Geopolitics
[ EastAsiaForum] Why are Chinese troops assembling on the Myanmar border?
Source: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/07/03/why-are-chinese-troops-assembling-on-the-myanmar-border/ There is now potential for international escalation as Chinese troops are reported to be assembling in Jiegao, an important border town, which is not unexpected during periods of elevated tension. The troops are said to have rapid response capabilities if it is deemed necessary to guard the Kyaukpyu pipelines. The pipelines are a significant part…
Read More[ SCMP ] Taiwan asserts island’s sovereignty after US restates opposition to independence
“We support a strong unofficial relationship with Taiwan. We do not support Taiwan independence,” Kurt Campbell, the White House Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said in response to the question “how much love is too much?” when it came to stronger US ties with Taiwan. The comment, at an event hosted by the Asia Society, was…
Read More[ Today ] Singapore to reclaim land around Pedra Branca to build facilities to improve maritime safety and security
The Housing and Development Board will reclaim land around Pedra Branca The development work will improve facilities on the island, let vessels berth and allow more facilities to be set up It will take a few years to complete The work, announced in 2019, had been postponed owing to a sovereignty dispute with Malaysia Pedra Branca…
Read More[ WeeklyBlitz ] Rohingya militancy group ARSA silently gets organized
Dhaka Post reporters Adnan Rahman and Joshim Uddin in their report said, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) has already recruited over two thousand members from the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, where it has approximately 150 female jihadists. Majority of the ARSA recruits are based in Kutupalong and Balukhali areas in Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf district. According…
Read More[ DW ] As Lebanon nears collapse, EU debates sanctions
Lebanon continues to unravel as its economic and political crisis worsens. The country has not had a government for almost a year now and its economy is in the process of collapsing after decades of mismanagement and corruption. Over the past month, there have been stories both absurd and horrifying coming out of the small Mediterranean nation. For…
Read More[ Financial Times ] Senior Nato officer warns of China’s ‘shocking’ military advances
“It is quite shocking how quickly China has built ships, how much China has modernised its air force, how much it has invested in cyber and other forms of information management, not least facial recognition,” said Peach — who is stepping down on Friday after three years as head of Nato’s military committee — in…
Read More[ Asia Times ] New age rebels rock and roil Myanmar’s junta
The future for Myanmar thus looks bleak, with only a split within the Tatmadaw likely able to bring about fundamental change. But there are no signs yet of that happening as Myanmar’s resistance shifts from peaceful protests to more violent means. The most the “new rebels”, alone or together with ethnic allies, may be able…
Read More[ Myanmar Now ]Tanker carrying jet fuel due to arrive in Yangon on Saturday
A tanker ship carrying airplane fuel is scheduled to arrive in Yangon on Saturday after departing from Singapore’s Jurong Island on Tuesday, according to data from several marine tracking websites. The Panama-registered tanker SANTYA is loaded with Jet A1 fuel, which can be used both for commercial aviation and military aircraft, documents seen by Myanmar…
Read MoreKashmiri Freedom Fighters conducted drone strikes on India Air Force’s Jammu Air Force Station | Lashkar-e-Taiba commander captured
According to a tweet by Aerospace & Open Source Intelligence Board (Pakistan Strategic Forum), Kashmiri Freedom Fighters utilised two drones to drop improvised explosive devices onto the India Air Force’s Jammu Air Force Station (Jammu AFS) at around 1am local time on 27 June 2021 The drones reportedly flew 14.5km from the border to the…
Read More[ Asia Times ] China returns fire at Australia in the WTO
China in November announced tariffs of up to 218% on Australian wines, which it said were being “dumped” into the Chinese market at subsidized prices. The crackdown virtually closed what had been Australia’s biggest overseas wine market, with sales falling from A$1.1 billion (US$840 million) to only A$20 million, according to official figures.
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