Year: 2022

Chinese Jet Came Within 10 Feet of US Military Aircraft, Says US Military

Chin@Strategy

washington —  A Chinese military plane came within 3 meters of a U.S. Air Force aircraft in the contested South China Sea last week and forced it to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision in international airspace, the U.S. military said Thursday. The close encounter followed what the United States has called a recent trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by Chinese military aircraft. The incident, which involved a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet and a U.S. air force RC-135 aircraft, took place on December 21, the U.S. military said…

U.S. Says Chinese Fighter Jet Flew Dangerously Close to American Plane

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The U.S. military said on Thursday that a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force aircraft that was conducting routine operations over the South China Sea on Dec. 21, nearly causing the planes to collide. The Chinese pilot of a J-11 jet “performed an unsafe maneuver,” flying in front and within 20 feet of the nose of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 plane, the U.S. military said in a statement, adding that the American pilot was forced to take “evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.” The…

Renowned Uyghur poet dies following prison release in Xinjiang

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A renowned Uyghur writer and poet in poor health when released from prison died on Dec. 18 because he could not obtain food or medical treatment amid a strict coronavirus lockdown, according to social media posts and information from relevant government organizations.  Abdulla Sawut, 72, was an important figure in contemporary Uyghur literature. His most famous novels and novellas are The Bloody Shore, The Thunder, and The Unrusty Sword, The Chain of Life, Shiraq, and The Saint Fire.  In his writings, he highlighted the revolutionary history of East Turkistan, Uyghurs’…

North Korea Temporarily Banning Travelers From China

Chin@Strategy

washington —  Amid mounting international anxiety over the wave of COVID-19 cases sweeping China, North Korea has introduced a total ban on visitors from its close ally and neighbor. “Chinese citizens are temporarily banned to enter,” reads an entry listed on China’s National Immigration Administration website. “All recent arrivals [from the People’s Republic of China], including North Korean citizens, must undergo 30 days of quarantine and observation.” It is not clear when North Korea imposed the measure or how long it will remain in effect. Several countries have announced new…

Philippines’ Marcos to raise South China Sea dispute during Beijing state visit

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Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will raise the South China Sea dispute and assert Manila’s sovereignty over its territorial waters when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during his first presidential visit to Beijing, officials said Thursday.  Marcos is embarking on the Jan 3-5 state visit weeks after Manila accused Chinese boats of  “swarming” in South China Sea waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. He will bring up issues “affecting bilateral relations, among them the issue [of the] WPS,” said Neil Imperial, the Philippine assistant foreign secretary…

Chinese fighter jet and US military plane nearly collide

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A Chinese fighter jet maneuvered itself in front of an American reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea on Dec. 21 and came within 20 feet (6 meters) of a crash, according to the U.S. military. The Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet suddenly flew in front of the nose of the U.S. Air Force RC-135 plane, forcing the latter to take evasive action, a statement from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said.  The American military said its plane “was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace.” …

Friend of prominent 1989 student activist dies suddenly in police detention

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The friend of a hunger-striking democracy activist has died in detention in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang after being held for six months, local activists told Radio Free Asia. Chen Ziliang, a friend of detained former 1989 student leader Xu Guang, died of a heart attack in the early hours of Dec. 27 while detained by state security police in his home city of Jinyun in July on suspicion of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” a charge frequently used to target critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party,…

UK ministers under pressure to screen China arrivals for Covid

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Ministers are coming under pressure to screen arrivals from China as the number of Covid-19 cases there continues to surge after Beijing’s abrupt decision to end most of its strict pandemic restrictions. The US became the latest country to impose controls on travellers entering the country from China on Wednesday, demanding that all such arrivals show proof of a negative Covid test. The UK government has so far refused to follow suit, although there were mixed messages on Thursday over whether that policy might change in the coming days. The…

Ben Wallace says restrictions for travellers from China ‘under review’ – video

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The UK is currently reviewing the possibility of introducing restrictions on travellers coming from China as the country battles a surge in Covid-19 cases, defence secretary Ben Wallace has said.  Earlier on Thursday, a government spokesperson said Britain had no plans to bring back Covid-19 testing for those entering the country, when asked about a Daily Telegraph report suggesting curbs for arrivals from China were under consideration. Several countries, including India, Italy, Japan and the United States, have announced mandatory testing for travellers from China, where cases are on the…

Why did China relax its Covid policy – and should we be worried?

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After long pursing a zero-Covid policy, China has relaxed many restrictions including quarantine rules for travellers. But some experts have raised concerns the U-turn may cause problems. We take a look at why. What has happened in China? Until recently China followed a zero-Covid policy, including strict lockdowns and quarantining those testing positive and their close contacts. However, earlier this month China made an abrupt U-turn, abandoning many – although not all– of its restrictions, apparently in response to protests. Among the measures it has scrapped is the use of…