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Showing posts with label Geopolitics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geopolitics. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

How the Philippines colludes with US government, think tank and media in 'sadfishing' itself, demonizing China on South China Sea issue

 

The China Coast Guard expels Philippine vessels which had illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands, on March 23, 2024. Photo: VCG

The Philippines has been making a show of the South China Sea issue for a long time. It has repeatedly provoked China and created tension in the South China Sea region while turning a blind eye to historical facts. Seemingly suffering from a sort of histrionic personality disorder, the Philippines has not only staged many farces on the issue, but also colluded with anti-China forces in the US-led West to play the thief crying "stop thief."

Last week, during his visit in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly "criticized China's provocative actions" in the South China Sea. Portraying the Philippines as a victim and China as a "perpetrator" has become a common intrigue to win attention and sympathy in the international community.

Supplying to its vessels illegally grounded on China's sovereign islands in the South China Sea is a trick of showmanship that the Philippines has employed in recent months. On Saturday, it sent a supply vessel and two coast guard vessels to intrude into the adjacent waters of China's Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) in disregard of China's strong opposition. 

"China's Coast Guard took necessary measures at sea in accordance with the law to safeguard China's rights, firmly obstructed the Philippine vessels, and foiled the Philippines' attempt," Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that same day.

Days earlier, Philippine civil group the Atin Ito coalition said it was planning another mission to the South China Sea with the aim of "delivering aid to fishermen" around China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island). According to Philippine media, the group openly claimed to mobilize "a delegation of international observers" to join their mission. It didn't seem to mind making the involvement of Western forces public.

"What it's like on board an outnumbered Philippine ship facing down China's push to dominate the South China Sea (CNN, March 26)," "China coast guard flexes its might against the Philippines in disputed waters as journalists look on (The Economic Times, March 27)"… It's not exaggeration to say that most media stories that smear China on the South China Sea issue, whether by Philippine or Western media, are products of the collusion between the anti-China forces of the Philippines and the US-led West. 

The Global Times has looked into some of the various collusion forms, trying to reveal what's behind the current numerous untrue and misleading "media reports" that one-sidedly support the Philippines and attack China.

People protest with signs and placards on Mendiola Street against the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Philippines in Manila, on March 19, 2024.Photo: VCG

People protest with signs and placards on Mendiola Street against the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Philippines in Manila, on March 19, 2024. Photo: VCG

Closely linked Philippine coast guard, 'civil groups,' and US scholars

The Atin Ito coalition disclosed its new "supply mission" plan at an event it held in Manila on March 14. The event gathered senior officers from the Philippine military and government, and representatives from the British, Australian, Dutch, Swedish, and European Union embassies, local media Palawan News reported the following day.

The guest list implied that Atin Ito has never been an ordinary "civil group." Close sources told the Global Times that the group was led by Risa Hontiveros, an anti-China senator who once asserted raising the notorious 2016 South China Sea "arbitration" to the United Nations General Assembly. Last winter, Hontiveros planned a "Christmas supply" mission for Atin Ito, asking the group members to send food and goods to a military vessel "stationed" at Ren'ai Jiao with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Atin Ito had tried to land on Huangyan Dao and plant the Philippines flag on the island in June 2016. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a US scholar Anders Corr was among the group's activists aboard the fishing boat that intruded into the adjacent waters of the island.

All the information has reflected that the so-called "civil groups" resupplying Huangyan Dao and Ren'ai Jiao are "nothing but a farce jointly planned by a few Philippine politicians and military, as well as the anti-China forces in the US-led West," Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

In an article published on March 6, The Associated Press (AP) introduced a PCG strategy of publicizing "aggressive actions" by China in the South China Sea, which aims to "spark international condemnation that has put Beijing under the spotlight." This strategy is known as "offensive transparency." 

"We will continue [with the strategy]," PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in February.

Joining the PCG in 2005, Tarriela allegedly has numerous links with the US. In 2021, he was largely involved in bilateral US-Philippine collaboration, including in the Pacific Forum's US-Philippines' Next Generation Leaders Initiative, a project sponsored by the US Department of State, through the US Embassy in Manila. 

According to an article by The Philippine Star in December 2023, Tarriela was considered a representative of the "pro-American faction," and even faced "CIA agent" accusations on social media.

Raymond Powell is another name frequently mentioned in the Philippines' "offensive transparency" strategy. 

A retired US colonel, Powell is the founder of the security think tank Project Sealight, and leads the "Project Myoushu" at Stanford University in cooperation with the PCG and some Philippine Foreign Ministry officials. 

The main purpose of the project is to support the "offensive transparency" strategy and help create a "victim" image for the Philippines on the South China Sea issue.

A US Air Force C-130 cargo plane comes in for a landing past US marines F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets during the semi-annual Philippine-US military exercise at the airport of the former US naval base in Manila, the Philippines, on July 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

A US Air Force C-130 cargo plane comes in for a landing past US marines F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets during the semi-annual Philippine-US military exercise at the airport of the former US naval base in Manila, the Philippines, on July 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

US journalists invited on board

On March 5, two supply vessels and two coast guard vessels from the Philippines, illegally intruded into the adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao, in an attempt to send materials, including construction materials, to the vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao. The China Coast Guard took strict regulatory action to curtail the Philippine vessels' intrusion.

It is worth noting that the Philippines' mission included journalists from CNN, who said they witnessed a "high-stakes confrontation" that day, and wrote features that described their experiences on board in detail. 

The CNN reporters wrote it was "the first time foreign journalists have been allowed to embed with the fleet in decades." But in fact, more than 10 years ago, US media reporters had boarded Philippine official vessels, including supply vessels, and wrote distorted media reports based on their first-hand experiences.

Early in 2013, The New York Times reporter Jeff Himmelman had been to the "Sierra Madre" vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao for an interview, and later described the confrontation between China and the Philippines at South China Sea as "a game of shark and minnow" in a feature story. 

Himmelman revealed that before they arrived they had "already hooked things up" with the local officials and the Filipino Navy.

In recent years, US journalists have been frequently invited on Philippine ships to participate in the PCG's "missions." In 2023 alone, two AP reporters and several other media staffers were invited aboard three PCG vessels that protect supply ships in November. In April 2023 the PCG reportedly invited many journalists, including those from the AP, to join a 1,670-kilometer "patrol."

According to a Chinese correspondent who worked in the Philippines for many years, there is a large number of US journalists in the Philippines. The Philippine authorities maintain close contact with foreign journalists in the country, and therefore, "it is easy for the authorities to seek cooperation from US journalists," said the correspondent who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The PCG's purpose of inviting journalists on board is to deliberately amplify the possible "incidents" through media, and to launch defamation warfare against China, the correspondent told the Global Times. "But I think [directly taking CNN reporters on board the PCG vessels] is excessive, and is even a sort of 'dishonor to the country,'" the correspondent added. "There is resentment within the Philippines, too."

US-funded Philippine media

Searching online media coverage on the South China Sea, one may find that Philippine and US media outlets are particularly close. They quote and forward each other's South China Sea stories, working closely together in attacking China on this topic.

Some of the major Philippine media outlets that are active in reporting on South China Sea include Rappler, VeraFiles, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. 

Having called themselves "independent", these media outlets turn out to be are reportedly funded by the CIA and the US' infamous National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

In 2019, journalists from the aforementioned three media outlets were accused of receiving payments from the CIA, "a potential criminal offense under local law." The accusations claimed that the CIA uses the NED to channel funds, and the three media outlets "receive substantial grants from the NED," said the organization Committee to Protect Journalists in May that year.

VeraFiles, for instance, started receiving funds from the NED since 2016. 

The NED website shows that, so far VeraFiles has got five batches of money from this US government-backed foundation, totally $350,600. It's far from a small amount for a media outlet without full-time reporters (only three editors and two web technicians). But VeraFiles has never disclosed how it spent the money.

Obviously, the Philippines has deeply colluded with the US government, think tanks, and media from top to bottom in "sadfishing" itself and demonizing China on the South China Sea issue. Worse still, such a nasty trick by the Philippines may become normal and diversified in the future, said Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

In response to the slander, Chen suggested China fight back with strong facts including on-site images, videos, and objective data. "We should make it clear to the international community what China's claims are in the South China Sea," Chen told the Global Times. "Do not let the US and the Philippines skew international public opinion."

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Monday, March 18, 2024

Philippine conspiracy of illegally occupying Ren’ai Jiao doomed to end in failure

 

Two Chinese coast guard ships use water canon on a Philippine coast guard ship as it attempts to illegally enter the waters near Ren'ai Jiao on March 5, 2024. Photo: VCG


Editor's Note:


Over recent months, the Philippines has continuously undermined China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests by illegally intruding into the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef). On March 5, two Philippine supply ships and two coast guard ships once again illegally intruded into the waters near Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea. They attempted to deliver supplies to a military vessel illegally "grounded" at Ren'ai Jiao. The China Coast Guard (CCG) took necessary measures to deal with the Philippine ships in accordance with domestic and international law. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines also lodged representations with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines over its illegal trespassing.

A review of the CCG's enforcement announcements since the beginning of this year shows that more than half of them are related to the Philippines. Since August 2023, the Philippines has been unilaterally conducting provocative actions near Ren'ai Jiao and adjacent waters, and has been hyping up so-called "water cannon incidents" and "collision incidents" to defame China's lawful and professional actions. In response to Philippine provocations, China has taken countermeasures and released on-site videos to refute attacks and smears from foreign media outlets. 

Looking back in history, China was the first country to name and include Ren'ai Jiao in its administrative jurisdiction. However, the Philippines has been attempting to illegally occupy Ren'ai Jiao through the "grounding" of vessels there in order to permanently control it, with the instigation of and support from the US.

Through collections from historical materials, evidence, and interviews with marine experts, the Global Times is publishing a series of stories to illustrate how the Philippines disregards historical fact, distorts international law, and violates the consensus, which was reached and repeatedly confirmed through negotiations between China and the Philippines. This is the second installment in the series, illustrating why China indisputably holds sovereignty over Ren'ai Jiao and its adjacent waters. Ren'ai Jiao has always been Chinese territory and is an integral part of China's Nansha Islands geographically, economically, politically, and historically.


Territory from ancient times


Ren'ai Jiao, which is located within 9°39'N to 9°48'N and 115°51'E to 115°54'E, is an atoll about 15 kilometers long and 5.6 kilometers wide. It has always been Chinese territory and is an integral part of China's Nansha Islands. As early as in the 2nd century BC, the Chinese people of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) sailed in the South China Sea and discovered Nanhai Zhudao (South China Sea islands) in their long course of activities.

China was the first country to have named Ren'ai Jiao, and the first to have effectively exercised jurisdiction over it. The West calls Ren'ai Jiao "Second Thomas Shoal," believing that it was "discovered" by the British explorer Thomas Gilbert in the 1880s. But in fact, Chinese fishermen have been using it as an important fishing point from the wind before his discovery. 

In the navigation manual used by Chinese fishermen since the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), Ren'ai Jiao is dubbed the Broken Sections. This name, which has lasted over a thousand years, implies that Ren'ai Jiao mostly exposed during low tide, with the southern half breaking into several segments.

China's sovereignty over the islands in South China Sea was not challenged until the 20th century. During the World War II, Japan invaded and illegally occupied several South China Sea islands. After World War II, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over these islands in accordance with the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, and formally named Ren'ai Jiao as "Ren'ai Ansha." 

In 1948, China published the "Location map of the South China Sea Islands", which clearly incorporates the Nansha Islands in their entirety into China's map, and labels "Ren'ai Ansha" as part of the Nansha Islands. According to the website China Nanhai, this position has been widely acknowledged by the international community, including the US. Many maps published by the US and European countries have recognized Nanhai Zhudao, including Ren'ai Jiao, as Chinese territory.

In 1983, China's Geographical Names Committee announced Ren'ai Jiao as its standard geographical name, noting that it's commonly used "Broken Sections" among local fishermen. In 1987, China's Nansha scientific research team conducted an all-round investigation of Nanhai Zhudao and landed on Ren'ai Jiao, leaving a stone monument and markers. The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone issued in 1992 also clearly stated that the Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands, including Ren'ai Jiao, are China's inherent territory.

Down-and-dirty plot

The Philippines was under Spanish, and later, US colonial rule. Yet as its suzerain, neither of the two countries included Ren'ai Jiao within its territorial boundaries, nor did they raise any objection to China's sovereignty over Nansha Qundao, which included Ren'ai Jiao. 

Prior to the 1970s, Philippine laws had clearly defined its territorial scope, which did not cover the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. However, since the 1970s, the Philippines has illegally occupied eight islands and reefs in China's Nansha Islands, namely, Mahuan Dao, Feixin Dao, Zhongye Dao, Nanyao Dao, Beizi Dao, Xiyue Dao, Shuanghuang Shazhou, and Siling Jiao. In June 1978, it unilaterally went beyond its territorial scope to set up the so-called "Kalayaan Island Group," which violates China's territorial sovereignty.

After the Meiji Jiao (also known as Meiji Reef) incident of 1995, the Philippines began to covet Ren'ai Jiao, which is not far from Meiji Jiao. 

"Back then, the Philippine military had an internal discussion and decided that since the Philippines had suffered a setback in Meiji Jiao, they would need to make up for it in some other ways. As a result, they played the trick of occupying an island by grounding their warship on it," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.

On May 9, 1999, the day after the US bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, the Philippines dispatched BRP Sierra Madre, an old WWII-era warship, to invade Ren'ai Jiao and illegally left it grounded under the pretext of technical problems. In disregard of China's solemn representations, the Philippines brazenly claimed that it was an accident and that the warship could not be towed away due to "lack of spare parts."

Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times that there were two main considerations behind the Philippines' illegal "grounding" on the Ren'ai Jiao in 1999. 

First, the Philippines attempted divert attention from public opinion following the US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Second, it aimed to occupy Ren'ai Jiao before China and the ASEAN began negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea because the default premise of the negotiations at that time was that countries would no longer occupy new islands and reefs. 

In September 2003, upon the news that the Philippines was preparing to build facilities around that military vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao, China lodged immediate representations. 

China Coast Guard inspects at waters near Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands on November 10, 2023. Photo: Visual News

China Coast Guard inspects at waters near Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands on November 10, 2023. Photo: Visual News


The then Philippine acting secretary of foreign affairs Franklin Ebdalin responded that the Philippines had no intention of constructing facilities on Ren'ai Jiao and that, as a signatory to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), the Philippines had no desire to and would not be the first to violate the Declaration. However, this commitment was repeatedly broken by the Philippines.

In May 2013, the Philippines "accused" China of obstructing its humanitarian supplies to Ren'ai Jiao, publicly claiming sovereignty over the reef for the first time, further exposing its ambition to occupy Ren'ai Jiao.

In March 2014, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement openly declaring that the vessel grounded at Ren'ai Jiao was placed there as a permanent Philippine government installation. This was an apparent attempt to provide an excuse for its continued refusal to fulfill its undertaking to tow away the vessel so as to illegally seize Ren'ai Jiao. China immediately responded that it was shocked by this statement and reiterated that it would never allow the Philippines to seize Ren'ai Jiao under any circumstances.

In July 2015, the Philippines stated publicly that the "maintenance repair" was being done to fortify the vessel.

From illegally grounding at the Ren'ai Jiao to continuously breaking its promise to remove the vessel, and finally taking reinforcement measures to fortify the vessel, the Philippines has proven through its actions that it is the first country to openly violate the DOC.

Filipino political commentator Rigoberto Tiglao pointed out in his article in 2021 that grounding the Sierra Madre as a desperate way to "maintain our claim" on the Ren'ai Jiao is a "very bad idea." "It has been a national disgrace," he pointed out. 

Chen told the Global Times that after Philippine president Duterte took office in 2016, China and the Philippines reached an agreement on managing the dispute over Ren'ai Jiao. From then until 2022, the Philippines generally complied with the agreement, and the situation at Ren'ai Jiao remained calm. 

However, shortly after the current Philippine President Marcos took office, the Philippines did away with the agreement, leading to a sudden escalation of tensions over Ren'ai Jiao. 

Chen pointed out that the Philippines first fabricated lies to illegally "occupy" the reef, which constitutes diplomatic fraud. They then turned the tables and accused China of interfering with their resupply operations, leading the international community to mistakenly believe that Ren'ai Jiao belongs to the Philippines. According to Chen, the Philippines also spread rumors to portray themselves as victims to deceive the international community. Their intention is to increase China's diplomatic and public opinion costs, in order to force China to compromise.

At the same time, the current tensions in the South China Sea also stem from the meticulous planning by the US and Western countries. Over the last 20 years, biased press reports from Western media have depicted the Philippines as a "small impoverished country challenging the bullying of a superpower." 

In 2013, after conducting an interview on the grounded Sierra Madre, reporters from the New York Times issued a report titled "A Game of Shark and Minnow," in which they claimed "the scorched shell of the Sierra Madre has become an unlikely battleground in a geopolitical struggle that will shape the future of the South China Sea and, to some extent, the rest of the world."

Two Philippine small transport ships and three coast guard vessels enter the waters near Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands on November 10, 2023 without the permission of the Chinese government. The China Coast Guard lawfully monitors and controls the Philippine vessels. Photo: Visual News

Two Philippine small transport ships and three coast guard vessels enter the waters near Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands on November 10, 2023 without the permission of the Chinese government. The China Coast Guard lawfully monitors and controls the Philippine vessels. Photo: Visual News

 

For a long time, the US has been inciting the Philippines to repair and strengthen the illegally grounded warship. It has even sent military aircraft and warships to carry out so-called "free navigation" and "reconnaissance" operations, conducted military exercises and joint patrols in countries surrounding the South China Sea, and threatened China with the implementation of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Clear bottom line

The vessel Sierra Madre has been illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao for nearly 25 years. According to a recent comment made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China has shown extraordinary restraint and patience concerning Ren'ai Jiao. 

For quite some time, it has sought to have frequent communication with the Philippines on various levels and through various channels, making its position clear that the Philippines must not send construction materials meant to repair and reinforce the "grounded" warship on a large scale. 

The Philippines, however, chose to ignore China's goodwill and sincerity, and has reneged on its own promise, continually sent vessels into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao, spreading disinformation, and playing up the issue.

"The Philippines has always gambled regarding the South China Sea issue, attempting to commit infringements in the region during a time of great power competition. In the past, they secretly sent construction materials to Ren'ai Jiao. Now they go even further by developing a national strategy which seeks to occupy the so-called West Philippine Sea, with Ren'ai Jiao included," Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), told the Global Times.

Through both words and actions, China can show its bottom lines to the Philippines, thus making it withdraw from the dispute. China's recent response concerning Ren'ai Jiao has already showed its determination to safeguard its sovereignty, Hu stressed.



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The more thoroughly exposed the CIA's true face, the better


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Saturday, March 16, 2024

The more thoroughly exposed the CIA's true face, the better

Mother of all disorder Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday that, according to a former US official with direct knowledge of highly confidential operations, then-US president Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to launch secret operations on Chinese social media aimed at "turning public opinion in China against its government." Many people don't find this information surprising or even consider it "news." The US is a habitual offender, using various covert means to foment "peaceful evolution" and "color revolutions" in other countries, with the CIA being the main force employed to this end. For other countries, the US' pervasive influence is everywhere, visible and tangible, so there is no need for exposés.

We are still unclear  what the specific purpose of the "former US official" was in leaking the information to Reuters. A CIA spokesperson declined to comment on the existence of the program, its goals or impact. A spokesperson for the Biden administration's National Security Council also declined to comment, which means it was neither confirmed nor denied. The US intelligence community often uses a mixture of false and true information to create confusion, a tactic that was used on Edward Snowden. The Reuters report is valuable, but needs to be further processed to filter out the true and useful parts.

Firstly, this report carries a strong defense of US penetration into China. It portrays the proactive offensive of the US' cognitive warfare against China as a passive counterattack against "cyber attacks" on the US from China and Russia. In reality, portraying themselves as the weak or victimized party and labeling their hegemonic actions as "justice" is a part of the US' cognitive warfare against foreign countries.

One US official interviewed by Reuters even said it felt like China was attacking the US with "steel baseball bats," while the US could only fight back with "wooden ones," showing his exaggerated and clumsy acting skills. The US has never used a "wooden stick." Over the past few decades, the CIA has overthrown or attempted to overthrow at least 50 legitimate international governments. There are also statistics showing that from 1946 to 2000, the US attempted to influence elections in 45 countries 81 times to achieve regime change. As a habitual offender of manipulating public opinions, the US has long established a series of tactics in its targeted propaganda, information dissemination, event creation, rumor fabrication, incitement of public opinion, and media manipulation. It constantly creates new tactics and uses new technologies according to changing circumstances. This is an open secret. The US dressing itself up as a "little lamb" only has a comedic effect, not a propaganda effect.

Next, as the US' intervention and infiltration in other countries are covert operations, this disclosure provides an opportunity for the outside world to glimpse into the specific methods used by the US. For example, the whistleblower admitted that the CIA had formed a small team of operatives, using bogus online identities to spread damaging stories about the Chinese government while simultaneously disseminating defamatory content to overseas news agencies. This corroborates with previous statements by CIA Director William Burns, indicating increased resources being allocated for intelligence activities against China, once again confirming the existence of the US "1450" (internet water army) team targeting China.

The whistleblower admitted that the CIA has targeted public opinion in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific region, spreading negative narratives about the Belt and Road Initiative. This indicates that in the US-instigated propaganda war against China, the global public opinion arena, especially in "Global South" countries, is their main strategic target. Various "China threat" theories circulating in third-party countries, as consistently pointed out by China, are all being operated by the US intelligence agencies behind the scenes.

The US has never concealed its hegemonic aims, nor does it regard encroachment on other countries' sovereignty as something to be ashamed of, which is even more infuriating than the hegemonic behavior itself. American economist Jeffrey Sachs criticized the CIA's blatant violation of international law in his commentary last month, stating that it is "devastating to global stability and the US rule of law," leading to "an escalating regional war, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and millions of displaced people." He also criticized the mainstream American media for failing to question or investigate the CIA. In fact, far from acting as watchdogs, mainstream American media has served as an accomplice. How many rumors manufactured by the CIA have been spread through the mouths of mainstream American media? When did they reflect and correct themselves?

We also see that the intentions of the US intelligence agencies are even more sinister. As admitted in the revelations, they aim to force China to spend valuable resources in defending against "cognitive warfare," keeping us busy with "chasing ghosts," and disrupting our development pace. First of all, we appreciate their reminder. At the same time, we will not allow external factors to interfere with our strategic determination to manage our own affairs well. For China and the world, the more fully, clearly, and thoroughly the CIA exposes itself, the deeper people will understand its true nature, and the stronger their ability to discern the truth will become. Keeping the CIA busy to no end or failing in their attempts is the best preventive effect.

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How the CIA Destabilizes the World


 

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Chips, politics and economic dominance

Officially Huawei became the world’s number one smartphone player after shipping 55.8 million handsets, surpassing Samsung in the second quarter of 2020. — Bloomberg

SMIC'S progress in industry commendable effort despite sanctions

 
TWO weeks ago, without much fanfare or large-scale promotional event, Huawei Technologies launched a surprise pre-sale of its latest Mate flagship model.

This was out of the blue, considering that Huawei suffered for the past three years since the United States trade sanction during the Donald Trump-led administration which placed Huawei on the export blacklist depriving the phone and network giant from key semiconductor components necessary to manufacture its successful premium smartphone products.

At its peak in 2020, Huawei had 38% of China’s total smartphone market share with Vivo coming in second at 17.7% and Oppo coming in third at 17.4%.

Globally, Huawei had just over 10% with much room to catch up to Samsung and Apple, which had an estimated 30% and 26% respectively.

Despite that, it officially became the world’s number one smartphone player after shipping 55.8 million handsets, surpassing Samsung in the second quarter of 2020.

This did not last long, as in the year after the trade sanctions kicked in, Huawei suffered immensely when its revenue for the consumer division plunged 47% in the first half of 2021 and fell out of the world’s top five smartphone maker for the first time in six years. 

 If that wasn’t enough, Huawei had to endure a prolonged winter because of the sanctions with market commentators even speculating they will exit the smartphone market entirely.

To stay afloat, Huawei sold off its entire stake in Honor, the budget range smartphone business for Us$15.2bil to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co Ltd, a consortium made up of over 30 dealers and includes a state-owned enterprise of the municipal government of Shenzhen.

Hence, when social media caught wind of Huawei Mate 60 pro with videos of long queues for the launch of the smartphone, it attracted global attention. The two questions on everyone’s mind were, “how did Huawei do it with the sanctions ongoing?” and “is this the start of Huawei’s path to reclaim its smartphone throne?”

For those who are not too familiar, one should understand that chips are denominated in different measurements such as 5nm, 7nm and 10nm. It represents the specific generation of chips made with a particular technology and the smaller numbers represent more advanced and efficient technology.

In the past, these numbers indicated the size of the smallest features or transistors that can be produced on a chip using a particular manufacturing process.

What is interesting about Huawei’s latest smartphone launch is that the Kirin 9000s System on Chip that powers the phone model appears to be manufactured using an advanced 7nm process.

Following the trade sanction which was meant to cripple Huawei’s advancement in smartphone manufacturing, most would assume that Huawei would not have access to advanced chips.

In addition, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s state-backed chip manufacturer which is widely regarded to be the top in China, is only capable of producing 14nm at that time. In addition, SMIC has not been able to procure the advanced Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems that are used to produce chips at 7nm and below before they were sanctioned as well.

Based on teardown analysis by reviewers online, the chip’s overall performance seems to match that of Snapdragon 888 or Apple A13 chipsets which were launched in 2019-2020. But for those who might have some familiarity with the chip fabrication industry, this is likely not the case as the 7nm chip could be produced using the older generation deep ultraviolet machines which China manufacturers can still import.

This would require usage of multi-patterning, a technique that has been utilised by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC) in 2017 of producing 7nm chips before EUV was introduced.

In fact, SMIC reportedly used this technique to produce a 7nm chip for bitcoin miners last year, so they are no stranger to the technique.

The downside of this technique is that it will waste more time, energy, water, while also resulting in higher defects and lower yield. Hence the cost of production is likely much higher.

Nonetheless, EUV machines are still needed to advance beyond 5nm process, and at 3nm and below, multi-patterning would be required even with EUV machines. Hence, we can say that the real bottleneck of the United States trade sanction will hit it hard beyond 5nm.

Currently, SMIC, while improving, is still lagging its global peers; TSMC and Samsung have already started mass production of chips using the 3nm process in 2022 which is two generations ahead of the 7nm process used by SMIC.

The gap is around four years but without access to EUV machines, it could take much longer for SMIC to reach 3nm. It is important to note that all its competitors are now working towards mass production of 2nm chips in 2025.

Considering how SMIC is also sanctioned by the United States, it is remarkable to see it making progress. SMIC will likely continue to be supported by the Chinese government in developing advanced chips.

So long as self-interest politics remains the priority over mutual prosperity and the technology transfer agenda, we will see companies and manufacturing bases move across regions based on the countries’ political alignments or foreign policies rather than merits.

Apart from the United States and European manufacturers that have been diversifying production out of China, even some Chinese suppliers are building new factories in our country as they do not want to lose their markets outside of China.

For now, most are setting up in the existing states with matured industry supply chains such as in Penang and Johor.

Hence, sad to say, while this fight between the two economic powerhouse is detrimental to the world in the long term, in the short term, it appears that it is good for our nation, and we should continue to capitalise on the opportunity.

At the end of the day, every country, especially the larger economies, hopes to maintain its economic dominance over the rest of the world. This era, thankfully, is not an era where the wars between countries are fought with guns and bullets. It is an era where the race is on technological advancement and scientific breakthrough.

Apart from the semiconductor chip competition that has been ongoing since the start of the United States-china trade war, the Covid-19 global pandemic has raised the awareness for the government on the importance on advancing research and development in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Even countries with the strongest military power cannot avoid the same fate of being engulfed in the effects of the pandemic like any other Third World country.

Unlike the United States, Europe, Taiwan and South Korea, China started research and development in the semiconductor industry much later. We must remember China only started focusing on developing its advanced chip technology recently.

Before the decoupling with the United States happened in 2020, there was no urgency to do so, given that they could still rely on imported technology.

As nations around the world continue to become more tribal, it is crucial to be self-sufficient, be it in the area of technology development, healthcare or food security. It may take awhile but eventually, government leaders ought to revert to multilateralism and focus on the benefits of building a global economy in the interests of mankind.

That is the best way forward for humanity.

By NG ZHU HANN

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