakus-china-japan-relations-disputed- islands-japan-coast-guard/ Beijing keeps up military pressure on https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/articl 67 Taiwan as island reshuffles security and e/3122559/beijing-keeps-military-pressure-taiwan- mainland affairs chiefs island-reshuffles China, India hold 10th round of military talks https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-02-21/China- 68 India-hold-10th-round-of-military-talks- Y40Uymk3zW/index.html China and India hold fresh border talks after https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/articl 69 ‘smooth’ pullback e/3122572/india-and-china-hold-fresh-round- border-talks-after-smooth Beijing to step up global influence https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202102210013 70 campaign: Taiwanese expert

China’s political elite prepare to meet at key https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3 71 moment for Xi’s grand vision 122544/chinas-two-sessions-why-years-event-so- important-xi-jinpings Huge crowds in Myanmar undeterred by https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar- 72 worst day of violence politics/huge-crowds-in-myanmar-undeterred-by- worst-day-of-violence-idUSKBN2AL01A Protests on after 2 demonstrators shot dead https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- news/protests-on-after-2-demonstrators-shot- 73 in Myanmar: What has happened so far dead-in-myanmar-what-has-happened-so-far- 101613901296841.html Myanmar protesters return to streets, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 74 undeterred by junta violence asia/article/3122541/myanmar-protesters-return- streets-undeterred-saturdays Laos leaders fear ‘domino effect’ of https://www.scmp.com/week- 75 Thailand protests amid election asia/politics/article/3122480/laos-leaders-fear- domino-effect-thailands-pro-democracy-movement Severe floods kill 5 in Indonesia's capital https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2072043/seve 76 re-floods-kill-5-in-indonesias-capital Rainy season floods hit greater Jakarta, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 77 displacing thousands of people asia/article/3122521/severe-rainy-season-floods- hit-greater-jakarta-displacing Australia and New Zealand’s ‘mateship’ https://www.scmp.com/week- 78 tested over terror suspect, China ties asia/politics/article/3122413/australia-and-new- zealands-mateship-tested-over-terror-suspect Explained: What is H5N8? Strain of bird flu https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- news/explained-what-is-h5n8-strain-of-bird-flu- 79 virus 1st to infect humans in Russia virus-1st-to-infect-humans-in-russia- 101613885803710.html DEFENSE NEWS Indonesia to arm up with Rafale, F-15 https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/indonesia-to-arm- 80 fighter jets up-with-rafale-f-15-fighter-jets/

Is NATO Getting Ready to Take on China? https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/nato-getting- 81 ready-take-china-178581 How Sweden’s Impressive Submarines are https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/how- 82 Taking the Oceans By Storm sweden%E2%80%99s-impressive-submarines- are-taking-oceans-storm-178524 Speed Racer: The U.S. Military's New https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/speed-racer- 83 Drone Swarm Weapon? us-militarys-new-drone-swarm-weapon-178580

North Korea Would Love to Take Down An https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/north-korea- 84 F-35 (Could It?) would-love-take-down-f-35-could-it-178464

Are North Korean Infantry Armed Well https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/are-north- 85 Enough to Stop America? korean-infantry-armed-well-enough-stop-america- 178466 Russia's S-300 Provided Capable Air https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/russias-s- 86 Defense, but the S-400 System is World- 300-provided-capable-air-defense-s-400-system- Class world-class-178563 Chinese navy, air force inferior to US, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4130498 87 Russian counterparts: Former PLA general

Concealed Carry: These Guns Stay Hidden https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/concealed- Until Right When You Need Them carry-these-guns-stay-hidden-until-right-when-you- 88 need-them-178460

Instant Death: Why You Never Want to https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/instant- 89 Cross a Barrett M82 Sniper death-why-you-never-want-cross-barrett-m82- sniper-178468 COVID NEWS Balancing economic recovery, gains vs. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131383 90 pandemic necessary

Philippines warned against easing virus https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2021/02/667 91 restrictions 317/philippines-warned-against-easing-virus- restrictions Govt urged to expand Covid-19 testing, https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/govt- 92 support schemes urged-to-expand-covid-19-testing-support- schemes/

Health protocols should strictly be enforced https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/health-protocols- 93 if entire country placed under MGCQ should-strictly-be-enforced-if-entire-country- placed-under-mgcq/ FDA still reviewing Sinovac’s EUA https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/fda-still-reviewing- application; Moderna interested to apply for sinovacs-eua-application-moderna-interested-to- 94 EUA apply-for-eua/ Circumstantial evidence’ points to Chinese https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/ role in creating virus, former Trump adviser 21/pottinger-circumstantial-evidence-points-to- 95 says chines/

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 96 the World coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 97 Focus U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers On China, https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/02/focus-u-s- Not Persian Gulf navy-aircraft-carriers-on-china-not-persian-gulf/

98 Does China really threaten US power https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/does-china-really- abroad? threaten-us-power-abroad/ 99 Senator Lacson is not questioning the https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/mail- President’s right to ensure that the US matters/347588/senator-lacson-is-not-questioning- fulfills its VFA obligations the-president-s-right-to-ensure-that-the-us-fulfills- its-vfa-obligations.html 100 No bed of roses https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/22/no-bed- of-roses/ 101 Rise of the US-India-China triangle https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archiv es/2021/02/21/2003752583 102 Government focuses on strategic shaping https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/government- as DFAT drops soft-power review focuses-on-strategic-shaping-as-dfat-drops-soft- power-review/ 103 Biden’s good start on China https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archiv es/2021/02/22/2003752638 104 Jihadist Perceptions of a Rising https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/jihadist- Superpower: Troubles Along China’s Belt perceptions-rising-superpower-troubles-along- and Road chinas-belt-and-road

105 Semiconductors as Natural Resources – https://www.csis.org/blogs/technology-policy- Exploring the National Security Dimensions blog/semiconductors-natural-resources- of U.S.-China Technology Competition %E2%80%93-exploring-national-security

106 How China joined the sanctions game https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/21/c ommentary/world-commentary/china-u-s-joe-biden- xi-jinping-human-rights/ 107 Strategic understanding missing from U.S. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-02-21/Strategic- concerns over China's CGL understanding-missing-from-U-S-concerns-over- China-s-CGL-Y3EVfM166s/index.html 108 Australia and Japan's alliance can beat https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/20/c China’s interdependence trap ommentary/world-commentary/api-australia-china/ 109 Tom Cotton’s big plan to “beat China,” https://www.vox.com/22289711/tom-cotton-beat- explained china-strategy-explained 110 The inequality virus https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/leaders/2021/02/6 67459/nst-leader-inequality-virus 111 Maritime cooperation needed https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archiv es/2021/02/21/2003752582 112 China’s calls for cooperation ring hollow https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/01/28/e ditorials/chinas-cooperation-joe-biden-ring-hollow/ 113 Read this before your next Zoom meeting https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/read- this-before-your-next-zoom-meeting/ 114 The risks of climate change not to be https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/the- ignored risks-of-climate-change-not-to-be-ignored/ 115 The AI research paper was real. The “co- https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/the-ai- author” wasn’t research-paper-was-real-the-coauthor-wasnt/

Storm Dujuan: 51,400 Filipinos evacuated across 5 provinces

• The first storm to hit the Philippines this year maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 80 km/h, the state weather bureau said in its 2 p.m. report. Bloomberg PUBLISHED ON FEB 21, 2021 01:32 PM IST Philippine authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people in the south of the country on Sunday as tropical storm Dujuan approaches.

About 51,400 people have been moved to 331 evacuation centers in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Butuan City, the disaster risk reduction and management agency said.

The first storm to hit the Philippines this year maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 80 km/h, the state weather bureau said in its 2 p.m. report. Dujuan, locally known as Auring, is forecast to make landfall on the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area, about 600 to 700 kilometers south of Manila, between Sunday evening and Monday morning.

The storm was 320 km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and has started moving northwestward at 15 km/h. It is expected to bring heavy rains and trigger landslides, although it may weaken into a tropical depression before it makes landfall.

An average of 20 typhoons pass through the Philippines every year, in most cases forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/storm-dujuan-51-400-filipinos-evacuated-across-5- provinces-101613893972895.html

P1.2B set aside for areas hit by Auring; rescue under way BySamuel P. Medenilla February 22, 2021

THE government has allocated over P1.2 billion worth of relief and financial aid as its response in areas affected by tropical storm Auring (international name: Dujuan), according to Malacañang.

In a statement on Sunday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the assistance for typhoon victims from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now ready for deployment.

This is on top of the P19.5 million worth of medicine, medical supplies and health kits prepared by the Department of Health (DOH), also for storm-hit areas. Roque issued the statement as tropical storm Auring started battering parts of Visayas and Mindanao during the weekend.

“We ask the public, especially residents of affected areas, to remain vigilant, be prepared and ready for possible evacuation in case their local authorities advise them to do so as a precautionary measure,” Roque said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that at least 1,241 families in Caraga have been preemptively evacuated because of the storm. The Philippine Coast Guard, Roque said, already deployed its personnel in flood-prone areas to help the rescue initiatives of concerned local government units.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday that rescue and relief operations are being carried out for residents in Mindanao affected by flooding spawned by Auring.

“Response operations are ongoing in communities affected by flooding in Surigao del Sur and several areas of Surigao del Norte,” the NDRRMC said in a brief statement, as it monitors the effect of Auring in Mindanao.

Initially, at least 1,410 families in 40 barangays in Region 11 and Caraga were affected while three key roads and a bridge are impassable due to flooding, the NDRRMC said. At least 44 houses were also partially damaged in Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte. On Saturday, officials preemptively evacuated at least 1,241 families or 4,847 individuals in Caraga while other families living in low-lying villages and other areas that are prone to flooding and landslides are being moved out.

Power supply in Surigao del Sur was cut on Sunday by the Surigao del Sur II Electric Cooperative as a precautionary move against the flooding, leaving almost all of the province 19 towns and municipalities without power.

The flooding was exacerbated by swelling rivers.

The Philippine Coast Guard said that at least 771 individuals, two vessels and 280 rolling cargo were stranded in four seaports in North Eastern Mindanao while 18 vessels and five motor bancas have taken shelter against Auring’s fury.

In Eastern Visayas, at least 2, 555, six vessels and 847 rolling cargo were stranded in five seaports ports while another 443 passengers, 33 vessels and 298 cargoes were also stranded in 20 seaports in Central Visayas.

“The PCG has monitored a total of 4,246 passengers, drivers and cargo helpers; 75 vessels; one motor banca and 1, 804 rolling cargoes stranded in Northern Mindanao, North Eastern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Bicol region amid Typhoon Auring,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/p1-2b-set-aside-for-areas-hit-by-auring-rescue-under-way/

‘Auring’ weakens into a tropical depression

Published February 21, 2021, 11:55 PM by Jhon Aldrin Casinas

Weather disturbance “Auring” has weakened into a tropical depression ahead of its landfall, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Sunday night. The state weather bureau also lifted tropical cyclone wind signal number 2 in areas that were earlier expected to be hit by Auring.

At 10 p.m. Sunday, the center of Auring was spotted at 210 km East of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph while moving in a west-northwest direction at a speed of 15 kph. PAGASA said Auring will continue to move northwest in the next 24 hours before making landfall over the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area in the next six to 12 hours. “There is an increasing likelihood that Auring will further weaken before it makes landfall due to persistent high vertical wind shear associated with the surge of the northeast monsoon,” the agency said in its 11 p.m. bulletin.

After landfall, the tropical depression “is forecast to weaken considerably due to significant terrain interaction and the increasing wind shear, leading to deterioration into a remnant low within 24 hours, possibly sooner.”

Auring was estimated to be in the vicinity of Ivisan, Capiz by Monday night. Signal number 1 has been raised in the following areas: Luzon Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Albay, Catanduanes, and the eastern portion of Camarines SurVisayas Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, the northern and eastern portions of Negros Oriental, the northern and central portions of Negros Occidental, the eastern portion of Iloilo, and the eastern portion of Capiz Mindanao

Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, the northern portion of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, the northern portion of Agusan del Sur, the eastern portion of Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin

Winds of 30 to 60 kph or intermittent rains may be expected in the said areas within 36 hours, while structure may sustain no to light damages.

Moderate to heavy rains may be experienced over Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Camiguin until Monday morning. Light to moderate with at times heavy rains may be felt in Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Quezon, and the rest of Visayas, Caraga, and Northern Mindanao.

From Monday morning to late evening, moderate to heavy rains may affect Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Quezon, Marinduque, and Romblon, while ight to moderate with at times heavy rains over Aurora, and the rest of Visayas, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and Mimaropa.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/auring-weakens-into-a-tropical-depression/

Maya-2, PHL’s 2nd cube satellite, launched

ByLyn Resurreccion February 22, 2021

THE Philippines on Sunday marked another historic moment with the launching of its second cube satellite (cubesat) Maya-2 to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the S.S. Katherine Johnson Cygnus spacecraft at 1:36 a.m. Philippine time.

Sending the satellite into the ISS is the final step before the satellite reaches its targeted altitude in Low Earth Orbit, when the space station deploys it at a later date.

Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is “very proud of this achievement.”

For his part, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. said, “To do something for the first time is great, but to be able to do it again and innovate is greater.”

Marciano added in a news release, “We take pride in the launch of Maya-2, the successor to Maya-1 and the Philippines’s latest milestone in creating value in space for and from Filipinos and for the world.”

The 1U cubesat, a nanosatellite with a mass of 1kg to10 kg, Maya-2 was “designed and developed by Filipino scholars“ who were sent to Japan‘s Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) through the Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP) Project of the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (Stamina4Space) Program.

The Philippines launched its second cube satellite (cubesat) Maya-2 to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the S.S. Katherine Johnson Cygnus spacecraft on Sunday (February 21) at 1:36 a.m., Philippine time. The feat drew praise from Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña and Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. who called it an effort to create “value in space for and from Filipinos and for the world.” In left photo, the Maya-2 Flight Model (FM), A 1U, 10x10x10-centimeter CubeSat weighing 1.3 kilograms. At center, the S.S. Katherine Johnson lifts off with Maya-2. At right, the Maya-2 engineers (from left) Mark Angelo Purio, Izrael Zenar Bautista and Marloun Sejera.

Maya-2 was launched to the ISS with two other identical CubeSats from Japan (Tsuru), and Paraguay (GuaraniSat-1). It is part of the Northrop Grumman CRS-15 mission. All three nanosats were developed under the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech)’s fourth Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite (Birds-4) Project.

After Maya-2’s launch, the team is finalizing the mission operation for the first 24 hours, first week and first month.

“We are also preparing to coordinate with ground stations of the Birds network to ask for their help and cooperation in operating the satellites once deployed in orbit,” said Birds-4 Project Manager Engr. Izrael Bautista.

Engr. Mark Angelo Purio, one of the Maya-2 engineers, said the development of Maya-2, and Birds-4 satellites in general, was special due to the fact that it was affected by the pandemic.

“Not being able to gather physically also added to the challenges we faced during the final stages of the project as most of the work, such as troubleshooting and finalizing software and satellite assembly, were done with less people from the team,” Purio said in describing the challenges they faced.

“It is such a wonderful experience to have worked with people from different backgrounds and nations. The commitment, contribution and effort each member has put on to the satellite development are testaments that the team has made a bond,” he added.

Maya-2’s other engineers are Izrael Zenar Bautista and Marloun Sejera. Philippine space program

De la Peña recalled in a press statement that since DOST started the Philippine Space Technology Development Program in 2014, the country has sent orbiting into space two microsatellites—Diwata-1 and Diwata-2—and two nanosatellites—Maya 1 and Maya-2. DOST’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) and the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (UP IEEE) have been the implementors of the satellite development projects with assistance from two Japanese universities, Hokkaido University and Tohoku University, he said.

De La Peña said the succeeding microsatellites Diwata-3 and Diwata-4 and nanosatellites Maya-3 to Maya-6 “are now in various stages of development, now done completely in the Philippines.”

The program, he added, “will now transition into the leadership of our newly established Philippine Space Agency. All of us should be proud of the fast progress that the Philippines has made in this area considering that we started only in 2014. There are many aspects of governance which will be assisted by space technologies.”

The Philippines expects more Maya cubesat launches in the near future with Maya-3, Maya-4, Maya-5 and Maya-6 already in their respective design and development phases under the STeP-UP project led by Prof. Paul Jason Co.

“Maya-2 is the manifestation of our country’s commitment to build and sustain our own SSTA ecosystem,” Co said. “This is but another step in our long journey as a space-faring nation.” “Having reached the point of sending the Maya-2 CubeSat for launch, it is a proud and anxious moment not only for the STep-Up scholars, but also for the rest of the Stamina4Space Program,’’ said Dr. Maricor Soriano, Samina4Space Program Leader and Project Leader of the program’s Optical Payload Technology, In-depth Knowledge Acquisition, and Localization component.

“Proud, in that, after all the challenges the scholars went through, including working amid the pandemic, they passed all the qualifications for launch; and anxious, because the next step is to await signals from Maya-2 in orbit. But this is what building technology for space is really like. And we feel thankful for the opportunity to learn. Congratulations to our STep-UP scholars!” Soriano said. Like its predecessor Maya-1, which was decommissioned on November 23, 2020, Maya-2 is a technology demonstration and educational platform geared to collect data remotely by Store- and-Forward Mechanism.

Aboard the 1.3 kg-satellite is a camera for image and video capture, an Automatic Packet Reporting System Message Digipeater, attitude determination and control units for active attitude stabilization and control demonstrations, Perovskite solar cells and Latchup-detection chip.

Apart from the similarity of the platforms, Maya-2 was developed and improved using the knowledge gained from developing its predecessor.

The development of Maya-2 under the Birds-4 Project started in 2018 and was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although they faced hurdles, the team of Filipino engineers were able to power through.

More than creating nanosatellites, sustaining local cubesat research and development “is important because it would potentially lead to a systems engineering mindset our researchers, and local partners that can co-develop the our space industry,” Soriano explained.

“It could [also] enhance Science Technology and Engineering curricula in K-12 and higher education,” Soriano said.

With the country now having its Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), it can be confident that its space research and development activities will be sustained and built on, Marciano said. “We congratulate our Birds-4 Filipino engineers—IZ, Mark, and Marloun—and the rest of the Stamina4Space team,” Marciano said. “The PhilSA is building on your accomplishments to bridge, uplift and empower our nation through space.”

Stamina4Space is funded by the DOST, monitored by DOST’s Philippine Council for Innovation, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development, and implemented by DOST- Advanced Science and Technology Institute, and University of the Philippines Diliman.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/maya-2-phls-2nd-cube-satellite-launched/

Students will not be forced to return to school during in- person classes dry run – DepEd

By CNN Philippines Staff Published Feb 21, 2021 11:48:23 PM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21) - The Department of Education said that students will not be forced to physically go to school once President Rodrigo Duterte approves the dry run for face-to-face classes.

“Kahit po napili ang paaralan o ang lugar na maging pilot school nitong face-to-face, may magulang na isa diyan na hindi siya kumportable na ang anak niya ay pumunta sa paaralan, hindi po dapat pilitin,” said DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio on Sunday. [Translation: Even though a school is chosen as a pilot school for the face-to-face, there will be parents who are not comfortable to send their children again to school. So we will not force them.]

DepEd is preparing several options for the possible resumption of face-to-face classes in areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission.

According to Undersecretary San Antonio, there won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ recommendation for the possible return of students to their classrooms.

He said guidelines on the limited resumption of face-to-face classes will depend on Duterte’s decision, as well as the dialogue between schools, parents, teachers and local government units.

“As usual, hindi siya prescriptive. May options for schools. So hindi one size fits all ang ibibigay natin. So kung sino ang magde-decide how frequent, ilan ang nandoon, basta hindi sosobra sa sasabihin namin, ay mga schools,” San Antonio said in an online forum.

[Translation: As usual, it will not be prescriptive. There will be options for schools. So we will not give something like ‘one size fits all.’ It will be the schools which will decide on how frequent are the classes and how many students will attend as long as it will not exceed our recommended number.]

San Antonio said the possible dry run for the resumption of face-to-face classes will be held in areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/21/Students-not-forced-return-school-in-person-classes-dry- run-DepEd-.html

USAID, RMN partner to promote marine conservation in Visayan Sea

February 2, 2021, 8:41 pm

CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP. (L-R) Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 6 regional director and lead convenor for Fisheries Management Area 11 Remia Aparri, acting USAID environment office director Paul Seong, USAID Fish Right Program chief of Party Nygiel Armada, RMN executive vice president and COO Erika Sanchez, and RMN chairman and president Eric Canoy formally launch the USAID-RMN partnership on marine conservation.(Photo by US Embassy in Manila)

MANILA – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) Foundation formalized a media partnership to promote marine conservation in the Philippines.

The partnership will target coastal communities that rely on radio as a source of information and entertainment in the Visayan region, the country’s seafood capital and home to more than 140,000 small-scale fishers.

USAID, through its Fish Right project, and RMN will produce and distribute messages on biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries management through interviews, radio announcements, and related public affairs programs.

RMN will use its broadcast facilities in the cities of Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod, and Roxas to better reach fishing communities in the Visayas.

“This partnership with RMN will certainly strengthen our conservation efforts. We hope that our joint advocacy on sustainable fisheries management will give voice to the fisherfolk as conservation champions, thereby increasing their influence in directly managing the Visayan Sea,” acting USAID environment office director Paul Seong said in a news release on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, RMN executive vice president Erika Marie Canoy-Sanchez said they appreciative of the partnership with USAID “because RMN is founded on the vision of a radio station benefiting local communities. This partnership makes that happen. It’s important for us to really be present on the ground where we are needed the most.”

RMN is one of the largest radio networks in the Philippines, with 65 stations and multiple digital platforms nationwide.

During a small forum to formalize the agreement, chairman of the NGOs for Fisheries Reform Marlon Palomo said, "We are very thankful for this opportunity, especially because this pandemic has made it difficult for us to reach some of our partner communities. Through radio, we will not only be able to reach more fisherfolk but also relay the issues confronted by the fisheries sector in the Visayan Sea and other areas." USAID’s Fish Right project is a five-year partnership between the US and Philippine governments to address threats to biodiversity, improve governance of marine areas, and increase fish health and numbers in South Negros, the Calamianes Island Group, and the Visayan Sea.

The increase in fish will benefit more than two million people living in these fishing communities. The Fish Right program is being implemented by the University of Rhode Island in partnership with local universities and non-government organizations. (PR)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129375

Duterte wants US$16 billion for VFA with American military. Fair price for a US ally in the South China Sea, or ‘extortion’?

• The Philippine president has demanded Washington quadruple its aid to Manila in return for renewing the Visiting Forces Agreement • Critics say ‘extortion’ is unlikely to impress the Biden administration; but some think it could be value for money given the country’s strategic location

A demand by the Philippine government that the United States quadruple its aid to Manila in exchange for allowing US troops to operate in the country may have shocked Washington, but some experts think th justifies the price tag.Following recent bilateral talks aimed at sealing a new Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries,e country’s President strategic Rodrigo position Duterte in the Southput the China US on Sea

notice that if it wanted a deal it would “have to pay”. February 12, the day after the talks ended, in remarks aimed at Washington but delivered in“It’s a ramblinga shared responsibilityspeech to Philippine but your soldiers. share of responsibility does not come free,” he said on

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3122425/duterte-wants-us16-billion-vfa-american- military-fair-price-us

PSG still unresponsive on FDA’s probe on unauthorized vaccine use— Domingo

Published February 21, 2021, 1:22 PM by Analou De Vera

The Presidential Security Group (PSG) has yet to provide information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about their use of unregistered coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine last year.

FDA-Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo said that the PSG is not answering their queries regarding the issue.

Last December, PSG Commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III confirmed that some of his personnel were vaccinated against COVID-19 between September to October of last year. During that time, there was still no approved COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

“I have to be frank, as of now, talagang wala pa kong nakukuhang kahit anong impormasyon (I really haven’t gotten any information yet),” said Domingo in an interview over radio DZBB on Saturday, Feb. 21.

“Sa ngayon, wala talagang sumasagot sa amin. Kahit ang Secretary of Health sumusulat sa kanila (Right now, no one is really responding. Even the Secretary of Health already wrote to them),” he added.

Domingo, meanwhile, expressed hope that the PSG will soon cooperate with their investigation.

“Ako ay umaasa na talagang may makukuha tayong impormasyon (I hope we can really get some information soon),” he said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/psg-still-unresponsive-on-fdas-probe-on-unauthorized-vaccine-use- domingo/

Esperon explains why Davao got huge chunk of anti- insurgent brgy development fund

Published February 21, 2021, 12:37 PM by Aaron Recuenco When Communist rebels waged a series of attacks in the middle of peace negotiations during the early years of the present administration, the then peace pact optimist President Duterte immediately cancelled all confidence-building measures with them—not even the traditional Holiday truce was honored.

Instead, security officials focused on aggressive military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), and stepped up the campaign against the personalities whom the government tagged as having links with the Communist rebels

Such aggressive operations were coupled with programs and projects to lure NPA fighters to return to the fold of the law, and the infusion of funds to make economic development felt at the barangay level—the purpose is to deny the insurgents the opportunity to take advantage of poverty and government neglect for their recruitment — and eventually clear them of NPA influence.

The barangay-level economic development is continuously being done through the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Retired military chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr., national security adviser and director general of the National Security Council, said the BDP is a socio-economic development program earmarked for areas cleared of the NPA wherein the inclusive major programs are farm-to-market roads, construction of school buildings, installation of water and sanitation systems and health stations and the launch of livelihood programs.

“These programs are precisely what formerly affected communities have asked for. In fact, these programs address issues commonly exploited by the NPA,” said Esperon.

In the past days, some groups and personalities raised allegations of possible misuse of the multi-billion BDP funds in preparation for the 2022 presidential elections, and even referred to it as the pork barrel of the generals.

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite also said that the entire Davao region would receive P4.3 billion, with Davao City, the President’s hometown, getting P1.6 billion, or almost 40 percent of the fund allocated for the region.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Esperon belied all the allegations, and explained why Davao region and Davao City would be getting a huge chunk of the fund. Davao City is the largest city in the country with the land area bigger than Metro Manila and Rizal province combined.

And while it is an independent city and serves as the tourism and economic center of the entire Mindanao, Esperon said Davao City is not as highly-urbanized as the cities in Metro Manila, and, in fact, maintains a typical rural scenery in most parts of the city. And despite its big land area, Davao City only has a population of 1.8 million people, or roughly equivalent to the population of the City of Manila.

“The fact remains that there are numerous isolated and remote barangays within the City. Hence, with the large land area of Davao City, there still is a need for development and infrastructure for the growth of the City,” said Esperon in a statement.

The Davao region, composed of four provinces, is characterized by mountain ranges with irregular plateaus and lowlands, according to Esperon. In other words, an ideal hiding place for Communist rebels.

The eastern part of Mindanao where the Davao region is located has long been considered as a stronghold of the NPA, and has been the battleground for heavy and bloody skirmishes between the rebels and security forces.

The NPA attacks include raids on police stations, burning of heavy equipment of construction firms contracted to build roads and bridges and even fatal ambushes of both soldiers and policemen. In the past, Communist rebels were also burning or bombing electric and telecommunication towers.

Esperon said that, of the five Regional Party Committees of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA in Mindanao, four are located in eastern Mindanao.

He said two of the most active Regional Party Committees—the Southern Regional Party Committee and the Far South Regional Party Committee—are operating in Davao region.

The SMRC alone, according to Esperon, is composed of five sub-units or guerrilla fronts which continuously threaten Davao City.

“Of particular concern to our security forces is that within Davao City is an existing armed unit, the Pulang Bagani Command (PBC),” said Esperon.

He also revealed that 65 percent of the total strength of the NPA are based in Mindanao.

Esperon said guerrilla fronts of the CPP-NPA aim to expand the influence and control over a population within a specified territory through a political structure and its armed elements.

Each territory, according to Esperon, consists of several municipalities straddling provincial and even regional boundaries. The territory of a Guerrilla Front has a tactical center located at the remote common boundary of several municipalities or provinces where the NPAs exerts total control of or influence on the population. “Guerrilla Fronts are vital to the operations of the NPA, particularly in Davao Region. Guerrilla Fronts control access to barangays where they exert influence over, thereby preventing developmental projects from entering their strongholds,” said Esperon.

“This leads to a cycle of poverty, isolation, disease, hunger, and lack of educational and livelihood opportunities, thereby hindering growth and prosperity among the affected population,” he added.

Esperon stressed that the dismantling of Guerilla Fronts necessitates a comprehensive process involving coordination between security operations and developmental intervention projects.

The official said the aggressive government intervention that includes the implementation of the BDP will continue to help dismantle guerrilla fronts.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/esperon-explains-why-davao-got-huge-chunk-of-anti-insurgent-brgy- development-fund/

NSA defends use of funds for Davao posted February 21, 2021 at 11:40 pm by Rio N. Araja

Amid the tirades of the Makabayan bloc in Congress on the P1.58-billion counter- insurgency funds, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Sunday defended anew the inclusion of Davao City in the Barangay Development Program (BDP), of which several of its barangays would need development after being placed under the influence of the New People’s Army for over decades.

Esperon, the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said the presence of the NPA has long beenan unwanted force that continues to impede the development of Mindanao, including the Davao region and Davao City.

“The fact remains that there are numerous isolated and remote barangays within Davao City. Hence, with the large land are of Davao City, there still a need for development and infrastructure for the growth of the city,” he said.

The government has identified 822 villages cleared of NPA threats to be included in the BDP to be carried out by the NTF-ELCAC. The program shall provide each barangay a P20-million socio-economic development package.

For Davao City, Esperon pointed out that the city is in need to school buildings to replace the Salugpungan schools which were operated as NPA training centers. There are 55 Salugpungan schools in the entire Davao Region.

Esperon denied supposed “general’s pork,” stressing that the BDP is envisioned with the end goal of bringing development to conflict-prone communities in order to stop the NPA recruitment.

“It is our hope that through the BDP, vulnerable communities will no longer find themselves helpless against the conditions that forced them to have faith in the CPP- NPA and to join the communist armed insurgency,” he said. “By transforming former areas of conflict, we are now one step closer to our collective aspiration as Filipinos for sustainable grassroots development and lasting peace,” he added.

Citing records, he said of the five CPP-NPA Regional Party Committee in Mindanao, there are four in Eastern Mindanao -- the Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, South Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) and Far South Mindanao Regional Committee.

Members of the Makabayan bloc questioned the reported P1.58 billion counter- insurgency funds under the proposed 2021 budget of the NTF-ELCAC for several barangays in Davao City.

Esperon opposed the claim of Makabayan bloc that there were no armed conflicts in Davao City, saying within the city is an existing armed guerilla unit called Pulang Bagani Command, and that the SMRC comprises five sub-units threatening the largest city in the country.

From 2016 to the present, he said, the security forces were able to dismantle four guerilla fronts in Davao City, two in Davao de Oro, three in Davao del Norte, two in Davao Occidental, two in Davao Oriental and one in Davao del Sur. “For progress to begin, communities must be first freed from the threat and influence of the NPA. The dismantling of guerilla fronts necessitates a comprehensive process of improving coordination between security operations and developmental intervention projects,” Esperon said.

https://manilastandard.net/news/national/347630/nsa-defends-use-of-funds-for-davao.html

Peace talks can’t simply resume due to existing termination order —Esperon

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Sunday said the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and communist rebels cannot simply resume considering the existence of a presidential proclamation terminating the peace talks.

Esperon made the remark after it was reported that the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) are holding back-channel efforts to resume the negotiations.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Esperon, who serves as vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said they were actually surprised about the report that there are supposed steps being taken to resume the peace talks. "Ang pagkaalam namin ay meron nang presidential proclamation ang ating Pangulo patungkol dito sa termination ng peace talks na nakasaad sa Presidential Proclamation 360 noong November 23, 2017," he said.

In signing the said proclamation, Duterte claimed that the communist rebels continued to engage in "acts of violence and hostilities" despite the ongoing peace talks at that time. Esperon even pointed out that following the issuance of Presidential Proclamation 360, the President issued another order declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army as "terrorist organizations."

"So mahirap isipin na basta na lang biglang magsimula ulit ang peace talks," he said. "Bawiin muna ng Pangulo yun [proclamation]."

Nevertheless, Esperon said the President is not entirely closing the doors to the resumption of the peace talks.

"Ang ating Pangulo, matagal na niyang sinasabi na kung kinakailangan talagang magkaroon ng usaping pangkapayapaan, sabi niya bilang ama ng bayan ay mas gusto ko yung mag-uusap kesa naman ang Pilipino ay pinapatay ng kapwa Pilipino o nag-aaway kaya pwede pa rin magkaroon ng peace talks," he said.

"Ngunit palagay namin ay wala sa panahon dahil merong mga proclamations at meron na ring ginawang ibang framework ang peace talks na ginagawa na ngayon ng NTF-ELCAC," he added.

For now, Esperon said, the government is conducting regionalized but "nationally-orchestrated" negotiations with communist rebels.

"Kung ako ang magbibigay ulit ng recommendation sa President tutal ako ang vice chairman, at 17 ang Cabinet members ng executive committee plus five other agencies... ang common recommendation namin is ituloy natin ang gawain ng NTF-ELCAC," he said. — BM, GMA News

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/776819/peace-talks-can-t-simply-resume-due-to- existing-termination-order-esperon/story/

Oral debates on cases vs. anti-terrorism law resume Tuesday

Published February 21, 2021, 12:16 PM by Jeffrey Damicog The Supreme Court (SC) hopes to terminate on Tuesday, February 23, the interpellation of the lawyers of 37 groups of petitioners who have sought to declare unconstitutional Republic Act No. 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020.

“We expect that the time of the petitioners will end this Tuesday,” said Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta last Friday, February 19, when interviewed after the conferment on him of the Doctor of Laws, honoris cause (for the sake of honor) degree by the Tarlac State University in Tarlac City.

“We never expected that a lot of us (SC justices) would like to ask a lot of questions,” Peralta said.

Tuesday’s oral arguments will be the fourth day of legal debates on the petitions against ATA. Only the petitioners have presented their arguments since last February 2.

After the petitioners, Solicitor General Jose C. Calida will present the arguments in the behalf of the government. It is expected that the justices would also interpellate him.

“I hope that by Tuesday we will end the interpellation of petitioners so the solicitor general can start the interpellation,” Peralta said.

Aside from Calida, Peralta said the SC will ask one or two “friends of the court” (amici curiae) to present their statements on the constitutionality issued.

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno and former SC Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza have been appointed “friends of the court.”

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/oral-debates-on-cases-vs-anti-terrorism-law-resume-tuesday/

BDP needed for dev't of CPP-NPA cleared villages in Davao Region

By Priam Nepomuceno February 21, 2021, 8:43 pm

MANILA – National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. on Sunday said the improvement of the peace and order situation in the Davao Region highlights the need for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) as communities cleared from the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) are now ready for further growth and progress.

Esperon, who is also vice-chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said the presence of the CPP-NPA has long hindered the development of Mindanao including Davao Region and Davao City.

"Notwithstanding the geographical abundance and economic activity in Davao City, the presence of the NPA has long been a force that has hindered the development of Mindanao, the Davao Region, and of Davao City," Esperon said in a statement forwarded to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Sunday.

The BDP, he said, is a package of socio-economic development programs earmarked for areas cleared of NPA infestation.

The major programs under the BDP namely, farm-to-market roads, livelihood, irrigation, and health stations, are precisely what formerly affected communities have asked for.

"In fact, these programs address the issues commonly exploited by the NPA. In its entirety, the BDP consists of a package of development programs that aim to alleviate the conditions of barangay recipients," Esperon said.

He added that projects earmarked for each barangay are as follows: PHP12 million for farm-to- market roads; PHP3 million for school buildings; PHP2 million for water and sanitation systems; and PHP1.5 million for health stations, and PHP1.5 million for livelihood and other projects

The BDP funds amounting to PHP16.4 billion will come from the NTF ELCAC's PHP19 billion budget for 2020.

He added that the Davao Region will be receiving projects and funding for school buildings, among other projects, in order to provide places of learning that will replace the NPA learning and recruitment institutions ordered closed by the Department of Education 11 in 2019.

"As the BDP is envisioned with the end goal of bringing development to conflict-prone communities, the initiatives under the program aim to address the gaps identified by both the civilian agencies and the security sector in Davao. It had been a goal for the Regional Task Force of Region XI that the BDP package for the Region shall address the main drivers and causes for NPA recruitment among disgruntled and marginalized communities, such as the lack of education infrastructure, inaccessibility, basic services, healthcare, and connectivity in its isolated and disadvantaged areas," he said.

He added that a substantial number of cleared barangays are in regions where CPP-NPA influence has been earlier weakened by government operations since 2016.

Based on figures from the security sectors like the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Esperon said most of the barangays cleared as of 2019 are located in Mindanao.

"The AFP had prioritized its previous clearing operations in Mindanao due to the CPP-NPA's expansion of operations in the said area. But for the year 2020, the initial tally of barangays cleared of CPP-NPA influence has reached 1,376 and most of these are in the Bicol and CARAGA regions, as well as in the Eastern and Western Visayas regions," he added.

Through the multi-stakeholder grassroots initiatives of the BDP, Esperon said the NTF ELCAC is confident that the implementation of the projects under the BDP in Region 11 will produce the positive results desired for these former communist terrorists controlled communities.

"It is our hope that through the BDP, vulnerable communities will no longer find themselves helpless against the conditions that forced them to have faith in the CPP-NPA and to join the communist armed insurgency. It cannot be overstated that the BDP is an innovative and comprehensive undertaking that has never been launched before. For the record, the Duterte administration is determined to leave a lasting legacy by way of utilizing a Whole-of-Nation Approach in eradicating the decades-long communist armed conflict," he added.

Esperon also said that it is the goal of the Duterte Administration to transform former guerilla bases into peaceful and productive communities via the BDP.

"I must emphasize the fact that we are all stakeholders in the nationwide goal of ending the local communist armed conflict. It is, therefore, the goal of this administration that former guerilla bases become peaceful and productive communities which we can refer to as 'Tahimik at Maunlad na Pamayanan'," he added.

He added that by transforming former areas of conflict in the country, Filipinos are now closer to the goal of sustainable grassroots development and lasting peace.

Of the five CPP-NPA Regional Party Committees (RPC) in Mindanao, four are in Eastern Mindanao.

Esperon said these are Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), the South Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), and the Far South Mindanao Regional Committee (FSMRC).

"Both the FSMRC and SMRC are operating in Davao Region. The SMRC comprises five sub-units, known as guerilla fronts, threatening Davao City. Of particular concern to our security forces is that within Davao City is an existing armed guerilla unit, the Pulang Bagani Command (PBC), which has weakened after barangays therein have been cleared of CPP-NPA influence," he added. He said the guerilla fronts seek to expand the influence and control over a population within a specified territory through a pseudo-political structure and an armed element.

These guerilla fronts, he added, also serve as the politico-military-geographical units of the CPP- NPA, which is listed is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

"GFs (Guerilla Fronts) consist of political and military components within a specified territory. Each territory consists of several municipalities straddling provincial and even regional boundaries. The territory of a Guerilla Front has a tactical center located at the remote common boundary of several municipalities or provinces where the NPA exerts total control or influence on the population," Esperon said.

He added that these guerilla fronts are considered vital to CPP-NPA operations particularly in the Davao Region as these organizations have access to barangays or communities where they exert influence over and thus preventing developmental projects from entering.

This, Esperon said, causes a cycle of poverty, isolation, disease, hunger, and lack of educational and livelihood opportunities hindering growth and prosperity in these CPP-NPA-controlled communities.

"For progress to begin, communities must be first freed from the threat and influence of the NPAs in their vicinity," he added.

He said the dismantling of guerilla fronts necessitates a comprehensive process involving coordination between security operations and developmental intervention projects.

This intervention, he added, is carried out through the Community Service Program (CSP) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that was improved further by the NTF-ELCAC in 2019.

"The clearing operations necessitate the disassembling of firstly, the politico-military structure that has been established and controls the community; and secondly, a community effort that culminates in the rejection of the NPA and their eventual denial of access into the area they have formerly controlled," Esperon said.

From 2016 to date, there have been four guerilla fronts dismantled in Davao City, two have been dismantled in Davao de Oro, three in Davao del Norte, two in Davao Occidental, two in Davao Oriental, and one in Davao del Sur.

A total of 215 barangays in the Davao Region were cleared of CPP-NPA influence from 2016 to 2019.

"The former NPA communities are now ripe for developmental projects through the BDP," Esperon said.

The Davao Region has a total land area of 20,357 square kilometers and is composed of 4 provinces – Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao del Sur, and the independent City of Davao. The region, which has five component cities – Panabo City, Tagum City, Digos City, Island Garden City of Samal, and Mati City, is characterized by mountain ranges encompassing the western border, the northern central area, and the northwestern area leading to the point in the southeast, with irregular distribution of plateaus and lowlands.

Davao City is the hub for tourism, commerce, and trade-not just in the region, but for the whole of Mindanao. It is likewise the center for logistics, banking, and industry particularly for plantation and mining companies in the region.

Considered the largest city in the Philippines with a total land area of 2,443.61 square kilometers, Davao City is bigger than the combined land areas of Rizal and Metro Manila, which has a total land area of| 1,830.49 square kilometers.

Davao City is comprised of 182 barangays. Its population, based on the 2020 census, is 1,825,450 – almost the same as that of the population of the City of Manila.

"Unlike Metro Manila, a highly urbanized area and the center for socio-economic development in the country, Davao City is characterized as a rural area despite being classified as an independent city with the largest land area among the cities in the country. The fact remains that there are numerous isolated and remote barangays within the city. Hence, with the large land area of Davao City, there still is a need for development and infrastructure for the growth of the city," Esperon said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131417

Rebel slain in Lanao Sur as Army retrieves remains of NPA fighter

By Divina Suson and Richel Umel February 21, 2021, 7:02 pm

REMAINS. File photo of Hope Capangpangan, an 18-year-old New People’s Army fighter who was killed by her comrades after she was accused as a government asset. She was recruited at the age of 16, and government troops on Saturday (Feb. 20, 2021) retrieved her skeletal remains in the hinterland village in Maguing, Lanao del Sur. (Contributed photo) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – One New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur as Army troopers advanced to exhume and retrieve the remains of an 18-year-old female rebel killed by her comrades two years ago.

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo, commander of the Army's 103rd Infantry Brigade (103rd IBde) based in Marawi City, said on Sunday troops of the 5th Infantry Battalion (5IB) were securing a composite team for an "exhumation mission" of Hope Capangpangan when they encountered the armed men in a firefight around 4 p.m. on Saturday which lasted for an hour.

Once brought down from the encounter site, the cadaver will be brought to Amai Manabilang town for burial.

"We will give the cadaver a decent burial in Amai Manabilang. We are coordinating with the LGU (local government unit)," Cuerpo said.

Capangpangan, who hailed from Bukidnon, was recruited by the NPA when she was 16.

Another former colleague, who surrendered to the military, provided the information including the burial site, and Capangapangan's family asked the help of the military to retrieve the cadaver.

As to the dead fighter, Lt. Col. Romulus Rabara, commanding officer of 5IB, confirmed one cadaver was left behind by the fleeing NPA armed group after the fierce engagement with the troops.

The government forces retrieved the cadaver and recovered several war materiel composed of two M16 rifles, two M79 grenade launchers, a KG9 9mm PCR, hand grenade, assorted ammunition and packs of personal belongings.

No casualty was recorded on the government side after the firefight.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Gene Ponio, 1st Infantry Division Commander, lauded the troops for the accomplishment and the civilians who reported the existence of the armed group.

"The encounter is another significant blow to the communist terrorist group that definitely demoralized their ranks and we are hoping that they will abandon their senseless and irrelevant armed struggle," Ponio said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131382 150 members of communist ‘Militia ng Bayan’ surrender in Cagayan

By: Villamor Visaya Jr. - Correspondent / @VillVisayaJrINQ

Inquirer Northern Luzon / 06:48 PM February 21, 2021

The 150 former militia and rebel supporters burn the flags of the communist rebels during the mass surrender in Sto. Niño, Cagayan on Friday. Photo courtesy of the Army’s 17th Infantry Battalion TUGUEGARAO CITY – At least 150 members and supporters of the rebel group Militia ng Bayan (People’s Militia) in Cagayan province surrendered on Friday, the military said.

Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., the Army’s Northern Luzon Command chief, said the mass surrender happened in the towns of Rizal and Sto. Niňo where the communist militia operated.

“[This mass surrender] is a testament that the communist terrorists no longer enjoy the mass base support in these areas,” Burgos said in a statement on Sunday.

Soldiers from the 7th Infantry Battalion, Marine Battalion Landing Team 10, 77th Infantry Battalion, and members of the Cagayan police facilitated the localized peace negotiation through the community support program.

Burgos urged the other communist rebels to surrender their arms and abandon their armed struggle. The 150 former rebel supporters have been undergoing custodial debriefing and profiling as part of the requirements for them to avail the government’s reintegration program called “Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.”

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1398328/150-members-of-communist-militia-ng-bayan-surrender-in- cagayan

West cannot solve global issues without Russia, China: spox

TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (MNA) – A spokesperson with the Russian Foreign Ministry slammed the Western countries' decision for trying to solve global issues within a private circle. The intention of Western countries to resolve global issues within a private circle without inviting Russia and China is baffling, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova noted in a statement Saturday following a special online session of the Munich Security Conference held on Friday, TASS reported.

"Considering that the announced agenda had such global items as ‘Priorities for Global Action,’ ‘Fighting the Pandemic’ and ‘Tackling the Climate Crisis,’ the list of participants is at the very least puzzling," she underlined. "Essentially, the problems faced by the whole humanity are planned to be discussed in a very narrowed format. The organizers invited the US and EU leadership as well as the UN secretary-general and the WHO director-general to join the discussion. There was no mention of inviting other countries, including Russia and China. On the contrary, they were viewed by the discussions as threats and opponents who need to be countered."

"We once again are forced to note the trend of the past few years when our Western partners seek to resolve issues in a narrow circle and advance decisions that they are comfortable with, which will later be imposed on other members of the international community through the prism of the ‘rule-based world order’," she added.

Zakharova emphasized that Russia does not share this approach and urges broader international cooperation on a common agenda in the framework of the universal democratic agencies of the UN. https://en.mehrnews.com/news/170212/West-cannot-solve-global-issues-without-Russia-China- spox

Biden government: South China Sea ruling final, legally binding February 22, 2021 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The United States and the Philippines discussed opportunities to strengthen their alliance as the administration of President Joe Biden reaffirmed its recognition of the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, which it called “final and legally binding on all parties.”

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently spoke by phone with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.

“The National Security Advisors welcomed the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty and discussed opportunities to strengthen the US-Philippines Alliance,” NSC spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement on Sullivan’s call with his Philippine counterpart.

According to Horne, Sullivan “reaffirmed the (Biden) Administration’s recognition that the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, pursuant to the UN Law of the Sea Convention, is final and legally binding on all parties.”

In a landmark ruling on July 12, 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) found no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to a ‘nine-dash line’ in the South China Sea and Beijing had breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines, which brought the case.

China, however, opposed and refused to honor the tribunal ruling. Beijing also refused to accept any proposal or action based on the arbitral tribunal decision that invalidated its claims to ill- defined historic rights throughout the nine-dash line.

Sullivan and Esperon also discussed the coup in Myanmar and issues related to human rights and counterterrorism.

Freedom of navigation

Regardless of identity of the South China Sea claimant, the US challenged unlawful restrictions imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam requiring either permission or advance notification before a foreign military vessel, including the US, engages in “innocent passage.”

Guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands which the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) said is consistent with international law.

“This freedom of navigation operation (“FONOP”) upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging unlawful restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan,” the USINDOPACOM said.

China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines each claim sovereignty over some or all of the Spratly Islands. But China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, according to USINDOPACOM, require either permission or advance notification before a foreign military vessel engages in “innocent passage” through the territorial sea.

Under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, the ships of all States – including their warships – enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.

“The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is not permitted by international law,” USINDOPACOM said.

“By engaging in innocent passage without giving prior notification to or asking permission from any of the claimants, the United States challenged these unlawful restrictions imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The United States demonstrated that innocent passage may not be subject to such restrictions,” it added.

Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the sea, including freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations.

“The United States challenges excessive maritime claims around the world regardless of the identity of the claimant,” it said.

The international law of the sea as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention provides for certain rights and freedoms and other lawful uses of the sea to all nations.

The international community, it said, has an enduring role in preserving the freedom of the seas, which is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity.

The US upholds freedom of navigation as a principle.

“As long as some countries continue to assert maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and that purport to restrict unlawfully the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all States, the United States will continue to defend those rights and freedoms. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms,” the USINDOPACOM said.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/22/2079471/biden-government-south-china-sea- ruling-final-legally-binding

US concerned China's new coast guard law could escalate maritime disputes

Reuters Posted at Feb 21 2021 10:24 PM WASHINGTON- The United States is concerned by China's recently enacted coast guard law and that it could escalate maritime disputes and be invoked to assert unlawful claims, the US State Department said on Friday.

China, which has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea, passed a law last month that for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told a regular briefing Washington was "concerned by language in the law that expressly ties the potential use of force, including armed force, by the China coast guard to the enforcement of China's claims, and ongoing territorial and maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas."

He said language, "strongly implies this law could be used to intimidate (China's) maritime neighbors."

"We are further concerned that China may invoke this new law to assert its unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea, which were thoroughly repudiated by the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling," he said, referring to an international ruling that found in favor of the Philippines in a dispute with China.

Price said the United States reaffirmed a statement last July in which then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected China's disputed claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea as "completely unlawful."

He added that the United States "stands firm" in its alliance commitments to both Japan and the Philippines.

The United States has mutual defense treaties with both countries and has sailed regular naval patrols in the region to challenge China's extensive maritime claims. https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/21/21/us-concerned-chinas-new-coast-guard-law-could- escalate-maritime-disputes

Biden's first month was a 'honeymoon,' but bigger challenges loom ahead

By Trevor Hunnicutt 5 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One month into the job, President Joe Biden is on the cusp of securing a bigger economic rescue package than during the 2009 financial crisis. He has wiped out his predecessor Donald Trump’s policies from climate change to travel bans, while the U.S. daily COVID-19 vaccine distribution rate grew 55%.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after a tour of a Pfizer manufacturing plant producing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S., February 19, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

That may have been the easy part.

The White House’s broad strategy - avoid unwinnable political fights, focus on policies with mass voter appeal, and mostly ignore Republican attacks - will be increasingly difficult in the months ahead, Democrats and Republicans say, even as millions more are vaccinated and the economy rebounds.

“They’ve got some problems right around the corner,” said Jim Manley, once a top aide to former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Biden has made many of the changes he has clear authority to do by executive action. Landmines going forward include pushing laws on which the Democratic Party is divided, such as college debt relief, tax hikes and curbs on the energy industry.

Then there are the intractable policy fights that have defined American politics for a generation, including who can become a citizen, how easy it should be to vote, whether the government should pay for healthcare, and who should carry a gun.

Meanwhile, many tricky issues, from trade tariffs to China policy to tech oversight, are still under review at the White House.

DEMOCRATS UNITED?

Democrats are working to pass their economic stimulus package with or without Republican support before a critical mid-March deadline when expanded unemployment insurance expires.

The bill only needs a majority vote, because it will be passed as part of a process called reconciliation, but that requires every Democrat to side with the White House. Doubts are growing that the bill will include a provision raising the federal minimum wage to $15, which would sorely disappoint liberal Democrats.

“I’ve been shocked at how disciplined the Left has been; I’m not sure how much that’s going to last,” Manley said. “I can see there’s some fissures developing.”

Those cracks were on display when some Democrats, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, criticized Biden after he said told a Feb. 16 CNN town hall he disagrees with members of his party who want to forgive $50,000 in student debt.

A comprehensive White House-backed immigration bill unveiled on Feb. 18 is not expected to pass the Senate; the second-ranked Democrat, Dick Durbin, is among those suggesting a less-ambitious effort that focuses on immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Republicans are reshuffling after the Trump years, said Paul Shumaker, a Republican strategist behind Senator Thom Tillis’ hard-fought re-election in North Carolina.

Biden could unite them by overreaching on taxes and spending, he noted, while doing too little on these issues will disappoint some of his Democratic base.

“He’s enjoying a honeymoon period, but everyone knows that honeymoon’s going to come to an end,” Shumaker said.

ELUSIVE REPUBLICAN SUPPORT

White House aides say the policy agenda they plan to push in the coming months has bipartisan voter appeal, and they believe Republicans in Congress could ultimately be forced to support it by their constituents.

“Is he going to be focused on winning every last Republican over? No, of course not,” said White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, a longtime Biden confidant.

“But is he going to reach out and speak to people on both sides of the aisle – is he going to work to put forward plans that meets the needs of people of both parties – yes, he absolutely is.”

Biden’s early polling numbers suggest that will be a challenge. Some 56% of Americans approve of his performance as president, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in mid-February, but just 20% of Republicans.

The White House’s bipartisan hopes lie in an infrastructure plan, still in the embryonic stages of development, that is expected to exceed the scale, scope and price tag of the roughly $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. The measure is almost certainly going to both expand the deficit and require some tax increases, measures expected to spur opposition. It is likely to be peppered with measures on climate change, and could also include Biden’s proposed subsidies for college, according to several people briefed on early conversations.

Putting the pieces together will be tough without a full senior staff, including Biden’s pick for budget director, Neera Tanden, whose confirmation has run into Democratic opposition from Senator Joe Manchin, who also opposed including the minimum wage in the stimulus bill.

Nonetheless, the Left’s expectations for Biden remain high.

“The administration came out bold and strong,” said Luis Hernandez, a youth gun violence prevention activist who met with senior administration officials last week. “There’s much more to be done.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-one-month/bidens-first-month-was-a-honeymoon- but-bigger-challenges-loom-ahead-idUSKBN2AL0AC

Biden's first month shows toughness on China as policy review continues

Kyodo News Tokyo, Japan / Sun, February 21, 2021 / 04:20 pm Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and US Secretary of State John Kerry (R) listens as US Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a State Luncheon for China hosted by Kerry on September 25, 2015 at the Department of State in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/PAUL J. RICHARDS PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP (Agence France-Presse/AFP PHOTO/PAUL J. RICHARDS PAUL J. RICHARDS) SHARES The first month of US President Joe Biden's administration has largely been about turning the page on his predecessor Donald Trump's "America First" unilateralist foreign policies and his unpredictable leadership style. But the Biden administration has made clear that it will inherit his predecessor's tough line toward China, while how it plans to engage with North Korea remains unclear. "My impression is that we are seeing a trend of toughness continuing against China," Japanese Ambassador to the United States Koji Tomita said Friday, comparing with the Trump administration that saw an escalation of confrontation with China on various fronts, and virtually no cooperation toward the end of his presidency.

What is different from the Trump era, however, is that the Biden administration is "seeking to work in consultation with allies as it considers its relations with China," the ambassador said during an online press conference. In a speech on Friday, which became his first address before a global audience since taking office on Jan. 20, Biden rallied countries in Asia and Europe to prepare together for what he views as a "long- term strategic competition with China," citing the need to push back against Beijing's "economic abuses and coercion." He has also signaled during his recent phone talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he will not hold off on defending American values such as human rights and democracy and warned during a televised event of possible "repercussions" for China's crackdowns, such as against the Muslim Uyghur minority in its Xinjiang region. On the security front, the Biden administration has pledged its "rock- solid" commitment to Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island facing pressure from Beijing, and affirmed to Japan multiple times that the US defense commitment extends to the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The US Navy's so-called freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea have also been carried out twice over the past month, based on announcements by the 7th Fleet, in an effective bid to challenge Chinese claims and actions in the disputed waters. This US Navy photo released April 29, 2020 shows The Arleigh-Burke class guided- missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) conducting underway operations on April 28, 2020 in the South China Sea. Barry is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed through waters near the Paracel islands in the South China Sea challenging China's claim to the area, the Navy said April 29, 2020. The USS Barry undertook the so-called (Agence France Presse/Samuel Hardgrove) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in late January that a "new US approach" is required toward China to deal with the Asian economic powerhouse that is "growing more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad." But some foreign policy experts have said that fleshing out a new policy is the "real challenge" for the Biden team, given its desire to explore cooperation with Beijing in areas that serve America's interests, possibly issues such as climate change. Biden's climate envoy John Kerry has said the United States must deal with China on global warming as a "critical standalone issue" but denied any trade-offs with US concerns such as intellectual property theft and other disturbing behaviors. "Now the question, of course, is that if you have a policy which on the one hand is tough toward Beijing, how do you get the concessions you're hoping for on issues where you see there is mutual advantage?" said James Lindsay, senior vice president at the Council on Foreign Relations, a US think tank. He also said working with allies and partners to develop common policies to make China play by the same international rules is something "easier said than done." "You not only have to get agreement on doing something, you have to get agreement on what's going to be done, who is going to do it, and who is going to pick up the tab. So that diplomacy will be very complicated," he added. On North Korea, the Biden administration is also conducting what it has called a "thorough" policy review, outlining that its focus will be on reducing the threat to the United States and its allies, improving the lives of the North and South Korean people while maintaining its commitment to Pyongyang's denuclearization. In either case of the policy reviews on China and North Korea, the Biden administration has not shown any clear timelines as to when the process will end. Psaki said Wednesday that the White House is "not in a rush" in deciding its approach to China as its current focus is on communicating with US allies and partners. State Department spokesman Ned Price has also said that consultations with allies such as Japan and South Korea are continuing on North Korea issues. But even as the Biden administration is ramping up its efforts to revitalize its network of allies and partnerships to deal with the emerging challenges from what it calls a "position of strength," the security situation in the region seems to be deteriorating. Concerns are growing in Japan and neighboring countries over an escalation in maritime disputes following Beijing's implementation on Feb. 1 of a new law that explicitly allows the Chinese coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships it sees as illegally entering China's waters. The United States said Friday that it will join Japan and others in expressing concern over the controversial law, but Chinese coast guard vessels continued to be spotted in Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands over the weekend. North Korea, for its part, has not tested intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear devices since 2017, but the secretive country is expected to have continued to hone its military capabilities while nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration have been in a stalemate. Lindsay said that it is unlikely that US allies would be alarmed about the ongoing policy review process, as they understand that it takes time for all new US presidencies to "get their policies in order." Administrations need time to build their staff because many senior officials have to be confirmed by the Senate, and allies are likely aware that Biden also has to deal with challenges at home, including the need to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control and put the economic recovery back on track. But Lindsay admitted that concerns could be heightened "if strategic reviews drag on without any conclusion, or events arise that the Biden administration is slow to address or mishandles." "So while most US allies, friends, and partners will be patient, that patience will have its limits," he added. MOST VIEWED MOST ENGAGING Australia administers first Covid-19 vaccines Biden's first month shows toughness on China as policy review continues Yacht once owned by French tycoon sinks off Malaysia Five killed in Jakarta severe floods How coal, renewables have replaced oil in Indonesia’s energy mix Has Indonesia followed science in COVID-19 response? Perhaps not How to lose belly fat in seven days Jakarta slammed by monsoon floods, more than 1,000 forced to evacuate Yogyakartans say ‘bittersweet’ goodbye to Prameks as new train service takes over Thousands evacuated, traffic disrupted as floods hit Jakarta at rainy season peak FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA The Jakarta Post https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/02/21/bidens-first-month-shows-toughness-on- china-as-policy-review-continues.html

US-China tensions: Joe Biden signals tougher line on Beijing with key appointments

Asia experts and veteran advisers from the former Obama administration are among picks for roles across departments President has warned of ‘extreme competition’ with China and the change in tone from the Obama era is unambiguous, analyst says

US President Joe Biden has chosen a slew of China specialists for key positions in his administration, signalling a shift in resources to continue Washington’s tougher approach against Beijing in a renewed “pivot to Asia”. The appointments across departments include Asia experts and veteran advisers from the former Barack Obama administration, but reflect the deepening bipartisan consensus for a more hardline policy to compete with an increasingly aggressive China. Biden’s cabinet picks, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have said China represents the greatest strategic threat to the United States.

Sarah Kreps, a professor of government and law at Cornell University, said the new administration’s team has indicated it will chart a different path in China policy, with Biden warning of “extreme competition” compared to Obama’s efforts for a strategic partnership between the countries.

“All of the signs coming out of the administration are that even if many of the individuals are the same as a decade ago, the policies will not be,” she said. “The specifics are still unclear but the change in tone from the Obama administration is unambiguous.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3122370/us-china-tensions-joe-biden- signals-tougher-line-beijing-key

US-China tech war: calls for Biden to fund US semiconductors grow louder in Washington

• South Korea currently leads with a 25 per cent share of the world’s advanced chipmaking capacity, followed by Taiwan, Japan and China • Cotton, a China hawk, views Beijing’s rivalry in cutting-edge technology as a threat to the US’s commercial and military advantages

US Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who is on Beijing’s sanctions list, has joined the public debate among industry groups and think tanks in advocating US government support for the country’s semiconductor manufacturing industry as part of a broader effort to win the tech war with China.

Cotton published a report last week, entitled Beat China, noting that American chip making ability has weakened over past decades, with the country’s share of global cutting-edge wafer fabrication capacity plunging to 11 per cent from more than a third in 1990. South Korea currently leads with a 25 per cent share of the world’s advanced chipmaking capacity, followed by Taiwan with 22 per cent, Japan with 16 per cent and mainland China at 14 per cent.

Cotton said the US must upgrade its own semiconductor manufacturing capacity to “build more independence and resiliency into the US semiconductor value chain” through federal grants and public-private partnerships.

That view is echoed by American industry groups and think tanks. In the past two weeks, Washington-based US tech advocacy group Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Semiconductor industry Association (SIA), which represents US chip makers, have called on the Biden Administration to provide robust funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research in the US.

SIA president and CEO John Neuffer said in a statement issued last week that US President

Joe Biden should seize “a historic opportunity to invest boldly in domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives and research initiatives” for long-term US prosperity and security.

Separately, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington- based think tank,

published a study that said China has adopted a “mercantilist” approach with its semiconductor industry that has hurt US innovation. It advised the US government to boost federal subsidies to the domestic chipmaking industry, including allocating US$10 billion to attract chip manufacturing facilities and investing US$7 billion in semiconductor research agencies over five years.

These voices came at a time when the Chinese government has redoubled efforts to grow its domestic semiconductor industry to cut reliance on imported chips after Washington tightened restrictions of hi-tech exports to Chinese companies such as Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies Co and Shanghai-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC). Cotton, a China hawk who was among several US Republican lawmakers sanctioned by Beijing last year in retaliation for US sanctions imposed on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials, views China’s rising prowess in cutting-edge technologies as a threat to the US’s commercial and military advantages.

In the report, Cotton proposed that the US government should expand its technology export bans beyond Huawei and SMIC to include all Chinese end users to thwart China’s quest for advanced chip technology.

Cotton also suggested forming a Western coalition against China in trade of 5G technology and semiconductors, in a move that would be similar to the Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (Cocom), a scheme which blocked Western exports of hi-tech products to communist bloc countries during the Cold War.

By the end of last year, China had already built the world’s largest 5G network, with about 720,000 5G base stations. In semiconductors, Beijing is providing qualified projects with generous subsidies, tax incentives and policy supports with the goal of cutting reliance on imported chips.

It is unclear how far the Biden administration will go in financially supporting the US semiconductor industry and whether it will relax China’s access to US technologies that were tightened under former US president Donald Trump. However, a global shortage of chips for cars and electronics have made the case that the US must boost its own production capacity.

In Beijing, Cotton’s advocacy of “targeted decoupling” and a “economic long war”, as laid out in the Beat China report, met with fury. The Global Times, a state-controlled nationalist tabloid, said Cotton’s language “has reached Nazi levels of racism” and blamed him for “dreaming of a zero-sum conflict”.

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3122552/us-china-tech-war-calls-biden-fund-us- semiconductors-grow-louder

Deaths in Texas caused by cheap power plants unable to run in cold: Bill Gates "This is natural gas plants, largely, that weren't weatherized. They could've been. It costs money, and the trade off was made, and it didn't work out, and it's tragic that it has lead to people dying," Gates told CNN late on Saturday.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has criticized US energy companies whose power plants were not able to operate in extremely cold weather in the US state of Texas and failed, causing blackouts that resulted in deaths of residents who were deprived of power necessary to keep their households warm. "This is natural gas plants, largely, that weren't weatherized. They could've been. It costs money, and the trade off was made, and it didn't work out, and it's tragic that it has lead to people dying," Gates told CNN late on Saturday. Snowfalls, sub-zero temperatures and biting wind continue to test the United States' southwest and Texas, in particular, for a few weeks now. Earlier on Saturday, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokesperson Tiffany Young told Sputnik that nearly 15 million local residents were affected by the cold-caused disruption of water supply systems. Tens of thousands of households are still without electricity. According to media reports, 58 people have died in 10 states, a majority of them in Texas, because of the winter storm.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/deaths-in-texas-caused-by-cheap-power-plants- unable-to-run-in-cold-bill-gates-101613899544352.html

India, China complete troop pullout from lake area

By Sanjeev Miglani 3 MIN READ

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian and Chinese troops have completed a pullout from a lake area on their disputed border in the western Himalayas, setting the scene for disengagement at other friction points, the two countries said on Sunday.

FILE PHOTO: Overview of deployments along areas known as Finger 7 and Finger 8, at Pangong Tso, in this handout satellite image provided by Maxar dated January 30, 2021. Satellite image (copyright) 2021 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Thousands of soldiers have been facing off since April on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), or the de facto border, including at the glacial Pangong Tso lake.

Earlier this month, military commanders agreed to begin pulling out troops, tanks and artillery in a first step towards full withdrawal.

On Saturday, the two commanders met to review the pullout.

“The two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in Western Sector,” a joint press release said.

The deployment in the remote area that falls in India’s Ladakh region and adjoins the Chinese-administered Aksai Chin plateau had raised fears of a broader conflict between the two countries.

A clash erupted in the Galwan Valley in June, when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the first combat losses on the disputed border in more than four decades. China said this week it lost four soldiers in the fighting.

Troops remain in close proximity on other parts of the undefined border including at Hot Springs, Gogra Post and the Depsang plains, officials said. The commanders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the situation on the border, the two countries said in the press release.

“The two sides agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, continue their communication and dialogue, stabilize and control the situation on the ground, push for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in a steady and orderly manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” they said. India and China fought a war in 1962 and the border remains undefined. India said Chinese troops had intruded deep into its side of the LAC last April, triggering the most serious stand-offs in decades.

China denied its troops had transgressed the LAC and accused Indian border guards of provocative behaviour.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china/india-china-complete-troop-pullout-from-lake- area-idUSKBN2AL0E6

China pins hopes on Balkans as gateway to Europe but faces growing scepticism

• Beijing sees the region as a gateway to the EU, but the eagerness for Chinese cash is tempered by growing caution about whether it can fulfil its promises • A number of government leaders stayed away from the latest ‘17+1’ summit with • Days before a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and 17 countries in Central and Eastern Europe earlier this month, nearly 90 Chinese investors gathered in a grand ballroom in a Beijing hotel to listen to an appeal from President Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro.

“If there is no skill in planning, it is difficult to achieve, and if there is no skill in planning, it will fail,” Djukanovic said, quoting the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.

He told the event that the country of around 680,000 people welcomed Chinese investment in its tourism, energy and transport sectors.

He continued the pitch by saying: “China and Montenegro should better understand the challenges to the global economy and jointly look for a proper solution.”

Montenegro is one of the small Balkan countries

looking for Chinese investment

to repair their sluggish economies after Covid-19 despite increasing doubts about whether Beijing can fulfil its promises, observers say.

One project funded under China’s Belt and Road Agreement is a US$750 million highway that has been blamed for increasing Montenegro’s national debt to 80 per cent, but Djukanovic said he hoped it would “give a strong impetus to a faster economic recovery in the post-pandemic era”.

“In both geopolitical and market terms, the Chinese leadership perceives the Balkans as something of a bridgehead or an open door towards Europe. This is the product of the region’s strategic geography that places it at the crossroads between Europe and wider Eurasia,” said Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.

“Moreover, some countries like Serbia are EU membership candidates which is useful in Chinese ambitions to connect themselves more with the EU markets,” he said. “The

Even though most of the Chinese infrastructure projects are loan-based, what China offers is particularly appealing to non-EU members from the western Balkans, which are eager for funds to help catch up with the rest of the continent, said Filip Sebok, an analyst with the Prague-based think tank the Association for International Affairs.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3122502/china-pins-hopes-balkans- gateway-europe-faces-growing

China Coast Guard vessels re-enter Japanese waters near the Senkakus

• Two China Coast Guard vessels made repeated entries into Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands on Sunday. | KYODO • Feb 21, 2021 NAHA – Two China Coast Guard vessels that had entered and left Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands earlier Sunday re-entered the waters in the afternoon, the Japan Coast Guard said. The vessels, which re-entered around 1:40 p.m., had previously intruded into the waters near the group of uninhabited islets that China claims in the East China Sea earlier that morning for several hours.

It was the ninth intrusion this year and the latest since a new law entered into force in China earlier this month that explicitly allows its coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships that Beijing sees as illegally entering its waters. Japan has lodged protests over the repeated intrusions.

The Chinese vessels tried to approach a Japanese fishing boat in the area carrying three passengers, the Japan Coast Guard said.

A Japanese patrol vessel deployed near the fishing boat to ensure its safety warned the Chinese ships to leave Japanese territory, it said.

Two other Chinese vessels have also been spotted cruising in the so-called contiguous zone just outside Japan’s territorial waters. One of them appears to be armed with a cannon, the coast guard said.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/national/senkakus-china-japan-relations- disputed-islands-japan-coast-guard/

Beijing keeps up military pressure on Taiwan as island reshuffles security and mainland affairs chiefs

• The Chinese military continued its incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone with flights near the Pratas Islands on Friday and Saturday • Meanwhile, Taipei announced a series of ministerial changes that may be intended to send a signal to Joe Biden’s new administration

Beijing continued to put pressure on Taiwan with another round of military exercises over the weekend as the island reshuffled the officials responsible for security and relations with the mainland.

On Friday and Saturday, the People’s Liberation Army sent warplanes close to the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, forcing Taiwan, which controls the islands, to scramble fighters in an emergency response.

Beijing – which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary – has carried out frequent air missions in the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in recent months, mostly near the Pratas Islands.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3122559/beijing-keeps-military-pressure- taiwan-island-reshuffles

Chinese, Indian troops disengagement provides basis for solving other issues

The disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops lays the basis for solving remaining issues, said a statement released Sunday night by the Chinese Defense Ministry following the China-India 10th round of corps commander level meetings the day before.

The statement said that the two sides positively evaluated the "smooth completion" of the disengagement of the two countries' frontline troops in the Bangong Lake area as they had "candid and in-depth exchange of views" on other issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector.

The two sides noted that the disengagement of their frontline troops was "a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector," according to the statement.

To jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, the statement said, the two sides have agreed to continue their communication, stabilize and control the situation, and "push for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in a steady and orderly manner."

The meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point. On February 10, the two countries started synchronizing and organizing disengagement of frontline troops along the southern and northern sides of Bangong Lake.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-02-21/China-India-hold-10th-round-of-military-talks- Y40Uymk3zW/index.html

India and China hold fresh round of border talks after ‘smooth completion’ of pullback from Pangong Tso

• A joint statement said commanders from both sides had held their tenth round of negotiations along their disputed frontier on Saturday • This month’s withdrawal agreement follows months of tension that peaked in June with a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley

China and India have held their tenth round of border talks and said the two sides had agement of forces from a lake that has become a key flashpoint in their “completed” the diseng months-long stand-off of the withdrawal from Pangong Tso on Saturday, describing it as a A joint press release said the two sides had “positivelyer appraised remaining the smooth completion” “significant step forward that provided a good basis for the resolution of oth issues”. their communication and dialogue, stabilise and control the situation on the ground, push for“The a mutuallytwo sides acceptable agreed to follow resolution the important of the remaining consen susissues of their in a st stateeady leaders, and orderly continue e statement said. manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” th

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3122572/india-and-china-hold-fresh-round- border-talks-after-smooth

Beijing to step up global influence campaign: Taiwanese expert 02/21/2021 08:20 PM

Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) Beijing is expected to step up its global influence campaign after the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued revised regulations on united front work in early January, according to an expert from a government-funded think tank in Taiwan.

The assessment was made by Lin Cheng-jung (林政榮), a visiting researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in an article published in the institution's Defense Security Bi-weekly on Feb. 20.

On Jan. 5, the CPC Central Committee published its revised regulations on united front work after a five-year trial period.

The united front is defined by the CPC as an alliance of different political forces to advance the party's interests. The united front work, as observed by international experts, however, is achieved largely through using its political influence.

Lin said the revisions signify that the CPC is aiming to institutionalize its united front work to face domestic and external challenges more effectively, including internal reforms, religious and ethnic conflicts such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet.

The CPC is therefore expanding its influence campaign from domestic to international audiences, utilizing modern technology and other creative ways, with Taiwan as one of its primary targets, the military officer noted.

The scope of the CPC's global influence campaign encompasses politics, economics, the military and education, he said, citing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the more than 500 Confucius Institutes all over the world as examples.

The CPC hopes to export its cultural values and ideologies to other countries through these Confucius Institutes and to lure developing countries to its side with money through the BRI, he said.

Lin pointed out that the CPC's united front tactics evolve through time and that the party now uses the popular app TikTok to air political ads, reaching people in as many as 150 countries around the world.

Another social media platform worth watching for the CPC's influence campaign is the Clubhouse, he added.

As for the CPC's united front work against Taiwan, Lin said, Beijing has been using the carrot- and-stick approach in dealing with Taiwan.

On the carrot side, the CPC provides perks to Taiwanese people who wish to do business, study or work in China, and promotes cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges by designating 79 sites as bases for religious and cultural interactions, he said. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing has introduced online exchanges between religious organizations across the strait in an effort to win the trust of the Taiwanese people, he said.

Meanwhile, on the stick side, the CPC has been applying scare tactics to the island through military provocation, as well as other forms of psychological and legal warfare, he said.

In 2021, the CPC is expected to focus on "invisible emotional warfare" against Taiwan by making as many friends as it can in Taiwan and overseas that support unification of Taiwan and China, he concluded.

https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202102210013

China’s ‘two sessions’: why this year’s event is so important for Xi Jinping’s vision for the future

• Next month’s major political set piece will take on special significance this year as it coincides with the Communist Party’s centenary • The gathering also marks the start of the next five-year plan and could also reveal more about the leadership’s long-term economic plans

China’s political elite will gather in Beijing next month for the year’s biggest legislative set piece facing a number of major political challenges, including the aftermath of the coronavirus and the ongoing rivalry with the United States. In this the first part of a series looking at the key items on the agenda, we explain why this year’s event is especially important in terms of political messaging.

the main annual political gathering, an event informally known as the sessions , to send a message of strength and success as it prepares to celebrate the China’s leadership will look to use “two ” Communist Party’s centenary. ive Congress, is always important in terms of shapingThe meeting the political of the National agenda People’sfor the year Congress, ahead. the country’s legislature, and the top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultat

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3122544/chinas-two-sessions-why-years-event-so- important-xi-jinpings

Huge crowds in Myanmar undeterred by worst day of violence

By Reuters Staff 5 MIN READ

(Reuters) - Huge crowds marched in Myanmar on Sunday to denounce a Feb. 1 military coup in a show of defiance after the bloodiest episode of the campaign for democracy the previous day, when security forces fired on protesters, killing two.

The military has been unable to quell the demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the coup and the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others, even with a promise of new elections and stern warnings against dissent.

Tens of thousands of people massed peacefully in the second city of Mandalay, where Saturday’s killings took place, witnesses said.

“They aimed at the heads of unarmed civilians. They aimed at our future,” a young protester told the crowd.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that despite “unlawful demonstrations, incitements of unrest and violence, the authorities concerned are exercising utmost restraint through minimum use of force to address the disturbances”, adding they were maintaining public safety in line with domestic laws and international practices.

In the main city of Yangon, thousands of mostly young people gathered at different sites to chant slogans and sing.

“Us young people have our dreams but this military coup has created so many obstacles,” said Ko Pay in Yangon. “That’s why we come out to the front of the protests.”

In Myitkyina in the north, people laid flowers for the dead protesters. Big crowds marched in the central towns of Monywa and Bagan, in Dawei and Myeik in the south, Myawaddy in the east and Lashio in the northeast, posted pictures showed.

At the tourist spot of Inle Lake, people including Buddhist monks took to a flotilla of boats holding aloft portraits of Suu Kyi and signs saying “military coup - end”.

The more than two weeks of protests had been largely peaceful until Saturday, unlike previous episodes of opposition during nearly half a century of direct military rule to 2011. The violence looked unlikely to end the agitation.

“The number of people will increase ... We won’t stop,” protester Yin Nyein Hmway said in Yangon.

Several Western countries that have condemned the coup decried the violence against protesters. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was “deeply concerned”. France, Singapore, Britain and Germany also condemned the violence and U.N. Secretary- General Antonio Guterres said lethal force was unacceptable.

Sunday’s Foreign Ministry statement reiterated the junta’s stance that the takeover was constitutional and said remarks by some embassies and foreign countries “are tantamount to flagrant interference in internal affairs of Myanmar”.

Military spokesman Zaw Min Tun has not responded to attempts by Reuters to contact him by telephone for comment.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics/huge-crowds-in-myanmar-undeterred-by-worst- day-of-violence-idUSKBN2AL01A

Protests on after 2 demonstrators shot dead in Myanmar: What has happened so far

Here is a look at what has happened in Myanmar since the military’s coup.

By hindustantimes.com, New Delhi

PUBLISHED ON FEB 21, 2021 03:31 PM IST

Myanmar military took over the country’s reign on February 1, 2021, after detaining its democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians, citing frauds in the national elections held in November last year. This move was met with large scale public resistance. Protestors had gathered at major cities and held demonstrations against the junta rule. During one such protest on Saturday in the city of Mandalay, the armed forces opened fire on the public causing chaos amidst the crowd. Two people were killed in the firing, according to reports. Many international agencies and governments, including the United Nations, have condemned the use of force by the military.

Also read | Myanmar protesters' resolve strengthens following death of activists Here is what has happened in Myanmar since the military’s coup:

1. On February 1, 2021, the military took control of governance for a period of one year. A statement from them said “The voter lists which were used during the multi-party general election which was held on the 8th of November were found to have huge discrepancies and the Union Election Commission failed to settle this matter,” Reuters reported. 2. 2. The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained along with other national leaders. The military promised to return their powers after a free and fair election.

3. After minor protests by the citizens initially, the military on February 9, 2021, issued orders prohibiting public demonstrations in some areas of Yangon and Mandalay citiesand warned of action against protestors, the Associated Press reported. Many people gathered in the streets in defiance of the rules, demanding restoration of power to the elected government.

4. Internet services were cut off by the military several times to hinder the protests. Facebook on Sunday took down the military’s “Tatmadaw True News Information Team Page.”

5. The UN has adopted a resolution against the military coup, demanding the immediate return of power to the government. The US government too had issued sanctions against Myanmar on February 12, according to a Reuters report. Many countries, including India, Japan and Australia have called for the return of democracy in the country.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/protests-on-after-2-demonstrators-shot-dead-in- myanmar-what-has-happened-so-far-101613901296841.html

Myanmar protesters return to streets, undeterred by Saturday’s killings that raised death toll to four

• The junta has so far been unable to quell demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the coup it carried out this month • On Saturday, two people – one a teenaged boy – were shot and killed in Mandalay, and 20 protesters were wounded

Tens of thousands of opponents of Myanmar’s February 1 military coup gathered on Sunday in towns from north to south, undeterred by the bloodiest episode of their campaign the previous day when security forces opened fire on protesters, killing two

.Early on Sunday, police arrested a famous actor wanted for supporting opposition to the coup, his wife said, while Facebook deleted the military’s main page under its standards prohibiting the incitement of violence.

The junta has been unable to quell the demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the coup and the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others, even with a promise of a new election and warnings against dissent.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3122541/myanmar-protesters-return-streets- undeterred-saturdays

Laos leaders fear ‘domino effect’ of Thailand’s pro- democracy movement amid election

• Some 224 candidates are contesting in the general election that has been called by observers as a ‘sham’ given Laos is a one-party state • The polls come as Laotian leaders are increasingly wary about the spillover effects of the protests in neighbouring Thailand and Myanmar on its young people

Laos will hold its general election on Sunday to select members of the national assembly and provincial parliaments, and while no surprises are expected in the one-party communist state, analysts said authorities in the Southeast Asian country are increasingly concerned about the spillover effects of the protests in neighbouring Thailand on its own younger citizens.According to will be selected as national assembly members by 4.3 million voters across the country.According toLaos’ the National Vientiane Election Times, moreCommittee, than 7,200 among polling the 224 stations cand idatesare being listed set for up the across general Laos election, and voting 164 cards and ballot boxes have been produced and prepared for the election which is held once in five years. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3122480/laos-leaders-fear-domino-effect-thailands- pro-democracy-movement

Severe floods kill 5 in Indonesia's capital

PUBLISHED : 21 FEB 2021 AT 17:23 WRITER: AFP

Five people were killed in the severe floods that submerged entire neighbourhoods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, authorities said Sunday, as residents returned to clean their homes and salvage belongings.

The city was struck by torrential rains over the weekend, which flooded dozens of major roads and forced hundreds of people to rush to emergency shelters.

Thailand logs 92 new Covid cases Sunday Thailand on Sunday added 92 new coronavirus cases, 38 of them from active testing, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25,415. No new deaths were reported.

A 67-year-old man was found dead after he became trapped in his waterlogged house in the badly hit southern part of the capital on Saturday, Jakarta disaster mitigation agency head Sabdo Kurnianto told AFP.

He added that three boys died after being swept away by the floods, and one girl drowned. Indonesia's meteorological agency warned that Greater Jakarta -- a region of around 30 million people that is regularly hit by floods in the rainy season -- can expect more heavy downpours next week.

"The river overflowed and brought a lot of mud... I have suffered great financial loss," said Ali Fatullah, a fruit seller in the town of Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta.

He said furniture and electronic devices were damaged by the water.

Kurnianto said some 1,700 people remained in shelters, though many residents had started returning to their homes.

Floodwaters had hit 200 neighbourhoods in the region, and 40 were still under at least one foot of water on Sunday.

Jakarta saw some of its deadliest floods in years in January last year after downpours that also triggered landslides.

At least 67 people in the capital and nearby cities were killed in that disaster.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2072043/severe-floods-kill-5-in-indonesias-capital

Severe rainy season floods hit greater Jakarta, displacing thousands of people

• At least 139 neighbourhoods in Jakarta, home to about 10 million people, were affected and more than nearly 1,400 people were displaced • Citizens went to social media to report about families being trapped in their homes and awaiting rescue

Floods inundated parts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta and its surrounding towns on Saturday following heavy rain overnight, displacing thousands of people.

In the capital, some homes were submerged under two metres of water and vehicles were swept away on the streets, television footage showed.

At least 139 neighbourhoods in Jakarta, home to about 10 million people, were affected and more than nearly 1,400 people were displaced, said Sabdo Kurnianto, the head of the city's civil protection agency.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3122521/severe-rainy-season-floods-hit- greater-jakarta-displacing

Explained: What is H5N8? Strain of bird flu virus 1st to infect humans in Russia

Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia's south were infected with the H5N8 strain after an outbreak in birds in December last year.

Russia has reported the world's first case of a strain of bird flu virus that has infected humans via birds. The outbreak of the H5N8 strain has been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. What is the H5N8 strain?

The strain is a subtype of the influenza A virus that causes flu-like symptoms in wild birds and poultry. It poses a low risk to people, but it is fatal for birds. This was found in crows in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Until recently, it was not known to have affected humans. Humans infected Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia's south were infected with the H5N8 strain after an outbreak in birds in December last year, Popova said, adding that they all felt fine now. “Russia reported the case of human infection to the WHO several days ago, just as we became absolutely certain of our results," she was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

Where else has the H5N8 strain been reported? Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months but so far only in poultry.

Several states in India had also reported the outbreak of avian flu in January but there was no report of transmission to humans. Experts had said the outbreak was caused by the H5N8 strain, though there are other strains circulating globally. A series of outbreaks have been reported in Europe in the past weeks, with wild birds suspected to be spreading the disease, they had said in early January.

According to experts, both H5N1 (another strain of avian influenza) and H5N8 have high pathogenicity or the ability of a pathogen to cause disease, but they don’t infect humans very effectively. However, past outbreaks among farm birds have needed extensive slaughtering programmes.

How was H5N8 transmitted to humans in Russia? "Preliminary information indicates that the reported cases were workers exposed to bird flocks," Reuters said citing an email from WHO's European arm. They were asymptomatic and no onward human to human transmission was reported. "We are in discussion with national authorities to gather more information and assess the public health impact of this event," the email added.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/explained-what-is-h5n8-strain-of-bird-flu-virus-1st-to- infect-humans-in-russia-101613885803710.html

Indonesia to arm up with Rafale, F-15 fighter jets

Jakarta backs away from previous plan to buy Russian Su-35 air defense fighters under threat of US sanctions

By JOHN MCBETHFEBRUARY 21, 2021

Indonesia is set to take delivery of the France-made Rafale fighter. Credit: AINonline.

JAKARTA – After a series of pandemic-defying trips across the world, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto appears to have settled on the French-made Rafale and an under-strength squadron of American F-15EX jet fighters to bolster Indonesia’s front-line air defenses, with deliveries expected over the next three years.

Along with the 36 Dassault Rafales and eight Boeing F-15s, the wish list also extends to three Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, three Airbus A330 tankers for aerial refuelling, six MQ-1 Predator drones and Italy’s Leonardo early- warning radar system.

It could be Jakarta’s biggest-ever defense purchase if it goes through in its current form, but serious questions remain over whether debt-burdened Indonesia can afford the estimated $11 billion it will cost for the aircraft alone and the early availability of the F-15 variant, only two of which have been built so far.

Indonesia’s defense budget for 2021 stands at US$9.2 billion, an increase over the 2020 allocation that started out at $9.3 billion and dropped to $8.7 billion because of fiscal pressure from the pandemic. The 2021 spending includes $3 billion for military modernization.

Widodo’s first-term government had hoped to increase the defense budget to $20 billion by 2019, or 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), but that was predicated on 7% growth, not the average 5% the country has achieved over the last five years as it struggled to attract foreign investment.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/indonesia-to-arm-up-with-rafale-f-15-fighter-jets/

Is NATO Getting Ready to Take on China?

Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are stepping up cooperation and commitment to collective security by increasing defense contributions and joining the U.S. in deterring China, what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls a “pacing threat.” is known to be pursuing what some call a kind of Briefing reporters following the virtual NATO Defense Ministerial meeting, Austin praised what he called the “unique perspectives” on deterring China from several key member nations to include Finland, Sweden and the European Union.

“I applaud NATO's work on China and I made it clear that the United States is committed to defending the international rules-based order, which China has consistently undermined for its own interests,” Austin said, according to a Pentagon transcript of the discussion.

While of course initially formed to counter the former Soviet Union on the European continent, NATO has proven responsive in other areas of the world, such as Afghanistan following 9/11 following the historic invocation of NATO’s Article 5 defensive clause protecting all members from an attack. Given the growing global connectivity with advances in satellite technology and networking, there is no reason why the reach, scope, and protective envelope offered by NATO could not impact the Pacific as well.

ar, Bookings, Consolidation

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/nato-getting-ready-take-china-IATA’s Clifford on Lunar New Ye 178581

How Sweden’s Impressive Submarines are Taking the Oceans By Storm

Here's What You Need to Know: Sweden’s two A26s should be completed between 2022 and 2024, at which point it will be possible to gauge whether they can meet their ambitious performance parameters. In general, advancements to AIP submarines are allowing countries across the globe to acquire capable short and medium-range submarines at an affordable price.

For decades, submarines came in two discrete flavors: traditional diesel-electric submarines that need to surface every day or two to recharge their noisy, air-breathing diesel engines, and nuclear-powered submarines that could quietly hum along under the sea at relatively high speeds for months at a time thanks to their nuclear reactors.

The downside to the nuclear-powered variety, of course, is that they cost many times the price of a comparable diesel submarines and require nuclear propulsion technology, which may not be worth the trouble for a country only interested in defending its coastal waters. A diesel submarine may also run more quietly than a nuclear submarine by turning off its engines and running on batteries—but only for a very short amount of time. Still, there remains a performance gap in stealth and endurance that many countries would like to bridge at an affordable price.

One such country was Sweden, which happens to be in a busy neighborhood opposite to Russian naval bases on the Baltic Sea. Though Sweden is not a member of NATO, Moscow has made clear it might take measures to ‘eliminate the threat,’ as Putin put it, if Stockholm decides to join or support the alliance. After a Soviet Whiskey-class submarine ran aground just six miles away from a Swedish naval base in 1981, Swedish ships opened fire on suspected Soviet submarines on several occasions throughout the rest of the 1980s. More recently, Russia has run an exercise simulating a nuclear attack on Sweden and likely infiltrated Swedish territorial waters with least one submarine in 2014.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/how-sweden%E2%80%99s-impressive-submarines-are-taking- oceans-storm-178524

Speed Racer: The U.S. Military's New Drone Swarm Weapon?

It is not clear what size, shape, or technical capacity the new “Speed Racer” may incorporate, yet all the military services are looking for new mini drones for swarming, stealthy drones for high-risk reconnaissance, and even armed attack drones to execute dangerous offensive missions. The new Speed Racer is not likely to be a group of mini drones, but could easily fall within the scope of some of these other categories. ockheed officials have announced the existence of a new, high-tech “Speed Racer” drone set to enter ground testing in the coming months, but offered little to no details about the new platform.

Any specifics, including mission scope, weapons, sensors, or technical systems were not discussed or offered, likely for understandable security reasons, yet the existence and general plan for the new drone were announced last Fall, according to an interesting story from Aviation Week.

A Lockheed spokeswoman did tell Aviation Week that the new “Speed Racer” is awaiting the pending delivery of small turbojet engines supplied by Technical Directions Inc.

The project is being pursued by Lockheed’s famous, yet secretive Skunk Works division which has a decorated history of generating new cutting-edge platforms over a period of many years.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/speed-racer-us-militarys-new-drone-swarm-weapon-178580

North Korea Would Love to Take Down An F-35 (Could It?)

It may have an opportunity, as South Korea will soon by flying the F-35A.

Key point: It's more survivable than current aircraft on the Korean Peninsula.

The ROKAF, South Korea’s Air Force received their first F-35A fighter jets in April 2019. The ROKAF hopes to eventually buy forty F-35As and should have ten F-35As by the end of the year.

But how do these aircraft fit into the ROKAF’s existing fleet of aircraft? What role could they play in countering the North Korean KPAF?

The ROKAF already fields a variety of advanced American fighters, including over one hundred KF-16Cs and around 60 F-15K Slam Eagles. The KF-16C is fully integrated with the American AMRAAM air-to-air missile, which the ROKAF fields in the AIM-120C-5 and AIM- 120C-7 variants.

The combination of the KF-16C and AMRAAM vastly outclasses the majority of fighters the KPAF can field. The bulk of the KPAF fighter fleet is built out of MiG-21 variants and the J-7 fighter, which can only mount short-range infrared air-to-air missiles. KF-16Cs could just fire AMRAAMs, turn around and bug out before the KPAF MiGs lock on, though individual conditions could dictate engagement at shorter ranges.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/speed-racer-us-militarys-new-drone-swarm-weapon- 178580

Are North Korean Infantry Armed Well Enough to Stop America?

Here's What You Need to Remember: North Korea’s light infantry and special forces are taking on increasing importance as the country’s aging mechanized units, starved for technology and fuel, are likely becoming less relevant to the country’s war plans. The guns of the KPA Ground Forces help ensure North Korean sniper, airborne, and marine infantry units remain operationally relevant now and into the near future.

Infantry weapons have long been a pillar of the North Korean People’s Army, or KPA for short. The KPA that invaded South Korea was largely an infantry army, and despite significant mechanization in the 1970s the foundation of the army has been its infantry forces. Today, the bulk of the KPA’s 1.1 million army is infantry, with approximately 200,000 light infantry and special forces.

After the Korean War, North Korea followed the Soviet Union’s lead in infantry weapons. The oldest gun still in service is the KPA Type 58 assault rifle. A clone of the Soviet AK-47, the Type 58 was produced in two factories, #61 and #65 located near Chongjin, between 1958 and 1968. The Type 58 was a basic AK-pattern rifle with a 30 round magazine and a rate of fire of up to 650 rounds per minute. Approximately 800,000 rifles were produced, and while the 7.62-millimeter assault rifle is no longer in service with frontline units it allegedly still equips reserve units and militia.

A new rifle, the Type 68, was a clone of the Soviet AKM assault rifle and manufactured beginning in 1968. In practical terms the Type 68 had few major improvements over the Type 58, although it did come with a folding stock. The Type 68 was also extensively exported abroad, to El Salvadoran Marxist guerrillas and across Central and South America. These rifles are also likely still in service with reservists and rear-area units, as North Korea is undoubtedly still sitting on a considerable supply of 7.62 rifle ammunition.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/are-north-korean-infantry-armed-well-enough-stop-america- 178466

Russia's S-300 Provided Capable Air Defense, but the S-400 System is World-Class

Here's What You Need to Remember: While the capabilities of the S-400 may appear to be a significant leap, they got there through the slow evolution of earlier S-300 missiles.

The S-400 is one of the most controversial missiles in the world currently. The United States has imposed economic sanctions on countries simply for buying the system, but many of the world’s powers are interested in it, with India signing deals in September 2018 and China in April 2018. But what exactly makes the S-400 such a hot ticket item in the world today? How did it evolve from the earlier S-300?

The S-300 began development in the 1960s as a follow-up to a multitude of prior surface-to- air missile (SAM) systems. The primary missile it planned to replace is the S-75 (SA-2) missile system, which was famously used against the U-2 spy plane and deployed in Cuba and Vietnam. The missile underwent testing in the 1970s and entered service in 1978.

The primary improvement of the S-300 compared to earlier systems would be the ability to be multichannel—to utilize multiple guidance beams to guide missiles to different targets simultaneously. The earlier S-25 system was also multichannel, but it was extremely heavy and only deployed in stationary mounts. The American SAM-D (which would become the MIM-104 Patriot) was the first American land-based SAM with multichannel technology; it entered service three years later in 1981.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/russias-s-300-provided-capable-air-defense-s-400-system- world-class-178563

Chinese navy, air force inferior to US, Russian counterparts: Former PLA general Army only area where there can be comparison at present, according to general

6385

By George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/02/18 20:42

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general has recently said that even though China’s military has made great strides in recent times, it still has a long way to go to catch up with the U.S. and Russia, according to a Liberty Times report on Thursday (Feb. 18).

Chinese media outlet Xia Bing Xie Jiang (蝦兵械將), which is dedicated to reporting on global military affairs and armaments, quoted hawkish retired PLA Major General Luo Yuan (羅援) as saying that it took China decades to develop to its current status, but at the same time, the U.S. and Russia have also been making headway.

Both the U.S. and Russia have the advantage of having started their military development early, which has made them very experienced, a trait that China lacks, Luo said. The general used the example of aircraft carriers to make his point, saying that while the aircraft carriers of the U.S. and Russia were sailing the seas, China did not even have a plan to build one.

In terms of nuclear weapons, he said the number of nuclear warheads China has in store is much lower than those of the U.S. or Russia. With regard to naval power, the U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers, while China has only two, Luo said, adding that China also has fewer nuclear submarines than Russia.

As for airpower, China has few advanced warplanes and has not yet developed certain types of essential aircraft, the former general said. The only area where China may be compared with the other two countries is in terms of army manpower, he added.

However, some international relations specialists do not hold the same views as th e Chinese military expert. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Twitter on Dec 12, 2020, “The need for the world’s biggest & best navy is clear: China already has a bigger navy than the US. While it’s not nearly as advanced, Beijing is investing heavily. America can & must stay ahead of our adversaries when it comes to military strength because that’s the key to peace.”

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4130498

Concealed Carry: These Guns Stay Hidden Until Right When You Need Them

Here's What You Need to Remember: Smith & Wesson’s subcompact semi-automatic pistol is possibly the smallest and lightest nine-millimeter handgun on the market. The M&P9 Shield is a smaller version of the company’s success M&P series of handguns, retaining the same general layout and method of operation.

People buy handguns for many different reasons, from sport to objects of desire. One of the most important duties of a handgun, however, is self-protection, and one of the most important self-protection subgroups among handheld firearms is the concealed carry role.

A concealed carry weapon is typically used by those whose who believe themselves to be at greater threat than normal, usually for prolonged periods of time. A concealed carrier, for example, might be a police officer, private detective, or an individual that carries a large amount of cash or expensive equipment with him or her for one reason or another. A lightweight, compact handgun that can be forgotten yet quickly brought into action in emergencies is a priority. With that in mind, here are the top 5 concealed carry handguns.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/concealed-carry-these-guns-stay-hidden-until-right-when-you- need-them-178460

Instant Death: Why You Never Want to Cross a Barrett M82 Sniper ere's What You Need to Remember: Today the Barrett M82A1 is used by more than sixty countries, mostly NATO countries and U.S. allies in Asia and the Middle East. All the major military powers field their own 12.7mm/.50 caliber-class sniper rifles, with Russia’s OSV-96 rifle serving with the Russian Ground Forces and China’s Zijiang M99 serving with the People’s Liberation Army.

One weapon system not only revolutionized the field of military sniping but also created an entire new category of weapon systems. Using an existing large caliber bullet and adapting it to the precision rifle platform, the innovative Barrett M82 sniper rifle practically created the category of large caliber rifles that equip military snipers worldwide to this day.

In 1982, Ronnie Barrett was a professional photographer taking photos of a military patrol boat on Tennessee’s Stones River. The patrol boat was armed with two M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun mounts. Barrett was intrigued by the guns and wondered if a rifle could be designed to fire the .50 BMG bullet.

With no firearms design experience or training, Barrett hand drew a design for a .50 caliber rifle. Barrett drew the rifle in three dimensions, to show how it should function, and then took his design to local machinists. Nobody was interested in helping him, believing that if a .50 caliber rifle was useful someone would have developed one by then. Barrett finally found one sympathetic machinist, Bob Mitchell, and the two set to work. Less than four months later, they had a prototype rifle.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/instant-death-why-you-never-want-cross-barrett-m82- sniper-178468

Balancing economic recovery, gains vs. pandemic necessary

By Lade Jean Kabagani February 21, 2021, 4:35 pm

MANILA – Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said there is a need to open the economy while keeping the gains that the government has achieved in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sotto made this remark as he defended the city government’s move to keep the movie theaters closed regardless of the final decision by President Rodrigo Duterte on the recommendation to place Metro Manila under most relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) beginning March 1.

"We've seen how the lockdowns have affected our economy, people have lost jobs, people are going hungry," Sotto said in an interview with CNN Philippines' The Final Word on Saturday

He said 5 percent of the businesses in Pasig City have closed due to the pandemic.

"The actual numbers probably higher than 5 percent," he added. "But obviously we have to balance that with protecting our gains when it comes to fighting Covid."

Sotto said the city government will make sure that necessary policies will be strictly imposed even under MGCQ.

"We really consult the experts in everything that we do, to me, a lot of talks has gone all about GCQ or MGCQ but I think at this point, it doesn't matter what you call it -- what matter is what the policies are in place," he said.

Trust on Covid-19 vaccines

Sotto cited the "high level of distrust in Covid-19 vaccines" among people, not only in the country but also worldwide.

The low confidence of the people, he said, somehow was caused by the spreading of disinformation, fake news, and other news that are taken out of context.

Sotto said people should trust the experts and the scientific evidence.

"What's important now for the local government -- but really for all of us -- is we need to help each other and educate one another so that we trust the vaccines," he said. "After all these vaccines have emergency use authorization and approved by our FDA [Food and Drug Administration]."

Sotto said he is willing to get vaccinated with any brand of Covid-19 vaccine that will arrive first in the city. The city government, he said, will strictly follow the vaccination guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH) to prioritize the medical and other healthcare workers in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Sotto cited the importance of prioritizing the medical professional in the vaccination program.

"And I feel that when we see our doctors, our nurses, our healthcare front-liners, trusting the vaccine and getting vaccinated and we see that they're okay after, then the general public will also start trusting the vaccine more," Sotto said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131383

Philippines warned against easing virus restrictions

By New Straits Times - February 20, 2021 @ 11:01am

MANILA: An upsurge in Covid-19 cases may occur in the Philippines if quarantine restrictions are eased, given the country has yet to start vaccinations and the looming threat of new variants.

The warning came from the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to the Inquirer.net portal.

In a public briefing here on Thursday, WHO country representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe said the Phillipine government need to weigh the fact that Covid-19 cases in the country are still "plateauing".

"It hasn't flattened yet and so we still need to be conscious of the fact that there is a relatively high level of transmission there in the community and that the situation is also complicated by the presence of new variants," he said.

"If we now go for large-scale relaxation of measures, given the current existing situation and the circulation of variants, and the fact that it will still be many months before a large proportion of Filipinos are vaccinated, we may witness a situation where there will be an upsurge of cases and the overwhelming of the health [care system]," he added.

Abeyasinghe was reacting to the proposal to place the country under modified general community quarantine, a less restrictive quarantine classification, and the reopening of cinemas, among other establishments, by March.

The recommendations were made by the National Economic Development Authority.

He said it was understandable that there are "significant economic burdens on sectors of the population" due to restrictions.

But Abeyasinghe said measures should be "carefully calibrated and decided upon before being implemented". He said the Philippines has so far been able to contain the spread of Covid-19 and prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed because of restrictions.

"I firmly believe that we still need to maintain these restrictions.

"That doesn't mean that we cannot loosen up in areas where the economy will benefit," he added.

Abeyasinghe said easing restrictions should be done in a "very targeted manner" with an understanding of both economic benefits and health risks. https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2021/02/667317/philippines-warned-against-easing-virus- restrictions

Govt urged to expand Covid-19 testing, support schemes

By Cai Ordinario

February 22, 2021

While the Duterte administration has been “proactive” in responding to the pandemic, much needs to be done to expand testing and address gaps in social assistance, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In a project report titled “Covid-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program Monitoring Report,” ADB said more needs to be done in addressing the impact of the lockdowns on the economy.

Under the CARES program, ADB has approved $1.5 billion in countercyclical support for the Philippines to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has also provided $750 million through its Covid-19 Crisis Recovery Facility while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has set aside $459 million under its Covid-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan.

“A greater focus is needed on large-scale testing for Covid-19, tracing, and treatment as the economy further reopens. Proven strategies to deliver measures effectively and efficiently should be prioritized,” ADB said.

“Successful programs need to be scaled up, corrective actions deployed swiftly, and outreach to the vulnerable, including workers and businesses in the informal economy, expanded.”

In terms of testing, ADB recommended that efforts must be exerted to facilitate the access of laboratories to equipment and supplies. Some laboratories lacked extraction kits and reagents, among others.

As of January, ADB said 49 laboratories still have pending license applications. The Manila- based multilateral development bank said the licensing of Covid-19 testing laboratories must be accelerated.

ADB said around 170 laboratories using RT-PCR technology and 50 laboratories used GeneXpert. This has enabled the government to identify hotspots and implement targeted quarantines or lockdowns.

The report stated that the average number of daily tests conducted for the week of January 24- 30, 2021 was 35,535, with a positivity rate of 5.51 percent.

“Despite the increased number of licensed laboratories capable of conducting over 40,000 tests a day, the actual number of tests being processed is lower. Problems encountered by the laboratories include lack of testing equipment and supplies (e.g., extraction kits, reagents) and procurement issues,” ADB said. Further, ADB said priority should be given to the National ID and to efforts that digitize processes to simplify the distribution of subsidies. These will help address gaps in social assistance.

Closing gaps in social assistance will also help millions of Filipinos who were rendered jobless by the lockdowns implemented to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

ADB noted that unemployment rate rose to a record high of 17.6 percent in April 2020 before slowing to 10 percent in July and 8.7 percent in October 2020.

This meant that 3.8 million people were jobless and another 5.7 million people were underemployed or were looking for additional work in October.

Further, the labor force participation rate has fallen sharply, suggesting that some laid-off workers may have become discouraged and have given up looking for jobs.

“Vulnerable workers, especially women engaged in precarious employment, are experiencing income declines, which in time may lead to increasing child labor,” ADB said.

Efforts to fast-track the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), ADB said would facilitate the opening of bank accounts by the “unbanked” segment of the population. This could bring financial relief to jobless Filipinos, including those looking for higher and better sources of income.

Turning to digital platforms, ADB said, would also allow the government to improve social amelioration assistance as well as subsidies for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The report stated that documentation requirements, face-to-face loan applications and fees worth 4 percent to 8 percent of loan amounts slowed the access of MSMEs to financial support.

Going digital would also allow the government to address education and learning programs. This includes establishing internet hubs in barangays, leasing digital devices to students, and/or providing temporary free internet data packages.

ADB expressed concern that low enrollment and high dropout rates became prevalent due to the pandemic. Citing government data, ADB said total enrollment in kindergarten-to-grade-12 (K-12) schools declined by 3.8 million or 14 percent to 23.2 million in the school year (SY) 2020–2021 from 27 million in SY2019–2020. The report also indicated that drop-off cuts were seen in elementary enrollment to 11.5 million from 13.3 million and junior high school enrollment to 7.5 million from 8.5 million.

ADB said the CARES program aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on the population’s health, incomes, and economic opportunities. The objective of the project is to manage the spread of Covid-19 and contain poverty by implementing measures to combat the pandemic.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/govt-urged-to-expand-covid-19-testing-support- schemes/ Health protocols should strictly be enforced if entire country placed under MGCQ

Published February 21, 2021, 3:02 PM by Chito Chavez

Health protocols should strictly be enforced if entire country placed under MGCQ.

With the proposal to place the entire country under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), health experts urged the local government units (LGUs) to strictly implement quarantine protocols as the shift will allow more people outside their residence.

Dr. Anna Ong-Lim, in an interview over ABS-CBN, said that minimum health standards should be strictly imposed at the community level to lower the risk of having a spike of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

She added that the public should be given the opportunity to ride decent public transport and ensure the places they would go have good ventilation.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has constantly reminded the LGUs to carry on with the national government’s minimum health standard regulations as COVID-19 remains a big threat.

Should there be an increase in COVID-19 transmission in a locality, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the agency is more than ready to provide the necessary assistance to the distressed LGU.

Aside from having supervisory powers, Malaya explained that the DILG is mandated by the law to provide technical assistance to the LGUs as the need arises.

“So, kaagad po, ‘pag may pagtaas ng kaso sa isang lugar ay kinakausap agad ang mayor na ipatawag at mag-meeting na ang task force, na kailangan operational (If there is a spike (of COVID-19) in a certain area we immediately confer with the mayor for them meet the task force since the process should be operational in nature),’’ Malaya said.

Malaya also noted that the local government operations officers (LGOO) are monitoring whether the isolation facilities are fully functional where the contact tracing teams begin their duties.

On February 19, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire called on the LGUs to step up their COVID-19 response should the national government place the Philippines under MGCQ.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/health-protocols-should-strictly-be-enforced-if-entire-country- placed-under-mgcq/ FDA still reviewing Sinovac’s EUA application; Moderna interested to apply for EUA

Published February 21, 2021, 11:54 AM by Analou De Vera

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it is still reviewing the data of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech before these vaccines can be authorized for emergency use in the Philippines.

(NOEL CELIS / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Sa ngayon meron pa silang mga huling datos at papeles na sinubmit ng Friday afternoon kaya tuloy-tuloy ang aking mga meeting to evaluate itong mga datos (They submitted another data and documents last Friday afternoon and I’ll have continuous meetings (with local health experts) to evaluate these new data),” FDA-Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo told the DZBB in an interview on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Asked when will the FDA finish its evaluation, Domingo said it “depends.”

“Depende kasi kakadating palang at binabasa pa lahat. Ayaw natin mag allow ng produkto hanggang meron tayong kulang na impormasyon especially kung tungkol sa safety and efficacy ng mga products (It depends because the additional data has just arrived and we need to review it. We don’t want to allow a product (to be used here) when it is still lacking some information, especially when it comes to safety and efficacy),” he said.

“We just want to do extra care and due diligence. Ayaw natin na pag sa huli na eh pag pinayagan at nandito na saka tayo magkakaroon ng problema (We don’t want to encounter problems later on when it is already approved for use here),” he added.

On Feb. 11, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Chinese government will donate 600,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines which are expected to arrive on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

However, Roque said last Feb. 18 that Sinovac has decided to wait for the emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA before they will send the vaccines to the Philippines. The Sinovac filed its EUA application last Jan. 13.

Moderna

American pharmaceutical company Moderna has already expressed its interest in applying for an EUA, said Domingo.

“Nung nag meeting kami last week, tinanong ko kailan ba kayo mag-aapply? Sabi nila they are just completing the applications and that they will file soon (When we met last week, I asked when will you apply? They say they are just completing the applications and that they will file soon),” he said.

Domingo said that it would be easy for them to review the data of the Moderna vaccine since it already passed stringent regulatory authorities abroad.

“Ito meron ng EUA from very stringent regulatory authorities katulad ng Amerika. Pag ganyan, napaka dali ng i-review nyan kasi kumpleto papeles and pati yung evaluation report from the US isa-submit iyan sa amin, so hindi na uulitin ng ating experts yung ibang question and answer portions (It has EUA from very stringent regulatory authorities like America. In that case, it is very easy to review because the paperwork is complete and even the evaluation report from the US will be submitted to us, so our experts will not repeat the other clarificatory questions),” he added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/21/fda-still-reviewing-sinovacs-eua-application-moderna-interested- to-apply-for-eua/

'Circumstantial evidence' points to Chinese role in creating virus, former Trump adviser says

By David R. Sands - The Washington Times - Sunday, February 21, 2021

Former President Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser said Sunday that the “weight of circumstantial evidence” suggests the COVID-19 virus was not the result of a natural outbreak resulting from animal-to-human transmission but was likely first produced in a Chinese lab.

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger also said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that a recent expert mission from the World Health Organization to study the coronavirus’s origins in Wuhan, China, was “deeply conflicted” and that the U.N. health agency has made “all sorts of misinformed and untruthful claims” about how the virus led to a deadly global pandemic.

The Biden administration has taken up some of the Trump administration’s doubts about the virus, saying China’s government still has many questions to answer about its response to the emergence of the outbreak in late 2019.

“There has not been sufficient transparency coming from the government of China and the WHO still has more work to do to get to the bottom of exactly where this virus emerged,” current National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. Mr. Pottinger said, based on reports compiled while he was still in office, that “we have reason to believe that the Chinese military was doing secret classified experiments in [a Wuhan virology lab] all the way back to 2017.” U.S. investigators also say there are also signs of a flu-like outbreak among employees of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the fall of 2019, just before the first official acknowledgement of a major COVID-19 outbreak linked to a major food market in the Chinese city. China has repeatedly denied any link between the Wuhan lab and the coronavirus, and pointed to the WHO mission’s statement that it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus had been purposely or accidentally leaked from the lab.

Mr. Pottinger said a statement of findings in the final days of the Trump administration last month had been “very carefully drafted” to reflect what U.S. officials knew and didn’t know about the origins of the virus.

“The case we were making for the need for following up on these important leads,” he said.

Mr. Sullivan said the controversy of COVID-19’s origins underscored the need for an impartial inquiry free of politics on all sides.

“This is why any investigation has to be left to the scientists and experts without any interference from any government, because that’s the only way we’re going to know what the origins are,” Mr. Sullivan said. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/21/pottinger-circumstantial-evidence-points- to-chines/

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: February 22, 2021, 7:24 AM GMT+8

U.K. 1,846 63,077 1,236.7 2.5

U.S. 1,510 85,166 1,029.4 2.8

France 1,236 53,209 N/A 6.0

Brazil 1,172 48,350 N/A N/A

Germany 845 29,815 533.0 8.0

Russia 577 29,011 742.4 8.1

India 119 8,381 157.6 0.5

Japan 59 3,377 58.2 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of February 19, 2021, 7:46 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 110 million people and killed more than 2.4 million globally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive. Getting to a Flatter Curve  The first 400 days with more than 100 confirmed cases

• Asia

• Other Show deaths

060120180240300360Days since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,000CasesMainland ChinaSouth KoreaJapanFranceSingaporeSpainU.K.Hong KongU.S.AustraliaBrazilIndiaRussiaTaiwanNew Zealand

Note: JHU CSSE reporting began on Jan. 22, when mainland China had already surpassed 500 cases.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering

111,325,573

Confirmed cases worldwide

2,465,362

Deaths worldwide

Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of February 22, 2021, 7:24 AM GMT+8

1–99

100–999

1,000–9,999

10,000–99,999

100,000–999,999

1,000,000–9,999,999

• 10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases

U.S. 498,794 28,127,650

Brazil 246,504 10,168,174 Mexico 179,797 2,038,276 India 156,302 10,991,651 Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases

U.K. 120,810 4,127,573 Italy 95,718 2,809,246 France 83,546 3,597,540 Russia 81,926 4,117,992 Germany 67,900 2,394,515 Spain 67,101 3,133,122 Iran 59,483 1,574,012 Colombia 58,834 2,226,262 Argentina 51,198 2,064,334 South Africa 49,053 1,503,796 Peru 44,877 1,275,899 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: 348,840

Jan 21

Feb 20

U.S.

New cases: 71,510

Jan 21

Feb 20

Brazil

54,940

India

14,264 Russia

12,775

U.K.

10,453

Iran

7,922

Germany

7,162

France

946

Mainland China

7

Note: On February 14, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases.

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

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

How the Outbreak Spread Country by Country  Seven-day rolling average of new deaths and cases

• Asia

• Other Show cases

Mar 01Feb 2000.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaU.K.Russia

Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of February 20. 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)

Focus U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers On China, Not Persian Gulf

By James Holmes

Not long ago I wrote in these pixels that there is a “beautiful stability” to U.S. foreign policy. In general, that’s a good thing. Consensus popular and elite sentiments toward policy discourage Washington from swerving too wildly when a new presidential administration assumes office, and especially when the White House or Congress changes hands between political parties. U.S. foreign policy tacks back and forth like a sailboat steering the same general course—a course that commands enduring support from society and state. Sometimes, though, stability is an unlovely force. Bad ideas, as well as good, can command overwhelming support. In such cases, stability cements policies or strategies founded on an errant consensus. Well-advised course changes never take place.

Exhibit A: the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its strike group left port this past week on what naval specialists term a “double-pump deployment.” The new deployment comes on the heels of a 270-day cruise just last year—a cruise that included 206 consecutive days at sea to dodge the pandemic. USS Theodore Roosevelt embarked on its own double-pump deployment in December after the COVID-19 debacle that stranded the flattop in Guam last spring. It appears Eisenhower is bound for the Middle East judging from the words of Chief of Naval Operations Mike Gilday. Admiral Gilday predicts that, under new leadership, Washington will continue the practice of keeping a carrier on station in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility more or less perpetually. Such deployments bespeak strategic indiscipline. At its most fundamental, military strategy is about setting and enforcing priorities. Self-discipline helps the country get its way on what matters most without overspending its finite stock of martial resources. That means dispensing with worthy but less critical commitments. Inability or unwillingness to set and enforce priorities counts among the gravest sins makers of policy and strategy can commit.

Over the past three presidencies, Democrat and Republican, a consensus has coalesced around the idea that competing with Communist China should rank atop the United States’ list of strategic priorities. Russia comes second, while lesser contenders such as North Korea and Iran trail behind. The Trump administration formalized this hierarchy in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, and thus far, the Biden administration has evinced little desire to revise it. This is good. It reflects how China’s rise to great power and penchant for domineering diplomacy have changed Asia and the world. Unfortunately, the new consensus now coexists with an older—and incompatible—consensus stressing the vital importance of the Persian Gulf region. I suppose we have Saddam Hussein to thank, or blame, for the Middle East orthodoxy. Before August 1990, when Saddam’s Iraq invaded Kuwait, the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon regarded the region as a strategic backwater and kept a force befitting a backwater on station there. A handful of surface combatants anchored the U.S. naval presence in the region until heavy forces started arriving in the Gulf region to reverse aggression.

And then stayed. Events seemed to ratify the region’s importance after Desert Storm in 1991, when open war gave way to years of using naval and ground-based air power to enforce UN sanctions on Iraq. Then came 9/11, which gave rise to the global war on terror, a counterterrorist campaign centered on the broader Middle East. Then came 2003, when a U.S.- led coalition invaded and occupied Iraq. The consensus congealed further. And Iran was there all the while, supplying another impetus for deep engagement. Over time the Islamic Republic morphed into the primary reason given for keeping heavy forces—including one or even two carriers—in the Gulf region at all times. The need for such a presence came to seem self- evident as the years passed. That the United States fields eleven carriers comes as cold comfort. (Only ten are deployable until shipbuilders can get the new USS Gerald Ford’s gee-whiz technology functioning as designed.) How hard can it be to deploy one or two vessels out of ten? Well, only a fraction of the fleet is ready to deploy at any given moment. Take into account routine maintenance, major overhauls, training, and R&R time—the rhythm of a ship’s life—and well upwards of three nuclear-powered aircraft carriers must be in the inventory to keep one U.S.-based carrier deployed to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, the Central Command’s naval arm. Do the arithmetic. Keeping even a single carrier in the Gulf region while trying to compete with China and Russia, ostensibly the United States’ chief foreign-policy threats, is bound to wear down the carrier fleet over time. It’s doubly ironic that it’s Eisenhower making a double-pump deployment, considering the engineering woes that befell the ship in the past owing to overuse. Nor are Ike’s troubles a one-off thing; maintenance problems also idled sister ship Harry S. Truman in recent years. Machinery ages prematurely with intensive use. Chronological age matters just as mechanical age does. The first-in-class USS Nimitz—a vessel currently returning home after a wearisome ten-month deployment to the Fifth Fleet—is pushing fifty. Fifty is not the new thirty for gray hulls; it is a ship’s dotage. Deploy an aging fleet too promiscuously and engineering difficulties like those suffered by Eisenhower and Truman verge on inevitable. In turn, adequate numbers of flattops may not be available to deter or fight China or Russia if the fleet is worn out from guarding against Iran. Sustaining too rapid an operating tempo constitutes a serious—and foreseeable, and self-inflicted—impediment to battle readiness. It’s time to downgrade the Persian Gulf region on the Pentagon’s list of strategic priorities—and let the new, healthier consensus on China and Russia prevail. Let’s align naval operations and force deployments with national strategy at long last—and husband resources for where they are needed most.

Carl von Clausewitz would have some tart words for Pentagon overseers. You might sum up the Prussian sage’s thoughts about when to siphon effort from top priorities thus: do not risk what matters most for the sake of what matters less. Clausewitz counsels against secondary undertakings unless they appear “exceptionally rewarding,” and unless they do not place more important priorities at risk. He measures risk in terms of resources. Only if the armed forces enjoy “decisive superiority” of resources in the primary theater should commanders countenance diverting resources to secondary endeavors. Otherwise they cannot afford a discretionary venture. If commanders do not enjoy decisive superiority in the main theater and plunge ahead anyway, they run undue risk—and court disaster.

Reward, risk, resources: these are Clausewitz’s Three Rs for setting and enforcing priorities. Does countering Iran promise exceptional rewards for the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon, do the U.S. armed forces command decisive superiority over China and Russia, and can the armed forces keep up a Gulf aircraft-carrier presence without running grave risks in the strategic competition with those great-power rivals? Unless the answer to all three questions is a throaty yes, the Biden Pentagon should rethink the U.S. military posture in the Middle East. Now looks like an auspicious time for some foreign-policy instability. Let’s veer onto a new—and strategically prudent—path.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/02/focus-u-s-navy-aircraft-carriers-on-china-not-persian-gulf/

Does China really threaten US power abroad?

Xi's China has cranked up nationalism and flexed muscles but no longer projects unbridled confidence as global leadership slips from reach by ANDREW LATHAM February 21, 2021

US President Joe Biden is so far maintaining his predecessor’s tough China policy, which aims to curb China’s international power both economically and politically.

In the US and Europe, China is widely recognized as a rising star that threatens Western power.

But my research on the country suggests China may no longer see itself that way. In the three decades I’ve studied and taught Chinese foreign policy, I have witnessed three discrete eras in China’s approach to international relations.

After the death of the Communist Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1976, Mao’s successors, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, introduced economic reforms that launched China on a path of phenomenal economic growth.

The country rose from 11th to second place in the global GDP rankings between 1990 and 2020. The prevailing view in Western capitals in the 1990s was that China’s economic transformations would inevitably culminate in an affluent, peaceful and democratic country.

To ensure this outcome, the major economic powers were prepared to embrace China as a full member of their club of open-market societies, admitting it into international institutions like the World Trade Organization and integrating it into global markets.

The West was keen to bring it into this network of international political institutions constructed after World War II to promote cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution.

And China was happy to join the club, at least when it came to trade and investment. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s foreign relations strategy in the 1990s was to “hide capabilities and bide time,” adopting a policy of “tao guang yang hui” – keeping a low profile.

In the early 2000s, President Hu Jintao took a few modest steps toward greater Chinese assertiveness on the world stage, building up China’s navy and initiating a series of port projects in Pakistan and beyond. For the most part, however, Hu still espoused a policy of “peaceful rise.”

Xi’s dream

That changed when China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, assumed power in 2012.

Xi projected nationalism and power. His China would no longer bide its time. Xi proclaimed the “China Dream,” envisioning the country as a major power with increasing influence not just in Asia but worldwide. Under Xi, China took a much more aggressive stance toward the world, flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea and elsewhere, and coupling diplomacy with heavy investment in infrastructure development across Latin America and Africa.

Over time, many Western foreign policy leaders, among them Barack Obama, came to see China as bent on upending, not sustaining, the economic order they had created and enthusiastically welcomed China into.

In 2015, the US undertook a “strategic pivot” toward Asia and away from the Middle East, the focus of Washington’s attention since 9/11.

In an effort to contain – or at least constrain – China, the US strengthened alliances with Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, formed a coalition of countries in China’s neighborhood, and increased defense cooperation with India, Australia and Japan.

In October 2017, at the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi confirmed Western fears. He publicly declared his goal of moving China to the “center stage” of world affairs.

Xi said China did not seek global domination but warned that no one “should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its interests.” He also hinted that China’s rise would create a world order with “Chinese characteristics.”

In December 2017 an updated US national security strategy officially declared China’s rise a threat, citing intellectual property theft and the development of advanced weapons capable of nullifying America’s military advantage.

But the China dream isn’t guaranteed to come true. As President Xi told Communist Party members at a gathering in January 2019, the country faces serious challenges

Beijing faces a US-led coalition that is committed to resisting China’s economic, military and diplomatic power plays in Asia. China also has rising debt, stagnating GDP growth rate and declining productivity.

Then there are China’s troubling demographics: The population is both shrinking and getting old.

China’s population declined in 2018 for the first time since the deadly famines induced by Mao’s “Great Leap Forward” in the 1960s.

The Chinese Academy of Science predicts that if fertility continues to drop from its current rate of 1.6 children per woman to a projected 1.3, China’s population would be reduced by about 50% by the end of this century.

China ended in 2015 its policy of limiting families to one child, but its population still skews old, leaving fewer workers to support increasing numbers of elderly.

Together, these predictions have raised concerns within the Chinese Communist Party that the nation will “get old before it gets rich.” This predicament could create serious social unrest. Xi and others in China’s Communist leadership no longer project unbridled confidence. Instead, they telegraph concern that global leadership is slipping out of reach.

Diverging views

These concerns are already reshaping China’s foreign policy, leading it to take increasingly direct military action toward neighboring India – where it is engaged in a territorial dispute in the Himalayas – and near Taiwan.

China is also redoubling its military efforts to assert its territorial rights to disputed islands in the South China Sea and cracking down on democracy in Hong Kong.

Xi has embraced a confrontational new form of global diplomacy that more actively undermines US interests abroad. Some call it “wolf-warrior diplomacy,” after two blockbuster Chinese movies about Chinese special forces vanquishing American mercenaries in Africa and Asia.

This is the first time in six decades that China and the West hold such fundamentally different views of China’s global trajectory.

The results could be destabilizing. If a weakened China feels threatened by Western containment, it may double down on its nationalistic displays in India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.

The post-World War II international order, built to promote economic cooperation and avoid war, may not be able to withstand the stress of China’s mounting challenges from within. A war between the West and China is still a remote possibility, but perhaps not as remote as it once seemed.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/does-china-really-threaten-us-power-abroad/

Senator Lacson is not questioning the President’s right to ensure that the US fulfills its VFA obligations posted February 22, 2021 at 12:00 am

We wish to set the record straight regarding some points made by Rod Kapunan in his column in the Feb. 20, 2021 issue of the Manila Standard—including his claim that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson branded as an “extortionist stance” President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that the United States will “have to pay” if they want the Visiting Forces Agreement done.

Senator Lacson already made it clear that he is not questioning the President’s right to ensure that the US fulfills its obligations in the agreement. His point is that the President could have done so in a diplomatic and civil manner, considering the US is a longtime ally and the VFA may affect our long-term national interest and security.

There should be no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding since the last thing we can afford to lose is the balance of power that our allies, including the US, can provide to suit our national interest and territorial integrity.

On the other hand, Art. VII, Sec. 21 of the 1987 Constitution is clear on the participation of senators in voting for or against the ratification of a treaty or an international agreement, which the VFA is. Official records will show that without the 18-5 vote of the Senate on May 27, 1999, the VFA would not have been valid and effective. Also, there is a pending petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a ruling on the need for Senate concurrence in ending treaties such as the VFA.

All that being said, all citizens of this country have the right to express their views on issues, especially those that concern our national interest. No less than our Constitution guarantees that.

We hope this helps clarify matters. Thank you.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/mail-matters/347588/senator-lacson-is-not- questioning-the-president-s-right-to-ensure-that-the-us-fulfills-its-vfa-obligations.html

No bed of roses

“The greatest challenge, it appears, would be to impress the gains from long-term peace which is attainable under his term.

While the pandemic rages, the localized peace talks policy has reaped gains resulting in several groups of former rebels joining the folds of the law.

It has also reduced the communist movement into a desperate band seeking to recruit mostly from indigenous Filipinos who are easily swayed by the offers of utopia.

Jack Broome, a regional security analyst who specializes on insurgency and is a consultant of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, gave an interesting overview of the communist insurgency in which he said President Rodrigo Duterte “was seen as uniquely placed to secure a resolution… due to his past involvement with radical socialist organizations and his personal connection with (Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria) Sison, a former university professor of Duterte’s.”

Indeed, ending the 50-year-old rebellion was one of the 2016 campaign promises of the then Davao City mayor.

Broome, nonetheless, suggested that history showed that some elements in government, including the military, may put up roadblocks for Mr. Duterte to be able to deliver his promise to the people.

“For the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the communist insurgency provides a key part of its raison d’être and, more importantly, one of the main justifications for its bloated budgetary requirements,” according to Broome. He explained that a significant portion of the military’s resources is devoted to counterinsurgency operations.

He noted that members of the AFP are also usually present at oathtaking ceremonies in which communities swear allegiance to the government, as well as those in which former rebels are awarded with financial assistance.

“There are clear financial incentives for the AFP to prolong the conflict with the Maoist rebels in order to avoid the reduction in its budget that a peace agreement would surely entail,” he explained.

The same goes with local officials who he said can’t afford to lose a significant portion of their funding associated with anti-insurgency programs as the 2022 elections approach.

“Should the insurgency come to an end, local government units (LGU) would not only lose a significant portion of their funding, but also a key source of political leverage.

” Broome pointed to LGU which are sympathetic to the communist cause, “as demonstrated by news that the Department of the Interior and Local Government is filing charges against a member of the Quezon provincial board for sheltering two members of the New People’s Army.” In sum, Mr. Duterte is not only dealing with the communist guerillas and their patrons, which have been greatly diminished after the Anti-Terror Act placed the accounts linked with the revolutionary movement as among those to be subjected for government review or forfeiture to stop “terrorist acts” or support to “terrorist activities.”

The greatest challenge, it appears, would be to impress the gains from long-term peace which is attainable under his term.

It is even unthinkable that Sison, who often engages the President with his misplaced arguments about governance in his comfortable European hideaway, remains relevant to the ordinary guerillas.

The localized peace initiative had taken roots and has become instrumental in convincing those disgruntled with the government or those seeking a better social order to realize their aspirations within the community that they profess to be fighting for.

Peace is indeed elusive as proven by the five decades that the armed struggle had existed.

Hope for long-term peace lies in the oft-repeated philosophy of Mr. Duterte that harmony is attainable for the simple reason that all those involved in the conflict are Filipinos.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/22/no-bed-of-roses/

Rise of the US-India-China triangle

By Sumit Kumar

• The rise of China as a major economy and military power has been a major development this century. While China’s economic clout is felt across the world, it has also been aggressively pursuing a military modernization program. • One study published by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies in May last year said that since 2016, China’s annual defense budget has been 7.2 to 8.1 percent of total government spending. • Although China has projected its rise as peaceful, the truth is that Beijing has begun to redefine the power structure in Asia in its favor, leading some international relations experts to argue that its rise must be seen in the historical context of the rise and fall of great powers. • For a long time in the post-Cold War era, the US had the illusion of China’s peaceful rise. Only during the administration of former US president George W. Bush did Washington began to view China as a major strategic competitor. • The administration of his successor, Barack Obama, after failing to convince China to work together in managing global and regional affairs under the “Group of Two,” also redirected its efforts to retain its leadership role in the region through its Asia pivot policy. • Under former US president Donald Trump, the US launched a trade dispute against China and also initiated efforts to strengthen a strong relationship with its allies and partners through its “free and open Indo-Pacific” strategy, with the aim to retain its sole super-power status in the region. • Of course, the change in the US’ approach toward China has been driven by several factors including China’s increasing control over the South China Sea, improved ties between Beijing and Moscow, the Chinese communist government’s support of Iran and North Korea, its aim to become a major space power, its increased threat to Taiwan, and its attempt to subvert liberal international institutions. • Consequently, China’s moves, coupled with an increasing trade surplus with the US, have challenged the US’ position in Asia and beyond. • However, there is a growing sentiment among US security officials and experts that, given the US’ economic conditions as well as its security commitments in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is not possible for the US alone to ensure peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, and contain China’s assertive posturing. • There is also an emerging understanding in the strategic circle in Washington that unilateral actions against China could not garner much support from other regional powers, as they are aiming to promote a multipolar order in the Indo-Pacific. • In this context, successive US presidents since Bush have deliberately invested in transforming ties with rising powers like India to develop a strong and unchallenged balance of power can against China. • Thus, while the Obama administration designated India as a major defense partner, the Trump administration placed India at the center of its regional strategy and changed the name of the “US Pacific Command” to the “US Indo-Pacific Command,” largely in the recognition of India as a regional power. • Under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, New Delhi has indicated its desire to work with the US to promote freedom, security, openness, democracy and development in the region. • In turn, India and the US have taken a slew of measures to increase their security and defense relations. • India established an Indo-Pacific desk in its Ministry of External Affairs, and New Delhi and Washington have over the past four years signed three major bilateral defense agreements: the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement; the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement; and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement. • Also, for the first time since the 1962 Sino-Indian war, the US has strongly criticized China for intruding into Indian territory in the Ladakh region. • The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue has emerged as another forum for close collaboration between India and the US against China. • There are structural and practical reasons for India and the US to join hands against China. • For the US, a rising India conditioned by democratic values, the idea of freedom and the principle of coexistence is not seen as a threat to its leadership position in Asia. Given the size of India’s territory, population, economy, military, and its geographical proximity and historical border dispute with China, as well as its desire to emerge as a global player, Washington views New Delhi as the most suitable counterweight against Beijing. • Washington also views India’s Act East policy as compatible with its Indo-Pacific strategy. • India’s willingness to work with the US against China in the past few years has been another encouraging development for the US. For India, the relationship with China has largely remained fragile and tense, and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) assertive posturing on the contested issue of the mutual border has only intensified its security concerns. • China’s support of Pakistan against India, and its efforts to foster a new nexus between China, Pakistan and Russia, and to develop a “string of pearls” against India through its Belt and Road Initiative have posed a multilayered challenge to India. • New Delhi is also concerned about China’s assertive posturing in the South China Sea, as about 50 percent of India’s imports and exports are shipped through the region. • However, it is also true that there is no match between China and India in terms of economic resources and military power. • Therefore, India needs to build a strong and robust partnership with the US to effectively contain China. India thinks that the presence of the US in South Asia would help maintain a balance of power in its favor. Without access to the US’ advanced weaponry and technology, India cannot modernize its military. The US’ changed policy toward Pakistan has also emboldened India to forge closer ties with Washington. • While the “China factor” has spurred profound bilateral cooperation between India and the US, the two sides have also taken calibrated moves to improve their relationship with Taiwan — which under the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has emerged as an anchor of the “anti-China crusade.” • This in turn opens a new avenue for cooperation between Taipei, Washington and New Delhi. • While it becomes clear that the current phase of the triangular relationship is tilted toward India and the US, its future direction largely depends on US President Joe Biden’s China policy. • Sumit Kumar is a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs visiting fellow at National Chengchi University and a post-doctoral fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/02/21/2003752583 Government focuses on strategic shaping as DFAT drops soft-power review

22 Feb 2021|Graeme Dobell

‘Australia’s strategic environment has deteriorated more rapidly than anticipated … Our region is in the midst of the most consequential strategic realignment since the Second World War … The Indo-Pacific is at the centre of greater strategic competition, making the region more contested and apprehensive.’

— Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ‘Foreword’, 2020 defence strategic update

Australia’s new policy is to ‘shape’ our strategic environment.

While announced as a defence job, shaping in international affairs involves everything from military force to the power of ideas.

So it’s ironic that as Canberra embraces shaping, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has quietly dropped its review of Australia’s soft power.

In the middle of the pandemic year, Australia unveiled its thoughts on strategic shaping just as China took out a hammer and went bang. Here was a decisive bit of Beijing shaping.

On 30 June, China imposed its new security law on Hong Kong. The four major crimes— separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign countries—are ambiguously worded with devastating effect. China reshaped Hong Kong’s future with brutal finality, casting aside much Beijing once agreed to maintain.

The Chinese flag went up in Hong Kong at midnight on 30 June, 1997; the Chinese hammer came down on 30 June 2020. The new law meant that one country, two systems, became one country, one system: the end of Hong Kong as we’ve known it.

China gave dramatic point to Australia’s discussion of how things are shaping (or losing shape).

The following day, 1 July, Australia’s defence strategic update was issued. The update is short and sharp, at only 61 pages. And explicit. If this is the public version, imagine the darkness in the longer, secret version.

The update frets at friction and strain and disruption and challenge in the global order. Economic or strategic goals are achieved by coercion. The risk of state-on-state conflict rises.

Defence was rough on sacred cows. The update ditched 50 years of strategic theology: Australia no longer believes it has 10 years’ warning of a conventional conflict, based on the time it’d take an adversary to prepare and mobilise for war.

Another ‘essential element’ squeezed was the superiority of the Australian Defence Force in the region. The 2016 defence white paper had traditional words about ‘maintaining the ADF’s technology and capability superiority over potential adversaries’. Four years on, that comforting ‘superiority’ has ebbed. All the update gives is an edge: ‘Military modernisation in the Indo- Pacific has accelerated faster than envisaged. Regional force modernisation has resulted in the development and deployment of new weapons that challenge Australia’s military capability edge.’

In its opening pages—with a foreword from the prime minister and defence minister, an executive summary and a chapter on Australia’s strategic environment—the update is a foreign policy statement as much as a defence document.

To read those first 20 pages as foreign policy is more than merely accepting the critics’ line that Oz policy has been seized by the Department of Defence and the security agencies. Here is how Australia sees its world.

Certainly, it’s true that Defence introduced Canberra to its new geographic construct: the Indo- Pacific. In the 2013 defence white paper, the Indo-Pacific replaced the Asia–Pacific to broaden the frame of reference and factor in India. Defence trumped the liberal-internationalist flavour of the ‘Asian century’.

The ‘new framework’ in the 2020 update says Australia wants (emphasis not added) ‘to deploy military power to shape Australia’s strategic environment, deter actions against our interests and, when required, respond with credible military force’.

Deterring and responding are mostly military missions, but shaping needs more than the military.

Shaping describes what we can attempt, indicating caution about what we can define, demand or deliver in this ‘contested and apprehensive’ time.

As shaping has its gaze firmly fixed on power, it’s surprising Canberra is narrowing how it conceptualises it.

In the shaping power contest, our diplomats have been told not to bother being too ambitious. The pandemic is changing the game too quickly for DFAT to bother pondering ‘soft power’. No bandwidth is available for fresh thoughts about influencing the behaviour of others through the power of attraction and ideas.

The review of Australia’s soft power has been shut down. The soft-power death notice issued by DFAT reads:

Following the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government concluded that we should not continue with a review process that was no longer as relevant to the significantly changed global environment. The Review was discontinued in October 2020.

Pursuing Australia’s interests during the COVID-19 response, the economic recovery and as we enter a post-COVID era will required a focused, deliberate effort integrating all tools of statecraft, including Australia’s considerable soft power.

The review had been in the works for two years, starting in August 2018. Much of the writing had been done and the dollars debated. The review was promised by DFAT’s 2017 foreign policy white paper. That document has only eight chapters, with its concluding chapter devoted to how Australia’s soft power amplifies our international influence.

Things die in Canberra’s jungle for many reasons: lack of political champions, the idea doesn’t win, the dollars go elsewhere. Soft power was too tied to the prime minister and foreign minister who issued the foreign policy white paper, Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop.

The unwillingness or inability to conceptualise and grow soft power emphasises earlier failures: the way we trashed and burned and discarded one of our key foreign policy instruments, our international media voice.

In the 1990s, Australia had a TV news presence in East Asia that competed with CNN and the BBC. Today that’s gone.

Until the last decade, Australia was the pre-eminent international media voice in the South Pacific, as we had been since World War II. Today we’ve lost that singular role. New Zealand, for the first time, might just be ahead of us, and China is everywhere.

Hard news and free media used to be the sharp edge of Australian soft power. No more.

In these troubled times—whether new cold war or new hot peace—Canberra has a narrow understanding of the tools available for the great shaping mission. https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/government-focuses-on-strategic-shaping-as-dfat-drops-soft- power-review/

Biden’s good start on China

Liberal democracies should quietly make it plain that they will not stand aside if Beijing steps up its bullying of Taipei, and allow Taiwan to take its place as an observer in the WHO

US President Joe Biden’s new administration has begun to show its hand regarding its policy toward China. So far, three encouraging developments stand out, suggesting that the US will regard the huge, Leninist surveillance state not just as a competitor, but as a determined threat to all free societies.

For starters, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the Chinese communist regime is committing genocide against Muslim Uighurs in the northwestern province of Xinjiang. Moreover, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has highlighted China’s failure to cooperate fully with the WHO mission investigating the origins of the coronavirus in Wuhan and perhaps elsewhere in the country. If the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has nothing to hide, why has it once again refused to be open about the source of the pandemic?

Lastly, and most important, Biden himself has made clear his determination to work with partners to confront global problems. The CCP certainly falls into that category.

Despite former US President Donald Trump’s chest-thumping mercantilism, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would rather be facing a re-elected Trump than a Biden-led US. The reason is simple: the last thing China wants is for liberal democracies to come together to constrain its appalling behavior.

Instead, China wants to pick off its critics one at a time. That is what it tried to do when Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. With Biden restoring US support for multilateralism and international partnerships, the world’s democracies should be better placed to halt the Chinese government’s loutish bullying.

China will label any such coalition of liberal democracies an attempt to launch a new cold war. It is nothing of the sort. China has been the aggressor, and democracies should seek to restrict its damaging and dangerous behavior. We must underline the fact that the Chinese regime not only opposes the values that underpin free societies, but is also totally untrustworthy, breaking its word whenever doing so suits Xi.

June’s G7 summit would be a good forum to start building the partnership a better international order requires. The UK will chair the meeting, and should seek to show that it can still play a valuable international role even after its damaging decision to leave the European Union.

The G7 countries — the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have invited India, Australia, and South Korea to join this meeting, and I hope they will attend subsequent meetings as well. After all, democracies share an interest in protecting themselves and other countries from the CCP’s thuggish threats and breaches of international rules. This new G10 partnership should discuss digital cooperation and collaboration in high- tech industries with a view to avoiding excessive dependence on Chinese exports. And governments could share information on how best to confront Chinese espionage, intellectual-property theft, and efforts to use research collaboration to steal knowledge useful to China’s military and its surveillance state.

A new G10, with other countries as well, should work together more closely within UN agencies like the WHO, as well as in bodies dealing with human rights and development policy. We must point out collectively when China assaults freedom, as it has done so blatantly in Hong Kong, or human life itself, as in Xinjiang.

Likewise, we should quietly make it plain to Xi that we will not stand aside if China steps up its bullying of Taiwan. While challenging the “one China” policy today would not be wise, we should welcome more contacts with Taiwan and press to allow the island to take its place as an observer in the WHO assembly. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with an excellent public-health record. Given the large financial contributions that democracies make to the WHO, and Taiwan’s successful early detection of the pandemic in China, it deserves to be treated decently by the organization.

Those G10 countries that are members of NATO would also be wise to encourage the alliance, led by its secretary-general, to develop policy responses to China’s increasingly threatening behavior in the Indo-Pacific region.

Finally, although liberal democracies will not always have the same trade and investment priorities, they do have a joint interest in the WTO working effectively to ensure adherence to its agreed and justiciable rules. The Biden administration could make a good start here by unblocking the appointment of new judges to the WTO’s appellate body, which adjudicates trade disputes among member countries.

One hopes that EU member states will respond to proposals like these by showing some recognition of the threat that China poses to us all. The recently signed EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment will bring few benefits to European economies. Moreover, some EU members are deluded in thinking that the deal will improve labor standards in China and end forced labor there as well.

Unfortunately, European leaders in general, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in particular, are entrusting the development of a serious global role for Europe to the sales departments of Volkswagen and other large German carmakers. I fear that, as a result, the EU is making serious geostrategic blunders in relation to both China and Russia. Surely the Union retains some inkling of what its values are supposed to be.

Biden wants serious and committed partners not only to constrain the CCP’s bad behavior, but also to cooperate with China when it is prepared to be constructive on issues like climate change and antimicrobial resistance. Working together on such matters is of course in everyone’s interest. For the world’s democracies, so is knowing where cooperation must end.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/02/22/2003752638

Jihadist Perceptions of a Rising Superpower Troubles Along China’s Belt and Road

By Lucas Webber

China’s domestic security policy and its growing international influence are fuelling jihadist animosity throughout Asia and beyond. Beijing’s crackdown in Xinjiang is the most commonly cited China-related grievance within global jihadist discourse and has gained traction in recent years, but there are additional narratives emerging about China’s foreign policy and its increasing presence in the Islamic world. Beijing is becoming markedly more assertive in pursuing its geopolitical ambitions and in securing its growing international interests. This has not gone unnoticed and the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda, the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and others have explicitly declared China an enemy. These groups perceive China as an imperial or colonial power that is actively expanding its political, economic, and military footprint abroad, supporting repressive governments, and exploiting natural resources. If China’s influence continues to grow and these perceptions continue to spread, the Asian giant could conceivably become a higher priority enemy for a broader range of elements within the global jihadist movement over time.

Chinese Policies and Militant Hostilities The rise of China is a momentous force in global politics that will, in all likelihood, continue to fundamentally alter the international landscape and, consequently, impact the dynamics of jihadism. China is territorially plugged into the Islamic world and is bolstering tiesto numerous Muslim nations across the globe.

Beijing’s policies are exacerbating anti-China sentiment amongst a global array of militant groups while simultaneously increasing its exposure to attack. In recent years, a number of jihadist organizations have become notably more explicit in criticizingChinese policies and more aggressive in threatening China. The developing narratives about Chinese foreign policy seem to reflect a broader transitional awareness of the evolving multipolar international system. This emerging political consciousness is not entirely seamless, however, as Elliot Stewart points out in his findingson the Islamic State’s apparent rhetorical de-emphasis of China and Uyghur- related issues as of late. Jihadist approaches to China are largely dependent upon strategic priorities, contextual conditions, and timing.

When thinking about potential future threats to China, its citizens, and its interests, it is worthwhile to assess the motivations of jihadists, how they view China’s growing global influence, and how they frame this phenomenon in their propaganda. Historically, jihadist narratives about their adversaries’ foreign policy tends to focus on how their interference and influence in Islamic countries harm the lives of Muslims and the lands and religion of Islam.

The nascent, emerging, and established narratives about China’s international activities are familiar ones; they are purveyed by militant groups around the world and particularized to frame designated enemy nations such as the United States, Russia, France, and others. The narratives focus on foreign occupation, interference, and military presence, malign and corrupting influence, acts of violence and oppression, support for governments viewed as illegitimate, hostile, and repressive, as well as the exploitation of resources and environmental degradation.

China is emerging as a very powerful country and appears to be the only potential peer competitorto the United States on the horizon. China is growing its economic, military, and technological might and is almost bound to create greater friction as it maneuvers throughout the globe. This is especially likely given the global security context, which saw tremendous geographical expansion and numerical growth in jihadism over recent decades. One study foundthe number of “Sunni Islamic militants” worldwide to be around four times higher than on September 11, 2001.

It should be noted, however, that this is not necessarily inevitable and may depend, in part, upon China’s policy decisions. Contemporary China has, for instance, tended towards a foreign policy doctrine of non-interferenceand has so far avoided inflammatory external military intervention in Muslim lands. Andrew Small explainshow “Beijing’s approach to counter- terrorism outside its borders has traditionally been limited, and risk averse”. He characterizes this approach as “Uyghur-centric, unwilling to address broader dynamics of militancy, and focused on ensuring that China remains a low-priority target for transnational jihadi groups.” In some cases, as with the Afghan Taliban, Beijing has even pursued formal relationsand has brokered security agreements. China has been very cognizant about the dangers associated with interventionism and the kind of jihadist animosity that direct military action attracts.

However, the militant threat is likely to become more difficult to manage as China rises, draws more attention, and its international influence and footprint increases. There are additional questions about the sustainability of China’s non-interventionist approach to international affairs as the country becomes more powerful and its foreign interests deepen and diversify. The non- interference principle appears to be under strain and Chinese foreign policy has already divergedfrom this guiding heuristic in several ways over recent years.

The trend towards greater international involvement is reflected in the expanded scope of China’s counter-terrorism policy. Small notesthat it “now involves far greater geographical reach; a wider and more complicated list of partners; a more broad-based approach to addressing the conditions for militancy; and a more direct economic, diplomatic and security role for China, with all the risks that implies.”

The Threat to Chinese Nationals and Interests Abroad Jihadists have threatened China for its domestic policy in Xinjiang as well as its foreign policy and rollout of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). There is real intent behind the rhetoric; militants have targetedChinese nationals and interests in an expanding number of countries. One researcher wrote, “When you become a big power, you become a big target” and that “China’s southern and western borders are increasingly marked by countries where angry minorities are focusing their rage on Beijing” adding the “most dramatic cases are in Pakistan and Indonesia.”

The Turkistan Islamic Party, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Islamic State, and others have explicitly declared China an enemy and have conducted operations against Chinese nationals. In Pakistan, there is a lengthy record of jihadist groups as well as Sindhi and Baloch militants attacking Chinese citizens. Chinese nationals have also been killedin neighboring Afghanistan.

There were reports of at least two separate plots against Chinese foreign interests in 2010. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there was a plot targeting the Dragon Mart mallin Dubai and in Norway there was a plot to bomb the Chinese embassyin Oslo.

The 2015 bombing at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand killed20 people and injured 125 others. Thai police believe the location was selected to target Chinese tourists. Reuters reported“many analysts, diplomats and even Thai officials say the Aug. 17 bombing was likely an act of revenge for Thailand’s deportation to China of more than 100 Uighur Muslims”. The exact motive behind the attack is difficult to verify but Beijing’s pressure on foreign governments to extradite Uyghurs and avoid commenting upon China’s domestic security policy in Xinjiang are issues to observe. The now-deceased Islamic State caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi once asked“where is the relief of the rulers of Mecca and Medina for the Muslims in China?” Jihadists have explicitly threatenedreprisal against governments that imprison or deport Uyghurs.

Investigators linkedthe 2016 suicide vehicle bombing at the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to a militant network operating in Syria. This was not the first time a Chinese embassy had been on the receiving end of an attack. In 2013, a Chinese embassyin Syria was struck by mortar fire and in 2015 a Chinese embassy in Somalia was damaged in an explosion.

In 2015, the Islamic State executeda Chinese hostage in Syria and in 2017 IS operatives killedtwo Chinese nationals in Pakistan. The Counter Extremism Group reportedthat a “plot was disrupted in January 2020 when seven terror suspects were arrested in Brest, northwest France, having allegedly targeted a French military installation and Chinese New Year celebrations taking place in Brest” adding that “the cell had allegedly recorded pledges of allegiance to ISIS”.

In Indonesia, hostile attitudes towards China have sometimes manifested in tangible threats to ethnic Chinese communities and Chinese nationals. The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) detectedan uptick in militant anti-Chinese sentiment on social media during the coronavirus pandemic and has warned the government of future attacks. Indonesian Islamic State supporters have frequently threatenedChina and the IS-linked perpetrator who stabbed former chief security minister Wiranto in 2019 had allegedly discussedattacking Chinese workers. More recently in August of 2020, police arrested a group of Jemaah Islamiah members who were reportedlyplotting to attack Chinese shop owners. The suspects are saidto have selected the target over fears about communism spreading in the country.

China has political and economic interests in Africa but insurgency and terrorist activity pose an operational risk. In 2009, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) threatenedto attack Chinese workers in North Africa. In 2019, suspected al-Shabaab militants opened fireon Chinese construction facilities and in 2020 the group reportedly attemptedmultiple attacks on Chinese commercial assets in Kenya.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/jihadist-perceptions-rising-superpower-troubles-along- chinas-belt-and-road

Semiconductors as Natural Resources – Exploring the National Security Dimensions of U.S.-China Technology Competition

February 17, 2021

By Akinori Kahata

This blog post is the third a series on U.S.-China technology competition. Click here to read the previous posts in this series, Managing U.S.-China Technology Competition and Decoupling, and Assessing the Impact of U.S.-China Technology Competition and Decoupling: Focusing on 5G.

In recent years, the U.S. government has taken a variety of steps to both control China’s access to semiconductor technology as well as to improve the United States’ own ability to lead in chip design and production. Key among these were the export controls enacted by the Trump administration against companies including Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Incorporated (SMIC), and the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which included funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research.

Technological competition around semiconductors is not only happening between the U.S. and China. In December 2020, a group of European Union countries announced “A European Initiative on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies” with the aim of increasing Europe’s semiconductor production capability throughout the value chain. Recent reports indicate that the European Commission has entered into discussions with TSMC and Samsung about investing in advanced manufacturing facilities on the continent to reduce its dependence on China and the United States.

As discussed in previous blog posts, technology competition and the resulting movement towards decoupling could have damaging economic consequences not just for China, but also for the nations working to distance themselves from their reliance on Chinse firms. To manage technological competition, it is essential to reach a consensus on the strategic significance of semiconductors, especially advanced semiconductors, from the standpoint of national security. By using this consensus to guide policy, decision-makers can determine the appropriate policy for protecting and supporting semiconductor technology. Comparing advanced semiconductors with natural resources, a typical example of strategic products, can help illuminate the national security significance of advanced semiconductors.

Semiconductors and Natural Resources Advanced semiconductors and natural resources share two important characteristics: First, both are indispensable for our society. Second, both have limited production capacity.

Without gas, oil, and coal, our electricity and modern-day transport systems could not function. Similar to these natural resources, semiconductors also serve an essential role in society. From military equipment and automobiles to cloud computing and critical infrastructure like 5G telecommunication systems, modern technology could not work without semiconductors. In addition, both natural resources and advanced semiconductor production capacity are limited. The production of natural resources is obviously limited because volumes of natural resource reserves are limited. By contrast, advanced semiconductors’ production capacity is limited due to technological and economic factors. Since advanced semiconductors manufacturing processes are extremely complicated and require highly sophisticated technology, it is difficult for firms to develop and maintain the ability to produce cutting-edge chips. A large investment in both research and development (R&D) and factory construction is required for manufacturers to compete. Because of this, only a small number of firms in select countries have the ability to produce advanced semiconductors.

To understand why advanced semiconductors are critical to national security, there are several key principles to bear in mind. First, if a country does not have the capacity to produce something so essential for its economic and national security, it must depend on other countries. Countries that can produce advanced semiconductors could have strong economic power. Since this power can be a tool to advance geopolitical interests, it is necessary to consider advanced semiconductors in a national security context.

Second, it is worth noting that this leverage will emerge only when the production capacity is limited and monopolized by a single country or a small number of countries. For products that are easier to produce, nations can always find alternate suppliers in a different region or even shift quickly to increase domestic production if the need arises. This point is critical when considering semiconductor policies because not all semiconductors are equally difficult to produce. The accessibility of advanced semiconductors, which are difficult to produce, therefore has a significant impact on national security.

https://www.csis.org/blogs/technology-policy-blog/semiconductors-natural-resources-–- exploring-national-security

How China joined the sanctions game • China is a country that has become more willing and able to weaponize its economy for foreign policy wins, and as a result, Beijing will increasingly provide a counterbalance to Washington’s sanctions supremacy. | REUTERS If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, as Irish poet Oscar Wilde once claimed, then American policymakers should take China’s steady steps toward becoming an international sanctions power as quite the compliment.

Hit increasingly hard by Washington’s sanctions tool as relations with the Trump administration unraveled, Beijing has learned from its scars. Little noticed by pundits and the press, China has quietly moved past its historic distaste for restrictive measures and begun building a sanctions toolkit that mirrors Washington’s.

The result is a country that’s more willing and able to weaponize its economy for foreign policy wins and to deter external aggression against its companies. As a result, Beijing will increasingly provide a counterbalance to Washington’s sanctions supremacy and emerge as a rival stand setter in global commerce during the Biden administration and beyond.

China is a late and reluctant participant in the sanctions game. Long before the surge in punitive diplomacy under Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, Beijing opposed sanctions for ideological reasons and the simple fact that China was often a target of them. The country faced a full U.S. economic embargo following its intervention in the Korean War.

After the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, it was similarly subject to economic restrictions and an arms embargo from the United States and Europe. Owing to such experiences, China historically considered sanctions to be instruments of Western imperialism and a violation of sovereignty. During the Cold War, it regularly used its permanent U.N. Security Council seat to oppose sanctions against countries such as North Korea, Zimbabwe, Libya and Iran.

There were also practical considerations at play. Sanctions power derives from the ability to credibly deny access to a sought-after economy or international currency, and China arguably only began to accrue that kind of leverage after it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Accordingly, China’s move toward embracing punitive action began with informal measures that provide plausible deniability. Since 2010, Beijing has punished other governments with economic retaliation at least nine times for infringing on its interests, variously suspending imports, blocking exports or tourism or taking regulatory action against foreign firms active in China.

In 2017, for example, it responded to South Korea’s deployment of a U.S. missile defense system by closing stores of a South Korean conglomerate on regulatory grounds and instructing Chinese travel agencies to stop booking trips to South Korea. More recently, it suspended National Basketball Association broadcasts in 2019 after an NBA team official criticized China’s Hong Kong policy. In each case, Beijing publicly attributed the action to a technical regulatory issue or spontaneous acts of patriotism by its citizens.

The Trump administration’s relentless pressure drove Beijing to complement such “sanctions with Chinese characteristics” with a more formal capability. Reeling from additions of over 400 Chinese individuals and entities to the U.S. Commerce Department’s export control lists in just the past two years, including an export ban aimed at isolating its national champion Huawei from Western markets, Beijing began developing tools to fight back. During 2020, it enacted an export control law that constitutes the country’s first framework for restricting exports of military, dual-use, and technology goods for national security reasons. It also unveiled an “unreliable entities” list to target foreign firms that cut off supplies to Chinese companies for noncommercial reasons. The list looks to be directly inspired by Commerce’s Entity List, and inclusion on it can cripple a company’s operations in China.

New rules issued in early January allow Chinese authorities to punish global companies for complying with foreign restrictions. Chinese citizens or firms can also sue for compensation in Chinese courts if they’re hurt economically by a company’s adherence to foreign laws. In effect, the rules put multinationals in legal jeopardy in China if they’re caught complying with U.S. sanctions.

With that toolkit in place, the China that U.S. President Joe Biden now faces a new ability to challenge the U.S. legacy role as preeminent standard setter for global commerce and attempt to undermine the U.S. dominance of the global financial system. Beijing’s rise as a sanctions rival to the U.S. remains a work in progress, but it’s not too early to draw a few conclusions.

First, Beijing’s framework focuses on denying access to China’s economy and its tech exports. That’s a meaningful threat, given the scale of China’s consumer market and its dominance in 5G patents, but it’s also an implicit admission of China’s still relatively limited financial power. Even as its economy is forecast to become the world’s largest by 2028, the Chinese renminbi still accounts for less than 2 percent of international transactions.

Beijing’s sanctions posture could start to mirror Washington’s weaponization of the dollar if the renminbi gains ground as a global trade and reserve currency, but that looks like a much longer- term prospect. China’s capital controls, which helped to stem a homegrown financial crisis in 2015, are one impediment to international expansion. Declining Chinese lending in support of its signature Belt and Road Initiative, a key means of promoting use of the renminbi abroad, is another. Such lending has dropped by more than $70 billion since 2016.

Second, Beijing is building a deterrent capability that it probably prefers not to use. Its export control law is extraterritorial in scope, allowing Beijing to hold individuals or entities outside China liable if they are deemed to endanger China’s national security. Its new rules for punishing global companies are vague and open-ended, both telltale traits of deterrence. And Beijing’s new blacklist, menacing for the loss of market access it implies, remains currently unused. At this stage, those tools simply convey to the Biden administration that restrictive measures targeting China’s economic stars — such as the Alibaba investment ban considered during Trump’s final days — are a red line for Beijing. If crossed, U.S. economic interests in China can expect blowback.

As a result, a form of mutual economic deterrence is likely to take hold between the two countries. Both sides will still use restrictive measures, but within implicitly defined and mutually understood boundaries, resulting in more stable economic diplomacy over at least the short- term. Biden’s emphasis on anti-corruption and human rights make more targeted sanctions against Chinese officials involved in abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong a virtual certainty.

Commerce will take continued aim at Chinese startups that support Beijing’s domestic surveillance capabilities, and the Pentagon will keep naming and shaming Chinese military companies. In response, Beijing will ban visas for carefully chosen members of the U.S. political class and make American firms selling arms or dual-use items to Taiwan the first additions to its blacklist. But China’s mega-cap tech firms should remain relatively unscathed, and that means the Chinese operations of American companies like Nike, Starbucks, Tesla, and Qualcomm should also be safe.

More broadly, the Biden administration can be expected to replace threats of economic decoupling with an ideological challenge to China’s authoritarianism and use of state-capitalism. In an extreme theoretical scenario, dueling U.S. and Chinese sanctions could force third countries and companies to choose between following their respective rules for finance and trade and, by extension, between the American and Chinese economies.

In practice, when pressed most countries seem inclined to demur or play the two powers off against each other. Trump’s global Huawei campaign was a politically expensive failure, with only three of 61 countries lobbied by the U.S. so far having agreed to sever ties with the company.

As such, Biden is more likely to spend his precious political capital on building European and Asian alliances to pressure the Chinese Communist Party’s political legitimacy, check Chinese aggression against Taiwan, and restore credibility to U.S.-led liberal values and institutions.

The pullback from decoupling is just as well, because punitive diplomacy only goes so far. Ultimately, entwined economic interests give Washington its best shot at changing some of Beijing’s behavior. But the United States, too, will need to make changes under Biden and beyond. It should expect China to seek influence on par with its position in the world economy.

It also needs clearer red lines to define which of China’s power plays encroach on major national interests and are thus truly sanctionable offenses. The alternative is strategic confusion and more mutual economic aggression directed at increasingly sensitive targets with no clear end in sight. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/21/commentary/world-commentary/china-u-s-joe- biden-xi-jinping-human-rights/

Strategic understanding missing from U.S. concerns over China's CGL

Updated 16:18, 21-Feb-2021

President Joe Biden's G7 debut witnessed a tone which was distinctly cooperative with unanimity over how the threat of China was limited to addressing non-market oriented policies internationally.

Yet the U.S. State Department on February 20 expressed concern over Beijing's recently enacted Coast Guard Law (CGL) where its application is interpreted as alarmist and having the potential to provoke maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Unsurprisingly, the threat perceptions of the U.S. State Department have once again demonstrated scant strategic understanding.

The threat perception equation fails to account for how China has been undergoing a protracted process to institutionalize its maritime law enforcement force which required a solid legal foundation.

The law was passed last month and came into force on the first of February this year. Clause 48 stipulates three conditions for using ship and airborne weapons in addition to hand held ones: counterterrorism, handling serious violent incidents at sea and deterring attacks on its law enforcement vessels or attack. Furthermore, Clause 50 states that Chinese Coast Guard personnel should reasonably assess the necessary level of force to be used to mitigate unwanted casualties or property losses.

Authorizing the use of force on foreign vessels is common practice in areas where the U.S. Coast Guard operates, and Japan revised its coast guard law in 2001. Why then is China's law being viewed as alarmist by the State Department?

U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price referred to the language as tying use of force to the enforcement of China's claims in the South China Sea. Some analysts have gone a step further and claimed that the law would enable China to fire on Asian sovereign governments, which is nothing but a bizarre and outlandish assessment.

Alex Vuving, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia- Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, claimed that three South East Asian states, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines alongside Brunei would all be imperiled by the big guns of China.

These assessments are part of widely held notions that China is an expansionist state which seeks to use territorial leverage to punish its neighbors and push back against perceived threats, when the subject is actually the enacting of a coast guard law.

Beyond the law, the concept of self-defense is enshrined in principles of international law provided that prerequisites such as the imminence of the threat and proportion are factored in. Provocations in the South China Sea have continued unabated during the Biden administration, with U.S. carrier groups conducting exercises earlier this month. The need to dissuade reckless adventurism with a proportional response is precisely where this law is coming from and is not meant to intimidate or exercise aggression against China's neighbors.

Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's public policy school, hinted at this understanding when he said that the PLA's doctrine is not about aggression or ambiguity and not to sow confusion but to affirm that the option of opening fire is open. Fears of a hostile neighborhood are also not based on preconceived notions but grounded in facts.

Military buildups are being complimented with punitive legislation. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bipartisan resolution condemning the actions of the Chinese government and local authorities in Hong Kong with references to the June 2020 national security law.

Cutting imports from China's Xinjiang is also a policy. Congress has been constantly pushing to have the Biden administration work closely with other nations to hold the Chinese government accountable. Much of this push, however, gained little traction at the Munich Security Conference where European states understood the significance of independent bilateral relationships with China.

What such decisions aimed at strangulating China do demonstrate, however, is the scant attention paid to provocations as compared to Chinese laws aimed at protecting its own territorial sovereignty. In other words, China's Coast Guard Law provides legal guarantees for effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests.

Even experts in Washington, D.C., such as Yun Sun, a senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, acknowledge that rivalries and competition must cease for a peaceful future. She said that China seeks a reset with the United States given that great power competition over the past four years has had negative implications.

This great power rivalry is alive and has been stoked by increased maritime activity which is not of China's own doing in the South China Sea. The issue is really not about Beijing's Coast Guard Law.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-02-21/Strategic-understanding-missing-from-U-S-concerns- over-China-s-CGL-Y3EVfM166s/index.html

Australia and Japan's alliance can beat China’s interdependence trap

Despite Europe’s record of regional integration having been recently tarnished by Brexit, the Franco-German partnership — a response to the massive numbers of casualties sustained during the world wars — has been pivotal for the process toward that integration. Their shared vision of achieving lasting peace in the region is a key motivation behind their joint effort to promote European integration.

But what about the Asia-Pacific region? It has only a short history of regional integration compared with Europe, but its parallel with the Franco-German relationship is the partnership developed between Japan and Australia, the former war enemies whose relations are now classed as a “Special Strategic Partnership” involving a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) and a defense pact.

Looking back, Japan made moves toward a partnership with Australia in 1967, when Foreign Minister Takeo Miki advocated his abortive “Asia-Pacific Policy,” and in 1979 when Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira proposed the Pacific Rim Cooperation Concept.

The two countries worked closely together to establish the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 1989. During Prime Minister John Howard’s administration (1996-2007), when Australia was struggling to maintain good relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) due in part to East Timor’s move for independence from Indonesia, it was Japan which created a foundation for Australia to become a member of the East Asia community.

Japan’s then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, seen with Australia’s then-Prime Minister John Howard in 2002, is credited with bolstering ties with Australia in the 2000s. | REUTERS

Between 2001 and 2007, under the administrations of Prime Ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, Japan advocated the concept of ASEAN Plus Six to expand the East Asian region, enabling Australia to cooperate with Japan in frameworks such as the East Asia Summit and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) up to the present day.

More recently, after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans- Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) in 2017, Australia consistently supported Japan in its diplomatic efforts to rebuild the framework as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a TPP without the United States.

For Japan, Australia is the only country which shares the values of democracy and rule of law, enjoys trade complementarity, maintains strong ties with the U.S. as a close ally and benefits most from peace and growth in East Asia.

Without the two nations’ partnership, which has lasted for the past half a century, it would not have been possible for the Asia-Pacific region to build the regional architecture of today with its aim of stability and prosperity. Australia, Japan’s irreplaceable diplomatic partner, is currently struggling through a trade war with China, with Beijing having suspended imports of major Australian products. Relations between the two countries have rapidly deteriorated.

Japan and Australia have fostered a good relationship over the past few decades, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison having met with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as recently as November last year. | POOL / VIA REUTERS

The clash started after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on April 23, following the spread of COVID-19 infections, “We will need an independent inquiry that looks at what has occurred” in Wuhan, China. His remark led to a strong backlash in China, which feared that it could bring about a worldwide wave of lawsuits seeking compensation.

The Chinese government sent to commodities traders a blacklist of items subject to import restrictions which included at least seven products from Australia — coal, barley, copper ore and concentrate, sugar, timber, wine and lobster. This is equivalent to about 7%, or 27.15 billion Australian dollars (about ¥2 trillion), of Australia’s total goods exports excluding services in fiscal 2019, which ended in June.

Heavy reliance on China

As a result, China’s imports of Australian copper concentrate, which was more than 110,000 tons in December 2019, dropped to zero a year later. In November, some 21 tons of live lobsters were stranded at an airport in Shanghai, forcing Australian exporters to completely suspend shipments to China.

China’s import restriction measures hit the Australian economy hard in a short period of time because of Australia’s heavy reliance on the Chinese market, with China’s share of Australian exports topping more than 40%.

While Australia has been nurturing its partnership with Japan in the areas of defense, politics and diplomacy, it has looked to the rapidly growing Chinese market to boost its own economy in the last decade.

“We must enhance international supply chains’ dependence on China and develop powerful retaliation and deterrence capabilities against supply cutoffs by foreign parties,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said last year.

His remarks reflect the fact that China, which has now become the largest trading partner to more than 130 nations in the world, is in a position to exert influence for its own political and strategic interests by using its vast market power.

This means that trade dependence on China, as it deepens, is creating an environment for China to realize its national interests. It will become difficult for countries that rely economically on China to criticize Beijing’s political and diplomatic policies, as China doesn’t hesitate to threaten its trading partners even if it means a decline in economic dependence. This can be called China’s interdependence trap.

Australia’s dependence on the Chinese market increased sharply after the 2008 global financial crisis. Back then, much of China’s economic stimulus measures totaling 4 trillion yuan (about ¥60 trillion at the time) was used to improve the nation’s infrastructure, which led to a massive increase in demand for natural resources.

In fiscal 2010, Australia’s exports of mineral resources rose about 30% from the previous year to AU$170 billion (¥14 trillion), with China-bound shipments occupying 25% of total exports.

Since then, Australia continued to rely more heavily on the Chinese market, effectively letting China change the country into a partner that supports its economic diplomacy.

In November 2014, Xi and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Brisbane and agreed on upgrading the bilateral relations to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.” In March the following year, Australia decided to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a founding member, and the China-Australia FTA entered into force in December the same year. Symbolically, China made a rare commitment in the trade pact, allowing Australian medical service suppliers to establish wholly-owned hospitals and elder care institutions in many areas of China.

Australia’s inclination toward China differs largely from the stance taken by Japan and the U.S., which decided not to join the AIIB, have not been engaged in negotiations with China for a bilateral FTA and have not granted China a market economy status.

China’s political intentions

It is significant that all those moves by Australia were taken not when the Australian Labor Party, which tended to attach more importance to relationship with China, was in power between 2007 and 2013, but under the conservative Abbott administration which strengthened relations with Japan in the area of defense and security.

From China’s standpoint, it is beneficial to exert influence over Australia using a dependent trade relationship because Australia is part of the U.S.’ hub-and-spokes system — a network of bilateral alliances in East Asia. More specifically, China’s political intention behind strengthening its partnership with Australia must have been to restrain Australia’s involvement in the South China Sea disputes.

Australia has been accused by China of meddling in issues regarding the South China Sea, where its frigate HMAS Parramatta sailed with U.S. Navy vessels on April 18, 2020. | PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS NICHOLAS HUYNH / U.S. NAVY / HANDOUT / VIA REUTERS

However, Australia did not go as far as supporting China by giving up its values, especially the rule of law. In July 2016, when an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that there was no legal basis to China’s claim to sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, Australia called on Beijing to respect the ruling, keeping pace with Japan and the U.S.

But after that, the relationship between Australia and China began to destabilize.

China’s frustration was reflected in an op-ed published at the time by the Global Times, the English language media organ of the Chinese Communist Party. “Australia has inked a free trade agreement with China, its biggest trading partner, which makes its move of disturbing the South China Sea waters surprising to many,” it read.

“Australia’s power means nothing compared to the security of China,” it went on. “Australia is not even a ‘paper tiger,’ it’s only a ‘paper cat’ at best.” The bilateral relationship became increasingly icy in August 2018 after the administration of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull decided to exclude Chinese companies, like Huawei, from participation in Australia’s next-generation 5G telecommunications network, following a similar decision from the U.S.

The one who played a key role in making the decision was Morrison, who was serving as treasurer and acting home affairs minister at the time. Morrison may well have been regarded in China with caution since then, even before he called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 after he became prime minister.

On the other hand, China is also heavily dependent on Australia in importing resources, which means China’s possible use of an interdependence trap can be a double-edged sword. For instance, China imports more than 80% of its total iron ore needs, with Australian products accounting for 65% of shipments from abroad.

There are voices within Australia calling for countermeasures against China by placing tariffs on iron ore exports, and the Global Times has reported on such calls, indicating that China is also closely watching how Australia will react next.

We should pay attention to whether this will have any impact on China in terms of changing its hard-line stance. However, such countermeasures, even if they were to be approved by the World Trade Organization, could further worsen Australia’s relations with China, and some Australian exporters to China insist that Australia should avoid taking actions that could result in losing its key position in the Chinese market in the long term.

This is a solid example of how China’s interdependence trap manifests itself — even if Australia wanted to retaliate through legitimate means within the global trade order, its dependence on China can fundamentally shift the parameters of actions it can take in its self-interest.

In December, Australia launched a formal appeal to the WTO over the 80% tariff China had unilaterally imposed on Australian barley, requesting bilateral consultations. But the situation does not appear to have progressed, with many expressing concerns that the appeal could lead to prolonged conflicts.

In order to reduce its dependence on China in the short term, it is more effective for Australia to diversify its exporting directions by utilizing FTAs with mega-markets that have more trade diversion effects — namely an FTA with Indonesia that took effect last year, a bilateral comprehensive economic cooperation agreement with India which Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year agreed to re-engage in negotiations, and the expansion of the membership of the CPTPP.

In the medium term, it is necessary to embody the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision in the area of trade and further expand and deepen the CPTPP which achieves high-level liberalization and maintains key functions as a key economic rule-setter. It is encouraging that the U.K.-Japan bilateral FTA, which came into effect on Jan. 1, serves as a key step toward the United Kingdom’s involvement in the CPTPP, and that the U.K. now actively supports the FOIP concept.

Xi, in his remarks at the APEC leaders’ summit on Nov. 20, said China “will favorably consider joining the CPTPP,” prompting the world to calculate his real intentions and the possibility of China taking part in the framework. This may open the way for Australia to get out of China’s interdependence trap. CPTPP offers route forward

Countries wishing to join the framework need to enter pre-negotiations with CPTPP members on a bilateral basis. This will provide an opportunity for Australia to directly demand China to withdraw its hefty tariffs on Australian products. If China refuses the requests, Australia can legally express opposition to China’s participation.

Should this occur, it would be desirable for Japan to support Australia’s requests and decisions as a country that shares the common value of rule of law respected at the WTO.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed on March 8, 2018, in Santiago by 11 nations, including Japan and Australia. | REUTERS

The CPTPP can become a foundation for realizing the FOIP vision, as it incorporates various provisions that ask for freedom and openness, such as prohibiting requirements for transfer or access to the source code of computer software and securing transparency in state-owned enterprises. Such provisions are not included in the RCEP regarded to be led by China.

As Japan advocates as its diplomatic goal the FOIP vision which is not supported by China, expanding the CPTPP’s membership and enhancing its rules will become an effective diplomatic tool not only for Australia but also for Japan, which was hit by China’s rare earth metal export ban in 2010 but still depends on China for about 60% of its imports.

CPTPP’s promised liberalization with high-standard rules in trade and investment, which can lead to deeper economic interdependence among like-minded states, is effective for reducing member states’ trade dependence on China and their vulnerability arising from trade and investment reliance on the Chinese market. To maximize the effect of the CPTPP’s influence on China, it is indispensable for the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to return to the deal.

The success of the Japan-Australia “economic alliance,” which can be compared to the Franco- German partnership in integrating Europe, very much depends on whether the two nations can work together to bring the United States back to the CPTPP, a key step toward the realization of the FOIP vision. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/20/commentary/world-commentary/api-australia- china/

Tom Cotton’s big plan to “beat China,” explained

Cotton is urging economic warfare to send the Chinese Communist Party into the “ash heap of history.”

By Alex Ward@AlexWardVox [email protected] Feb 19, 2021, 12:13pm EST

Sen. Tom Cotton on Wednesday released perhaps the most detailed strategy by a prominent Republican lawmaker for long-term US-China competition — and it effectively calls for ending the economic relationship between the world’s two richest countries as we know it.

The report — titled “Beat China: Targeted Decoupling and the Economic Long War” — outlines the Arkansas senator’s vision for how the US can outlast Beijing in a Cold War-like struggle. Cotton calls for Washington to sever many of its ties with Chinese industry and society while at the same time investing at home in the scientific, technological, and manufacturing fields China currently dominates. Only then — with the US less dependent on China’s giant economy — can America be more secure in the years to come.

But Cotton’s plan isn’t just aimed at ensuring America’s economic well-being. It seeks to prove that China’s Communist, authoritarian model doesn’t stack up to America’s capitalist, democratic one. Cotton is therefore proposing not only a blueprint for economic warfare, but also a roadmap for defeating China’s regime and triggering its collapse.

“We need to beat this evil empire and consign the Chinese Communists ... to the ash heap of history,” the senator said in a speech detailing his 84-page report at a virtual Reagan Institute event on Thursday. He called the US-China fight a “protracted twilight struggle that will determine the fate of the world.”

It’s worth taking Cotton’s ideas seriously. He sits on the Armed Services, Intelligence, and Joint Economic committees in the Senate, which means he’s privy to some of the most sensitive information about how the US and China compete on multiple fronts. And he’s also a long- rumored 2024 presidential contender, so there’s a chance his vision could turn into policy if he gets into the Oval Office.

But even Cotton acknowledges his suggestions could hurt the US economy in the near term. Ending US-China economic cooperation in key sectors like quantum computing and artificial intelligence means Americans will take a hit as domestic companies and workers lose vital partners. Still, Cotton believes the long-term benefits are worth the early pains.

“The costs of targeted decoupling with China pale in comparison to the costs of passivity,” Cotton said. “We cannot watch as America becomes less prosperous and cedes its position to a totalitarian power dedicated to bending the world to its will.”

Experts I spoke to about Cotton’s plan said there’s clearly a need to reform, and in some places completely reshape, the way the two countries do business with each other. The US spent years letting China take advantage of many of its industries, and it’s high time for Washington to push back, they said. But they’re also worried the senator’s zero-sum approach toward America’s third-largest trading partner may go too far. “A lot of these things sound a lot better in theory than in practice,” said Lina Benabdallah, an assistant professor at Wake Forest University. “These might be Band-Aid solutions, but they’re not long-term solutions.”

Cotton’s report also highlights just how much the Republican Party’s thinking has shifted when it comes to competing economically with China. “It’s an extremely interventionist plan,” not a free- market one, said Kristin Vekasi, an assistant professor at the University of Maine.

Here’s a look at what, exactly, Cotton is proposing in his report and what it could mean for the future of the US-China relationship, and the world.

https://www.vox.com/22289711/tom-cotton-beat-china-strategy-explained

NST Leader: The inequality virus

February 21, 2021 @ 12:01am

For seven decades, the permanent five — the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia — have been shaping the world as they fancy.

COVID-19, like an X-ray — to borrow an idea from United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres — is showing up a terribly unequal world.

How fractured a world we have built is revealed by Oxfam's January report, "The Inequality Virus". It is a very exclusive world, one where the richest 10 made half a trillion dollars since March. To be exact, 540 followed by nine noughts, as the British Oxfam would say.

It will not make sense to many but it is enough to pay for all the vaccines needed to jab 7.8 billion people and keep billions out of poverty. And still have a billionaire's change to spare. If this isn't bad enough, Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man and founder of Amazon, made US$13 billion in one Monday last year.

The noughts behind the number could have saved so many from going to bed hungry, but didn't. As Guterres put it to the world leaders at the Nelson Mandela Foundation annual lecture on July 18, Covid-19 has exposed the myth that we are in the same boat. In the same sea, yes, but "some are in superyachts while others are clinging to the floating debris". The UN chief is right, inequality begins at the top. And the only way to get rid of it is to start there.

There are at least three places at the top the reform must reach. First is the UN Security Council, where, for seven decades, the permanent five — the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia — have been shaping the world as they fancy. It will be fine, if the P5 had shaped a just and fair world. Even on principle, 5:195 is a terrifying ratio. Between the P5, they decide who should be bombed out of existence and who should be defended. Even international legal institutions can't touch them. In this P5 world, fair is foul, foul is fair, to borrow the words of Shakespeare. This isn't the world order we need.

The second reform must address the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. If the United Nations Security Council holds the lever of geopolitical power, the World Bank and IMF shape the development and financial world order.

The US and the United Kingdom, between them, have made sure Western free market capitalism has a global reach through the two institutions.

Free market capitalism is the third place where reform is badly needed. Even the World Economic Forum, where the owners of superyachts gather, has called for reset of the "winner take all" system that favours those with power. Here money buys power and power brings money in an unending vicious cycle. Like globalisation, which works very well for a few countries, free market capitalism works only for a couple of thousand billionaires.

None can be more forthright than Nobel prize-winning economist and author Joseph Stiglitz. In an interview with The Economist, he says capitalism is rigged to favour the rich and powerful and their children to enable the perpetuation of advantages. "In sector after sector, there are a few dominant firms that create almost insurmountable barriers to entry. Too many become wealthy not by adding to the size of the nation's economic pie, but by seizing from others a larger share, through exploitation, whether of market power, informational advantages or the vulnerabilities of others."

The cure? Progressive capitalism. Others call it compassionate capitalism. Whatever the capitalism, it must not leave everything to the market.

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/leaders/2021/02/667459/nst-leader-inequality-virus

Maritime cooperation needed

• To counter China’s increasing aggression at sea, Taiwan should improve cooperation with neighboring countries in maritime affairs management and research. • China’s new coast guard law, enacted on Feb. 1, empowers vessels to fire at foreign ships in waters claimed by Beijing, increasing its options for naval warfare. The Philippines last month said that the law would pose a “threat of war,” while Taiwan, the US and Japan have also voiced concerns, saying that China aims to increase gray-zone conflicts in the South and East China seas, especially in the waters around the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台列嶼), known as the Senkakus in Japan. • As the leading power in the Asia-Pacific region, China is a source of provocation and a hostile neighbor rather than a respectable big brother who promotes regional stability and cooperation. • At the front line of China’s aggression, Taiwan should find new ways to cooperate with its neighbors, apart from bolstering self-defense capabilities and increasing its coast guard fleet. • Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who earlier this month rejoined the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and wants to run in the 2024 presidential election, is foolish when he says that Taiwan’s coast guard should patrol the Diaoyutais to assert the nation’s sovereignty against Japan’s claim. Taiwan would appear as a rash and self-ignorant challenger. The pan-blue camp’s hostility against Japan might be understandable, considering that Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) led the KMT forces in the fight against Japanese troops in China in the 1930s and 1940s — and that compared with the former Japanese colonial government of Taiwan, he was considered an inferior ruler by many Taiwanese. • Nonetheless, as Taiwan and Japan have become partners in a wider democratic alliance — including the US — there is potential for further cooperation. • Promoting Taiwan-Japan bilateral cooperation in maritime affairs is a formidable task, as the sovereignty dispute over the Diaoyutais and the countries’ overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) remain the sticking points of their relationship. Taiwan’s dispute with the Philippines over overlapping EEZs has resulted in nasty diplomatic tensions, not to mention other disputed claims in the South China Sea. • While those territorial disputes might not be solved any time soon, the government can promote collaborations in subtler ways, by supporting maritime research and talent cultivation in pertinent areas. • Taiwan signed fisheries agreements with Tokyo in 2013 and Manila in 2015, which are good starting points for jointly combating maritime crime and illegal fishing, as well as for promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. • As Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines are susceptible to typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis, the government should also lend more support to natural science research, especially as Taiwan has launched four new research vessels since 2017. • While some forms of collaboration between Taiwan and the US Navy exist, most are maintained by individuals or institutions, and the government should explore ways to turn them into official partnerships and long-term programs. • Oceanographic findings, including hydrographical and acoustics data, are crucial for navigation safety, and the development of submarines and underwater technology. The government should find ways to integrate and employ such data, which are valuable to the nation’s maritime power. • The Ocean Affairs Council, which appears to place more emphasis on its affiliated Coast Guard Administration, should make more of an effort to cultivate professionals in research and development related to maritime law and technology.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2021/02/21/2003752582

China’s calls for cooperation ring hollow

As the Biden administration settles in, China is repeating its wish to have a positive, plus-sum, cooperative relationship with the new team in Washington. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian lamented this week that “the Trump administration went in a very wrong direction” and warned that “cooperation is the only right choice.” That’s not quite right. Cooperation is preferred but cooperation is only possible when there is mutual respect among parties and a shared understanding of the rules of engagement. Beijing shows neither.

Biden’s return to the White House has prompted Chinese officials to dig out their old playbook. Zhao explained, “As two major countries, China and the United States have broad common interests and shoulder special, major responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and stability and in promoting global development and prosperity.” That sounds a lot like the “new type of major country relations” that Chinese leader Xi Jinping proposed to President Obama in 2013.

That model, which seemed to endorse a condominium in which Washington and Beijing would make decisions for the region, rested on three pillars: no conflict or confrontation, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. In the abstract, it is hard to argue with those concepts. Problems arise when those principles become concrete; when, for example, “mutual respect” is applied to specific problems. In practice, this has meant that China is not to be criticized. Ever. And when Beijing expresses an interest in a dispute, that stake is to be considered paramount and accorded due deference.

A still greater offense was the challenge that “the new type of major country relations” posed to foundational principles of U.S. foreign policy, most significantly the partnerships that the U.S. had forged with regional allies. A G2 (as it was often called) seemingly subordinated those relationships to the U.S.-China relationship. That concept was repugnant to allies like Japan, and to its credit, the Obama administration never took the G2 idea seriously.

That reasoning continues to prevail. More important, though, is the Biden administration’s understanding of contemporary China. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki this week described the U.S.-China relationship as one of “serious competition” and concluded that “strategic competition with China is a defining feature of the 21st century.” The European Union agrees, calling China a “systemic rival” in a recent policy document.

The Japanese government has made clear its desire for precisely the cooperative relationship that Zhao and other Chinese officials say they want. Instead of dialogue, however, Japan must deal with daily incursions into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands, disregard for international law in South China Sea territorial disputes and a military modernization program that lacks transparency — to name just three offenses. All belie Beijing’s claim to want to manage differences and find win-win solutions.

Xi told the World Economic Forum meeting earlier this week that the solution to global problems is “upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind.” He denounced policies that “reject, threaten or intimidate others … willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions and create isolation or estrangement,” warning that they will produce “division and even confrontation.”

Those words rang hollow, given recent actions by China: More than a dozen Chinese fighters and bombers entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone last weekend. Sanctions were imposed on departing Trump administration officials. A law was passed that allows the Chinese Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels and board and inspect ships in waters claimed by Beijing, as well as creates a right to declare “temporary exclusion zones” to prevent ships from innocent passage through waters illegally claimed by China — which include the Senkaku Islands. Finally, Chinese diplomats released 14 grievances that aim to reverse Australian policy toward China.

Japan, Sweden, South Korea and Norway have also felt the lash of Beijing’s coercive diplomacy. China’s ambassador to Sweden, Gui Congyou, explained his country’s logic in the aftermath of a 2019 decision by PEN, the international writers group, to honor a Hong Kong bookseller who had been arrested by Chinese authorities: “We treat our friends with fine wine but for our enemies we have shotguns.” That would seem to undermine Xi’s call to “respect and accommodate differences, avoid meddling in other countries’ internal affairs and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue.”

In his first news conference as U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken acknowledged that “the relationship between the United States and China is arguably the most important relationship that we have in the world,” adding that it has “adversarial aspects … competitive ones … and it also still has cooperative ones.” But, he continued, “that fits within the larger context of our foreign policy and of many issues of concern that we have with China.”

Relations between states are complex and will inevitably include elements of cooperation and competition. The key task is reducing friction and tensions, bounding competition and maximizing gains for both sides. There will continue to be debates within the United States and among Washington and its allies and partners on the appropriate mix. If the Biden administration gets the big picture — “the larger context of its foreign policy” — right, then differences with allies will be manageable. That demands a clear-eyed assessment of China. Thus far, the Biden team seems to have just that.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/01/28/editorials/chinas-cooperation-joe-biden-ring- hollow/

Read this before your next Zoom meeting

By Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

February 22, 2021

Almost a year into the quarantines, we have become so used to doing almost everything online—from shopping to ordering meals and having reunions with friends and family to conducting business or work meetings. I would like to focus on the latter today, to share with you some favorite observations I have gathered in the past year.

There have been too many boring Zoom meetings wherein presenters talk endlessly or circuitously or read through lengthy notes or slides with 10 bullet points. According to experts, the sweet spot is anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes—the human brain can maintain focus for 7- minute blocks, as a matter of fact. One can squeeze all the important points into two 7-minute time periods, as long as the speaker is well prepared.

Sometimes, the meeting moderator or lead cannot continue the task —perhaps because of unstable Internet connection or some other reason. Especially for important meetings, it is crucial to appoint a co-host who can sub in case of technical problems. A separate person should be assigned to monitor and respond to chat comments or questions—imagine how challenging it would be for the emcee to both host and monitor the chat box at the same time! This person can also be in charge of muting the mics of participants who have forgotten to do so, especially if the noise is disruptive.

There are aspects about face-to-face meetings that can be carried over to online or virtual meetings. One of those is the presence of a secretary who can keep track of the time, collect materials and files, take down minutes, take charge of recording and filing the meeting, and manage access to important information.

There are certain organizations or hosts who require participants to have their video on at all times. According to them, it increases personal connection. However, studies done by Yale University, Purdue University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that turning off the camera during video meetings helps reduce a person’s carbon footprint (of the call) by about 96 percent. So, if you’re not the one presenting or speaking, it’s definitely more responsible to turn that cam off.

Going back to sleep-inducing presentations and meetings, Gartner Research has found that a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. Even if that is just an approximation, the point is that you can create a more interesting and powerful presentation or meeting if you can replace some of the words with pictures and video.

As we become more used to hosting and participating in virtual/Zoom meetings, we gain more confidence and knowledge on how we can do it more effectively. Zoom is a blessing—it definitely helps us go on with our lives, continue to learn and make a living, and connect with others despite the pandemic.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/01/28/editorials/chinas-cooperation-joe-biden-ring- hollow/ The risks of climate change not to be ignored

By BusinessMirror

February 22, 2021

The planet faces a catastrophic rise in temperature that can cause flooding that will have cascading effects on water availability and food production around the world. In particular, climate change will cause droughts in large sections of the globe, threatening biodiversity and food security for billions of people. The Philippines is among the countries most affected by typhoons, which cause strong winds, heavy rainfall, floods and landslides.

The 2015 Paris Agreement calls for capping global warming at well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level. Unfortunately, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed the fact that 2020 was one of the warmest years on record. In fact, the world is experiencing unprecedented weather extremes in every region and every continent. This has caused the melting of land ice on Antarctica, Greenland and mountain glaciers resulting in the rise of the average global sea level by 3.5 centimeters.

It is common knowledge that the Philippines faces an average of 20 tropical typhoons every year, and in the past 20 years, the country experienced 317 extreme weather events, according to a Manila-based international policy group whose objective is to advance resilience and low carbon development.

In 2019, the major causes of extreme weather damage were strong winds, heavy rainfall, floods and landslides. A recent report of German think thank Germanwatch indicated that globally since 2000, more than 480,000 people were killed, and in terms of the adverse effects on the economy, the total damage was estimated at $2.5 trillion. The likelihood that developing countries will be particularly affected is a fact. What compounded the situation was the coronavirus pandemic, which made it more difficult to cope with the various types of risks caused by climate change.

The private sector in the Philippines is starting to do its part in mitigating climate change. Some banks have of late suspended the financing of investments in coalmines and in companies that generate power using coal and fossil fuels as these cause carbon emissions.

An overlooked risk of climate change is its effect on the health of the population as soaring pollution levels can cause exposures to various ailments such as lung diseases, strokes and heart diseases. Still another danger of climate change is the safety of food and water supplies by fostering organisms that eventually can cause food poisoning and microbial contamination of drinking water. Extreme weather events can also spawn epidemics in areas where people can’t avoid walking through dirty floodwaters. The foregoing is just a limited summary of the health risks linked to global warming.

Recognizing the vital importance of protecting the environment, the Philippines, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), agreed to promote sustainable use of natural resources, expanding access to renewable energy and reducing risks from natural disasters. It is anticipated that this partnership with the support of adequate financial resources will aid greatly in ensuring the success of this bilateral agreement. President Duterte recently committed to take measures to further mitigate the impact of climate change. Furthermore, prominent private individuals like former US Vice President Al Gore and teenage activist Greta Thunberg are constantly advocating the grave importance of action against climate change, which is not to be ignored as it threatens humanity.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/22/the-risks-of-climate-change-not-to-be-ignored/

The AI research paper was real. The “co-author” wasn’t

David Cox, the co-director of a prestigious artificial intelligence lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was scanning an online computer science bibliography in December when he noticed something odd—his name listed as an author alongside three researchers in China whom he didn’t know on two papers he didn’t recognize.

At first, he didn’t think much of it. The name Cox isn’t uncommon, so he figured there must be another David Cox doing AI research. “Then I opened up the PDF and saw my own picture looking back at me,” Cox says. “It was unbelievable.”

It isn’t clear how prevalent this kind of academic fraud may be or why someone would list as a co-author someone not involved in the research. By checking other papers written by the same Chinese authors, WIRED found a third example, where the photo and biography of an MIT researcher were listed under a fictitious name.

It may be an effort to increase the chances of publication or gain academic prestige, Cox says. He says he has heard rumors of academics in China being offered a financial reward for publishing with researchers from prestigious Western institutions.

Whatever the reason, it highlights weaknesses in academic publishing, according to Cox and others. It also reflects a broader lack of rules around the publishing of papers in AI and

“This stuff wouldn’t be so harmful if it didn’t undermine public trust in peer review,” Cox says. “It really shouldn’t be able to happen.”

Cox, who directs the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a collaboration that explores fundamental challenges in AI, was credited as a co-author on two papers in the niche journal Cluster Computing. One paper concerned a machine-learning method for protecting mobile networks from cyberattack; another outlined a networking scheme for a smart transportation system in Macau.

The paper identified by WIRED, about another smart transportation project, listed as one author “Bill Franks,” allegedly a professor in MIT’s electrical engineering department. There is no Bill Franks in MIT’s electrical engineering department. The paper, which appeared in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, showed a bio and photograph for a real MIT professor, Saman Amarasinghe, alongside the bogus name. Amarasinghe did not respond to requests for comment via email and an MIT spokesperson.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/the-ai-research-paper-was-real-the-coauthor-wasnt/