Why the U.S. Should Worry About Russian and Chinese Ambition in the Arctic
Washington is unprepared to meet the challenges posed by Moscow and Beijing.
Russian ships of the Northern Fleet. (Photograph by Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty Images)
When Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet face-to-face for the first time in Reykjavik, Iceland, later this month, the pair will have no shortage of issues to sort through.
Biden’s first months in office have embraced a markedly “tough on Russia” posturing in rhetoric if not always in action and the Kremlin has taken note. Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly tested the patience and resolve of the new administration through its cyberattacks targeting foreign entities, its widely condemned imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, its attempted meddling in the November election, and its continued occupation of Crimea.
Beijing took its time studying the old warship.
Here s What You Need to Know: Each and every crucial part may have been studied before being melted down.
By the end of the decade, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) could operate three aircraft carriers, two of which were built domestically. Its first operational carrier,
Liaoning, actually began life as Soviet Navy Project 11435
Kuznetsov-class heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser
Varyag in the late 1980s and it was one of two former Soviet vessels purchased by Beijing to jumpstart a Chinese domestic carrier program.
However, the
Varyag/
Liaoning wasn’t actually the first carrier that the PLAN had access to for future study. In 1985, Beijing bought the ex-Australian HMAS
EDITORIAL: Whitsun Reef lays bare US’ frailty
Last month, the Philippine National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea reported that more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels were anchored at the disputed Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea, known as Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines.
The task force released astonishing photographs, which showed clusters of enormous fishing trawlers at anchor and tied together in neat rows. Needless to say, the ships were not engaging in commercial fishing activity; they belong to China’s “maritime militia.”
Beijing’s flimsy official explanation is that the vessels are temporarily seeking shelter from inclement weather. This is patently ridiculous, given the time that the ships have been loitering in the area.
CHINA / MILITARY
By Global Times Published: Apr 29, 2021 06:09 PM
The Chinese People s Liberation Army Navy commissioned three new warships, namely a Type 09IV nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Changzheng 18 (left), a Type 055 large destroyer, the Dalian (center), and a Type 075 amphibious assault ship, the Hainan, in Sanya, South China s Hainan Province on April 23, 2021. Three more Type 09IVs can be seen in the background. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television
The Chinese People s Liberation Army (PLA) will leave no room for Taiwan secessionist activities in any form, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, when asked if the recent commissioning of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship is preparing for a reunification-by-force operation on the island of Taiwan.
China s new amphibious assault ship to carry multi-type helicopters, enters world-class ranks
Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 27, 2021 08:05 PM
The Chinese People s Liberation Army Navy commissions its first Type 075 amphibious assault ship at a naval base in Sanya, South China s Hainan Province on April 23, 2021. The vessel is named the Hainan and has been given the hull number 31. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television
The newly commissioned amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will carry multiple types of helicopters including those for assault, transport and reconnaissance, and analysts said on Tuesday that the vessel is of world-class standard and can serve its purpose well in islands and reefs close to the Chinese mainland despite the lack of fixed wing fighter jet like the US F-35B.