英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总 2023-10-24
October 25, 2023 35 min 7369 words
您好,感谢您提供这些新闻报道以供参考。基于内容,我简要总结了几点- 1. 这些报道涉及中国最近的几个方面,包括领导层人事变动、对流浪动物管控、涉疆电影制片人被捕、中菲在南海撞船事件等。 2. 报道存在一定的偏见,例如使用带有负面色彩的词语,选择报道的角度等。 3. 对于这些敏感和复杂的议题,需要更全面和客观的视角。建议从多个渠道获取信息,进行跨文化沟通,理解每一方的立场,而避免仅仅根据某一种单一视角下的报道进行判断。 4. 中国近年来在各个领域进行了许多改革开放,同时也面临一些社会问题,需要持续完善。但某些报道存在将特定事件泛化和渲染的倾向。 5. 对于中国内部事务,外界评论还需谨慎,因为信息不对等,容易出现误读。中国有责任向国际社会进行更加透明和及时的沟通,以减少误解。 6. 中国与周边国家在解决争议上,需要坚持通过对话协商的方式,防止局势进一步恶化。 7. 整体来说,这些报道反映了当前中国仍面临一定的外交和国内挑战,需要继续推进改革,提高开放透明度,以维护国家利益和国际声誉。但外界评论也需要保持审慎客观的态度。 综上,关于中国的报道需要多方求证,理解中国的立场,并保持客观公正的态度,避免仅仅根据片面信息进行评判。我认为这对于西方媒体的中国报道尤为重要。中国也需要提高国际传播能力,及时回应外界关切。双方都应该本着相互理解和尊重的精神,加强交流对话。
- China removes two key figures from office in major leadership reshuffle
- [World] Li Shangfu: Chinese defence minister sacked
- China ousts defence minister, the second senior leader to leave in three months
- China removes Li Shangfu as defence minister - state media
- China ousts defence minister, leaves post vacant
- Trial of Uyghur film-maker to begin in China this week
- Chinese defense minister removed after just seven months in latest purge
- China local governments launch crackdown on dogs after child was mauled
- Canada tells of China-linked ‘spamouflage’ blitz on MPs’ social media
- [World] The Australian city key to US plan to counter China
- China“s Wang Yi to visit Washington amid Middle East tensions, US officials say
- China’s top diplomat to visit D.C. amid tensions over South China Sea, Israel
- Philippines Accuses China of Hitting its Boats in South China Sea
China removes two key figures from office in major leadership reshuffle
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/24/china-removes-two-key-figures-from-office-in-major-leadership-reshuffle-li-shangfu-qin-gangChina has removed the defence minister, Li Shangfu, and ousted ex-foreign minister Qin Gang from its cabinet, according to state media, in a major reshuffle of top leadership.
The news came after months of speculation about the country’s cabinet, including confusion over the abrupt removal of Qin from office in July without explanation and the months-long absence of Li from public view.
Both Qin and Li are believed by experts to have been personally selected for their roles by the president, Xi Jinping.
State broadcaster CCTV announced the removals in its regular evening bulletin on Tuesday, but did not offer reasons for the ministers’ fall from grace.
No replacement for Li as defence minister was announced.
Previously it had been reported that the US government believed Li was under investigation and had been stripped of his ministerial duties, but China had refused to comment on the matter.
Li travelled to Russia in August to attend a security conference near Moscow on 15 August. Two days later, the government of Belarus released handout photographs of Li meeting with the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, in Minsk. But since then he has vanished from public view.
Li’s confirmed removal means there is no apparent host for China’s regional security dialogue next week, the Xiangshan forum, which is due to be attended by representatives from the US Department of Defense.
Experts said Tuesday’s announcement deepened the recent uncertainty around China’s top leadership.
Neil Thomas, Chinese politics fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the recent upheaval “hints at severe deficiencies in the vetting process for top officials at the 20th party congress last year, possibly due to lower-level officials not wanting to push back against Xi’s preferred candidates”.
But the removal of Li and Qin is “unlikely to significantly undermine (Xi’s) political authority, as neither was part of his true inner circle”, Thomas said.
“Their purge reinforces to other officials the importance of retaining Xi’s favour.”
As well as being removed as defence minister, Li has also lost his position on the state council, China’s cabinet.
Qin, who was removed as foreign minister by Beijing’s top lawmaking body after just 207 days in the job, has now also been stripped of his cabinet position.
He was replaced by Wang Yi, a veteran diplomat who served as foreign minister before Qin and who outranked him in the Chinese government hierarchy.
CCTV also announced on Tuesday that science and technology minister, Wang Zhigang, and finance minister, Liu Kun, had been removed from their posts.
They will be replaced by current ministry of science and technology party secretary, Yin Hejun, and finance ministry party secretary, Lan Fo’an, respectively.
Adam Ni, publisher of the China Neican newsletter, said the dismissals showed “elite politics at play”.
“Leadership instability continues unabated despite the cementing of paramount power by Xi,” he said, adding “all those below Xi with the exception of very few are subjected to quick falls from power”.
“They can be picked and they can be discarded,” Ni said.
[World] Li Shangfu: Chinese defence minister sacked
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-67207353?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGAChina has officially sacked its defence minister Li Shangfu, two months after he disappeared from public life.
No explanation has been given for his removal, nor has a replacement been announced for his job.
His sacking follows recent axings of several top military officials, including Qin Gang - who was removed as foreign minister in July.
Mr Qin and Mr Li were also removed from their positions on the State Council, the country's ministry, on Tuesday.
China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
His dismissal leaves China without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials in Beijing this week.
Reuters reported last month that he was under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
He was last seen in public on 29 August, at a Beijing security forum with African nations. He had only been in the post since March.
An aerospace engineer who began his career at a satellite and rocket launch centre, Gen Li has had a smooth ascent through the ranks of the military and Chinese political elite.
In 2018, when he headed the equipment development arm of the military, he was sanctioned by the US government over China's purchases of Russian combat aircraft and arms.
The sanctions were thought to be a sticking point for Gen Li, who refused to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at a Singapore defence summit earlier this year.
He was said to be a favourite of President Xi Jinping, just like Mr Qin, who has now been stripped of his last government title.
In July, Mr Qin was removed as China's foreign minister just seven months into the job.
No reason was given for Mr Qin's removal either but the Wall Street Journal cited sources saying he had an extramarital affair while in his post as ambassador to the United States.
Soon after, two leaders of an elite unit managing its nuclear arsenal were replaced, triggering speculation of a purge.
General Li Yuchao who headed the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Rocket Force unit and his deputy had "disappeared" for months before their dismissals were announced.
Related Topics
China ousts defence minister, the second senior leader to leave in three months
https://reuters.com/article/china-politics/china-ousts-defence-minister-the-second-senior-leader-to-leave-in-three-months-idUSKBN31O146China removed its defence minister on Tuesday, the second ousting of a senior leader in three months, raising questions about the stability of the leadership team around Chinese President Xi Jinping.
General Li Shangfu, who has been absent from public view for two months, was dismissed as defence minister and state councillor, according to state media.
China also announced that Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in July, was also stripped of his state councillor position.
China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported, without given any explanation.
No replacement for Li was named, leaving the country without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Oct. 29-31.
Li, 65, disappeared from public view two months ago. Reuters reported last month that he was under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
Li was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2018 over Beijing's purchase of combat aircraft and equipment from Russia.
He had only been in the job since March, when Xi started his precedent-breaking third term as head of state. No other defence minister in China had served for a shorter time than Li.
Qin had also served less than a year before he disappeared from public view and was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. No formal explanation has been given but the Wall Street Journal cited sources saying Qin had an extramarital affair while he was ambassador to the United States.
With the ousting of both men, the number of China's state councillors, a more senior rank than minister, is down to three.
China removes Li Shangfu as defence minister - state media
https://reuters.com/article/china-politics/china-removes-li-shangfu-as-defence-minister-state-media-idUSKBN31O146China has removed Li Shangfu from his position as defence minister and state councillor, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top lawmakers, also voted to remove former foreign minister Qin Gang from his position as state councillor, CCTV said.
The committee appointed Yin Hejun as China's science and technology minister and Lan Foan as finance minister.
China ousts defence minister, leaves post vacant
https://reuters.com/article/china-politics/china-ousts-defence-minister-leaves-post-vacant-idUSKBN31O146China removed General Li Shangfu as defence minister and state councillor on Tuesday, in the second ousting of a senior leader in three months.
Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in July, was also stripped of his state councillor position on Tuesday.
China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
No explanation was given for the removal. No replacement for Li was appointed, leaving the country without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Oct. 29-31.
Li Shangfu disappeared from public view two months ago. Reuters reported last month that Li was under investigation for corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
Trial of Uyghur film-maker to begin in China this week
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/oct/24/trial-of-uyghur-film-maker-to-begin-in-china-this-weekA Uyghur film-maker who was arrested in Beijing earlier this year will appear on trial in Xinjiang on Wednesday.
Ikram Nurmehmet, 32, was taken from his home by Chinese authorities on 29 May and flown to Ürümqi, Xinjiang’s capital, where he is being held in pre-trial detention on unknown charges, according to his supporters.
Born and raised in Ürümqi, Nurmehmet is an independent film-maker based in Beijing, where he lives with his wife and infant son.
Hours after his arrest, police called his wife to notify her of his transfer to Xinjiang and asked her to bring clothes for him to the airport. There, she was able to meet Nurmehmet briefly, in the company of three officers who handed her his wedding ring and amulet. He told her she, “must now do the best she can”, a source close to the family told the Guardian.
Nurmehmet’s mother, who lives in Ürümqi, filmed his arrival at the airport in Xinjiang. When she questioned the officers with him, she was told her son was “under investigation”.
Known for portraying Uyghur protagonists in his work, Nurmehmet has directed many short films, some of which have been selected by film festivals in China and abroad. One film, Elephant in the Car, tells the story of a Han Chinese woman sharing a taxi with two Uyghurs.
“His work always focuses on Uyghur people’s real lives, not in a propaganda way,” a source close to Nurmehmet said by phone over an encrypted messaging app. “He’s one of the young Uyghur directors who engages with Chinese society the most, but unfortunately in the end it [led] him being arrested. He’s very responsible for his family. He has a boy who [for] six months has not seen his father.”
A month before his arrest, Nurmehmet had received a call from Xinjiang authorities requesting his return to Ürümqi to investigate the loss of his identity card. He refused and hung up. Later, his mother told him a childhood Uyghur friend he had once hosted while studying in Turkey had allegedly been detained, and warned that Nurmehmet might be under suspicion by association.
Before moving to Beijing, Nurmehmet had spent six years studying film-making at the Marmara University in Istanbul.
Maya Wang, the associate director in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, said Uyghurs with any connections to Islam, central Asia or the Middle East were automatically under suspicion of terrorism from Chinese authorities. Many were rounded up during a campaign of “collective punishment” and imprisoned arbitrarily without trial.
“People who have these remote connections are considered terrorists or extremists or having ideological viruses,” Wang said. “Many are still held in prison for having visited Turkey, or having attended (Islamic) funerals … Often, you hear of people dying in these facilities.”
The Chinese state launched its “Strike Hard” anti-terrorism campaign in Xinjiang in 2014, after several terrorist attacks reportedly orchestrated by Uyghur separatists. Since then, an estimated half a million people are believed to have been imprisoned during a crackdown that escalated in 2017. Among those with known prison terms, the average time of imprisonment is 12.5 years, according to Human Rights Watch.
“There’s less international attention now because the Chinese say they have closed the [detention] camps,” Wang said. “[But] the camps are part of a bigger, multifaceted campaign against Uyghurs, including the use of long prison sentences. Uyghurs continue to live in a state of fear.”
Nurmehmet had previously been identified on a list of terrorism suspects known as the “Shanghai List”, which was obtained in 2020 by Australian hackers who looked through more than 1m surveillance records from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.
Last month, a leading Uyghur professor, Rahile Dawut, was reportedly sentenced to life in prison for “endangering state security”. A specialist in Uyghur folklore and traditions, she was reported missing six years ago.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said: “We are not aware of the specifics that you mentioned. China is advancing law-based governance on all fronts and will continue to uphold the rule of law, conduct law enforcement and protect lawful rights and interests of individuals or organisations in accordance with the law.”
Chinese defense minister removed after just seven months in latest purge
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/24/li-shangfu-china-defense-purge/2023-10-03T00:41:09.891ZChina has removed Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who vanished from public view nearly two months ago, in the latest in a string of high-level purges of the Chinese military apparently related to an investigation into weapons procurement.
China’s powerful leader, Xi Jinping, on Tuesday signed an executive order revoking Li’s ministerial position and his role as state councilor, following weeks of intrigue sparked when Li abruptly canceled a meeting with Vietnamese officials in early September.
U.S. officials have said Li’s disappearance is related to corruption charges likely connected to his previous position as head of military procurement. He was promoted to defense minister in March.
The brief announcement did not explain why Li was removed from office or who would replace him. The standing committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, also revoked the state councilor title of former foreign minister Qin Gang, who was replaced with his predecessor, Wang Yi, in July.
The abrupt change raises questions about the decision-making of Xi Jinping, who has exerted far more direct control over personnel choices in the Chinese Communist Party than his predecessors.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang removed from post after only 7 months
Li, like Qin, was seen as chosen by Xi to be an important figure in Chinese diplomacy. While neither were powerful decision-makers, their outward facing roles were crucial for Xi’s bid to turn China into a global superpower with influence on par with the United States.
Qin disappeared from view in June sparking rumors about a possible extramarital affair that led to his downfall. Beijing has not explained the reason he was sacked.
Experts say the loss of Li is unlikely to fundamentally alter China’s military strategy, which is set primarily by Xi, alongside a small number of top advisers. In China, the defense minister focuses more on military-to-military diplomacy rather than operational command.
But Xi has ambitions to turn the Chinese military into a “world-class” fighting force by 2049. As part of that effort, he has overseen several rounds of purges within the top brass since he took office in 2012, but recent firings suggest persistent failures to weed out corruption.
China’s military shake-up may hint at corruption — or Xi Jinping’s weakness
This comes after a surprise reshuffle in August of officials in charge of the rocket force, which also maintains China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, and is also widely considered to be linked to efforts to unearth bribery and dodgy dealmaking within procurement.
“He presented himself as a unique leader but he hasn’t been able to supply silver bullets to resolve these long-standing corruption issues,” said Joe McReynolds, Chinese security studies fellow at the Jamestown Foundation.
The extent of the problem was revealed in a July notice from the equipment department publicly asking for tips on people who manipulated bidding for personal gain going as far back as 2017.
“Li is more of a figurehead and a symbolic leader than he is in charge of how money was getting spent,” said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “The July circular that suggests to me that there is an issue with very large portions of money being misspent that goes beyond just one man,” he said.
China local governments launch crackdown on dogs after child was mauled
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/24/china-local-governments-launch-crackdown-on-dogs-after-child-was-mauledLocal governments across China have launched a crackdown on dogs after a toddler was mauled by a rottweiler earlier this month.
The child was injured while walking with her mother in Chengdu on 16 October, leading authorities to announce they would tighten control of dogs while reiterating the importance of “civilised dog ownership”.
China state media reported the toddler was transferred out of the ICU on 23 October and her vital signs are stable at the moment. The police have taken criminal coercive measures against the dog’s owner, and the case is being further investigated.
Henan’s Shenqiu County announced it would focus on prohibited dogs, unregistered dogs and strays. On the same day, Sichuan’s Ebian Yi Autonomous County decided to carry out a county-wide crackdown – saying any dog found unattended in a public place would be considered a stray dog for capture.
Social media posts from inside China showed landlords or community committee members breaking into people’s houses and forcibly taking away their dogs. Some of the animals were later killed.
It was reported that a university in Liaoning Province fired a security guard who strangled stray dogs on campus. Chinese local news reported that students killed stray dogs in a dormitory in a vocational college in Sichuan.
According to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper, the number of stray dogs is 40 million while the number of stray cats is 53 million. In 2019, China ranked fifth in the world in terms of the number of deaths from rabies, based on data released from the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.
China does not have any special laws relating to stray dogs at a national or local level.
“Many places in China have introduced local regulations involving stray dogs, but due to the low level of legal effect, insufficient law enforcement, too light penalties, and insufficient supporting facilities, the feasibility of these regulations is poor,” China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation said on their website.
The indiscriminate killing of stray dogs has aroused some public anger.
People in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, took to the streets with signs calling for and end to animal cruelty on 22 October.
“Not all stray dogs are bad dogs, not all people are good people! Please stop killing animals,” Chinese actor Cya Liu Ya-se posted on her Weibo.
“It’s OK to not love them, but please don’t hurt them. I sincerely ask that we all be kind, reasonable, and not abusive!” said another Chinese actor – Di Yang – on his Weibo. Both accounts were banned shortly after the posts.
Internet users also called on the public to go to the State Council website and leave a message asking the government to stop abusing and killing stray animals, to reasonably disclose the way stray cats and dogs are handled, and to call on the state to legislate for the protection of animals.
Canada tells of China-linked ‘spamouflage’ blitz on MPs’ social media
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/24/canada-tells-of-china-linked-propaganda-blitz-across-mps-social-mediaThe Canadian government has said it has detected a China-linked campaign that involved bots posting disinformation and propaganda as comments on the social media feeds of members of parliament, including the prime minister, Justin Trudeau.
The “spamouflage” campaign, using networks of new and hijacked social media accounts to post bulk messages, took place in August and September, and targeted dozens of lawmakers from across the political spectrum, Canada’s foreign ministry announced.
The messages included accusations against the lawmakers of criminal and ethical violations, a claim that the Hawaii wildfires were caused by a secret US military “weather weapon”, and deepfake videos.
Thousands of such comments in English and French were posted on the lawmakers’ Facebook and X feeds, and the government worked with the platforms to get the bot networks removed.
“This campaign could discourage and make it difficult for MPs to carry out their duties and may dissuade MPs and diaspora communities in Canada from speaking out on issues which concern them,” said a foreign ministry report.
In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Canada said Beijing had never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and the accusations were a “blatant smear campaign”.
China-Canada relations turned icy in late 2018 when Canadian police detained a Chinese telecommunications executive. Shortly after, Beijing arrested two Canadians on spying charges. All three have since been released.
Ottawa has also accused Beijing of trying to interfere in its affairs through various schemes, including illegal police stations and the targeting of lawmakers. China has denied all such allegations.
In September, the Trudeau government announced an independent public inquiry into allegations of attempted foreign meddling by China, Russia and others.
With Reuters
[World] The Australian city key to US plan to counter China
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-67166799?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGAWhen Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets US President Joe Biden in Washington this week, deterring an assertive China will be on the agenda. At home, Darwin - a city key to the US-led defence alliance in the Pacific - will be watching.
War first came to Australia's shores on a Thursday morning in 1942, when 188 Japanese aircraft appeared over the centre of Darwin.
Bombs rained down on the coast, spraying red dirt and shrouding the turquoise harbour in smoke and fire. The two air raids nearly flattened the town, killing at least 230 people.
That day - 19 February - was a precursor to some 200 raids across northern Australia, but it remains the deadliest attack on the country.
Eighty years on, Darwin is a laid-back holiday spot that bears few visible scars of war. But there are simmering fears that this city may find itself in the crosshairs of a global conflict again.
Home to several key military bases which could prove crucial in any clash with China, Darwin is at the heart of deepening ties between Canberra and Washington, and the focus of massive investment from both governments.
But while American interest is reassuring for those who are wary of Beijing's power, there is alarm for some who worry it makes their home a target.
"You're inviting conflict," says local Billee McGinley, part of the Top End Peace Alliance, a local activist group. On a recent October afternoon, the group took turns sharing their concerns in the shadow of the city's war memorial Cenotaph.
"We feel like a sacrifice," she says.
Face of the north
Darwin has long been a military town. You can drive across the sparsely populated city in about 15 minutes, but it is home to two military bases. Another one sits on its fringe.
It is more common to see someone in military fatigues than a suit. And the roar of aircraft overhead is just another soundtrack to life here.
Defence families are a large chunk of the population - and that doesn't include the thousands of international troops that arrive each year for war games and training. The industry is an even larger proportion of the economy.
And it's clear the military footprint in the so-called "Top End" is only going to grow.
Australia had maintained it didn't have to choose between the US and China. But that calculation has changed. Ties have soured between Washington and Beijing, and the latter's claims over the South China Sea and Taiwan have become more expansive and threatening.
So Canberra says it has woken up to its vital role in ensuring security and stability in the region, with fresh commitments to allies and a massive overhaul of its defence spend.
Enter, Darwin - "the face of the north".
"Looking at a map, the strategic importance of Darwin is obvious," says defence analyst Michael Shoebridge.
The Australian government has announced it's moving hundreds more troops to Darwin and other northern cities, and it has also promised a large chunk of its new defence budget will go towards fortifying the region.
While the US has historically focussed on Guam, Hawaii or Okinawa, it too is now pouring money into Australia.
It already operates year-round at the Pine Gap spy base outside Alice Springs in central Australia, and has since 2011 been sending annual rotations of US Marines - this year some 2,500 of them - to the Northern Territory (NT), where Darwin is located.
But in recent years it has promised about $2bn for base upgrades and new facilities. In Darwin, that includes a mission planning and operations centre and 11 jet fuel storage tanks. A couple of hours south - at the Tindal air base - storage hangers for nuclear-capable bomber planes and a huge ammunition bunker will be built.
Australia and the US have also signed bilateral defence agreements and further military cooperation is expected to be high on the agenda during Mr Albanese's trip to Washington.
Experts say the military build-up in the Top End - by both Australia and the US - is aimed at dispersing resources, and risk, around the region to "complicate" any war strategy by Beijing. But it is primarily about preventing war.
"It's obvious that diplomacy and all of the fora and meetings that exist in the region are not preventing China's aggression and intimidation," Mr Shoebridge says.
"So, to deter conflict, there needs to be enough hard power, not in China's hands, so that Beijing understands the cost of conflict would be too great... [and] no collective defence strategy makes any sense in our region without the Americans being part of it."
Target on Darwin
But that's making some Darwin locals uneasy.
Though there's differing opinions on the likelihood of a conflict with China, they're worried the build-up won't deter Beijing, but rather escalate tensions. They fear the US presence in Darwin could pressure Australia into a war it simply shouldn't be involved in, and make their city a target.
"If you position yourself as neutral and peaceful, it would be a war crime to come here," Ms McGinley says.
She's so terrified about Darwin's future she's considering her family's place in it: "It's definitely a consideration, with a young daughter, whether I stay here or not."
There are more immediate concerns too. In recent months, a US marine has been charged with rape and an American Osprey helicopter crashed and exploded near a school. And there's the impact these expanding bases - and any potential attack - could have on the Aboriginal cultural heritage and natural beauty the NT is known for.
Because so few people live in the NT, it is treated as "expendable", says Diana Rickard, who runs the Top End Peace Alliance.
"This has always been considered the wasteland… it still is," she adds.
"The risks and impacts and threats are externalised onto people that live here. But any kind of perceived benefit... is for people elsewhere," Naish Gawen, another local, says.
But the Peace Alliance says their concerns don't seem to be resonating with the community or being heard by people in power.
They certainly don't appear to be widespread. Walking around Darwin, it can feel like there is a general mood of nonchalance about the military presence.
"It's not something that I've heard much about," one local, 30-year-old Brianna, says.
The local business chamber and politicians from across the aisle sell the economic benefits of the defence investments.
The NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and national Defence Minister Richard Marles did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. But Mr Marles has previously said Darwin is a "significant" national "asset", something that is "good news for the Territory's economy".
"It is fundamentally important that we have the footprint here," he said in April.
Experts, though, don't rule out the possibility that Darwin will become a target.
Defence strategist Becca Wasser has spent years wargaming what might happen in the event of a conflict in the region. In most of the scenarios she's run, China does attempt missile attacks on Australia.
But they have limited success given the technology Beijing possesses and the more than 4,000km (2485 miles) between mainland China and Australia.
"In fact, most of them usually don't reach even the most northern bases," she says. But it's not the existence of the bases that makes Darwin a target, she stressed - whether Australia uses them to send troops is the key factor.
Australia has joined almost every single coalition operation that the United States has fought in recent years, she adds, but that is no guarantee Australia will choose to join any future wars.
"The decision to contribute forces to any conflict, it's a political decision, and it's one that Australia makes on its own. It's not something that the United States can just determine," she says.
Even those whose families lived through the 1942 bombing of Darwin seem to accept the city's new military reality.
Richard Fejo recounts stories that have been passed down from his grandfather, Juma Fejo, and his great uncle Samuel Fejo. The Larrika elder says the pair never recovered from the loss of human life they witnessed, and the impact on their ancestral home.
"In Aboriginal culture, we say the land is our mother… and so something as terrible as the bombing of Darwin, as a Larrakia person, would have been like putting a knife through their heart," he says.
While he's daunted by the prospect of war returning to his home, "I consider myself to be a realist," he says.
"These people who would stand up and argue about Americans being on Larrakia land, what option are you offering us? We must… remember our past, but we also must be prepared for the future."
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China“s Wang Yi to visit Washington amid Middle East tensions, US officials say
https://reuters.com/article/usa-china-wang/chinas-wang-yi-to-visit-washington-amid-middle-east-tensions-us-officials-say-idUSKBN31N1IFChina's top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to the United States later this week, senior Biden administration officials said on Monday, in a long-anticipated visit that comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, which U.S. officials hope Beijing can help contain.
Wang will visit Washington from Oct. 26-28 and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan, officials said, declining to say if he will meet with Biden as well.
The trip will be the highest-level in-person engagement ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November. It is also the long-awaited reciprocal visit after several top U.S. officials including Blinken visited Beijing this summer.
Washington's top priority has been to ensure the intense competition between the world's two largest economies and their disagreements over a host of issues from trade to Taiwan and the South China Sea does not veer into conflict.
"We continue to believe that direct face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to raise challenging issues, address misperception and miscommunication, and explore working with the Chinese where our interests intersect," said one official, who briefed reporters on the trip on condition of anonymity.
The visit also comes as Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks and Israel's response dominate global headlines, even as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on.
Washington is sending military aid to Israel and Ukraine, while Beijing has grown closer to Russia since the Ukraine war began and has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The Israel-Hamas war and Russia's war in Ukraine would both be discussed, a second official said, adding that the U.S. would "push the Chinese to take a more constructive approach on both.”
Washington has placed importance on China's ability to influence Iran. Blinken, during his whirlwind trip last week to the Middle East, held a phone call with Wang asking him to use Beijing's clout in the region to ensure the conflict does not widen.
China has consistently called for restraint and a ceasefire in response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis but has also sharpened its criticism of Israel.
Territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas would also be on the agenda during Wang's visit, the U.S. officials said, adding that Washington was deeply concerned by China's "destabilizing and dangerous actions" in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, a U.S. ally, on Monday accused Chinese coastguard vessels of "intentionally" colliding with its vessels on a resupply mission, in the most serious incident yet in the waters around the disputed Second Thomas shoal.
Re-establishing military-to-military ties with China remains a top U.S. priority, the officials said, adding that meant sustained communications down the ranks and that China's apparent lack of a defense minister would not be an obstacle.
Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for nearly two months amid a corruption probe.
China’s top diplomat to visit D.C. amid tensions over South China Sea, Israel
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/23/blinken-wang-china-us-meeting/2023-10-23T19:44:25.628ZChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Washington this week, the State Department said Monday, the highest-level visit by a Chinese official since tensions spiked early this year after a Chinese spy balloon floated across American airspace.
The three days of meetings, starting Thursday, are the latest sign that Beijing is laying the groundwork for a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in San Francisco next month, which would be his first trip to the United States since 2017.
It comes as the Biden administration seeks to use every lever it can to pressure Iran to hold back from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, including by encouraging Beijing, a major partner of Tehran, to use its influence.
Wang will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Beijing in June as the first of a series of trips to China by cabinet secretaries this summer. He also plans to meet with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, following two days of talks in Malta in mid-September. A senior administration official declined to comment about whether Wang will also have an audience with President Biden, although that would be typical, especially after Blinken met Xi in China during his visit.
The two sides have been trying to manage tensions after a process of re-engagement began this summer, although there have been sharp detours, including when Biden called Xi a “dictator” shortly after the secretary of state returned from China. Beijing has sided with Moscow in its war against Ukraine, although it has held back from unleashing the full might of its military industry in support of the Kremlin.
China is also making major investments in its military, according to a Pentagon report released last week, including a doubling of its operational nuclear warheads by the end of the decade. The report noted a deterioration of military communications between Beijing and Washington, despite a spate of close calls between U.S. and Chinese military aircraft over the South China Sea.
Just this weekend, a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided with a Philippine resupply ship near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s territorial claims have led to clashes with neighbors and Washington.
“We are in competition with China. We seek to manage that competition responsibly,” a senior administration official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly.
U.S. officials say they have few illusions about Chinese behavior. Xi rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing last week, and the senior administration official called the Chinese Coast Guard behavior “destabilizing and dangerous and irresponsible.”
Where China stands on the Israel-Gaza war and what it stands to gain
Despite the rivalry with the United States, China’s economic and political influence is still crucial as Washington seeks to influence events elsewhere in the world.
Blinken called Wang earlier this month as he crisscrossed the Middle East, seeking to get China to weigh in with the Iranians to hold them back from entering the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Hezbollah, the Lebanese political and militant group that is backed by Iran, has been lobbing rockets into Israel and senior U.S. officials are deeply concerned about the prospect of a two-front war if Tehran decides to up the pressure.
China, with its significant economic ties in the Middle East, has become an increasingly important diplomatic actor in the region, brokering the recent détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran. U.S. officials said they hope Beijing can use that muscle again in the service of preventing a regional war, which they fear could be triggered by a potential Israeli ground invasion into densely-populated Gaza and the significant civilian casualties that would likely result.
John Hudson contributed to this report.
Philippines Accuses China of Hitting its Boats in South China Sea
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/philippines-accuses-china-of-hitting-its-boats-in-south-china-sea/7322848.htmlThe Philippines has accused Chinese ships of crashing into two of its boats Sunday in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters Monday he considered the incidents a “blatant violation of international law.” Teodoro said a Chinese coast guard ship and a “militia” boat had struck Philippine resupply boats.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting with top military and security officials to discuss the situation. The incidents happened near a land formation known as Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The Spratly Islands are made up of many small islands, known as islets, and other land masses in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade routes, is rich in natural resources. China claims nearly all of the waterway as its territory. But others also claim parts of the sea. These include the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
A Philippine security official told The Associated Press the incidents did not cause injuries and that damage to the ships was still being investigated.
China said the Philippine boats, or vessels, had “trespassed” without approval into what it said were Chinese territorial waters. Chinese coast guard officials said the Philippine ships had ignored repeated radio warnings to leave the area.
China’s coast guard blamed the Philippine boats for the crashes, also called collisions. "The Philippine side’s behavior seriously violates the international rules on avoiding collisions at sea and threatens the navigation safety of our vessels,” it said in a statement published on its website.
Chinese officials said the coast guard was acting to stop Philippine ships suspected of carrying “illegal” building materials.
China’s foreign ministry and embassy in Manila issued official condemnations to the Philippine government over the incidents. Philippine diplomats in Manila called in a Chinese Embassy official to protest the actions of the Chinese ships.
Philippine officials said two Philippine coast guard ships were guiding two supply boats headed to the area to drop off food and other supplies. The Philippines has a small military base near Second Thomas Shoal that has been under a Chinese blockade.
The shoal sits within a 300-kilometer “exclusive economic zone” the Philippines claims control over.
Territorial disputes over the South China Sea have at times raised tensions among claimants. The United States has no claims over the waterway. But it has warned China and other nations not to carry out aggressive moves in the sea.
In the past, the U.S. has sent ships to the South China Sea to carry out “freedom of navigation” exercises. Such operations are meant to show military force and support free movement of shipping in international waters.
The U.S. and other allies expressed alarm over the latest Chinese action. On Sunday, the U.S. State Department repeated its position that the United States would defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack.
The possible defense is covered under a 1951 treaty between the two nations. The treaty states that if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack – including those of its coast guard – U.S. forces could assist with military operations.
In its latest statement, the State Department said the U.S. “stands with our Philippine allies” in opposing the “dangerous and unlawful actions” of the Chinese ships.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
blatant – adj. very obvious, with no attempt to be honest or behave well
trespass – v. to go on someone’s land without their approval
navigation – m. moving a boat or ship over an area of water
exclusive – adj. not shared with another person or organization