Chindia Alert: You’ll be Living in their World Very Soon
aims to alert you to the threats and opportunities that China and India present. China and India require serious attention; case of ‘hidden dragon and crouching tiger’.
Without this attention, governments, businesses and, indeed, individuals may find themselves at a great disadvantage sooner rather than later.
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World’s third largest helicopter assault ship could be launched in a few months, military expert says
One of China’s previous generation amphibious vessels, the Type 071 Kunlun Shan, launched in 2016. Photo: Chow Chung-yan
Pictures taken by military enthusiasts earlier this week appear to show that construction of China’s first Type 075 amphibious helicopter assault ship is moving quickly.
The images, taken outside the dry dock at Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, were circulated on Chinese social media and showed scaffolding around two separate superstructures above the flight deck, suggesting the estimated 40,000 tonne ship may have two islands.
In June, commercial satellite images showed the vessel had a 32-metre wide beam, with bow and stern sections yet to be added. In the most recent pictures the bow of the vessel is clearly visible.
The status of the construction suggested the ship would probably be launched in the next few months, according to Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military affairs commentator.
An image of China’s first Type 075 amphibious helicopter assault ship suggests the vessel may be completed in the next few months. Photo: Weibo
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Song said large landing helicopter docks (LHDs) like the Type 075 could play an even more important role than aircraft carriers in the future, following last month’s defence white paper released in Beijing which named protecting China’s overseas interests as one of the key missions of its military forces.
“LHDs are a central part of a blue water navy, because an LHD has a full range of weapons with a lot more marine troops for potential ground operations, whereas an aircraft carrier is just a mobile airbase,” he said. “Each time the Americans deploy their forces overseas, LHDs always serve as the vanguard.”
The PLA Navy has ordered several LHDs in recent years, at the same time as Beijing’s claim to the disputed South China Sea has been challenged and the relationship with Taiwan strained
China claims almost all islands and reefs in the South China Sea, many of which are occupied by rival claimants, and reserves the right to use force to reunify Taiwan, which it sees as a breakaway province.
Five Type 071 25,000 tonne amphibious landing dock ships have been launched since 2016, of which three have been commissioned and two are on sea trials.
It is believed China’s first batch of Type 075 craft will consist of three ships. The Type 075 will be the world’s third largest amphibious assault ship, behind only the US Wasp-class (41,000 tonnes) and America-class (45,000 tonnes). It is significantly bigger than Japan’s Izumo-class (26,000 tonnes), and France’s Mistral-class (21,000 tonnes).
The Type 075 will be able to carry up to 30 helicopters, as well as a number of amphibious tanks, armoured vehicles, jet boats, and hundreds of marine troops.
Its massive flat deck could also accommodate vertical take-off and landing fighters such as the F-35B. This capability would enable the ship to operate as a light aircraft carrier, in a similar function to the way the US military uses LHDs. However, China currently does not yet have any vertical take-off jets.
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Beijing-Caofeidian bullet trains starts operation
新华网| 2019-08-21 16:25:40|Editor: Xiang Bo
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 21, 2019 shows the D6622 train leaves Caofeidian East Railway Station for Beijing South Railway Station in Tangshan City, north China’s Hebei Province. Bullet trains running between Beijing and Caofeidian, with a stopover in Tangshan, officially started operation on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who is here to attend the upcoming ninth meeting of foreign ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here Tuesday with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who was here to attend the upcoming ninth meeting of foreign ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Wang said recently China and Japan saw the improvement of ties and the achievement should be cherished as it did not come easily. He called closer communication between the two sides to create necessary conditions and a good atmosphere for high-level political exchanges in the next stage.
Wang said the two sides should strengthen cooperation in the multilateral arena and jointly oppose all forms of protectionism and unilateralism.
He clarified China’s principles and positions on sensitive issues between China and Japan, stressing that both sides should strengthen risk prevention and control, and handle differences in a constructive manner.
Kono said that Japan is willing to work closely with China to ensure positive results of high-level political exchanges in the next stage.
Wang also clarified China’s opposition to the U.S. attempt to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in the region. Kono reiterated that Japan will continue to adhere to the “purely defensive defense” strategy.
The meeting of the three countries’ foreign ministers is scheduled for Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Jiayu Pass, a famed part of the Great Wall in Jiayuguan City, during his inspection tour of northwest China’s Gansu Province, Aug. 20, 2019. Xi also listened to an introduction to the historical and cultural background of the Great Wall and the passes in the Hexi Corridor, part of the ancient Silk Road in northwest China. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
BEIJING (Reuters) – Limiting marriage to a relationship between a man and a woman will remain China’s legal position, a parliament spokesman said on Wednesday, ruling out following neighbouring Taiwan in allowing same-sex marriage, despite pressure from activists.
Taiwan’s parliament passed a bill in May that endorsed same-sex marriage, after years of heated debate over marriage equality that has divided the self-ruled and democratic island.
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has a thriving gay scene in major cities, but there has been little sign the ruling Communist Party will legalise same-sex marriage.
Asked at a news briefing whether China would legalise same-sex marriage, Zang Tiewei, spokesman for parliament’s legal affairs commission, said Chinese law only allowed for marriage between one man and one woman.
“This rule suits our country’s national condition and historical and cultural traditions,” he said. “As far as I know, the vast majority of countries in the world do not recognise the legalisation of same-sex marriage.”
Individual Chinese legislators have occasionally in the past few years proposed measures during the annual meeting of the largely rubber-stamp parliament every March to legalise same-sex marriage, without success.
There are no laws against same-sex relations in China and despite growing awareness of LGBT issues, the community has been the target of censors in recent months, fuelling fears of a growing intolerance.
Activists have asked people in China to propose amendments to a draft civil code en masse, though they have admitted they see little chance of success. The parts of the code relating to marriage are expected to pass into law next year.
The code makes changes on issues such as sexual harassment, divorce and family planning, but does not further the rights of the LGBT community, drafts published by parliament show.
Zang said the marriage section of the draft civil code maintains the bond as being between a man and a woman.
Prominent gay rights activist Sun Wenlin told Reuters he was disappointed in the comments, but not surprised.
“I feel that my partner and I are sacrificing our happiness for the country’s legal system,” said Sun, who three years ago had his application to legally marry his partner rejected by a Chinese court.
“They are undermining our life plan of choosing to marry the person we love
He added, “I feel I am being excluded, and am absolutely not a consideration for policymakers.”
Another activist, who asked not to be named, told Reuters there were cases in China of same-sex partners who had lost their homes after one of them died, as they lacked the legal protection of marriage.
“We hope these tragedies don’t keen happening,” the activist said.
HONG KONG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) — The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will start work immediately on building a platform for dialogue among all walks of life, the HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday.
While meeting the press, Lam said she hopes all sides can show understanding and respect toward each other, and conduct dialogues in an open and direct manner with people of all classes with different political stances and backgrounds in a bid to find a way out for Hong Kong.
Lam said she and the heads of the government bureaus are willing to go directly to communities and talk with people.
On the economic situation in Hong Kong, Lam said the economic figures for the first half of the year did not fully reflect the severity of the downside risks.
A raft of measures with total government spending of 19.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (2.43 billion U.S. dollars) have been rolled out to support growth and relieve the burden on businesses and individuals.
If necessary, the HKSAR government will adopt more such measures to support the economy before the release of the policy address or the government budget, Lam said.
Lam pledged that the HKSAR government will keep monitoring the economic situation, make necessary preparations and propose effective measures.
The HKSAR government will act more boldly to deal with deep-seated problems and both high-level and grassroots officials will give priority to the need of residents when proposing specific measures, Lam said.
During the past two years, the HKSAR government has taken effective measures in its policy address in areas such as housing, land and education to advance the economy and improve people’s livelihood, Lam said.
Lam also responded positively to the new policy support for Shenzhen by the central government.
China will build the southern city into a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to a document issued recently by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.
The city’s development toward a pilot demonstration area will also be a boon to the complementary cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Lam said.
Of all cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the relationship between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is the closest, she said.
“The two are very good partners,” Lam said, adding that the two have built a high-level cooperative mechanism and are jointly developing a technological and innovation park.
Lam also said the Independent Police Complaints Council is working on an independent investigation into the causes and facts of the recent confrontations and violence, adding that a report will be submitted to her in six months and will also be available to the public.
“I hope that this is a very responsible response to the aspirations (of public) for better understanding of what has been taking place in Hong Kong,” she added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a key cultural heritage site under state-level protection, during his inspection tour of northwest China’s Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2019. Xi inspected the work of cultural relics protection and study, as well as efforts to promote China’s great history and fine culture. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
LANZHOU, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday visited the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a key cultural heritage site under state-level protection, during his inspection tour of northwest China’s Gansu Province.
Xi inspected the work of cultural relics protection and study, as well as efforts to promote China’s great history and fine culture.
India hopes the $145m (£116m) mission will be the first to land on the Moon’s south pole.
Last month’s launch was the beginning of a 384,000km (239,000-mile) journey. Scientists hope the lander will touch down on the Moon on 6 or 7 September as planned.
India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in 2008 but it did not land on the lunar surface. However it carried out the first and most detailed search for water on the Moon using radars.
Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) will try to land near the little-explored south pole of the Moon.
The mission will focus on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things.
India used its most powerful rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), in this mission. It weighed 640 tonnes (almost 1.5 times the weight of a fully-loaded 747 jumbo jet) and, at 44 metres (144ft), was as high as a 14-storey building.
The spacecraft used in the mission has three distinct parts: an orbiter, a lander and a rover.
The orbiter, which weighs 2,379kg (5,244lb) and has a mission life of a year, will take images of the lunar surface.
The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) weighs about half as much, and carries within its belly a 27kg Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. In its 14-day life, the rover (called Pragyan – wisdom in Sanskrit) can travel up to a half a kilometre from the lander and will send data and images back to Earth for analysis.
Media caption Is India a space superpower?
How long is the journey to the Moon?
The journey of more than six weeks is a lot longer than the four days the Apollo 11 mission 50 years ago took to land humans on the lunar surface for the first time.
In order to save fuel, India’s space agency has chose a circuitous route to take advantage of the Earth’s gravity, which will help slingshot the satellite towards the Moon. India does not have a rocket powerful enough to hurl Chandrayaan-2 on a direct path. In comparison, the Saturn V rocket used by the Apollo programme remains the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
“There will be 15 terrifying minutes for scientists once the lander is released and is hurled towards the south pole of the Moon,” Isro chief K Sivan said prior to the first launch attempt.
He explained that those who had been controlling the spacecraft until then would have no role to play in those crucial moments. So, the actual landing would happen only if all the systems performed as they should. Otherwise, the lander could crash into the lunar surface.
Artists perform during an event marking the conclusion of an activity that took journalists to retrace the route of the Long March, in Huining, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Aug. 18, 2019. The activity, held from June 11 to Aug. 18, was aimed at paying tribute to the revolutionary martyrs and passing on the traditions of revolution. The Long March was a military maneuver carried out by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army from 1934 to 1936. During this period, they left their bases and marched through rivers, mountains and arid grassland to break the siege of Kuomintang forces and continue to fight Japanese aggressors. Many marched as far as 12,500 km. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)
President says sale of Lockheed Martin F-16Vs will go ahead if ratified by Senate
Military experts have said the jets would bolster Taiwan’s ability to counter the threat of air strikes from mainland China
A Taiwan Air Force F-16V takes off during a drill in May. Photo: EPA-EFE
Beijing warned it would take countermeasures against Washington for selling 66 fighter jets to Taiwan after US President Donald Trump said he had approved the US$8 billion deal.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Monday said the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16V jets was a serious violation of the one-China principle.
“China has made numerous solemn representations to the US on the sale of F-16V jets to Taiwan,” Geng said in a press conference, adding that the United States should halt the sale.
“The US has to bear all the consequences triggered by the sale,” Geng said. “China will take necessary measures to defend its self-interest based on the development of the situation.”
Geng gave no details of the action China would take. In July, Beijing said it would impose sanctions on US firms involved in a deal to sell US$2.2 billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment to Taiwan, describing it as harmful to China’s sovereignty and national security.
Liang Yunxiang, an international relations expert from Peking University, said one countermeasure Beijing might use was to suspend military-to-military exchanges with the United States.
‘Fighter jets trump battle tanks’ in Taiwan’s US arms priorities
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump said that the sale would need to be ratified by the US Senate but that he had approved it.
“It’s US$8 billion. It’s a lot of money. That’s a lot of jobs. And we know they’re going to use these F-16s responsibly,” he said.
If the deal is approved by Congress, it will be the first time since 1992 that the United States has sold F-16s to Taiwan. Previous requests were rejected by the Barack Obama administration, which instead offered to upgrade Taiwan’s existing fleet of about 140 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft.
During months of slow progress since the sale was outlined earlier this year, some lawmakers and defence experts had suggested that Trump was using the proposed deal as leverage to secure a better agreement for the US in talks to resolve its year-long
Taiwan’s presidential office and foreign ministry lauded Trump’s announcement, calling it a strong sign of the US’ commitment to its security and saying the deal would help to maintain regional stability.
“The new warplanes will greatly strengthen our anti-air defence capability and we will continue to be devoted to safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, thereby maintaining freedom and democracy in Taiwan,” presidential office spokesman Alex Huang said.
‘Fighter jets trump battle tanks’ in Taiwan’s US arms priorities
In a statement, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said persistent war games by the mainland around the island and in the East and South China Sea had not only sabotaged peace and stability in the region but also triggered grave concern from China’s neighbours.
It described Trump’s approval of the deal as a “strong indicator of the close and growing security partnership between the US and Taiwan”.
Opinion: Care needed over Taiwan arms deal
Military experts have said the new variant of the F-16, the Viper – which can carry a wide range of short and medium-range air-to-air missiles – is more able to counter the threat of an air strike from mainland China’s fourth-generation aircraft, such as the Su-35 and J-10.
Last week, Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the US administration had made progress in advancing the deal, which he called “an important step in support of Taiwan’s self-defence efforts”.
In July, the US also approved arms sales to Taiwan worth US$2.2 billion, including 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger portable surface-to-air missiles.
Beijing strongly opposes arms deals with Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province, but the US is obliged to help defend the self-governing island under the terms of its Taiwan Relations Act, effective since 1979.
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 