Asia-Pacific News Thread

[:eek:]

Tiananmen Square books removed from Hong Kong libraries in run-up to anniversary | Hong Kong | The Guardian

 

[squeekness]

I really hate book bans.

 

[Iceman]

CCP trying to erase history. All in line with their usual behaviour.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Associated Press - China's loans pushing world’s poorest countries to brink of collapse

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Nature.con - India cuts periodic table and evolution from school textbooks — experts are baffled

 

[squeekness]

Nature.con - India cuts periodic table and evolution from school textbooks — experts are baffled

So much for science. Guess they don't want the next generation creating any new technology....

 

[Teelie]

Probably taking cues from Republicans.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Their governing party is a religious nationalist party and the longer Modi and others like him stay in office the worse it will get.

Modi’s model is at last revealed for what it is: violent Hindu nationalism underwritten by big business | India | The Guardian

 

[squeekness]

Their governing party is a religious nationalist party and the longer Modi and others like him stay in office the worse it will get.

Modi’s model is at last revealed for what it is: violent Hindu nationalism underwritten by big business | India | The Guardian

Why must it always be us versus them for a leader to succeed? Sucks we are always fighting each other.

 

[Iceman]

Trump is inspiring all these other authoritarian leaders.

 

[squeekness]

Trump is inspiring all these other authoritarian leaders.

I wonder. I think it's been a around for a long time, like it's somehow the preferred method of government. Time and time again there is always one group or another clamoring for it, expecting that they themselves will be the ones on top pushing the little folk around.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Associated Press - US confirms China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

 

[squeekness]

Associated Press - US confirms China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

Awesome. This sounds like nothing but trouble.

 

[Iceman]

The US Is Preparing Evacuation Plans for American Citizens in Taiwan (Exclusive)

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Gizmodo - Former Samsung Exec Allegedly Stole Plans for an Entire Chip Plant
South Korean prosecutors have arrested a former Samsung Electronics executive. The unnamed ex-exec, taken into custody last month, is charged with stealing trade secrets and attempting to use that information to build a new, copycat chip plant in China.

 

[squeekness]

The US Is Preparing Evacuation Plans for American Citizens in Taiwan (Exclusive)

Not a good sign. I was really hoping that fighting there wouldn't happen.

 

[Iceman]

Not a good sign. I was really hoping that fighting there wouldn't happen.

It’s going to be a bit much if there’s conflicts of this scale on 2 fronts.

 

[squeekness]

It’s going to be a bit much if there’s conflicts of this scale on 2 fronts.

Exactly. We've sent so much aid to Ukraine that I don't know if we have enough left over to send to Taiwan. There's only so many guns, tanks and planes to go around.

 

[Iceman]

Exactly. We've sent so much aid to Ukraine that I don't know if we have enough left over to send to Taiwan. There's only so many guns, tanks and planes to go around.

I think the US has enough for everywhere lol. But ideally you don’t want China kicking off at the same time. It has an air of inevitability about it though that it’s just a matter of time unfortunately.

 

[squeekness]

I think the US has enough for everywhere lol. But ideally you don’t want China kicking off at the same time. It has an air of inevitability about it though that it’s just a matter of time unfortunately.

I'd like to think you're right but we've spent billions on Ukraine. I have no idea what that sort of thing does to our arsenal. I'm sure the weapons makers are thrilled, lol.

 

[Iceman]

I'd like to think you're right but we've spent billions on Ukraine. I have no idea what that sort of thing does to our arsenal. I'm sure the weapons makers are thrilled, lol.

The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 10 Countries Combined.

According to that the US defence budget in 2022 was $766B and as much as the next 10 countries who spent the most combined! Also the idea is that the other NATO countries (who’ve increased their own spending since Russia’s attack) would also be contributing. But regardless, the last thing you want when you have one conflict is another conflict, and China is in a much better position than Russia.

 

[squeekness]

The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 10 Countries Combined.

According to that the US defence budget in 2022 was $766B and as much as the next 10 countries who spent the most combined! Also the idea is that the other NATO countries (who’ve increased their own spending since Russia’s attack) would also be contributing. But regardless, the last thing you want when you have one conflict is another conflict, and China is in a much better position than Russia.

Oh, I know we spend stupid money on this. I'm not so sure it's about China being in a better position so much as Taiwan is in a way worse one than Ukraine. Being an island and tiny makes them very vulnerable. I'm not convinced we could push China back the way we have Russia.

 

[Iceman]

Oh, I know we spend stupid money on this. I'm not so sure it's about China being in a better position so much as Taiwan is in a way worse one than Ukraine. Being an island and tiny makes them very vulnerable. I'm not convinced we could push China back the way we have Russia.

An island should be easier to defend, but also Taiwan would be harder to provide assistance to.

 

[squeekness]

An island should be easier to defend, but also Taiwan would be harder to provide assistance to.

Not really in this case because reports claim we'd have a bad time getting past a Chinese naval blockade, I think they may have more ships or a stronger navy than us. They can cut Taiwan off in ways Russia can't isolate Ukraine because of the NATO countries on the other side. That's what news reports I've seen claim anyhow.

 

[Iceman]

Not really in this case because reports claim we'd have a bad time getting past a Chinese naval blockade, I think they may have more ships or a stronger navy than us. They can cut Taiwan off in ways Russia can't isolate Ukraine because of the NATO countries on the other side. That's what news reports I've seen claim anyhow.

Yeah, that’s what I was saying with the second point that Taiwan would be harder for the West to provide assistance to (compared to Ukraine), which is on Western Europe’s doorstep and directly accessible by land. But separately, an island is easier for the island itself to defend as they don’t have to worry about direct land attacks at all and the attackers have to make landfall while under fire somehow. Obviously China is many times more powerful than Taiwan so would be able to dominate by air, but to take over you need to occupy by land at some point. If Taiwan was linked by land to China then they could steamroll them.