The Royal Thai Army said the captured missiles are in its custody and will not be handed over to anyone, according to Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Beijing’s defense exports are increasingly visible in regional conflicts, illustrating how Chinese military technology is shaping security dynamics in Southeast Asia. China has supplied VT‑4 tanks to the Royal Thai Army, based on a 2017 agreement.
fredag 19. desember 2025
Chinese Weapons Fueling Both Sides of Neighboring Border War
Thailand is looking into guided anti-tank missiles the army captured along the border amid the fighting with Cambodia that has renewed. The GAM‑102LR is a fifth‑generation precision‑guided anti‑tank missile (ATGM) developed in China.
The Royal Thai Army said the captured missiles are in its custody and will not be handed over to anyone, according to Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Beijing’s defense exports are increasingly visible in regional conflicts, illustrating how Chinese military technology is shaping security dynamics in Southeast Asia. China has supplied VT‑4 tanks to the Royal Thai Army, based on a 2017 agreement.
The Royal Thai Army said the captured missiles are in its custody and will not be handed over to anyone, according to Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Beijing’s defense exports are increasingly visible in regional conflicts, illustrating how Chinese military technology is shaping security dynamics in Southeast Asia. China has supplied VT‑4 tanks to the Royal Thai Army, based on a 2017 agreement.
Why China Is Suing Missouri—And Demanding $50 Billion
China is suing Missouri and demanding $50 billion over a court judgment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. China has filed a lawsuit to attack the State of Missouri, according to Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who has indicated that she is now moving toward seizing Chinese assets.
Earlier this year, Hanaway won a landmark $24 billion judgment against the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and affiliated entities for their role in "unleashing and worsening" the coronavirus pandemic—and the attorney general is determined to collect.
"This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me that we have been on the right side of this issue all along," said Hanaway. "We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court."
Earlier this year, Hanaway won a landmark $24 billion judgment against the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and affiliated entities for their role in "unleashing and worsening" the coronavirus pandemic—and the attorney general is determined to collect.
"This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me that we have been on the right side of this issue all along," said Hanaway. "We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court."
China Furious With US Ally’s Plan To Militarize Strategic Island
China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a strongly worded protest over Japan’s plan to deploy a military surveillance radar unit to a remote island to monitor Chinese navy vessels entering the Pacific. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun compared Japan's "military buildup" on the island of Kitadaito—apparently a response to China's ambitions regarding Taiwan—to Tokyo's expansionism in the lead-up to World War II.
The planned unit will boost monitoring of Chinese carriers and aircraft operating near Japan's southwestern islands. Japan’s government is concerned about China’s military expansion and movements, with the People’s Liberation Army increasingly operating farther afield and closer to Japanese territory.
The planned unit will boost monitoring of Chinese carriers and aircraft operating near Japan's southwestern islands. Japan’s government is concerned about China’s military expansion and movements, with the People’s Liberation Army increasingly operating farther afield and closer to Japanese territory.
Why US giant Chevron, not China, may save oil-rich Venezuela
Speculation over President Nicolas Maduro's political future has intensified after US forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country's coast. The incident on Wednesday underscored Washington's longstanding interest in a nation that holds the world's largest proven oil reserves — an interest shared, albeit for different reasons, by China.
"Whoever comes to power, I can assure you, the first call will be Trump, but the second will be Xi Jinping," said Parsifal D'Sola Alvarado, a specialist in China–Latin America relations.
D'Sola Alvarado heads the Fundacion Andres Bello (Latin American-Chinese Research Center) based in Bogota, Colombia and the Spanish capital, Madrid. He previously worked with Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, where he managed contacts with Chinese officials.
Speaking with DW, D'Sola Alvarado said he doubts China would stand firmly behind Maduro in the event of a confrontation with Washington.
"Whoever comes to power, I can assure you, the first call will be Trump, but the second will be Xi Jinping," said Parsifal D'Sola Alvarado, a specialist in China–Latin America relations.
D'Sola Alvarado heads the Fundacion Andres Bello (Latin American-Chinese Research Center) based in Bogota, Colombia and the Spanish capital, Madrid. He previously worked with Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, where he managed contacts with Chinese officials.
Speaking with DW, D'Sola Alvarado said he doubts China would stand firmly behind Maduro in the event of a confrontation with Washington.
Japan raises its UN presence to counter China's influence
A record number of Japanese nationals are working for United Nations agencies around the world.
This growth is the outcome of a five-year plan to install experts in key positions in the sprawling international organization and to counter what Tokyo perceives as China using the UN to exert greater influence over other nations.
While the experts, analysts and bureaucrats who work for the UN are meant to be non-partisan in their decision-making, Japan is among the nations that have become concerned that instead of remaining neutral, China is utilizing the UN to further its own geopolitical aims.
Some Japanese observers say that while Beijing uses vast amounts of aid to woo developing nations and is rapidly expanding its military capabilities, diplomacy through a multilateral organization such as the UN gives it another tool with which to sway other nations.
This growth is the outcome of a five-year plan to install experts in key positions in the sprawling international organization and to counter what Tokyo perceives as China using the UN to exert greater influence over other nations.
While the experts, analysts and bureaucrats who work for the UN are meant to be non-partisan in their decision-making, Japan is among the nations that have become concerned that instead of remaining neutral, China is utilizing the UN to further its own geopolitical aims.
Some Japanese observers say that while Beijing uses vast amounts of aid to woo developing nations and is rapidly expanding its military capabilities, diplomacy through a multilateral organization such as the UN gives it another tool with which to sway other nations.
China says U.S. will only ‘harm itself’ after Washington approves $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan
The U.S. on Thursday approved $11.15 billion in arms sale to Taiwan, reportedly its largest deal to the island as it faces growing threats from China and has been a subject of diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.
The move drew a sharp response from Beijing, with its foreign affairs spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, accusing the U.S. of violating the “one-China principle.” “By aiding Taiwan’s independence through arms sales, the U.S. will only end up harming itself. Any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail,” Guo said, according to a CNBC translation of his speech in Mandarin.
The Taiwanese defense ministry said the sale — comprising artillery systems, antitank missiles, as well as spare parts for helicopters and antiship missiles — falls under the $40 billion supplementary defense budget announced by President Lai Ching-te in November.
The move drew a sharp response from Beijing, with its foreign affairs spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, accusing the U.S. of violating the “one-China principle.” “By aiding Taiwan’s independence through arms sales, the U.S. will only end up harming itself. Any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail,” Guo said, according to a CNBC translation of his speech in Mandarin.
The Taiwanese defense ministry said the sale — comprising artillery systems, antitank missiles, as well as spare parts for helicopters and antiship missiles — falls under the $40 billion supplementary defense budget announced by President Lai Ching-te in November.
U.S. launches review of advanced Nvidia AI chip sales to China: Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has launched a review that could result in the first shipments to China of Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips, five sources said, making good on his pledge to allow the controversial sales. Trump this month said he would allow sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China, with the U.S. government collecting a 25% fee, and that the sales would help keep U.S. firms ahead of Chinese chipmakers by cutting demand for Chinese chips.
The move drew fire from China hawks across the U.S. political spectrum over concerns the chips would supercharge Beijing’s military and erode the U.S. advantage in artificial intelligence.
But questions have remained about how quickly the U.S. might approve such sales and whether Beijing would allow Chinese firms to purchase the Nvidia chips.
The move drew fire from China hawks across the U.S. political spectrum over concerns the chips would supercharge Beijing’s military and erode the U.S. advantage in artificial intelligence.
But questions have remained about how quickly the U.S. might approve such sales and whether Beijing would allow Chinese firms to purchase the Nvidia chips.
Taiwan bans popular Chinese social media app amid growing number of fraud cases
Taiwan’s government has ordered a one-year block of a popular, Chinese-owned social media app following its failure to cooperate with authorities over fraud-related concerns. Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, has surged in popularity among young Taiwanese in recent years, amassing 3 million users in the self-ruled democracy of 23 million. But the Instagram-like platform has also stoked concerns among officials that it could be used in pro-Beijing propaganda or disinformation campaigns, which Taiwan says it has been battling for years.
China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it, and has vowed to annex it by force if necessary.
Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited Xiaohongshu’s refusal to cooperate with authorities as the basis for the ban, claiming that the platform has been linked to more than 1,700 fraud-related cases that resulted in financial losses of 247.7 million Taiwanese dollars ($7.9 million).
China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it, and has vowed to annex it by force if necessary.
Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited Xiaohongshu’s refusal to cooperate with authorities as the basis for the ban, claiming that the platform has been linked to more than 1,700 fraud-related cases that resulted in financial losses of 247.7 million Taiwanese dollars ($7.9 million).
Myanmar’s military junta charge hundreds with breaking election law as voting date nears
Myanmar’s military government has charged more than 200 people with violating the Southeast Asian country’s voting law ahead of a general election at the end of the month, keeping up pressure on opponents of the polls.
Critics of the election — which starts on December 28 — claim it will be neither free nor fair and that it is designed to add the facade of legitimacy to military rule that began after the army in February 2021 ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The takeover triggered widespread popular opposition that has grown into a civil war, which has complicated holding the polls in many contested areas. This is one of the reasons voting will be held in three phases, with the second on January 11 and the third on January 25.
Critics of the election — which starts on December 28 — claim it will be neither free nor fair and that it is designed to add the facade of legitimacy to military rule that began after the army in February 2021 ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The takeover triggered widespread popular opposition that has grown into a civil war, which has complicated holding the polls in many contested areas. This is one of the reasons voting will be held in three phases, with the second on January 11 and the third on January 25.
onsdag 17. desember 2025
Chinese Weapons Fueling Both Sides of Neighboring Border War
Thailand is looking into guided anti-tank missiles the army captured along the border amid the fighting with Cambodia that has renewed. The GAM‑102LR is a fifth‑generation precision‑guided anti‑tank missile (ATGM) developed in China. The Royal Thai Army said the captured missiles are in its custody and will not be handed over to anyone, according to Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Beijing’s defense exports are increasingly visible in regional conflicts, illustrating how Chinese military technology is shaping security dynamics in Southeast Asia. China has supplied VT‑4 tanks to the Royal Thai Army, based on a 2017 agreement.
Beijing’s defense exports are increasingly visible in regional conflicts, illustrating how Chinese military technology is shaping security dynamics in Southeast Asia. China has supplied VT‑4 tanks to the Royal Thai Army, based on a 2017 agreement.
Who Is Xu Bo? Chinese Billionaire Allegedly Has Over 100 US-Born Babies
Chinese gaming tycoon Xu Bo's company on Tuesday pushed back against claims he had fathered more than 100 children through surrogates in the United States.
Xu's case—detailed in an investigation published Saturday by The Wall Street Journal—highlights what researchers have described as a sharp increase in Chinese intended parents. This demand has been met by an expanding network of fertility clinics, surrogates, brokers, law firms, and nanny services aiming to fast-track the transfer of these children to China.
Though China relaxed its decades-old one-child policy to two children in 2015 and then to three in 2021, surrogacy remains banned in the country over concerns it commodifies impoverished women. The rise of Chinese elites spending millions to have large families in the U.S. has raised questions about how this largely unregulated industry will shape the upbringing and well-being of the children involved.
Xu's case—detailed in an investigation published Saturday by The Wall Street Journal—highlights what researchers have described as a sharp increase in Chinese intended parents. This demand has been met by an expanding network of fertility clinics, surrogates, brokers, law firms, and nanny services aiming to fast-track the transfer of these children to China.
Though China relaxed its decades-old one-child policy to two children in 2015 and then to three in 2021, surrogacy remains banned in the country over concerns it commodifies impoverished women. The rise of Chinese elites spending millions to have large families in the U.S. has raised questions about how this largely unregulated industry will shape the upbringing and well-being of the children involved.
US Eyes New Joint Base at China Chokepoint
U.S. and Philippine military personnel conducted a joint inspection of a new Philippine forward operating base in strategic Batanes province, as the allies explore deeper cooperation amid China's threats toward Taiwan. Batanes—an island group in the northernmost part of the Philippines—sits in the strategically critical Luzon Strait. The U.S. views the area as essential to blocking the People's Liberation Army Navy from gaining access to the wider Pacific during a potential conflict.
Its proximity to southern Taiwan also positions the U.S.—which shares a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines—could frustrate a future invasion. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be unified with by force if necessary, and in recent years has intensified military activities around the island.
Beijing has also stepped up its coast guard presence in Manila's exclusive economic zone, adding to territorial tensions between the two neighbors.
Its proximity to southern Taiwan also positions the U.S.—which shares a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines—could frustrate a future invasion. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be unified with by force if necessary, and in recent years has intensified military activities around the island.
Beijing has also stepped up its coast guard presence in Manila's exclusive economic zone, adding to territorial tensions between the two neighbors.
Peter Wehner: Trump’s Inferno of Hate Is Intensifying
The actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, the producer and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, were found stabbed to death in their home on Sunday. Yesterday, their son Nick, who has spoken about his bouts of drug addiction and homelessness, was arrested on suspicion of murder. With that news, a terrible event became doubly tragic.
Reiner was beloved by almost everyone who knew him. On social media, friends described him as generous, kind, funny, and a caring soul. The One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush called him an “almost indescribably wonderful man.”
But none of that mattered to Donald Trump, who tore into the murdered Hollywood star.
On Truth Social, President Trump described Reiner as “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star.” He added, without a shred of evidence, that Reiner’s death was “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” And just to be sure he was clear, Trump continued: “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.”
Reiner was beloved by almost everyone who knew him. On social media, friends described him as generous, kind, funny, and a caring soul. The One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush called him an “almost indescribably wonderful man.”
But none of that mattered to Donald Trump, who tore into the murdered Hollywood star.
On Truth Social, President Trump described Reiner as “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star.” He added, without a shred of evidence, that Reiner’s death was “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” And just to be sure he was clear, Trump continued: “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.”
Why China’s young are flocking to government jobs in record numbers
A record number of educated young Chinese are flocking to government jobs for security as the world’s second largest economy faces growing headwinds that have diminished prospects for private sector jobs. As many as 3.7 million applicants nationwide, including graduates from the country’s top universities, sat for the annual civil service exam last month. But only one in about 100 is expected to secure a place among the 38,100 entry-level government roles, starting next year.
Many were willing to take those odds as private job prospects dim amid an economic slump and worsening business sentiment. Unemployment among 16- to 24-year-old urbanites in China has stayed above 17% since July, compared to around 10% in the U.S.
Many were willing to take those odds as private job prospects dim amid an economic slump and worsening business sentiment. Unemployment among 16- to 24-year-old urbanites in China has stayed above 17% since July, compared to around 10% in the U.S.
Daughter of Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai tells CNN she is devastated by guilty verdict handed down to her father
The guilty verdict handed down this week to Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was expected but is still devastating, his daughter Claire Lai told CNN’s Jim Sciutto, blaming what she described as the city’s “highly compromised” legal system under Chinese rule.
Her father, 78, now faces the possibility of life in prison after his two-year trial under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.
Self-made billionaire Lai, founded a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper known for its blistering broadsides against the Chinese Communist Party until its forced closure in 2021.
Her father, 78, now faces the possibility of life in prison after his two-year trial under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.
Self-made billionaire Lai, founded a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper known for its blistering broadsides against the Chinese Communist Party until its forced closure in 2021.
China is building the world’s most powerful hydropower system deep in the Himalayas. It remains shrouded in secrecy
Hundreds of miles from China’s populous coastline, a sharp bend in a remote Himalayan river is set to become the centerpiece of one of the country’s most ambitious – and controversial – infrastructure projects to date. There, a $168 billion hydropower system is expected to generate more electricity than any other in the world – a vast boon for China as it hurtles toward a future where electric vehicles dominate its highways and power-hungry AI models race to out-compute international rivals.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the project to be “advanced forcefully, systematically, and effectively” during a rare visit earlier this year to Tibet, a region where Beijing continues to tighten its grip in the name of economic growth and stability.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the project to be “advanced forcefully, systematically, and effectively” during a rare visit earlier this year to Tibet, a region where Beijing continues to tighten its grip in the name of economic growth and stability.
China developing AI surveillance systems in minority languages, has launched a Tibetan large language model
The Chinese government is developing AI systems in the languages of the ethnic minorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to expand state surveillance and control, an Australian think tank has warned Dec 1. In this connection, China announced last month that it had launched a Tibetan large language model (LLM) and it would be made official after being registered with regulatory authorities.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has said in a report published Dec 1 that Beijing was developing LLM-based public opinion analysis systems for Korean, Uyghur, Tibetan and Mongolian. The goal, it said, was to increase the state’s ability to monitor and control communications in those languages across text, video and audio.
The report, titled “The party’s AI: How China’s new AI systems are reshaping human rights,” points to a government-backed laboratory at Minzu University of China as a key driver of the effort. China’s Ministry of Education is stated to have established the National Key Laboratory of Ethnic Language Intelligent Analysis and Security Governance at the university for this purpose.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has said in a report published Dec 1 that Beijing was developing LLM-based public opinion analysis systems for Korean, Uyghur, Tibetan and Mongolian. The goal, it said, was to increase the state’s ability to monitor and control communications in those languages across text, video and audio.
The report, titled “The party’s AI: How China’s new AI systems are reshaping human rights,” points to a government-backed laboratory at Minzu University of China as a key driver of the effort. China’s Ministry of Education is stated to have established the National Key Laboratory of Ethnic Language Intelligent Analysis and Security Governance at the university for this purpose.
China tests upgraded light battle tank for deployment in Himalayan Tibet
Both India and China have been continuing to strengthen their Tibet-border security with building and improvement of infrastructure, and deployment of various types of arms and equipment, while maintaining large bodies of troops in the wake of the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020. It has now been reported that China has upgraded its high-altitude light battle tank Type 99B with improved information-based command and communication capabilities and integrated firepower for deployment against India.
The reports about the upgraded battle tank came in the backdrop of India unveiling its indigenously developed Zorawar light tank for high-altitude mountain warfare, especially along the Tibet border, reported the scmp.com Dec 15, citing China’s state media.
The report cited state broadcaster CCTV as saying Dec 11 that the upgraded model had a raft of new features, and was shown going through testing of its driving capabilities and electronic systems in diverse terrain, as well as live-fire exercises.
The reports about the upgraded battle tank came in the backdrop of India unveiling its indigenously developed Zorawar light tank for high-altitude mountain warfare, especially along the Tibet border, reported the scmp.com Dec 15, citing China’s state media.
The report cited state broadcaster CCTV as saying Dec 11 that the upgraded model had a raft of new features, and was shown going through testing of its driving capabilities and electronic systems in diverse terrain, as well as live-fire exercises.
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