southfront--2020-07-15--The Future for China

The Future for China

On July 14th , the two conjoined gangster-regimes , U.S. & UK , simultaneously started , with deadly seriousness , their aggressive economic war against China .
Business Insider headlined “ US Navy warship challenges China in South China Sea as US blasts Beijing ’ s ‘ unlawful ’ claims and ‘ gangster tactics ’ ” and reported that , After the US Department of State declared Beijing ’ s maritime claims in the South China Sea and efforts to assert dominance to be unlawful , the US Navy destroyer USS Ralph Johnson further challenged China with a sail-by operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos on Tuesday of the destroyer sailing near the contested Spratly Islands , and a Navy spokesman confirmed that the ship conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation in the area .
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson ( DDG 114 ) steams near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea .
Ralph Johnson is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts for a free and open Indo-Pacific .
On the same day , Russia ’ s RT headlined “ George Galloway : UK ban on Huawei is national self-harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ailing British economy ” , and he reported that Having alienated the remaining 27 members of the European Union and set Anglo-Russian relations back a century , Boris Johnson has just declared an economic war on China .
… The proximate reason – that allowing Huawei into Britain ’ s 5G roll-out is a “ security risk ” – is patently false .
If that were true for 5G , it would be true of 3 and 4G .
If it were true then the company would have to be banished now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , incidentally , 5G will be so last year ) .
There is not a shred , not a scintilla , not a jot or tittle , of evidence that Huawei has ever done anything wrong during its highly successful penetration of the British market , from which Britain has economically benefited mightily .
And if Chinese investment in 5G is not wanted – indeed , is being ejected – what of China ’ s powerful stake in Britain ’ s energy sector ?
What happens if China pulls the plugs on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lights go out ?
Has anyone thought this Chinese Kick-Away through ?
… BoJo ’ s decision to throw the Huawei 5G deal on the scrapheap shows UK poodle still obeys its US master In this triple whammy of sanctions , gunboats and settlement , the brassy note of Jingoism plays ‘ Rule Britannia ’ , but no one seems to have noticed that China is a vastly richer and more powerful adversary than it was when we extorted Hong Kong from them in punishment for their attempt to halt the flood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction of 90 million Chinese people .
The economic sanctions imposed on China in the Huawei affair will be returned several-fold by Beijing .
Galloway might be correct , that China will be able to survive UK ’ s attempts to stifle China ’ s rise as a global economic competitor to the UK-U.S. empire , but if the U.S. is allowed to block China ’ s shipments through the South China Sea , then the war against China has already been won .
It ’ s much more serious .
China has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major rounds in its territorial disputes regarding its territorial claims in the South China Sea .
It ’ s as if the U.S. were losing territorial claims in the Caribbean , except that the South China Sea is far more geostrategically important to China than the Caribbean is to the United States .
So , China ’ s losses here are geostrategic ones .
Those are disputes versus the Philippines , Vietnam and Malaysia , and the U.S. regime has played a decisive role in each case on the basis of its bilateral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mutual Defense Treaty , which enables the Philippines to call upon U.S. military backing in case the Philippines needs muscle in order to assert a territorial claim against another country , such as , say , China , which is the giant in their neighborhood .
U.S. President Harry S. Truman strongly disagreed with his predecessor , Franklin Delano Roosevelt ’ s , opposition to imperialism , and he went for it almost as soon as he became the U.S. President .
Actually , he became President at FDR ’ s death on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than four months later , on 26 July 1945 , committed himself to the Military-Industrial Complex ’ s dream of establishing an all-encompassing U.S. global empire .
He made that decision , on 26 July 1945 , which subsequently created the coups , military invasions , importations of thousands of Nazi officials into The West , to help America ’ s fight against the Soviet Union , and construction of the CIA ’ a program to control what international ‘ news ’ would be off-limits to report in the U.S. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDR ’ s son who accompanied his father during crucial international meetings , felt that Truman was a traitor to his father ’ s anti-imperialistic legacy .
FDR , according to his son , Elliott , also wasn ’ t too fond of Churchill , who agreed with Truman because Churchill had always been a champion of British imperialism and he needed U.S. acceptance of that .
“ Roosevelt and Churchill Discuss Colonial Questions , August 10 , 1941 , excerpt from Elliott Roosevelt , As He Saw It ( New York : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
” “ Of course , ” he remarked , with a sly sort of assurance , “ of course , after the war , one of the preconditions of any lasting peace will have to be the greatest possible freedom of trade.
” He paused .
The P.M. ’ s [ Churchill ’ s ] head was lowered ; he was watching Father steadily , from under one eyebrow .
“ No artificial barriers , ” Father pursued .
“ As few favored economic agreements as possible .
Opportunities for expansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His eye wandered innocently around the room .
Churchill shifted in his armchair .
“ The British Empire trade agreements , ” he began heavily , “ are — ” Father broke in .
“ Yes .
Those Empire trade agreements are a case in point .
It ’ s because of them that the people of India and Africa , of all the colonial Near East and Far East , are still as backward as they are.
” Churchill ’ s neck reddened and he crouched forward .
“ Mr .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment to lose its favored position among the British Do-minions .
The trade that has made England great shall continue , and under conditions prescribed by England ’ s ministers.
” “ You see , ” said Father slowly , “ it is along in here somewhere that there is likely to be some disagreement between you , Winston , and me .
“ I am firmly of the belief that if we are to arrive at a stable peace it must involve the development of backward countries .
Backward peoples .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be done , obviously , by eighteenth-century methods .
Now — ” “ Whichever of your ministers recommends a policy which takes wealth in raw materials out of a colonial country , but which returns nothing to the people of that country in consideration .
Twentieth-century methods involve bringing industry to these colonies .
Twentieth-century methods include increasing the wealth of a people by increasing their standard of living , by educating them , by bringing them sanitation — by making sure that they get a return for the raw wealth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of us were leaning forward attentively .
[ Harry ] Hopkins [ a major FDR adviser ] was grinning .
Commander [ C. R. ] Thompson , Churchill ’ s aide , was looking glum and alarmed .
The P.M. himself was beginning to look apoplectic .
“ Yes .
I can ’ t believe that we can fight a war against fascist slavery , and at the same time not work to free people all over the world from a backward colonial policy ” “ I ’ m glad you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , in 1946 .
And they ’ ve gotten modern sanitation , modern education ; their rate of illiteracy has gone steadily down “ There can be no tampering with the Empire ’ s economic agreements.
” “ They ’ re the foundation of our greatness.
” “ The peace , ” said Father firmly , “ can not include any continued despotism .
The structure of the peace demands and will get equality of peoples .
Equality of peoples involves the utmost freedom of competitive trade .
… ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when finally the British party said their good nights .
I helped Father into his cabin , and sat down to smoke a last cigarette with him .
Father grunted .
“ A real old Tory , isn ’ t he ?
A real old Tory , of the old school.
” “ I thought for a minute he was [ you were ] going to bust , Pop.
” “ Oh , ” he smiled , “ I ’ ll be able to work with him .
Don ’ t worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famously.
” “ So long as you keep off the subject of India.
” “ Mmm , I don ’ t know .
I think we ’ ll even talk some more about India , before we ’ re through .
And Burma .
And Java .
And Indo-China .
And Indonesia .
And all the African colonies .
And Egypt and Palestine .
We ’ ll talk about ’ em all.
” A similar kind of discussion occurred between Roosevelt and Churchill at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 .
The following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father ’ s talk with him one evening during that meeting : His thoughts turned to the problem of the colonies and the colonial markets , the problem which he felt was at the core of all chance for future peace .
‘ The thing is , ’ he remarked thoughtfully , replacing a smoked cigarette in his holder with a fresh one , ‘ the colonial system means war .
Exploit the resources of an India , a Burma , a Java ; take all the wealth out of those countries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , things like education , decent standards of living , minimum health requirements — all you ’ re doing is storing up the kind of trouble that leads to war .
All you ’ re doing is negating the value of any kind of organizational structure for peace before it begins .
‘ The look that Churchill gets on his face when you mention India !
‘ India should be made a commonwealth at once .
After a certain number of years — five perhaps , or ten — she should be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Empire or have complete independence .
‘ As a commonwealth , she would be entitled to a modern form of government , an adequate health and educational standard .
But how can she have these things , when Britain is taking all the wealth of her national resources away from her , every year ?
Every year the Indian people have one thing to look forward to , like death and taxes .
Sure as shooting , they have a famine .
The season of the famine , they call it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I found out about his British Gambia today , ’ he said , with a note of determination .
‘ This morning , ’ he said , and now there was real feeling in his voice , ‘ at about eight-thirty , we drove through Bathurst to the airfield .
The natives were just getting to work .
In rags … glum-looking .
… They told us the natives would look happier around noontime , when the sun should have burned off the dew and the chill .
I was told the prevailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine .
One shilling , ninepence .
Less than fifty cents.
’ ‘ A { day ! }
Fifty cents a { day ! }
Besides which , they ’ re given a half-cup of rice.
’ He shifted uneasily in his big bed .
‘ Dirt , disease .
Very high mortality rate .
I asked .
Life expectancy — you ’ d never guess what it was .
Twenty-six years .
Those people are treated worse than the livestock .
Their cattle live longer !
’ He was silent for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wasn ’ t serious , last time .
He ’ ll find out , this time.
’ He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment .
‘ How is it , where you are ?
How is it in Algeria ?
’ he asked .
I told him it was the same story .
Rich country , rich resources , natives desperately poor , a few white colonials that lived very well , a few native princes that lived very well , otherwise poverty , disease , ignorance .
He nodded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what he thought should be done : France to be restored as a world power , then to be entrusted with her former colonies , as a trustee .
As trustee , she was to report each year on the progress of her stewardship , how the literacy rate was improving , how the death rate declining , how disease being stamped out , how .
… ‘ Wait a minute , ’ I interrupted .
‘ Who ’ s she going to report all this to ?
’ ‘ The organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been set up , ’ answered Father .
It was the first time I ’ d ever heard of this plan .
‘ How else ?
’ I asked Father .
‘ The Big Four — ourselves , Britain , China , the Soviet Union — we ’ ll be responsible for the peace of the world after .
… ‘ … It ’ s already high time for us to be thinking of the future , building for it .
… These great powers will have to assume the tasks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of living , improving the health conditions — of all the backward , depressed colonial areas of the world .
‘ And when they ’ ve had a chance to reach maturity , they must have the opportunity extended them of independence .
After the United Nations as a whole have decided that they are prepared for it .
‘ If this isn ’ t done , we might as well agree that we ’ re in for another war.
’ Elliott ’ s book as quoted in the 17 September 1946 Magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elliott Roosevelt , “ on how British and French financiers had dredged riches out of colonies .
… ” He continued later , “ How do they belong to France ?
Why does Morocco , inhabited by Moroccans , belong to France ?
By what logic and custom and historical rule ?
” Obviously , Winston Churchill ’ s dream came true when FDR died on 12 April 1945 and became replaced by Truman .
Among those statements by FDR , the one specifically regarding the Philippines has particular relevance today .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDR had said to Churchill , “ I ’ m glad you mentioned them .
They get their independence , you know , in 1946.
” That U.S. commitment , “ freedom , ” to the Philippine nation , had already been made .
He promised to Churchill that it would be fulfilled , and that therefore Churchill would not be able to say that America is an imperialist power as England is .
It was a basic commitment from him .
Furthermore , FDR said : “ Father pursued .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Opportunities for expansion .
Markets open for healthy competition.
” His eye wandered innocently around the room .
Churchill shifted in his armchair .
“ The British Empire trade agreements , ” he began heavily , “ are — ” Father broke in .
“ Yes .
Those Empire trade agreements are a case in point .
It ’ s because of them that the people of India and Africa , of all the colonial Near East and Far East , are still as backward as they are.
” And : “ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ can not include any continued despotism .
The structure of the peace demands and will get equality of peoples.
’ ” He linked bilateral , and also multilateral , trade treaties , to the creation of both World Wars .
The United States , after his death , has used them in exactly the same way — building toward a WW III .
Truman was the death of FDR ’ s plan .
For example , Barack Obama ’ s proposed TTIP international-trade treaty for the Pacific was specifically designed against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diminish China in international trade — precisely the sorts of things that FDR had condemned in his statements to Churchill .
Obama was an anti-FDR , pro-Truman , Democrat , who repeatedly emphasized , “ The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation.
” Every nation is “ dispensable.
” Hitler had agreed with Obama ’ s view , except that in Hitler ’ s mind , Germany was the only indispensable nation .
In a sense , Hitler posthumously won WW II .
His ideology , imperialistic fascism did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemns U.S. imperialism and repels any dependency of his country upon the U.S. military .
He explains “ I have nothing against America .
They ’ re perfectly alright .
Trump is my friend .
But my foreign policy has shifted from the pro-Western one .
I am now working on alliance with China , and I hope to start a good working relationship with Russia .
Why ?
Because the Western world , the EU , and everything – it ’ s all this double talk.
” The path forward for China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a defender of the independence of the nations in its area ( such as the Philippines ) , so that they won ’ t need to accept the U.S. regime ’ s offers of military assistance .
Either this , or else China itself will cede control of its own neighborhood over to a distant enemy-nation , the ceaselessly grasping U.S. regime , and might as well just quit altogether , and become an American pawn itself .
Either all of the nations in that area will thrive together , or else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and swallowing-up them all .
This means that in the conflicts that China has with its nearby nations , China must grant those nations ’ interests as being also China ’ s interests .
China must accept its obligation to defend their interests in order to become enabled to assert its own .
Only if this is done will those nearby nations ally with China against the U.S .
Empire , not just militarily , but also in regard to commerce and trade .
For China not to take on this obligation would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but for the entire world .
Regardless of what China wants , China has this obligation , now , to protect its region , against America ’ s billionaires , and their military , and their corporations .
However , the U.S. regime ’ s unmistakable threat now to block China ’ s freight-traffic through the South China Sea will succeed if China becomes the first side to attack and tries to down any U.S. forces there .
Even if the U.S. strikes without warning and with no clear excuse , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while , before retaliating .
The U.S. has arrayed an awesome striking force in that area .
China will have to wait until the U.S. attacks it first , in any event , but now is the time for China to negotiate with its neighbors .
Otherwise China will have almost the whole world against it , if China provides the bad optics of having been the first to strike .
During this time , therefore , China needs to be negotiating with each of the other regional players in order to persuade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the U.S. in that region can even possibly salvage the independence of each one of them from now on .
Russia may also need to be brought into the arrangement as a protector of China , just in case the U.S. turns out to be uncompromising in its intention to take over the entire world .
Either Russia will soon enter this new World War that the UK-U.S. regimes are already waging , or else Russia will be forced to enter it only after Russia ’ s major allies will already have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safer choice for Russia is consequently to enter the war sooner , as a guarantor for their side , their allies , the independent nations , than to enter it after those nations have already been defeated and swallowed-up .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author , most recently , of They ’ re Not Even Close : The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records , 1910-2010 and of .

Support SouthFront
Written by Eric Zuesse; Originally appeared at TheSaker.is
On July 14th, the two conjoined gangster-regimes, U.S. & UK, simultaneously started, with deadly seriousness, their aggressive economic war against China.
Business Insider headlined “US Navy warship challenges China in South China Sea as US blasts Beijing’s ‘unlawful’ claims and ‘gangster tactics’” and reported that,
After the US Department of State declared Beijing’s maritime claims in the South China Sea and efforts to assert dominance to be unlawful, the US Navy destroyer USS Ralph Johnson further challenged China with a sail-by operation.
The Navy released a couple of photos on Tuesday of the destroyer sailing near the contested Spratly Islands, and a Navy spokesman confirmed that the ship conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation in the area.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) steams near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Ralph Johnson is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts for a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anthony Collier
On the same day, Russia’s RT headlined “George Galloway: UK ban on Huawei is national self-harm. China’s riposte could devastate the ailing British economy”, and he reported that
Having alienated the remaining 27 members of the European Union and set Anglo-Russian relations back a century, Boris Johnson has just declared an economic war on China. … The proximate reason – that allowing Huawei into Britain’s 5G roll-out is a “security risk” – is patently false. If that were true for 5G, it would be true of 3 and 4G. If it were true then the company would have to be banished now, not in 2027 (by when, incidentally, 5G will be so last year).
There is not a shred, not a scintilla, not a jot or tittle, of evidence that Huawei has ever done anything wrong during its highly successful penetration of the British market, from which Britain has economically benefited mightily.
And if Chinese investment in 5G is not wanted – indeed, is being ejected – what of China’s powerful stake in Britain’s energy sector? What happens if China pulls the plugs on its nuclear power stations? Do all our lights go out? Has anyone thought this Chinese Kick-Away through? … BoJo’s decision to throw the Huawei 5G deal on the scrapheap shows UK poodle still obeys its US master
In this triple whammy of sanctions, gunboats and settlement, the brassy note of Jingoism plays ‘Rule Britannia’, but no one seems to have noticed that China is a vastly richer and more powerful adversary than it was when we extorted Hong Kong from them in punishment for their attempt to halt the flood of British opium into China which caused the addiction of 90 million Chinese people.
The economic sanctions imposed on China in the Huawei affair will be returned several-fold by Beijing.
Galloway might be correct, that China will be able to survive UK’s attempts to stifle China’s rise as a global economic competitor to the UK-U.S. empire, but if the U.S. is allowed to block China’s shipments through the South China Sea, then the war against China has already been won. It’s much more serious.
China has internationally been losing each one of the major rounds in its territorial disputes regarding its territorial claims in the South China Sea. It’s as if the U.S. were losing territorial claims in the Caribbean, except that the South China Sea is far more geostrategically important to China than the Caribbean is to the United States. So, China’s losses here are geostrategic ones. Those are disputes versus the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and the U.S. regime has played a decisive role in each case on the basis of its bilateral treaties, such as the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which enables the Philippines to call upon U.S. military backing in case the Philippines needs muscle in order to assert a territorial claim against another country, such as, say, China, which is the giant in their neighborhood.
U.S. President Harry S. Truman strongly disagreed with his predecessor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s, opposition to imperialism, and he went for it almost as soon as he became the U.S. President. Actually, he became President at FDR’s death on 12 April 1945, and then, less than four months later, on 26 July 1945, committed himself to the Military-Industrial Complex’s dream of establishing an all-encompassing U.S. global empire. He made that decision, on 26 July 1945, which subsequently created the coups, military invasions, importations of thousands of Nazi officials into The West, to help America’s fight against the Soviet Union, and construction of the CIA’a program to control what international ‘news’ would be off-limits to report in the U.S., and in its vassal-nations.
Elliott Roosevelt, FDR’s son who accompanied his father during crucial international meetings, felt that Truman was a traitor to his father’s anti-imperialistic legacy. FDR, according to his son, Elliott, also wasn’t too fond of Churchill, who agreed with Truman because Churchill had always been a champion of British imperialism and he needed U.S. acceptance of that.
Elliott wrote:
——
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/
“Roosevelt and Churchill Discuss Colonial Questions, August 10, 1941, excerpt from Elliott Roosevelt, As He Saw It (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1946).”
Father [FDR] started it.
“Of course,” he remarked, with a sly sort of assurance, “of course, after the war, one of the preconditions of any lasting peace will have to be the greatest possible freedom of trade.”
He paused. The P.M.’s [Churchill’s] head was lowered; he was watching Father steadily, from under one eyebrow.
“No artificial barriers,” Father pursued. “As few favored economic agreements as possible. Opportunities for expansion. Markets open for healthy competition.” His eye wandered innocently around the room.
Churchill shifted in his armchair. “The British Empire trade agreements,” he began heavily, “are — ”
Father broke in. “Yes. Those Empire trade agreements are a case in point. It’s because of them that the people of India and Africa, of all the colonial Near East and Far East, are still as backward as they are.”
Churchill’s neck reddened and he crouched forward. “Mr. President, England does not propose for a moment to lose its favored position among the British Do-minions. The trade that has made England great shall continue, and under conditions prescribed by England’s ministers.”
“You see,” said Father slowly, “it is along in here somewhere that there is likely to be some disagreement between you, Winston, and me.
“I am firmly of the belief that if we are to arrive at a stable peace it must involve the development of backward countries. Backward peoples. How can this be done? It can’t be done, obviously, by eighteenth-century methods. Now — ”
“Who’s talking eighteenth-century methods?”
“Whichever of your ministers recommends a policy which takes wealth in raw materials out of a colonial country, but which returns nothing to the people of that country in consideration. Twentieth-century methods involve bringing industry to these colonies. Twentieth-century methods include increasing the wealth of a people by increasing their standard of living, by educating them, by bringing them sanitation — by making sure that they get a return for the raw wealth of their community.”
Around the room, all of us were leaning forward attentively. [Harry] Hopkins [a major FDR adviser] was grinning. Commander [C. R.] Thompson, Churchill’s aide, was looking glum and alarmed. The P.M. himself was beginning to look apoplectic.
“You mentioned India,” he growled.
“Yes. I can’t believe that we can fight a war against fascist slavery, and at the same time not work to free people all over the world from a backward colonial policy”
“What about the Philippines?”
“I’m glad you mentioned them. They get their independence, you know, in 1946. And they’ve gotten modern sanitation, modern education; their rate of illiteracy has gone steadily down
“There can be no tampering with the Empire’s economic agreements.”
“They’re artificial …”
“They’re the foundation of our greatness.”
“The peace,” said Father firmly, “cannot include any continued despotism. The structure of the peace demands and will get equality of peoples. Equality of peoples involves the utmost freedom of competitive trade. …”
It was after two in the morning when finally the British party said their good nights. I helped Father into his cabin, and sat down to smoke a last cigarette with him.
Father grunted. “A real old Tory, isn’t he? A real old Tory, of the old school.”
“I thought for a minute he was [you were] going to bust, Pop.”
“Oh,” he smiled, “I’ll be able to work with him. Don’t worry about that. We’ll get along famously.”
“So long as you keep off the subject of India.”
“Mmm, I don’t know. I think we’ll even talk some more about India, before we’re through. And Burma. And Java. And Indo-China. And Indonesia. And all the African colonies. And Egypt and Palestine. We’ll talk about ’em all.”
http://east_west_dialogue.
At the Casablanca Conference
A similar kind of discussion occurred between Roosevelt and Churchill at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. The following is Elliott’s description of his father’s talk with him one evening during that meeting:
His thoughts turned to the problem of the colonies and the colonial markets, the problem which he felt was at the core of all chance for future peace. ‘The thing is,’ he remarked thoughtfully, replacing a smoked cigarette in his holder with a fresh one, ‘the colonial system means war. Exploit the resources of an India, a Burma, a Java; take all the wealth out of those countries, but never put anything back into them, things like education, decent standards of living, minimum health requirements — all you’re doing is storing up the kind of trouble that leads to war. All you’re doing is negating the value of any kind of organizational structure for peace before it begins.
‘The look that Churchill gets on his face when you mention India!
‘India should be made a commonwealth at once. After a certain number of years — five perhaps, or ten — she should be able to choose whether she wants to remain in the Empire or have complete independence.
‘As a commonwealth, she would be entitled to a modern form of government, an adequate health and educational standard. But how can she have these things, when Britain is taking all the wealth of her national resources away from her, every year? Every year the Indian people have one thing to look forward to, like death and taxes. Sure as shooting, they have a famine. The season of the famine, they call it.’
He paused for a moment, thinking.
‘I must tell Churchill what I found out about his British Gambia today,’ he said, with a note of determination.
‘At Bathurst?’ I prompted.
‘This morning,’ he said, and now there was real feeling in his voice, ‘at about eight-thirty, we drove through Bathurst to the airfield. The natives were just getting to work. In rags … glum-looking. … They told us the natives would look happier around noontime, when the sun should have burned off the dew and the chill. I was told the prevailing wages for these men was one and nine. One shilling, ninepence. Less than fifty cents.’
‘An hour?’ I asked, foolishly.
‘A {day!} Fifty cents a {day!} Besides which, they’re given a half-cup of rice.’ He shifted uneasily in his big bed. ‘Dirt, disease. Very high mortality rate. I asked. Life expectancy — you’d never guess what it was. Twenty-six years. Those people are treated worse than the livestock. Their cattle live longer!’
He was silent for a moment.
‘Churchill may have thought I wasn’t serious, last time. He’ll find out, this time.’ He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. ‘How is it, where you are? How is it in Algeria?’ he asked.
I told him it was the same story. Rich country, rich resources, natives desperately poor, a few white colonials that lived very well, a few native princes that lived very well, otherwise poverty, disease, ignorance. He nodded.
And then he went on to tell of what he thought should be done: France to be restored as a world power, then to be entrusted with her former colonies, as a trustee. As trustee, she was to report each year on the progress of her stewardship, how the literacy rate was improving, how the death rate declining, how disease being stamped out, how. …
‘Wait a minute,’ I interrupted. ‘Who’s she going to report all this to?’
‘The organization of the United Nations, when it’s been set up,’ answered Father. It was the first time I’d ever heard of this plan. ‘How else?’ I asked Father. ‘The Big Four — ourselves, Britain, China, the Soviet Union — we’ll be responsible for the peace of the world after. …
‘… It’s already high time for us to be thinking of the future, building for it. … These great powers will have to assume the tasks of bringing education, raising the standards of living, improving the health conditions — of all the backward, depressed colonial areas of the world.
‘And when they’ve had a chance to reach maturity, they must have the opportunity extended them of independence. After the United Nations as a whole have decided that they are prepared for it.
‘If this isn’t done, we might as well agree that we’re in for another war.’
https://www.marxists.org/
Elliott’s book as quoted in the 17 September 1946 Look Magazine:
“Father remarked,” says Elliott Roosevelt, “on how British and French financiers had dredged riches out of colonies. …” He continued later, “How do they belong to France? Why does Morocco, inhabited by Moroccans, belong to France? By what logic and custom and historical rule?”
——
Obviously, Winston Churchill’s dream came true when FDR died on 12 April 1945 and became replaced by Truman.
Among those statements by FDR, the one specifically regarding the Philippines has particular relevance today. The 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty violated what FDR had said to Churchill, “I’m glad you mentioned them. They get their independence, you know, in 1946.” That U.S. commitment, “freedom,” to the Philippine nation, had already been made. He promised to Churchill that it would be fulfilled, and that therefore Churchill would not be able to say that America is an imperialist power as England is. It was a basic commitment from him. Furthermore, FDR said:
“No artificial barriers,” Father pursued. “As few favored economic agreements as possible. Opportunities for expansion. Markets open for healthy competition.” His eye wandered innocently around the room.
Churchill shifted in his armchair. “The British Empire trade agreements,” he began heavily, “are — ”
Father broke in. “Yes. Those Empire trade agreements are a case in point. It’s because of them that the people of India and Africa, of all the colonial Near East and Far East, are still as backward as they are.”
And: “‘The peace,’ said Father firmly, ‘cannot include any continued despotism. The structure of the peace demands and will get equality of peoples.’”
He linked bilateral, and also multilateral, trade treaties, to the creation of both World Wars. The United States, after his death, has used them in exactly the same way — building toward a WW III. Truman was the death of FDR’s plan. For example, Barack Obama’s proposed TTIP international-trade treaty for the Pacific was specifically designed against China, so as to isolate and diminish China in international trade — precisely the sorts of things that FDR had condemned in his statements to Churchill. Obama was an anti-FDR, pro-Truman, Democrat, who repeatedly emphasized, “The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation.” Every other nation is “dispensable.” Hitler had agreed with Obama’s view, except that in Hitler’s mind, Germany was the only indispensable nation.
In a sense, Hitler posthumously won WW II. His ideology, imperialistic fascism certainly did.
The Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, condemns U.S. imperialism and repels any dependency of his country upon the U.S. military. He explains “I have nothing against America. They’re perfectly alright. Trump is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted from the pro-Western one. I am now working on alliance with China, and I hope to start a good working relationship with Russia. Why? Because the Western world, the EU, and everything – it’s all this double talk.”
CONSEQUENTLY:
The path forward for China will be increasingly for China to serve as a defender of the independence of the nations in its area (such as the Philippines), so that they won’t need to accept the U.S. regime’s offers of military assistance. Either this, or else China itself will cede control of its own neighborhood over to a distant enemy-nation, the ceaselessly grasping U.S. regime, and might as well just quit altogether, and become an American pawn itself.
Either all of the nations in that area will thrive together, or else the U.S.-UK alliance will succeed at crushing and swallowing-up them all.
This means that in the conflicts that China has with its nearby nations, China must grant those nations’ interests as being also China’s interests. China must accept its obligation to defend their interests in order to become enabled to assert its own. Only if this is done will those nearby nations ally with China against the U.S. Empire, not just militarily, but also in regard to commerce and trade. For China not to take on this obligation would be unacceptable, not only for China, but for the entire world. Regardless of what China wants, China has this obligation, now, to protect its region, against America’s billionaires, and their military, and their corporations.
However, the U.S. regime’s unmistakable threat now to block China’s freight-traffic through the South China Sea will succeed if China becomes the first side to attack and tries to down any U.S. forces there. Even if the U.S. strikes without warning and with no clear excuse, China will need to hold back for a while, before retaliating. The U.S. has arrayed an awesome striking force in that area. China will have to wait until the U.S. attacks it first, in any event, but now is the time for China to negotiate with its neighbors. Otherwise China will have almost the whole world against it, if China provides the bad optics of having been the first to strike.
During this time, therefore, China needs to be negotiating with each of the other regional players in order to persuade each one that only a unified facing-down against the U.S. in that region can even possibly salvage the independence of each one of them from now on. Russia may also need to be brought into the arrangement as a protector of China, just in case the U.S. turns out to be uncompromising in its intention to take over the entire world. Either Russia will soon enter this new World War that the UK-U.S. regimes are already waging, or else Russia will be forced to enter it only after Russia’s major allies will already have been swallowed-up by the U.S. The safer choice for Russia is consequently to enter the war sooner, as a guarantor for their side, their allies, the independent nations, than to enter it after those nations have already been defeated and swallowed-up.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--Armenia And Azerbaijan On Brink Of Regional War: Brief Overview

In mid-July 2020 , the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has escalated sharply , with clashes and casualties reported on both sides .
While both sides make loud statements and promise to ‘ defeat the enemy ’ , the prospects of the possible open conflict between the countries in the current conditions are not in the favour of Armenia .
During the past years , the Armenian leadership contributed a lot of efforts to undermine its relations with its main military ally , Russia , by providing an anti-Russian foreign policy and trying to become ‘ closer ’ with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s open secret that the US and NATO will provide no real military support to Armenian in the event of the conflict with Azerbaijan and its main ally and another NATO member , Turkey .
Below is a brief overview of how Armenia and Azerbaijan compare as neighbors and competitors .
Armenia , is a country located in Transcaucasia , it has 4 neighboring countries : Georgia and Azerbaijan to the north and east , Iran and Turkey to the southeast and west .
As of 2019 , Armenia has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large decrease from 2012 when it stood at nearly 3.3 million .
The median age sits at 36.2 , as such it is a relatively young country , in the context of Europe .
The Armenian ethnic group comprises 84.5 % of the population , the other largest ethnic group are Azerbaijanis that comprise 8.7 % .
The Armenian economy is a small one , it ’ s GDP sits at $ 12.4 billion .
GDP per capita is $ 4,643 .
Following robust real GDP growth of 7.5 % in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance remained strong in 2019 , expanding by 7.6 % .
The labor market has improved , but the unemployment rate remains exceptionally high at 18 % .
Still , the government enjoys strong public support .
On the foreign policy front , Armenia has strengthened its ties with the European Union while maintaining a strong partnership with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union .
In terms of military budget , spending is expected to reach $ 634 million in 2020 .
Its record is $ 591 million spent in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending does reach that much in 2020 .
The spending is approximately 5.5 % of the total GDP .
The Armenian Armed Forces have 51,580 active personnel , out of them the army has 45,580 and the Air Force and Air Defense have 7,000 .
There are an additional 4,748 paramilitary personnel .
Finally , 21,363 troops are specifically positioned in Nagorno-Karabakh .
The Karabakh army ’ s heavy military hardware includes : 316 tanks , 324 armored vehicles , 322 artillery pieces of calibers over 122 mm , 44 multiple rocket launchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , the NKR Defence Army maintains a small air-force of 2 Su-25s , 5 Mi-24s and 5 other helicopters .
The number of reserve personnel sits at approximately 210,000 who have served in the military in the last 15 years .
Its main suppliers are : Russia , China , Greece , Ukraine , India , United States , Bulgaria , Serbia , Iran , Belarus and Poland .
Russia is Armenia ’ s closest military ally .
The Russian 102nd Military Base , the former 127th Motor Rifle Division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military alliance of the two nations and , in particular , the presence of Russian troops on Armenian soil has been a key element of Armenia ’ s national security doctrine since Armenia gained independence in 1991 .
There are approximately 5,000 Russian troops stationed in various parts of Armenia .
In June 2013 it was revealed that Russia has deployed in Armenia several Iskander-M ballistic missiles systems , which are stationed at undisclosed locations in the country .
Armenia participates in NATO ’ s Partnership for Peace ( PiP ) program and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council ( EAPC ) .
It is in the process of also deepening cooperation with NATO .
Greece is Armenia ’ s closest ally in NATO and the two cooperate on multiple issues , many officers from Armenia are trained in Greece each year .
Finally , the United States have been attempting to improve its military cooperation with Armenia in recent years , in order to exert more pressure , close to Russia ’ s borders .
Azerbaijan , is a country located in eastern Transcaucasia , it is neighbored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caspian Sea to the east , on the south by Iran , on the west by Armenia , and on the northwest by Georgia .
As of 2019 , Azerbaijan ’ s population sits at 10.06 million residents .
It is steadily increasing each year .
The median age sits at 32.3 years .
Azerbaijanis make up 91.6 % of the population , Armenians sit at 1.35 % .
Azerbaijan ’ s GDP as of 2017 sits at $ 47.17 billion .
GDP per capita sits at $ 17,500 .
GDP growth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slower , below 2 % , much slower than that of Armenia .
Azerbaijan has made progress in its economic freedom scores since first being included in the Index in 1996 .
Its economy is now on the verge of joining the ranks of the ‘ mostly free ’ .
GDP growth , however , has remained stagnant for the past five years .
President Ilham Aliyev was elected to a fourth term in 2018 amid allegations of electoral fraud .
The construction of the Southern Gas Corridor , which will increase gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 2020–2021 .
Some nonenergy segments of the economy , such as agriculture , logistics , and information technology , require more development .
In terms of military budget , in 2020 Azerbaijan is expected to spend $ 2.26 billion , which is a nearly 21 % increase in spending compared to 2019 .
Spending sits at approximately 5 % of the GDP .
The Azerbaijan Armed Forces are comprised of 126,000 active personnel .
Its foreign suppliers are Turkey , Israel , Russia , the US , Canada , and quite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s primary military ally .
In December 2009 an agreement on military assistance was signed by Turkey and Azerbaijan .
The agreement envisions Ankara ’ s supplying Azerbaijan with weapons , military equipment and , if necessary , soldiers in case war with Armenia over Karabakh resumes .
Turkey has provided Azerbaijan with infantry weapons , tactical vehicles ( jeeps , trucks , etc . )
professional training , military organization , technology transfer , licensed military hardware production and other services .
Due to help from Turkish specialists and instructors , thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western standards Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government .
Since a waiver was made in 2001 there has been extensive U.S. military cooperation with Azerbaijan .
This has included Special Forces and naval aid , consultations with United States European Command , and linkages through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program .
Israel is also a significant military ally of Azerbaijan .
Azerbaijan has shown great interest in Israeli technology over the years .
In particular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the factory of intelligence and combat drones in Azerbaijan .
NATO and Azerbaijan actively cooperate on defence institutional reforms and have developed practical cooperation in many other areas .
Azerbaijan ’ s Individual Partnership Action Plan ( IPAP ) and its Partnership for Peace ( PfP ) linkages lay out the programme of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO .
It should be noted that while both Armenia and Azerbaijan are involved in clashes , they can not join NATO .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Armenian-Azerbaijani Clashes Risk To Escalate Into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Already Killed ( Videos ) • At Least 4 Azerbaijani Soldiers Killed In Resumed Border Clashes With Armenian Forces ( Video )

Support SouthFront
In mid-July 2020, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has escalated sharply, with clashes and casualties reported on both sides. While both sides make loud statements and promise to ‘defeat the enemy’, the prospects of the possible open conflict between the countries in the current conditions are not in the favour of Armenia. During the past years, the Armenian leadership contributed a lot of efforts to undermine its relations with its main military ally, Russia, by providing an anti-Russian foreign policy and trying to become ‘closer’ with the United States and NATO. However, it’s open secret that the US and NATO will provide no real military support to Armenian in the event of the conflict with Azerbaijan and its main ally and another NATO member, Turkey.
Below is a brief overview of how Armenia and Azerbaijan compare as neighbors and competitors.
Armenia
Armenia, is a country located in Transcaucasia, it has 4 neighboring countries: Georgia and Azerbaijan to the north and east, Iran and Turkey to the southeast and west.
Its capital is Yerevan.
As of 2019, Armenia has a population of 2.97 million residents, with a large decrease from 2012 when it stood at nearly 3.3 million. The median age sits at 36.2, as such it is a relatively young country, in the context of Europe.
The Armenian ethnic group comprises 84.5% of the population, the other largest ethnic group are Azerbaijanis that comprise 8.7%.
The Armenian economy is a small one, it’s GDP sits at $12.4 billion. GDP per capita is $4,643.
Following robust real GDP growth of 7.5% in 2017 and 5.2% in 2018, economic performance remained strong in 2019, expanding by 7.6%.
The labor market has improved, but the unemployment rate remains exceptionally high at 18%.
Still, the government enjoys strong public support. On the foreign policy front, Armenia has strengthened its ties with the European Union while maintaining a strong partnership with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.
In terms of military budget, spending is expected to reach $634 million in 2020. Its record is $591 million spent in 2018, as such it will overcome it if spending does reach that much in 2020. The spending is approximately 5.5% of the total GDP.
The Armenian Armed Forces have 51,580 active personnel, out of them the army has 45,580 and the Air Force and Air Defense have 7,000. There are an additional 4,748 paramilitary personnel.
Finally, 21,363 troops are specifically positioned in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Karabakh army’s heavy military hardware includes: 316 tanks, 324 armored vehicles, 322 artillery pieces of calibers over 122 mm, 44 multiple rocket launchers, and a new anti-aircraft defense system.
In addition, the NKR Defence Army maintains a small air-force of 2 Su-25s, 5 Mi-24s and 5 other helicopters.
The number of reserve personnel sits at approximately 210,000 who have served in the military in the last 15 years.
Its main suppliers are: Russia, China, Greece, Ukraine, India, United States, Bulgaria, Serbia, Iran, Belarus and Poland.
Russia is Armenia’s closest military ally. The Russian 102nd Military Base, the former 127th Motor Rifle Division, is stationed in Gyumri. The military alliance of the two nations and, in particular, the presence of Russian troops on Armenian soil has been a key element of Armenia’s national security doctrine since Armenia gained independence in 1991. There are approximately 5,000 Russian troops stationed in various parts of Armenia.
In June 2013 it was revealed that Russia has deployed in Armenia several Iskander-M ballistic missiles systems, which are stationed at undisclosed locations in the country.
Armenia participates in NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PiP) program and it is in a NATO organization called Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). It is in the process of also deepening cooperation with NATO.
Greece is Armenia’s closest ally in NATO and the two cooperate on multiple issues, many officers from Armenia are trained in Greece each year.
Finally, the United States have been attempting to improve its military cooperation with Armenia in recent years, in order to exert more pressure, close to Russia’s borders.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, is a country located in eastern Transcaucasia, it is neighbored by Russia to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, on the south by Iran, on the west by Armenia, and on the northwest by Georgia.
Its capital is Baku.
As of 2019, Azerbaijan’s population sits at 10.06 million residents. It is steadily increasing each year. The median age sits at 32.3 years.
Azerbaijanis make up 91.6% of the population, Armenians sit at 1.35%.
Azerbaijan’s GDP as of 2017 sits at $47.17 billion. GDP per capita sits at $17,500.
GDP growth in 2017, 2018 and 2019 was actually slower, below 2%, much slower than that of Armenia.
Azerbaijan has made progress in its economic freedom scores since first being included in the Index in 1996. Its economy is now on the verge of joining the ranks of the ‘mostly free’. GDP growth, however, has remained stagnant for the past five years.
President Ilham Aliyev was elected to a fourth term in 2018 amid allegations of electoral fraud.
The construction of the Southern Gas Corridor, which will increase gas exports, is expected to reach completion by 2020–2021. Some nonenergy segments of the economy, such as agriculture, logistics, and information technology, require more development.
In terms of military budget, in 2020 Azerbaijan is expected to spend $2.26 billion, which is a nearly 21% increase in spending compared to 2019. Spending sits at approximately 5% of the GDP.
The Azerbaijan Armed Forces are comprised of 126,000 active personnel.
Its foreign suppliers are Turkey, Israel, Russia, the US, Canada, and quite a few others.
Turkey is Azerbaijan’s primary military ally. In December 2009 an agreement on military assistance was signed by Turkey and Azerbaijan. The agreement envisions Ankara’s supplying Azerbaijan with weapons, military equipment and, if necessary, soldiers in case war with Armenia over Karabakh resumes.
Turkey has provided Azerbaijan with infantry weapons, tactical vehicles (jeeps, trucks, etc.) professional training, military organization, technology transfer, licensed military hardware production and other services. Due to help from Turkish specialists and instructors, thousands of Azerbaijani officers have been trained to western standards
Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government. Since a waiver was made in 2001 there has been extensive U.S. military cooperation with Azerbaijan. This has included Special Forces and naval aid, consultations with United States European Command, and linkages through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program.
Russia is Azerbaijan’s main weapons supplier.
“As of today, military and technical cooperation with Russia is measured at $4 billion and it tends to grow further,” President Ilham Aliyev said after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Baku in 2013.
Israel is also a significant military ally of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has shown great interest in Israeli technology over the years. In particular, an agreement was reached over the construction of the factory of intelligence and combat drones in Azerbaijan.
NATO and Azerbaijan actively cooperate on defence institutional reforms and have developed practical cooperation in many other areas. Azerbaijan’s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and its Partnership for Peace (PfP) linkages lay out the programme of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO.
It should be noted that while both Armenia and Azerbaijan are involved in clashes, they cannot join NATO.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--Japan Establishes China And North Korea As Adversaries To Justify Militarization

On July 14th , Japan said that it was closely monitoring attempts by China to boost its global influence and was “ relentlessly ” attempting to undermine Tokyo ’ s administration of the Senkaku islands .
This outlined in a defense white paper by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ’ s government which criticized Beijing for “ relentlessly ” attempting to undermine Tokyo ’ s administration of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea .
This was further made worse by the supposed fact that it was taking place when COVID-19 response needed to be internationally coordinated .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a further spread of the virus “ may expose and intensify strategic competition among countries intending to create international and regional orders more preferable to themselves and to expand their influence , ” the white paper said .
But , at the same time , the aid that China was providing to countries all around was also an attempt to further its influence .
So it wasn ’ t doing enough to counter the virus internationally , but anything it did to counter was only to further its influence , in an apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paper , China has been “ taking advantage ” of its virus-related assistance to other nations in an attempt to advance its political and economic interests , and that Beijing has been engaging in propaganda work such as “ spreading disinformation ” amid social unrest and confusion sparked by the pandemic .
“ Despite protests by our country , Chinese official ships repeatedly intruded into our territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands , ” the paper said , according to Kyodo News Agency .
The white paper also referred to China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South China Sea , in which Beijing has overlapping claims with Brunei , Malaysia , the Philippines , Vietnam and Taiwan .
Together with militarization of outposts in disputed areas of the strategic waterway , China uses such nonmilitary means to force shifts in the regional status quo , drawing the ire of other claimants , especially as countries are focusing on steps to respond to the pandemic , according to the paper .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian criticized the report , telling reporters in Beijing the government had lodged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper comes just one day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated the official US position of rejecting any maritime claims by China in the South China Sea .
In this year ’ s white paper , China is given as the justification for Japan ’ s increasing militarization , while in last year ’ s one it was North Korea .
But it is also very apparent that North Korea really has no interest in striking , or invading Japan , and the only potential target for any sort of aggression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities that are being established in Japan , in addition to South Korea .
This , however , is a result of Japan ’ s own internal and international policy , and not a result of North Korea ’ s intentional antagonism of it , since there doesn ’ t appear to be any .
At the same time , the contradicting accusations towards China also provide a somewhat clear example of an attempt to build up an enemy from the ground , similarly to what the US has done for a while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly , Russia .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia Scrambles 2 Fighter Jets to Intercept US Spy Plane Over Sea of Japan ( Video )

Support SouthFront
On July 14th, Japan said that it was closely monitoring attempts by China to boost its global influence and was “relentlessly” attempting to undermine Tokyo’s administration of the Senkaku islands.
This outlined in a defense white paper by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government which criticized Beijing for “relentlessly” attempting to undermine Tokyo’s administration of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
This was further made worse by the supposed fact that it was taking place when COVID-19 response needed to be internationally coordinated.
With the international community grappling with the pandemic, a further spread of the virus “may expose and intensify strategic competition among countries intending to create international and regional orders more preferable to themselves and to expand their influence,” the white paper said.
But, at the same time, the aid that China was providing to countries all around was also an attempt to further its influence.
So it wasn’t doing enough to counter the virus internationally, but anything it did to counter was only to further its influence, in an apparent Catch-22 scenario.
According to the White Paper, China has been “taking advantage” of its virus-related assistance to other nations in an attempt to advance its political and economic interests, and that Beijing has been engaging in propaganda work such as “spreading disinformation” amid social unrest and confusion sparked by the pandemic.
“Despite protests by our country, Chinese official ships repeatedly intruded into our territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands,” the paper said, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The white paper also referred to China’s unilateral creation of two administrative districts in the South China Sea, in which Beijing has overlapping claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Together with militarization of outposts in disputed areas of the strategic waterway, China uses such nonmilitary means to force shifts in the regional status quo, drawing the ire of other claimants, especially as countries are focusing on steps to respond to the pandemic, according to the paper.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian criticized the report, telling reporters in Beijing the government had lodged a complaint with Tokyo.
“Japan’s defense white paper is full of biases and false information,” Zhao said, according to Reuters. “It is trying to do all it can to hype up the so-called China threat.”
And this paper comes just one day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated the official US position of rejecting any maritime claims by China in the South China Sea.
In this year’s white paper, China is given as the justification for Japan’s increasing militarization, while in last year’s one it was North Korea.
“For more than a year, North Korea has carried out a series of tests in which it fires short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The weapons aren’t considered dangerous in the way longer-range weapons are, and they have been theorized to be tests for a new type of rocket artillery,” said the 2019 white paper.
But it is also very apparent that North Korea really has no interest in striking, or invading Japan, and the only potential target for any sort of aggression are the increasing number of US military facilities that are being established in Japan, in addition to South Korea.
This, however, is a result of Japan’s own internal and international policy, and not a result of North Korea’s intentional antagonism of it, since there doesn’t appear to be any.
At the same time, the contradicting accusations towards China also provide a somewhat clear example of an attempt to build up an enemy from the ground, similarly to what the US has done for a while with countries throughout the world and, mostly, Russia.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--Iran Executes Alleged CIA Spy Who Worked In Defense Ministry

Last summer Iran began claiming to have busted a network of CIA spies within the country .
Statements at the time described that Iranians embedded at key military and defense technology sites were in contact with CIA officers based in Arab Gulf countries .
While little detail has been given as to their identities , at least a dozen have faced capital offense cases for ‘ treason ’ and other charges .
Iran ’ s judiciary on Tuesday announced that it executed a defense ministry employee who was convicted for spying on behalf of the CIA .
The AP identifies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The report said Reza Asgari was executed last week .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Asgari had worked in the airspace department of the ministry and retired in 2016 .
“ In the last years of his service , he joined the CIA , he sold information about our missiles… to the CIA and took money from them , ” Esmaili said .
“ He was identified , tried and sentenced to death.
” In some recent examples , Iranian officials have claimed some among the spies have “ confessed ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence agencies .
In other instances there are still Western travelers who ended up in Iranian political prisons on what seem to many like trumped up charges of spying and sabotage related activities .
For example in 2019 three Australian nationals were imprisoned – with one given a steep ten year prison sentence .
Often the charges are ambiguous with no evidence publicly issued .
In recent years such controversial detentions appear more for the sake of gaining leverage with Washington – in recent cases for example to conduct prisoner exchanges with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been in quiet back-channel negotiations with Tehran to get their citizens back , who most often are dual nationals holding US or UK and Iranian citizenship .

Support SouthFront
Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Last summer Iran began claiming to have busted a network of CIA spies within the country. Statements at the time described that Iranians embedded at key military and defense technology sites were in contact with CIA officers based in Arab Gulf countries.
While little detail has been given as to their identities, at least a dozen have faced capital offense cases for ‘treason’ and other charges.
Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday announced that it executed a defense ministry employee who was convicted for spying on behalf of the CIA.
It marks the second recent such announced execution of an alleged asset said to be working for the Americans, the AP notes . Typically names and details only emerge after such death penalty cases.
The AP identifies the following based on Iranian state media:
The report said Reza Asgari was executed last week. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Asgari had worked in the airspace department of the ministry and retired in 2016. “In the last years of his service, he joined the CIA, he sold information about our missiles… to the CIA and took money from them,” Esmaili said. “He was identified, tried and sentenced to death.”
In some recent examples, Iranian officials have claimed some among the spies have “confessed” to working with the CIA or other Western intelligence agencies.
In other instances there are still Western travelers who ended up in Iranian political prisons on what seem to many like trumped up charges of spying and sabotage related activities.
For example in 2019 three Australian nationals were imprisoned – with one given a steep ten year prison sentence.
Iran prison file image
Often the charges are ambiguous with no evidence publicly issued.
In recent years such controversial detentions appear more for the sake of gaining leverage with Washington – in recent cases for example to conduct prisoner exchanges with the US. Both the US and UK have been in quiet back-channel negotiations with Tehran to get their citizens back, who most often are dual nationals holding US or UK and Iranian citizenship.
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--Avid Anti-China Hawk Steve Bannon Claims Scientists Defected Wuhan Lab Due To COVID-19 Release

On July 11th , Steve Bannon , US President Donald Trump ’ s former Chief Strategist , claimed that scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had defected to the west .
According to him , these defectors were working with “ the West ” to build a case to prove that COVID-19 originated in the lab .
“ They are not talking to the media yet , but there are people out of the Wuhan lab and other labs that have come to the West and are turning over evidence of the culpability of the Chinese Communist Party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are going to be shocked.
” The original report was published by British outlet the Daily Mail , which is a reputable MSM news outlet , whose articles often begin with titles such as “ WORLD WAR 3 WARNING !
” .
According to Bannon , the defectors weren ’ t only speaking to Americans , but also to agencies in Europe and the UK .
Bannon ’ s previous publicity stunt took place in June 2020 , when he and exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui flew propeller planes carrying anti-Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Mail he condemned the World Health Organization and the Chinese government for their alleged culpability in the crisis .
Bannon went on to call on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to back away from plans to allow the China-based Huawei to work in the UK ’ s new 5G network .
And , indeed , the WHO will not investigate the Wuhan lab regarding the origin of COVID-19 .
The version that it originated in the Wuhan Lab and it was let loose , by accident or intentionally , has been entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several prominent researchers and scientists have also noted that the lab must be investigated given this fact .
Bannon ’ s claims are another attempt for a mainstream push of the narrative , and an attempt to force the WHO , as well as singular countries to look into China as the cause of the United States ’ problem .
Whether the WHO would listen to a very hawkish former US official , however , remains in question .
The complete lack of evidence to back his claims , is also not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC : • Putin Has Three ‘ Disinfection Tunnels ’ To Shield Him From COVID

Support SouthFront
On July 11th, Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trump’s former Chief Strategist, claimed that scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had defected to the west.
According to him, these defectors were working with “the West” to build a case to prove that COVID-19 originated in the lab.
Bannon provided no evidence.
“They are not talking to the media yet, but there are people out of the Wuhan lab and other labs that have come to the West and are turning over evidence of the culpability of the Chinese Communist Party,” Bannon said. “I think people are going to be shocked.”
The original report was published by British outlet the Daily Mail, which is a reputable MSM news outlet, whose articles often begin with titles such as “WORLD WAR 3 WARNING!”.
According to Bannon, the defectors weren’t only speaking to Americans, but also to agencies in Europe and the UK.
“People around these labs have been leaving China and Hong Kong since mid-February,” he went on. “[US intelligence] along with MI5 and MI6 are trying to build a very thorough legal case, which may take a long time. It’s not like James Bond.”
Bannon’s previous publicity stunt took place in June 2020, when he and exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui flew propeller planes carrying anti-Communist Party messaging.
In the interview with the Daily Mail he condemned the World Health Organization and the Chinese government for their alleged culpability in the crisis.
Bannon went on to call on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to back away from plans to allow the China-based Huawei to work in the UK’s new 5G network.
“To me, Huawei should be shut down throughout the world in every country, and their assets liquidated,” he said. “I say to Boris Johnson — shut down Huawei, and keep calm and carry on.”
And, indeed, the WHO will not investigate the Wuhan lab regarding the origin of COVID-19.
The version that it originated in the Wuhan Lab and it was let loose, by accident or intentionally, has been entirely discounted by the World Health Organization.
“It had previously emerged the lab had held a coronavirus sample that was 96.2 per cent the same as Covid-19 for almost a decade. This prompted speculation about the origin of the virus…”
Several prominent researchers and scientists have also noted that the lab must be investigated given this fact.
Bannon’s claims are another attempt for a mainstream push of the narrative, and an attempt to force the WHO, as well as singular countries to look into China as the cause of the United States’ problem.
Whether the WHO would listen to a very hawkish former US official, however, remains in question. The complete lack of evidence to back his claims, is also not in any benefit to his case.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--LNA Spokesperson Says Attack On Sirte Incoming, Despite No Apparent Movements From Turkey

On July 14th , the spokesperson of the Government of National Accord ’ s ( GNA ) forces , Mohammed Gununu said “ it ’ s time we have crushed the malicious hands toying with Libyan oil resources ” .
Speaking to media , Gununu said that oil must start pumping as usual once again and the presence of pro-Haftar mercenaries must be eliminated , saying Haftar had allowed the mercenaries to control Libyan soil and skies .
Gununu said the Turkish-backed GNA forces will liberate the “ kidnapped cities ” to allow the displaced people to return to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire country : “ sea , land and skies ” .
“ We are going to defend ourselves all the time and attack all the threat hubs wherever they are.
” Gununu indicated , saying they are committed to eliminating the outlaw armed groups across Libya .
“ We promise Libyans that the crimes of Haftar ’ s militias , including mass graves , and planting mines , won ’ t go unpunished.
” He remarked .
Still , however , there are no hostilities on the ground .
The spokesperson of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari said that a big battle for Sirte was nearing on the evening of July 14th , but nothing of the sort took place .
He also said that there were major movements of the GNA and Turkey , but his claims are the only reports on the matter .
A video was published online of a purported Libyan National Army ( LNA ) convoy moving towards Sirte in preparation of a potential attack by the GNA .
There was also intense aircraft activity by the LNA above Jufra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place , but it seems that Turkey and the GNA are still priming themselves for an offensive .
The official invitation for a military intervention by Egypt in the scenario that Turkey and the GNA attack Sirte may have complicated the incoming offensive on the cities .
It is unlikely that it has been entirely deterred .
The GNA ’ s Volcano of Rage operation room also released photographs purportedly showing military supplies from Egypt in the city of Tobruk where the House of Representatives is based .
An IL-76 with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Al-Khadim Air base , near Benghazi .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Libyan House Of Representatives Grants Egypt Right To Military Intervention

Support SouthFront
On July 14th, the spokesperson of the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) forces, Mohammed Gununu said “it’s time we have crushed the malicious hands toying with Libyan oil resources”.
Speaking to media, Gununu said that oil must start pumping as usual once again and the presence of pro-Haftar mercenaries must be eliminated, saying Haftar had allowed the mercenaries to control Libyan soil and skies.
Gununu said the Turkish-backed GNA forces will liberate the “kidnapped cities” to allow the displaced people to return to their homes so that the GNA can control the entire country: “sea, land and skies”.
“We are going to defend ourselves all the time and attack all the threat hubs wherever they are.” Gununu indicated, saying they are committed to eliminating the outlaw armed groups across Libya. “We promise Libyans that the crimes of Haftar’s militias, including mass graves, and planting mines, won’t go unpunished.” He remarked.
Still, however, there are no hostilities on the ground.
The spokesperson of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari said that a big battle for Sirte was nearing on the evening of July 14th, but nothing of the sort took place.
المسماري: الساعات المقبلة ستشهد معركة كبرى في محيط سرت والجفرة #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) July 14, 2020
He also said that there were major movements of the GNA and Turkey, but his claims are the only reports on the matter.
المسماري: تحركات كبيرة لميليشيات الوفاق وتركيا في محيط سرت والجفرة #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) July 14, 2020
A video was published online of a purported Libyan National Army (LNA) convoy moving towards Sirte in preparation of a potential attack by the GNA.
Libya LNA'nın bugün Sirte'ye gönderdiği Askeri konvoy.
Uzun bir konvoy. pic.twitter.com/c513CmObF0 — ©PT. MO®ST (@CptMorst) July 15, 2020
There was also intense aircraft activity by the LNA above Jufra and Sirte. An attack was expected to take place, but it seems that Turkey and the GNA are still priming themselves for an offensive.
The official invitation for a military intervention by Egypt in the scenario that Turkey and the GNA attack Sirte may have complicated the incoming offensive on the cities. It is unlikely that it has been entirely deterred.
The GNA’s Volcano of Rage operation room also released photographs purportedly showing military supplies from Egypt in the city of Tobruk where the House of Representatives is based.
#Libya
Geolocation of the photo posted by the Volcano of Rage Operation Room Media, allegedly showing military supplies from #Egypt in Tobruk, is indeed in Tobruk, on the Tobruk City Road. Vehicles were lined westwards in front of a petrol station. 32°04'34.0"N 23°55'50.6"E https://t.co/mGfh8pA4HV pic.twitter.com/zGDZcmiDXe — Sargon Courtenay (@CourtenaySargon) July 15, 2020
An IL-76 with an unknown cargo was also seen arriving at Al-Khadim Air base, near Benghazi.
?Another Ilyushin Il-76 on the deck at ??????Al-Khadim Air Base, #Libya this morning. It could be the ??LNA's or flying for the ??Emirates or ??Russian. pic.twitter.com/ByrYlNU8EG — Gerjon | חריון (@Gerjon_) July 14, 2020
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-07-15--SOUTHFRONT EXISTENCE DEPENDS ON YOU

SOUTHFRONT EXISTENCE DEPENDS ON YOU

SOUTHFRONT IS IN A CRITICAL SITUATION AS A RESULT OF THE ONGOING MEDIA AND TECHNICAL PRESSURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUR ENDEAVOR @ @ @ @ @ has collected 1009 USD .
This is 20.18 % of the monthly budget needed to @ @ @ @ @ .
YOUR HELP IS VITAL TO KEEP SOUTHFRONT ALIVE : Donate via VISA , PayPal @ @ @ @ @ other options .
This systems accepts all types of cards , PayPal , Amazon Payments @ @ @ @ @ under the main text , in P.S . )
You can subscribe for a monthly @ @ @ @ @ or any another amount ) OR make one time donation by clicking buttons below

Support SouthFront
SOUTHFRONT IS IN A CRITICAL SITUATION AS A RESULT OF THE ONGOING MEDIA AND TECHNICAL PRESSURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUR ENDEAVOUR
Since July 1, SouthFront has collected 1054 USD. This is 21% of the monthly budget needed to keep SouthFront working and further.
YOUR HELP IS VITAL TO KEEP SOUTHFRONT ALIVE:
PayPal
Account: southfront@list.ru
DonationAlerts
Donate via VISA, PayPal, Paysafecard, Bitcoin and other options.
Tinypass (Piano)
This systems accepts all types of cards, PayPal, Amazon Payments, bitcoin (FAQ is under the main text, in P.S.)
You can subscribe for a monthly donation of $15 (or any another amount) OR make one time donation by clicking buttons below
Patreon
Donate via SouthFront’s Patreon account (click here)
SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence Team
Support SouthFront