European Values think tank communist-watch program to open Taipei Office

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, Chinese Communist Party, Czech Republic, united front

The Czech think tank, European Values Center for Security Policy (EVC), will open an office in Taipei later this year, as part of its Red Watch Program, according to a press release issued today, April 20. The Taipei Office of the Red Watch Program will focus on monitoring Chinese influence operations. EVC signed a partnership agreement with Taiwan’s representative Ke Liang-Ruey at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague today. The EVC press release referred to Ke as “The

Jónas Haraldsson speaks to media about his blacklisting by Chinese Communist Party government

International

April 18, 2021April 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, Chinese Communist Party

The government of the People’s Republic of China has blacklisted an individual from Iceland, after the island nation joined the European Union in sanctioning Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang Province, international news agencies are reporting, and the individual has been identified as a retired lawyer who wrote “negative” articles about the communist regime, according to the Icelandic press. “Beijing has sanctioned an individual from Iceland”, China’s embassy in Reykjavik announced, Friday, April 16, after Iceland joined the

A military officer trains high school students in china

International

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment China, China expansionism, Chinese Communist Party

The Communist Party of China today ordered military training for high school students to be increased to a minimum of 56 class hours from August 1, 2021, with the goal of “strengthening the building of the national defense reserve force.” The National Defense Mobilization Department of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and the Ministry of Education released the “Syllabus for Military Training for High School Students,” today, April 13. The syllabus will be implemented from

Hong Kong journalist Yvonne Tong and WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward interview March 2020

Media Issues Regional

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment China expansionism, Hong Kong, World Health Organisation, Yvonne Tong

The host of an English language news and current affairs program on Hong Kong’s public broadcasting service who questioned a WHO bureaucrat about Taiwan’s lack of membership in the organization has resigned, according to reports including Hong Kong Media outlet The Standard, March 12. The host of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) program The Pulse, Yvonne Tong, had been dogged by pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) organizations since asking assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, Bruce Aylward, whether WHO would

USS Theodore exercises in the South China Sea

Military Affairs

April 8, 2021April 8, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment air-force, China expansionism, PLA, US-navy

US and Chinese military activity around Taiwan intensified April 7, with a US aircraft carrier group exercising in the South China Sea, a Chinese aircraft carrier group operating in waters east of Taiwan, a US destroyer transiting the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan fighters scrambled against 15 Chinese aircraft entering Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, accompanied by a type 055 destroyer, two type 052 destroyers, a type 054 frigate, and a supply ship sailed though

International

March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism

China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi took to the big screen, rather than the usual podium to speak to the media, yesterday, in a scene reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984. The 3:00 pm press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was held “in line with COVID-19 containment measures,” according to official speak. China’s Foreign Minister appeared larger-than-life on multiple screens at the venue, spookily akin to Orwell’s fictional character “Big Brother.” The biggest highlight

Jean-Baptiste Auguste Leloir painting Homère, 1841

International

February 11, 2021February 25, 2021 Phillip Charlier 50 Comments China expansionism, made in china, propaganda

A Chinese professor claims that the Egyptian pyramids, the Parthenon, and other remnants of ancient civilizations in the West, were all faked by Western scholars in order to fabricate an ancient history, and diminish the glory of China. Hong Kong News outlet Hong Kong 01 is just one of many Chinese language media who reported on the farcical claims after Professor Huang Heqing broadcast one of his lectures live to the internet recently. While ultranationalist conspiracy theories are not rare

Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific

Military Affairs

January 13, 2021January 14, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Asia Pacific, China expansionism, defense, USA-Taiwan

The surprise declassification of the U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific has revealed that the current US national defense policy for the Asia-Pacific region includes a commitment to developing a defense strategy capable of denying China air and sea dominance inside the “first island chain,” and “defending the first-island-chain nations, including Taiwan.” The previously classified “secret” and “not for foreign nationals” document was developed in 2017, and has guided the Trump administration since 2018. The document was officially declassified last

WION's Palki Sharma interviews Joseph Wu, Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs

International Relations

October 24, 2020October 24, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, foreign affairs, Joseph Wu, Taiwan-India

Senior editors at India’s World is one News (WION) struck back after the Chinese Embassy sent a letter protesting an interview conducted with Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, October 21. The letter sent by the Chinese Embassy to the New Delhi based media outlet “lodges firm opposition and strong protest against WION providing [a] platform for Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority separatist activities.” Ironically, the content of the letter, which WION Executive Editor Palki Sharma posted on Twitter, actually

International Relations

July 19, 2020July 20, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, US Congress, USA-Taiwan

A bill to authorize the President of the United States to use force if China attempts a military invasion of Taiwan will be introduced to the US House of Representatives this week, according to comments made by Republican Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL) Friday night. Yoho, chairman of the house Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, made the comments while speaking to Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs, July 17. “With South Korea and Japan and the United States, we’re doing

China expansionism

European Values think tank communist-watch program to open Taipei Office

Icelandic pensioner blacklisted by Chinese government unfazed by China anger

China orders more military training for high school students to strengthen “national defense”

Hong Kong’s public broadcasting service purged of democratic voices: journalist who challenged WHO with Taiwan question resigns

An intense day of Chinese-US military maneuvers around Taiwan

Orwellian vibe: China’s Foreign Minister takes to the big screen to lord it over the little people

Chinese professor: There were no ancient western civilizations; just modern fakes made to demean China

Declassified US Indo-Pacific security framework document shows commitment to defense of Taiwan

Indian press hits back at China’s attempt to dictate what and how it reports regarding Taiwan

“Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act” to be introduced to US Congress this week