Pacific Winds 20250418

A daily collection of news affecting the Asia-Pacific region

Alliances

Re-arm, reassure and spend big: how the Asia Pacific is responding to a new era under Trump
Guardian 20250417
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/17/asia-pacific-trump-response-china

US Looks to Box In China by Recruiting Other Trading Partners
Bloomberg 20250416
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-16/us-looks-to-box-in-china-by-recruiting-other-trading-partners

China Wants Countries to Unite Against Trump, but Is Met With Wariness
NYTimes 20250417
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/world/asia/china-trump-tariffs-trade.html

When Trump and Xi seek a war-ending trade deal
Asia Times 20250417
https://asiatimes.com/2025/04/when-trump-and-xi-seek-a-war-ending-trade-deal/

How Far Will the U.S.-China Trade War Go?
FP 20250417
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/17/us-china-trade-war-tariffs-trump-xi/

China’s strategy in the tariff wars
Asaia Times 20250417
https://asiatimes.com/2025/04/chinas-strategy-in-the-tariff-wars/

Americans’ dislike for China softens, Pew survey shows
SCMP 20250418
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3306985/americans-animus-toward-china-softens-pew-survey-shows
Pew Survey: https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/04/PG_2025.04.17_us-views-of-china_report.pdf

Trump hails meeting with Japan on trade issues as "big progress"
Kyodo 20250417
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/04/7c5766c9979a-update3-trump-hails-meeting-with-japan-on-trade-issues-as-big-progress.html

Japan PM aims to meet Trump in U.S. over tariffs when appropriate
Kyodo 20250417
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/04/0caee877dbbb-update1-japan-pm-aims-to-meet-trump-in-us-over-tariffs-when-appropriate.html

‘Japan Should Have Its Own Demands’ in Talks with U.S., Expand Trade With Other Nations, Says Ex-Ministry Official
Yomiuri 20240517
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20250417-249595/

What must Japan do to survive Trump’s global trade war?
Brookings 20250417
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-must-japan-do-to-survive-trumps-global-trade-war/

South Korea Hopes Shipbuilding Will Give It an Edge in Trade Talks
NYTimes 20250417
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/world/asia/skorea-trump-tariffs-ships.html

Fabricated ‘security threats’ shouldn’t hinder China-Australia cooperation
GT 20250418
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202504/1332358.shtml

Micronesia-Marianas (2^nd Island Chain+)

Congressional delegation pitched on hospital, infrastructure funding
GDP 20250417
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/congressional-delegation-pitched-on-hospital-infrastructure-funding/article_0aa613e2-ea2b-4713-ab34-cd8651d780d5.html

Governor discusses healthcare, housing, and utilities with visiting CODEL
KUAM 20250417
https://www.kuam.com/story/52700105/governor-discusses-healthcare-housing-and-utilities-with-visiting-codel

Island Waves

Philippines to establish embassy in Suva
FBCN 20250417
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/philippines-to-establish-embassy-in-suva/

New Zealand pledges additional VT700M+ for quake recovery
Daily Post (VU) 20250417
https://www.dailypost.vu/news/new-zealand-pledges-additional-vt700m-for-quake-recovery/article_bfc4367d-4460-566d-880a-7d7ed5287e44.html

Japan supports Pacific regional connectivity and climate resilience
Matangi Tonga 20250417
https://matangitonga.to/2025/04/17/japan-supports-pacific-regional-connectivity-and-climate-resilience

Pacific Forum Troika leaders send letter to Trump over tariff concerns
ABC (AU) 20250417
https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/solomonspmtrump/105186268

US Ambassador slams China over tariff criticism
FBCN 20250417
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/us-ambassador-slams-china-over-tariff-criticism/

Taiwan + xCS

U.S. Deploys Anti-Ship Missiles Near Taiwan in the Luzon Strait
Naval News 20250417
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/04/u-s-deploys-anti-ship-missiles-near-taiwan-in-the-luzon-strait/

Former INDOPACOM commander urges clarity of US intent to defend Taiwan
S&S 20250416
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-04-16/taiwan-harris-china-pacific-forum-17492764.html

Miscalculating Xi Jinping: A dangerous gamble for Taiwan?
Think China 20250417
https://www.thinkchina.sg/politics/miscalculating-xi-jinping-dangerous-gamble-taiwan

The Big Lie: Being Pro-US Won’t Force China to Invade Taiwan
The Diplomat 20250416
https://thediplomat.com/2025/04/the-big-lie-being-pro-us-wont-force-china-to-invade-taiwan/

Taiwan tracks 34 Chinese military aircraft, 8 ships
Taiwan News 20250417
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6087442

China and Malaysia say important to maintain peace and stability in South China Sea
Reuters 20250417
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-malaysia-say-important-maintain-peace-stability-south-china-sea-2025-04-17/

A Ukraine-model deal in the South China Sea?
Lowy 20250417
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/ukraine-model-deal-south-china-sea

Satellites Show Chinese Moves Against US Ally
Newsweek 20250417
https://www.newsweek.com/china-installs-structure-yellow-sea-south-korea-dispute-2060411

Capabilities

Space Force’s new ‘warfighting framework’ says ‘space superiority’ is basis of US military power
Breaking Defense 20250417
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/space-forces-new-warfighting-framework-says-space-superiority-is-basis-of-us-military-power/
US Space Force Release: https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4156245/us-space-force-defines-path-to-space-superiority-in-first-warfighting-framework/

Space Force gets head start on Trump’s commercial buying push
Defense News 20250417
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/04/17/space-force-gets-head-start-on-trumps-commercial-buying-push/

Has China’s military added sophisticated KJ-700 radar plane to naval capability?
SCMP 20250417
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3306945/has-chinas-military-added-sophisticated-kj-700-radar-plane-naval-capability

China’s New Deep-Sea Cutting Tool Exposes Vulnerability of Undersea Cables
The Diplomat 20250416
https://thediplomat.com/2025/04/chinas-new-deep-sea-cutting-tool-exposes-vulnerability-of-undersea-cables/

Defense Innovation Unit seeks undersea drone capable of ‘long-range’ payload deployment
Breaking Defense 20250417
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/defense-innovation-unit-seeks-undersea-drone-capable-of-long-range-payload-deployment/

Lockheed Pitches Containerized Launchers To Help Close Australia’s Air And Missile Defense Gaps
TWZ 20250417
https://www.twz.com/land/lockheed-pitches-containerized-launchers-to-help-close-australias-air-and-missile-defense-gaps

Winning the Tech Race with China Requires More than Restrictions
CSIS 20250417
https://www.csis.org/analysis/winning-tech-race-china-requires-more-restrictions

China’s Defense Budget Is Bigger Than You Think
Heritage 20250417
https://www.heritage.org/china/commentary/chinas-defense-budget-bigger-you-think

Questions Congress should ask about DOD ‘peace through strength’ plan
Defense News 20250416
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2025/04/16/questions-congress-should-ask-about-dod-peace-through-strength-plan/

Power

How to leverage US nukes overseas
Breaking Defense 20250417
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/how-to-leverage-us-nukes-overseas/

Exercises

Monitoring and surveillance activities by Canada against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers
JP MoD 20250417
https://www.mod.go.jp/en/article/2025/04/4f9abcf6db29acd76e1462c4c7311387e9a3668b.html

Vietnam and China stage joint naval patrol in Gulf of Tonkin
Vietnamnet 20250416
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-and-china-stage-joint-naval-patrol-in-gulf-of-tonkin-2391837.html