Pacific Winds 20230512

A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region

May 11, 2023

Alliances

In Bid to Ease Tensions, Top Biden Aide and Chinese Diplomat Meet
Bloomberg 20230511
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-11/top-biden-aide-meets-chinese-counterpart-in-bid-to-ease-tensions

Senior Chinese, U.S. officials talk on bilateral ties
Xinhua 20230511
https://english.news.cn/20230511/20425f7ea0434cdd86ee9a8c7875d9f7/c.html

Meeting between Chinese commerce minister and US ambassador shows China and US are touching on ‘pragmatic issues’: expert
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290579.shtml

Are US-China ties warming as ambassador Nicholas Burns sits down with commerce minister Wang Wentao?
SCMP 20230511
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3220234/are-us-china-ties-warming-ambassador-nicholas-burns-sits-down-commerce-minister-wang-wentao

China pours cold water on bilateral meeting with US defence minister
FT 20230510
https://www.ft.com/content/ce3ab449-d57e-486a-8041-5bb873974847

Biden Presses for China Contact Despite Risks of Losing Leverage
Bloomberg 20230511
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-11/biden-presses-for-china-contact-despite-risks-of-losing-leverage

Assuring Beijing key to building guardrails on US–China Relations
EAF 20230511
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2023/03/11/assuring-beijing-key-to-building-guardrails-on-us-china-relations/

Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon
Reuters 20230511
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/why-us-delayed-china-sanctions-after-shooting-down-spy-balloon-2023-05-11/

Be alert of ‘Congressional tyranny’ preventing any US’ goodwill to China
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290545.shtml

Reported Joint Chiefs pick a boon for China hawks
Responsible Statecraft 20230511
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/05/11/biden-expected-to-nominate-cq-brown-as-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs/

Kicking off Kishida’s new Free and Open Indo-Pacific plan
EAF 20230511
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2023/05/11/kicking-off-kishidas-new-free-and-open-indo-pacific-plan/

Kishida’s visit to South Korea and the triumph of geopolitics
EAF 20230511
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2023/05/11/kishidas-visit-to-south-korea-and-the-triumph-of-geopolitics/

How the president has embraced a hardline North Korea policy
NKNews 20230611
https://www.nknews.org/pro/yoons-first-year-how-the-president-has-embraced-a-hardline-north-korea-policy/

NATO Pivots to Asia as China Threat Grows
Newsweek 20230511
https://www.newsweek.com/nato-japan-asia-liaison-office-tokyo-china-threat-1799658

Canada to compete, collaborate with China: Indo-Pacific envoy
Nikkei 20230511
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Canada-to-compete-collaborate-with-China-Indo-Pacific-envoy

Japan lodges diplomatic protest over Chinese envoy’s ‘pit of fire’ warning on Taiwan
SCMP 20230511
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3220195/japan-lodges-diplomatic-protest-over-chinese-envoys-pit-fire-warning-taiwan

US Army chief visits Philippines amid territorial tensions with China
Benar 20230510
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/general-meetings-05102023145208.html

Yellen says G7 members looking at how to counter China's 'economic coercion'
Reuters 20230511
https://www.reuters.com/markets/yellen-says-g7-members-looking-how-counter-chinas-economic-coercion-2023-05-11/

G-7 must prepare for China's economic coercion: U.K. finance chief
Nikkei 20230511
https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/G-7-must-prepare-for-China-s-economic-coercion-U.K.-finance-chief

Divergences and concerns grow at G7 finance ministers meeting, a preview for US’ failure to besiege China at leaders’ summit
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290569.shtml

Time for U.S., Japan to Make Case for Adding South Korea to Group of 7 Nations
Heritage 20230511
https://www.heritage.org/asia/commentary/time-us-japan-make-case-adding-south-korea-group-7-nations

China says it will resolutely object if U.S. curbs investment in semiconductor industry
GT 20230511
https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-says-it-will-resolutely-object-if-us-curbs-investment-semiconductor-2023-05-11/

Australia's first trade minister to visit China in four years seeks pathway to end trade disputes
ABC (AU) 20230511
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-11/australian-trade-minister-visits-china/102335506

Australian trade minister visits China to seek cooperation as ties face ‘important window’
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290588.shtml

‘De-Americanize’: How China Is Remaking Its Chip Business
NYTimes 20230511
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/technology/china-us-chip-controls.html

Micronesia-Marianas (2^nd Island Chain+)

Pentagon Starts Work to Build Ballistic Missile Defense Capability in Guam
USNI 20230510
https://news.usni.org/2023/05/10/pentagon-starts-work-to-build-ballistic-missile-defense-capability-in-guam

Micronesia's new president takes over from Taiwan-leaning predecessor
Nikkei 20230512
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Micronesia-s-new-president-takes-over-from-Taiwan-leaning-predecessor

US envoy hoping for progress in talks with Pacific islands ahead of Biden visit
Reuters 20230510
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-envoy-hoping-progress-talks-with-pacific-islands-ahead-biden-visit-2023-05-10/

USS Milius visits Saipan
KUAM 20230511
https://www.kuam.com/story/48889796/uss-milius-visits-saipan

HHF Planners awarded a $20M IDIQ Contract - 15% Guam
US DoD 20230511
https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3393333//

Island Waves

Taiwan

China's messaging machine tamps down Taiwan war hype
Nikkei 20230511
https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analysis-China-s-messaging-machine-tamps-down-Taiwan-war-hype

China's national reunification must be realized: FM
China Military 20230511
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/VOICES/16223408.html

Pacific fleet leader asks to go before China committee to talk Taiwan
Defense News 20230510
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/05/10/pacific-fleet-leader-asks-to-go-before-china-committee-to-talk-taiwan/

Taipei’s Anti-China Resilience Is Boosted by Our Engagement
Hudson 20230509
https://www.hudson.org/taipeis-anti-china-resilience-boosted-our-engagement

Capabilities

South Korea will be vulnerable to North’s drones for years, leak warns
WaPo 20230510
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/10/south-korea-drone-defense-leaked-documents/

Homegrown tactical guided missile passes quality certification test: state agency
Yonhap 20230511
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230511008900325

HOW TO AVOID A BAD TAKE ON A HARD TARGET: ANALYZING NORTH KOREA THE RIGHT WAY
WOTR 20230511
https://warontherocks.com/2023/05/how-to-avoid-a-bad-take-on-a-hard-target-analyzing-north-korea-the-right-way/

General Says Countering Hypersonic Weapons Is Imperative
US DoD 20230510
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3391322/general-says-countering-hypersonic-weapons-is-imperative/

Congressional concern re-emerges on fate of MDA’s hypersonic missile tracking sensors
Breaking Defense 20230511
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/05/congressional-concern-re-emerges-on-fate-of-mdas-hypersonic-missile-tracking-sensors/

Unclear Demand Signal For Hypersonic Weapons Hamper Supply Chain
NDIA 20230511
https://www.ndia.org/-/media/ndia-eti/reports/hypersonics/hypersonics-supply-chain-report-final.pdf

Navy links uncrewed air, sea tech to solve Integrated Battle Problem
Defense News 20230511
https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2023/05/11/navy-links-uncrewed-air-sea-tech-to-solve-integrated-battle-problem/

Australia’s future security: Where the Defence Strategic Review falls short
Lowy 20230511
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-s-future-security-where-defence-strategic-review-falls-short

A Classified Cloud Is Headed to the Indo-Pacific
Defense One 20230510
https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2023/05/classified-cloud-headed-indo-pacific/386214/

Signals intelligence teams reposition to face China, Russia
Defense News 20230511
https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2023/05/11/signals-intelligence-teams-reposition-to-face-china-russia/

‘Kill Chain’ Fails Without More 5th, 6th-Gen Platforms, Experts Warn
Air & Space 20230511
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/kill-chain-5th-6th-gen-platforms-experts/

US Air Force wants drone wingmen to bring ‘mass’ airpower on a budget
Defense News 20230511
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/05/11/us-air-force-wants-drone-wingmen-to-bring-mass-airpower-on-a-budget/

China’s secretive mini spaceplane comes into limited view
Asia Times 20230511
https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/chinas-secretive-mini-spaceplane-comes-into-limited-view/

China’s spaceplane conducted proximity and capture maneuvers with subsatellite, data suggests
Space News 20230511
https://spacenews.com/chinas-spaceplane-conducted-proximity-and-capture-maneuvers-with-subsatellite-data-suggests/

The ‘morale challenge’ facing some special operators in the era of Great Power competition
Breaking Defense 20230511
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/05/some-us-special-ops-face-morale-challenge-after-shift-from-direct-combat-pacific-sof-commander/

Power

The new influence on world order policymakers need to acknowledge
AFR 20230511
https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/the-new-influence-on-world-order-policymakers-need-to-acknowledge-20230505-p5d5vg

The Ukraine effect: demise or rebirth of the global order?
Lowy 20230511
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/ukraine-effect-demise-or-rebirth-global-order

Historical anomaly of unipolarity has indisputably ended
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290542.shtml

US public sticks to positive views of Ukraine but interest in engaging abroad wanes, poll finds
S&S 20230511
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2023-05-11/ukraine-nato-pew-10081601.html

Exercises

PLA flotilla spotted in waters near Japan after Tokyo's provocative remarks on Taiwan question
GT 20230511
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290562.shtml

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