China rammed, fired water cannon at Philippines’ ships
The Chinese military is nothing if not consistent. Vessels from the Chinese coast guard are harassing Filipino fishermen and marines in disputed waters in the South China Sea at a rate of about twice a month since August.
The Chinese ships are working to stop Filipino vessels from reaching destinations in the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands. Both areas are within the Filipino exclusive economic zone, but China still claims it all as its own — including the Second Thomas Shoal, which Filipinos call the Ayungin Shoal.
In 1999, the Philippines intentionally ran aground the BRP Sierra Madre at the shoal. The Sierra Madre is an old World War II era ship, and the heaping pile of rusting steel now serves as the physical embodiment of the Philippines’ claim to the region. The Philippines keeps a contingent of marines at the outpost — marines who need to be resupplied with food and other equipment. It’s these resupply missions that China is targeting.
In the last few months, the Philippines said Chinese vessels rammed civilian Filipino fishing boats and military craft. China is also accused of using high-grade lasers against Filipino ships and, most recently, employed a water cannon so powerful it disabled a Philippine coast guard vessel’s engine and almost caused the craft to capsize. China’s attempt to stop the resupply mission failed, though. Despite being rammed by a Chinese vessel, a Philippine ship managed to reach the Sierra Madre, where supplies were unloaded and marines rotated.
China claimed its ships warned the Philippine vessel several times that it was trespassing in Chinese waters without authorization. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea is now openly questioning whether China really has the goodwill or intention to resolve disputes diplomatically in the South China Sea.
The United Nations and most of the industrialized world said China’s territorial claims to the Second Thomas Shoal aren’t legal, binding or based in reality.
Over the last couple of decades, the People’s Republic of China committed itself to competing with the United States on the global stage, including militarily. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) — the official name of the Chinese navy — is now the world’s largest in terms of hulls. China wants to increase the PLAN’s area of influence or control around the world. To do that, the PLAN needs to first control the waters closest to home.
The Philippines does enjoy the benefits of a military defensive aid agreement with the United States. It means if the Chinese military launches an attack against the Philippines, the U.S. would be obligated to defend its ally.
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.
Filipino coast guard builds station in contested South China Sea
The Philippines has constructed a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea. The move aims to enhance the coast guard’s ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy, disputed waterway.
The Philippines, which controls nine features in the South China Sea, accuses China of aggression and “swarming” by fishing vessels it deems as militia, especially around Thitu Island. China maintains that its coast guard is safeguarding its territory.
As tension mounts over territorial claims in the area, the Philippine coast guard spotted a Chinese navy ship and dozens of militia vessels around the island.
“The behavior of the Chinese coast guard, People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA), and Chinese militias is sometimes unpredictable,” said Eduardo Ano, a Philippine national security adviser. “They do not adhere to the international order, to the rule of law.”
AP Images
China’s Foreign Ministry asserted Beijing’s claim over Thitu Island in October, stating, “Zhongye Island (Thitu Island) is Chinese territory, and the Philippine side’s illegal occupation of Zhongye Island has seriously violated China’s sovereignty. It is reasonable and lawful for Chinese warships to patrol the waters near Zhongye Island.”
Meanwhile, encounters are increasing as the Philippines ramp up naval drills with the U.S., Japan, and Australia.
“The circling happened for about 15 minutes, and our aircraft were able to finish their mission,” said AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. “They finished the maritime air patrol in the area of the West Philippine Sea without any untoward incident.”
Australia accused the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo of injuring Australian navy divers with sonar pulses in Japanese waters on Nov. 14. Australia said China disregarded a safety warning to keep away from the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba.
“We do urge the Australian government and also the military to act with great prudence in this area,” Liu said at the University of Technology Sydney. “Such a small incident could really escalate if it’s not properly managed.”
China’s not-so-secret base in Cambodia is bigger than we thought
The People’s Republic of China is building a naval base in Ream, Cambodia. Both governments said the Chinese navy won’t operate out of the base, but that argument doesn’t really hold water.
***BREAKING***#Chinese Navy’s Suspected New Overseas Base Cambodia Now Even Larger, dry dock on reclaimed land
New analysis of satellite imagery by Naval News shows the addition of a very large main pier at the Ream Naval Base, and what appear to be new dry dock facilities. The dry dock operations are being built on what’s known as reclaimed land. Both structures show the base is bigger than what was previously known.
The pier is big enough to accommodate a Chinese aircraft carrier. It also bears a striking resemblance to the pier at the People’s Republic of China’s only other overseas naval base in Djibouti. The dry dock facilities will give the People’s Liberation Army Navy a place to make repairs on ships, should they become damaged during operations in the South China Sea or Bay of Thailand. The war in Ukraine is showing the importance dry dock facilities play when fleets come under enemy fire.
As noted above, the Cambodian and Chinese governments maintain the Ream Naval Base is being built for Cambodia’s navy to eventually use, but Cambodia’s navy is small. It barely has enough ships big enough to need anything like what’s being built in Ream.
Given the size of the base, the speed at which it’s being built, and the capabilities the base will provide, the consensus in Western intelligence circles is that Ream will absolutely be used by the Chinese navy, and will provide Beijing with another strategic foothold near the South China Sea.
China spent most of the last decade beefing up its naval power and force posture, which included the construction of man-made islands through a process called reclamation. In 2022, U.S. Navy Adm. and Indo-Pacific Cmdr. John Aquilino said China completely militarized three islands in the South China Sea.
“I think over the past 20 years, we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the [People’s Republic of China],” Aquilino said. “They advanced all their capabilities, and that buildup of weaponization is destabilizing to the region.”
China’s navy, officially called the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), is the world’s largest in terms of number of ships. It’s also getting bigger every year. However, the PLAN doesn’t have enough bases overseas to truly call itself a global naval power. At least not yet.
China’s first overseas base is in Djibouti, near the Horn of Africa. The Ream Naval Base will be China’s second overseas installation. Located east of the Indian Ocean, the Ream base is strategically important to China. Each year, more than $3.3 trillion worth of goods, or just over 20% of global trade, transits the South China Sea.
If a conflict did erupt between China and the United States over trade routes or Taiwan, China’s building of a military base in a foreign country presents new challenges for the U.S. as well. A strike on Ream wouldn’t just be a strike on Chinese forces; it would be a strike inside Cambodian territory, as well.
The work at the Ream Naval Base is evident of improved relations between China and Cambodia. The two nations also recently began conducting joint military exercises again. Earlier this year, Cambodia’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn said China is the most important economic and trade partner for Asian countries.
U.S. officials said the Chinese pilot “flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner,” and “demonstrated poor airmanship” as he flew his J-11 jet within 10 feet of the B-52 bomber, which was conducting routine nighttime operations.
“During the night time intercept, the PRC pilot flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision,” An Indo-Pacific Command release read. “We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision”
Earlier this month, the Pentagon said the U.S. has seen more instances of “coercive and risky operational behavior” by Chinese pilots over the East and South China Seas in the past two years than in the entire decade before that.
Since the fall of 2021 the U.S. military said there have been more than 180 such interactions between Chinese and U.S. aircraft. On Oct. 17, the Pentagon released photos and videos of some of the nearly 200 incidents ahead of the military’s annual report on China’s military powers and the threats posed to allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
News of this latest incident comes as President Biden is expected to meet with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at the White House Friday, Oct. 27.
US strikes back at Iran-linked groups in Syria after troops attacked: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 27, 2023
The United States carries out airstrikes on Iranian-backed groups in Syria after attacks on U.S. troops. And a new Democratic candidate steps forward to challenge President Biden in 2024. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.
US strikes against Iranian-backed groups in Syria after troops attacked
The United States has carried out airstrikes in Eastern Syria on two facilities associated with Iranian-backed militant groups believed to be responsible for 19 rocket and drone attacks over the past week against U.S. personnel.
According to the Pentagon, the U.S. airstrikes in Syria were at President Biden’s direction, with two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets striking two facilities, a weapon storage area and an ammunition storage area, used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups.
“These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on Oct. 17,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Thursday night, Oct. 26.
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Austin added that these Iranian-backed attacks on U.S. forces are “unacceptable and must stop.”
U.S. officials said America’s response in Syria was not related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. They were about protecting U.S. troops.
The U.S. military has deployed two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to show its support for Israel and to deter Iran or the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon from getting involved in the conflict.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about the U.S. not wanting the war to spread while letting Iran know it will defend itself.
“The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen,” Blinken said. “But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: we will defend our people, we will defend our security, swiftly and decisively.”
The Pentagon said all U.S. troops injured in the attacks by the Iranian-backed groups have returned to duty. There are approximately 900 U.S. troops stationed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq.
Chinese fighter jet nearly collides with us B-52 bomber
The U.S. released a video of the near-collision on social media on Thursday, Oct. 26.
U.S. officials said the Chinese pilot “flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner” and “demonstrated poor airmanship” as he flew his J-11 jet within 10 feet of the B-52 bomber, which was conducting routine nighttime operations.
The Pentagon said the Chinese fighter jet’s intercept “violated international air safety rules.”
News of this latest incident comes as President Biden is expected to meet with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at the White House Friday, Oct. 27.
Manhunt continues for Maine mass shooting suspect
The search continues this morning for the suspect in a mass shooting in Maine that killed 18 people and injured 13 others.
The multistate manhunt is underway for Robert Card, 40, accused of opening fire at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
THREAD: In response to the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, Troopers from the New Hampshire State Police have responded to assist our law enforcement partners.
➡️The SWAT team is assisting the Maine State Police SWAT team with ground searches throughout the area. pic.twitter.com/vmE5jv5Mjf
Residents of Lewiston and surrounding towns are being told to shelter in place.
Card is a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army Reserve and is considered to be armed and dangerous.
Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips announces bid for White House
A new candidate has entered the 2024 presidential election race and is challenging President Biden for the Democratic nomination. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., announced his White House bid in an interview with CBS on Thursday, Oct. 26.
BREAKING: Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is running for president, challenging Pres. Biden in the Democratic primary race.
Phillips has been a loud critic of Biden’s re-election efforts, calling on other, younger Democrats to step up to run against and replace the 80-year-old president.
“My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch,” Phillips said in a “Meet the Press” interview in August 2023.
Earlier this month, Phillips stepped down from his leadership role as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Caucus after unsuccessfully calling on younger Democrats to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination.
According to a recent CNN poll, two-thirds of Democrats agree with Phillips, wanting the party to choose another candidate besides Biden, with nearly half citing Biden’s age as the main concern.
Though the White House has not commented on Phillips’ announcement, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to reports of Phillips joining the race by saying the administration appreciates the congressman’s “almost 100% support of the president.”
Toyota recalls more than 750,000 vehicles over bumpers
According to the automaker, the recall covers certain Toyota Highlanders from 2020 to 2023, including gas-electric hybrid models.
According to Toyota, the vehicles have front lower bumper covers connected with mounting tabs that could detach on even minor impacts, causing parts of the assembly to fall into the road and creating hazardous conditions for drivers.
Dealers will inspect the bumper cover tabs for damage and install new hardware. Toyota said it will contact all owners affected by the recall by December 2023.
The track, titled “Now and Then,” was written and sung by John Lennon in the 70s, with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison working on the song again in the 90s.
But because of technological issues on the recorded track, where Lennon’s voice could not be separated from a piano, it was shelved for decades. The song needed help. Fast forward down the long and winding road to last year when director Peter Jackson and his team would not let it be, using artificial intelligence to hear Lennon’s clear vocals.
“In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s quite an exciting thing,” McCartney said in a press release.
“Now and Then” will be released across the universe on Nov. 2. A 12-minute documentary film will premiere the day before on The Beatles’ YouTube channel, where fans will come together to watch.
US plan to counter China, North Korea includes Ghost Ships, B-52
Whether by sea, air or land, the United States and its allies in the Pacific are going to great lengths to deter China and North Korea from upsetting the balance of power in the region. A large part of the strategy against China involves using unmanned vehicles, including what the Navy calls Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs. The U.S. Navy now has two multi-role USVs at a base in Japan: the Mariner and the Ranger.
🌊 USV's conduct a replenishment-at-sea ⚓
The unmanned surface vessel (USV) Mariner and the USV Ranger maneuver in the Pacific Ocean during Integrated Battle Problem. pic.twitter.com/qo13MM1nBr
Both vessels are part of the Navy’s Ghost Fleet Overlord program. The experimental USVs were originally designed to be transport ships, but were then outfitted with different radars, sensors, and other tech to help the Navy determine the best way to integrate autonomous surface vessels into its fleet.
Both the Mariner and Ranger recently participated in several military drills, including Large Scale Exercise 2023. The Mariner is the newer of the two USVs. The 194-foot-long vessel uses five 2,000-horsepower diesel engines that drive five water jets.
Redundancy on unmanned vessels is more important than crewed ships. So, the USVs have three generators on board, one of which is dedicated to providing power to the ship’s payload.
Both the Mariner and Ranger use the Navy’s Aegis Combat System. They can link to other Aegis-enabled ships in the fleet and can also act as a mothership for other USVs. And there’s enough deck space to mount all sorts of launchers, lasers and other naval weaponry.
Now in the Pacific, the Mariner and Ranger are what’s known as “force multipliers.” Two USVs paired with one guided missile destroyer, for example, will give the Navy the same surface posture as three guided missile destroyers, but at a fraction of the price, both in terms of dollars and manpower.
Most of the two ghost ships’ operational capacity in Japan is classified, but one analyst interviewed by the South China Morning Post said the boats are loaded with combinable weapons modules like the Navy’s Standard Missile-6, which are good for air defense, downing ballistic missiles, and even taking out other enemy surface vessels.
However, Japan, like the U.S., understands that countering China will take more than sea power. It will likely include countering China’s regional allies as well. To further that mission, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force teamed with the air forces from the U.S. and South Korea to hold the first-ever joint exercises between the three nations.
The exercises were held near the Korean Peninsula and involved fighters from all three countries, as well as a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber. B-52s can carry nuclear weapons and are a part of the U.S. triad of strategic nuclear deterrence. A B-52 landing in South Korea is rare, and it’s an obvious show of force to North Korea and China that the interoperability between the U.S. and its Pacific allies is growing.
And in one of the most tangible signs of that growing interoperability, the U.S. Army is now keeping three company sets of equipment in Australia. Defense News reported the sets are prepositioned stock, so it’s equipment kept in a high state of readiness in case it needs to be used quickly.
The goodwill generated during Talisman Sabre 2023 made it possible for the Army to keep equipment in Australia. The Army hopes the same practice can be duplicated with other allies in the Pacific.
Taiwan’s punching Pooh badge goes viral amid military drills
As China wrapped up three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan, unofficial air force badges depicting a black bear sucker-punching Winnie the Pooh have gone viral. Pooh has often been used in popular memes to symbolize China’s President Xi Jinping and the badge seemingly represents a symbol of Taiwan’s resistance against China’s recent aggressions.
China’s military declared Monday, April 10, it is “ready to fight” after completing drills that simulated sealing off the island, as reported by The Associated Press.
The exercises this time have focused more on air strength, with Taiwan reporting more than 200 flights by Chinese warplanes over the course of the three days. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, citing the People’s Liberation Army, said the exercises simulated “waves of simulated strikes” at important targets on the island.
China’s exercises were in response to Taiwan’s president visiting the U.S. the week prior, which Beijing condemned.
China wants to regain control of Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province that separated from China in 1949. However, Taiwan views itself as a self-ruled island and currently has its own government and constitution.
The U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwanese sovereignty. However, joint military drills nearby stirred tensions as American and Filipino forces held their largest war drills in decades near the highly disputed South China Sea. In March, China’s military said that the USS Milius, a guided missile destroyer, had “illegally intruded into China’s Xisha territorial waters without the approval of the Chinese government.” Beijing added the move threatened the “peace and stability of the South China Sea region.”
According to U.S. intelligence, China has instructed its military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan. Meanwhile, the U.S. is expanding its presence by gaining access to new military camps in the Philippines, some of which lay right across from Taiwan.
The White House says the objects in the sky were not aliens
China’s foreign minister accused the U.S. of having flown high-altitude balloons into China’s airspace 10 times since the beginning of last year. But National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that’s not true.
“There is no U.S. surveillance aircraft over airspace,” Kirby said.
The former navy admiral gave the same answer when asked if that includes areas China claims as its own like Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The military is still working to recover the balloon in South Carolina, and the objects in Alaska and Lake Huron. Winter conditions are making it more difficult, and the object in Lake Huron likely fell in deep water.
The government is working to find out exactly what the objects are and what they can do.
“We assessed that at this time, these balloons have provided limited additive capabilities to the PRC’s other intelligence platforms used over the United States. But in the future, if the PRC continues to advance this technology, it certainly could become more valuable to them,” Kirby said.
President Biden was briefed in June that these objects are a worldwide phenomenon. The Biden administration is taking credit for discovering the objects and balloons despite the fact that the Chinese program was ongoing during the Trump administration.
Kirby said there are no active objects or balloons flying over the U.S. Monday. But to increase security, the military enhanced its radar system so it can pick up slow speed, high-altitude objects. He said even objects with payloads the size of school buses were not picked up by previous administrations.
While officials are still trying to figure out what the objects are exactly, and where those objects are from, they can at least narrow it down to Earth.
“I don’t think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these craft,” Kirby said.
The Biden administration received bipartisan criticism for allowing the spy balloon to fly over the country, including over sensitive military bases.
“The Chinese Communist Party is testing us,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., “And we did not rise to the challenge.”
The administration said it will continue to brief members of Congress and state governors.
Chinese jet, US Air Force plane nearly collide over South China Sea
A Chinese jet fighter came within 20 feet of a U.S. Air Force plane flying over the South China Sea. The Air Force said if its pilot didn’t take evasive actions, the planes would have collided.
In a video released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-11 can be seen flying dangerously close to the front of a U.S. Air Force RC-135. Indo-Pacific Command said the Air Force plane in the video, which was shot on Dec. 21, was lawfully conducting routine operations in international air space. The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft.
Had the planes collided, it no doubt would have sparked an international incident similar to a 2001 air collision that left one Chinese pilot dead.
China is known to challenge or harass military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies in and over open waters. China is especially protective of the strategically vital South China Sea. China claims the area as its own. The U.S. is content with ignoring that claim.
A statement from the Indo-Pacific command said, “The U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail, and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law.”
“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” it continued.
There’s good reason for the U.S. to have intelligence assets in the region to keep an eye on China. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent saber-rattling regarding Taiwan is only inflaming tensions. And despite promises from Xi saying he would not install military bases in contested waters, in spring 2022, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said China fully militarized at least three islands in the South China Sea.
