Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Sunday 25 May 2014

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2014-05-25 | NO.18(20) epaper |
South China Sea Disputes
Philippines, Indonesia Reach Accord on Overlapping Seas Boundary (2014-05-19)
(Wall Street Journal, By Cris Larano) The Philippines and Indonesia reached a deal on how to handle their overlapping maritime boundary claims, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said.

As Xi Speaks of Conciliation, Neighbors Voice Disquiet (2014-05-22)
(Sinosphere, By Bree Feng) Even as President Xi Jinping called this week for a new security concept for Asia, frictions between China and several of its neighbors underscored the challenges facing regional cooperation.
Philippines, Vietnam Reject Xi's Warning against Military Alliances (2014-05-23)
(The Diplomat, By Tyler Roney) Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated in Manila that both his country and the Philippines “are determined to oppose China’s violations,” with a view to strengthening diplomatic and defense ties to keep China at bay.
A Calibrated Takeover of the South China Sea (2014-05-22)
(YaleGlobal, By Nayan Chanda) China may have taken advantage of fragmentation among its neighbors and a preoccupied international community to set up a big exploration drilling rig in disputed waters.
China Drills for Territory (2014-05-22)
(Wall Street Journal, By Michael Auslin) China aims not only to assert control over disputed waters but to gain acknowledgment of its territorial claims and of its right to determine boundaries. That can help achieve Beijing's strategic goals through non-military actions.

Vietnamese Representative Apologizes Over Riot Losses (2014-05-19)
(Taipei Times) Vietnam’s chief envoy to Taiwan apologized on behalf of his government to Taiwanese businesses that suffered losses as a result of the anti-China protests in his country.
Vietnam Attack on Taiping Unlikely, Ma Says (2014-05-21)
(Taipei Times) Vietnam is unlikely to attack Taiwan’s military facility on the remote Itu Aba in the South China Sea, President Ma Ying-jeou said.
Sino-U.S. Engagement
U.S. Charges Five in Chinese Army with Hacking (2014-05-20)
(Wall Street Journal, By Davlin Barrett and Siobhan Gorman) The Justice Department indicted five Chinese military officers, alleging they hacked U.S. companies' computers to steal trade secrets, a major escalation in the fight between the two superpowers over economic espionage.

Indicting China's Hackers (2014-05-20)
(Wall Street Journal) The larger weakness of Monday's indictment is that it treats cyber theft like a normal criminal case when it is really a state-sponsored act of aggression.
With Spy Charges, U.S. Draws a Line That Few Others Recongnize (2014-05-20)
(New York Times, By David S. Sanger) By indicting members of the People’s Liberation Army’s most famous cyberwarfare operation, the Obama administration has turned to the criminal justice system to reinforce its argument that there is a major difference between spying for national security purposes and the commercial, for-profit espionage carried out by China’s military.
China's Cyberespionage Presents a 21-Century Challenge (2014-05-23)
(Washington Post, By Fareed Zakaria) Vladimir Putin might be a 19th-century statesman, using old-fashioned muscle to get his way, but it has become clear that Chinese President Xi Jinping goes one step further, comfortably embracing both 19th- and 21st-century tactics.
PLA, Military Balance and Arms Sales
U.S. Military Man Gates Sees Xi in PLA Control (2014-05-23)
(China Real Time Report, By James T. Areddy) Mr. Xi is a more engaged commander of the People’s Liberation Army than his predecessor Mr. Hu, said Mr. Gates. Mr. Xi himself has fueled such an image, taking command of the armed forces earlier than did Mr. Hu and inserting himself repeatedly in military affairs. 

China's Leader, Seeking to Build Its Muscle, Pushes Overhaul of the Military
 (2014-05-25)
(New York Times, By Jane Perlez and Chris Buckley) Driven by ambitions to make China a great power, President Xi Jinping is staking his political authority on a huge task: overhauling the Chinese military.

US Industry Feels Blocked from Sub Help
 (2014-05-24)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) The US defense industry believes it is being stopped from helping Taiwan build its own diesel-electric submarines, a former Washington official said. 
Taiwan's Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
Structure of Constitution Should Stay: Su (2014-05-22)
(China Post) DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang said that the main structure of the R.O.C. Constitution should not be altered in future amendments, as to avoid potential disputes over Taiwan's unique political position.

US Expanding Ties with Old Friends in Asia: Daniel Russel (2014-05-22)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) The US will continue to expand ties with “longtime friends” such as Taiwan, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel told US lawmakers.
China's Rise and Its Domestic Issues
China and Russia Reach 30-Year Gas Deal (2014-05-22)
(New York Times, By Jane Perlez) China and Russia signed a $400 billion gas deal, linking two major powers that have drawn closer to counter the clout of the United States and Europe.

The New Non-Aggression Pact (2014-05-22)
(Wall Street Journal) It may be that in the long run Russia and China will fall out over the exact terms of the deal. Meantime, Mr. Putin's ambition of creating a "Eurasian Economic Union" stretching from Crimea to Harbin has come closer to fruition. The echoes of the non-aggression pacts of the 1930s get louder in this age of American retreat.
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