Things are starting to line-up on the Geo-political front

After running circles for two weeks North of Taiwan And staying way outside of China's missile range, it seems that the (American aircraft carrier) Reagan has tucked its tail and gone back to Japan，where the sailors are free to run over some random Japanese with a simple slap on the wrist.

-cindy6

I am crazy busy. Please enjoy this latest article for today.

What China’s Taiwan white paper is saying

Four essential realities from Koo's article :

1- Taiwan will be reunited with the Mainland.

2- The Taiwanese are waking up to the reality (obvious for any non brainwashed outsider with a tad of common sense) that the US government is not their friend and Americans will not die for Taiwan. The Taiwanese don't seem to be strongly attracted to the role of cannon fodder. What's happening now in Ukraine is certainly a cautionary tale for them.

Moreover, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan backed off and sailed away when the People's Liberation Army Navy started at the beginning of August 2022 the naval exercises around the island of Taiwan. That event was definitely an eye-opener for all the Taiwanese, even the most obtuse ones.

3- The more the Taiwanese learn about Mainland China's pĺace in the world, the more they will want to be part of it.

4- The Taiwanese enjoy immense benefits by their close economical association with Mainland China. And more and more Taiwanese realize it's truly valuable.

Article HERE

Creamy Dijon-Bacon Pasta Salad

If you’re a potato salad fan but want a new twist on the dish, try this Creamy Dijon-Bacon Pasta Salad. Loaded with bacon, cheese, chopped eggs, green onions and crunchy celery, it’s sure to be a hit at your next barbecue, picnic or potluck. Short on time? Just opt for a few premade ingredients to make this easy recipe go even quicker!

Ingredients

• 1 box (7.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ Suddenly Salad™ Ranch & Bacon Pasta Salad Mix
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (6 slices)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

A Rescue

This is a starving kitten who was abandoned, actually physically

tossed out of an apartment, by a couple of persons who were rapidly discovering the joys of meth addiction.

I took her in three years ago, and she has had a forever home since.

Here she is at around six months. She was a little hellion, and still is.

Williams Moldt

It was the year 1997, a middle-aged man called his girlfriend, to let her know that he had left a party and was already on his way home, the thing is, he never came.

The man left the club at approximately 11 at night, and as I told you he called his girlfriend, told her that he was already getting into the car to go home, he was not drunk and the few witnesses who saw him stated that the man had only had one or two beers at most.

And that is the last that is known of Williams Moldt.

The case was closed and for many of his friends and family the case had become an unsolved mystery.

Twenty-two years have passed since the disappearance of Williams, a resident of the Grand Island community in Wellington (USA) was looking at the neighborhood on Google Earth, when suddenly he saw something that caught his attention:

Although it blended into the background, a car could apparently be seen at the bottom of the pond.

He notified the authorities that with the help of a crane they removed the car, the car of Williams Moldt who had been missing for more than two decades, with Williams still inside.

The exact reason for how he ended up there is not known, it could have been that he lost concentration or that he was actually more drunk than the witnesses had stated and that is why he lost control of the vehicle.

What is certain is that thanks to the internet and Google Earth, an apparent mystery that had been unsolved for 22 years could be solved.

Dudley

Dudley, the best cat I ever had, came to me off death row at the city animal control kennel. He was a notorious disciplinary problem, and honestly, the first six months of living with him were pretty hellish. I especially could have skipped some of his more territorial behaviors. Fortunately, he never sprayed in the house. But he did go through the cat door to the garage and shower the inside of the garage door. The first few times I stood under the door as I opened it and got covered by cat piss, I was less than amused. Generally he wasn’t cuddly, and he tended to bite and scratch. He’d been adopted out more than once and brought back before I pulled him back from euthanasia with only a few hours to go.

Eventually, he settled down — at least with me. And it got to the point where he actually did cuddle. I’d get in bed, and he’d tuck himself up into my left armpit, push his nose into my left ear, and begin snoring loudly.

Still, he insisted on going out and tearing up the neighborhood. Thankfullly, he understood that after the sun went down I wanted him home, and he didn’t abuse the priviledges. The neighbors dogs were all exceedingly frightened of him, as were the trash collectors, since he liked to chase their truck and attack them. When the city got trucks with claws to pick up the cans so nobody had to get out anymore, it was a sad day in Dudley’s life.

We had many happy years together, and to this day, he’s my gold standard of cat. The “Beware of Cat” sign still hangs in front of my house. And people who’ve lived in the neighborhood know that it wasn’t put there as a joke.

UAE

I have many Chinese friends. I’ve studied Mandarin for a year and even learnt a bit of Kung fu!

Here is an old photo of me at my friend’s birthday party:

I bet you noticed. I was the only non-Chinese invited.

And here is another photo with my friend Li at our bachelor degree graduation (bad timing though):

I mostly interacted with the Chinese abroad through studies or work. In the Emirates, I rarely interact with Chinese people. So I’m guessing that Emirati-Chinese interactions within the UAE are mostly at the workplace.

My view (as an Emarati and from my minimal experience) is that the Chinese have a very rich history and culture and that they are polite people.

I like the outspoken individuals who share their views and opinions. I’ve learned a lot from such Chinese people.

I also noticed that some form clusters or groups abroad and keep to themselves and hardly interact with other non-Chinese.

On a different note, I once went to buy some goods from a shop owned by Chinese in Abu Dhabi. Went in and started talking basic Mandarin. The shocked looked on their faces was priceless. Their faces turned red hahaha. This Arab wearing a white dress and a red head turban comes in and starts speaking Chinese. We kept laughing later on.

Naoto Matsumura

Naoto Matsumura, who was one of the people involved in the Fukushima disaster, has stayed behind. He was feeding stray animals:

And helping to take care of the environment:

He continues to put himself at risk and give back, tending to wildlife. Thousands of animals had already died while locked in cages, and he rushed to save as many as he could:

He is the sole inhabitant in that region. They told him he’d get sick within 20–30 years if he stayed. He figured he’d be dead by then so why not stay and help the animals out:

Why China will become more prosperous after this…

In reference to a series of Western Media article painting and predicting the ultimate collapse of China, and the lynching of President Xi Peng…

To Quote:

Their boycott represents one of the most widespread acts of public defiance in China. Despite efforts from internet censors to quash the news, collectives of homeowners have started or threatened to boycott in 326 properties, according to a crowdsourced list. By some estimates, they could affect about $222 billion of home loans, or roughly 4 percent of outstanding mortgages.

The boycotts are also a sign of a growing economic fallout as China reckons with the impacts of its Covid restrictions. The country’s economy is on track for its slowest growth in decades. The real estate market, which drives about one-third of China’s economic activity, has proved particularly vulnerable.

And a response from a long-time Chinese, China “Watcher”…

China is the only country dare to address such real estate over values problem due to speculative profit manipulation by the 0.1%. The outcome if such problems is not address:

1) unaffordable housing, low home ownership, rising number of working poor and homeless population

2) when households spend so much on mortgages repayment or rental, the average people will have less money for food, health care, children education, and others. And thus a lost in consumption power = sluggish economy and income inequality = lost of financial ability to get marriage and have children = aging population

3) high rental and high housing cost also generate high cost of doing business and cost of living = inflation = DEMAND for wage rise = further rising cost for everything = lower PPP = unattractive investment environments for manufacturing = unsustainable economy

4) In the West, politicians dare not face the consequences of expected real estate bubbles burst, so they deliberately keep to bubble expanding by encouraging more and more overseas migrants to support the consumption economy and property market, and not releasing the equal amount of new land for housing to support the increased population, and thus keep the real estate market pricing continues to expand. As a result, a declining middle class and expanding population living in poverty.

5) In the crusader west, if the people default on mortgage repayment, they will soon lost their home and become homeless. Such as the massive foreclosure across the US during the 2008 GFC and the cash rich billionaires will took the opportunity to take control of more real estate at bargain price. And push up the market price against for the cash rich new migrants =, more local population poverty and homelessness.

However, the CCP tackle the rising housing market head on. The current drastic drop in housing price across China is an deliberate policy induce market adjustment.

As a result, some Chinese people refused to live on a negative wealth property , and refused to pay their mortgage.

The people oriented CCP understand their pain and is brainstorming to sort out the issues.

Once the issues resolved, the policy objectives of housing affordable will be achieved, inequality reduced, people happiness and satisfaction with government and society will enhance.

With real estate price down, the cost of running a business in China will further reduce. The condition for attracting more FDI investment will be strengthen, social stability will be even more solid, people with less financial stress will be more willing to spend on other things, more babies will be affordable. the country will become the magnet to the rest of the world.

Chinese people will love their country and their government more.

Cheers
Chua

Wealth

I’m not going to post an actual picture but one of my neighbors dresses and looks almost identical to Richard from Silicon Valley:

And his house looks like:

The starting price for a home in this neighborhood is around 2.5M and his home is probably worth closer to 4M.

And he dresses this way every single day…

And he is not alone…

Almost every other person in my neighborhood dresses in the same casual attire void of any branding and logos. Do they look like “bums”? No, but they definitely don’t dress in a manner that says, “hey, look at me”.

If you ran into my neighbor on the street, you would probably not give him a second look and if you did, you probably would assume he is going to have trouble making this month’s rent lol…

What is funny is that less than a mile away there are a lot of small condos and you constantly see the women living there carrying LV bags and guys sporting all sort of clothing with high-end branding, while most of them are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

I have noticed that the wealthy don’t seem to feel that it’s necessary to bring attention to the fact that they are wealthy and those that wish they were wealthy, want to appear in a manner that makes them look wealthy. It’s quite amusing.

Then there is the super wealthy and most of them will only wear branded clothing that they have a vested interest in. In other words, unless they own the company, or at least a part of it, they aren’t going to walk around advertising their competitors. But that’s on an entirely other level 🙂

Here is the way I see it…

If we are truly honest with ourselves, there are probably only 2 or 3 things that you are REALLY into and you should feel free to spend your hard earned money on those things.

So if you are into fashion, by all means… buy and wear the clothing that you like.

Where the issues start is when you begin spending money on things that you don’t really care about because you want to impress other people.

That’s something most wealthy people simply don’t do. If they aren’t into shoes, they aren’t going to spend 1k on a pair of Gucci loafers. Regardless if they can easily afford it or not. While someone else will max out their credit card so they can try and impress someone that they don’t even like…

So whether it’s clothes, watches, cars or whatever… if you are truly into it and if you have the means to enjoy those luxuries, go for it. Just forget about the rest of the stuff you don’t really care about. At the end of the day, the only person you should be worried about impressing is yourself.

Tent Cities Are Taking Over Vast Stretches Of Our Major Cities (And It Is Only Going To Get Worse)

August 18, 2022 by Michael

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If brighter days are ahead for the U.S. economy, why are so many tent cities popping up all over the nation?  At this point things are so bad that even the New York Times is admitting that “America’s homelessness problem has the makings of an acute crisis”.  That article goes on to explain that our homeless population is steadily rising.  Tonight, hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans will be sleeping in tents, under bridges, in overcrowded shelters or in their vehicles.  Of course there are many that are so addicted to drugs or alcohol that they just sleep wherever they end up passing out.  This is a tragedy that is growing with each passing day, and it is only going to get worse in the months ahead as the U.S. economy slows down even more.

Earlier today, I was truly stunned by a Fox News article about what is going on in Portland right now.  Tent cities are literally taking over entire neighborhoods, and many residents are “resorting to selling their homes” as a result…

Residents in a Portland, Oregon, neighborhood are resorting to selling their homes and moving due to homeless encampments right outside their front doors.

“It’s a little scary because I know there is mental illness and that concerns me,” North Portland resident Maria Inocencio told KGW8.

Residents of North Portland said at least three families on one street have left in recent days due to the homeless camps, and KGW8 reported seeing for-sale signs up and down streets.

Portland was once such a beautiful place, but now it has literally been transformed into a hellhole.

Needless to say, Portland is far from alone.  From Seattle all the way down to San Diego, communities all along the west coast are being plagued by relentlessly growing encampments.  In many cases, such encampments are magnets for drug addicts and other societal outcasts.

But this is not just a west coast problem.

Let me give you are couple of examples.  In recent weeks, tent cities have been popping up all over Pittsburgh…

“We want immediate action. We want to see people in homes. There’s a humane way to deal with homelessness,” said Pittsburgh City Council president Theresa Kail-Smith.

Homeless camps are popping up all over the Northside.

You’ll see them on the Riverfront Trail to Millvale.

Another makeshift tent city popped up underneath the Andy Warhol Bridge.

And in Fayetteville, North Carolina one burgeoning homeless camp recently made news because it features quite a few registered sex offenders…

There are 843 registered sex offenders living in Cumberland County. For dozens in Fayetteville, their home is a tent alongside the road.

Deputies in the Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registration Enforcement Unit (SOREU) learned the group of offenders are homeless and stay in a tent community along where the busy Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway (Highway 87) goes over Gillespie Street. Some live under the overpass while others live in a nearby field beside Gillespie Street.

From coast to coast, this is becoming an enormous issue.

And the truth is that it is only going to intensify as the months roll along.

In 2008 and 2009, millions of Americans lost their jobs as the economy plunged into a major downturn.

Once those people lost their jobs, many of them could no longer afford their homes and soon found themselves on the streets.

I wish that we would never have to see anything like that again.  It was truly a very dark chapter in our history, and countless people had their lives turned completely upside down.

Unfortunately, it is starting to happen again.

As I detailed earlier this month, large companies are starting to lay off workers in substantial numbers.

This even includes Facebook.  This week, we learned that Facebook recently used a very unique method to lay off one group of workers…

A group of about 60 contractors who work with Facebook learned they were laid off this week after they were chosen ‘at random’ by an algorithm.

The layoffs are the latest example of Big Tech reining in spending and hiring, as just days ago Apple let go of about 100 recruiters.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also recently said he will weed out underperforming employees with ‘aggressive performance reviews’ as the company braces for a deep economic turndown.

I suppose that is one way to avoid personal responsibility for firing someone.

“Don’t blame me – it was the algorithm”.

If a big corporation that is swimming in cash like Facebook already feels forced to “thin the herd”, I think that is a very bad sign for the employment market as a whole.

In the months ahead, I think that there will be a lot more layoffs all over the country.

And this comes at a time when the housing market is starting to collapse.

Existing home sales in the United States have now fallen for six months in a row, and the numbers for the month of July were downright depressing…

Sales of previously owned homes fell nearly 6% in July compared with June, according to a monthly report from the National Association of Realtors.

The sales count declined to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.81 million units, the group added. It is the slowest sales pace since November 2015, with the exception of a brief plunge at the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

Sales dropped about 20% from the same month a year ago.

I anticipated that home sales would be lower than last July, but a 20 percent drop is pretty catastrophic.

And as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, it is probably inevitable that the numbers will get even worse.

The stage is being set for a historic economic meltdown, and I would encourage you to do what you can to get prepared for it.

2008 and 2009 were extremely bitter.

What is coming will likely be even worse.

And as the economy deteriorates, tent cities will continue to take over more neighborhoods all over America.

But don’t look down on those that are living in tents.

With a run of bad luck, you could be one of them too.

Apple and Foxconn will be forced to rely ONLY on Taiwan supplies of IC’s

From HERE

China Warns U.S. Over Sailing Warships Through Taiwan Strait

China’s ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, said Tuesday that China viewed such Taiwan transits as an escalation by the U.S. and an effort to support the “separatist” government in Taipei. He delivered the warning after Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrapped up the second trip to the island in less than two weeks by a U.S. congressional delegation.

“The US side has done too much and going too far in this region,” Qin said in response to a question about potential naval patrols. “I do call on our American colleagues to refrain, to exercise restraint, not to do anything to escalate the tension. So if there’s any moves damaging China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, so China will respond. China will respond.”

The Biden administration has said it WOULD conduct air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait after China responded to Pelosi’s trip with a series of military drills around the island, including likely firing ballistic missiles over Taipei. The U.S. has long held that such transits, like congressional visits, are consistent with its “one China” policy not to formally recognize the democratically elected government in Taipei.

Article HERE

Older folk

As I am 73, I am going to share my experience.

Three 1/2 years ago my dog, Homie, crossed over the 🌈 Bridge. I missed him terribly, but decided not to get another dog as I have ambulatory issues and had fallen several times while walking him.

I have always had dogs and cats and love them equally, so I went to the local Animal Shelter and told the receptionist I wanted to meet the oldest cat they had, or the one hardest to adopt out.. They took me to meet a slender long-legged tuxedo cat who had been surrendered several months before.. her card said she was 15, declawed, spayed, her name was Spooky, and they didn’t want her anymore. I changed her name to Schatzi (German for Treasure or Darling) because she is a Diva!

About 3 weeks later, I was on the porch talking to my son when this little tabby tom cat climbed up in my lap and I heard, plain as day, I been ‘bandoned’ will you be my Mommy and I’m Hungry.. I found out later that this little skinny guy, covered in fleas, was about 3–4 months old and had been left in our little trailer park when the woman who owned him moved. I named him Mickey.

He is almost 4 and she is close to 19. I love them both very much and they sleep with me.. They give me a reason to get up every day and enrich this old lady’s life!

German air force sending warplanes to fly around Taiwan and intimidate China

Amid the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, the German air force sent fighter jets to Asia for the first time on Tuesday (Aug. 16) to take part in exercises in Australia and will also fly near Taiwan, marking the largest overseas deployment of German military aircraft since WW II.

Six German Eurofighter Typhoons took off from an airbase in the southeastern German state of Bavaria on Monday evening (Aug. 15). Their first stop was Singapore, covering a distance of 12,800 kilometers within 24 hours with the help of three A330 aerial tankers. The squadron is scheduled to fly to Australia to take part in a 17-nation joint military exercise from late August to September dubbed “Pitch Black.”

At the end of September, the squadron will head north from Singapore. After visiting Japan and South Korea, the fighter jets will begin the long journey back to Germany and will fly in “airspace adjacent” to Taiwan along the way, reported CNA.

In order to carry out the mission, which is code-named “Rapid Pacific 2022,” the German air force will also dispatch four A400M transport aircraft, bringing the total number of aircraft to 13 with 250 officers and enlisted men participating. This is the first time the German air force has flown aircraft to the Indo-Pacific since its founding in 1956.

German fighters will fly through the airspace near Taiwan at a sensitive time when the situation in the Taiwan Strait is tense with daily People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intrusions across the median line following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Aug. 2-3. German air force chief, Ingo Gerhartz, was cited by DW as saying that the fighters will “barely touch” the South China Sea, and will not pass through the Taiwan Strait as they stick to international routes.

Regarding the flight path of the jets near Taiwan, “The South China Sea, Taiwan — these are obviously the sticking points in the region,” said Gerhartz. He then denied “sending any threatening message towards China” by participating in the war games in Australia.

From HERE

Kitten

Through a lot of medical misdiagnoses a friend of mine ended up in hospice with brain cancer that metastasized everywhere.

Through the weeks he was hospitalized, his cat lived with his roommate and was pretty okay. But Kitten, which was his name, started peeing.

Eventually when John went into hospice (12/21) Kitten came to live with me. Peeing continued. He was attacking my other cat. He wasn’t happy. He’s still a little bit of a loner.

Anyway, Christmas, this last Christmas of 12/25/22, I took Kitten to hospice to see John. We knew John would pass soon. He was having trouble talking and recognizing, and cognitive thinking was going. But when I brought Kitten into the room he lit up like a Christmas tree and Kitten started purring and walking back and forth on his bed. They snuggled for a long time and it was so worth it.

I do think that Kitten knew John was passing and John was happy Kitten is with me. He knew Kitten has a home for life. Despite the peeing. Which luckily has abated some. I still have to cover my bed in plastic. But just in case. Kittens a sweet boy.

China’s drills to change US military assumptions

China will send small units to infiltrate Taiwan and use its naval and air superiority to block the US military

by Chen Feng August 18, 2022

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Chinese and foreign media have recently reported that the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a heavyweight think tank in the United States, has conducted scenario planning looking toward war in the Taiwan Strait.

Participants included former senior military officers, senior government military and political experts and fellows from think tanks such as the RAND Corporation and the Center for New American Security (CNAS).

The scenario planning had been scheduled for a long time. It caught a lot of attention as it happened after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

The CSIS assumed a war will break out in the Taiwan Strait in 2026. Such an estimation could be based on the prediction of the former commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, who said in his testimony before Congress that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would be ready to attack Taiwan in 2027.

It assumed that the attack would consist of six to eight rounds, each of them lasting three to four days. In total, it would last for three to four weeks.

The scenario planning indicated that in most (but not all) scenarios, the Taiwan military would not fall completely, but Taiwan’s economy and infrastructure would be basically destroyed.

It said the US military in the Western Pacific would pay a heavy price while the PLA would control one-third to half of Taiwan Island. Then the PLA would not be able to maintain its supply but the US military’s supply would continue.

The scenario planning will run until September, with a final report scheduled for December. So far, 18 of the 22 rounds of possible attacks have been carried out.

After the PLA’s drills, the CSIS may change the settings of its scenarios and even add more scenarios, in order to have a new understanding of the war in the Taiwan Strait.

In the scenarios, the US lost 500 to 900 US aircraft and more than 20 warships, including two aircraft carriers. However, the PLA lost 150 amphibious and surface vessels. Taiwan’s navy and half of its air force were eliminated in the first round.

Most news reports were vague about the scenario planning settings, but an article published by the US Breaking Defense website on August 11 provided more information.

Assumptions:

1. The main attack of the PLA comes from amphibious landings.
2. It is difficult for the PLA troops to achieve landings.
3. The US military can use Japanese bases.
4. Neither China nor the US will use nuclear weapons.
5. The number of weapons and forces in 2026 is estimated based on publicly available information.

Basic conclusions:

1. No matter how the war begins, it ends up being a protracted war between China and the United States.
2. The PLA must deploy all its troops. If it only deploys those in the Eastern Theater Command, it will be defeated in the first round.
3. Both sides have less to worry about when no nuclear weapons will be used.
4. Whether the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) will participate has a great impact on the result of the war. It cannot stop the PLA from landing on Taiwan but can prevent the Chinese troops from occupying the entire island.

Main conclusions:

1. The PLA will not be ready for a war by 2027, but maybe in 2030-2035.
2. America can only hope for a pyrrhic victory, but will be unable to overcome some other crisis after the war.

It is not difficult to see that the United States’ thinking on the Taiwan Strait war is still at the level of the Battle of Kinmen in 1949 or the Battle of Normandy in 1944.

They believe that the biggest threat of the PLA to Taiwan Island still comes from direct landing and that the landing must be quick to get ahead of the US and Japan’s intervention.

So they think the key mission of the US and Taiwan is anti-landing, which refers to interception at sea and containment at landing places.

PLA’s landings

Taiwan Island is not far away from mainland China but it is not close either.

Even if the Taiwanese army is weak, the PLA has to deploy one or two large army groups. There are technically only a few ways for a large army group to land in Taiwan directly.

1. Hovercraft beach landing
   It requires a large area of flat beaches but there are only a few in Taiwan, which is not a secret. These beaches have long been the focus of Taiwan’s defense.
2. Helicopter landing
   The distance across the strait is long while the PLA does not have enough helicopters. It’s an option for small troops but not large army groups.
3. Parachute landing
   Soldiers cannot carry heavy equipment and it’s hard for them to gather. It’s not suitable for large army groups.

Taipei is the focus of Taiwan’s defense, and the towns are dense, so it is not easy to go straight to attack Taipei.

In the scenario planning, those who went straight to Taipei were easily repelled.

So most of the red teams (representing the PLA) chose to land at southwest Taiwan’s Tainan or Kaohsiung. But they faced a supply problem due to a longer distance from the mainland. They also faced attack from Penghu during their journeys.

Landing at Tainan at that early point in the war is not the best option for the PLA.

China’s different concepts

The PLA demonstrated a completely different operational concept in its drills in the Taiwan Strait. It dispatched a large number of naval, air and rocket forces, but did not focus too much on amphibious attacks.

It is not because amphibious attack is not important, but because it is not the only option. In fact, the PLA has practiced amphibious attacks many times.

The PLA does not have to stick to specific tactics but can flexibly switch its forces at the north and south ends of the Taiwan island.

The US has repeatedly encouraged the Taiwan military to avoid fighting against the PLA in naval and air battles but adopt an asymmetric “hedgehog defense” strategy (using handheld missiles). The US seems to agree that PLA has naval and air superiority.

The scenario planning has shown that the US and Taiwan combat aircraft and surface ships had little effect but shore-to-ship missiles had a more important role. Under such circumstances, it is not wise for the PLA to land in Taiwan directly without using its sea and air superiority.

The only reason for a quick landing is that the PLA wants to avoid the United States’ military intervention. But it does not seem to be a reason anymore.

US military intervention would definitely complicate mainland China’s military reunification of Taiwan.

In the latest exercise, all the preparations of the PLA were aimed at blocking the US military’s intervention. The PLA has improved its area-denial capability and is more and more confident of its ability to withstand the US intervention.

In the scenario planning, almost all scenarios ended in a stalemate.

If the PLA can stop the US intervention, there is no urgency for it to land on Taiwan.

Quick landing is important but not by a large army group, which moves slowly and requires strong supply, especially in urban areas.

The US wanted to prevent China’s large army group from landing, so it focused a lot on how to fight against amphibious and supply ships.

In fact, by deploying a large number of small military units to infiltrate Taiwan, the PLA will not only increase the means of landing and supply, but also greatly increase its flexibility.

It can also create a psychological shock in the minds of the Taiwanese military and people that “the communist army is everywhere.”

PLA infantry soldiers with guns are more useful than missiles, guided bombs and long-range rockets fires.

The PLA’s powerful naval and air and missile strikes, plus small troops on the island, will greatly shake the confidence of the Taiwanese military and people, and strategically slowing the operations of Taiwan’s troops can create a huge threat to Taiwan’s anti-ship missile and radar systems.

Such a strategy will be very effective. Of course, reconnaissance and attack planes, strategic bombers and satellites should also be used.

Small military units are only auxiliary forces that help the mainland’s large army group land. If Taiwan’s troops do not surrender, the PLA will launch more attacks.

US military bases in Japan

It’s an interesting issue whether the US military can use Japanese bases. If US planes take off from Japan and attack the PLA at sea and on land, there is no reason for the PLA not to attack the US bases in Japan.

In CSIS scenario planning, one scenario is that the PLA preemptively attacked the US military bases in Japan and Guam before landing on Taiwan Island. Then Japan joined the war. And the US and Japan won the war.

This is a strange assumption. Even if the PLA attacks US military bases in Japan, it is unclear whether Japan will join the war. Or in the first place, it’s not necessary that Japan will allow American planes to take off from the bases in its territory.

With Dongfeng 16, Donghai 10 and Xian H-6, China has prepared in case Japan joins the war. But there is no reason for China to take the initiative to attack Japan.

In many scenarios, the US lost two aircraft carriers. They were the most powerful forces that could arrive in the Taiwan Strait within a short time but they were not able to stop the PLA from landing Taiwan. They could not even protect themselves.

Neither combat aircraft nor surface fleet proved useful. The scenarios showed the insufficient supply to US naval and air forces. The locations of bases, the numbers of flights and the flight ranges of aircraft were limiting factors.

It is also a strange assumption that the PLA would only deploy troops in the Eastern Theater Command. The Eastern Theater Command is strong but the PLA has never fought unprepared battles.

It is wishful thinking that all of China’s neighbors will stand together with the US and wait for an opportunity to invade China. Such a situation will not be seen in the foreseeable future.

Nuclear war

Both China and the US are nuclear states. China has a policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons. But the US has a policy, a tradition and an impulse to use them first.

The CNAS has done scenario planning before. The red team (representing Russia) threatened to use nuclear weapons while the blue team (the US) constrained its operations to avoid the scenario. In the end, the red team launched a nuclear bomb in Hawaii.

In the Taiwan Strait, neither China nor the US should rule out the possibility of nuclear escalation.

Marine Littoral Regiment

The MLR was a main research topic in the CSIS scenario planning. In the Taiwan Strait, its main weapons included naval strike missiles and HIMARS rockets, instead of F-35Bs, tanks or howitzers.

Whether the MLR can enter Taiwan in advance will have a great impact on the result of the war. However, there are several problems:

1. Given that China reacted strongly to Pelosi’s visit, the MLR’s entry to Taiwan will definitely trigger a war.
2. Once the MLR runs out of ammunition, it is impossible to replenish the supply. A C-17 military transport aircraft was shot down by the PLA in a scenario.
3. The MLR can stop the PLA from occupying the whole of Taiwan but cannot prevent it from landing on the island.

Even if all 6,000 to 7,000 MLR soldiers are deployed to Taiwan by 2026, it is still insufficient in strength, not to mention that there is no time for deployment.

Without ammunition supply, the MLR will become a light infantry to support the Taiwan Army. It won’t be able to resist the PLA’s large army group, which at that later stage of the war may find that the time is ripe to land in Tainan.

In most scenarios, the MLR tried to land in Taiwan after a war broke out but failed. Without the MLR, the US and Taiwan defense was very difficult.

The US should be worried about the conclusion that the Taiwan Strait war will be prolonged although the US has certain advantages over China.

In this case, the US’ “preferred ammunition” (mainly various advanced and long-range missiles) will soon be exhausted. The domestic production capacity will be insufficient, and the replenishment of supply will be difficult.

If Russia, Iran or other forces challenge the US at this time, the US will run out of ammunition and food. In other words, the US will seriously suffer for supporting Taiwan. This may be the end of US hegemony. And this may change the view of US politicians and people.

The CSIS exercise has not yet calculated the economic impact and casualties of the war.

The two aircraft carriers have at least 10,000 officers and soldiers while there are 10,000 on other ships. Several thousand infantry soldiers and pilots will die. This is an intense burst of casualties not seen since World War II.

The Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the War on Terror had more casualties, but those accumulated over many years. The war in the CSIS scenarios only lasted for three to four weeks.

It remains to be seen how the PLA’s drills will change the settings of the scenario planning done by the CSIS or other institutions.

The Wa people of China

The Wa(佤族) people:

For comparison, left is from Wa people, the other two are from other races:

The Wa people are actually proud of their dark skin. In Wa’s tradition, the darker a person’s skin, the more beautiful he/she would be considered.

Japanese lawmakers’ planned visit to Taiwan ‘provocative,’ could spark strong countermeasures: expert

By Deng XiaociPublished: Aug 17, 2022 08:44 PM

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Keiji Furuya, head of a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers working to advance so-called relations with the island of Taiwan, is reportedly planning a visit to the island next week, amid heightened cross-Straits tensions as the result of a provocative visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and on the heels of a sudden visit to the island of Taiwan by a US congressional delegation led by US Senator Ed Markey on Sunday.

Chinese observers found it unsurprising that Japan, a US ally, intends to soon follow up and coordinate with the US in provoking China over the Taiwan question, while warning that such a move would certainly meet China’s countermeasures.

Citing sources close to the matter, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported late Tuesday that Furuya, who chairs the “Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council,” is expected to meet with the regional leader of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen and “defense officials” of the island in a three-day trip starting Monday.

“Japan is using the so-called congressional visit to show support to the US and would do the US a favor by helping shift Beijing’s intense pressure against Washington,” Xin Qiang, director of the Taiwan studies center with the Shanghai-based Fudan University and the deputy head of the university’s US studies center, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

However, the move would be viewed as stomping on the one-China principle, and the Chinese mainland would counter with measures including but not limited to reinforcing combat readiness drills and security patrols around the island of Taiwan and to lodge solemn representations to Japan,” Xin said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin urged during a routine press conference on Wednesday that China hopes Japan will abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, demonstrate its position of attaching importance to China-Japan relations with practical actions, and make constructive efforts to improve and develop bilateral relations, when commenting on guesses by Japanese media that Taiwan question would be raised during a new round of China-Japan high-level dialogue.

The council was advised by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe before his death, and served as a channel between Japan and the island since they have no diplomatic relations, according to the Kyodo report.

Liu Jiangyong, Vice Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that the council is infamous for being filled with right-wing lawmakers who have strong Taiwan sentiments and have been pushing to elevate relations with the island of Taiwan.

Furuya was the right-hand man of the late prime minister Abe and the council was behind almost every interaction between Japanese political figures with the Taiwan authority, citing a visit by a parliamentary delegation led by former Japanese defense ministers Shigeru Ishiba and Yasukazu Hamada in August to the island of Taiwan and the virtual meeting between Abe and Tsai in March, Liu said.

Global Times reporters found that Furuya, while serving as the chairman of the council, visited the island and met with Tsai in December2018, October 2019 and January 2020, and the upcoming trip to Taiwan next week would be his first since attending a memorial service for late secessionist leader of Taiwan island Lee Teng-hui in September 2020.

According to Japanese media, Furuya will be accompanied by the council’s secretary general Minoru Kihara and during his meeting with Tsai, they will discuss sending a delegation of council members for the October 10 celebrations and on holding a strategic dialogue between lawmakers from Japan, the US and the island of Taiwan.

However, Japan is also showing a shrewd side in its dealings with the island of Taiwan, as it does not send any member of the cabinet who can represent the government, Xin noted.

Liu said Taiwan authorities are hyping the congressional communication channel with aims to break through the limits of the current interaction between the island and Japan and create chaos in China-Japan relations on the important anniversary celebration this year.

What are the major differences between Chinese and Western cultures?

Interesting read. Not sure if I agree 100% with him, but it's worth a read. -MM

Having lived in China for about 4 years now and in the USA for over 14 years I think I’m well qualified to shed some light on this matter.

And since I’m neither Chinese nor a Westerner, you can be assured I won’t be sugar-coating anything or favor one over the other. These are simply my observations.

The biggest difference I discovered between the two, at a fundamental level is their priorities. Chinese culture tends to prioritize the result or the end whereas Western society prioritizes the process or the means.

China is Outcome-Driven

To put it very bluntly, China cares more about money than the west. The ideal outcome that every Chinese person strives for is to have more money. Yes, money is EXTREMELY important in Chinese culture because it guarantees security for the family. They have no social safety net to fall back on. And the memories of the difficult times is still fresh in the minds of the older generations.

This is why it is extremely important in Chinese culture to have your own house and car to show people that you have wealth. You’ve made it. How you attain that wealth is not really important or up for discussion, as long as you reach that status or checkmark. Life is brutal and unforgiving. It is a culture where they respect power and money more than anything else.

Chinese are also more productive and industrious at the business level. There is less red tape or regulations to deal with so they get $hit done. Competition is fierce because everyone is hustling to outgrow and out-compete and out-produce you. The Chinese are remarkably pragmatic and solution-oriented people.

Since Chinese culture focuses on results, people tend to be more successful in life. They are good at “obtaining” things like permits, quotas, meeting deadlines or requirements, etc.

The West is System-Driven

While China is an outcome-driven culture, the west is a system-driven one. The outcome is important, but what’s more important in western culture is the processes and the art that you use to reach that outcome.

That is why in the west it’s taboo to ask someone how much he/she makes. What’s more important is what the person does for a living.

In business, the Chinese will focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiency while Westerners, especially Europeans, will care more about how that product is made and provide valuable experiences with that product.

To illustrate this let’s look at watches. The Quartz watch was perfected by the Japanese, an eastern culture similar to the Chinese. It was revolutionary because it was more precise than mechanical watches. A perfect example of focusing on the outcome. The desired outcome of the watch is to tell the time as accurately as possible at the lowest cost. Japan delivers. However, can a Casio G-Shock watch evoke the same kind of experience and emotion as a Rolex or a Vacheron Constantin can? Probably not. Even though they are less accurate, there’s something special about these mechanical watches in how they are made and the history that a Casio can never compete with.

In western culture feelings or experiences are important while they are suppressed in eastern cultures. Westerners will say things like “how are you feeling today?” “how do you feel about bla bla bla?” etc. This is rare in China. The west has a more literary and artistic output from the west.

Living in Asia I noticed how westerners are just wired differently from East Asians. They will have tons of small talk even at work, talking about the news or some difficulties they encountered on their way to work that day, trivial affairs that are never really the topic of conversation among the Chinese. For the Chinese, they made it to work on time, there’s nothing more to say on the matter.

Since western culture focuses on the how, it is an extremely legalistic or litigious society. In the west, a company must abide by certain regulations or codes. For example, they have to follow specific animal protection laws when making leather products. So generally it’s more costly to get things done in the west. That’s why so many businesses have moved their productions to China where the regulations are lax.

Westerners also tend to be more inquisitive. Science has traditionally been a forte of western culture. And science is really about taking things apart and learning how they work, learning the processes and the mechanics. While westerners are very good at discovering new ideas, the theoretical department, the Chinese are experts at commercializing those ideas and implementing them in a practical setting.

To sum up the global economy today: The west supplies the designs, China implements those designs. Be it iPhones or Shanghai skyscrapers.

Collectivism vs Individualism

The second biggest difference between China and the west is that the former is a collectivist or conformist society, while the latter is an individualistic society.

China as a whole is much more unified and centralized than the west. The Chinese practice conformity to a truly remarkable extent, largely due to its Confucius and Communist past. You could be thousands of miles away in a different city in China and still expect to find the same kind of architecture, shops, signage, amenities, etc. There’s both the upside and downside to this. It can be a tad boring to see the same stuff everywhere you go, but it affords a certain level of convenience. This is why I think there is a stronger sense of national identity in China.

The West is more individualistic and this is reflected in the political landscape. Europe is a fragmented continent. It is divided into many small countries which are in turn divided into many small regions and towns. And each of these regions and towns has its distinct culture, architecture, customs, and sometimes even languages.

For example, Scotland has its own separate unique identity that is different from the UK or Europe. And Scotland is a country of only about 5 million people. Many medium-sized cities in China have more people than the entire country of Scotland. The same goes for regions like Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Andalucia, Catalunya, Bavaria, Veneto, Flanders, etc.

Mango

You shouldn’t, unless your life style will prevent you from giving the traumatized cat a good life. When I went to the shelter to find a new cat, they told me about Mango. Mango was rescued from the street, in a big city, as part of a litter of kittens, whose mother had been killed. They found the six week old kittens next to the dead mother, and the bloody bat that was used to bash the mother’s brain by some horrible human.

She was just so terrified of everything. Especially, humans. Can you blame her?

They tried to foster her with families, but she couldn’t adjust to kids, other pets, noise or humans. When I arrived at the shelter, they had her in a cage, in the lobby, in an attempt to socialize her. She was visibly shaking. Since I lived alone with no kids, I agreed to adopt her. For the first month, she rarely came out from under the guest room bed… but slowly and surely she came around.

That was 13 years ago. Does she still jump off the couch and hide when I sneeze? Yup. Are there friends and family that have NEVER actually seen her? Yup. She doesn’t like strangers. Does she loudly howl, like I are putting her in boiling oil, when I try to coax/trick her into a large dog kennel (cat carriers are too hard to get her into) to go to the vet? Yup.

But, I have never regretted adopting her. Or her adopting me.

‘Kids-for-cash’ scandal judges ordered to pay more than $288 million to nearly 300 victims

Two former Pennsylvania judges who ran a scheme to send children to for-profit prisons for kickbacks have been ordered to pay more than $US200 million ($288 million) to their victims in one of the worst judicial scandals in US history.

Article HERE

Murphy

A friend of ours was gassing up her SUV at the Murphy’s gas station one morning when she heard a kitten crying. She and the station attendant searched for the kitten, including opening the engine compartment of the vehicle, but they couldn’t find it and then it went silent, After a few more minutes of not finding the cat she gave up and drove 14 miles to home.

When she got home and turned off the vehicle, she could hear the kitten crying again. Once again searched and this time found a five week old kitten in the spare wheel under the rear of the SUV. Happily the little booger had not fallen out on the way home.

She had a lot of dogs and didn’t think it would go well for the kitten at her house, so she called my wife and asked if we wanted it. We did but we were 50 miles away in another city at medical appointments and couldn’t come fetch it right away.

So we called our veterinarian and asked if our friend could drop the kitten at the clinic and would the vet examine it and treat necessary, and we would pick it up and pay on our way home from the other city.

We have several critters already and it’s been pointed out to me that there are low cost Vaccination clinics in our town That would make it cheaper for us to get our animals their annual shots. But I always take them to our vet for annual exams as well as the shots because I want to maintain medical history of the animals and the relationship with the veterinarian in case I ever need “something extra,“ and this was one of those times. The vet readily agreed to have the cat dropped off without payment in advance and he would take care of it.

When we got to the vet’s office in late afternoon he was holding the kitten with a big grin on his face. I don’t want to post his photo on the Internet without his permission, but we got a great picture of him and the kitten. He told us it was in good shape overall, he gave it fluids for dehydration, it was negative for feline leukemia, and he treated some scratches on its nose. When our friend had dropped it off the staff asked for a name to put on its records; she came up with “Murphy” after the gas station.

We kept the name and took Murphy home to meet his new sister, another five-week-old kitten that we had found under a bush at my office a couple weeks earlier. The two instantly bonded and grew up together playing and raising hell around the house like kittens do. After his 14 mile ride under the SUV, Murphy turned into a Joe-Cool-nothing-really-bothers-me kind of cat. Except aerosol sprays. Those are scary.

How the Taiwan lobby helped pave the way for Pelosi’s trip – Responsible Statecraft

“Regardless of which political party is the government, this is a long-time practice for our representative office in the US to hire public relations firms to assist us in strengthening ties with the United States,” said Taiwan’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou in a June news conference.

If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan this week is any indication, Taiwan’s advocates in the United States are earning their paychecks.

As documented in a Center for International Policy report, “The Taiwan Lobby,” which I co-authored, organizations registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to represent Taiwan have worked diligently to enhance political, economic, and military ties with the United States. They helped to push through more than $5 billion dollars in arms sales to Taiwan, in part by contacting the offices of nearly 90 percent of all members of Congress in 2019, according to FARA filings. This included Taiwan’s lobbyists contacting Speaker Pelosi’s office 18 times and arranging a closed-door meeting between Pelosi and the president of Taiwan during the summer of 2019.

More recently, Taiwan’s lobbyists have continued to promote closer ties with the United States. Throughout 2022, they have been lobbying to get the Biden administration to add Taiwan to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, including collecting signatures for a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. Taiwan’s agents also hyped a March 2022 trip of U.S. officials purportedly “sent by President Biden” to Taiwan.

The size of the Taiwan lobby has grown in recent years, from seven FARA registrants in 2020 to twelve today, and Taiwan has spent just over $25 million since 2016 on these firms, according to the OpenSecrets website. While that might seem like a lot, it pales in comparison to Taiwan’s neighbors in the Asia Pacific region – Japan and South Korea, each spent more than $200 million, and China spent a whopping $276 million on FARA registrants during the same time period.

But, FARA registrants are just one part of the equation, as Taiwan’s influence in D.C. is also aided by close ties, and financial support, for a number of Washington think tanks. As Eli Clifton previously documented for Responsible Statecraft, many of the nation’s top think tanks, including the Brookings Institution, the Center for American Progress, and the Hudson Institute have all received funding from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the United States. These same think tanks often push for expanded arms sales and trade agreements with Taiwan “without widely disclosing their high-level funding from TECRO,” according to Clifton.

More recently, scholars at some think tanks that have received TECRO funding have downplayed concerns about Nancy Pelosi’s controversial trip to Taiwan. A Hudson Institute scholar, for example, argued that, “Newt Gingrich proved that despite CCP sabre-rattling, the Speaker . . . can visit Taiwan if he wants to. Decades later, Nancy Pelosi proved that is still true.” Similarly, a Brookings scholar was dismissive of China’s military exercises that were announced by Beijing in response to Pelosi’s trip, telling CNBC they were just “par for the course,” and that “China exercises a lot of showmanship and exercises and shows of force in the broader Western Pacific region all the time.”

Just last week former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke at the Atlantic Council — which also receives funding from TECRO — about a trip he and an Atlantic Council delegation made to Taipei in mid-July. Esper argued that the United States should militarily defend Taiwan and, just like Taiwan’s lobbyists, said Taiwan should be included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

Furthermore, when meeting with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, Esper calledfor a major shift in U.S. policy, a move away from “strategic ambiguity,” which experts say could set up a confrontation with China. “It is my personal view that the one-China policy has outlived its usefulness, that it is time to move away from strategic ambiguity,” he said in the July meeting.

TECRO has claimed it does “not influence what experts publish; nor do we base funding decisions on what experts choose to write on,” yet, there’s a pattern of the think tanks it funds being supportive of greater U.S. ties with Taiwan. It’s also clear that Taiwan’s registered foreign agents have helped to increase U.S. military and economic ties with Taiwan. This week their efforts culminated by helping to pave the way for Pelosi’s risky trip to Taiwan. This alone should merit greater attention on the impacts this small, but clearly powerful, influence operation is having on U.S. foreign policy.

Article HERE

US Chip 4 plan hands South Korea a devil’s choice

Washington puts Seoul on the spot with proposed chip making alliance, which ultimately threatens to torpedo Korea’s trade relations with China

by Andrew Salmon August 12, 2022

SEOUL – Samsung Electronics heir and de facto leader Lee Jae-yong was today (August 12) granted a presidential pardon in a corruption case, lifting a legal cloud that has hung over his head since 2017.

Though Lee has been out of prison and conducting executive duties since last year, the head of South Korea’s national flagship firm might, feasibly, wish he could take a lower profile just now.

He is back on the front pages just as Korea Inc’s worst nightmare is becoming manifest: It is being forced into choosing between key trade partner China and strategic ally the United States.

Washington is seeking a decision from Seoul, within weeks, on whether to join the nascent “Chip 4” semiconductor alliance that would bind together American, Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers while deliberately excluding China.

DID NOT WORK. -MM

South Korea strives to secure China ties amid US pressure on chips, missile system

Biden admin unlikely to force Seoul to sever ties with Chinese market: expert

By GT staff reporters Published: Aug 08, 2022 11:32 PM

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With South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin set to kick off a three-day visit to Qingdao in East China’s Shandong Province on Monday, the first high-level official to travel to China since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May, on the same day, South Korean media cited an unnamed presidential official as saying that the country has decided to attend a preliminary meeting for “Chip 4” – an alliance created by the US that some believe aims to set up a semiconductor barrier against the Chinese mainland.

The simultaneous message also illustrated South Korea’s political dilemma in striking a balance between China and the US in the face of increasing pressure from Washington, analysts said, warning that South Korea may face more losses if it totally sides with the US to counter China.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with Park during his stay in China, according to information from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China is willing to take Park’s visit as an opportunity to strengthen communication, focus on cooperation and promote the healthy and stable trend of bilateral relations.

Before coming to China, Park told a press conference that his trip would be a chance to reduce misunderstandings and boost cooperation in areas including trade, health and the environment, Reuters reported.

Park’s visit to China has drawn close attention in China and South Korea, as the two countries are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. At the same time, there are many new and old issues that need to be urgently discussed, and compared to its more frequent interactions with the US, Japan and Europe, the new South Korean government has had fewer exchanges with China, Wang Junsheng, a research fellow of East Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times.

Wang noted that Korean Peninsula issues, the chip pact among the US, Japan, South Korea and the island of Taiwan, and the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system will be covered in bilateral meetings between senior officials from the two sides.

Li Kaisheng, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that Park’s visit was made against the backdrop of the China-US tensions after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to the island of Taiwan and the Biden administration actively pulling China’s neighbors into a small circle to counter China.

Despite China’s stern warnings, Pelosi made a highly provocative visit to the island of Taiwan last week. When she traveled to South Korea after the Taiwan visit, South Korean President Yoon had a phone conversation instead of meeting her in person. This arrangement was interpreted by some analysts as an attempt to avoid the diplomatic fallout of Pelosi’s visit to the island of Taiwan.

However, Li told the Global Times that the Yoon government has taken a value-oriented diplomatic approach, and given the differences between China and South Korea in their political systems and ideologies, many challenges to bilateral relations remain.

Li noted that the deployment of THAAD and whether South Korea will cooperate with the US in deploying more missiles are all uncertainties hampering China-South Korea relations.

China had urged the Yoon government to keep the preceding Moon Jae-in government’s “Three No’s” policy on the THAAD issue and act prudently on major issues concerning its neighbors’ security, after Park said at the National Assembly in July that the “Three No’s” policy is not a commitment to China.

Analysts warned that the Yoon government should understand the seriousness of the THAAD issue, as it had sparked outrage among Chinese people and pushed bilateral relations to their lowest in decades, adding that  South Korea should not sacrifice its interests to follow the US.

However, the US has always wanted South Korea to be the bridgehead to counter China and will put more pressure on the Yoon government, analysts said, adding that given the closeness in trade relations between China and South Korea, leaning to the US will not fit South Korea’s interests.

Balancing its relations with China and the US amid a more complicated geopolitical situation has and will be one of the major challenges for Yoon, said Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, noting that the heated discussions in South Korea over whether to join the Chip 4 alliance with the US, Japan and the island of Taiwan is one example reflecting South Korea’s plight.

Dilemma for South Korea

On the same day that Park is scheduled to start his visit to China, South Korean media reported that Seoul has agreed to hold a preliminary meeting to lay down the ground rules for joining the Chip 4 alliance with Washington next month. Yoon said on Monday that the government is looking into the issue in the light of national interests.

Facing pressure from the US, the South Korean government has shown a tendency to sit on the fence, as it doesn’t want to offend the US by refusing to be part of the Chip 4 alliance, but at the same time does not want to provoke China’s anger, which might hurt their economic interests in the vast mainland market, analysts said.

Xiang Ligang, an independent tech analyst, told the Global Times that there is a  high chance that South Korea will eventually become a member of the alliance, but the country is very likely to become a counterforce to the US within the alliance on many issues, in that it will object to many requirements raised by the US to crack down on China’s chip market.

South Korea has massive interests related to the mainland market when it comes to the semiconductor industry. For example, it exports a vast amount of chips to China annually, including mobile phone chips and memory chips.

The Chinese mainland and Hong Kong accounted for 60 percent of South Korea’s semiconductor exports last year, a report of the Korea Times noted.

Observers pointed out that South Korea may also raise more requirements on reducing the negative impact on its chip exports to China, for example on export and technology restrictions.

Xiang Ligang said that it’s unlikely that the Biden administration will use very tough measures to force South Korea or other regions to sever themselves from the Chinese market, as it doesn’t have enough political influence to control its allies at will.

Moreover, South Korea knows that cutting its chip business ties with China might prompt the latter to speed up its chip technological development. And once China manages to produce high-end chips at very low prices, those products will easily flood the South Korean market, as cars and home appliances have done in the past, Ma Jihua, a veteran semiconductor observer, told the Global Times.

Besides, friction on the chip issue could also trigger backlash on other products such as daily consumption products, which would bring huge economic losses to South Korea, whose economic development in recent years has been hugely dependent on business interactions with the Chinese market.

South Korean public opinion also differs on topics related to the chip pact, with many people opposed to cutting the chip business or decoupling with China, as such moves do not meet South Korea’s interests, Xiang Haoyu pointed out, noting that although the Yoon government is aligned with the US, the latest drop in Yoon’s approval rating showed that conservative forces in South Korea cannot fully represent the public will.

The conservative party may lean toward the US but South Korea’s overall national strategy and public opinion will not overwhelmingly follow. This is also why China can work with South Korea to expand cooperation and shared interests, said Xiang Haoyu, noting that South Korea should also know that due to its own long-term strategic interests, it has little room to play the geopolitical card of closely following the US in countering China.

Solomon Islands moving ahead with contentious plan to build Huawei mobile phone towers with $100 million loan from Beijing

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury McKinnie Dentana told reporters in Honiara on Wednesday that the towers would expand and improve mobile coverage across the country.

He also confirmed it would be funded by a concessional loan from China, the first time the government of Solomon Islands has borrowed from one of Beijing’s main overseas lending institutions.

“The project will be fully funded with a concessional loan facility under the EXIM Bank of China of approximately CNY448.9 million ($96 million) at a rate of 1 per cent interest rate for a period of 20 years,” he said.

Mr Dentana said the government would roll out the project over the next three years, and wanted to complete almost half of the towers ahead of the Pacific Games, which will be held in Honiara in November next year.

“This will help people in rural areas to enjoy the Games, even if they don’t come to Honiara,” he said.

He also claimed external advisers had told the government they would be able to repay the loan with revenue generated from the towers.

“The independent review of the project shows the project would generate sufficient revenue for the government to fully repay both the principal loan amount and the interest cost within the loan period,” he said.

From HERE

The article continues to describe what a bad and terrible deal the Solomon's are getting using inferior Chinese equipment, "debt trap", and all the rest. Ah. Standard boilerplate anti-China stuff, don't you know. -MM

Big shout out to officer Mike Carpinelli

Here is a photo that captures the character of of a great police officer.

Almost 2 years ago a father took this photo when he was driving his son to rehab in St Lawrence.

His son decided he didn’t want to go and took the father’s phone and called 911 and told them he was being kidnapped.

When the man got pulled over, his son got out of the vehicle and the state trooper had stood on the side of the road with his addict son for about an hour patiently convincing him to let him drive him to rehab.

The father was astounded at the Sheriff and Trooper’s dedication to the cause of addiction. Officer’s successfully got the son in a vehicle without force and drove him to St Lawrence from Lowville about an hour and a half drive.

He literally walked in with him to the rehab. Here is a tribute to great, loving public servants that truly care.

Big shout out to officer Mike Carpinelli

Taiwan biggest underground society leader openly pledges to take action to overthrow the DPP regime if the PLA begin military action.

He said, we are not going to allow the DPP behaviour resulted in many died in bombing. As far as my knowledge is concerned, He is the second one openly make such statement.

Video found HERE

Direct download 3.3MB

Umbry

This is Umbry, the love of my life.

I took him into my care 2 years ago because his owner didn’t want him.

I wasn’t a cat person before, I was in fact scared of cat.

I took him in out of pity.

He was skinny, with flu and full of fleas. My initial plan was actually to nurse him to health and put him up for adoption.

But I grew fond of him and eventually decided not to.

Last year, Umbry was diagnosed with Wet Neuro FIP.

Almost every cat owner knows this is an almost always a fatal disease.

When I got the news, I was bawling my eyes out at the clinic but I didn’t want to give up on him. I did some research and found that there is an antiviral treatment by Dr Pederson.

The fact that the treatment is still not approved makes it harder to source and even more expensive.

I had to fork out all of my savings and took a part time job to fund his treatment.

He had to go through 84 days of daily injection which was very painful to watch.

It really was a difficult time for both of us.

But it has been over 5 months now since his last day of treatment and Umbry is looking as healthy and as happy as ever.

I hope he continues to stay healthy for a very long time and grow old with me.

Rufus saves a kitten

As any New Yorker will tell you, you see a lot of unexpected stuff on the subway. But one woman saw something that left her truly inspired.

Gillian Rogers is the founder of Pet Rescue Squad Inc, and is passionate about helping animals. And last week, she saw something that gave her hope.

She was riding the 1 train home when she spotted a man on the other side of the car, with something in his lap.

She was amazed to realize it was a tiny kitten, wrapped in a towel. Not only that, but the man was bottle-feeding the cat.

“You could see the caring,” Gillian told The Dodo

. “My heart felt like it was going to explode to see someone with that much caring. He was so in the moment.”

“The kitten was looking up at him as he fed her. It was so heartwarming.”

Rainwater everywhere on Earth unsafe to drink due to ‘forever chemicals’, study finds

Rainwater almost everywhere on Earth has unsafe levels of ‘forever chemicals’, according to new research by scientific experts.

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of human-made chemicals that don’t occur in nature. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down in the environment.

They have non-stick or stain repellent properties so can be found in household items like food packaging, electronics, cosmetics and cookware.

But now researchers at the University of Stockholm have found them in rainwater in most locations on the planet – including Antarctica. There is no safe space to escape them.

Article found HERE

A Great Example of Paying it Forward

You will find one or two MM posts in the mix. -MM

A “clear the shelter” day

Locally, we have a “clear the shelter” day when they waive all of the fees normally associated with an adoption. It’s a great opportunity, though of course the reason is unfortunate – too many abandoned/homeless animals.

I had decided to go to my local shelter to look for a cat – we had shop cats at work for years, and the last one, who was extraordinary, lived the life of Riley after he had kidney issues, commuting to work with me every day, and living it up at home. After he died, I wasn’t really ready to jump back in, but something told me this was an opportunity that I shouldn’t miss.

So, off to the shelter on Saturday afternoon. As I wheeled in, there was a crowd of almost 100 people standing outside, waiting to go in, where the shelter was going to assign you a “pet counselor” to guide you to all the animals. I’d been there before, and this was an incredibly awkward way to look at the animals, and I found out some people had been waiting over an hour just to take a look. Disappointed, I thought, “Well, maybe next time.”

Then I remembered that PetSmart was listed as an alternate location for this event, and there was one between the shelter and my house, so I decided to stop by. I looked into the cat area, and this little guy was there.

His breathing rate was about 110, and he looked miserable. His shelter name was Sebastian, and I walked around the store to check out the price of litter and supplies, then walked back over and looked at him again.

He didn’t even really look at me, but he needed someone who wouldn’t mind that. The volunteer said, “He’s really sweet, would you like to hold him?” I told her that I didn’t need to. He needed the kind of home I was ready to give him, and I’d come back after I bought the food and litter to pick him up.

She said, “He might hiss, but he won’t bite you, I promise.

A lot of people have looked at him, but no one wants him because he’s so scared.” I told her that was fine, and that if she could get his paperwork ready, I’d be back in a moment for him.

This medium haired guy was in his box when I got back, and I took as little time as possible to file his paperwork, pick up his tags, and take him to the car.

When I got him inside, I slowly turned the carrier on its side. And this is what I saw.

He was breathing so fast, and I could see his heart racing, but when I moved to scratch him on the chest, he started purring, but he didn’t want to come out at all.

I left him in peace, in a darkened room, and when I came back, the box was empty.

He had fled to some secret place under the bed, so I set out food, water and the litter box right next to the edge of the bed and left him to settle in.

Then, as luck would have it, this happened –

Straight line winds of about 80 mph tore through the back yard, and this poor little terrified guy was stuck right inside the room where a freight train and explosive sounding tree destruction happened. Not two hours after getting home.

I felt so bad for him, and honestly, didn’t see him for about a day and a half, but food was gone, and water was gone, and the litter box was used, so he must have been OK.

He progressed for a week at a time, first, not running off when I looked at him if he was eating, then walking around if I was in the room, and one day he jumped onto the bed, and let me pet him.

Three weeks of letting him do it his way, changing from a scared little cat into one with more and more confidence.

He kept his shelter name, though there’s no easy way to shorten it, and it turns out that it doesn’t matter anyway – he is the most cat like cat I have ever had. He is capable of ignoring me completely if he wants to, no matter what he is doing.

It’s infuriating, and hilarious, because he’s also so happy to hang out now. Most of the time, this is his general posture.

Belly up, and sleeping so he can race around at 3 in the morning like his tail is on fire. And that medium hair description at the shelter?

Nope, long, long, fluffy, flies through the air in tufts no matter how much you brush him hair. He is literally with me in some form no matter where I go, no matter how great a lint brush I might have.

I was taken by a fearful cat that needed someone who didn’t mind. Best decision I ever made.

Italian Meatball Pasta

This Italian Meatball Pasta is an easy-to-make skillet dinner with Hamburger Helper™ Beef Pasta, precooked Italian-style meatballs and juicy tomatoes. Serve up a heaping plate of meatball pasta topped with melty cheese for a deliciously flavorful weeknight meal. And don’t be surprised if people start asking for seconds after a single bite!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 box (5.9 oz) Hamburger Helper™ Beef Pasta
• 32 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (1/2 oz each)
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (4 oz)
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, if desired

How The Threat Of China Was Made In The USA

A fantastic video.

Western mainstream media are spreading a great deal of anti-China propaganda disinformation. They’re literally brainwashing Westerners into hating China.

Sorry to say but you are one of the victims. You’ve been taken for a fool; you are being manipulated.

Second, whether or not you care about China is entirely up to you. Perhaps China isn’t at all important to you, to your daily life.

Third, there is no reason to be afraid of China. China is a peaceful and benevolent nation.

• China hasn’t fought a single war since 1979.
• China is pursuing diplomacy throughout the Middle East rather than bombing the shit out of the region. Recently, China signed a 25-year cooperation deal with Iran.
• China is negotiating with the Taliban instead of invading and occupying Afghanistan for 20 years.
• China is leading the ASEAN countries in peaceful trade through RCEP, the world’s largest free trade bloc.
• China is helping countries in the Global South, as well as in Europe, build their infrastructure through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over 149 countries have already signed up; that’s 3/4 of the world’s nations!
• China is helping countries in the Global South vaccinate their population as the rich Western nations abandoned them through vaccine hoarding.
• China is inviting all nations to participate in its space station program, including the United States. Recall that USA banned China from the ISS.
• China is trying to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, countries with whom China has excellent relations. What is USA doing? Sending arms to Ukraine, throwing fuel to the fire and prolonging the war.
• China is forging powerful economic and security alliances in BRI, BRICS, RCEP, SCO, etc. China is trying to unite the world, not divide it (as the Americans are doing).

You have more reasons to be afraid of America, which wages endless wars around the world, which sanctions numerous countries that don’t comply with US foreign policy, which interferes in foreign elections and politics, which overthrows foreign regimes it doesn’t like.

Fourth, if you really care to know the truth about China, there is only one way: go visit China. See China with your own eyes. Bypass Western mainstream media.

Your own eyes will confirm that Western media have been lying to you. China is not evil. Life in China is very good. The people are happy. The country is peaceful and safe.

• You can visit Xinjiang and learn about the Uyghurs.
• You can visit Hong Kong and see how well the city is doing now that the violent protesters have been booted out of China.
• You can visit Tibet and witness the beauty of its culture.
• You can visit Shenzhen and Chengdu and Shanghai and see the technological wonders.

China is the fourth most popular country in the world for tourism!

The future looks beautiful!

From Chua…

China patiently extenting massive goodwill to the Taiwanese people over the decades to win heart and mind. As a result, there are more than 2 million Taiwanese living and working in China (but they are not allow to vote outside Taiwan) 

And the Taiwanese economy is growing with massive trade surplus:

Mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for 42% of Taiwan's exports last year, while the U.S. had a 15% share, according to official Taiwan data accessed through Wind Information.

About 22% of Taiwan's imports last year came from mainland China and Hong Kong, versus 10% from the U.S., official data showed.

Many Taiwan-based companies operate factories in mainland China. In 2021, Taiwan businesses received $200.1 billion in U.S. export orders, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. (note: their factories in China make even more money from the rest of the world including the Chinese Market)

Taiwan’s Trade with China is FAR LARGER than trade with the USA

However, the US and Japan offer Taiwanese politicians personal gain in speech fees, kick back.... So, today, China have to get rid of these handful of low quality, selfish, me-only foreign puppets controlling the island through the capitalist democratic system by withdrawing the massive goodwill to cause pain across Taiwan, and use massive military to surround the island and cause further pains and soon may do it by restricting their energy supply etc.

Within the next few weeks, if the US fail to carryout the threat of sending its aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Straits, the will in the island US puppets will collapsed.

And...

The PLA will definitely won't allow the crusader warships the freedom of navigation across their inner water this time. 

US will be proven a paper tiger 🐯 soon.

When live become harder and harder in Taiwan, the power of the patriotic forces will growth, a colour revolution will be in the making. A peaceful reunification will be ensured.

We should have a little gathering in Taiwan on the day of reunification to celebrate the day that spell the drastic and permanent decline of the world most war monger crusader nations in the past 2 century.

When the world most evil crusader is down, the Palestinian liberation day will no longer be a dream, Latin America will have their freedom back and the economy will growth through the win win belts and roads, NATO may be dismantle and Europe will be back to a lot of small countries completing with each other to trade with the outside world.

Once they (Europe) don't act collectively against the rest of the world, they will become less aggressive and learn to deal with the world through mutual respect, and trade through value for money.

Europe will learn that collective bullying and looting for profit have no future. They will learn to work hard and living within their means.

Russian - Ukraine conflict will be resolved with Ukraine surrender and begin rebuilding as part of Russia. The flow of Russian gas to Europe will resume

The world will abandon the US currency and the US economy will collapsed, followed by the military, and a with drawal of US overseas military bases will be a must to cut expenses. The country will be split into a few parts. The rich states would like to keep their tax money to themselves by declaring independent, the black, the white, the Latino etc with no love with each other will form gangs and split their territory and power base.

Once the crusader nations across the world can no longer threaten the world, The world can spend less in military and use the money to improve the environment and standard of living of the average population.