Those comments did not sit well with China’s government, which recognizes Taiwan as its national territory. However, Lai’s maintains that the people of Taiwan should be able to be independent.
In response, China showed its displeasure with Lai’s views by ramping up its threats toward Taiwan on Thursday, May 23. Beijing sent warships, planes and jets to perform combat drills around Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense counted 49 Chinese military aircraft, 15 navy vessels and 16 coast guard vessels surrounding the island.
Taiwan’s military quickly responded to China’s provocation, positioning jets and a missile system. Additionally, the military put ground forces on alert to be ready for any further escalation.
The prevailing theory by experts is that China wants to show off its ability to set up a blockade around Taiwan. One military expert said that these drills by China may just be a “signal,” adding that the real “punishment may be yet to come.”
Washington responded to China’s show of strength by issuing a warning to Beijing to refrain from any use of force against Taiwan.
“I cannot underscore enough how devastating a conflict in the Indo-Pacific Region would be,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, the deputy commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said.
The United States is legally obligated to defend Taiwan against attack but is also balancing a delicate relationship with China.
Beijing auto show features next-gen EVs unavailable to US consumers
The automotive world recently turned its gaze toward China as the country hosted one of the largest auto shows in the world. The show featured a vast array of electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid models from nearly 100 Chinese automakers, most of which American consumers will never have an opportunity to purchase.
The event showcased the competition within China’s burgeoning automotive industry, where experts predict only a handful of brands will ultimately thrive.
Despite the innovation and competitive pricing showcased at the event, Chinese automakers face significant hurdles in reaching American consumers, a crucial market for global expansion.
While Chinese EVs boast attractive price points, averaging $20,000 cheaper than their counterparts, and impressive features such as extended range hybrids and sub-$10,000 electric models, they have yet to penetrate the American auto market.
The high tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on imported vehicles from China have hindered the establishment of distribution channels, making it financially challenging for Chinese car companies to enter the U.S. market.
The prospect of building a sales network from scratch is further complicated by additional fees incurred due to American tariffs. Despite the allure of innovative features like 180-degree rotating seats and an “iPod on wheels,” these advancements remain distant prospects for American consumers.
Could cheaper Chinese EVs make their way into the US auto market?
Imagine driving a new electric vehicle (EV) but spending only $10,000 on your new ride. This is a reality in China. In the United States, however, Americans spend an average of over $53,000 on buying an EV — more than double where the median asking price stands for Chinese consumers.
It is possible these cheaper vehicles may become available to U.S. drivers in the future, but several issues stand in the way before that can happen. For starters, the rivalry between Washington and Beijing has put the industry in a challenging position.
“To look at the situation with the U.S. and China, their relations are at their worst and 50 years,” said Michael Dunne, CEO of ZoZo Go, which delivers investment advisory services to auto-tech industry companies in the U.S. and China. “Should the U.S. become over-reliant on Chinese with [EV] batteries, it’d be so simple for the Chinese to say, ‘Sorry, we don’t have enough supply for you.’”
In 2023, as part of an effort to combat this problem, the White House introduced additional rules to keep China out of the American EV market. This included an Internal Revenue Service block on all foreign-made electric vehicles from receiving tax breaks granted to the industry under the Inflation Reduction Act.
American car companies are also now prevented from accessing these incentives if they use materials or parts from China.
That move was in addition to a 2018 Trump administration imposed tariff of more than 27% on cars made in China — a policy that has continued under President Joe Biden. The current administration has even considered raising the tariffs already in place.
There’s a difference between people’s allegiances to their country and what they buy at the store. One thing that’s absolutely universal is people buy affordability.
CEO Bill Russo, Automobility
“What happens in China will not stay in China,” said Bill Russo, CEO of advisory firm Automobility. “If you have that kind of supply chain, that kind of position on the chess board, then why wouldn’t you take that internationally? There’s a difference between people’s allegiances to their country and what they buy at the store. One thing that’s absolutely universal is people buy affordability.”
“The Chinese have been very aggressive in motivating the purchase of electric vehicles, which represent a much higher percentage of new vehicle sales in China than they do in the United States,” said John Quelch, a former associate in research at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and fellow of the Harvard China Fund.
On top of tax and trade policies, safety regulations are another issue keeping these cars away from the U.S.
Most Chinese vehicles have not been engineered to comply with American safety standards, adapting to which can be an expensive process. An industry study found that differing auto safety regulations in the U.S. and European Union (EU) force automakers to spend over $2 billion annually.
Even if Chinese car manufacturers could overcome these costs, there remain numerous expenses associated with building a retail network accessible to Americans, although, this could be the first domino to fall.
According to the Financial Times, three major Chinese EV companies are planning to spend billions on new factories in Mexico. The news has reportedly worried U.S. officials that this could open a backdoor for Chinese EVs into the American auto market.
China has a bigger manufacturing scale than all other countries. And they’re using that scale to make these batteries not just in China, but they’re making them in Germany and in Mexico, and now exporting those electric vehicles around the world with sites on the American market, and they think they’re gonna win.
President Joe Biden
“China has a bigger manufacturing scale than all other countries,” Biden said. “And they’re using that scale to make these batteries not just in China, but they’re making them in Germany and in Mexico, and now exporting those electric vehicles around the world with sites on the American market, and they think they’re gonna win.”
Executives with Ford Motor Company have expressed similar concerns regarding China, saying the U.S. is still “not quite yet ready” to compete with Beijing when it comes to electric vehicles.
“[China] developed very quickly, and they developed them in large scale. And now they’re exporting them,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford. “They’re not here but they’ll come here we think, at some point, we need to be ready.”
In Europe, where tariffs on Chinese-made EVs are much lower, car markers are expected to collectively lose more than $7 billion in profit by 2030 due to China’s growth in the market.
“I can announce today that the commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in September. “Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars. And their prices kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market.”
While getting more electric vehicles on American roadways is a major goal of the current administration, it is clear that tapping into China’s robust and affordable supply would be a complicated process.
New photos show dozens of Chinese vessels occupying Philippines’ territory
As tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, a look at newly-released satellite images allegedly shows Chinese militia ships massing around a contested reef. Beijing claims it has rights over the Whitsun Reef, which is about 750 nautical miles from China’s nearest province.
The reef is considered to be within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which gives the nation full rights to the reef. But that hasn’t stopped the People’s Republic of China from asserting its presence over the years, and now Beijing seems to be ramping that presence up.
The new satellite photos by SkyFi were taken on Monday, Dec. 10, and they appear to show Chinese maritime militia ships rafted together to create something similar to a maritime outpost.
“The PCG maintains its unwavering commitment to safeguarding maritime security, safety and the marine environment in the course of protecting the territorial integrity, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea,” the Philippine Coast Guard said.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Chinese maritime militia is a network of fishing vessels that works alongside the People’s Liberation Army Navy to “achieve political objectives in disputed waters.” However, Beijing does not officially recognize its existence.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said recently that these ships were just fishing vessels seeking calm seas and shelter from weather in Chinese waters.
“It is reasonable and lawful for Chinese fishing boats to operate and take shelter in the waters,” Wenbin said. “The Philippine side should not make irresponsible remarks on that.”
The director of SeaLight, Ray Powell, which tracks maritime gray-zone activities in the South China Sea, said the placing of these vessels around the Whitsun Reef is Beijing’s attempt to normalize its presence and expand its reach, encroaching on the coastlines of neighboring nations.
“Mostly what China is trying to do is, over the years, get everyone accustomed to the idea that China is here and you can’t get rid of them,” Powell told SkyFi. “The idea being they will slowly expand their scope and reach to the edges of their nine-line claim and almost up to the coastline of their neighbors.”
The Philippine Coast Guard said the fishing vessels ignored radio calls from its patrols, which were sent to document their “illegal presence.”
We and countries in the region have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency on the intent, the nature, the scope of this project.
Ned Price, State Department spokesperson
The newly expanded base, which boasts a pier large enough for an aircraft carrier, is serving as a strategic outpost near the South China Sea for Beijing.
“An exclusive PRC military presence at Ream could threaten Cambodia autonomy and undermine regional security as well,” said Ned Price, State Department spokesperson. “We and countries in the region have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency on the intent, the nature, the scope of this project.”
Dry docks could help repair ships that may get damaged in any military operations that may occur in the South China Sea or the Gulf of Thailand.
Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press suggest the Chinese ships docked in Cambodia may be Type 56 Chinese Corvettes, popular warships used by the Chinese navy.
In a post on Telegram, Cambodia’s prime minister said China’s visit was meant to discuss the continuation of military cooperation between the two countries.
Beijing court opens hearings for relatives of MH370 passengers
A Beijing court held compensation hearings for Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers on Monday, Nov. 27. The flight disappeared in 2014, enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. More than 40 relatives are seeking compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Allianz.
239 people were on board, including 154 Chinese nationals. Everyone on board was declared or presumed dead, and the flight was officially declared an accident by Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation on Jan. 29, 2015.
Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the flight, announced that the court hearings are starting Nov. 27, 2023, and they’re expected to continue into mid-December.
“It has been 10 years that the court finally opened the case, which we think is a relief and a turning point,” Jiang told reporters. “But the deterioration of the living conditions of the families in the past 10 years, and the fact that many of the family members involved have died because of the lack of money to treat their illnesses, that does make us feel very sad.”
The court did not disclose case details, but plaintiffs are reportedly seeking up to $11.2 million each.
Malaysian investigators did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course. Debris believed to be from the MH370 aircraft has washed up along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean in 2015.
The fate of the missing plane and passengers remains unknown after nearly a decade. Similar cases in the United States were dismissed and referred to the Malaysian legal system.
Chinese hackers target government officials: July 13 rundown
Chinese hackers breached the email accounts belonging to top government officials, and Hollywood actors could join writers in striking. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Thursday, July 13, 2023.
Chinese hackers breach U.S. government email accounts
Microsoft email accounts belonging to top government officials and agencies have been breached by Chinese hackers, according to statements from Microsoft and the White House. Affected agencies include the State Department and the Commerce Department.
According to The Washington Post, hackers accessed the email account of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Sources familiar with the investigation said the Chinese hackers also targeted a handful of other government officials.
The FBI had previously said Beijing has a larger hacking program than all other governments combined. The latest breach could escalate cybersecurity concerns regarding China.
“We always look at incidents such as this and seek to learn how to better protect our systems,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday, July 12. “And of course, we engage in conversation with the third-party providers about how they can better protect the systems that they provide to us.”
Russian general dismissed over criticism of leadership
A Russian general said he was dismissed after telling military leadership about the dire situation on the front lines of the war with Ukraine. Major General Ivan Popov said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of military leadership.
Popov also said the Russian army lacked proper reconnaissance of enemy artillery and counter artillery systems. His criticism and subsequent dismissal comes less than three weeks after the Wagner group staged a brief but significant revolt against Russia, further demonstrating discontent within Russian fighters as the country continues the biggest land war in Europe since World War 2.
“Putin still wrongly believes that he can outlast Ukraine. He can’t believe it’s their land, their country and their future. And even after all this time, Putin still doubts our staying power,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday in his closing remarks at this week’s NATO summit. “He’s still making a bad bet that the conviction and the unity among the United States and our allies and partners will break down.”
Tornado spotted near Chicago’s O’Hare airport
A tornado was spotted near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Wednesday night. Just behind planes on the tarmac, a funnel and dark clouds hovered in the skies, grounding nearly 700 flights as pilots waited for the powerful storm to pass through.
Homes were lost and trees and powerlines were toppled in the suburbs. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage at the airport.
Ray Epps sues Fox News over Jan. 6 charges
Among the thousands of people participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Ray Epps became the center of a conspiracy theory accusing him of being an FBI informant, at the Capitol to incite the crowd. Several Fox News hosts ran with the story, with former primetime host Tucker Carlson often questioning why Epps hadn’t been arrested when hundreds of others had.
Epps has now sued Fox News for defamation. According to the suit, Epps was informed in May of 2023 that he faces criminal charges for his actions on Jan. 6. Epps blames the charges on “the relentless attacks by Fox and Tucker Carlson and the resulting political pressure.”
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Delaware, the same court where Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox over its coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Before trial was set to begin, Fox agreed to settle that lawsuit for $787 million. Soon after, Carlson was ousted.
Hollywood actors strike looms
Hollywood actors may soon join screenwriters on the picket lines. A deadline for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) to reach a deal with studios and streaming services passed at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
The SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee then voted unanimously to recommend a strike, which would halt Hollywood productions. Issues in the negotiations include better residuals with streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon, as well as the use of AI technology.
“There are certain streamers that have really kind of changed the way we work and the way we have work,” actress Jessica Chastain said Wednesday. “And the contracts really haven’t caught up to the innovation that’s happened.”
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since early May of 2023. If the actors go on strike, it would be the first time since 1960 that the two guilds would be on strike at the same time.
Elon Musk creates new company “xAI”
Elon Musk has begun his next business venture. This time, he’s entering the space of artificial intelligence.
Musk said he built “xAI” with a goal to “understand reality and the true nature of the universe.” He hired researchers from Google, OpenAI and other top tech firms to be part of his initial xAI team.
According to Musk, xAI will be its own entity, separate from his other businesses like Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX. However, Musk also said the companies will work closely together.
Russian fighter jets harassing US military caught on camera, again: July 7 rundown
For the second day in a row, Russian fighter jets were caught on video harassing U.S. military drones in Syria, and Twitter threatened a competitor with a lawsuit. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Friday, July 7, 2023.
Russian jet drops flares in front of U.S. drone
Russian fighter jets have been caught on camera harassing U.S. military drones in Syria for the second day in a row. The Air Force released a video that shows Russian jets dropping flares in front of the drones.
According to the Pentagon, footage shows the jets flying dangerously close to the reaper drones which were carrying out an operation against Islamic State targets on the morning of Thursday, July 6. The incident is similar to one that occurred the previous day.
On Wednesday, July 5, three U.S. military drones were harassed by three Russian fighter jets in Syria. An earlier confrontation occurred in March when Russian aircraft collided with a U.S. drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea.
The U.S. has condemned Russia, calling all three incidents “unsafe and unprofessional.”
$800m aid package to Ukraine could include cluster bombs
The Biden administration is expected to announce its latest military aid package for Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, It’s expected to be worth up to $800 million dollars.
Part of the deal is expected to include cluster munitions, which is controversial because cluster bombs have a high rate of failure to explode. Some reports say the failure rate is as high as 40%.
The Pentagon refused to confirm Thursday whether the explosives would be part of the package, but said it would be helpful to Ukraine’s current counteroffensive. The latest military aid is coming from Pentagon stocks and will include armored vehicles, ammunition and rocket systems.
This $800 million package is separate from the $500 million aid package The Pentagon announced last week. More than $40 billion dollars in military aid has been sent to assist Ukraine since February of 2022.
Yellen criticizes China’s treatment of U.S. companies
Secretary of State Janet Yellen made a trip to Beijing for the better interest of American business overseas. In a meeting with some of the most powerful American companies, Yellen criticized the Chinese Communist Party for its treatment of those companies.
Yellen called new export controls on certain critical minerals. She China’s punitive actions are fueling the Biden administration’s efforts to make U.S. manufacturers less reliant on China.
This is the second high-stakes trip the Biden administration has made in the last few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping in June.
Twitter threatens to sue Meta over launch of rival Threads app
Twitter has threatened legal action over Meta’s new social media app Threads that launched Thursday. An attorney for Twitter described the newly-launched platform as a “copycat” service.
According to a letter sent to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter alleged the app was developed by former employees of Twitter and uses the company’s trade secrets. Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted “Competition is fine. Cheating is not.”
Within its first few hours of launch, Threads had more than 30 million users signed up.
FDA approves first drug shown to slow Alzheimer’s
For the first time ever, a drug meant to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s will be on the market. The FDA has approved the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi.
While other drugs targeting the symptoms of the disease have already been approved, this is the first drug that slows down cognitive decline. Scientists said patients still decline on the drug, but the onset is slowed by as much as 27%, according to clinical trial results.
Leqembi will cost $26,000 per year. Medicare is expected to broadly cover those costs.
LAEA chief reveals Fukushima water release concerns
New evidence shows some of the experts involved in the plans to release radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan may not be on board. The United Nation’s nuclear watchdog released a report Tuesday, July 4 greenlighting the plans.
However, the head of the watchdog said one or two of the experts behind the report may have had concerns about releasing the water. This could include Liu Senlin, a Chinese expert who described the report as “hasty,” saying the input from experts was limited and only used for reference.
“I heard that being said. I’m not sure to be honest that that is the case. But again, what we’ve published is scientifically impeccable,” International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Raphael Grossi said in an exclusive interview with Reuters Friday. “They often say this is one-sided. We do not take sides. I’m not on the side of Japan or on the side of China or on the side of Korea. The standards apply to all, the same way.”
Grossi toured the nuclear plant Wednesday and said he’s satisfied with the plans. He called for trust in his organization and offered to visit South Korea to address any further concerns.
Cables show State Dept. looked into COVID-19 lab leak cover-up
The non-governmental organization (NGO) U.S Right to Know released State Department cables the NGO obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
One cable from July of 2020 reads “Initial outbreak could have been contained in China if Beijing had not covered it up.”
Another cable asks the Chinese “Who ordered the cover-up?”
While China is believed to be the primary culprit behind the COVID-19 Chinese lab cover-up, the evidence shows Big Tech was involved as well. One of the fact-checkers at Facebook, which was notoriously censorious when it came to people posting about the lab leak, actually worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The question of who covered up the lab leak comes as new details have been released about COVID-19’s patients zero. Ben Hu, Ping Yu and Yan Zhu were scientists at the institute who were doing gain of function experiments when they got sick in the fall of 2019.
According to Straight Arrow News’ exclusive Media Miss tool, the patients zero details have been mostly covered on the right. Only one source on the left and one source in the center have covered this story.
United States officials are still investigating the disease’s origins. The Chinese government has refused to allow any independent investigators to look into the accusations that COVID-19 originated at the institute. This has fueled international speculation and demands for transparency.
Officials: Chinese spy balloon was able to gather intelligence in air
According to senior U.S. officials who spoke with NBC News, the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. before it was shot down in February 2023 was able to gather intelligence from several sensitive American military sites despite the Biden administration’s efforts to prevent that from happening. The balloon first entered U.S. airspace over Alaska on Jan. 28. Within the next four days, the balloon was flying over the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana where the U.S. stores some of its nuclear assets.
Reports on the spy balloon started coming out Feb. 2. The U.S. shot down the balloon two days later off the coast of South Carolina.
While it was in the air, China was able to control the balloon so it could make multiple passes over some of the military sites. The spy balloon then used electronic signals to collect intelligence, which it sent to Chinese officials back in Beijing in real time.
The officials said China could have gathered a lot more intel than it did if not for Biden administration efforts to obscure the balloon’s ability to pick up on the signals.