Cambodia never to allow Chinese troops on its soil - Asia Times

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Cambodia’s recently proposed Funan Techo Canal, a project funded by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to promote trade, lower logistics costs, and simplify transportation while reducing Taiwanese port dependency.

However, recent studies suggest that the Beijing-financed, US$ 1.7 billion route could also be used as a Chinese military base, putting in a threat to Vietnam’s neighbors and supporting the notion that Cambodia is China’s ready proxy. &nbsp,

According to the reports, which include a review from a university affiliated with the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, the canal might allow Chinese military vehicles to enter Cambodia through the Gulf of Thailand and along the border between Vietnam and Vietnam.

Although non-state Asian actors voiced their concerns, the alarm-bell analysis assumes that the Asian state is expressing its concerns through an illegal channel to avoid straining Phnom Penh’s official relations with the country. &nbsp,

However, the problem was well understood by Thai officials. The idea that the canal could be used for Chinese martial purposes was vehemently refuted by Cambodia’s past, long-ruling prime minister and present Senate President Hun Sen.

” First and foremost, why does Cambodia need Foreign army? Next, Vietnam and Cambodia are friendly relatives who work together in every way. China and Vietnam are close allies and corporate allies, respectively. Finally, why did Cambodia help Chinese forces into the state if it violated the Constitution”? Hun Sen wrote in a blog.

Vietnam’s concerns about the task were first discussed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Hun Manet in Hanoi during a conference in December 2023. Therefore, Vietnam’s established issue centered on the program’s reputed environmental impacts.

However, Hanoi is more concerned with China’s perceived corporate goals. Information about Chinese ships docking at Cambodia’s Ream Naval center, which opens onto the Gulf of Thailand, have received acclaim from major media outlets, including Nikkei Asia.

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies ( CSIS ) think tank used imagery analysis to support the Nikkei article, which revealed that the warships had been docked at the Cambodian port for” a large portion of the past five months.”

Cambodia lately received assistance from China in dredge the bottom to allow for larger ships to port. Officials in Cambodia claim that the recent arrival of Chinese warships it was only for training with the Cambodian navy.

Since 2019, concerns about China’s ambitions in Cambodia have been high on the international media’s radar. In a 2019 article, the Wall Street Journal claimed that Cambodia had signed a” secret” agreement that would allow China to use its naval base for 30 years, with automatic renewals for ten more years.

According to the bomb content, US officials had access to an earlier draft of the alleged agreement. Ream Naval Base’s proximity to the upcoming Funan Techo river has given the allegation of a Cambodia-China basic deal new life.

Vietnamese leaders have often and vehemently refuted claims that a deal would allow for a lasting Chinese military presence on its soil. According to Article 53 of the Cambodian Constitution, which states that the nation must continue to be balanced and non-aligned, Hun Sen and others have cited the country’s Content 53. The legal provision forbids foreign military installations on Vietnamese soil.

In a public relations campaign, the Thai government even went as far as to encourage foreign journalists to Ream Naval Base in July 2019 to demonstrate that there was no unusual military presence there. Many in the West and some of the neighbors, including Vietnam and probably Thailand, also believe that China intends to establish a ground-breaking military presence in Cambodia.

They contend that the law and associated laws have one provision that can be changed to allow for a troop presence abroad.

However, all of this disregards Cambodia’s powerful historical justification for maintaining neutrality in a new period of possible weakening superpower rivalry. Viet Cong soldiers were present on Thai soil during the 1960s and early 1970s, which precipitated a fatal three-decade civil war.

Cambodia’s rural northeast place served as a refuge and a funding hub for the Viet Cong, who had spied on the country’s eastern border. Cambodia’s potential to suppress the Taiwanese invasion along their 600- mile border was therefore limited, leading to more Viet Cong penetration.

That, in turn, led to America’s renowned B- 52 assault of Cambodia, an indiscriminate strategy that finally gave rise to the murderous Democratic Kampuchea, or Khmer Rouge, regime and the killing of between 1.7 to 3 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.

The country is still at risk of not fully recover from this tragedy because of the presence of foreign causes on Thai soil. The country finally came to peace and stability thanks to UN-sanctioned social quality and clever domestic political maneuvers. &nbsp,

The nation and its people were left a strong, permanent, and finally unimaginable wound by all this needless death and discord. In the midst of tense wonderful strength conflict, Cambodia learned the hard way about the possible disastrous effects of allowing international forces, whether or not, to invade its territory.

It is incorrect to assume that Cambodia’s leaders have forgotten this not-so-distant history, including all those who perished during the shooting area era, is that they would presently consider allowing another overseas military presence on its soil.

But rest assured that Cambodia is also aware of the danger of colliding with hegemons. According to a teetotal proverb, the turf suffers when animals battle. Clearly, Cambodia does n’t want geopolitical elephants fighting on its land ever again.

Sothearak Sok teaches at the Royal University of Phnom&nbsp, Penh, Cambodia, as well as as a research fellow at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

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Why students care so much about Gaza - Asia Times

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In recent weeks, student activists have protested the continuing fight in Gaza on campuses all over the world.

Although the protests on American campuses have been mostly relaxing, tensions are starting to escalate. New incidents of student clashes and hate speech have been reported. Additionally, there have been shocking scenes of authorities interventions throughout the US to stifle similar protests nationwide.

The kids, and many others, are protesting the loss of life and worsening problems in the current Gaza fight.

The Israeli Defense Forces ‘ response to the Arab hostage-taking attack last year is thought to have resulted in more than 34 000 deaths, with many of the hostages held by Hamas still unreported. The UN has described this as “full-blown hunger,” which affects numerous Palestinians.

Certainly, the situation in Gaza calls for urgent global interest and a peaceful resolution. Far from it, though, there are other military conflicts or humanitarian crises in the world.

Why, therefore, has the Gaza combat generated such zealous and sustained attention, particularly among young people? Why do some people protest on this particular problem but not others?

Strong, stunning narrative

The reasons people choose to protest are several different things. Personal, household or group influences are strong desires to become an activist. However, social media news coverage and stories can be enough to spark action even for those who do n’t have a clear cause.

Some reports or tales, according to research, have greater power than others in galvanizing political activism. In the case of the Gaza war, I think three aspects of the tale contributed to the rise of considerable opposition moves around the world.

Second, narratives are strong motivators of activity when they combine aspects of what cultural movements researchers call “breach” and “resonance”.

A crisis tale, like the one in Gaza, attracts and holds person’s interest because it upsets us. It represents a “breach” with our anticipation of how life should be and what we deem appropriate.

A compelling narrative must also be” historically relevant,” which is to say, in line with our understanding of how the world operates. That is to say, it may indicate a familiar story.

The pictures of children and families who have been harmed by the Gaza combat tell a tragic, but recognized, story. And this has spurred activists to take legal action to right the violation.

An “ideal prey”

Next, protesters frequently feel inspired to take collective action to protect or support an “ideal victim.”

The power of this core figure compelled action, in addition to the term “ideal victim,” is not excellent, and the idea is ever-present in consciousness campaigns and protest movements. In scientific terms, excellent victims are those seen as being honest and powerless.

Campaigns for the Palestinian people’s cause previously failed to have the same level of support or urgency as they do now. The Israeli Defence Forces ‘ military might in the current Gaza conflict, in contrast to the risk of the human population there, highlights the “ideal target” in need of protesters ‘ most immediate responses.

Of course, there are many “ideal victims” in conflicts and crises all over the world whose stories do n’t inspire collective action.

Their stories are n’t being featured in news publications or on social media, which contributes to this. While the “ideal target” must be recognized as useless, they must also be able to tell their tale to encourage others to work, either themselves or through their activists. Carelessness renders some conflict victims visible.

Substantial effect

Third, when there is a distinct call to action and activists can see a place for themselves in the narrative, protest or social activity is frequently more successful.

The necessity and “real-time” nature of the Gaza conflict are key motivators for action. The Israeli-Palestinian fight is not fresh, but it has been unfolding right in front of us since October when Israelis were kidnapped and killed during the Hamas abuse and the government used power to confront it.

The idea of a surface assault on Rafah seems to be driving protesters ‘ interest, as it may be at a crucial point in the fight where their protests could potentially have a real effect.

When other forms of engagement fail to bring about change, the motivation to protest even rises exponentially. Protest movements manifest themselves as a result of social leaders disobeying petitions and images from community organizations. And when legislatures do n’t act, protesters demand that others take legal action.

For instance, some students are urging their universities to shut down Israeli companies that are more loosely connected to the occupied West Bank and Gaza in order to demonstrate in a symbolic way during the current protests.

This is part of the wider boycott, divest and sanction ( or BDS ) campaign, which uses political consumerism and political investorism as protest tactics.

The divestiture demand gives protesters an attainable goal with a regional target: their individual universities, despite the incomprehensible nature of the conflict in Gaza. Protesting at this critical moment, with an attainable demand, allows campaigners to compose themselves into the storyline. They have a role to play in the harmony drive.

In recent days, this activity has led to substantial results. Three Jewish companies linked to communities in the occupied Palestinian territories have been agreed to by Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. After the school made the announcement, kids began dismantling their opposition station.

Protest is not always about achieving specific requirements, though. Protests also have a major symbolic benefit in promoting causes and inspiring others.

Students protesting for peace exemplify a wider tale information that fighting for justice is a worthwhile endeavor, whether they are motivated by strong reports, a need to guard subjects, or the chance to have an impact.

Erin O’Brien is Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University

The Conversation has republished this essay under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.

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Xi's visit builds a crucial bridgehead into Europe - Asia Times

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For his first European trip in five decades, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a conscious decision to travel to France, Serbia, and Hungary.

France is one of the most powerful countries in the European Union ( EU), a member of NATO, and a nuclear power. Serbia is not a member of NATO or the EU. Hungary is a member of both, but it is one of the German society’s smaller claims.

Nevertheless, from a Chinese standpoint, the three nations have some significant common features. No least, all three have doubts about American plan. And each of the three state, albeit in various ways, is dissatisfied with the EU.

Moreover, the three are concerned about the difficulties caused by global financial challenges. And lastly, the three countries want to reposition themselves in the continuous geostrategic restructuring.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated in an interview he conducted on his planes a year ago after a three-day state visit to China that” Europe may reduce its dependence on the United States and avoid being dragged into the conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan.

To become a power under the management of France, Europe requires proper autonomy. There is a significant chance that Europe may enter a turmoil unrelated to it. This will reduce the Union from building its corporate autonomy”, Macron said. &nbsp,

France is now attempting to fit in the new circumstances as a result of the international geostrategic reorganization.

Germany’s market is continuously weakening, so Berlin’s foreign influence is decreasing, and its primary role in the EU has almost been called into question. France wants to fill the position.

The EU’s shift away from America and toward China is a crucial component of the Paris program. To maintain France’s separation from Beijing and Washington, the cards is also present in the balcony. China, it goes without saying, is interested in the idea because it views the United States as its main competitor.

Xi’s speaks in Paris, which were not only diplomatic, should be placed in this environment. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, likewise took part in the conversations.

On May 6, 2024, President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the heads of the German Commission and China-France-Europe intergovernmental meetings are held at Elysee Palace in Paris, France. Photo: Xinhua

China’s position on the road to development, a theme that is important in Beijing’s foreign policy, is not by accident.

Macron also touched on trade ties at the conference, urging that all Chinese and EU countries have similar trade conditions, particularly because China’s state-supported foreign commerce poses problems for the French.

Appearances, in France, are essential and the French staged an American- design present in honor of the Chinese leader.

The Élysée Palace was filled with star guests, to name a few: Oscar- successful directors Jean- Jacques Annaud and Luc Besson, world- prominent singer Mireille Mathieu and film star Sophie Marceau, the fantastic musician Jean- Michel Jarre and his wife, the Foreign actress, Lida Guan and Paris- based Chinese Lang Lang, possibly the world’s greatest living pianist. Salma Hayek, the actress, and her billionaire husband were also present. A nice message to America: we can do it too.

An atmosphere of rivalry with America predominated during Xi’s trip to Paris. Given that France continued to pursue a strong anti-American policy after World War II, particularly during the presidency of General Charles de Gaulle.

The legendary general’s attitude that Americans viewed him as an equal partner during the war had a negative impact on him.

De Gaulle even left the military branch of NATO in 1966. Under the leadership of Nicola Sarkozy, who is Hungarian, France only joined the Western military alliance in 2007.

Xi probably sensed real anti- Americanism in Belgrade. The date of the Chinese president’s visit, May 7, was not chosen by chance: it marked the 25- year anniversary of NATO’s bombing of the former Yugoslavia, in which the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was also hit, killing three journalists and injuring 20 Chinese citizens.

Beijing protested the incident, calling it an accident, but NATO later said it was an accident.

For the first time in 32 years, a Chinese president has traveled to Serbia, making his previous trip to Belgrade in 2016. Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, met Xi in Beijing last October, at the One Belt, One Road forum.

Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, and Xi Jinping, president of China, greets you at Belgrade Airport on May 7, 2024. Image: Handout / Serbia Presidential Press Service

Serbia has been a candidate for EU membership for more than ten years, so Vucic’s visit to Beijing was noteworthy. All EU country leaders stayed away from the meeting at the time, aside from Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other leaders took part as well.

During Xi’s May 7- 8 visit, China and Serbia initialed 18 agreements, including related to a soon- to- be- enacted free trade agreement. Beijing is already Belgrade’s largest foreign investor: This year Chinese financing reached US$ 20 billion.

Belgrade is under political siege, and the EU has been consistently criticizing the Serbian president as a result of the Chinese president’s visit.

The president’s party, the Serbian Progressive Party, won an absolute parliamentary majority at elections in January. The European Parliament, on the other hand, judged that the Serbian election was” not fair” because” Belgrade did not fulfill its obligations regarding free elections.

Such criticism must be directed at Hungary and all other nations that reject the EU’s liberal policy. With Xi’s visit, Belgrade sent its own message to Brussels: we are not alone.

Russia backs Serbia in a time when the EU has ignored Moscow in every way since the Ukraine war started. Brussels cannot do this with China, however.

Xi arrived in Budapest, Hungary, at the conclusion of his European tour. Overall, he spent three days in Budapest, two in Paris and one in Belgrade, giving comparative diplomatic importance to Hungry.

This rang alarms in EU media”. Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Budapest aims to help China become more competitive in the EU. Chinese goods could flood the EU market, which could pose a serious threat to Brussels,” the Brussels- based Euronews reported.

The Budapest-Belgrade railway line, one of the symbols of China’s economic expansion in Hungary, is currently undergoing renovations; 85 % of the investment is financed by Chinese loans. According to the report, Chinese goods can reach Western Europe the quickest way from the Greek port of Piraeus thanks to the railroad’s modernization and the assistance of Hungary and Serbia, according to the report.

Additionally, the report stated that it is illogical to assume that China is” building a bridgehead” in Hungary.

On May 8, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to Hungary on the invitation of Hungary’s president Tamas Sulyok and prime minister Viktor Orban. Orban and his wife welcomed Xi and his family at Budapest Airport upon their arrival. Photo: Xinhua / Xie Huanchi

Last December, China’s BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle ( EV ) manufacturer, announced that it would build an assembly plant in Hungary, Europe’s first electric car manufacturing plant.

The location was not chosen by chance. The factory will be constructed directly along the Hungarian-Serbian border, with Serbia likely to supply the vehicles ‘ labor through Serbia and through Serbia, where the new cars will be exported. Apparently, the Chinese intend to rely on both countries in Southeastern Europe.

On the Hungarian side, the Chinese president’s visit was emphasized for its historical importance. That was achieved by Xi moving to Budapest 20 years later, as well as by the signing of economic agreements that could speed up the growth of the Hungarian economy.

As evidenced by some of the 18 Hungarian-Chinese agreements, good Serbian-Chinese relations will play a role in this. One of them envisions an oil pipeline connecting the two nations, while another envisions a border station with a high throughput on the Hungary-Serb border.

Importantly, China plans significant industrial investments in Hungary’s eastern, less- developed region. In addition to modernizing Hungary’s railway network, expanding EV charging stations, and improving the country’s infrastructure, Chinese investors are also investing.

The most intriguing and significant agreement is between Hungary and China regarding cooperation in the nuclear industry, enabling both nations to have access to the most affordable, safest, and most effective means of electricity production.

How much does China’s close relationship with Hungary affect its membership in NATO? Answer: not all all.

The Hungarian Atlantic Council, a non- partisan social organization that analyzes Hungary’s NATO membership, held its general meeting in Budapest around the time of Xi’s visit. The defense minister of Hungary, who made it clear that Hungary still has no choice but to join NATO, inaugurated the discussion.

The journalist Peter G Feher writes for Magyar Hrlap from Budapest. This report was originally published on Stephen Bryen’s Substack Weapons and Strategy, and it has since been republished with kind permission. Read the original here.

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Biden slaps tariffs on nonexistent Chinese EV imports - Asia Times

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Although no Chinese vehicles are currently up for sale in the United States, the Biden administration is reportedly going to impose a 100 % tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles ( EV ).

If they were, they may love the American contest, even with the present 25 % price. Chevy’s Bolt, a basic EV with a US$ 29, 000 sticker price, has the same length and less range than the Dongfeng Nammi 01 vehicle priced at merely$ 11, 000.

If China wanted to fight against the novel American tariffs, it has a objective- rich culture. In China, General Motors sold 2.1 million vehicles next month. In most ages, GM sells more cars in China than in the United States.

China has a good chance of avoiding the British levies. The country’s auto exports are expected to increase by 22 % in 2024, up from more than 60 % in 2023, with East Asia and the Middle East experiencing the strongest growth.

Henry Ford’s Model T sold for$ 850 in 1908, around the US per capita GDP at the time. By 1925, the price had fallen to$ 260 thanks to economies of scale. This time size is being compressed by China’s electric car manufacturers, which means it will cost as little as Ford decades to lower the cost.

At a$ 10, 000 or lower cost place, desire for Chinese Vehicles in the World South is essentially endless.

production line for Taiwanese automakers. Image: Twitter Screengrab / car2today.

American, Asian and South Asian automakers depend on Foreign automotive technology. However, GM is negotiating with China’s largest battery manufacturer CATL to develop a cooperative mega-plant in the United States and license Foreign technology for its own EVs.

Ford made plans to build a Michigan plant in a$ 3.5 billion joint venture with CATL last year, but the project was put off because of political pressure.

In addition, Nissan Motor has partnered with China’s Google to work with Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia on AI modelling and location.

With 3.4 million 5G basic facilities installed versus America’s 100, 000, China is also well positioned for autonomous driving.

Low overhead ( almost instant reaction ) and large data capacity on 5G networks —ubiquitous in all Chinese cities—support unnatural Intelligence applications for AVs as well as injury prevention. Chinese cities, also, feature new sidewalks conducive to autonomous driving.

Chinese automakers can buy cars for much less than their British competitors thanks to scale-up production and standardization of parts.

The difference between American and Chinese workers costs explains a small portion of the price difference because labor costs only account for 7 % of the total price of an American car.

In China, more than 100 manufacturers are competing for market share, but the majority of them use defined elements to lower costs.

Automotive expert Alan Smith stated in a LinkedIn post that “every car manufactured or sold in the United States today ( with the exception of Tesla and a select few imported from China by GM ) is produced using a pieces churning manufacturing method, which requires them to be replaced with new, non-interchangeable sections that offer no advantage over the past part.”

” Western automobile makers churn parts – use proprietary, non- standard, non- interchangeable parts which are churn producing vehicles that are more expensive, more prone to defects and become manufacturer specific mini- monopolies”, Smith explains.

That used to be called planned obsolescence. In 1922, Henry Ford alleged that his rivals would” change the designs so that old models will become obsolete and new ones will have to be purchased either because the old model offers a new sales argument that can be used to persuade a consumer to scrap what he has and buy something new.”

In contrast, Ford, who had already sold Model Ts for only 30 % of the starting price in 1922, asserted that” the parts of a particular model are not only interchangeable with all other cars that we have produced, but they are also interchangeable with similar parts on all of our turned out.”

According to Smith, Tesla and other Chinese automakers adhere to the Ford design philosophy that made the Model T a universal vehicle.

Biden’s tariffs, at the expense of American consumers, preserve the auto industry’s monopoly practices. On March 18, former president Donald Trump added that Chinese automakers would be welcome to plant factories in the United States and that he also proposed a 100 % tariff on imported Chinese-made electric vehicles ( EVs ), as well as imports from Chinese manufacturers in Mexico.

Graphic: Asia Times

The global supply chains have been redirected to third countries as a result of US tariffs on Chinese goods. As the chart shows, China’s exports to the Global South are in line with American imports. America’s trade deficit in goods is at a record of around$ 1 trillion a year.

Chinese manufacturers invest in Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil and other venues, and assemble Chinese parts with Chinese capital goods into finished products for the US market.

Follow David P Goldman on X at @davidpgoldman

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US, China taking over EU's green energy transition - Asia Times

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The EU’s environment plan is in trouble.

The Green Deal, which aims to reduce the world’s carbon emissions by 55 % by 2030, had a promising beginning thanks to the passage of several significant pieces of legislation, including a new carbon border tax and a ban on the sale of new combustion-powered vehicles starting in 2035.

Increasingly, but, Europeans are rebelling against natural limitations of which they have trouble seeing the benefits. The alarming number of Chinese and US companies entering the EU energy market poses yet another less-discussed but crucial threat to the republic’s shift to green power and energy.

In our book,” Energy: How to Recover Our European Ambition” ( published in French ), we shed light on this overlooked issue ahead of European elections that will be critical for the EU’s energy strategy, and call on the bloc to carefully weigh up cooperation and competition with sovereignty.

China’s clean share

China now has access to 80 % of the world’s clean-tech manufacturing capacity in 11 different industries, including solar wafers and a large number of lithium-ion battery components, despite the lack of any statistical data.

Foreign investors first stepped in in the early 2010s to take advantage of the country’s sovereign debt crisis to buy large stakes in what have long been seen as” republic” industries, such as power transmission and distribution systems.

Major among those was the nation’s largest utility organization, the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), generally known as the State Grid – the world’s third- biggest company nevertheless by revenue, behind Walmart, Saudi Aramco and Amazon as of March. The largest hydroelectric energy advanced in the world, Three Gorges Corp., is also becoming more prevalent.

For example, in Portugal, Three Gorges Corp. won the selling for the Portuguese administration’s 21 % interest in EDP- Energias de Portugal SA in 2010. Meanwhile, in Italy, SGCC expanded its presence by collaborating with the Italian government in 2014, acquiring a 35 % share in the CDP Reti fund, thereby attaining a blocking minority at the local gas network operator, SNAM, and electricity transmission network operator, Terna.

In Greece, the State Grid significantly increased its position by acquiring a 24 % interest in the Greek government’s federal power distribution network operator in 2016.

While Portugal, Italy, and Greece were major goals, Chinese investors have even acquired systems in Luxembourg. Last but not least, let’s not forget that China’s green-tech sector has supplied Europe with affordable solar panels and electric vehicles ( EVs ).

US making advances

The United States is even hoping to benefit from the EU’s ill thought-out energy plan, which raises the stakes even further.

Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has never diminished the United States ‘ standing in terms of power, particularly in the EU. In fact, the EU was fast to impose sanctions against its long-term trading partner to lessen its dependence, even though Russian gas was anticipated to serve as a bridge fuel in the move to electricity, especially for Germany.

The United States has grown to be the largest LNG exporter and supplier in Europe, partially filling the gap left by Moscow. This development encourages US trade while keeping home energy costs low, thereby widening the price gap as energy inflation in Europe undermines its standing as a resource-intensive industry’s comparative competitiveness and appeal.

Beyond these issues with power supply, EU member states are struggling to articulate a common vision, which raises concerns with strategic autonomy and independence.

With an attempt to form a European nuclear alliance established in November 2023, French companies, particularly those in France, have made an effort to develop fourth-generation small modular nuclear reactors ( SMR ).

However, countries like Italy, Belgium, and Romania are currently working with Westinghouse Electric Company to create lead-cooled fast reactors.

The coordination gap is another way that John Kerry’s confirmation of American influence in Europe can be benefited by. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland were chosen to participate in the” Clean Fuel from SMR” international consortium, which includes American companies and will provide funding for coal-to-SMR feasibility studies.

These EU nations are turning to Americans to construct new nuclear power plants despite the EU’s continued opposition to any support for nuclear projects developed on its soil, primarily because of their funding and technical expertise.

Cracks in net- zero

At a time when the bloc is considering decarbonizing, the size of these foreign investments in renewable energy, new nuclear facilities, and grid development may have a significant impact on its strategic independence.

These investments raise concerns over continental energy security, given the still fragmented nature of Europe’s energy landscape:

  • Short-term, supply issues caused by the energy crisis only lead to a shift in our energy dependence issue and a turning point for the EU.
  • In the face of Chinese dumping and US protectionionism, Europe will need to defend its domestic energy producers or grid operators after being neglected for a while.

One dependency must be eliminated before it becomes a new one, which is Europe’s biggest challenge. To replace imports of fossil fuels ( coal, gas, and oil ) that are harmful to the climate, the EU member states must accelerate and coordinate the development of their “green” technologies.

Toward green sovereignty

Due to these risks, the bloc must not only pay more attention to non-EU companies, but also assume greater responsibility for its own energy system. How can it do this, all while pursuing the vision of the “green, secure and affordable energy supply” set out in its Green Deal?

We advise that EU member states put forth more effort to create truly European energy grids. Our electricity system will increasingly rely on a variety of renewable energy sources as we move toward decarbonization. These arrangements will require extensive, interconnected networks that must be developed and strengthened by EU member states themselves.

A second emergency is green energy financing. The European Climate Neutrality Observatory warned in November that the bloc’s failure to reach its net-zero goals could be brought on by a lack of public investment in green energy and other advances.

Member states cut the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP ) fund, which is intended for renewable energy and clean technology, to 1.5 billion euros in February, as opposed to takingheed of the warning.

Our book calls for a radical change of course by establishing a” European transition savings account” to attract private savings, on the one hand, and a” European sovereign fund” that receives proceeds from carbon-priced revenues, on the other.

The upcoming European elections will determine whether these will actually be implemented. Results that point to a higher European ambition might be useful for us to identify safe, affordable, and affordable solutions.

At the other end of the spectrum, further veering to the nationalistic right could carry harmful effects for the bloc’s economic clout and, paradoxically, sovereignty.

Michel Derdevet, president of the organization Confrontations Europe, coauthored this article. Patrick Criqui is the director and energy economist at Université Grenoble Alpes ( UGA ), and Caroline Sebi is the chair of the Grenoble École de Management ( GEM).

The Conversation has republished this article under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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AI won't save us but cybernetics could - Asia Times

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Lu Qiyuan, a well-known scholar in China, recently claimed that the US has four years to avoid a significant political, social, and economic crisis. It must implement one of three reforms: structural political reform, ensuring that the money no longer serves as the world’s supply money, or launching a new wave of artificial intelligence ( AI)-driven economic growth.

If Lu Qiyuan is best, the US is facing a Herculean task. The primary participants and supporters of the current political system, the US’s corporate and financial companies, would be met with fierce opposition from structural reform. They are strongly rooted in the federal government and hold the reins over the national press.

After the West banned Russia from the world financial system, it will also be a battle to keep the money as the world’s supply money. The money system’s illegal weaponization spooked the rest of the world, which was exactly what it was trying to accomplish. De- devaluation has become a world buzzword.

Another big challenge faces the third option, which is to increase productivity exponentially thanks to AI. From the Third to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there are generations of transitions in the world. China is expected to guide the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while the US initiated the Third Industrial Revolution, which was preceded by the Internet and ICT trend.

China is the country that actually uses AI.

Industry 4.0 is the fusion of digital, biological, and physical technologies and the large- scale deployment of AI, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and the Internet of Things ( IoT ). China, the largest stock in the world, produces almost all of the equipment needed for Industry 4.0, and it has the infrastructure to support it.

Mystical aura, conflicted emotions

AI also has a spiritual underbelly. The general public, especially in the West, has indifferent thoughts about AI. Many people are concerned that private may be compromised by AI. While some claim that some tech companies may be monopolizing AI, experts contend that AI could outshine human intelligence and pose a threat to humanity’s future.

The more extreme concerns about AI can be traced to science ( cyber ) fiction. Some cyberfiction depicts AI as a global mind that has a head of its and terrible purposes: taking over the world, enslaving society, or worse – eliminating people. Which business, nation, or another organization would create an AI system that could rule the world or be able to do so is not made clear.

Additionally, AI alarmists frequently overlook the fact that autonomous systems are based in defined areas. They were created to fulfill a particular set of requirements. Playing games and analyzing health X-rays are not possible in an AI system developed for a self-driving car. No automaker may create a self-driving vehicle with its own ideas.

AI is not only website- certain, it is also culture- specific. We will receive two very different responses when enquiring about the best economic system for the 21st century from large language models ( LLM) like ChatGPT and its Chinese counterpart ERNIE. Any LLM will be able to match its creators ‘ view.

When viewed as a set of bionics, the first comprehensive idea of linear computing developed in the 1940s, AI appears less difficult. AI is built on the same ( binary- Boolean ) platform as Robotics. Technically speaking, it uses a self-learning algorithms and is a branch of cybernetics. It could be called Robotics 2.0.

Analog servers were the first model of servers. Instead of distinct binary values, they based their calculations on variations in ongoing electrical current. In the 1940s, circuit technology advancements made it possible to use linear computers, and the majority of computer professionals concurred that binary techniques were more robust and program-friendly.

In the 1940s, the British scientist Norbert Wiener developed a theoretical foundation for binary technology, which he called Robotics. With the aid of binary choices (yes or no ) and Boolean logic ( IF, THEN, AND, OR, etc. ), Wiener demonstrated that binary computers are ideal for controlling complex systems. ).

In robotic systems, comments is a crucial component.

The pilot system on airplanes is a textbook illustration of a cyber system. Boolean operators allow the pilot to steer the plane from point A to point B within the navigator’s parameters. The driver makes a program correction when the aircraft is in powerful side winds. If it encounters solid winds, it does rev up the machines to keep on schedule.

After World War II, cyber theory was crucial to the development of technology and other manufacturing technologies. It made it possible for engineers to create control techniques for performance and reliability while modeling complex systems and predicting how they would behave. The conceptual foundation for contemporary technology was also provided by robotics.

In the 1950s, the arts embraced robotics. Among people, it was used to analyze social systems, organizations, and managing processes. Cybernetics provides tools for selection- making processes, corporate habits, control technology and systems thinking.

The cyber method is based on three actions: plan, estimate and navigate. The schedule defines the goal or destination, the measurement determines the required tools, and the wheel, using a feedback system, guidelines the system to its place. The process can be applied to any method, whether an pilot, a manufacturer or an entire country.

Bionics is a branch of a multidisciplinary discipline. AI will help to stop the age of expertise.

Norbert Wiener called this new scientific robotics to show its standard work: wheel. The term robotics derives from the Greek kybernētēs, meaning” I steer, travel, information, work as a pilot”.

The commander of a fleet was referred to in Plato as the “world.” The first instance of a direct comments system was a ship’s rudder. The Latin problem, gubernātor, is the root of the current phrase state or to regulate.

Robotics even spread to the cultural, political and economic regions. Following World War II, the Five and Ten Year Plans were influenced by cyber principles. Although they had a combined victory, China continued to use long-term planning even after the 1970s market liberalization. &nbsp,

Deng Xiaoping’s second Five- Time Schedule called for laying the foundation for modernization, infrastructure development, and agrarian modernization. China’s transition from an agricultural nation to an industrialized one was the goal. &nbsp,

Additionally, Xi Jinping’s current Five-Year Plan had ambitious objectives. Among others, it calls for” a society in which no one is poor and everyone receives an education, has paid employment, more than enough food and clothing, access to medical services, old- age support, a home and a comfortable life”.

For China, planning is an imperative. The population is significantly declining. A growing number of elderly people will need to receive physical and financial care from a population that is shrinking. Industry 4.0 technology will need to be at the rescue.

In Industry 4.0, humans have to meet technology halfway

Cybernetics is a branch of a multidisciplinary discipline. It offers a framework for all aspects of human development – social, ecological, political, and technological, even psychological and philosophical. Moreover, cybernetics is neutral, a- political, universal and based on binary logic.

A plan is all that cybernetics requires. Without a plan, as Plato pointed out, society is like a ship at sea without a destination, a captain or a rudder. Cybernetics requires that we state our intentions, allocate the needed resources and select reliable navigators.

The fundamental distinction between artificial intelligence and cybernetics is due to a plan’s predominance. In the cybernetics framework, AI is “merely” a tool in a larger context. It can make a plan, but it ca n’t help us get there more quickly. Only people can come up with a plan and reach agreement on the goal.

Human feedback system, from “Cybernetics in Health Care”, Milsum and Laszlo

Chinese economist Lu, in his advice to the US government, &nbsp, argues that the US urgently needs a plan. In the last 40 years, China and the nation have exchanged locations. China industrialized, the US de- industrialized. Millions of Chinese people migrated to the middle class, and millions of Americans emigrated. China had a plan, the US did not.

The fate of the US is a global concern. The US is in a financial death spiral without taking care of its debt. The national budget’s interest payments on the national debt are now the largest budgetary item. The cost of paying off the debt could outweigh any other government expenditures unless the nation makes a drastic and agonizing course correction. &nbsp,

According to economists, a nation that can print its own currency is never bankrupt. Technically speaking, that may be true, but it does not explain why a nation that can print its own currency also needs to borrow US$ 34 trillion to pay its government. This contradictory system will be put to the test by the BRICS and the growing de-dollarization coalition.

Global debt is approaching now over$ 300 trillion, or 235 % of global GDP, the highest since the Napoleonic Wars. A dollar implosion would have a negative impact on all of the world’s nations, as well as the global fiat system. Skilled navigators are necessary to navigate the world to the other side of the debt crisis.

New Thinking

The word cybernetics was first used in the modern political context by André- Marie Ampère, the French scientist and philosopher who discovered electromagnetism. Ampère, who also studied social and political systems, argued that” the future science of governance should be called cybernetics”.

Physicist Bruce Lindsay, author of the 1970&nbsp, paper” The Larger Cybernetics”, speculated on Ampère’s reasoning for using the term cybernetics. He wrote:

Ampère first used the term” cybernetique” to refer to the science of government in this memoir. Since the word “helmsman” or “governor” is used in Greek to indicate the person in charge of the ship’s direction, he clearly felt appropriate.

It is possible to say that this is the beginning of the formal recognition of control science, even though it does not appear that Ampère’s definition attracted much attention in the nineteenth century, nor does it do so in the present, until Norbert Wiener revived the term in his 1948 book, Cybernetics, making an effort to establish the subject in a more formal way.

Ampère may have influenced German philosopher Martin Heidegger, who studied the human relation to technology ( he spoke of” technicity.” ) Heidegger claimed that Friedrich Nietzsche’s nihilism had reached its zenith in a 1966 interview with Der Spiegel, which made it clear that European philosophy was insufficiently prepared to deal with technological developments. Asked what comes after philosophy, Heidegger replied:” Cybernetics.”

Heidegger added another way of thinking, “adding,” meaning the way that Nietzsche’s method of thinking contributed to the development of technology’s fundamental thrust.

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Biden's waffling war stances miffing allies, losing votes - Asia Times

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US President Joe Biden has a injury strategy of trying to please one area on one evening and the other the following while trapped in a Gaza war comas between Hamas and Israel’s unconquerable goals.

From giving “unwavering help” for Israel at war’s start, Biden then withholds some weapons in opposition of Israeli battle tactics.

Additionally, his support for Ukraine will continue to be inconsistent. He then says that the US will help Ukraine when” as long as we can,” a pledge he made when the war started to support Kiev” because long as it takes” to overthrow Russian forces.

Plan pain gives Biden’s jobs a Janus- faced excellent. He constantly speaks with the fervor of someone who ca n’t understand why no one else can understand his logic as he attempts to hold opposing positions at once to keep all sides at bay.

Critics claim that he merely conjures up confusion in his foreign plan. ” The confusion of American politics in the face of two major problems has weakened Joe Biden’s leadership, with just a few weeks left before the national vote”, said a remark in Le Monde, the French newspapers. ” By seeking to avoid increase without ever imposing the circumstances for a solution, the United States has lost trust”.

Even the most recent round of many billions of US military aid to Israel and Ukraine failed to sate concerns about the breadth of US assistance. Both Volodymyr Zelensky, the prime minister of Israel, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, are disappointed.

Netanyahu fiercely responded to the limited ban on weapons. ” Israel has to have alone”, he said. ” Israel may have only. I’ve stated that we can struggle with our fingertips if needed.

Not just over this issue in Gaza, Netanyahu and Biden have long been at conflict with one another. When President Obama and his evil president, Trump, traveled to Washington to protest Obama’s plan to put an end to Iran’s nuclear weapons development programme, the anime dates back to&nbsp.

US President Joe Biden wants to handle Israel and Ukraine’s combat work. Image: NBC Screengrab

Netanyahu was hounded by Biden’s growing criticism to Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza and the resulting human deaths, which Hamas estimates total more than 34, 000.

He said that, by next- guessing Israel’s military techniques from a distance, Biden was treating Israel like a “banana state” that may accomplish US selling. Netanyahu, acting in response to public public fury over Hamas ‘ October 7 dying of around 1, 100 civilians in southern Israel, has vowed to destroy Hamas.

The US senator seems unyielding. On Wednesday, he related to a CNN broadcast recruiter that he had told Netanyahu:

In Gaza, residents have been killed as a result of those explosives and other methods of pursuing community facilities. I made it clear that if they enter Rafah, I wo n’t provide the weapons that have been historically used to combat Rafah or to combat the cities that deal with that issue.

Zelensky, despite the new delivery of weapons, quickly complained they were n’t coming fast enough. ” Today I do n’t see anything positive on this point” of timely support, he said. ” There are products, they have somewhat begun. This method needs to be sped off”, he said.

Biden’s speech has shifted dramatically over the past six decades. At the battle’s starting, he never merely said, unambiguously,” We stand with Israel”, but showered ammunition on Israel. Over time, although, he began to constantly beseech Netanyahu not to destroy very many civilians.

In response, Netanyahu was asked no to attack Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter. Lastly, he stopped the distribution of the&nbsp, 2, 000- pound weapons Israel wants to use on Rafah and other elements of the Gaza Strip.

However, Zelensky had been vocal about limited weapons deliveries since late last year because of both sluggish delivery and unwillingness to offer the weapons Zelensky claims to need to avenge against Russian forces. That desire list includes fighter jet, bombers and lengthy- range artillery. He has accused NATO, as also, of not providing sufficient arms.

According to Zelensky,” I have heard many times” from a particular state because they occasionally did not want to give us weapons quickly because our soldiers are n’t ready to use them.”

” But teachers of such tools, our teachers, will get our soldiers ready. If it’s a plane, for instance, aircraft may be available in two days. Whether it’s bomber drones, weaponry, howitzers or several- start rocket systems, we have quite clever people. We’ve had training with NATO countries”, Zelensky said.

Officials from the Biden administration’s administration lowered their expectations of Ukraine’s ability to win the war last winter as Russia slowly began to slowly revers earlier gains on the Ukrainian battlefield.

A senior administration official stated last month that the immediate goal is to stop Ukrainian losses and assist in helping Ukraine regain momentum and turn the tide on the battlefield. ” Will they have the winnings?” Ultimately, yes. However, there is no guarantee that they will. Military operations are much more challenging than that.

US domestic politics, not least this November’s presidential election, appears to be influencing Biden’s decision- making on both Ukraine and Israel. At a time when American families are suffering from persistent inflation, members of the opposition Republican Party have expressed anger that Ukraine receives both military and economic aid.

Biden’s opponents claim that while supporting Ukraine’s border defense, Biden has opened the US southern border to thousands of illegal immigrants at their own volition. Former US president Donald Trump, his opponent in the upcoming election, simply declares that he will “end the Ukraine war in one day.”

Donald Trump claims that if elected, the Ukrainian conflict will end in a day. Photo: X Screengrab

Biden faces losing the support of voters who routinely support his Democratic Party, including Jews and Arabs, for his back-and-forth over Gaza.

Arab American voters support the Palestinians and call for an end to the bloodshed, while many Jews’ voters support Israel’s efforts to overthrow Hamas. Which group could determine whether Biden wins closely contested swing states in the US.

Political observers point to Biden’s back- to- back speeches last week on Gaza, one favoring Israel, the other punishing Israel by withholding weaponry, as a clumsy effort to please all.

There is no denying that the US-Israel relationship’s resilience, special quality, and character are more under stress than ever in my time of government, according to Aaron David Miller, a former US administration advisor on Israeli-Arab affairs.

Doug Bandow, an analyst at the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank, said,” Biden is dealing with serious political problems. He has many Arab Americans who have expressed extreme resentment toward his support for Israel. He’s worried about losing their votes in November”.

Some observers view the waning as a sign of a lack of understanding of reality.

Late last year, just before the Hamas attack on southern Israel, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, published an article in Foreign Affairs extolling the administration’s foreign policy goals and record.

Sullivan wrote that Washington’s leadership is “absolutely necessary if the United States is to win the competition to shape the future of the international order, so that it is free, open, prosperous, and secure”.

He praised the leadership qualities of the United States as evidence of” the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in decades.” Eight days prior to Hamas’s attack on Israel, the article was published.

Sullivan quickly requested that the assessment be removed from his article’s online version. But the print version lives on and perhaps so too does the Biden administration’s self- delusion.

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Don't sleep on Hyundai in the great EV race - Asia Times

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While Tesla lays off more than 10 % of its workforce, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group plans to hire 80, 000 new employees, increasing its headcount by about 30 % over the next three years.

The hiring is a significant component of a$ 68 trillion won ( US$ 50 billion ) investment program intended to establish a leading position in software-defined and electric vehicles.

Similar to smartphones, software-defined electric vehicles ( EVs ) can be wirelessly updated via data centers for cloud computing. Eventually, Hyundai plans to use this technology to all of its automobiles.

Additionally, investment money will be used to fund research and development for automatic moving, battery-powered vehicles, and other mobility-related projects. The Hyundai Motor Group spent about 30 % more on the purchase each year than it did last season.

After Toyota and Volkswagen, Hyundai and its affiliates Kia are the third-largest auto manufacturing alliance in the world. Hyundai Motor Group clients include Hyundai Steel, a shipping firm, Hyundai Mobis, and Hyundai Steel, two different companies that make car parts. Hyundai Motor owns about 34 % of Kia.

In 2023, Hyundai- Kia sold 7.1 million customer cars – about two- quarters as many as Toyota, 15 % more than General Motors, 2.7 periods more than BYD and 4.2 periods more than Tesla.

Solutions: Focus2move data, Asia Times table

Hyundai-Kia surpassed Ford and GM to become the second-largest Vehicle seller in the US last season. In the US, it is also working on battery and EV production, starting with variants.

Hyundai and Kia have come to a 10-year agreement with Baidu to develop a new related, self-driving, and software-defined vehicle network in accordance with government regulations in China. Toyota collaborates with Tencent, while Bahrainu even works for Tesla.

According to AskCI Consulting, 17 million connected cars may be sold in China this year, according to the company’s study. That accounts for close to two-thirds of China’s complete new car sales, or more than US total new car sales.

Hyundai- Kia may join the challenge from Tesla, Toyota, Baidu and another Foreign competitors in the nation’s largest car market.

In January, at the Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) in Las Vegas, Hyundai demonstrated its artificial intelligence, software- defined vehicle and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. Toyota leads Honda in the developing industry for hydrogen-powered cars.

Operating profit is down 2.5 % while revenues are up 7.6 % year over year, according to Hyundai Motor’s consolidated results for the first quarter of 2024.

The Asan factory’s production was suspended for a number of weeks while facilities were being converted to Electric production, leading to the income decline. Hybrid vehicle sales increased by 16.6 %, despite strong North American demand, but overall unit sales decreased by 1.5 %, despite this increase.

These results outperformed Tesla, which saw a 56 % decline in operating profit and a 9 % year-on-year decline in revenues in the three months to March.

BYD’s revenues and net profit were up 4.0 % and 10.6 % year on year, but down 43 % and 47 % from the December quarter. The operating income increased by 4.4 % while Hyundai Motor’s income decreased by 2.4 % quarter over quarter.

Toyota outperformed all of them. The world’s largest manufacturer reported a 21 % increase in revenues and a 95 % increase in operating profit for the fiscal year that ended in March 2024. The weak yen contributed only 26 % of the increase in operating profit, with the majority of it being attributable to a better sales mix and price increases in North America and Europe.

Toyota’s earnings are surging. Image: X Screengrab

Toyota’s product sales were up 7.3 % next fiscal year to a record high of 10.3 million. According to management, deliveries of hybrid and other electrified vehicles increased by 35 % to 36 % of the total, up from 30 % the previous year.

Deliveries increased by only 3 % in Asia, but increased by 17 % in North America and 16 % in Europe, respectively. A 1 % increase in sales in China was supported by strong hybrid demand, which only contributed to the 7 % decline in operating profit there.

In line with its collaboration with Tencent, Toyota plans to invest 2 trillion yen ($ 12.8 billion ) this fiscal year in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving, battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells and other mobility technology.

As Asia Times reported in January, Volkswagen is even forging onward in China. The top three automakers in the world are moving target for Tesla and BYD, no just passives.

Following this author on&nbsp, X: @ScottFo83517667

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India needs to assert its superpower arrival - Asia Times

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India, which just overtakes China as the most populous nation, has the potential to grow the fastest globally and become the third-largest market in the next five years.

India exhibits the essential characteristics of a great energy, with its large geographic area making it the seventh-largest nation in the world and its military prowess earning it the fifth spot in the Global Firepower Index 2024.

In addition, India has a lively democracy, a solid IT industry, and a powerful diaspora community that has advanced significantly in terms of dominating global positions. Given that India was a poor nation only 75 years ago when it was freed from Western colonialism, this transformation is especially amazing.

This liberation, mainly realized in the social domain, has not yet been completely reflected in India’s social landscape. The supremacy of progressive- internationalist ideologies, propagated by European- educated leaders quite as Nehru and Menon, has frequently overshadowed India’s abundant cultural and intellectual traditions.

For example, esteemed functions like the Arthashastra were neglected until lately, symbolizing a disengage from India’s traditional success. In addition, the historical significance of places like the Ahom Dynasty of Assam is still unknown, and the importance of several important freedom fighters is overshadowed by the emphasis on certain numbers like Gandhi and Nehru in popular culture.

Following the establishment of a administrative, socialist state by the Congress Party, which for nearly 50 years deterred both foreign and domestic investment, the personality direction of India was further shaped by subsequent political leaders.

On the other hand, the Communist Party of India sought to resemble authoritarian regimes abroad, which came in far behind the Congress in terms of political leadership.

In fact, one of the slogans of a breakaway faction of the CPI – the CPI ( ML) – was,” China’s Chairman is our Chairman. Chinese way is our way”! This behavior aggravated a 20th-century identity crises that persisted later in the millennium.

With the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP), which has become more assertive, milestones like the 1998 nuclear tests, the successful moon landing mission ( Chandrayaan II ), the revocation of Article 370, and the carrying out of airstrikes in Pakistan as a result of its support of terrorism, India’s outlook began to change.

India regularly reviews and adjusts its political relationships, welcomes foreign capital, and does not hesitate to encourage private enterprise.

New Delhi has also abandoned its traditional view of the United States and abandoned any lingering ideals of overly optimistic relationships, such as the idea of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai ( India and China are boys ).

Tomorrow’s India is more realistic in its arrangement than it has ever been since independence. But despite these great strides, problems persist. India’s reputation as a” soft state” has changed as a whole, leading to a more assertive pursuit of its interests, including using military force when necessary.

Measures are also necessary for the Indian Foreign Service, which should make it more strategic and not just a pawn in terms of global developments.

The IFS should be viewed as a professional company with its own hiring, which should include officials and experts from Indian government departments, think tanks, and academic institutions.

Importantly, India needs to work toward instilling a culture of strategic aggression and militarism to properly assert its position.

India should emphasize corporate objectives over caution, as demonstrated by its reaction to situations like the 2001 Parliament assaults and the 2008 Mumbai assaults, by shunning colonial legacy and Nehruvian moralities.

India must take note of Mao Zedong’s claim that “power grows out of the gun’s cylinder” in the quest for great power status. Purpose, backed by strength and power prediction capabilities, defines a world’s position in international relations, transcending social advocacy.

India’s quest to establish itself as a postcolonial power is at a crucial moment. Realizing its aspirations requires a complex strategy, balancing economic growth, military power and social resurgence, underpinned by a mindset of corporate ambition and assertiveness.

Shri Jyotishman Bhagawati is a senior research fellow at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi’s Academy of International Studies. He can be reached at bhagawati. [email protected].

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China-Philippines near full diplomatic collapse at sea - Asia Times

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With the seemingly deterioration of Philippine-China communication programmes amid conflicting records of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing an armed conflict, escalating problems in the South China Sea are about to break out.

The administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has absolutely refuted China’s claims that the two countries had reportedly agreed to de-escalation measures in contested sea territories.

China’s embassy in Manila claimed earlier that the original Rodrigo Duterte management and the two factors had a “gentleman’s deal” over the tumultuous Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines sits de facto atop the BRP Sierra Madre vehicle.

Beijing has claimed in recent months that it has negotiated a “new type” with Spanish rivals to resolve disputes over the Scarborough Shoal, which has been under Chinese power since 2012 after a month-long marine conflict.

Nearby major Philippine bases at Subic and Clark, which have recently been the site of significant drills with America and other Western allies, is located just over 100 nautical miles from the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which is located close to the Philippines ‘ exclusive economic zone ( EEZ ).

In response, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano, arguably the most influential safety standard in Marcos Jr’s case, has accused China of spreading “fake information” and “disinformation”. He has referred to China’s says as “pathetic despair”.

China has threatened to release audio tapes of alleged personal negotiations, a contentious move that could cause the political channels to completely collapse at a dangerous time in South China Sea conflicts.

China claimed earlier this year that it had a “gentleman’s contract” with then-president Duterte, who reportedly promised to reduce Spanish resupply operations to the Second Thomas Shoal.

The Philippines allegedly promised not to use concrete, metal, and other construction materials to protect its de facto military installations in the disputed maritime area under the alleged agreement.

The current president of the Philippines criticized the alleged agreement and declared he had “rescind” any contract that would violate his nation’s standing and authority in the disputing waters.

The Philippine Congress has opened an investigation to find out if the former federal was involved in any traitorous works in light of Duterte and his top officials ‘ refusal to provide any details about the alleged package.

However, a dispute over the Scarborough Shoal last month has rekindled long-standing tensions over another significant battlefield in diplomatic relations. According to Philippine government, Chinese troops engaged in “dangerous tactics and blockage” of Spanish guards in the area.

Screenshot

Chinese forces reportedly used liquid cannons against Spanish ships in a manner similar to current incidents in the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Spanish Navy and the Foreign Coast Guard have been at odds with one another.

According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official Jay Tarriela&nbsp, who provided video of the most recent affair,” This destruction serves as evidence of the violent waters pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Spanish vessels.”

On April 30, China acknowledged it had “expelled” arteries from the area. A 380-meter-long challenge has also been reinstalled in China to prevent access to the reef.

China has essentially ruled the disputed shoal following a marine standoff in 2012 that was caused by a Spanish Navy warship’s attempt to apprehend Foreign fishermen.

Due to its extreme closeness to crucial Spanish system, subsequent Spanish governments, supported by their mutual security treaty ally the US, have warned China against recovering and establishing military installations on the shoal.

In a public forum in the middle of 2017, former Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana acknowledged that the Chinese had a plan to reclaim Scarborough Shoal in June. In fact, the Americans reported that there were barges carrying construction materials and soil to Scarborough, but I believe they told the Chinese to” Do n’t do it.” For some reason, the Chinese stopped”.

The president also stated that this is the “red line” in the US, and that is also true. Once the Chinese start exploring and putting rigs, we will talk to them”, he added, emphasizing Manila’s stiff opposition even from the then- Beijing- friendly Duterte administration.

Important Philippine bases in Subic and Clark would be harmed by a Chinese military base on the Scarborough Shoal, both for Washington and Manila. Additionally, any deployment of a Chinese missile system would directly threaten Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and other important industrialized areas in northern Luzon. &nbsp,

The Philippines made it clear over the years that any unilateral reclamation or energy exploration activities by China would cross a “red line” despite its then-warming ties to Beijing.

There were “temporary special arrangements” that only gave the Philippines limited access to its artisanal fishermen in exchange for not reclaiming and militarizing the Scarborough Shoal, as claimed China.

Filipino fishermen are permitted to fish with small fishing boats in designated waters, aside from the lagoon of Scarborough Shoal, while the AFP, PCG, and other Philippine government aircraft should not enter the 12 nautical miles and corresponding airspace of &nbsp, the shoal,” according to a spokesman for the Chinese embassy. &nbsp,

The Philippine side has adhered to the above agreements for the past seven plus years, and fishing in certain areas off [Scarborough Shoal ] was unaffected, the spokesperson said, directly blaming the country for the recent rise in tensions.

The current Philippine administration, who sent its coast guard ships and official vessels a number of times to [Scarborough Shoal ] and encouraged the Filipino fishermen to challenge the arrangements, unilaterally scuppered, he continued.

Any such “temporary arrangement” would have effectively ceded Manila’s claim over the resource-rich and geographically important shoal, so the Philippine authorities have categorically rejected China’s claim. Additionally, they have rejected the negotiation of the ostensible “new model” to deal with the Second Thomas Shoal conflict.

A Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel is sprayed with water by a Chinese Coast Guard ship close to Scarborough Shoal on December 9, 2023. Image: Philippine Coast Guard

According to Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela, who categorically rejects any compromise over the shoal, “let us not be influenced by their fabricated stories once more, which aim to confuse the Filipino people and deflect attention from the actual issue of their harassment and provocative actions in Bajo De Masinloc.” &nbsp,

The President of the Republic of the Philippines has also stated that “only the President of the Republic of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements made by the Philippine government on matters relating to the South China Sea.”

No Cabinet-level Marcos administration official has “accepted any Chinese proposal,” according to DFA, regarding the disputed shoals.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who recently held a” Squad” meeting with his counterparts from the US, Australia and Japan in Hawaii, accused China of spreading disinformation in order to sow confusion and undermine Manila’s strategic position.

It is curious that it comes right after the Department of National Defense’s actions were condemned at the most recent Squad meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, Teodoro said, reflecting the nearly collapse of bilateral diplomatic channels.

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X at @Richeydarian

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