Pacific Winds 20230808
A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region
Alliances
South Korean politician urges US to abandon China chip strategy
FT 20230807
https://www.ft.com/content/26770ab3-f71c-4f39-8569-273a12ffb7b0
Manila Bay Reclamation Under Review Over Environmental and China Concerns
The Diplomat 20230807
https://thediplomat.com/2023/08/manila-bay-reclamation-under-review-over-environmental-and-china-concerns/
Micronesia-Marianas (2nd Island Chain+)
Lawsuit in Palau seeks to suspend work on US military radar site
RFA 20230807
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/pacific/palau-us-radar-08072023000835.html
Military, missile defense leaders complete first scoping meetings
KUAM 20230807
https://www.kuam.com/story/49358362/military-missile-defense-leaders-complete-first-scoping-meetings
Compact Fairness Act is unfair to Guam
PIT 20230807
https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/compact-fairness-act-is-unfair-to-guam
Army's missile defense soldiers may be housed at Guam Guard
GDP 20230808
https://www.postguam.com/news/armys-missile-defense-soldiers-may-be-housed-at-guam-guard/article_a4669c9c-34d3-11ee-a86d-c73bc4075e7f.html
Island Waves
Sogavare Forges Ahead With Building of Telco Towers Using Chinese Loan
Solomon Times 20230807
https://www.solomontimes.com/news/sogavare-forges-ahead-with-building-of-telco-towers-using-chinese-loan/12746
Tourism Fiji boosting PR efforts in China
FBCN 20230807
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/tourism-fiji-boosting-pr-efforts-in-china/
Australia sets climate target for aid programme, pledges more local jobs
Reuters 20230807
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-sets-climate-target-aid-programme-pledges-more-local-jobs-2023-08-07/
Australia warns of economic weakness in Pacific as it outlines development goals – without mentioning China
Guardian 29230807
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/07/australia-economic-weakness-pacific-development-policy-goals-china
Taiwan + SCS
Chinese soldiers pledge to sacrifice their lives in documentary on Taiwan invasion
Guardian 20230807
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/07/chinese-soldiers-pledge-to-sacrifice-their-lives-in-documentary-on-taiwan-invasion
Washington is flirting with war across Taiwan Strait while making Beijing a scapegoat
China Military 20230808
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/OPINIONS_209196/Opinions_209197/16243339.html
Japan unwise to join US' Taiwan-card games
China Military 20230807
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/OPINIONS_209196/Opinions_209197/16243328.html
Taiwan tracks 24 Chinese military aircraft, 7 naval ships around nation
Taiwan News 20230807
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4964516
China Coast Guard urges the Philippines to remove grounded warship and restore the original state of Ren'ai Reef
GT 20230807
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1295809.shtml
China tells Philippines to remove grounded warship in South China Sea
Reuters 20230807
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-tells-philippines-remove-grounded-warship-south-china-sea-2023-08-07/
Philippines tells China it will not abandon post in disputed reef
Reuters 20230807
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-tells-philippines-remove-grounded-warship-south-china-sea-2023-08-07/
Philippines summons Chinese ambassador over water cannon incident in disputed South China Sea
AP 20230807
https://apnews.com/article/philippines-south-china-sea-water-cannon-ambassador-c39a279d3267990320041cff211fd6da
Don't take China's restraint at Ren'ai Reef as a chance to exploit
GT 20230808
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1295859.shtml
China urges U.S. to stop utilizing South China Sea issue to sow discord
China Military 20230807
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/VOICES/16243327.html
Capabilities
Expert warns nuclear proliferation could "spiral" out of control
Kyodo 20230807
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/08/40100b61bbb3-focus-expert-warns-nuclear-proliferation-could-spiral-out-of-control.html
AUKUS continues to increase global nuclear risks
China Military 20230807
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/OPINIONS_209196/Opinions_209197/16243252.html
The Pentagon’s embrace of startups could fuel hypersonic tech
Defense News 20230807
https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2023/08/07/the-pentagons-embrace-of-startups-could-fuel-hypersonic-tech/
Kim Jong-un Visits Missile Factory: North Korea Unveils Intercontinental Missile Launcher Production
China Arms 20230807
https://www.china-arms.com/2023/08/north-korea-unveils-intercontinental-missile-launcher-production/
What challenges will the next Missile Defense Agency director face?
Defense News 20230807
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/08/07/what-challenges-will-the-next-missile-defense-agency-director-face/
Why a US Navy admiral says China won’t pick up the military hotline
Breaking Defense 20230807
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/08/why-a-us-navy-admiral-says-china-wont-pick-up-the-military-hotline/
China hacked Japan’s sensitive defense networks, officials say
WaPo 20230807
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/07/china-japan-hack-pentagon/
Muting Zoom
China Wire 20230806
https://www.thewirechina.com/2023/08/06/muting-zoom-china-investigation/
DELIVERING THE ARMY OF 2030
WOTR 20230806
https://warontherocks.com/2023/08/delivering-the-army-of-2030/
US Navy Reverses Course On San Antonio-Class Flight II Ship Buys
Naval News 20230807
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/us-navy-reverses-course-on-san-antonio-class-flight-ii-ship-buys/
China’s hypersonic tungsten rod experiment challenges the US ‘rods from God’ space weapon concept
SCMP 20230807
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229990/chinas-hypersonic-tungsten-rod-experiment-challenges-us-rods-god-space-weapon-concept
Now a Shake-Up Threatens Its Image
NYTimes 20230807
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/world/asia/china-nuclear-military-xi.html
Power
Assessing U.S. and Chinese Influence in Southeast Asia
CSIS 20230807
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2023-08/230807_Poling_Influence_SoutheastAsia.pdf
China is not an existential threat to the US: Joseph Nye
GT 20230807
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1295816.shtml
Here’s How Scared of China You Should Be
FP 20230807
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/08/07/china-rise-geopolitics-great-power-scared/
America’s top 5 weapons contractors made $196B in 2022
Responsible Statecraft 20230807
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/08/07/americas-top-5-weapons-contractors-made-196b-in-2022/
Exercises
USN Fleet and Marine Tracker: Aug. 7, 2023
USNI 20230807
https://news.usni.org/2023/08/07/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-aug-7-2023
Aleutian Islands Standoff as U.S. Faces Off Russian-Chinese Navy in Alaska
Newsweek 20230807
https://www.newsweek.com/aleutian-islands-standoff-us-russian-chinese-navy-alaska-1817900
US hype of China-Russia joint naval patrol near Alaska is overreaction, exposes double standards
GT 20230807
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1295829.shtml
Events
Ocean Nations: 3rd Annual Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue
Carnegie 18-19 September 2023
https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/09/19/ocean-nations-3rd-annual-indo-pacific-islands-dialogue-event-8142