NEWS that caught our eye / May 21-27
Each week 316NOW compiles news about China that caught our attention. Tap here to see those archives.
Leaked audio clip reveals China's plan to invade Taiwan / May 24, 2022
A leaked audio clip purportedly featuring the Chinese Communist Party's top brass contains a discussion of military plans for a Taiwan invasion. The Times Of India has reported the clip is genuine based on the expert analysis of the YouTube channel of Lude Media. The discussion included the use of 140,000 soldiers and 953 ships.
China's military must be able to destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites / May 25, 2022
Chinese military researchers say the country needs to be able to disable or destroy SpaceX’s Starlink satellites if they threaten national security.
Germany, Britain, and US press China over Xinjiang human rights abuse / May 24, 2022
Top German and British diplomats have called for an investigation into fresh reports of alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang just as United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet begins a trip to the region.
Scientists discover an ancient forest inside a giant sinkhole in China / May 20, 2022
Cave explorers stumbled upon a prehistoric forest at the bottom of a giant sinkhole in South China earlier this month. At 630 feet deep, the sinkhole would hide the Washington Monument and then some. The bottom of the pit holds an ancient forest spanning nearly three football fields in length, with trees towering over 100 feet high. And according to the Chinese government, it is one of 30 enormous sinkholes in the county.
Biden says the U.S. would be willing to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan / May 23, 2022
President Biden said Monday that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by mainland China, while insisting that America's policy toward the island had not changed.
Is Biden Missing a Chance to Engage China? / May 23, 2022
In this opinion piece, Michael Hirsh, a senior correspondent at Foreign Policy, suggests both China and the U.S. have an opportunity to develop a closer relationship. That would benefit both nations and the planet.
China improves on human rights / May 22, 2022
According to Xinhua, an official Chinese news source, China has made remarkable achievements in respecting and protecting human rights in various aspects over the past few years. China has prioritized the rights to subsistence and development, as well as people’s health.
IPEF to counter Chinese influence / May 23, 2022
President Joe Biden launched a new Asia-Pacific trade initiative with 13 countries signing up. The initiative is named the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity or IPEF. The thirteen nations that have agreed to the framework are the United States, Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The framework foresees integrating partners through agreed standards in four main areas: the digital economy, supply chains, clean energy infrastructure and anti-corruption measures. The agreement creates a trade bloc that will help blunt the economic influence of China.
US plan for anti-China alliance set for failure (China Daily) / May 23, 2022
Text of the INDO- PACIFIC STRATEGY OF THE US / presented on May 23, 2002
Goals include: Drive new resources to the Indo-Pacific, Lead in an Indo-Pacific economic framework, Reinforce deterrence, and Partner to build resilience in the Pacific Islands
China visits Pacific Islands / May 24, 2022
Chinese Foreign Minister WangYi starts a 10-day, eight-country diplomatic sweep of the Pacific Islands today in a Chinese counter-offensive to Biden’s two weeks of Asia-focused diplomacy.