Pacific Winds 20231130
A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region
Alliances
How the U.S. courted the Philippines to thwart China
Reuters 20231129
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/us-china-philippines-marcos/
U.S. and China loom in background of Indonesia's presidential race
Nikkei 20231129
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/U.S.-and-China-loom-in-background-of-Indonesia-s-presidential-race
‘New normal’ in US-China ties should avoid sweeping view of ‘security’ risks, foreign policy expert says
SCMP 20231129
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243271/new-normal-us-china-ties-should-avoid-sweeping-view-security-risks-foreign-policy-expert-says
Xi’s False Promises on Fentanyl
Hudson 20231129
https://www.hudson.org/drug-policy/xis-false-promises-fentanyl-john-walters-tod-lindberg
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton press top Chinese official over 'unsafe, unprofessional' warship conduct
ABC (AU) 20231130
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-29/wong-and-dutton-press-top-chinese-official-over-warship-conduct/103168668
China, Australia should be 'cautious of destructive forces' as ties improve
GT 20231129
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202311/1302721.shtml
Micronesia-Marianas (2nd Island Chain+)
China's push for influence in Micronesia tests U.S. power in the Pacific
Axios 20231129
https://www.axios.com/american-military-chinese-competition-micronesia
Former Imperial Pacific and Hengsheng Group junket executive deemed head of criminal syndicate by mainland China court
Saipan Tribune 20231120
https://www.saipantribune.com/news/local/former-imperial-pacific-and-hengsheng-group-junket-executive-deemed-head-of-criminal-syndicate-by-mainland/article_4fcba3de-8dd5-11ee-b89c-bb2013759ddf.html
Island Waves
Fiji woos China for upgrade of ‘strategically important’ ports even as debt concerns mount
SCMP 20231129
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3243118/fiji-woos-china-upgrade-strategically-important-ports-even-debt-concerns-mount
Ex-Tuvalu PM running for office in 2024 will 'throw away' falepili treaty
Radio NZ 20231129
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/503529/ex-tuvalu-pm-running-for-office-in-2024-will-throw-away-falepili-treaty
Tuvalu’s parliament debates the Falepili Union
DevPolicy 20231129
https://devpolicy.org/tuvalus-parliament-debates-the-falepili-union-20231129/
China Southern to Make Inaugural Flight
Post Courier (PNG) 0231130
https://www.postcourier.com.pg/china-southern-airlines-to-make-inaugural-flight/
Pacific Island Nations Seek Climate Solutions Outside of COP28
USIP 20231128
https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/11/pacific-island-nations-seek-climate-solutions-outside-cop28
Taiwan + SCS
”Taiwan independence’ incompatible with cross-Straits peace, a source of instability in Asia-Pacific region: mainland spokesperson
GT 20231129
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202311/1302696.shtml
Beijing slams Taiwan’s DPP over cross-strait ‘chaos’, warns of rising risk of war if 1992 consensus not heeded
SCMP 20231129
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3243264/beijing-slams-taiwans-dpp-over-cross-strait-chaos-warns-rising-risk-war-if-1992-consensus-not-heeded
Taiwan still flashing red despite US-China ‘thaw’
Asia Times 20231129
https://asiatimes.com/2023/11/taiwan-still-flashing-red-despite-us-china-thaw/
Analysis: How Biden's farewell jab at Xi over Taiwan traveled across the Pacific
Nikkei 20231130
https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analysis-How-Biden-s-farewell-jab-at-Xi-over-Taiwan-traveled-across-the-Pacific
Taiwan tracks 14 Chinese military aircraft, 7 naval ships around nation
Taiwan News 20231129
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5049022
Philippines Eyes Civilian Sail, More South China Sea Patrols
Bloomberg 20231128
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-28/philippines-eyes-access-deal-with-japan-more-sea-patrols
40 civilian ships to join Christmas convoy in West PH Sea
Inquirer (PH) 20231129
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/223629/nscs-malaya-40-civilian-ships-to-join-christmas-convoy-in-west-ph-sea
PH Maritime Zones Act reaches Senate plenary
PNA 20231129
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1214508
Analysts: Vietnam's Island Expansion Aims to Counter China
VoA 20231129
https://www.voanews.com/a/analysts-vietnam-s-island-expansion-aims-to-counter-china/7373096.html
Capabilities
China Has A Thousands of Missiles and Could Wipe Out U.S. Bases in a War
National Interest 20231128
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china-has-thousands-missiles-and-could-wipe-out-us-bases-war-207579
China's State Media Issues Ominous Warning to US Over Pacific Missile Plan
Newsweek 20231129
https://www.newsweek.com/china-us-intermediate-range-missile-pacific-tomahawk-sm-6-charles-flynn-1847835
We have China’s ‘anti-access’ challenge exactly backward
Defense One 20231129
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2023/11/we-have-chinas-anti-access-challenge-exactly-backward/392346/
AUKUS Pact Stresses Longterm Workforce Development
USNI 20231128
https://news.usni.org/2023/11/28/aukus-pact-stresses-longterm-workforce-development
Aussie procurement minister offers new AUKUS industrial details, pushes back on budget critique
Breaking Defense 20231129
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/aussie-procurement-minister-offers-new-aukus-industrial-details-pushes-back-on-budget-critique/
Millennium Space to build a missile-sensor layer in medium Earth orbit
Space News 20231128
https://spacenews.com/millennium-space-to-build-a-missile-sensor-layer-in-medium-earth-orbit/
White House plan for ‘novel’ space activities faces industry, Hill skepticism
Breaking Defense 20231129
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/white-house-plan-for-novel-space-activities-faces-industry-hill-skepticism/
‘Central to everything we do’: Army unveils first-ever doctrine for ‘information’
Breaking Defense 20231128
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/central-to-everything-we-do-army-unveils-first-ever-doctrine-for-information/
With formalized MDO doctrine, Army turns focus to space, cyber: Official
Breaking Defense 20231128
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/with-formalized-mdo-doctrine-army-turns-focus-to-space-cyber-official/
North Korea Successfully Launched Its Military Spy Satellite. What Now?
The Diplomat 20231129
https://thediplomat.com/2023/11/north-korea-successfully-launched-its-military-spy-satellite-what-now/
The extra bad news behind the latest Korean break-down
Lowy 20231128
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/extra-bad-news-behind-latest-korean-break-down
Air Force awards Boeing $2.3B contract for 15 more KC-46s
Defense News 20231129
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/11/29/air-force-awards-boeing-23b-contract-for-15-more-kc-46s/
Japan's ruling bloc paves way for wider exports of defense items
Kyodo 20231129
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/1f8453d1e88b-japans-ruling-bloc-paves-way-for-wider-exports-of-defense-items.html
Congress must advance nuanced Buy American policies
Defense News 20231129
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2023/11/29/congress-must-advance-nuanced-buy-american-policies/
AI & the future of WARFARE
BAS 20231129
https://thebulletin.org/2023/11/ai-and-the-future-of-warfare-the-troubling-evidence-from-the-us-military/
AI has a political problem
Defense One 20231129
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/11/ai-has-political-problem/392323/
Power
The Return of Nuclear Escalation
FA 2023 Nov/Dec
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/return-nuclear-escalation
Exercises
Adding fuel to the fleet
AU DoD 20231129
https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2023-11-29/adding-fuel-fleet