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tirsdag 6. januar 2026

Torbjørn Færøvik: Indirect Rule - The U.S., Venezuela and the Shadow of Vietnam

“The United States will govern Venezuela,” Donald Trump declares. But in what way? The country is almost three times larger than Vietnam. It consists of jungle, mountains, coastline, savannas, and porous borders with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. It has weak state institutions, armed groups, smuggling networks, and regional power centers.

All indications are that such a country cannot be “governed” from the outside. What the United States can do—and will likely try to do—is to establish a form of indirect control. That is, to influence who has their hands on the most important levers of the state.

But the tracks are alarming. In Vietnam, U.S. involvement began modestly. The aim was not to govern the country directly, but to prevent communist dominance and secure lasting American influence in the region. At first, the United States provided advisers, economic assistance, and political support to the regime in South Vietnam, but it had no ambition to deploy large military forces.

Then reality began to bite.

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What Trump’s Venezuela Gambit Means for China and Taiwan

The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces early Saturday was an unprecedented act of derring-do worthy of a Hollywood spy caper. But experts worry this audacious undertaking risks fraying the last remaining threads of international norms, emboldening autocracies into new acts of aggression without fear of consequences.

Anxiety is especially high that China could now act in similar fashion against regional leaders whom it deems problematic—not least in Taiwan, the self-ruling island that Beijing claims as a renegade province and has repeatedly threatened to invade. Last week, China held enormous war games entirely encircling the island of 23 million in apparent response to a record $11.1 billion American arms package to Taipei.

China’s drone carriers hide in plain sight among merchant ships

What if China’s next aircraft carrier doesn’t look like a warship at all – but like an ordinary cargo vessel quietly turning global trade routes into launchpads for drone warfare?

This month, multiple media outlets reported that China appears to be testing a new way to rapidly convert civilian cargo ships into drone-launch platforms, according to recent imagery and analysis. Photos emerging since late December show a Chinese medium cargo vessel, Zhongda 79, reconfigured to carry a modular, truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult system capable of launching large fixed-wing combat drones, with the activity centered at Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard.

The system consists of multiple heavy trucks locked together to form a scalable launch track, potentially allowing drones weighing up to two tons to be launched without a traditional runway, either from land or from flat-decked merchant ships.

South Korea and China seek improved ties amid state visit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, saying their summit was an important opportunity for full restoration of bilateral relations.

Lee said in opening remarks that the two countries would work to further develop their strategic cooperative partnership, after tense ties in recent years over issues including North Korea and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

He said that he wished to open a "new phase" in bilateral relations, "based on the trust" between himself and Xi. He also pledged to "seek feasible alternatives together for peace on the Korean Peninsula," amid the continued tensions with the regime in Pyongyang, with China still an important backer of North Korea.

Taiwan closely monitoring Venezuela developments

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity.

The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations.

The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation in Venezuela, including the country’s role in international drug trafficking and the humanitarian crisis under its authoritarian government.

China-Made Military Radars May Have Failed Venezuela During US Raid

The U.S. raid on the Venezuelan capital Saturday, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, demonstrated the U.S. retains a technological edge over hardware obtained from its Chinese ally, a senior Taiwanese official said Monday.

The attack in Caracas could mark a reputational blow for Beijing, as the JY‑27A mobile anti‑stealth radars sold to Venezuela, and touted as capable of detecting fifth‑generation stealth aircraft like U.S. F‑22s and F‑35s from over 150 miles away, purportedly failed to give an early warning at the critical hour.

U.S. forces bombed infrastructure at several spots around northern Venezuela, which Venezuelan officials said killed more than 80 people, including civilians. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York City where they face charges related to “narcoterrorism.” Critics say the operation violated international law and possibly U.S. law, pointing out it was launched without prior congressional notification or approval.

What US Capture of Maduro Means for China’s Designs on Taiwan

The United States’ abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of Saturday went viral on Chinese social media, where netizens speculated Chinese leaders might use the attack as justification for a future decapitation strike on Taiwan.

But some longtime China watchers say it is unlikely to affect Beijing's calculus when it comes to the island democracy.

“I don't expect today's events in Venezuela will dramatically alter Beijing’s calculus on Taiwan. Beijing has not refrained from kinetic or other actions on Taiwan out of deference to international law and norms. It has pursued a strategy of coercion without violence,” wrote Ryan Hass, director of the Brookings Institution think tank’s China Center on X.

Chinese digital blueprint for Vietnam’s social engineering

A disturbing synchronization is emerging in Vietnam’s policy planning, revealing a shift toward deep social engineering. On one hand, Hanoi is proposing to handpick an “elite” workforce right from birth; on the other, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is pushing to score and classify citizens based on digital behavior.

When these two puzzle pieces are joined, the picture of a society stratified and surveyed from cradle to grave, mirroring the Chinese model becomes unmistakably clear. The government’s plan to build an “elite human resources” program evokes the concept of state-directed class filtering. Citizens are placed into state filters from the start, selecting who is deemed a “red seed” for special treatment.

As these individuals mature, they fall into a second net: the MPS’s citizen scoring system via the VNeID application. The proposal to classify citizens as “positive,” “basic,” or “unranked” completes a closed loop of control.

China Flexes Hypersonic Missile in New Military Drills

The Chinese military began its annual training for the new year on Sunday by flexing its hypersonic strike capabilities—weapons capable of flying toward targets at more than five times the speed of sound—during a missile drill, state media reported.

In a short video titled "Training Never Stops" released on its website, China's Defense Ministry claimed that all People's Liberation Army troops "broke away" from what it called a "holiday state" after a three-day break and began combat-readiness training.

China’s robot sports craze could eventually put humanoids in homes

On the outskirts of Beijing, young Chinese entrepreneur Cheng Hao sits on an indoor soccer pitch – but this turf isn’t for humans. It’s where engineers working for his start-up, Booster Robotics, train human-like robots to play soccer using artificial intelligence – dribbling, passing, shooting and blocking.

Cheng, a 37-year-old Beijinger, is at the vanguard of China’s decade-long push into humanoid robot technology. He founded the company in 2023, inspired by the release of Tesla’s first humanoid Optimus and the then-groundbreaking ChatGPT-4, and wants to develop the world’s most advanced soccer-playing humanoids.

“There are hundreds of robot soccer teams in the world,” he told CNN. “We need to be the first one in this niche market and then go to other markets.”

Torbjørn Færøvik: USA skal «styre» Venezuela. Men hvordan?

USA skal styre Venezuela, erklærer Donald Trump. Men på hvilken måte? Landet er nesten tre ganger større enn Vietnam. Det består av både jungel, fjell, kyst, savanner og porøse grenser mot Colombia, Brasil og Guyana. Landet har svake statlige institusjoner, væpnede grupper, smuglernettverk og regionale maktsentra.

Alt tyder på at et slikt land ikke lar seg «styre» utenfra. Det USA kan gjøre, og sannsynligvis vil forsøke, er å etablere en form for indirekte kontroll. Det vil si å påvirke hvem som har hendene på de viktigste spakene i staten.

Men sporene skremmer. I Vietnam startet USAs engasjement i det små. Målet var ikke å styre landet direkte, men å hindre kommunistisk dominans og sikre varig amerikansk innflytelse i regionen. I begynnelsen bisto USA med rådgivere, økonomisk hjelp og politisk støtte til regimet i Sør-Vietnam, men landet hadde ingen ambisjon om å gå massivt inn med militære styrker.

Så begynte realitetene å bite.

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Inside US Plans To Reopen WWII Air Bases for War With China

Across sleepy and remote islands in the Pacific, U.S. military engineers are working around the clock to revive strategically important airstrips that American troops first built under fire over 70 years ago during World War II.

The reconstruction effort is being led by a designated office within the U.S. Air Force, whose Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, doctrine has identified dozens of airfields that will be used to house and launch fighter jets, aerial refuelling tankers and weapons during a war with China. A trilateral force of the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force is now converging with a single goal in mind: re-establish a presence on the airfields once used to deliver decisive combat power for the United States during the last great power war.

“I like to say we're going back to the future," Lt. Col Frank Blaz, a senior engineer and site lead for the Pacific Air Forces, said back in 2024. "As part of our Agile Combat Employment, we’ve taken a look at all of the historic airfields within the Pacific that helped us launch and execute successful campaigns. Building new is not the way to go. It’s expensive. Repairing and rehabilitating what exists is a much better economic solution.”

Satellites Capture Chinese Invasion Ship After Drills Near Taiwan

A Chinese warship designed to project forces from sea to shore during an amphibious invasion returned to base after a blockade-style war game near Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing has threatened to take by force, according to satellite imagery.

The Communist Party in Beijing claims Taiwan—a security partner of the United States on the First Island Chain, a containment line against China—as its own, despite never having governed the island since taking power on the Chinese mainland in 1949.

Last December, the Chinese military organized a large-scale exercise around Taiwan following Washington's approval of one of its largest arms sales to Taipei. The drills featured simulated blockades and rocket fire into the waters surrounding the island.

Why the U.S. strike on Venezuela won’t push China into a Taiwan gamble

The ancient Greek historian Thucydides once wrote that “the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” On Jan. 3, the United States appeared to echo that maxim when it launched strikes on Venezuela and, in a lightning raid, arrested President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The couple was flown to New York to face drug and terrorism charges, drawing sharp criticism from foreign governments about the legality of the attack. The operation also reignited debate over whether Washington is reviving a world where might makes right.

David Roche of Quantum Strategy told CNBC the operation could weaken U.S. arguments against similar actions by rivals. “If Donald Trump can walk into a country and take it over… then why is Putin wrong about Ukraine, and why is China not entitled to take over Taiwan?” Roche said.

China decries U.S. action in Venezuela — even as it guards billions at stake

Even as China eyes new opportunities to build global influence in the wake of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Beijing’s immediate priority is protecting its economic interests, analysts said.

China reacted swiftly to the military strike on Saturday night, expressing shock and condemnation. Beijing subsequently called on the U.S. to release the ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and urged Washington to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing Monday that China maintains “positive communication and cooperation” with the Venezuelan government and that its willingness to deepen cooperation, including on oil exports, would not change regardless of how the situation evolves. He added that Chinese interests in Venezuela would be protected under the law.

What interest do China and Russia have in Venezuela?

North Korea says latest missile tests involve hypersonic weapons system

North Korea said Monday that leader Kim Jong Un observed test-flights of hypersonic missiles and underscored the need to bolster the country’s nuclear war deterrent, as the country dials up weapons displays ahead of its major political conference.

North Korea reported on the drill a day after its neighbors said they detected multiple ballistic missile launches and accused the North of carrying out provocations. The tests came just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday’s drill involving a hypersonic weapon system was meant to examine its readiness, enhance missile troops’ firepower operational skills and evaluate operational capabilities of the country’s war deterrent.

An annual ode to ice is carved in frozen northern China

Each January, an odd and beautiful thing happens in the frigid northeastern Chinese city of Harbin. Some would argue that the place, the capital of Heilongjiang province, has enough ice already. But sculptors converge on the town not far from China’s border with Russia to bring out more of it, and to compete for the best ice sculpture of the year.

The effect is dreamlike. Sculptures are lit from within, and a section of the city becomes a magical expanse that feels like a holiday TV special. Families journey from distant locations to see the sculptures — and bundle up while doing so.

In these photos by Associated Press photographer Ng Han Guan, taken Saturday, an ice sculptor prepares his work for competition at the Ice and Snow Festival and people approach the icy steps of an obelisk sculpture glowing in yellow and purple.

The festival lasts until mid-February. And yes: If they want to, visitors can go swimming amid the ice, too.

Is Cuba next after Maduro’s capture?

Nicolás Maduro was the head of the Venezuelan dictatorship, but his removal not only signals the coming liquidation of the Venezuelan cartels and thugs; it also has a dramatic immediate impact on Cuba. Is Cuba next?

Cuba has an extensive presence in Venezuela and Cuban intelligence and military personnel not only trained the Venezuelan military but also led the effort to crack down on opposition to the Chavez-Maduro dictatorship. Experts and former Venezuelan officials estimate there are between 5,000 and 15,000 Cuban personnel dedicated specifically to intelligence, counter-intelligence, and security tasks.

Anatomy of an economic suicide: Venezuela under Maduro