Chinese fighter intercepts Navy Poseidon

[BridgeTroll]

Chinese trying to annex another Philippine island...  and in case you missed it... the Venezuelan dictator is threatening to invade Guyana...

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-weekly-update-december-7-2023

The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) announced on December 3 the presence of over 100 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels (CMM) “swarming” the Philippine-controlled Whitson Reef in the South China Sea’s (SCS) contested Spratly Islands since November 13.[44] The PCG stated the number grew to more than 135 vessels by December 3 and that the vessels have not complied with PCG warnings to disperse. PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Wang Wenbin reprimanded the Philippines’ “irresponsible remarks” in a press conference on December 4, stating that the reef is China’s territory and the Chinese fishing vessels sheltered there are operating within the law.[45]

The surge in suspected CMM presence comes amid the Philippines’ completion of a coast guard “monitoring base” on nearby Thitu Island, which was formally inaugurated on December 1. Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano stated he witnessed at least 18 suspected CMM ships and a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel off Thitu while visiting the island for the inauguration ceremony.[46]

The PRC operates hundreds of CMM ships in the SCS at any given time under the guise of fishing vessels.[47] These vessels often remain anchored for extended periods around nearby PRC military bases and contested features. The current “swarm” of 135 vessels surrounding Whitson Reef is unusually high, however. The grouping is the largest since March 2021, when a flotilla of over 220 alleged CMM vessels moored there.[48] The PRC in 2021 similarly justified the ships’ presence as sheltering from rough conditions, despite the prolonged stay of several weeks.[49]

The PRC’s deployment of non-traditional maritime power serves to further its control of claimed territory while manipulating the narrative to portray challengers as aggressors. There is precedent for the PRC using the CMM to gain footholds in the SCS. CMM vessels played a role in the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, which ended in the PRC wresting control of the feature from the Philippines.[50] The PRC justified its deployment of paramilitary surveillance ships to confront the Philippines Navy after the latter sought to arrest PRC militiamen for illegal fishing. The Philippines claims the PRC maintained its presence there after an agreement by both parties to withdraw their ships.[51] The PRC erected a barrier to deny entry to the shoal’s lagoon a month later.[52]

The PRC uses the CMM to challenge territorial sovereignty in the SCS more frequently than in other disputes with Japan and Taiwan. Former Rear Admiral of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Katsuya Yamamoto stated in 2019 that the CMM has played a smaller role in the PRC’s maritime incursions in the East China Sea (ECS) than the SCS.[53] Japan suffers routine harassment from Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, however, mostly near the Senkaku Islands in the ECS. The Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) recorded 127 incursions into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands by the CCG over the twelve months since November 30.[54] Taiwan experiences a constant flow of illegal PRC fishing vessels in its restricted waters. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported 1,081 cases of illegal fishing from PRC vessels in its restricted waters during the twelve months since October 31, resulting in 25 detainments. These instances have not escalated into conflict with the PRC military, however. Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated on March 6 that the PRC military approached Taiwan’s contiguous zone in August 2022 and may cross it this year.[55]

Messaging from PRC leadership signals strong backing for the maritime forces’ antagonistic posturing. Xi Jinping urged the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and CCG to defend the PRC’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests during a visit to the East China Sea Regional Command headquarters in Shanghai on December 1.[56]

[Tacachale]

Funny how little communist and socialist regimes care about territorial integrity when it suits them.

[BridgeTroll]

Funny how little communist and socialist regimes care about territorial integrity when it suits them.

It's also "funny" how little attention is paid to them until it's too late...

[BridgeTroll]

Any pro democracy protests, advocacy is considered treason... even from dual citizens of China and US.  China has a very long arm...

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hong-kong-warrants-activists-12162023204634.html

[BridgeTroll]

The Germans are finally figuring out what a threat China is... wake up people...

https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/espionage-from-the-east-russia-is-a-storm-china-is-climate-change-a-7436be38-2088-4e10-b188-e5032ad0a367

German intelligence agents have long abandoned any illusions they may once have held about the hunger for power and the increasing hostility of the Chinese Communist Party toward the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine may be the most acute problem facing Europe at the moment. But on the long term, the biggest threat comes from China. "Russia is a storm,” says Thomas Haldenwang, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic security agency. "China is climate change.” 

[BridgeTroll]

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongkong-exodus-08152022123051.html

[BridgeTroll]

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2024/01/09/US-Navy-sailor-given-27-months-in-jail-for-sharing-military-data-with-China

[BridgeTroll]

https://providencemag.com/2024/02/chinas-quiet-war-in-the-south-china-sea/

While the eyes of the world remain fixed on the crisis in the Red Sea, another threat to global stability continues to stir in the South China Sea. In early December, the Chinese Coast Guard rammed and assaulted Philippine supply vessels with water cannons near Second Thomas Shoal, a reef whose sovereignty is disputed between the two nations and lies 121 miles (194 km) west of the Philippines...

[BridgeTroll]

Taiwanese residents would be wise to take notice...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-68613249

[BridgeTroll]

The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) has normalized patrols around Kinmen since February 14. A PRC fishing boat in Taiwan’s prohibited waters near Kinmen capsized while fleeing from a legal Taiwanese Coast Guard pursuit on February 14. The capsizing resulted in the deaths of two of the four fishermen onboard. The CCG pledged on February 18 to strengthen law enforcement activities around Kinmen. The CCG has maintained a consistent presence around Kinmen and repeatedly violated Taiwan’s maritime boundaries since then. The CCG boarded a Taiwanese sightseeing ship on February 19, marking the first time a CCG ship conducted inspections in Taiwanese waters.[9] Five CCG marine surveillance ships entered Taiwan’s contiguous zone around Kinmen on February 26, including one that crossed into territorial waters.[10] The total number of CCG ships around Kinmen reached 11 on February 27, including two that entered Taiwan’s contiguous zone. Four CCG ships operated in Taiwan’s territorial waters around Kinmen Island for two consecutive days for the first time on March 15 and 16.[11] One of the ships was a converted naval corvette that conducted the passage with its gun covers removed.[12] The CCG’s removal of its gun covers during its passage through Taiwan’s waters illustrates its offensive posturing, indicating its actions are intended to intimidate the Taiwanese Coast Guard rather than uphold a safe maritime environment. CCG ships have previously used this tactic to intimidate rival law enforcement in contested waters, including the Philippines Coast Guard around Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.[13]

Normalizing operations around Taiwan’s waters sets conditions for the PRC to apply further pressure on Taiwan in the future. It provides the precedent for the PRC to justify future CCG around other offshore ROC islands, such as Matsu. The patrols near the offshore islands create domestic political pressure on the ROC government to negotiate with the PRC from a position of weakness to mitigate the frequency of patrols and defend ROC sovereignty.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-weekly-update-march-28-2024

[BridgeTroll]

Using tactics similar to those used in the South China Sea to seize control of claimed territory...China is now using "cartographic aggression" against India...

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/arunachal-pradesh-04022024161146.html

China names 30 places in Indian-controlled Arunachal Pradesh

India rejects Beijing’s move, which seems aimed at bolstering its claims to disputed territory.

[BridgeTroll]

https://www.hudson.org/security-alliances/breaking-seven-decade-taboo-deployment-us-special-forces-kinmen-miles-yu

[BridgeTroll]

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/south-china-sea-04262024085452.html

Scarborough Shoal was a refuge for Filipino fishermen. Then Chinese boats moved in

For the Philippines, the triangular chain of reefs offers a warning about China’s intentions.

By Luna Pham for RFA and BenarNews
2024.04.26
In Masinloc, Philippines

One day in early April 2012, a Philippine naval surveillance plane spotted eight Chinese fishing boats inside Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs around 125 nautical miles (232 kilometers) from Luzon, the Philippines' main island.

For decades, the country's fishermen had trawled the area’s waters and used its protective lagoon as a refuge from typhoons.

But this day would mark a turning point. Less than 48 hours after the Chinese boats were spotted, they were met by the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the Philippine navy’s largest patrol vessel. Armed sailors boarded the Chinese vessels, where they said they found endangered species of coral, giant clams and sharks.

Chinese news reports accused the Philippines of harassing and humiliating the Chinese crew. Beijing sent two marine surveillance ships to investigate.

Today, Filipino fishermen say they find themselves routinely run off in those South China Sea waters, which have also become a flashpoint in a potential conflict between superpowers....

[BridgeTroll]

I worked with this system during the Cold War... this is the new version in the  Asian theater...

https://www.cescube.com/vp-new-dimensions-of-surveillance-reinventing-the-fish-hook-strategy

Ever since China has launched its String of Pearls strategy, the Indo-Pacific has been a center of activity. With every nation in the region, trying to vigilantly guard its territories from China's escalating encroachments, maritime operations in the past ten years alone have increased exponentially. The US too has been paying close attention to the happenings in the Pacific, and is taking steps to counter some of China’s moves. By forming coalitions and signing agreements, regional states are constantly proving that China's increasingly aggressive moves need to be countered. But the actions of states with this regard have been more or less predictable, as every nation is trying their best to make use of intelligence and tactical operations to safeguard their interests. There has been a significant focus on making use of the best technologies to successfully guard one's coastal borders. On the other hand, China, who has been making historical claims in the South China Sea and is heading towards an expansionist policy, has embarked on certain missions that suggest the revival of an old strategy which was once used by its rival. 

Historical information...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOSUS#:~:text=SOSUS%20systems%20consisted%20of%20bottom,which%20they%20were%20to%20cover.

India has recognized the threat and joined the hunt...

https://resonantnews.com/2020/07/03/indian-submarine-surveillance-network-ready-to-catch-chinese-submarines-japan-and-america-are-partners/

[BridgeTroll]