ALERT The Winds of War Blow in Korea and The Far East

[jward]

Apparently it was a submarine launched ballistic missile. j

Photos & links at source....
Posted for fair use....
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/04/WS5d96a22fa310cf3e3556ebd6.html

DPRK says it successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile
China Daily | Updated: 2019-10-04 09:36

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM, from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defense, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un "sent warm congratulations" to the defense scientists who conducted the test, according to the state KCNA news agency, indicating he did not attend the launch as he had at previous tests of new weapons systems.

The new type of SLBM, called Pukguksong-3, was "fired in vertical mode" in the waters off the eastern city of Wonsan, KCNA said, confirming an assessment by the Republic of Korea's military on Wednesday that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory.

"The successful new-type SLBM test-firing comes to be of great significance as it ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces' threat to the DPRK and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defense," KCNA said.

A US State Department spokeswoman called on Pyongyang to "refrain from provocations" and to remain committed to nuclear negotiations.

DPRK and US officials are scheduled to meet on Saturday to restart diplomacy on how to end nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang fired the missile hours after announcing it would resume talks with the United States by holding working-level negotiations.

Photos released in the DPRK's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, whose front two pages featured the test, showed a black-andwhite painted missile clearing the surface of the water, then the rocket engine igniting to propel it into the sky.

Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, wrote on Facebook that the missile was likely fired from a barge built for an underwater launch. He said the missile is under development and that Pyongyang must test-fire it from a submarine before deploying it.

ROK's Defense Ministry said the DRPK missile traveled about 450 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 910 kilometers. The ministry officials said the missile flew higher than any other short-range weapons the DPRK had test-fired in recent months.

KCNA said the missile was launched in a vertical mode and that its test had no adverse impact on the security of neighboring countries.

 

[northern watch]

Putin: Russia helps China build missile warning system

By The Associated Press
MOSCOW — October 4, 2019, 2:17 AM ET

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is helping China build a system warning about ballistic missile launches.

Since Cold War times, only the United States and Russia have had such systems, which involve an array of ground-based radars and space satellites.

The system is essential for early spotting of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Speaking at an international affairs conference Thursday, Putin said that Russia has been helping China develop such a system.

He added that “this is a very serious thing that will radically enhance China’s defense capability.”

His statement signaled a new level of defense cooperation between the two former Communist rivals, which have developed increasingly close political and military ties.

https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...6053785?cid=clicksource_76_null_headlines_hed

 

[jward]

Conversation
ELINT News
@ELINTNews

#BREAKING: Top North Korea nuclear envoy says working-level talks with US break down- Yonhap

 

[AlfaMan]

Where did DPRK get cold launch SLBM launching technology? The gas generators are pretty standard fare, but how and where did they pick up seal technology? The Poseidon (and probably Trident used styrofoam wiper seals to keep the launch compartment dry; does DPRK even make styrofoam? They make tons of vinylene but styrofoam?

And Russia building a BMEWS system for China? We need to drive a stake in that cooperative effort. The Russian BMEWS system is good but not to the quality of the US system. But, with China with a system too quantity takes the place of quality and they could have us boresighted in just on the basis of numbers of systems.

 

[Housecarl]

Where did DPRK get cold launch SLBM launching technology? The gas generators are pretty standard fare, but how and where did they pick up seal technology? The Poseidon (and probably Trident used styrofoam wiper seals to keep the launch compartment dry; does DPRK even make styrofoam? They make tons of vinylene but styrofoam?

And Russia building a BMEWS system for China? We need to drive a stake in that cooperative effort. The Russian BMEWS system is good but not to the quality of the US system. But, with China with a system too quantity takes the place of quality and they could have us boresighted in just on the basis of numbers of systems.

Probably a combination of buying the tech, being "given it" by "friends", espionage and throwing a butt load of engineers at the task.

Looking at the images of that test launch I've got to wonder if it's MIRV'd......

 

[northern watch]

China Launches HD Satellite To Monitor Belt And Road Projects

by Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Saturday, 10/05/2019 - 20:30

On Saturday, China launched an observation satellite into space that will soon monitor its Belt and Road projects around the world. The satellite, which according to Xinhua will be called Gaofen-10, was launched early Saturday morning aboard a Long March 4C orbital carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Northern China.

Gaofen-10 is a high-definition (HD) microwave remote sensing satellite that is part of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS) that will be activated by 2020.

The satellite is capable of taking HD photographs with a resolution of about one meter. In total, CHEOS will have seven optical/microwave satellites that will be used in "land survey, urban planning, and road network designs" along the Belt and Road, reported Xinhuanet.

The Belt and Road is China's ambitious infrastructure investment plan that is currently constructing railways, energy pipelines, and highways in 152 countries, that could soon become the world's future economic system.

Gaofen-10 will orbit at 370 to 430 miles above Earth and will have a life span of 5-8 years. It was reported that the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology developed the satellite, and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation built the rocket.

China's goal of deploying a network of HD satellites to monitor its Belt and Road projects could become a reality next year.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/china-launches-hd-satellite-monitor-belt-and-road-projects

 

[northern watch]

From: China Launches HD Satellite To Monitor Belt And Road Projects

 

[northern watch]

dafeng cao
þ @dafengcao
Sep 30

Photos taken from above, WZ-8 high altitude, high speed unmanned recon vehicle,

 

[northern watch]

dafeng cao
þ @dafengcao
Sep 30

WZ-8 from rear view

 

[northern watch]

Chuck Pfarrer
‏ @ChuckPfarrer
Oct 1

CHINA: The PRC hand picked 30,000 spectators to observe the military parade that marked the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. One of yesterday's spectators was Carrie Lam, the embattled leader of Hong Kong.

 

[northern watch]

Trump Rids Major U.S. Container Port of Chinese Communist Control

October 08, 2019
Judicial Watch

Under a long-term deal sealed by the Obama administration, a Chinese Communist company was set to control the second-busiest container port in the United States. In an unreported Trump administration victory, the Communists are out after a drawn-out national security review forced a unit of China-based COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. (Orient Overseas Container Line—OOCL) to sell the cherished container terminal business, which handles among the largest freight of imports into the U.S.

It all started with a 40-year container terminal lease between the Port of Long Beach in southern California and Hong Kong. The Obama administration proudly signed the agreement in 2012 giving China control of America’s second-largest container port behind the nearby Port of Los Angeles. One of the Trump administration’s first big moves was to get the Communists out of the Port of Long Beach. After a national security review and federal intervention, the Long Beach terminal business, which handles millions of containers annually, is finally being sold to an Australian company called Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. That essentially kills China’s decades-long contract with the Obama administration.

The deal never should have been signed in the first place considering the facility’s size, significance and the national security issues associated with a hostile foreign government controlling it. The southern California port is the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, according to its website, and handles trade valued at more than $194 billion annually. It is one of the few ports that can accommodate the world’s largest vessels and serves 140 shipping lines with connections to 217 seaports around the world. The facility encompasses 3,200 acres with 31 miles of waterfront, 10 piers, 62 berths and 68 post-Panamax gantry cranes. In 2018, the Long Beach port handled more than 8 million container units, achieving the busiest year in its history.

Removing Chinese Communists from this essential port is a tremendous feat and a huge victory for U.S. national security. You’d never know it because the media, consumed with the impeachment debacle, has ignored this important achievement. The only coverage of the finalized transfer is found in Long Beach’s local newspaper, which published a brief article omitting important background information on the Trump administration’s work to take back the terminal from the Communists. The story makes it seem like a regular business transaction in which “a Chinese state-owned company, reached a deal to sell the terminal, one of the busiest in the port, for $1.78 billion.” The piece also quotes the Port of Long Beach’s deputy executive director saying that the transaction process was intricate and involved one of “our most valuable port assets.” Buried at the bottom of the article is a sentence mentioning that the U.S. government, which regulates mergers for antitrust and security reasons, stepped in and required COSCO to sell its rights to the container terminal.

In the last few years China has bought cargo ports throughout the world, including in Latin America, the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Chinese-owned ports are located in Greece, Italy, Spain and other European locations. In sub-Saharan Africa there are dozens of existing or planned port projects funded or operated by China, according to a study that highlights the threat the Chinese investments present to U.S. influence in the region. One troubling analysis points out that “COSCO’s commercial expansion has created leverage for Beijing — leverage that has already resulted in countries that host COSCO ports adopting China’s position on key international issues.”

https://www.judicialwatch.org/corru...-container-port-of-chinese-communist-control/

 

[northern watch]

Holger Zschaepitz
þ @Schuldensuehner
21h21 hours ago

The US-China relationship is swiftly deteriorating by the day. US visa move against Beijing casts pall over talks to end trade war. #IMF sees 'synchronized slowdown' due to trade war.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...arriers-as-country-prepares-to-buy-more-f-35s

South Korea Considers Building Large Aircraft Carriers As Country Prepares To Buy More F-35s

As the security situation in the region erodes, the carrier question becomes more pressing for Seoul.

By Joseph Trevithick
October 11, 2019

A senior South Korean lawmaker has said the country should reconsider proposals for acquiring either light or medium aircraft carriers with Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery, or CATOBAR, configurations to respond to growing regional security threats. These were alternatives to South Korea's reported decision to purchase a number of large amphibious assault ships capable of supporting fixed-wing short takeoff and vertical landing combat jets, namely the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. This call for reassessing that choice comes as the South Korean Ministry of Defense may be leaning toward acquiring 20 more conventional F-35A models rather than B variants, further deferring plans to develop a fixed-wing naval aviation capability.

Choi Jae Sung, a member of South Korea's leading Democratic Party, who reportedly has a close relationship with President Moon Jae In, made his pitch for buying more traditional aircraft carriers in a white paper that the National Assembly's National Defense Commission on the Navy and Air Force distributed earlier this year, according to South Korean newspaper Money Today. On Oct. 7, 2019, the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration told the National Assembly that the Ministry of Defense was planning to spend approximately $3.3 billion on around 20 new F-35s, but did not specify the variant, according to Defense News.

South Korea Kicks Off Development Of A New Amphibious Ship Designed To Carry F-35BsBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone

Japan And South Korea Eye F-35B For Their Helicopter CarriersBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone

U.S. Sells Seized North Korean Freighter As Pyongyang Threatens Nuke And Missile TestsBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone

North Korea Tests Submarine Launched Missile In First Launch Of Its Kind In Three Years (Updated)By Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone

Moscow Disputes Seoul's Account Of Unprecedented Aerial Altercation Over Sea Of JapanBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone

Choi's report included details on the two CATOBAR aircraft carrier concepts that the South Koreans have previously considered. One of these would be almost 978 feet long and displace approximately 71,400 tons, around the same general size as China's Type 001A carrier, which has a Short Take-Off Barrier-Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) configuration with a ski jump rather than catapults. The other proposal was around 41,500 tons displacement and just under 788 feet long, making it just slightly smaller than France's Charles de Gaulle, which does have a CATOBAR configuration.

The larger of the two designs would have a full crew complement of 1,340, not including members of the air wing, which would consist of 32 fixed-wing combat jets and eight helicopters. The smaller carrier concept would only need half as many crew members, but would only trim back the number of fixed-wing aircraft to just 12. For comparison, Charles de Gaulle with its 1,350 crew typically sails with an air wing with another 600 personnel and at least 28 aircraft and helicopters, including E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Choi Jae Sung’s office

A Korean language infographic regarding two CATOBAR aircraft carrier proposals from a report South Korean lawmaker Choi Jae Sung.

Money Today's report did not include any additional information about what other systems, including radars or self-defense suites, that South Korean officials might have been considering for these ships. It is also worth noting that at present, only two other countries in the world, the United States and France, operate CATOBAR carriers.

Brazil formally retired its CATOBAR carrier, the São Paulo, in 2017, and put her up for auction last month. China is reportedly considering constructing its future Type 002 and Type 003 carriers in this configuration. The People's Liberation Army Navy's existing carrier Liaoning, as well as the aforementioned new Type 001A, which has not formally entered service and that experts say may be experiencing complications of some kind, both use ski jumps rather than catapults. China's developments were a major driver in Choi's call for larger South Korean carriers.

"In view of the current military expansion rate of major Northeast Asian countries, the future battlefield in 2033 will be very different from what it is now," Choi wrote. "You should review your plan changes."

In July 2019, reports had emerged that South Korea was moving forward with a plan to develop a 30,000-ton displacement amphibious assault ship, known as the LPH-II, with a ski jump that could potentially support more robust fixed-wing combat jet operations. Choi had complained that "tactical limitations are a concern" even with the proposed 41,500-ton displacement light carrier, adding that he felt a ship that size might not even be suitable for a CATOBAR configuration. Of course, France's Charles de Gaulle would suggest otherwise.

The U.S. Navy has been faced with similar questions regarding fixed-wing focused concepts of operation for its existing Wasp class amphibious assault ships, even though these ships displace 10,000 tons more than the proposed LPH-II. You can read more about the various factors involved in this past War Zone piece.

Choi also noted that the decision not to pursue true carriers now could have impacts on how long it might take to acquire suitable aircraft, such as the carrier-specific F-35C, which is only in service with the U.S. Navy at present, should South Korea change course in the future. As noted, the country's Ministry of Defense is looking to buy an additional 20 F-35s, but has not decided on what variant to buy, in part due to the questions about possible ship-board operations. The short takeoff and vertical landing B variant would be best suited to the LPH-II plan. They could also potentially fly from South Korea's existing Dokdo class amphibious assault ships, if major modifications could be made, as well as support distributed operations on land, concepts of operation that you can read about in more detail in these past War Zone stories.
USN

South Korea's first-in-class Dokdo amphibous assault ship.

However, "the state-funded Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, or KIDA, has concluded a study on the additional acquisition of F-35 aircraft, and the study is to suggest the introduction of more F-35As be more feasible," an unnamed Ministry of National Defense source had told Defense News. "There are two issues [with buying] the F-35B. First, it’s more expensive than the conventional-takeoff-and-landing version. Second, the deployment of a carrier-type landing ship is far away from now."

Cost was also reportedly a factor in choosing the LPH-II proposal over the CATOBAR carrier concepts, as well, according to Choi. Still, the legislator's position may increasingly resonate with other South Korean officials, including President Moon. "Our military’s iron-clad security supports dialogue and cooperation, and enabled [the country] to boldly walk toward permanent peace," the South Korean president had said on Oct. 1, 2019, during a ceremony to mark the country's Armed Forces Day. The South Korean Air Force's F-35As were also a prominent feature at that event.

South Korea is facing the prospect of renewed belligerence from North Korea, which has been testing increasingly threatening ballistic missiles and other weapons in recent months. The regime in Pyongyang notably fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile on Oct. 2, 2019, the first such test in three years. It was also the longest-range ballistic missile test since North Korean Premier Kim Jong Un had announced a self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear weapons testing in 2017.

With U.S.-North Korean relations cooling off again after a recent thaw, South Korea may also need to reassess its regional security priorities. On Oct. 10, 2019, North Korea even renewed its threat to abandon the testing moratorium entirely if it does not feel sufficient progress is being made in negotiations with the United States.

At the same time, South Korea has been increasingly faced with broader security challenges when it comes to China, as well as Russia, who are increasingly cooperating militarily in northeast Asia and the Pacific region, as a whole. Just this week, the South Korean government announced that it was in talks to establish new security hotlines with the Chinese and Russians to try to avoid dangerous altercations around disputed boundaries. Though Russia disputes the account, South Korea claimed that its fighter jets had fired warning shots at Russian combat aircraft flying around contested islets in the East Sea in July.

On top of all this, the South Koreans are embroiled in a serious trade and political dispute with the Japanese, despite the two countries being treaty allies. In August, South Korea notably ended an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan.

All told, South Korea may be facing new questions about how it intends to secure its interests in its immediate neighborhood, as well as project power regionally and potentially beyond as time goes on. Whether or not the government in Seoul will decide that aircraft carriers and aircraft to go with them are essential to meeting those demands, as Choi argues, remains to be seen.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

 

[northern watch]

Clifford Coonan‏ @cliffordcoonan · 18h18 hours ago

Merkel's move not to stop Huawei in German 5G will annoy more than just the US and her own coalition partners -- only last week, the EU warned against 5G firms from ‘hostile’ powers

 

[mzkitty]

Davide
@ricci_davide77
4m4 minutes ago

#BREAKING

Chinese President #XiJinping on #HongKong wanting freedom: "Anyone who attempts to split any region from #China will perish, with their bodies smashed and bones ground to powder".

 

[Pinecone]

Well, he didn't mince words, did he?

 

[Housecarl]

Well, he didn't mince words, did he?

Yeah.....just that Xi is talking like that means Beijing is in trouble.....

 

[northern watch]

Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea

By Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press
BEIJING — October 21, 2019, 4:18 AM ET

A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major shipping route for global commerce and are rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves.

———

'ABOMINABLE' PULLED IN VIETNAM, MALAYSIA OVER SEA CHINA SEA MAP

The animated movie "Abominable" has been pulled from Vietnamese and Malaysian theaters due to a scene showing a map supporting Chinese claims to the disputed South China Sea.

The image in one scene showed the so-called nine-dash line, a vague and broken outline around resource-rich waters China claims as its own territory.

Trailers and other associated information for "Abominable" have been removed from the Vietnamese distributors' website and social media channels. The movie's trailer and posters were removed from advertising screens in theaters.

A Dreamworks representative did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment about the scene and Vietnam's ban.

China's Foreign Ministry said it had no information about the ban. It reiterated that China's territorial claims in the South China Sea were clear and consistent.
The movie will skip Malaysian theaters after producers decided against cutting out the scene showing the map.

Malaysian film distributor United International Pictures said in a brief statement Monday that "Universal has decided not to make the censor cut required by the Malaysian censor board and as such will not be able to release the film in Malaysia," where it was due in theaters on November 7. It declined to give further details.

Universal is the parent company of DreamWorks Animation, which co-produced the movie with China-based Pearl Studio. "Abominable," which has nothing to do with the territorial dispute, is about a Chinese girl who helps a yeti get back to its home on Mount Everest.

———

US OFFICIAL: CHINA LACKS SINCERITY OVER CODE OF CONDUCT

A top U.S. diplomat says Washington questions China's sincerity in negotiating a code of conduct with other South China Sea claimants.

In testimony Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, David R. Stilwell said China's ruling Communist Party is pursuing a "repressive alternative vision" for the region that seeks to reorder it in its favor and has put Beijing "in a position of strategic competition with all who seek to preserve a free and open order of sovereign nations within a rules-based order."

Stilwell, assistant secretary of the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said China's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea as exemplified by the "preposterous nine-dashed line" lacked "legal, historic, or geographic merit."

However, he said they still impose real costs on other countries by inhibiting them from accessing more than $2.5 trillion in recoverable energy reserves, while "contributing to instability and the risk of conflict."

Stilwell was especially scathing about China's claim to be pursuing a peaceful code of conduct with other parties, given what he described as its consistent use of its navy, coast guard and other actors to bully neighbors such as Vietnam and cement its claims in their area by building artificial island outposts.

"We remain skeptical of the PRC's sincerity to negotiate a meaningful Code of Conduct that reinforces international law.," Stilwell said.

"If it is used by the PRC to legitimize its egregious behavior and unlawful maritime claims, and to evade the commitments Beijing signed up to under international law, a Code of Conduct would be harmful to the region, and to all who value freedom of the seas.

———

US, BRUNEI FORCES HOLD JOINT TRAINING

Militaries of the U.S. and Brunei, whose South China Sea claims overlap with those of China, are holding joint exercises simulating the securing of a beachhead and conducting jungle warfare and combat medical training inland.

Members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in Brunei aboard the U.S. amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry more than a week ago to prepare for the drills, known as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT, the Navy said on Tuesday.

The exercises include the use of amphibious assault vehicles and are intended to demonstrate Washington's commitment to its security partnerships in the region. China has sought to weaken those through economic inducements and sponsoring its own multinational exercises.

"Our participation in CARAT shows the United States' commitment to the region and strengthens longstanding maritime partnerships with our allies," Cmdr. Janice Pollard, commanding officer of Harpers Ferry, was quoted as saying in a Navy news release.

Working side-by-side with Brunei's armed forces, the U.S. can "develop cooperative maritime security capabilities in support of security, stability and prosperity in maritime regions throughout Southeast Asia," Pollard said.

———

TYPHOON FORCES CANCELLATION OF JAPAN FLEET REVIEW

Typhoon Hagibis forced Japan to call-off an international fleet review that was to include participants from China for the first time.

The review would have been the first in four years. It was scheduled for early October in Sagami Bay, southwest of Tokyo, but high winds and rough seas forced its cancellation.

Representatives from a record seven nations — the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore, India and China — were to have attended.

Despite continuing distrust over Japan's militarist past and China's goal of regional military dominance, the two countries agreed last year to conduct reciprocal port visits by naval vessels. China is especially critical of Japan's long-standing security alliance with the U.S. and the presence of Japanese naval assets in the South China Sea.

One of China's most advanced guided missile destroyers, the Type 052D Taiyuan, had planned to take part in the review. Ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Seoul dictated that South Korea's navy was not invited.

https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...6412860?cid=clicksource_76_null_headlines_hed

 

[jward]

World Events Live
@IdeologyWars
·
42m
#UPDATE: Earlier today reports emerged of unusual TEL activity being detected in #NorthKorea. This comes as #US spy planes and missile tracking aircraft arrive in the region. -Gage

 

[jward]

when does the law of diminishing returns come into play...?

. William Gallo
@GalloVOA
·
1h
North Korea fired two short-range projectiles from the Suncheon region of South Pyongan province, Seoul's military says. Went about 370 km. Altitude of about 90 km

. The two launches are suspected to be ballistic missiles.
4:17 AM · Oct 31, 2019·Twitter Web Client
3
Retweets
4
Likes
�� SpookyDoge �� #RavensFlock 5-2
@IntelDoge
·
1h
Replying to
@IntelDoge

W/ it being two launches I'd suspect possibly medium range ballistic missiles, but we'll see what the details provide in regards to apogee and distance.

�� SpookyDoge �� #RavensFlock 5-2
@IntelDoge
·
27m
South Korea National Security Council describing these as "short range projectiles" and expresses "strong concern" about the launch (
@GalloVOA

. �� SpookyDoge �� #RavensFlock 5-2 Retweeted
Barbara Starr
@barbarastarrcnn
·
6m
Official statement just in: “The Department of Defense has detected what appears to be a missile launch from North Korea. Our assessment is ongoing and additional information will be provided once available

 

[danielboon]

ELINT News
‏

@ELINTNews
4h4 hours ago
More
#BREAKING: North Korea fires two projectiles into Sea of Japan- ReutersELINT News
‏

@ELINTNews
4h4 hours ago
More
#UPDATE: ROK military calling them ‘unidentified projectiles’, Japanese Coast Guard calling them ‘missiles’ELINT News
‏

@ELINTNews
4h4 hours ago
More
#UPDATE: Japanese Defense Ministry confirms the launch, says the projectiles are thought to be ballistic missiles and were not believed to have fallen into Japan’s territory or exclusive economic zoneELINT News
‏

@ELINTNews
4h4 hours ago
More
#UPDATE: ROK JCS reports the missiles were fired from areas in South Pyongan province in the afternoon.ELINT News Retweeted

William Gallo
‏
Verified account

@GalloVOA
3h3 hours ago
More
South Korea's National Security Council expresses "strong concern" about North Korea's "short-range projectile" launch on Thursday.

 

[jward]

Reuters
@Reuters
·
16m
Protests in Hong Kong took a violent turn over the weekend, with three people in critical condition and 30 people suffering from injuries on Sunday https://reut.rs/2raBWlm

 

[northern watch]

China Is "The Third Reich In The 21st Century"

by Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Saturday, 11/02/2019 - 19:30

Via SaraACarter.com,

Scholar Gordan Chang warns that the United States must ultimately “disengage from China” on all fronts if it is to maintain its status as a global superpower or risk China’s massive potential to change the geopolitical structure of the world.

Chang, who just returned from Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, spoke on The Sara Carter Show where he described the current state of Beijing and the authoritarian government’s influence across the globe.

“This is the Third Reich in the 21st century,” said Chang.

China’s policy “is incompatibility with our system. We are unfortunately going to have to reverse course and disengage from China to protect ourselves – to reduce our vulnerability to an extremely dangerous actor.”

This reporter was recently in Japan and South Korea with Chang and other experts who attended the international CPAC conventions. It is an international effort to connect with foreign allies who are battling increased pressure by socialist and leftist leaders bent on targeting open markets, democracy and independence.

“What we have to do ultimately is to disengage from China to get our companies out of China, to get China out of the United States because we cannot live with this militant Communist superstate that takes the position that China is the world’s only sovereign state,” said Chang.

He noted that the Chinese government sees the U.S. as basically subjects of Beijing’s expansion and that the communist government believes “Americans must acknowledge Chinese sovereignty and obey them.”

He noted that the Trump administration must “continue to impose high tariffs.” Chang does not believe that the current proposed trade deal with China will change Beijing’s efforts to take economic control or curtail the Chinese military and intelligence apparatus from stealing intellectual property.

“China has been stealing hundreds of billions of dollars of U.S. intellectual property each year,” he said. “And I don’t think we’re going to stop that with a Phase 1 trade deal.”

“So get our companies out of China,” he added. “That will reduce their opportunity for stealing from us right now. You know Sara, Beijing is dropping hints that we have to accept the genocidal campaign it’s conducting inside its own borders.”

“This is absolutely unacceptable what China is doing there is trying to eliminate racial and ethnic group a religious group,” said Chang.

He noted that the Chinese aren’t going to back down and basically demand that the U.S. not change its policy or get involved with their own human right’s violations in their nation or in the region.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chang-china-third-reich-21st-century

 

[northern watch]

China launches high-res satellite able to provide stereo imagery - CCTV

November 3, 2019 / 2:43 AM / a day ago

BEIJING (Reuters) - China launched a new high-resolution remote sensing satellite capable of providing stereoscopic imagery on Sunday, state-run media said, marking another important step as Beijing seeks to reduce reliance on foreign technology in topographic mapping.

A rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at 11:22 a.m. local time, carrying the Gaofen-7 high resolution satellite into its designated orbit, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) said, citing China National Space Administration.

Gaofen-7, a sub-metre resolution optical satellite, boasts the highest mapping accuracy among its domestic peers, and is able to map China and even the world’s lands stereoscopically with a margin of error of less than a metre, according to CCTV.

The satellite, which will be used for land surveys, urban planning and statistical investigation, will help end China’s reliance on foreign imports in high-resolution stereo mapping, the CCTV added.

The purpose of China’s satellite remote sensing project - the Gaofen series - is to help build an all-weather, 24-hour, global Earth remote sensing system by 2020 capable of monitoring the ground, atmosphere, and oceans, according to CNSA.

The Gaofen project, one of the 16 major projects that are key to the nation’s scientific development, is also aimed at comprehensively boosting China’s self-reliance in accessing high-resolution earth observation data.

Reporting by Roxannie Liu, Stella Qiu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-c...-to-provide-stereo-imagery-cctv-idUKKBN1XD044

 

[danielboon]

ELINT News Retweeted

BNO News
‏
Verified account

@BNONews
5m5 minutes ago
More
BREAKING: North Korea calls upcoming U.S. military exercises "extremely provocative" and a "dangerous act," says dialogue with the U.S. is "on the verge of extinction"

 

[danielboon]

ELINT News Retweeted

First Squawk
‏

@FirstSquawk
7m7 minutes ago
More
NORTH KOREA SAYS UPCOMING U.S. MILITARY EXERCISES WITH SOUTH KOREA "AMOUNTS TO A DECLARATION OF CONFRONTATION" WITH NORTH KOREA

 

[jward]

EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
·
4h
If North Korean and Japan went to war, more South Koreans would back Kim Jong Un, poll shows
If North Korean and Japan went to war, more South Koreans would back Kim Jong Un, poll shows
"Under a rather extreme hypothetical situation in which war may break out between North Korea and Japan, 45.5 percent would choose to help North Korea, and 15.1 percent Japan," a new survey shows.
newsweek.com

 

[northern watch]

Taiwan Warns Of Possible Invasion If China's Economy Continues To Deteriorate

by Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Thursday, 11/07/2019 - 22:05

As the global synchronized slowdown intensifies, Taiwan is now warning if Beijing can't create a soft landing in its economy, the threat of a Chinese invasion would be on the horizon.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu sounded the alarm in a Reuters interview on Wednesday, when he said, Chinese officials would likely invade self-ruled Taiwan to divert domestic economic pressures if a soft landing cannot be achieved.

"If the internal stability is a very serious issue, or economic slowdown has become a very serious issue for the top leaders to deal with, that is the occasion that we need to be very careful," Wu said.

China's untenable debt load and Beijing's resulting inability to boost the credit impulse has certainly frightened Wu, who knows that if China's economy, already near a 30-year low, continues to implode, that military conflict with mainland China would be nearing.

Wu noted that China's economy is on shaky grounds at the moment, but nothing that would suggest a conflict to be imminent.

"Perhaps Xi Jinping himself is called into question of his legitimacy, by not being able to keep the Chinese economy growing," Wu said, referring to Chinese President Xi.

"This is a factor that might cause the Chinese leaders to decide to take external action to divert domestic attention."

China's growing military presence in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the Philippine Sea has become "very serious," Wu said.

"We certainly hope that Taiwan and China could live peacefully together, but we also see there are problems caused by China, and we will try to deal with it," he said.

And to make things more complicated, the US House of Representatives foreign affairs committee recently voted unanimously to approve a new bill that would strengthen ties between Washington and Taipei.

The bill is called the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative would allow the US to defend Taiwan from Chinese diplomatic pressures.

The Trump administration has been selling Taiwan billions of dollars in fighter jets, tanks, and other military weapons, to beef up defenses if Beijing attempts to invade.

And with macroeconomic headwinds that continue to flourish across the world, this means China will likely slow into 2020. Every downtick in China's GDP should be correlated to the increasing probability of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics...asion-if-chinas-economy-continues-deteriorate

 

[northern watch]

Jonathan Cheng
‏Verified account @JChengWSJ
Nov 6

Lower pollution in China " is good news for Chinese joggers and athletes, but adds to other signs that China’s construction sector, after two years of steady strength, is starting to weaken."

 

[northern watch]

Jonathan Cheng
þVerified account @JChengWSJ
22h22 hours ago

Taiwan's top diplomat Joseph Wu on threat from Beijing: “If the internal stability is a very serious issue…that is the occasion that we need to be very careful…We need to prepare ourselves for the worst situation to come…military conflict.”

 

[Zagdid]

China launches high-res satellite able to provide stereo imagery - CCTV

November 3, 2019 / 2:43 AM / a day ago

BEIJING (Reuters) - China launched a new high-resolution remote sensing satellite capable of providing stereoscopic imagery on Sunday, state-run media said, marking another important step as Beijing seeks to reduce reliance on foreign technology in topographic mapping.

A rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at 11:22 a.m. local time, carrying the Gaofen-7 high resolution satellite into its designated orbit, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) said, citing China National Space Administration.

Gaofen-7, a sub-metre resolution optical satellite, boasts the highest mapping accuracy among its domestic peers, and is able to map China and even the world’s lands stereoscopically with a margin of error of less than a metre, according to CCTV.

The satellite, which will be used for land surveys, urban planning and statistical investigation, will help end China’s reliance on foreign imports in high-resolution stereo mapping, the CCTV added.

The purpose of China’s satellite remote sensing project - the Gaofen series - is to help build an all-weather, 24-hour, global Earth remote sensing system by 2020 capable of monitoring the ground, atmosphere, and oceans, according to CNSA.

The Gaofen project, one of the 16 major projects that are key to the nation’s scientific development, is also aimed at comprehensively boosting China’s self-reliance in accessing high-resolution earth observation data.

Reporting by Roxannie Liu, Stella Qiu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-c...-to-provide-stereo-imagery-cctv-idUKKBN1XD044

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...-to-hawaii-launch-site-china-tests-grid-fins/ (fair use) ERIC BERGER - 11/8/2019, 7:00 AM
(snip)

China tests grid fins. A Chinese Long March 4B delivered an Earth-observation satellite into orbit late Saturday, with grid fins guiding the descent of the rocket's first stage, SpaceNews reports. For the first time, the Long March 4B first stage carried a grid-fin system to constrain the area in which it falls. Most of China's launches take place at centers far inland, resulting in debris landing downrange.

Road to reusability ... The grid fins are intended to both reduce risk and mark a step toward future retropropulsive landings and launcher reusability. Both the launch and the test of the grid-fin system were declared successful, with the first stage falling within the designated area. In 2017, China's space program released a space-transportation roadmap, outlining ambitions to make its launch vehicles fully reusable by 2035. (submitted by Unrulycow and Ken the Bin)

 

[Zagdid]

China hopes Vietnam does not 'complicate' South China Sea issue

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...omplicate-south-china-sea-issue-idUSKBN1XI0XT (fair use)
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 / 3:50 AM / UPDATED 13 HOURS AGO Reporting by Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) - China called on Vietnam on Friday not to “complicate” the South China Sea issue, after a senior official in Vietnam said it could explore legal action, among various options, in its territorial dispute with China over the waters.

Friction has grown between the two communist-run countries since China in July sent a ship for a months-long seismic survey to an area internationally designated as Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but also claimed by China.

Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on Wednesday, deputy foreign minister Le Hoai Trung said Vietnam preferred negotiations but did have other options for the disputed waterway, including arbitration and litigation.

Asked about the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that at the core of the South China Sea problem was Vietnam and other claimants “invading and occupying” Chinese islands.

“We hope that Vietnam faces up to historical reality and abides by the high-level consensus reached by both countries, upholds the resolution of the dispute by dialogue and consultations and avoids taking action that may complicate the issue and disturb the broader picture of peace and stability in the South China Sea and bilateral relations,” Geng said.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

In 2016, the Philippines won a ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated China’s claim over most of the waters following a 2013 case filed by Manila.

China refused to recognize the international court ruling which clarified Philippine rights to energy reserves within its EEZ.

But Vietnam’s government, which aims for a measured approach towards its largest trading partner, China, had not spoken recently of the possibility of following suit.

 

[Housecarl]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...omplicate-south-china-sea-issue-idUSKBN1XI0XT (fair use)
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 / 3:50 AM / UPDATED 13 HOURS AGO Reporting by Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) - China called on Vietnam on Friday not to “complicate” the South China Sea issue, after a senior official in Vietnam said it could explore legal action, among various options, in its territorial dispute with China over the waters.

Friction has grown between the two communist-run countries since China in July sent a ship for a months-long seismic survey to an area internationally designated as Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but also claimed by China.

Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on Wednesday, deputy foreign minister Le Hoai Trung said Vietnam preferred negotiations but did have other options for the disputed waterway, including arbitration and litigation.

Asked about the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that at the core of the South China Sea problem was Vietnam and other claimants “invading and occupying” Chinese islands.

“We hope that Vietnam faces up to historical reality and abides by the high-level consensus reached by both countries, upholds the resolution of the dispute by dialogue and consultations and avoids taking action that may complicate the issue and disturb the broader picture of peace and stability in the South China Sea and bilateral relations,” Geng said.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

In 2016, the Philippines won a ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated China’s claim over most of the waters following a 2013 case filed by Manila.

China refused to recognize the international court ruling which clarified Philippine rights to energy reserves within its EEZ.

But Vietnam’s government, which aims for a measured approach towards its largest trading partner, China, had not spoken recently of the possibility of following suit.

Hummm....Being as Hanoi "rollls their own" SCUD B/Cs and cruise missiles, Beijing at some point might be in for a surprise....

 

[Doomer Doug]

Hmm, China might want to be more polite to Vietnam. China got it head handed to it the last time they tangled with Vietnam back in 1979.

The level of brazen corruption in the Chinese Government in general, and in the Chinese military is lethal to military readiness China claims to have. Promotions in China are bought and paid for in many cases. the lower ranks in particular are subject to being abused unless they can pay off their superiors. How much of China's military gear is defective, or in stockpiles that have been quietly sold on the black market? The poor quality of Chinese ammo is legendary. The Chinese industrial base in full of corruption and incompetence producing crap.

Li struts around like Mao did but China is more mouth than bite.

 

[northern watch]

Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio Warns of Capital War Between U.S., China

By Shelly Banjo
Bloomberg
November 15, 2019, 12:35 AM EST

· Comments come as U.S. tries to slow money flow into China
· Capital war could curtail American investment into China

Billionaire Ray Dalio Warns of U.S.-China Capital War Amid `Lose-Lose' Spat

"There could be a capital war" between the U.S. and China, Dalio said at an event in New York on Thursday.

Warnings of a capital war between China and the U.S. are growing louder.

The conflict between the two countries could expand beyond trade and technology, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio said at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations in New York on Thursday.

“There is a trade war, there is a technology war, there is a geopolitical war, and there could be a capital war. How that is approached is going to determine our futures,” said Dalio, according to a tweet by the NCUSCR describing his remarks. “I hope that it is done with mutual understanding instead of wars -- a win-win relationship rather than a lose-lose relationship.”

Dalio’s comments come as lawmakers in the U.S. are ratcheting up the pressure to slow the spigot of money that has flowed from U.S. pension and investment funds into Chinese companies. The U.S. and China are trying to reach a trade deal, aimed at reducing tariffs on goods that are hurting both economies and bringing an end to a year-long trade war.

The board that oversees retirement savings for U.S. government employees said on Thursday that it would allow one of its funds to invest in an international index that includes Chinese companies. That’s in spite of the threat of legislation from lawmakers who say the investments will undermine national security and contribute to China’s economic and corporate growth.

Marco Rubio, the bill’s lead sponsor, condemned the decision as “unconscionable” and said it would direct the retirement savings of military service members and federal employees to the Chinese Communist Party.

— With assistance by Ye Xie, Yueqi Yang, and Daniel Flatley

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...wsletter&utm_term=191115&utm_campaign=markets

 

[jward]

Reuters
@Reuters
·
5m
Fresh violence erupted around a besieged Hong Kong university campus on Sunday morning, as protesters braced for a possible final police push to clear them after fiery clashes overnight. More here: https://reut.rs/2D1XJ1r

 

[jward]

BNO News
@BNONews
·
6h
BREAKING: U.S. and South Korea postpone upcoming military drills after criticism from North Korea - Reuters

 

[intothatgoodnight]

BNO News
@BNONews
·
6h
BREAKING: U.S. and South Korea postpone upcoming military drills after criticism from North Korea - Reuters

**Interesting**.

Who wanted these "military drills" in the first place? Are they some sort of semi-annual affair that has been going on for a while - a sort of meet-and-greet team morale-building affair between the two militaries? Or, was it an neocon element embedded within the Pentagon and/or RoK military brass that was determined to agitate between the two Koreas, fouling the negotiating waters for Team Trump?

Enemies without, or enemies within?


intothegoodnight

 

[Zagdid]

Trump tweets at North Korea's Kim, tells him to 'get the deal done'

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-tells-him-to-get-the-deal-done-idUSKBN1XR0M6 (fair use)
NOVEMBER 17, 2019 Simon Lewis


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to “act quickly” to reach a deal with the United States, in a tweet weighing in on North Korea’s criticism of his political rival former Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump, who has met Kim three times since 2018 over ending the North’s missile and nuclear programs, addressed Kim directly, referring to the one-party state’s ruler as “Mr. Chairman”.

In his tweet, Trump told Kim, “You should act quickly, get the deal done,” and hinted at a further meeting, signing off “See you soon!”

North Korea said on Thursday it had turned down a U.S. offer for fresh talks ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in negotiations.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced in Thailand earlier on Sunday that joint U.S.-South Korean military drills would be postponed in an effort to bolster the stalled peace push.

Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency in a commentary on Friday lashed out at Biden for insulting Kim, calling Biden a “rabid dog” that needs to be put down.

Biden tops most national opinion polls in the Democratic Party’s nominating contest to take on Republican President Trump in a November 2020 election.

“Joe Biden may be Sleepy and Very Slow, but he is not a “rabid dog,” Trump tweeted. “He is actually somewhat better than that, but I am the only one who can get you where you have to be.”

 

[northern watch]

South Korea fires warning shots at North Korean ship

South Korea says it has fired warning shots to repel a North Korean merchant ship that violated their disputed western sea boundary

By The Associated Press
27 November 2019

South Korea’s military fired warning shots Wednesday to repel a North Korean merchant ship after it violated their disputed western sea boundary, Seoul officials said, the second such incident in two months.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it believes the North Korean ship crossed the sea boundary due to bad weather and an engine problem. No further violence was reported.

It’s the second time that South Korea has fired warning shots to drive back a North Korean ship in the area since South Korea’s current liberal government took office in 2017. The first incident happened in September, according to South Korea’s military.

Ties between the two Koreas are strained amid a stalemate in U.S.-led diplomacy on ending the North Korean nuclear crisis.

North Korea said Monday its troops conducted artillery firing drills near the sea boundary. South Korea on Tuesday sent a formal protest message to North Korea, saying the drills violated last year’s inter-Korean agreements aimed at reducing front-line military animosities.

The sea boundary is a source of tension between the two Koreas. They have fought several deadly naval skirmishes in the area in past years. In 2010, two attacks blamed on North Korea near the sea boundary killed 50 South Koreans.

https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...7338674?cid=clicksource_76_null_headlines_hed