Current Events

See also:
The New Cold War
Wars and Rumors of Wars

China's first aircraft carrier enters service

Sept. 25, 2012 - China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has begun service. It is a refurbished Soviet ship purchased from Ukraine. It has no operational aircraft yet, but will be used for training.

China's Premier Wen Jiabao said the ship would have "a mighty and deep significance". It would be "a cause for patriotic passion", he said at a ceremony attended by top Chinese leaders at Dalian Port.

Source: BBC

Update: Nov. 25, 2012 - China lands J-15 jet on Liaoning aircraft carrier - BBC

Significance of China in Prophecy

'Iran, Russia, China, Syria plan 'largest' war game'

June 19, 2012 - Iranian and Syrian news outlets are reporting that the largest war games exercise ever conducted in the Middle East will take place soon, and will include their two countries, Russia and China! The operation will employ 90,000 troops from the four countries, plus 400 aircraft, 1,000 tanks and "hundreds of rockets."

The report appears to have originated on Arabic language Syrian media outlet ShamLife, which said the war-games were scheduled in less than a month's time.

The information was re-broadcast by Iran's semi-official Fars News Outlet, also quoting "informed sources" claiming that the exercises will involve ground troops, air forces and naval forces.

Source:Jerusalem Post

U.S. officials ignored China cyber threat

June 12, 2012 - A report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin indicates that recent evidence that China is planning to use cyberwar against the U.S. has apparently been largely ignored by U.S. officials. China has set up electronic “back doors” to remotely access communications technology and has supplied counterfeit components that can render some U.S. weapons ineffective. the report claims that U.S government officials and members of Congress have known about the potential for two years.

Source: WND

Chinese activist now wants to leave China, US under pressure to intervene

May 3, 2012 - Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng says that he still wants to leave China. House Speaker John Boehner commented on the issue:

"The Obama administration is responsible for ensuring his safety. While our economic relationship with China is important and vital to the future of people in both countries, the United States has an obligation to use its engagement with China to press for reforms in China's human rights practices."

Source: Fox

US officials defend decision to shelter Chinese activist amid call for apology

May 2, 2012 - Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng left the U.S. Embassy in China to receive medical care at the Chaoyang Hospital. He was supposedly given "assurances" about his safety from the Chinese. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded a U.S. apology for the intervention.

"What the U.S. side has done has interfered in the domestic affairs of China, and the Chinese side will never accept it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told China's official Xinhua news agency.

Senior U.S. officials told reporters that the U.S. actions were "lawful."

Source: Fox

Cracks in the wall: Will China's Great Firewall backfire?

May 2, 2012 - China exerts great control over its citizen's use of the Internet. All international Internet traffic goes through a few gateways that China can monitor. Sites that they think are undesirable, like Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook are blocked. Google Drive's new cloud storage will also apparently be blocked.

The isolation is good for the Beijing government and for local businesses that don't have to compete with Internet competitors, but Chinese companies may have difficulty functioning overseas because of the restrictions.

Source: BBC

Google Drive to offer free storage in the cloud - BBC

China dissident Chen Guangcheng 'under US protection'

April 30, 2012 - Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has escaped from house arrest in China. He is said to be 'under US protection,' but it is not clear whether or not he was at the US embassy.

Mr Chen's escape could overshadow a visit to Beijing next week by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton... She has repeatedly called for the dissident's release.

Source: BBC

China steps back from supporting Assad, parts ways with Russia

April 24, 2012 - The Chinese government has evidently told the Obama administration that they have decided to no longer back Syrian President Assad against the uprising in his country.

The latest message received in the latter half of last week said: China will no longer be a problem for America in dealing with Assad. That leaves only Russia.

Source: DEBKAfile

Russia, China veto UN resolution on Syria; US 'disgusted'

Feb. 4, 2012 - After 11 months of protesting in Syria and hundreds of citizens killed by government forces, the United Nations Security Council had the chance to pass a resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down. The resolution had enough votes but Russia and China vetoed it.

US Ambassador Susan Rice said her country was "disgusted" by the vote, adding "any further bloodshed that flows will be on their (Russia's and China's) hands."

Source: YNet News

China’s ‘cyberarmy’ could number half billion

Jan. 9, 2012 - Writing in the semi-official “China Defense Daily,” Huang Chunping, director of science and technology for the Beijing Institute of Technology, expressed the view that all available members of the population should be enlisted in China's "cyberwar mobilization" program.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters. “I want to emphasize that Chinese law prohibits any cyberattacks including hacking of any form and fights against these types of crimes in accordance with the law,”

However, security analysts say that countries should not take Yu's statement at face value.

Source: WND