Pacific Winds 20250406
A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region
Alliances
Japan must act swiftly, strategically in face of Trump tariffs
Nikkei 20250405
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/The-Nikkei-View/Japan-must-act-swiftly-strategically-in-face-of-Trump-tariffs
Donald Trump’s Gift to China
TNI 20250405
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/donald-trumps-gift-to-china
Island Waves
New Patrol Boat boosts Vanuatu’s maritime security
Daily Post (VU) 20250405
https://www.dailypost.vu/news/new-patrol-boat-boosts-vanuatu-s-maritime-security/article_542ce01d-0c96-5c7e-b2bc-dd912b5c9ff6.html
Taiwan + SCS
Taiwan's top security official visits US for talks, source says
Reuters 20250404
https://www.reuters.com/world/taiwans-top-security-official-visits-us-talks-source-says-2025-04-04/
US-Taiwan Defense Partnership 2.0: Taiwan’s UAV Doctrine and Industrial Base
The Diplomat 20250403
https://thediplomat.com/2025/04/us-taiwan-defense-partnership-2-0-taiwans-uav-doctrine-and-industrial-base/
Taiwan tracks 12 PLA aircraft and 8 Chinese navy vessels
Taiwan News 20250405
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6077696
Capabilities
China’s ‘J-50’ Tailless Stealth Fighter Seen In New Imagery
TWZ 20250404
https://www.twz.com/air/chinas-j-50-tailless-stealth-fighter-seen-in-new-imagery
China flexes military muscles with rare, large-scale missile test in Gobi Desert
SCMP 20250405
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3305072/china-flexes-military-muscles-rare-large-scale-missile-test-gobi-desert
Increased U.S. military presence in Indo-Pacific 'deterrence' to China: Analysts
CNA 20250405
https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202504050008
Unlike China’s flotilla, the Great White Fleet came in friendship
ASPI 20250405
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/unlike-chinas-flotilla-the-great-white-fleet-came-in-friendship/