The World Opinion

Tag: China

  • Ministry Of National Defense Tracks 8 Chinese Military Aircraft Around Taiwan | world news

    The Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported eight Chinese military aircraft with four aircraft entering the Southwest Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near Taiwan on Thursday.

    According to MND, the aircraft were tracked between 6 am on Wednesday and 6 am on Thursday. People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aircraft did not cross the Taiwan Strait median line. On the other hand, Taiwan deployed coastal-based missiles and aircraft in response to monitor the situation.

    In a post on Recently, MND reported 6 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels with four aircraft crossing the median line and entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan MND said, “6 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

    China has increased its military activities around Taiwan by deploying aircraft and naval vessels since September 2020. China has used gray zone tactics to achieve its security objective.

    Earlier, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security conference in which he assured the public about the government’s commitment to neutralizing any threat to Taiwan’s democracy and security after China staged a large-scale military drill around the island.

    According to the Taipei Times, he responded to the warning given by China’s PLA that they would start a military drill known as “Joint Sword-2024B” in Taiwan. Taiwan has been an independent state since 1949. However, China claims Taiwan as its territory and uses military force to reunify the region.

  • China Continues Military Activity Near Taiwan: 6 Aircraft, 9 Vessels Detected | world news

    Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported Chinese military activity near the island on Tuesday and said that by 6 am (local time), six Chinese aircraft and nine naval vessels were detected in the region.

    The MND further reported that four of these aircraft crossed the median line, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

    In response, Taiwan is monitoring the situation and has responded accordingly.

    Sharing a post on We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

    Earlier, twenty-two Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected in the region, out of which sixteen crossed the median line.

    “22 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. 17 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” Taiwan MND said on X.

    Recently, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te held a high-level national security meeting in which he reassured the public of the government’s dedication to defending Taiwan’s democracy and national security following China’s large-scale military exercises around the island.

    He made his remarks in response to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) announcement of military drills, named “Joint Sword-2024B,” in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas, which were described as a “stern warning” to advocates of Taiwan independence. , according to the Taipei Times.

    Notably, the latest Chinese military action is part of tensions between Taiwan and China, with frequent military activity by Beijing around the island.

    Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

  • Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu To Visit India From October 7 | world news

    Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to visit India starting on October 7 as per sources.

    This will mark Muizzu’s first standalone bilateral visit to the country since assuming office last year.

    Recently, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Muizzu told ANI, that he is planning to visit India as soon as possible. He also praised the “very strong” bilateral relationship between the two countries.”

    “I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possible…We have a very strong bilateral relationship,” Muizzu told ANI.

    This will notably be the second time that Muizzu is visiting India this year after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this June.

    It is pertinent to note that earlier almost every Maldivian President used to make his first foreign visit to India, but Muizzu changed the trend by first visiting Turkiye and then China, after assuming office.

    The Mohamed Muizzu government in the Maldives took a conciliatory tone after ties with India soured, leading to a diplomatic row.

    Since coming to power, Muizzu has taken several steps that have been unconventional from the point of view of India-Maldives ties. He ran his entire presidential campaign on the lines of ‘India Out’. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu’s party.

  • India To Maintain Forward Post Deployment Against China During Winters As Differences Persists: Report |

    India and China recently agreed to pull back their forces from some points. However, the political-level talks and the military-level talks appear to be the two sides of a coin. According to a report, the Indian Army has decided to continue its forward post-deployment against China on key LAC points in Sikkim, eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh for the fifth successive winter. India has so far avoided falling into China’s trap of the waiting game and maintaining its strategic troops deployment has deprived the PLA from making any further unjust advancements. 

    A Time of India report said that the Indian Army will go full-throttle with its troop deployment along the harsh LAC terrains as the ‘trust deficit’ on the border with PLA leadership remains high. The report said that while there are signs of narrowing differences at the political level, but the same is yet to have a trickle-down effect at the military levels.

    Why The Trust Deficit

    According to various recent reports and satellite images, China has continued to build permanent military infrastructure as well as bridges on its side of the LAC including in the Indian areas in its occupancy since 1962 and before. This has sent alarm bells ringing into the rank and files of the Indian defence establishment. The reports also claimed that China continues to deploy more forces on its forward military positions along the 3,488-km LAC. It shows that despite the political level talks, the PLA is not returning to its peacetime locations.

    According to the report, Indian Army General Upendra Dwivedi and the commanders-in-chief of the seven army commands will review the operational situation and preparedness along the LAC in the second week of October.

    What India Wants

    India is keeping a close eye on every development taking place on the Chinese side of the LAC. India feels that the first step of de-escalation will begin only if China disengages from the Depsang and Demchok points. Due to confrontations at Depsang and Demchok and the creation of buffer zones at  Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso-Kailash Range and Gogra-Hot Springs have resulted in a situation where Indian troops are not able to access 26 of their 65 patrolling points between Karakoram Pass in the north and Chumar in eastern Ladakh, reported TOI.

  • Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Plan To Hold Talks Soon, Says White House world news

    The United States and China are planning a phone call between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping “in the coming weeks”, the White House said on Thursday.

    The call, likely to be held prior to the US presidential elections this November, was discussed between Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their two-day meeting in Yanqi Lake, Beijing on August 27–28.

    The White House also said the two countries will also aim to organize a phone conversation between military theater commanders “in the near future.”

    The two leaders had met in California in November 2023 termed as the Woodside Summit.

    During Sullivan and Wang’s meeting, the two sides held candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.

    Sullivan and Wang noted the importance of the strategic channel of communication over the past 18 months and committed to maintaining high-level diplomacy and working level consultations on an ongoing basis, the White House said.

    The two also discussed progress and next steps on implementation of the Woodside Summit commitments, including counternarcotics, military-to-military communications, and Artificial Intelligence safety and risk. The top US and Chinese diplomats discussed next steps to reduce the flow of illicit synthetic drugs, continue repatriation of undocumented migrants, and law enforcement cooperation.

    They also underlined the importance of concrete steps to tackle the climate crisis and welcomed further discussions during Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta’s upcoming trip to China.

    Sullivan emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced US technologies from being used to undermine its national security, without unduly limiting trade or investment.

    The US National Security Advisor in his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister also raised continued concerns about China’s unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices.

    Sullivan reiterated that it remains a top priority to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China. He also underlined the long-standing US commitment to universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, the White House stated.

    Sullivan’s visit was the fifth time that the US NSA and Wang were holding strategic talks since May 2023 and the first time US National Security Advisor to visit China in eight years.

    Sullivan underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and emphasized concerns about Chinese support for Russia’s defense industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security.

    Sullivan reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defending its Indo-Pacific allies and expressed concern about Chinese destabilizing actions against “lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea.” The two sides also discussed shared concerns about the North Korea, Myanmar and West Asia.

    Meanwhile, Sullivan on August 29 met with General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and stressed that both countries have a responsibility to prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation, according to a read out from the White House. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of regular military-to-military communications as part of efforts to maintain high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication, as directed by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the November 2023 Woodside Summit.

    Both Sullivan and Zhang recognized the progress in sustained, regular military-military communications over the past ten months and planned to hold a theater commander telephone call in the near future, the White House said. Sullivan also raised the importance of cross-Strait peace and stability, the US commitment to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, concerns about Chinese support for Russia’s defense industrial base, the need to avoid miscalculation and escalation in cyber space, and ongoing efforts. to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.

  • Taiwan Reports Chinese Military Activity Near Its Territory, Detects 17 PLA Aircraft, 11 Naval Vessels | world news

    TAIPEI: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has reported Chinese military activity near its territory. Taiwan MND said that 17 Chinese military aircraft and 11 naval vessels were operating near Taiwan from 6 am (local time) on Thursday to 6 am (local time) on Friday. Of the 17 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 14 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan’s MND. In response to China’s action, Taiwan sent aircraft, and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

    In a post on monitored the situation and responded accordingly.” Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that 29 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected operating around the nation from 6 am (local time) on Tuesday to 6 am (local time) on Wednesday.

    Of the 29 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwest, and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor China’s military activity.

    In a post on We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

    This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ and military exercises near the island. The Taiwan Strait, separating Taiwan from mainland China, has been a frequent area of ​​contention, with Beijing considering Taiwan as its part and insisting on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

    On July 30, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te accused the Chinese government of misinterpreting a United Nations resolution to justify its military activities against Taiwan, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported. He condemned China for its inaccurate interpretation of UN Resolution 2758, including drawing an inappropriate linkage to its “One China” principle.

    While addressing the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) in Taipei on Tuesday, Lai said that this move is aimed to not only “construct a legal basis for China’s military aggression against Taiwan” but also to obstruct Taiwan’s efforts to participate in international organizations.

    According to CNA report, China claims that the UN resolution confirmed its one-China principle, which implies that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China.

  • Here’s Why This Country Was Unaffected By Microsoft Outage Triggered By CrowdStrike? ,

    New Delhi: A global outage at Microsoft has affected almost all sectors, including finance (stock market, banks, and NBFCs), public transport, aviation, businesses, media, and hospitality. Many computers crashed with a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. This outage was mainly due to a problem with CrowdStrike, which caused Microsoft systems to fail to boot correctly.

    However, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, China was mostly unaffected by the outage. The country’s airlines and banks were not impacted by the tech glitch, and operations at Beijing’s airports remained normal, according to Chinese state media.

    Why was China less affected?

    China’s minimal impact from the global outage is largely because of its reduced reliance on foreign service providers for cybersecurity and operations. The country has actively worked to decrease the use of foreign systems and hardware in its sectors. This strategy is the main reason why China experienced much less disruption compared to the United States, Europe, and parts of South Asia.

    Chinese Tech Infrastructure Stays Strong

    Reports indicate that while foreign businesses and hotel chains in China were affected by the outage, most of China’s infrastructure and institutions were not. Airports in neighboring countries like India, Nepal, and Pakistan faced operational issues, but Beijing and Shanghai airports functioned normally. This contrast is notable as advanced airports in the UK and US were significantly impacted by the outage.

    What is CrowdStrike?

    CrowdStrike is a global security software provider, serving numerous Fortune 500 companies, including major banks, healthcare, and energy firms. Affected systems often display the Blue Screen of Death and fail to restart properly. Founded in 2011 and based in Austin, Texas, CrowdStrike operates in over 170 countries and employed more than 7,900 people as of January.

    What is blue screen of death?

    The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) appears when the Windows operating system encounters a critical error and crashes. While the BSOD signifies that Windows has reached an unstable state and can’t continue running safely, it is frequently triggered by relatively minor issues that can be resolved easily.

  • Could China’s Growing Nuclear Arsenal Become a Concern for Other Countries? ,

    SOLNA: The Chinese nuclear arsenal has increased from 410 warheads to 500 warheads within a year, claimed The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its 55th yearbook 2024. SIPRI, an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament in its report stated that “the estimated size of China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, and it is expected to keep growing.”

    It further mentioned that for the first time, China may also now be deploying a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime. Depending on how it decides to structure its forces, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either Russia or the USA by the turn of the decade.

    ‘China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, but in nearly all of the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces.” stated, Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI, Hans M. Kristensen.

    China is likely to have a significantly smaller total nuclear weapons arsenal than either the United States or Russia, but due to its rapid deployment, it may eventually catch up to them in terms of active armament in the years to come, according to SIPRI.

    According to SIPRI, there are over 2,100 nuclear missiles that are thought to be in use and under control at any given time, practically all of which are possessed by the United States or Russia.

    China is increasing its weapons at a time when tensions across the world are rising due to the hostilities in Taiwan and the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. China has been holding more military exercises close to Taiwan in the past year, which some observers interpret as preparation for an invasion of the disputed territory, The Hill reported.

    According to SIPRI, the majority of nations are expanding or modernising their stockpiles at the same time as the nuclear buildup. According to the institute, Israel, which does not formally recognise that it possesses nuclear weapons, is said to have moved to modernise its stockpile, while North Korea, France, and India have taken steps to increase their armaments in the past year.

  • China Blames Philippines For Ship Collision In South China Sea; Manila Reacts |

    TAIPEI: A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, China’s coast guard said, in the latest flare-up of escalating territorial disputes that have sparked alarm. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, part of a territory claimed by several nations.

    The Philippines says the shoal falls within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidating China’s expansive South China Sea claims based on historical grounds. The Chinese coast guard said the Philippine craft “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings … and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision.” “The Philippines is entirely responsible for this,” the Coast Guard said in its statement on the social media platform WeChat.

    Meanwhile, the Philippine military called the Chinese coast guard’s report “deceptive and misleading,” and said it would “not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our exclusive economic zone.” It used the Philippine name for the shoal, where Filipino navy personnel have transported food, medicine and other supplies to a long-grounded warship that has served as Manila’s territorial outpost.

    “We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China coast guard,” military spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said. “The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights.” “The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region,” Trinidad said.

    Two speedboats — attempting to deliver construction materials and other supplies to a military vessel stationed at the shoal — accompanied the supply ship, according to China’s Foreign Ministry, which described its coast guard’s maneuver as “professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful.” The Foreign Ministry did not expand on the extent of the damage to the Chinese or Philippine vessels.

    Several incidents have happened in recent months near the shoal which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from The Philippines coast and where it maintains an outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, which had been encrusted with rust since it was deliberately grounded in 1999 but remains an actively commissioned military vessel, meaning an attack on it could be considered by the Philippines as an act of war.

    China has increasingly become assertive in pressing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which has led to a rising number of direct conflicts with other countries in the region, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. A new law by China, which took effect Saturday, authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships “that illegally enter China’s territorial waters” and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law renewed a reference to 2021 legislation that says China’s coast guard can fire upon foreign ships if necessary.

    At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters — the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan — have said they would not recognize the law. The territorial disputes have strained relations and sparked fears the conflict could bring China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, into a military confrontation. Washington lays no territorial claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

    Aside from China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are also involved in the long-seeing territorial disputes, which are regarded as a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the longstanding US-China rivalry in the region. Indonesia has also confronted Chinese coast guard and fishing fleets in the past in the gas-rich waters off the Natuna islands in the fringes of the South China Sea where it blew Chinese fishing boats it had taken under custody. Its navy also fired warning shots at Chinese vessels straying into what Jakarta regards as its exclusive economic zone.

  • G7 Summit 2024: World leaders accuse China of ‘enabling’ Russian war in Ukraine |

    New Delhi: In a significant escalation of diplomatic rhetoric, the Group of Seven (G7) leaders stand strongly against Beijing and warned China to stop sending weapons components to Russia against the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Global leaders asked China to follow the world trade rules.

    As the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Italy concluded successfully, the world leaders warned China and said that their support for Russia is enabling its war in Ukraine, CNN reported.

    According to Al Jazeera, the United States is increasing its diplomatic efforts to persuade Europe to take a firmer position on China regarding its support for Russia’s military-industrial complex.

    This steps out after the United States increased its diplomatic efforts to convince Europe to adopt a tougher stance on China regarding its support for Russia’s military-industrial complex, as reported by Al Jazeera.

    “China’s ongoing support for Russia’s defence industrial base is enabling Russia to maintain its illegal war in Ukraine and has significant and broad-based security implications,” the G7 leaders said, ANI reported.

    The world leaders took a call on China to cease the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components and equipment, that are major inputs for Russia’s defence sector.

    The leaders also warned further actions including sanctions to punish Chinese entities that they say are helping Russia circumvent Western embargoes.

    “We will continue taking measures against actors in China and third countries that materially support Russia’s war machine, including financial institutions, consistent with our legal systems, and other entities in China that facilitate Russia’s acquisition of items for its defence industrial base,” the joint statement read, as per ANI reports.

    Earlier, American officials have accused China of helping Russia to expand military manufacturing which includes the exports of semiconductors, materials and machine tools they say are enabling Moscow to ramp up production of tanks, munitions and armoured vehicles, Al Jazeera reported.

    Beijing refuted the allegation and said that it has not provided weapons to either side and maintains tight export controls on dual-use goods.