#us defence support for taiwan

[indianexpalert]

China calls Taiwan a ‘red line’, criticises new U.S. military aid to island

Beijing considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory, a claim the government in Taipei rejects. File | Photo Credit: Reuters China criticised new U.S. military aid to Taiwan on Sunday (December 22, 2024), saying the $571 million package seriously violates the “one China principle” and provisions of joint communiques between China and the U.S.  Explained | Why is Taiwan caught…

[milkboydotnet]

Condemn and resist US-led warmongering in Asia-Pacific! Support the Filipino people’s struggle for national liberation and democracy!

Robert Reid | Chairperson FFPS

The Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS) condemns Marcos Jr. for surrendering Philippine sovereignty and putting the Filipino people in serious danger. We strongly oppose the continued US military build-up on Philippine soil as part of its war provocations against China, threatening to engulf the entire region into war. 

The ongoing Balikatan US war exercises in the Philippines involves 16,000 troops 11,000 of which are US soldiers, making it the biggest joint military drills to date.

The exercises are part of the US government’s first island chain strategy, which aims to encircle China by creating a fortified chain of US-controlled islands. Part of the exercises will take place on the strategic Batanes islands and Palawan. The Batanes islands being close to Taiwan, allows control over the strategic Bashi Channel. Palawan on the other hand borders the contested West Philippine Sea. From these strategic islands, the US is testing its new Typhon mid-range missile systems that have the capacity to hit China. 

With such military build-up in the first island chain, the US aims to provoke China into striking first, giving the US an excuse to go to war with its imperialist rival. 

US military build-up in the region only brings suffering to the Filipino people. The current Balikatan exercises and the presence of US troops in communities are disrupting the people’s livelihoods, who cannot access their crops, coasts and seas due to increased militarization. In combination with widespread landlessness and a vicious cycle of debt through feudal relations of production, which are aggravated by the current drought El Niño, and the unwillingness of the Marcos Jr. to address the root causes of their hardships, this pushes the majority of the Filipino people into increasingly desperate situations.

Furthermore, communities are traumatised due to the constant bombardment of low flying jets, aerial bombing campaigns and artillery shelling as part of the war drills. All this suffering however would pale in comparison to the catastrophe that would befall the Filipino people in the event of a full-pledged inter-imperialist war. 

One of the biggest obstacles preventing a US-China war in the region is the revolutionary movement in the Philippines. The revolutionary struggle that has roused and mobilized millions of Filipinos in clear opposition to US imperialist oppression and exploitation, and to the despotic ruling landed and comprador bourgeoisie classes, has forced the Philippine puppet government to deploy most of the US-directed AFP forces on ‘internal defence’ instead of ‘external defence’. 

The Filipino people’s resistance to foreign domination is a thorn in the eye of the US and its strategic interests, who have ordered Marcos Jr. to finish off the entire revolutionary movement before the end of the year. However, this is already the umpteenth extension of their deadline to the Government of the Philippines (GRP), as Marcos Jr. and his counterrevolutionary forces have failed to follow through on the previous deadline to end the revolutionary movement, just like all his predecessors including his dictator father Marcos Sr.

Since the US-directed “counterinsurgency” does not try to address the root causes that push the Filipino people to fight for national and social liberation, it can only fail in ending their armed struggle. It has only resulted in a fully-fledged war against the Filipino people. There have been increases in militarizations of rural communities and other violations of International Humanitarian Law, such as increased number of abductions, killings and bombings, to try and squash the revolutionary movement and all dissent through the most vicious means. 

As FFPS we vehemently stand with the Filipino people as they resist the fascist onslaught of the US-directed Marcos Jr. regime and fully support the demand of the Filipino people to dismantle US military bases in the Philippines and end US imperialist aggression and warmongering in the region. We stand with the Philippine revolutionary movement in advancing the national democratic revolution, recognizing that the Filipino people’s revolutionary war for national liberation and democracy is a concrete and essential contribution by the Filipino people to fighting imperialist war in the region.

End US aggression in the Philippines! Stop the bombings in the Philippines!  Militant action against US imperialist war-mongering! We support the Filipino aspiration: National Liberation against US imperialism! Support the advance of the Filipino people’s war for national liberation and democracy!

[simply-ivanka]

President Joe Biden has blamed Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan bill delivering billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine along with stricter immigration policies, after Republicans signalled their opposition to the deal under pressure from the former president. The legislation worth $118bn agreed on Sunday by Democratic and Republican negotiators in the Senate could be the last chance for the Biden administration to secure new military support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s invasion — alongside other national security goals including aid to Israel and Taiwan. It also marks a rare compromise on efforts to curb immigration through the border with Mexico, including restrictions on asylum, which has been a rallying cry for Republicans and a political liability for Democrats throughout Biden’s presidency.

Biden has authority to close the border and restrict border crossings without action by Congress.

He needs the bill for one reason and that is to funnel money to Ukraine!

Trump 2024

[head-post]

Japan to work with US for Taiwan peace, imposes sanctions on four Israeli settlers

Japan will continue to work with the United States for peace in the Taiwan Strait regardless of who wins the November presidential election, according to Asian media.

The comments came after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that Taiwan should pay the US for its defence. That raised concerns about US support for the island nation if the former president is re-elected, according to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Peace and stability [in the Taiwan Strait] are hugely important not just for our own security but for the entire international community.

Given that the US and Japan believe in the importance of a peaceful solution to the problems between the two sides of the strait, “we will continue these diplomatic efforts. It is important to reinforce the common ground we have as allies,” Hayashi added.

I understand that there are preparations being made for a Japan-China foreign minister meeting. It’s important to communicate clearly with one another on various levels.

The US has no formal defence agreement with Taiwan, but is legally obliged to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The current arrangement appears to be a source of frustration for Trump, who has stated that “Taiwan doesn’t give us anything.”

His running mate J.D. Vance also hinted last week at what a potential Republican president’s Indo-Pacific policy might look like. Vance called China the “biggest threat” the United States faced. Earlier this year, Trump sparked concerns that a new trade war could break out between China and the US after he threatened to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports.

Read more HERE

[beardedmrbean]

China, China, China. Scarcely a day passes without some new scare story about China. The Middle Kingdom was struggling with its image overseas long before Covid, but the pandemic cemented attitudes in the West. Ever since, and with plenty of justification, its every move has been regarded with growing “reds under the bed” paranoia. The feeling is mutual.

The mood has darkened further in the past week. British democracy is under threat from Chinese cyber attacks, the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, told MPs this week in imposing sanctions on a number of Chinese officials. If that’s what standing up to China means these days then the central committee doesn’t have a lot to worry about.

Rather more seriously, the US and Japan are meanwhile planning the biggest upgrade to their security alliance since the mutual defence treaty of 1960.

Not to be outdone by the US ban on exports of hi-tech chips to China, Beijing responded this week by saying it will be phasing out even the low-tech variety on all government computers and servers, replacing foreign chips with its own home-grown ones.

And then of course, there is China’s de facto alliance with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, forming a new axis of authoritarian powers with an overtly anti-Western agenda. The rupture with the West seems virtually complete.

Years of integration into the global economy, in the hope that it might make China more like us, have backfired and are now going powerfully into reverse.

But does the nature of the threat fully justify all the noise which is made about it? In military terms, possibly, even if China plainly poses no direct threat to Europe, and unlike Putin, has no plans to lay claim to any part of it.

It does, however, pose a clear and present danger to Taiwan, where President Xi Jinping would plainly like to crush the life out of this vibrant, free enterprise economy in the same way as he has in Hong Kong. His rhetoric is bellicose and hostile, and we must therefore assume he means what he says.

In economic terms, however, the China threat is receding fast. After decades of stellar growth, China’s medium to long-term economic prospects are at best mediocre and at worst grimly dispiriting.

Now gone almost entirely is the idea of China as an unstoppable economic leviathan that will inevitably eclipse the US and Europe. Already it is obvious that this is not going to be the Chinese century once so widely forecast. Instead, Western commerce is looking increasingly to India as the economic superpower of the future.

Nor is this just because of the immediate causes of China’s economic slowdown – a woefully unbalanced economy which in recent years has relied for its growth substantially on debt-fuelled property development.

For China is indeed, to use the old cliche, getting old before it gets rich. Demographic factors alone are highly likely to floor President Xi’s grandiose ambitions for economic hegemony before they can be realised.

The fundamentals of China’s predicament, in other words, do not support the narrative of democracy under threat from an insurgent totalitarian rival.

There’s been a lot in the papers about demographics over the last week following a new study, published in the Lancet, on declining fertility rates. At some stage in the next 60 years, the global population will peak, and then fast start contracting.

The birth rate is projected to fall below population replacement levels in around three-quarters of countries by 2050, with only a handful of mainly Sub-Saharan nations still producing enough babies to ensure expanding populations by 2100.

In China, however, it has already started, with the population falling in 2022 for the first time since the Great Famine of 1959-61. This wasn’t just a one-off blip: last year deaths continued to significantly outnumber births.

There may be a slight pause in the decline this year. Some couples may have delayed their plans for children in anticipation of the Year of the Dragon, synonymous in Chinese mythology with good fortune.

Any relief will be only temporary. According to projections by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, which correctly forecast the onset of Chinese population decline, it’ll essentially be all downhill from here on in, with the population more than halving between now and the turn of the century.

This is a huge fall, with far-reaching implications for economic development and China’s superpower ambitions. What’s more, there is almost nothing the Chinese leadership can do about it, beyond imprisoning China’s fast-declining cohort of women of child-bearing age and forcing them to breed.

Across much of the developed world and beyond, the birth rate has long since declined below the 2.1 offspring per woman generally thought to be the level required to maintain the population. But thanks to its dictatorial one-child policy introduced in 1980 to curb China’s then almost ruinous birth rate, China has a particularly acute version of it.

China abandoned the one-child policy – limiting urban dwellers to one child per family and most rural inhabitants to two – in favour of a “three-child” policy in 2016, but too late.

Even if women of child-bearing age could be persuaded to have more babies, there are simply not enough of them any longer even to maintain today’s population, let alone increase it.

The one-child policy may have perversely further accentuated this deficiency because of the Chinese preference for male offspring over female, though most studies on this are inconclusive.

In any case, China finds itself classically caught in a “low-fertility trap”, the point of no return, where precipitous population decline becomes inevitable.

The implications are as startling as the statistics themselves. The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences forecasts that the working-age population will fall to 210 million by 2100, having peaked in 2014, and the ratio of working-age citizens to notionally non-working from 100 to 21 today, to 100 to 137 at the turn of the century.

One thing we know about ageing populations is they like life to be as comfortable and settled as possible. They also don’t like fighting wars, which have historically required a surplus of testosterone-fuelled young men desperate to prove themselves on the battlefield.

The turn of the century is of course still a long way off; there is easily enough time for several wars in between. The nature of warfare has also changed. It no longer requires the bravery of the young.

Even so, totalitarian dictatorships may well struggle with selling the multiple other hardships of war to an elderly population. Putin may seem to disprove this observation, but in doing so he is also demonstrating anew the futility of expansionist warfare. They make a desert, and call it peace.

A couple of other points seem worth making about our propensity to exaggerate the Chinese threat. Anyone would think that China is already a dominant force in the UK economy. It is not; in fact it is still only our fifth-largest trading partner after the US, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Even on imports alone it’s not as big as the US and Germany.

Whether because of the growing diplomatic standoff or other factors, moreover, this position is eroding. The size of trade with China fell last year. The same is true of direct investment by China in the UK economy, which was just 0.3pc of total foreign direct investment in 2021.

We worry about China’s imagined ability to close down our critical infrastructure, but should that really be allowed to influence decisions on whether the Chinese battery company EVE should be building a new gigawatt factory at Coventry Airport, or for that matter whether super-tariffs should be charged on Chinese EVs?

Should they exist at all, these risks can surely be managed. In any case, no nation that hopes to trade with others would deliberately turn the lights off, even if it could. In over-reacting to the Chinese threat, we only shoot ourselves in the foot.

China has lied, copied, stolen and cheated its way up the economic league tables, but ultimately it is a closed economy which increasingly repudiates foreign influence and thereby severely limits its own powers of innovation.

The danger is that now at the peak of its powers, it hubristically lashes out. But in the medium to long term, the demographic die is cast, and it spells a future of waning influence and economic heft.

[ilhoonftw]

after the group g.na was supposed to debut in felt apart bc the comepany went under, she became cube's first female soloist and just like many female singers in korea, she developed stage fright. there was sadly a lot of bodyshaming, she happened to have large boobs and when she allegedly got a reduction some weirdos would leave comments like she commited some sort of bethrayal. idk if she had a reduciton, she lost a lot of weight for top girl comeback it was super noticeable. there was also a lot of age shaming going on, she was the oldest cube idol and she said that she enjoys helping out trainees bc they make her feel young lmao. and also as a korean canadian she had hard time time adjusting after coming to korea. her dad passed away when she was little and her mom worked around the clock to support the family.

even tho she hit it big with a ballad-ish debut and pop comeback black&white, cube had her release those 'im so hot' type songs and her career started to tank. the stage fright was the reason why they had the ilhoon feature on oops, back in the day as a trainee he was junhyung (fuck that guy, involved in molka scandal) replacement when she performed her debut song. there was some backlash bc some said 'the song has too much ilhoon!' but the staged were nice she looked comfy. there was a talk regarding her debut in taiwan, she did a collab with aaron yan (fuck that guy, revenge porn of a minor) and it went pretty well idk. 2013-2016 were really tough for cubies bc ihq took over cube as the largest shareholder and mismanagement era begun. clc tanked bc of debuting at the time IMHO. gna's last comeback was the lingerie song. it's a cute song and she again had support on stage - clc and ptg (not yet debuted). along the way she did a bunch collabs and osts, i could tell that she's in the mids of changing her sound. like she was a good, stable singer and good performer despite her stage fright. there were photos and talks about her recording new album and hyunsik was involved. then the whole prostitution scandal happend. cube quickly washed their hands, said her contract is over and that's it. she disappeared and once in a blue moon she posts on ig. for all i know she is living a regular life now. i remember posts on pann etc how if her scandal happened after burning sun maybe people would believe her explaination how she was tricked into it. she borrowed money from a friend, he said oh you don't need to return it, i will set you up with my friend go on a date with him he's nice and a fan. she didn't know the guy she borrowed money from pimped her to that "friend". it wouldn't be the first time such tactic would be used by sex traffickers. she didn't get direct money from the guy she went on a date with (idk what she did with him, imho she was taken advantage of end of question) he paid "her friend". super slimey. she was charged for prostitution bc i guess court didn't believe her defence. fucked up situation

[mariacallous]

Russia and China have held "substantive" defence and military talks to bolster ties, Russia's defence minister said, as Moscow and Beijing cement a "no limits" partnership and step up criticism of U.S. efforts to extend its influence in Asia.

"The military departments of Russia and China are united in their assessments of global processes, and they have a common understanding of what needs to be done in the current situation," a post on the Russian defence ministry's Telegram messaging app on Tuesday cited Defence Minister Andrei Belousov as saying. Belousov said he met with China's central military commission vice chairman, Zhang Youxia for "very substantive" talks. China's Defence Ministry said after the meeting that both sides hope to deepen and expand military relations and maintain high-level exchanges. Belousov's visit to Beijing took place as China's military vowed to take further action against Taiwan if needed after staging a day of war games it said were a warning to "separatist acts" and which drew condemnation from the Taiwanese and U.S. governments. China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing less than three weeks before his forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two. In May this year, Putin and China's Xi Jinping pledged a "new era" of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world. Putin and Xi also agreed to deepen their "strategic partnership", Belousov said, without providing detail, adding he is confident that "fruitful work and the adoption of significant, weighty decisions are ahead." Russia said last week it was standing alongside China on Asian issues, including the criticism of the U.S. drive to extend its influence and "deliberate attempts" to inflame the situation around Taiwan. The U.S. says China is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine by supplying so-called dual use goods, including microelectronics, that can help it build weapons. China says it has not provided weaponry to any party, and that normal trade with Russia should not be interrupted or restricted.

[influencermagazineuk]

NATO Leaders Gather for 75th Anniversary Summit: Key Issues and Attendees

The NATO Leaders are to gather in Washington DC this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the formation of the western defence pact at a time when it faces emerging security challenges from Russia in Ukraine and an emboldened China in the Asia-Pacific. Organized by the United States’ President Joe Biden, the summit will center around the reinforcement of backing for Ukraine and the directions of the global security perspective. Support for Ukraine Amid Escalating Conflict The major subject on the agenda is funding for Ukraine particularly following the recent Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities such as the capital Kyiv and children’s hospital. The strikes claimed the lives of at least 31 people. Counterparties are supposed to declare new security guarantees and contribute two extra €40bn ($43. 2bn) for the following year. Also, there are plans to open a new military headquarters in Germany to improve Ukraine’s military training and outfitting. U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons NATO Membership for Ukraine A contentious topic is going to be the membership of Ukraine in NATO. Ukraine’s bids to join being limited by internal reform thresholds and existence of possessing Russia-specific weapons, members of the NATO alliance have ramped up support for the conflict-stricken country. The object will acknowledge Ukraine’s continuous reforming processes and give evidence of support to Ukrainian belonging to NATO. Defence Spending and Financial Contributions Another problem is the defence budgeting issue. The US has for a long time been more aggressive in demanding more funds from other partner countries especially in the military. Altogether, the progress towards realizing the aspect of the 2014 goal that requires each country to spend not less than 2% of its GDP for the defense by the year 2024 will be ascertained. However, only 23 members meet this target and still, countries like Canada, Spain, Italy, and Portugal are low in this aspect. It will be anticipated that this divide shall be among issues that shall be given much attention by the participants. Addressing China's Growing Influence NATO will further emphasize its support for Asia Pacific countries such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea in the face of an increasingly dominant China. Especially Beijing’s military actions on the contested Spratly Islands and the improving relations with Russia. Would address issues to do with the stability of the region and processing strategies that relate to Taiwan which China considers as its own province. Biden's Domestic Challenges and Implications Although it is not one of the official topics that will be discussed at the summit, us domestic politics is sure to make an appearance. As President Biden prepares for his bid in the next general election, the poll numbers are not favorable for him; and former President Trump, a nemesis of NATO, gains even more ground. Partners are beginning to think of the consequences of Trump’s presidency; the direction the US will take in the alliance might be a weaker involvement.  Internal NATO Disunity  From this it can be concluded that internal contradictions within the NATO member-states may be difficult to camouflage even when the union portrays unity. Turkey and Hungary have in the past postpone bids for Finland and Sweden as well as the two countries maintain good relations with Russia. Recent Orban’s meetings with Putin and Xi are widely discussed and seem to strain relations within the alliance.  Key Leaders and Attendees  Other major participants in the summit include current US President Joe Biden, the outgoing NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy ‘s Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, and Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson who is attending the summit for the first time. Japanese, Australian, South Korea and New Zealand’s prime ministers along with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Ukraine will also attend.  Strategic Significance and Future Potential  The debate is especially acute concerning such a significant format of the NATO summit as it is aimed at defining the current threats to security and demonstrating the unity of the participating countries. Therefore, the outcomes of NATO’s 75th anniversary summit will define its evolution and impact on world stability. Washington, DC’s deliberations and decisions on global relations and confrontation risks for the collective alliance will resonate in the future.  Read the full article

[rhk111sblog]

B.A. Hamza, a Professor at the National Defence University in Malaysia recently wrote about how the United States (US) was intentionally trying to downplay the June 2024 Ayungin Shoal Incident between China and the Philippines. Here are some chosen Excerpts from the Article, you can find the Link to the Article below:

"As anticipated, the “Incident” elicited only condemnation from the White House one Day after, giving the impression that both Parties (US and Philippines) were not keen to escalate the Incident. The Cue was provided by the National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Kirby informed Journalists Monday, “This kind of Behaviour [by China] is Provocative, it’s Reckless, it’s unnecessary, and it could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to something much bigger and much more Violent.” Kirby was silent on the Treaty (meaning the Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and Philippines).”

“Grappling with more important Strategic Issues in the Middle East and Ukraine, opening a third Front against a formidable China, 6000 miles away, will not be wise for the President Biden, Commander in Chief, who stumbled and looked disoriented during the recent Presidential debate with Donald Trump.”

“Given American involvement in Conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, it is unlikely that Washington will fight on another Front. Despite President Biden’s Promise of Iron-clad support to President Marcos, the failure to invoke the 1951 MDT serves as a Reminder to other US Allies – Taiwan, Japan and Australia included – that Defense Treaties in modern times are sometimes not worth the Papers they are written on.”

Here is the Link to the Article on the “Pearls and Irritations” Website: https://johnmenadue.com/luckily-joe-biden-did-not-stumble-into-a-war-with-china-at-second-thomas-shoal/

[jobaaj]

🔴BREAKING NEWS: Tensions are rising in Asia! The US is selling weapons to Taiwan!! 🤔 What happened?

▪ The US State Department has approved the sale of drones and missiles worth $360 million to Taiwan. ▪ According to the Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency, the sale includes:

720 Switchblade missiles with fire control systems

Approximately 300 Altius 600M loitering munitions with support components ▪ Additionally, Taiwan will receive:

1,700 TOW 2-B anti-tank missiles

100 launchers from a separate deal 🧐Why? ▪ Due to recurring Chinese provocations. ▪ Chinese warships and planes have been repeatedly breaching Taiwan’s territorial integrity as it recently carried out massive war simulations in the Taiwan Strait! ▪ "In the face of the Chinese communists' frequent military operations around Taiwan, these US-agreed-to arms sales items will have the ability to detect and strike in real time, and can respond quickly to enemy threats," Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said. 😲Interestingly: ▪ Defence Minister Wellington Koo has clearly said that Taiwan does not seek war! ▪ He called China a ‘trouble maker’ and provoker as their entire strategy was based on defensive operations! ▪ However, China is furious. It has slammed the arms sale and claimed that the US supports ‘Taiwan independence separatist forces’!! 🥸Analysis: ▪ With rising tensions in the region, the US has now decided to take more aggressive steps in response to China’s moves. ▪ It is willing to aggravate China to maintain Taiwan’s status, which will end up worsening the US-China conflict!! ❓Does the US want a China-Taiwan war to boost defense sales?? Follow Jobaaj Stories (the media arm of Jobaaj.com Group for more)

[indianexpalert]

Biden administration approves USD 571 million defence support for Taiwan amid China threat

US President Joe Biden on Friday agreed to provide USD 571.3 million in defence support for Taiwan, the White House said, while the State Department approved the potential sale to the island of USD 265 million worth of military equipment. The US is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and…

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! I returned to Song Yue, the restaurant Pa introduced me to, with LL, the expat friend from China, in tow. Both Song Yue and Din Tai Fung serve dishes from Taiwan island, but they couldn't be more different. The latter is famous for la mian xiao long bao (handpulled noodles and soup dumplings); the former specialises in jia chang bian cai (homestyle cooking). We had pork ribs and radish, poached cabbage with fish maw and egg floss, as well as ginger duck, their specialty dishes. LL especially loved the pork ribs and radish, as did I, although everything was excellent. I also collected the Legend Age moisturiser and eye cream which I'd ordered. LL included a foundation FOC for me to try, as well as a facial mask sheet. Yay!

A new stall serving Western-style meals opened near our office and they offered a promotional price for teriyaki grilled chicken to mark their opening: $6.90 (regular price $9). SC, ML, MI and I decided to try it. I asked for teriyaki sauce on the side but ended up not touching any: the dish was tasty on its own. The chicken looks large but it's pretty flat and quite crispy whilst remaining tender and juicy. The meal came with 2 sides: 4 onion rings and buttery mashed potato. This was undeniably good, but $6.90 good, not $9 good. I won't be ordering it once the promotion ends. The quantity of chicken doesn't justify the price tag.

Another week, another bowl of zha jiang mian (pork noodles in bean sauce). The stall I was at seemed to be owned by Malaysians rather than China nationals. I decided to give them a try and requested for additional vegetables to go with my noodles. Instead of shredded carrot and cucumber which are usually served with this dish, there was... a mound of lettuce. I was disappointed but tucked in anyway. Honestly, it wasn't bad. The noodles were quite smooth and slurpable and the tasty sauce coated each strand without being too salty. My main gripe is, the soybeans were too hard and chewy instead of soft and palatable. It isn't something I'll specially return for, but it was decent. I'll try their tomato egg noodles next time if I happen to be within the vicinity and have a craving for some.

I'm not a fan of coleslaw because many places add too much mayo and the mixture ends up gloopy, but I needed my veggie fix during WFH lunch this week. Coleslaw was the only veggie menu item at the stall serving local western style meals near my home, so I ordered it along with chicken spaghetti. The portion was pretty reasonable for $3 and it was actually good! The thinned out mayo didn't overwhelm the crunchy sweetness of fresh carrots and cabbage. I polished off the little dish before tucking into the chicken and spaghetti. This still isn't my favourite way to eat vegetables, so it will remain a last resort. On the bright side, I know where to get some coleslaw that isn't gloopy now!

It's been another eventful week as more nations signal their displeasure against the war in Gaza, from Chile joining developing countries rallying behind the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, France banning Israeli companies at a weapons exhibition, Maldives banning Israeli tourists to Ghent University severing ties with all Israeli academic and research institutions. I hope this brings some comfort to Palestinians in Gaza, where children are once again suffering from malnutrition following Israel's invasion of Rafah. The above video shows very disturbing images of sickly, emaciated children. One can only hope their nightmare ends soon and this war finally comes to an end. Stay strong Gaza! 下次见!

[lalsingh228-blog]

Artificial Neural Network Software Market is Set To Fly High in Years to Come

The Latest research study released by AMA “Worldwide Artificial Neural Network Software Market” with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth. Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are Google (United States), IBM (United States), Oracle (United States), Microsoft (United States), Intel (United States), Qualcomm (United States), Alyuda (United States), Ward Systems (United States), GMDH, LLC (United States),  Starmind (Switzerland).

Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/182533-global-artificial-neural-network-software-market Brief Summary of Artificial Neural Network Software:

An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is defined as a bit of computing system that helps to designed and simulate the way human brain analyses and processes information. however, neural network software is mainly used to simulate, research, develop and helps to apply ANN, software concept on biological neural networks. Artificial Neural Network also called as neural networks or simulated neural networks. Market Trends:

High Adoption of 3D artificial neural network Software

Market Drivers:

Demand for machine learning

Market Challenges:

Lack of government and compliance issues

Market Opportunities:

Growing Demand from Applications in areas

The Global Artificial Neural Network Software Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: by Application (Image Recognition, Signal Recognition, Data Mining, Others), Deployment mode (On-premises, Cloud), Industry Vertical (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), Retail and e-commerce, Telecommunication and Information Technology (IT), Healthcare and Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Government and Defence, Transportation and Logistics, Others (Media and Entertainment, Travel and Hospitality, and Education), Component (Solutions, Platform/API, Services (Managed Services and Professional Services), Consulting Services, Deployment and Integration, Support and Maintenance Services) This research report represents a 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of the Global Artificial Neural Network Software Market. Furthermore, it offers massive data relating to recent trends, technological, advancements, tools, and methodologies. The research report analyzes the Global Artificial Neural Network Software Market in a detailed and concise manner for better insights into the businesses. Regions Covered in the Global Artificial Neural Network Software Market:

The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.)

North America (United States, Mexico & Canada)

South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.)

Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia).

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The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market

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Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source finally, Artificial Neural Network Software Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Get More Information @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/182533-global-artificial-neural-network-software-market Artificial Neural Network Software Market research provides answers to the following key questions:

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[simonloweblog]

Preparing for Trump

The results of the Iowa Caucuses brings into sharp focus the fact that in all probability Donald trump will become the GOP party nomination for President in this years’ Presidential election on November 5th. Whereas it remains a possibility that he may be convicted on more than one of the three criminal charges he faces, it is equally possible that he could well become President even if a convicted felon. That indeed would be a historical first in the USA, but so many issues relating to Trump have already been historical “1sts”. He simply defies all norms.

Already governments around the world are rethinking how their relationships to the US will alter if he is elected. There is little doubt that many changes in US policy will be actioned the day he takes office. In terms of Foreign policy, Trump is likely to follow the Monroe Doctrine more closely than any President since Monroe created it in 1823; namely that under Trump’s Presidency  the US  with become very isolationist. The NATO alliance that has been led by the USA and secured the peace since created in 1948 could even see the US withdrawing from it altogether. Hitherto, this has been thought of as a potential disaster for Europe and its security. When President in 2017-2021 Trump made it clear that he expected the Europeans to start paying more for their own security and although some have started to move to do so, only the UK spends the required 2% of GDP that was promised. The fact is that Europe has a population three times greater than Russia and its combined GDP is almost 10 times Russia’s. Current combined E.U. defence expenditure totals 240 billion euros per annum which exceeds Russia’s defence expenditure of 100 billion by 150%! The fact is that Europe needs to organise a joint defence posture that is robust enough to deter Russia’s  ambition under Putin  of recreating a Russian Empire modelled on the USSR.

I believe that Europe (i.e. the EU and the UK) should no longer depend on the US defense umbrella and it is very likely that if Trump is re-elected that will help accelerate that position. This will of course  impact Ukraine’s ability to sustain the war against Russia to regain its territory. It is for Europe to step up to this challenge and step up right now. The extent to which Europe supports the Ukrainian effort will determine Ukraine’s ability to survive.

As to Taiwan, I doubt that all the Saber rattling of the State department would really see the US go to war and risk a potential World War with China even if they invaded Taiwan any time soon. Russia acquiesced in the Cuba crisis by realising that each Superpower had its area of influence which should not be challenged by another. The truth is that Taiwan is in China’s geographic area of influence. I personally doubt that China will invade it; the Chinese project many of their policy initiatives over a 50 or  more years ahead and it may well be that over a sustained period of time and pressure Taiwan will elect a Government that prefers a loose union over an invasion.

Trump will attempt to close the border with Mexico and reduce illegal immigration to a trickle. That is one policy that I agree with him on as do many others. He is not alone in wanting to contain illegal immigration. Almost every nation in Europe and Australasia is grappling with unsustainable levels of immigration.

As to trade, his introduction of high import tariffs against Chinese goods, which have in large measure been retained by the Biden administration, will be further enhanced. He has already stated that he will introduce a general 10% tariff on all imported goods. This will further the trend of protectionism and reduce free world trade that was the basis of  much of the prosperity in  the second half of the 20th Century; but protectionism has been on the rise now for several year and more countries  have woken up to the fact that their dependency on Chinese goods and Russian oil and gas has reduced their own manufacturing capabilities and energy security. In short,  Trumpism will herald a new economic era. As an Internationalist I do not agree with this philosophy but the Populist, Nationalist mood around the world today seems to agree in principle with this sad twist of economic policy.

We know that Trump will avoid war at almost any cost. That is a good thing although it will embolden America’s enemies and result in the US no longer playing policeman to the world and championing democratic processes around the world. But let’s face it the US has not had a good track record since WWll in that domain and the billions upon billions of dollars wasted on wars in Vietnam to Iraq will no longer be exported.

On the Gun issue, Trump’s support of the NRL is well known. They have spent millions supporting his campaigns. The fact is however that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have had any success nor are likely to be able to alter the 2nd Amendment and usher in any form of gun control. That policy is supported by many Americans however hideous it is.

Willy Brandt, one of Germany’s better post world war Chancellors invented the word “Realpolitik”. The above prognosis is a look at the realpolitik of a second Trump Administration. Distasteful as he is to so many, and a narcissist to his core, he is not a blood thirsty dictator craving Empire and is therefore no Hitler or Stalin. Thankfully, so far the Constitution’s system of checks and balances has safeguarded democracy in the Union and I think will continue to do so.

Independent voters may well deny him a second term and the GOP’s position on Abortion has the majority of women set against his Party. It is possible that they, who remain in the majority on the electoral register will save the Biden administration by voting against any further incursions into their rights over their own bodies. If Biden manages to further reduce inflation, keep unemployment down, lower gas prices and mortgage rates then together with the Abortion issue, Biden may just scrape through the election to a second term, but, be prepared for Trump to defy logic and win again.

[head-post]

Taiwan detects 11 Chinese military aircraft near its territory

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that 11 Chinese warplanes and 6 naval vessels were detected in the Taiwan area before 6 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Of the 11 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 8 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the southwest and southeast Taiwan Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

MND said in a statement on its website X:

“Eleven PLA aircraft and six PLA Navy ships operating around Taiwan were detected before 6 a.m. today. Eight aircraft crossed the median line and entered the southwest and southeast ADIZ of Taiwan. We monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”

On Saturday, Taiwan detected nine Chinese warplanes and five naval vessels.

On Sunday, China expressed strong dissatisfaction with US military aid to Taiwan and called on Washington to stop carrying out dangerous actions that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The ministry pointed out that the United States, by selling arms and providing military aid to Taiwan, “seriously violates the “One China” principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués.” The ministry also said:

“This US military aid to Taiwan seriously violates the commitments of US leaders not to support Taiwan’s independence. China expresses strong dissatisfaction, strongly opposes it and immediately sent a strict submission to the US.”

Read more HERE