Posts

Philippines Drops China’s Belt and Road as Tensions Flare

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Philippines in late October became the latest country to back out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with Transport Minister Jaime Bautista telling reporters the sudden withdrawal came after Beijing did not respond to funding requests on railway projects.

China had pledged almost $5 billion (€4.7 billion) to build three rail lines — two in Luzon and one in Mindanao — under the BRI, a keystone of Beijing’s foreign policy offering Chinese-backed loans for major infrastructure projects mostly in developing parts of the world.

However, China and the Philippines have been locked in a years-long dispute over maritime territory in the South China Sea, which China has claimed in its entirety.

In the most recent incident, a Chinese coast guard ship rammed a Philippine fishing vessel in contested waters near Second Thomas Shoal.

However, Philippine officials did not mention territorial tension as the reason behind the pull out. (Read more from “Philippines Drops China’s Belt and Road as Tensions Flare” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Joe Biden’s Office Allegedly Helped Coordinate Hunter Biden’s China Trips During Vice Presidency, Emails Show

/0 Comments/in , /by

Then-Vice President Joe Biden’s office appeared to offer assistance to Hunter Biden with coordinating his business trips to China, newly released emails show.

Donald Cloud, an advisor to then-VP Biden, reached out to Hunter Biden’s assistant, Katie Dodge, and suggested she communicate with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to connect with then-U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus about Hunter Biden’s travels to China, according to emails released on Oct. 26 by the America First Legal Foundation (AFL).

“The reason I’m emailing you is that I received a call from Embassy Beijing this morning, and as I understand it, they (specifically Ambassador Max Baucus) has heard that Hunter Biden is in China. He would like to connect with Hunter (either himself or a member of his Embassy staff) to offer any support he may need during his travels,” Cloud wrote, according to the emails.

Cloud apparently sent Dodge contact information for Baucus’ special assistant and his personal phone number. Baucus’ phone number is redacted in the batch of emails AFL released. Dodge reached out to Baucus’ assistant and suggested a meeting with Baucus the next time Hunter Biden was in China because Baucus was not in China at the time, according to the emails. (Read more from “Joe Biden’s Office Allegedly Helped Coordinate Hunter Biden’s China Trips During Vice Presidency, Emails Show” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

China Wipes Israel From Digital Map

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chinese companies Baidu and Alibaba removed the name of the state of Israel from their digital maps Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

Although Baidu’s map demarcates the internationally recognized borders of Israel, including key cities and the Palestinian territories, Israel is not listed by name, the outlet reported. Alibaba’s map identifies less recognizable countries like Luxembourg while excluding a label for Israel.

While social media users recently noticed the absence of Israel on Chinese maps, it is unknown whether this is a new development, according to the outlet. However, China has been diplomatically ambiguous in the region amid Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel. . .

China’s foreign ministry responded to a question from a Reuters reporter during a press conference Tuesday inquiring whether they played a part in removing the label of Israel from the companies’ maps.

“I believe you are aware that China and Israel have a normal diplomatic relationship,” ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. “The relevant country is clearly marked on the standard maps issued by the Chinese competent authorities, which you may refer to,” Wenbin said. (Read more from “China Wipes Israel From Digital Map” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Chinese Generals Rattle Sabers at U.S. On War Over Taiwan

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chinese generals took aim at the U.S. military on Monday with blunt warnings that foreign forces in a war to take Taiwan will be crushed, but they also held out the prospect of ending a lengthy boycott on direct military-to-military talks with the Pentagon.

People’s Liberation Army Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Monday in Beijing that the PLA will “show no mercy” in dealing with attempts by the U.S. or Taiwanese forces to seek independence from the mainland.

“No matter who wishes to separate Taiwan from China in any way, the Chinese military will never agree to it,” Gen. Zhang said. In a veiled reference to the United States, he said “some countries” are working to subvert the Chinese system.

Gen. Zhang also hinted that the PLA might end its 15-month refusal to engage in talks and exchanges with the U.S. military. The boycott was sparked by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taiwan in the summer of 2022.

A second PLA general, Lt. Gen. He Lei, told state media at the conference that a PLA war on Taiwan would be “legitimate” and “just.” (Read more from “Chinese Generals Rattle Sabers at U.S. On War Over Taiwan” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

WATCH: Gavin Newsom Knocks Down Small Child While Playing Basketball in China

/0 Comments/in , /by

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had a particularly awkward moment during his trip to China, wherein he was filmed knocking over a young child during a game of basketball.

The moment occurred during a visit to a school in Beijing last Friday. After Newsom fell to the ground with the boy, the governor laughed it off as he patted him on the back several times. The boy seemed largely unfazed, with no injuries. Prior to the fall, Newsom tried for a few photo-op moments by spinning the ball on his finger and driving to the basket for a layup. Needless to say, the moment inspired heavy commentary on social media:

“It was a cringey moment for the Democratic governor but didn’t cause injuries. Newsom, in dress shoes, a white shirt, and slacks, proceeded to play with the 9- and 10-year-old children for several more minutes, spinning the basketball on his fingertip and swishing a few times,” noted the Los Angeles Times. (Read more from “WATCH: Gavin Newsom Knocks Down Small Child While Playing Basketball in China” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Biden’s New ‘Rule’ Would Force Government Thought on Millions

/0 Comments/in , , /by

China is well known for dictating what people think. Or at least what they say they think. A statement of a wrong belief can bring on trouble quickly.

Now Joe Biden’s administration is preparing to take a major step in the same direction, with a plan by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to dictate how transgenderism and abortion are addressed in the workplace.

Through its rule-making process, the EEOC is preparing to identify the simple “voicing of opposition to abortion or contraception as policy matters” as “workplace harassment.” . . .

A report in Decision Magazine explains how Biden’s strategy is to force all workplaces to become “woke,” or adopt the leftist social ideologies that Biden’s administration chooses to endorse.

The report explains that conservative and faith-based groups are alarmed at the prospect Biden’s plans will violate their free speech rights, and offend their business management plans. (Read more from “Biden’s New ‘Rule’ Would Force Government Thought on Millions” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Deep State Preps Gavin Newsom for Presidency, Has Him Meet With Xi in China

/1 Comment/in , /by

California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in Beijing, in the latest sign of thawing U.S-China relations amid rising geopolitical conflicts.

The Democratic governor has been in China this week on a visit billed as focused on climate change, in line with California’s nation-leading emissions policies. He said his meeting with Xi focused on climate as well as fentanyl exports, which the Biden administration has been trying to curb through sanctions on Chinese chemical companies. . .

“The president was rather explicit about the desire to be even more specific in terms of what is needed, in terms of calling out and identifying where these chemicals are going,” Newsom told reporters after the meeting.

Newsom’s emphasis on climate change and subnational cooperation as avenues for diplomacy between the U.S. and China may have paid off. The trip should pave the way for a meeting between President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco next month in Newsom’s hometown. (Read more from “Deep State Preps Gavin Newsom for Presidency, Has Him Meet With Xi in China” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

China Expanding Nuclear Arsenal Faster Than Expected: Pentagon

/1 Comment/in , /by

China is expanding its nuclear arsenal unexpectedly quickly while it continues to threaten Taiwan, warned a new Pentagon report on Thursday.

China has built up its nuclear arsenal to over 500 warheads, an increase of roughly 100 over the past year and more than U.S. security officials had predicted a year ago, according to the Defense Department’s annual China Military Power Report. The Department of Defense (DOD) estimates that China’s nuclear stockpile will double to roughly 1,000 warheads by 2030.

“In 2022, Beijing continued its rapid nuclear expansion, and DoD estimates that the PRC possessed more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 — on track to exceed previous projections,” the report says.

China’s stockpile of nuclear warheads is “on track to exceed previous projections,” a senior DOD official told POLITICO. “What they’re doing now, if you compare it to what they were doing about a decade ago, it really far exceeds that in terms of scale and complexity.” (Read more from “China Expanding Nuclear Arsenal Faster Than Expected: Pentagon” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

China’s Birth Rate Falls So Low That Baby Formula Factory to Shut Down

/0 Comments/in , /by

Nestle, the world’s largest food company, announced on Wednesday that it will shutter or sell the Wyeth Nutrition baby formula factory in Askeaton, Ireland, no later than the first quarter of 2026.

The major reason given for this decision was that China’s birth rate has collapsed so much that the plant’s output, which was exported to Asia, is no longer needed.

“The number of newborn babies in China has declined sharply from some 18 million per year in 2016 to fewer than 9 million projected in 2023. The market, which had previously been reliant on imported infant formula products, is also seeing rapid growth in locally produced products,” Nestle stated.

The company said it would shutter a research and development center at the Askeaton plant by 2025, putting a total of 542 local jobs on the line.

“The full range of state supports will be made available to the employees, and we will examine each and every option to ensure that the best possible outcome is reached for all concerned,” Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Simon Coveney told the BBC on Wednesday. (Read more from “China’s Birth Rate Falls So Low That Baby Formula Factory to Shut Down” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Pentagon Warns Risky and Coercive China Air Encounters Could Trigger a War

/0 Comments/in , /by

China is engaged in a systematic program of military intimidation and coercion involving dangerous jet intercepts of U.S. and allied aircraft that could trigger a U.S.-China conflict, the Pentagon’s senior policymaker for Asia said Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner told reporters the Chinese military is engaged in a coordinated campaign featuring “risky and coercive” actions by jet fighters that have made close passes to U.S. and allied aircraft flying in international airspace.

More than 180 incidents involving U.S. aircraft have taken place, mainly over the South China Sea and East China Sea, since 2021. The number over just the past two years is more than occurred during the entire decade prior to 2021.

The incidents have included what Mr. Ratner said were “reckless maneuvers” by Chinese Su-27 and J-16 jets flying very close to, or in front of, patrolling U.S. aircraft. In some cases, the Chinese jets released chaff or flares that could have damaged the engines of the U.S. aircraft.

When added to an additional number of dangerous intercepts involving allied aircraft, the total number of risky incidents is nearly 300, Mr. Ratner said. (Read more from “Pentagon Warns Risky and Coercive China Air Encounters Could Trigger a War” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.