China expands ADIZ to in your face levels

A picture is worth a thousand words, the map shows the new overlap created by the PRC's expansionist policies:

I expect the PRC to start splashing drones on any pretext they can find.   Then as tempers flare, they will jump on the first counter move with a heavy boot.

Chinese implant chips in Irons to send spam

Welcome to the connected world.  Apparently several types of electronic devices made in China contain several types of malign chips.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-24707337

This appears to be regular criminality, but what has their government been doing?  Especially with components bought by our military.  I hope we are vigilant regarding this attack vector.

Japan-China escalation

For my records.
Japan mulls shooting down PRC drones in their airspace (disputed airspace around the Senkaku islands) :

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2013091807678

China stalls on AESAN "code of conduct" for the South China Sea

Another delay so the PRC can do what they want in the SCS:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/beijing-open-to-code-of/814766.html

Also, the PRC warns the US not to interfere despite the fact we are obligated by treaty:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china-warns-us-to-stay/812552.html

China at odds with western morality

Another new category to track.


Well at least he wasn't waterboarded ...
From BBC: Chinese official killed by having his head stuck in a bucket of ice water


Chinese 4 year old run over by bulldozer as family fights government land grab"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-china-landgrab-idUSBRE97S0DF20130829


The things people forget when they justify closer ties.

Update 11/20/13:  China sends aide to the Philippines, from Reuters, with US vs China Aide numbers.  It's fairly obvious China had no desire to aid the PI and only did so from political coercion.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/20/us-philippines-typhoon-china-idUSBRE9AJ04C20131120

More Chinese expansion, for my records

China building something on Scarborough Shoal, 135 miles from the PI and more than 400 from China in the internationally recognized economic zone of the PI.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/philippines-says-china-is/800430.html

More about Chinese propaganda and willingness to manipulate photos

Re the slander of China's Red Cross affiliate:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-23818091

Chinese Educational Eugenics

Entrance requirement for "Prestige" Elementary Schools in Hong Kong:

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2013082045098

Chinese apology for cultural revolution?

it will be interesting to see if this gains any traction
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/12/aging-chinese-apologise-for-cultural-revolution-evil/

08/29/13
Second mention i've seen in the Economist, a paid site only a few articles viewable for free:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/analects/2013/08/cultural-revolution?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/timetosaysorry

Censored by Livefyre on Fox News

Lasted about 10 minutes and was removed, along with the comment i was responding to.


Thanks, i'll check it out, i follow Asian media closer than most Americans but i haven't watched that one yet.
I watched a history of kung-fu on netflix a while back and it had an interesting comment regarding the shift in plot lines of the kung-fu movies coming out of Hong Kong since the PRC took over. It's very true, my kids and i were actually surprised (at the time) at some of the early Donnie Yen movie's plots, "The PRC allowed this?" "Oh it's Hong Kong"
There has been a policy change in Korea the last few years with an associated rise in anti-Japanese sentiment.  Personally i think the PRC has it's greasy propaganda machine turning overtime to demonize the Japanese.  The S and E China seas are looking more turbulent every day.
For those that have any interest i keep a blog/diary for the purpose of linking interesting articles together such as the rise in suspicious deaths that would benefit the PRC, the PRC being behind the anti-US Okinawa protests, overflights and incursions, and some other oddities that interest me.  It can be found by searching for "Five Feet of Flight Line" (a Naval Air joke)  For a professional media more attuned to West-Pac i recommend the Austrailian based "The Diplomat".

original article :
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/24/statue-korean-war-horse-reckless-to-be-unveiled-at-marine-museum-in-virginia

Anime Great desires Peace, not likely to get it.

Hayao Miyazaki, according to Donga, has called on the Japanese to apologize for WWII comfort women war crimes, also calls for Japan to remain de militarized:
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2013072017818

It is telling that hew recently completed a 5 year project on the developer of the Mitsubishi Zero, Jiro Horikoshi, called "Kaze Tachinu" (The Wind has Risen).
While I have not seen it, it is reputed to be a bit downbeat.  His comments reflect the guilt of the times.

While i only checked one Japanese paper, the Asahi Shimbun, there is no record of the comments.  They were made in the July edition of Studio Ghibli’s monthly free magazine “Hot Wind,”

Personally i think Miyazaki-san is wrong in his thoughts, but right in his soul.  Sadly the time has come for the Japanese people to put their guilt aside and remember that people do not start wars, governments do, and the closest analog to Imperial Japan today is the PRC.  There is a telling comment reflecting how pacifism is libel to be fatal:

HM as parphrased by Donga re: territorial disputes
"... both sides divide the land in question “half and half” or jointly manage them, as it would be impossible to resolve the issues through the International Court of Justice."

There's the rub, impossible to resolve the issues through International arbitration, and why is that?  It is because the PRC is going to have their way in the South and East China seas and will not negotiate.

Update: 7/22/12 a better article tweeted by tokyo pop:
http://kotaku.com/hayao-miyazaki-called-anti-japanese-a-traitor-and-865643505

Recent Military Information

 Just some recent notes for my reference:

Chinese claim Okinawa via Government media:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22460810

Morale and Discipline problems in a bad area:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/08/air-force-reportedly-strips-17-officers-power-to-launch-intercontinental

Putin provokes the ADIZ defense line:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/06/russian-military-again-flies-strategic-bombers-near-alaska

New Anti American Group in S. Korea, the "Anti-American, Anti-Fascist Struggle Committee":
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid=2013042317138

 More on Chinese Naval expansion:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-china-japan-navy-idUSBRE9251GU201303060130306

Quotes from article:

"Make no mistake, the PLA navy is focused on war at sea and about sinking an opposing fleet," Fanell said.
And, the U.S. officer said, China's maritime surveillance agency, a civil proxy for the PLA, had become "a full-time maritime sovereignty harassment organization" with the goal of enforcing territorial claims.

Some Chinese Land action
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/02/2-week-chinese-incursion-into-indian-territory-leaves-asian-powerhouses-on/

Diplomacy over the incident:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/10/foreign-ministers-from-china-india-gloss-over-border-standoff-at-meeting-in/

Is the rise in Chinese Nationalisim push to offset unrest?

The Chinese have been beating the nationalistic drum harder and harder lately it seems.

Celebrating "Victims of Japanese Germ Warfare Experiments" Day:
Victims of Japanese germ warfare remembered via twitter

State News Promoting a new book on the Rape of Nanking: (just a tweet)
https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/276724606885298176

What is lost in this rise in anti-Japanese rhetoric is that China's better half after WWII had to leave for Taiwan (Formosa).  

When will the PRC have a day of remembrance for the 20 to 40 million plus (i have seen as high as 78 million) that died at the hands of their current government during Mao's Cultural Revolutions and purges?

Are they seeking distraction for the people from internal troubles?
Index predicts social unrest in China over income disparity (Donga)

They use the Gini index (coefficient), which has risen significantly the last few years to 0.6, to predict social unrest in teh PRC.

Wiki's list of countries by Gini Index:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

This is an incredibly high number if found to be reliable.

Climate Change, Geopolitical that is.

Is there a perfect storm brewing?

The Arab "Spring" looks less than rosy as Egypt looks less stable.  Their adherence to the peace treaty with Israel is becoming more questionable daily, and the flow of arms to the Gaza strip is likely to increase with any increase in Egyptian unrest.  This jeopardizes traffic through the Suez Canal.

Increasingly militant Iran (whom i personally believe has their greasy fingers all over the ferment in the middle east since before the 2nd Iraq war) is certainly able to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, threatening oil supply.

In my post below I outline how China has upped the ante by several hundred miles in the South China placing plausible deniability mechanisms for aggression at sea, threatening oil supplies.
http://steelgeneral.blogspot.com/2012/12/china-expands-claims-on-south-china-sea.html


These three trade routes are each creditied with "have an impact on world energy prices, etc", what is going to be the impact if all three are upset at once?


While not at the level of the above, the Ukraine is still smouldering with Tymoshenko still in jail and N. European gas (LPG) and oil at risk.

Sadly i do not have the time to inspect known land based choke points for oil/gas, but i have enough left in RAM to hope Chavez expires and his machine is dismantled in Venezuela.

China expands claims on South China Sea, adds clout

China has announced an increased military presence in the South China Sea.

First Passports are printed showing China's ownership of the SCS, infuriating many neighbors.


Then they increase the powers of their maritime patrols:
https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/273382071014158336

This move aggravates ASEAN:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-china-seas-asean-idUSBRE8AT09120121130

From the above article:

"China claims virtually the entire sea. The Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia claim various parts."
".... South China Sea has some of the world's busiest shipping lanes. More than half the globe's oil tanker traffic passes through it."

"New rules, which come into effect on January 1, will allow police in the southern Chinese province of Hainan to board and seize control of foreign ships which "illegally enter" Chinese waters and order them to change course or stop sailing, the official China Daily reported."

End quote

The power is in place in the Chinese mind, now they add clout by instituting "Cross Providence Patrols" which serves the purpose turning their "Police" patrols into a unified force.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-11/09/content_15899201.htm


From the above article:
"At present, the Maritime Safety Administration will arrange two or three patrols in the South China Sea aimed at preventing illegal activities including discharging excessive pollutants into the sea.
Shen Chunsheng, deputy director of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, said the joint patrol is expected to travel nearly 1,000 km (620 miles) to detect pollution discharged by ships."

"Another 36 inspection ships are expected to join the China Marine Surveillance fleet by 2013"

End quote

There you have it, China's self justification for projecting their power 400 miles beyond "agreed" boundaries.  It's been done, all that is left is to wait for the naval incidents to start increasing in number and severity.
Sansha City on Yongxing island is their newest and was built to oversee this "police force" proving to me that the Chinese are about to get serious.

Update: 12/3/12, Doesn't take China long to demonstrate their new clout:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/03/vietnam-state-oil-company-says-chinese-boats-cut-cables-being-laid-by-seismic/

Update: China tells Viet Nam to stop exploring for oil in the SCS. This is interesting because it is the first mention of India using Naval assets in support of Viet Nam.  Which ups the pressure in the SCS just a tad more.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/06/us-china-sea-idUSBRE8B50A720121206

Unverified information on the exploration ship incident, from Reuters comments on the article

"Chinese fishing boats to leave the area the Binh Minh 02 was working in, two Chinese ships numbered 16025 and 16028 ran up behind the Vietnamese ship, breaking off it seismic survey cable.
The location of the cable breakage was at 17.26 degree North latitude and 108.02 East longitude, 43 nautical miles southeast of Vietnam’s Con Co island and 20 nautical miles west of the median line between Vietnam and China."

Update 12/9/12 Vietnamese protest Chinese aggression from BBC
Vietnamese Protest Chinese Aggression

Update 12/13/12  Chinese incursions into disputed Japanese airspace:

BBC: Japan accuses China of airspace intrusion over islands

 

Update 1/4/13 : Similar article on PRC's new rules re: the South China Sea

http://thediplomat.com/china-power/hainans-new-maritime-regulations-an-update/ 

Obama negotiates directly with N. Korea to stall missle tests?

The current administration may have made a secret deal with the N. Korean govenment to stall provacative behavior from the ostracized country.

It appears there was a 4 day long secret US diplomatic mission to N. Korea on or about Aug. 17th.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2012112928598

From the article, an english version of the Korean news site Donga.

“There is a high possibility that the U.S. tried to prevent the North from making an armed provocation ahead of the November presidential election and made a proposal corresponding to it,” the source said

While the press is all over Benghazi gate, i hope they manage a few lines on this one.

Update: an article from an english site , the Atlantic Wire:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/11/us-secretly-talking-north-korea/59459/

Update 12/5/12 from another Korean source:The Kyunghyang Shinmum

http://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201210111436367&code=710100

North Korea preparing long range missle launch?

who really knows, but here's an article from Donga, a S. Korean website.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2012112668468


Update 11/29/12
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2012112928588

Update 12/9/12
US threatens economic sanctions for launching:
Donga: US to cut off NK`s money flow if missile test proceeds


Note: Kim Jong UN has not left Pyongyang since August 27th

Donga: Is NK leader staying in P`yang in fear of his personal safety?

North Korea Sends Weapons Grade Aluminum Ingots to Myanmar, Busted

The Asahi Shibum is a pay site, but you can see three or four articles before the limit kicks in.  The following article is about a shipment of weapons material seized about the time our President was visiting Myanmar.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/korean_peninsula/AJ201211240055

No particular comment, it just didn't make western media as far as i can tell.

Nice article on Chinese Politics

In the 1920's China had a feudal warlord type system with many factions competing for power.  You could count the number of communists in china on one hand (by Chinese population standards).  China, sluggish with a Quing based neo-confucian hangover, was slow to respond to the industrial revolution and the Imperial Japanese exploited the technology to conquer much of China.  WWII is fought and ends, and in the ensuing political chaos the communists, a mere 36000 in number in the 1930's, seize power.
The following Reuters article describes the return of "warlord" types to the Chinese political scene:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/25/us-china-congress-princelings-idUSBRE8AO0CG20121125
 

There are several warlord era movies of modern production that are, imo, quite good.  Donnie Yen, an awesome martial artist, plays in several.  I will mention "Bodyguards and Assassins" and "IP Man" as good examples (IP Man is set during the early stages of Japanese occupation).

PRC pushing Okinawa protests?

After talking with a Japanese friend about the protests in Okinawa against the American military presence there i found it interesting that many Japanese are upset at the Okinawa Governor (for taking money from somewhere and using state resources to stage protests) and i was pointed to a blog and a newspaper article.  Unfortunately they are written in Japanese and quick translation is beyond me even with the modern translation tools.  I may work through it in detail with my friend at a later date.

One thing of note is the evidence of the PRC attending (encouraging) the protests.  My friend gave them the status of agent provocateurs.

I take the liberty of copying the photos specifically because i do not wish to lose track of them:

 

original blog/article in Japanese

More information and videos of protests (Japanese) 

Update 11/18/12

Okinawa Govenor, Hirokazu Nakaima, continues his quest

Marine Arrested in Okinawa (FOXNews) 

Update 8/26/2013

Article from Stars and Stripes about Pro-American Japanese protesting America's presence on Okinawa to undermine the "real" protesters.

http://www.stripes.com/news/protests-on-okinawa-aren-t-always-what-they-appear-to-be-1.222240