UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has issued an ultimatum that the Western world must take action against China to prevent war, as she embarks on a trip to Taiwan. In a speech, Truss will echo her successor Rishi Sunak’s sentiment that China poses a “threat” to the UK and its allies and urge Western leaders not to repeat the mistake of appeasing Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Truss will call for Sunak to close down Confucius Institutes in the UK, which promote Chinese culture, and will say that the UK’s integrated review on foreign and defence policy should state clearly that China is a threat.
China is attempting to persuade both sides of the Ukraine conflict to resume negotiations, casting itself as a neutral and helpful global leader. This move comes as China becomes increasingly pessimistic it can prevent the deteriorating US-China relations. While Beijing wishes to preserve its relationship with Russia, it fears that its position viewed as pro-Russia will poison its reputation in Europe, further harming its security environment. As a result, China has attempted to be neutral and offer its good offices to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
The Ukrainian conflict presents complicated challenges for China, potentially strengthening US alliances in Europe and beyond. As a result, Beijing has begun to offer its good offices to resolve the crisis, articulating a vision for global security and becoming more involved diplomatically. China aims to position itself as neutral and limit its support for Russia, even as it prioritizes its partnership with its closest strategic partner.
Recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France that the status of Crimea depends on how the problem is perceived provoked widespread condemnation, and 80 European lawmakers urged the French government to expel the ambassador. The Chinese government tried to downplay the situation, stating that the ambassador was only expressing his personal views. China is likely to do just enough to cast itself as a helpful and responsible global leader but not enough to be held accountable for achieving an end to the Ukraine conflict on terms that would be fair and acceptable to both sides.
39 missing after Chinese fishing vessel capsizes in Indian Ocean
CNN
23-05-17 03:59
A Chinese fishing vessel named “Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028” has capsized in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1,400 miles northwest of Perth. 39 people are missing, including 17 Chinese nationals, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos. According to Xinhua news agency, search and rescue teams have arrived on site and China has deployed at least two vessels to assist whilst ships from other countries have also joined the search. None of the crew members have been found so far.
Taiwan's parliament speaker, You Si-Kun, has hailed Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as valuable allies in a "crescent of defence" against China's global ambitions. Speaking at the Hudson Institute think tank, he asserted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views Taiwan as a "stepping stone" to global hegemony as part of its ambition to see the East rise and the West decline. You argued that protecting Taiwan equates to defending both Europe and the US. China has been ramping up its military pressure around Taiwan to try and force its acceptance of Beijing's sovereignty.
A Chinese fishing vessel has capsized in the middle of the Indian Ocean; state media has reported that the crew of 39, made up of 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian and 5 Filipinos is missing. Search and rescue teams from Australia and many other countries have been deployed to assist in the operation. Multiple countries have been informed of the accident and asked to coordinate search and rescue operations.
State media reports Chinese fishing boat sinks in Indian Ocean; 39 on board missing
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 02:42
A Chinese fishing boat has sunk in the Indian Ocean with all 39 crew members missing. The Lupenglaiyuanyu No. 8, based in the eastern province of Shandong, was operated by the Penglaiyingyu Company. The crew included 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian, and five Philippine nationals. Recovery efforts are underway after Cyclone Yaas in Myanmar and Bangladesh. China is believed to operate the world's largest fishing fleet, and concerns have recently been raised over its use of illegal wide nets to catch tuna in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard has encountered Chinese vessels engaged in illegal fishing.
The joke that cost $2 million: China imposes huge fine for comedian’s army-themed quip
CNN
23-05-17 09:00
A Chinese entertainment firm has been fined $2m due to a joke made by a comedian which loosely referenced a slogan used to describe China’s military. The incident highlights how comedians must tread a delicate line given censorship in China. Li Haoshi, known by his stage name House, was performing at the Century Theater in Beijing when he used a phrase associated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism stated that the company was “seriously insulting” the military and “causing bad social impact”.
Leaders from Japan, South Korea and the US will discuss strengthening ties as a response to North Korea and Chinese assertiveness during a meeting today on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima. Top of their agenda will be North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat, with tensions increasing after a string of missile tests, including five ballistic missile launches last month. The three countries have doubled down on deterrence measures, such as the linking of radars for tracking North Korean missiles, and will discuss details of the real-time intelligence-sharing plans during their meeting in Hiroshima. They will also discuss economic security, strengthening supply-chains and "friendshoring" while looking to reduce dependence on China for critical materials. Earlier this month, officials from Tokyo and Seoul held their first consultation on economic security.
South Korean footballer Son Jun-ho, who plays in the Chinese Super League, has been detained in northeast China on suspicion of accepting a bribe as the Communist government cracks down on corruption and match-fixing in the sport. Son was detained while trying to leave China and is allegedly linked to a bribery case involving Shandong Taishan coach Hao Wei over alleged match-fixing. South Korea's foreign ministry has confirmed it is providing the necessary consular assistance to Son, and that its diplomats will meet with him to understand the exact charges faced.
Talk show operator Xiaoguo and comedian Li Haoshi have been fined $2m for "grave insults" to China's People's Liberation Army after Li's performance last weekend, in which he joked about a Xi Jinping military slogan. In a statement, Beijing’s Municipal Cultural and Tourism Bureau said the fine will be made up of a payment of CNY13.4m ($1.9m) and "confiscate another CNY1.33m of what it called “illegal gains,” though it didn’t elaborate". Xiaoguo has pledged to overhaul its shows and its content.
US President Joe Biden has cancelled plans to visit Papua New Guinea (PNG), after announcing that he will focus on debt limit talks at home. Biden was expected to make a brief three-hour stopover as part of his tour of the region, making it the first visit by a US president to any Pacific Island nation. His planned trip coincided with a meeting of the Indian prime minister and Pacific Islands leaders to discuss economic cooperation, which will still take place. China has begun to exert influence in the Papua New Guinea region though providing infrastructure and services.
Ukrainian air defences using US-made Patriot interceptors neutralised a heavy Russian missile attack against Kyiv, with six KH-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched missiles reported to have been stopped by Patriots. However, the Kinzhal missiles are modified air-launched versions of the ground-launched Iskander short-range ballistic missile developed three decades ago, and do not incur the additional hypersonic boost-glide system of manoeuvrable hypersonic descent hypersonic weapons that can be fired atop booster rockets, making them harder to intercept. Therefore, while Patriots can indeed stop Kinzhal missiles, they cannot necessarily intercept swerving-and-jinking weapons. Additionally, Russia has been developing an Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, deployed on Russian ICBMs, capable of descending at Mach 20 and outpacing any interceptors. China is also said to be developing similar weapons.
A Chinese comedy studio was fined around $2m for a joke that insulted China’s military, bringing to light the increasingly limited expression under China's leader, Xi Jinping. The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau accused comedian, Li Haoshi, of “severely insulting” the People’s Liberation Army during two performances in Beijing on 12th June. The authority also indefinitely suspended all Beijing performances from Xiaoguo Culture Media, the company that employs Mr Li, and confiscated roughly $180,000 worth of illicit income uncovered during the investigation.
Chinese authorities have requested that foreign embassies in the capital avoid displaying "politicized propaganda", prompting concerns over the right to free speech. While no specific instances were cited in connection with the request, diplomats have acknowledged the move is a response to displays of support for Ukraine. Russia's actions in Ukrainehave failed to garner international support and by stopping such displays, China is cause for concern. However, foreign governments have so far shown little inclination to abide by the request.
Former US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger has warned of a fast-approaching situation of “great-power confrontation” between China and the US. As both nations compete for pre-eminence in technology and the economy, Kissinger expressed his fears that the rapid advances in AI could lead to disaster. With a lack of principles on which to establish order as power balances shift worldwide, the risk of force becomes evermore likely. The fate of humanity is dependent on how the US and China interact with one another, says Kissinger, as he sees the two nations having just five to ten years to secure a good relationship. The focus for Kissinger now is on future international relations and how to prevent conflict between global powers.
Ukrainian air defences using US-made Patriot interceptors neutralised a heavy Russian missile attack against Kyiv, with six KH-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched missiles reported to have been stopped by Patriots. However, the Kinzhal missiles are modified air-launched versions of the ground-launched Iskander short-range ballistic missile developed three decades ago, and do not incur the additional hypersonic boost-glide system of manoeuvrable hypersonic descent hypersonic weapons that can be fired atop booster rockets, making them harder to intercept. Therefore, while Patriots can indeed stop Kinzhal missiles, they cannot necessarily intercept swerving-and-jinking weapons. Additionally, Russia has been developing an Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, deployed on Russian ICBMs, capable of descending at Mach 20 and outpacing any interceptors. China is also said to be developing similar weapons.
A Chinese comedy group has been fined £1.7m ($2.13m) by authorities after one of its performers joked about the military. Li Haoshi, known as House, entertained an audience with a routine in which he described seeing two dogs he had adopted chase a squirrel, which he said had reminded him of a slogan used by President Xi Jinping to praise the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2013. The Beijing arm of the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau accused Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media of “harming society” by letting Li perform the piece. Li’s tale went viral on Chinese social media. The cultural bureau stated that Xiaoguo Culture would be banned from staging future shows in the capital. The company blamed “major loopholes in management” and claimed to have terminated Li’s contract.
Florida senator Marco Rubio released the findings of a 17-month investigation into the origins of coronavirus, which indicated that a viral laboratory leak or accident may have occurred at the same time as Covid’s emergence in China. The new 329-page report stated that various biosafety “problems” had been observed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) over a three-year period. Though experts are still unsure how the virus first reached humans, many believe that it probably jumped directly from bats or via an intermediary species. Some scientists have criticised the report’s conclusion, stating that it provides no new data.
Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who served from September to October 2022, has embarked on a globe-trotting tour, using her status to call on Western leaders to face up to China. Truss is calling for an “economic NATO” to form, one that would focus on countries facing resistance from Chinese interests. The former prime minister has recently appeared at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit and, days later, as a guest of the Taiwanese government. Her policy proposals have met with approval from foreign policy hawks. However, Truss' vision of low taxes may not sit well with others in her Conservative Party. She is emblematic of the challenges of politics without policy, with her approach still too common in the Tory Party. There are also concerns that the former prime minister may be viewed by China as representing the UK government. Thatcher was the last to visit Taiwan in 1996.
The aspirations of China’s younger generation are shaping policy in Beijing, according to economist Keyu Jin. Speaking to Gideon Rachman, the economist also said that while China’s population was falling, the nation had set its sights on becoming the world’s biggest economy. She also discussed the impact of a deterioration in US-China relations, with President Donald Trump “using China as an electoral card” in the lead-up to the US elections.
