The primary purpose of Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Hungary might be to ensure that Hungary can help China gain market share in the EU, as Beijing and Budapest prepare to sign a total of 16 bilateral agreements....
While the developed world rests on its laurels having already developed key technologies that insulate from the worst effects of climate change, the Global South is attempting to push through rapid industrialization to achieve the same effects, bringing with it public infrastructure, electricity, robust food supply, reliable transportation, healthcare…
Meanwhile, the developed world looks at the Global South and says “ah, but why aren’t you being greener about it? despicable! how dare you raise emissions?” while simultaneously restricting the free trade of essential green economy components like solar panels and batteries. The fact is, we don’t actually care about climate change. Our political entities and economies are not structured to reward innovation in that space, so we simply end up pulling teeth to push through minor advances. Germany used to be a world leader in solar panels before it stagnated due to political pressure. The US used to be a world leader in developing nuclear before it stagnated due to political pressure. Japan used to be the world leader in batteries before it stagnated due to, well, Japan.
At the invitation of H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to France from May 5 to 7, 2024. The two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East:...
Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top military and political figures, Ukraine’s state security service said Tuesday....
Here’s a question: why now? Russia has had many opportunities to off Zelensky and has demonstrated the ability to break through Ukrainian air defences near Zelensky. For most countries, assassinating a head of state is considered a huge faux pas because it opens up the opportunity for yourself to be considered a valid target. Even if nothing else, Putin values self-preservation.
Russia has already demonstrated the ability to pierce Ukraine’s air defense umbrella not even a kilometer from where Zelensky was. There’s no need to do the dirty work of an assassination when Zelensky willingly goes to the front line every few weeks.
Russia has more than enough munitions for local air superiority, even if they can’t maintain that across the front line.
Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine....
An Australian pilot was forced to take evasive action after a Chinese military jet detonated flares close to a Navy helicopter that was operating in international waters near South Korea....
Incident occurred thousands of kilometers from the Australian mainland in the Yellow Sea. It’s important to note here that the entire Yellow Sea falls under either China, South Korea, or North Korea’s EEZ, although most of it falls under no country’s ADIZ because of how the countries bordering the Yellow Sea have negotiated airspace rules.
Australia is getting their panties in a twist. They’re fucking flares, a standard component of intercepts when veering near sovereign airspace.
The UN panel to monitor sanctions on North Korea ended in April. Australia has no mandate to monitor North Korea at this time.
The Yellow Sea is also not a body of water for which “innocent passage” is typically needed. It’s a dead end body of water.
Moreover, if Australia was on UN business, there’s an expectation that they should report their business to Chinese authorities to avoid this exact type of incident.
I’m actually glad you asked. The area where the Australian helicopter was intercepted was in China’s EEZ, near China’s territorial sea.
Normally, there are no restrictions for aircraft’s innocent passage through another country’s EEZ. This statement holds for the Yellow Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, etc.
However, this is true specifically for innocent passage and overflight. Australia claims they were in China’s EEZ to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea. The UN panel for monitoring sanctions on North Korea was disbanded last month, so Australia lacks the UN mandate to justify their presence. Moreover, spying monitoring is very distinctly not innocent passage, and sailing an armed vehicle through is also distinctly not innocent passage. Moreover, the Yellow Sea has no real candidate places to pass to, so Australia is hardly just passing through.
Of course, Australia could have also completed the entire mission within South Korea’s EEZ (a country that’s allied with Australia),
Or, put another way: if China parked their aircraft carriers 12 nautical miles from Taipei and started flying jets and helicopters within the EEZ but outside of the territorial sea, what do you think the response would be? If China launched a balloon that skirted around Taiwanese sovereign airspace but within Taiwan’s EEZ, what do you think the response would be? “Just let it slide”?
Falls under “freedom of overflight,” which necessitates that when entering another country’s EEZ you must
shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal state
shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal state
Per these stipulations, overflight is meant to be for peaceful purposes, not for e.g. spying, military coercion, etc. These are, more or less, the same conditions granted for innocent passage. Moreover, overflight often requires clearing with the government as per local laws and regulations.
There’s an open debate in international law as to whether surveillance is considered a peaceful purpose… But if someone dropped sonar buoys (“surveillance”) 12 miles out of Honolulu Harbor, you’d probably throw a fit.
Again, as I’ll repeat, flares are literally described by the FAA as a way to intercept aircraft. The US has used them against Russian aircraft, but in fact the US also does so to intercept civilian aircraft!
Current statements are that the helicopter was in “breach of Chinese EEZ” (Peter Cronau, ABC) and “within close range of Chinese airspace” (Chinese Foreign Ministry). Notably, the Australians have ignored calls by the British to release videos or GPS data on the incident.
Motherfucker are you dumb, blind, or arguing in bad faith? Literally your own exact motherfucking source says this.
Articles 88 to 115 and other pertinent rules of international law apply to the exclusive economic zone in so far as they are not incompatible with this Part.
In exercising their rights and performing their duties under this Convention in the exclusive economic zone, States shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State and shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal State in accordance with the provisions of this Convention and other rules of international law in so far as they are not incompatible with this Part.
UNCLOS Article 58.2 and 58.3
Jesus Christ if you’re going to argue in bad faith at least make an effort.
Australia claims they were flying there for surveillance to enforce sanctions on North Korea. UNCLOS stipulates what internationally lawful uses of the sea are (including freedom of navigation, overflight), and it’s difficult to argue that foreign surveillance falls under that definition. Notably, surveillance does not fall under overflight, as overflight stipulates that no activities are conducted over the flyover that are not related to the flyover itself.
Your claim is that military surveillance is an internationally lawful use. That’s insane. Your interpretation would allow Chinese and Russian aircraft to surveil within 12 miles of the US mainland, drop maritime survey beacons outside of key harbours (to spot submarines and map out the harbour), and do acrobatics within view of major US cities.
Again, dropping warning flares in front of an aircraft to intercept is standard policy. It’s not even worthy of mention most of the time, and it’s described in FAA rules.
Antony Blinken has warned Xi Jinping at a meeting in Beijing that the US and its European allies are ready to impose new sanctions on Chinese companies if they do not stop supplying material and equipment to the Russian arms industry....
Lawful student protest on any @CUNY campus should not be met with NYPD arrests, including today’s demonstration at @CityCollegeNY. Administration can & must ensure students’ safety and prevent harassment on campus without resorting to the forcible removal of peaceful protestors
PSC CUNY - Union representing CUNY staff and faculty
I have disabled students participating in the peaceful encampment/protests @UConn. When cops arrived they put hands on one of my disabled students & dislocated their shoulder. This student is still there, but injured. If @uconn says there are no injuries, that is a lie.
Europe’s phoney war with China is at an end. After years of building up an improved arsenal for a trade war, Europe is now showing it is willing to get tough on Beijing....
Story from 2015. If you include the tax rebate incentives (which are included in BYD’s reporting, but which function differently in China because China lacks direct income tax for most people due to accounting costs… It’s an open secret that the Chinese government doesn’t care about personal tax income much), Tesla’s numbers skyrocket:
If you want to argue that the $7500 EV purchase incentive is not a direct subsidy because it has no specific cash value (since it’s dependent on the person’s tax burden)… Be my guest, but that’s a laughable position.
Is China using Hungary as its bridgehead in Europe? (www.euronews.com)
The primary purpose of Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Hungary might be to ensure that Hungary can help China gain market share in the EU, as Beijing and Budapest prepare to sign a total of 16 bilateral agreements....
77% of Top Climate Scientists Think 2.5°C of Warming Is Coming—And They're Horrified (www.commondreams.org)
“I expect a semi-dystopian future with substantial pain and suffering for the people of the Global South,” one expert said.
Neom: Forces 'told to kill’ to clear land for eco-city (www.bbc.com)
Col Rabih Alenezi says he was ordered to evict villagers from a tribe in the Gulf state to make way for The Line, part of the Neom eco-project....
Full text: China-France Joint Statement on the Situation in the Middle East (www.chinadaily.com.cn)
At the invitation of H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to France from May 5 to 7, 2024. The two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East:...
Ukraine says it foiled a Russian spy agency plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy (apnews.com)
Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top military and political figures, Ukraine’s state security service said Tuesday....
Russia threatens Britain with retaliation if involvement in Ukraine war deepens (www.pbs.org)
Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine....
Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air (www.bbc.com)
Australian helicopter forced to take evasive action after Chinese fighter detonates flares (www.abc.net.au)
An Australian pilot was forced to take evasive action after a Chinese military jet detonated flares close to a Navy helicopter that was operating in international waters near South Korea....
US threatens new China sanctions over supplies to Russian arms industry (www.theguardian.com)
Antony Blinken has warned Xi Jinping at a meeting in Beijing that the US and its European allies are ready to impose new sanctions on Chinese companies if they do not stop supplying material and equipment to the Russian arms industry....
Possible snipers seen at OSU. Administration says they're not snipers but should be treated like they are. (midwest.social)
Update, yes there are snipers:...
Shafik authorizes NYPD to sweep ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment,’ officers in riot gear arrest over 100 (www.columbiaspectator.com)
EU pulls its gun on China: The EU is accelerating its crackdown on what it sees as Beijing’s unfair support for companies that undermine European rivals (www.politico.eu)
Europe’s phoney war with China is at an end. After years of building up an improved arsenal for a trade war, Europe is now showing it is willing to get tough on Beijing....