Pacific Winds 20250116
A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region
Alliances
The US, South Korea and Japan should work together on regional challenges
ASPI 20250115
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-us-south-korea-and-japan-should-work-together-on-regional-challenges/
S. Korea says N. Korea can never be recognized as nuclear power after Trump nominee refers to Pyongyang as one
Yonhap 20250115
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250115006600315
Biden gov't has not recognized N. Korea as nuclear power: White House official
Yonhap 20250115
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250115001400315
‘Crucial’ time to improve China-Japan relations, Wang Yi tells Tokyo delegation
SCMP 20250115
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294843/crucial-time-improve-china-japan-relations-wang-yi-tells-tokyo-delegation
Senior Japanese ruling bloc lawmakers meet with Chinese Premier Li
Kyodo 20250115
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/01/14d16ec04406-senior-japan-ruling-bloc-lawmakers-meet-with-chinese-premier-li.html
Harmony In Japan-China Ties Has Long Way To Go; Meeting Of Sides’ Ruling Party Officials First in Years
Yomiuri 20250115
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20250115-233213/
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for defence secretary, calls China primary foreign threat
SCMP 22050115
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294774/pete-hegseth-trumps-choice-defence-secretary-deflects-allegations-during-hearing
Trump concerns top agenda as Japanese and Philippine foreign ministers meet
Japan Times 20250115
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/01/15/japan/politics/japan-philippines-foreign-ministers-meeting/
AUKUS pact keeping Chinese leader Xi Jinping up at night, Republican claims
ABC (AU) 20250115
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-15/us-congress-waits-for-donald-trump-position-on-aukus/104819544
Is Australia willing to serve as a ‘beachhead’ for the US?
GT 20250116
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326983.shtml
Why Trump 2.0 is Not Good News for Sino-US Arms Control
AIIA 20250114
https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/why-trump-2-0-is-not-good-news-for-sino-us-arms-control/
Advancing U.S.-China Coordination amid Strategic Competition: An Emerging Playbook
CSIS 20250115
https://www.csis.org/analysis/advancing-us-china-coordination-amid-strategic-competition-emerging-playbook
Are China and the West Falling Apart?
The Diplomat 20250114
https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/are-china-and-the-west-falling-apart/
Vietnam Wants U.S. Help at Sea and Chinese Help at Home
FP 20250115
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/13/vietnam-us-strategic-partnership-china-great-power-rivalry/
Chinese tech industry insider slams Biden administration’s last-minute AI chip rule as ‘futile attempt’ to stop China’s development
GT 20250115
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326864.shtml
China blacklists four U.S. companies for involvement in arms sales to Taiwan
Reuters 22050115
https://www.reuters.com/world/china-blacklists-four-us-companies-involvement-arms-sales-taiwan-2025-01-15/
Banking Alliance Threatens Climate Finance in Southeast Asia
The Diplomat 20250114
https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/how-the-exit-of-us-banks-from-the-net-zero-banking-alliance-threatens-climate-finance-in-southeast-asia/
China market advantage increases in uncertain international chip landscape
GT 20250115
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326968.shtml
Micronesia-Marianas (2nd Island Chain+)
Biden in late push to boost Indo-Pacific ties sends three pacts to Congress
AP 20250114
https://apnews.com/article/us-thailand-marshall-islands-palau-ccd9ba0abd6c1f4db4f89009da369c20
Island Waves
Kilu’ufi Hospital improvement project rolls
Solomon Star 20250115
https://www.solomonstarnews.com/kiluufi-hospital-improvement-project-rolls/
China-Fiji relations highlighted during courtesy call
FBCN 20250115
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/china-fiji-relations-highlighted-during-courtesy-call/
Malaita strengthens sister relations with China’s Jiangsu
Solomon Star 2025-115
https://www.solomonstarnews.com/malaita-strengthens-sister-relations-with-chinas-jiangsu/
Taiwan helps Fiji breed resilient vegetables
Fiji Times 20250115
https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/taiwan-helps-fiji-breed-resilient-vegetables/
Fiji launches pilot Chinese language program
FBCN 20250115
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/fiji-launches-pilot-chinese-language-program/
Tuvalu embassy responds to Chinese ‘disinformation’
Taipei Times 20250116
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2025/01/16/2003830294
Taiwan + SCS
Difficult Days Ahead for Taiwan in the Trump 2.0 Era
The Diplomat 20250115
https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/difficult-days-ahead-for-taiwan-in-the-trump-2-0-era/
Taiwan rejects China's preconditions for cross-strait dialogue
Taiwan News 20250115
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6016272
‘No concession!’ Mainland slams DPP's provocations, warns ‘Taiwan independence’ a dead end
GT 20250115
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326929.shtml
Will Beijing answer Taiwanese negotiation body’s call to revive cross-strait talks?
SCMP 22050115
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3294917/will-beijing-answer-taiwanese-negotiation-bodys-call-revive-cross-strait-talks
Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
CFR 20250115
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-relations-tension-us-policy-trump
Chinese Barge Usable For Potential Taiwan Beach Landings Seen In Action In New Image
TWZ 20250114
https://www.twz.com/sea/chinese-barge-usable-for-potential-taiwan-beach-landings-seen-in-action-in-new-image
Taiwan's civil defense efforts still inadequate
Taiwan News 20250115
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6015058
After cable damage, Taiwan to step up surveillance of flag of convenience ships
Reuters 20250115
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/after-cable-damage-taiwan-step-up-surveillance-flag-convenience-ships-2025-01-15/
DPP slammed for keeping cyber army to smear Chinese mainland
GT 20250115
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326928.shtml
Five One-Chinas: The contest to define Taiwan
Lowy 2025 January
https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/one-china-contest-to-define-taiwan/
Taiwan tracks 24 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships
Taiwan News 20250115
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6015612
Typhon missile system: Philippines strengthens stance on South China Sea
Think China 20250114
https://www.thinkchina.sg/politics/typhon-missile-system-philippines-strengthens-stance-south-china-sea
Philippines Protests Fresh Chinese Deployments at Disputed Shoal
The Diplomat 20250115
https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/philippines-protests-fresh-chinese-deployments-at-disputed-shoal/
The South China Sea Comes to a Boil
The Dispatch 20250115
https://thedispatch.com/article/the-south-china-sea-comes-to-a-boil/
USS Higgins (DDG 76), HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341) Conduct Bilateral Operations
USN PacFlt 20250115
https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Newsroom/News/Article/4030010/uss-higgins-ddg-76-hmcs-ottawa-ffh-341-conduct-bilateral-operations/
Capabilities
The United States Can’t Afford to Not Harden its Air Bases
WOTR 20250115
https://warontherocks.com/2025/01/the-united-states-cant-afford-to-not-harden-its-air-bases/
US air superiority vs China dissolving in plain sight
Asia Times 20250115
https://asiatimes.com/2025/01/us-air-superiority-vs-china-dissolving-in-plain-sight/
What China’s Next Generation Stealth Jet Reveal Really Means
TWZ 22050115
https://www.twz.com/air/what-chinas-next-generation-stealth-jet-reveal-really-means
State of Navy’s shipboard laser efforts is embarrassing, says top fleet commander
Breaking Defense 20250115
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/01/state-of-navys-shipboard-laser-efforts-is-embarrassing-says-top-fleet-commander/
Mysterious new system aboard US aircraft carriers identified as MK24 MOD0 Radar
Naval News 20240115
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/sna-2025/2025/01/mysterious-new-system-aboard-us-aircraft-carriers-identified-as-mk24-mod0-radar/
Progress Update on U.S. Navy, Marines, DARPA, and USSOCOM Seaplanes
Naval News 20250114
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/sna-2025/2025/01/progress-update-on-u-s-navy-marines-darpa-and-ussocom-seaplanes/
‘Built extremely quickly’: New China pics making experts sweat
News AU 20250114
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/built-extremely-quickly-new-china-pics-making-experts-sweat/news-story/0e475ce00ac3d3f74c3da89e791dc0e4
Beyond Buzzwords: A Model for Strengthening Interoperability and Interior Lines
MWI 20250114
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/beyond-buzzwords-a-model-for-strengthening-interoperability-and-interior-lines/
Raytheon aims to boost SM-3 missile production rates
Defense News 20250115
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2025/01/15/raytheon-aims-to-boost-sm-3-missile-production-rates/
Funding gaps slowing down Marine Corps’ modernization efforts
Defense One 20250115
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/01/funding-gaps-slowing-down-marine-corps-modernization-efforts/402215/
CRS Report to Congress on Marine Littoral Regiment
USNI 20250114
https://news.usni.org/2025/01/14/report-to-congress-on-marine-littoral-regiment
Eva Dou on the Secretive ‘House of Huawei’
The Diplomat 20250115
https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/eva-dou-on-the-secretive-house-of-huawei/
Exercises
S. Korea, U.S., Japan stage joint air drills involving B-1B bomber after N.K. missile launches
Yonhap 20250115
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250115009051315
U.S., Japan and Republic of Korea forces conduct trilateral flight
USAF PacAF 20250115
https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4030142/us-japan-and-republic-of-korea-forces-conduct-trilateral-flight/