Pacific Winds 20230702

A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region

Alliances

Blinken’s China trip boosts Asean nations’ efforts to ease Sino-US tensions
SCMP 20230701
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225703/blinkens-china-trip-boosts-asean-nations-efforts-ease-sino-us-tensions

Milley Makes Case for Rules-Based Order, Deterrence in New Era
US DoD 20230630
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3446709/milley-makes-case-for-rules-based-order-deterrence-in-new-era/

Indonesia urges ‘concrete action’ from Albanese to not upset China
Sky (AU) 20230701
https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/china/indonesia-urges-concrete-action-from-albanese-to-not-upset-china/video/2e9e56009abd70723623d22c2f9303a1

China’s semiconductor ambitions dealt fresh blow by new Dutch export rules on ASML chip-making machines
SCMP 20230701
https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3226225/chinas-semiconductor-ambitions-dealt-fresh-blow-new-dutch-export-rules-asml-chip-making-machines

CIA chief: US decoupling from China would be ‘foolish’ given economic interdependence
SCMP 20230702
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3226258/cia-chief-us-decoupling-china-would-be-foolish-given-economic-interdependence

EU walks tightrope of economic security and trade in new China stance
Nikkei 20230702
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/EU-walks-tightrope-of-economic-security-and-trade-in-new-China-stance

Island Waves

U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers to Return to Vanuatu
Daily Post (VU) 20230701
https://www.dailypost.vu/news/u-s-peace-corps-volunteers-to-return-to-vanuatu/article_69546db8-a480-5411-a56b-0db082f735b2.html

U.S. Political Assistant assures TIV of potential funding
Daily Post (VU) 20230701
https://www.dailypost.vu/news/u-s-political-assistant-assures-tiv-of-potential-funding/article_bd0259fd-9d13-5c63-be1a-feb1243f0ce4.html

NOT THE FINI GOV’T
Solomon Star 20230701
https://www.solomonstarnews.com/not-the-fini-govt/

Is it time that Melanesian leaders allow West Papua to sit at the MSG table?
Solomon Star 20230701
https://www.solomonstarnews.com/is-it-time-that-melanesian-leaders-allow-west-papua-to-sit-at-the-msg-table/

Okinawa or Ryukyu? The prefecture on the front line of China-Japan ties
SCMP 20230701
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226162/okinawa-or-ryukyu-prefecture-front-line-china-japan-ties

Taiwan + SCS

Xi Jinping has yet to decide whether to order Taiwan unification by 2027: top US military adviser
SCMP 20230701
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3226202/xi-jinping-has-yet-decide-whether-order-taiwan-unification-2027-top-us-military-adviser

Japan think tank invites Taiwan scholars to tabletop war games: Source
CNA (TW) 20230701
https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202307010010

China strongly condemns US arms sales to Taiwan
China Military 20230701
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/VOICES/16234468.html

Japan spots Russia warships near Taiwan
Taipei Times 20230702
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/07/02/2003802518

Taiwan tracks 26 Chinese military aircraft, 7 navy ships around country
Taiwan News 20230701
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4933522

Capabilities

U.S. monitoring Russian maritime activity in Indo-Pacific
IPDF 20230630
https://ipdefenseforum.com/2023/06/u-s-monitoring-russian-maritime-activity-in-indo-pacific/

B-52s Keep Up Surge in Bomber Activity over Korean Peninsula
Air & Space 20230701
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-52s-surge-bomber-activity-korean-peninsula/

US military should speed up efforts to modernize its forces, top American general says
S&S 20230630
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-06-30/military-milley-joint-chiefs-russia-china-10602959.html

Philippines To Acquire HIMARS, More BrahMos Missiles In Coming Years
Naval News 20230701
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/07/philippines-to-acquire-himars-more-brahmos-missiles/

Exercises

China’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship spotted breaking island chain from straits south of Japan for first time
GT 20230701
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202307/1293523.shtml

US, Philippine Air Forces to conduct Cope Thunder, first since 1990
USAF PacAF 20230630
https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3446754/us-philippine-air-forces-to-conduct-cope-thunder-first-since-1990/