PRC / China
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Global Commons
PRC OKs massive hydropower dam across Himalayan gorge
FORUM Staff The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has approved plans for what would be the world’s largest hydropower dam on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River despite concern that it would harm downstream communities and fragile landscapes in India and Bangladesh. Experts also say tectonic plates below the Himalayan mountains, where the multistage Medog Hydropower Station is planned, make the…
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Global Commons
Report: PRC cyberattacks against Taiwan ‘increasingly severe’ in 2024
Reuters Cyberattacks on Taiwan government departments doubled in 2024 from the previous year to an average of 2.4 million a day, the self-governed island’s National Security Bureau said, with most of the hacks launched by People’s Republic of China (PRC) cyber forces. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and threatens to annex it by force. It recently has ramped up…
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Northeast Asia
Corruption may postpone CCP’s military modernization, report says
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s crackdown on military corruption in the past 18 months could hinder his military modernization goals for 2027 and beyond, according to the China Military Power Report released by the United States Defense Department in December 2024. The annual report provides the U.S. Congress an analysis of the People’s Republic of…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC funding in doubt for Cambodian canal, other promised projects
FORUM Staff Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said in May 2024 that a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-owned company would “totally” fund the Funan Techo canal. Phnom Penh touted the project linking the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand as an economic game changer. By August, Cambodian leader Hun Manet said at the project’s groundbreaking that the PRC…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Japan sharpens measures against airspace violations following Russian, Chinese military incursions
Felix Kim Japan is well positioned to deter and counter violations of its territorial airspace, officials and analysts said following recent incursions by Russian and Chinese military aircraft. “Japan will continue to develop the capabilities to deploy aircraft and other resources to monitor and push out [Russian aircraft] from Japanese territory,” Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at Japan’s International…
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Global Commons
Beijing’s rising cyberattacks underscore importance of global cooperation
U.S. Army 8th Theater Sustainment Command, National Security Law Team People’s Republic of China (PRC) cyberattacks increasingly have drawn the attention of global governments, security experts and businesses. Among these intrusions, the so-called Salt Typhoon hack stands out for its scale and sophistication, targeting critical infrastructure and government systems worldwide. The attack, revealed in late 2024, demonstrates the brazen nature…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korean troop deployment to Russia violates U.N. resolutions
FORUM Staff The European Union imposed new sanctions on two top North Korean defense officials in mid-December 2024 for their roles in deploying troops to aid Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. The EU targeted North Korean Defense Minister Ro Kwang Chol for his direct involvement in the military cooperation between the two regimes, including sending an estimated 11,000 troops to…
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Global Commons
PRC infrastructure scheme drowns Laos in heavy debt, high inflation
Voice of America Laos is straining under soaring inflation made worse by the stress of massive loans owed mostly to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for a series of mega-projects that have yet to pay off. The landlocked nation of nearly 8 million people has already deferred some payments. But economists and analysts say Beijing may start demanding a…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Upheaval undermines PLA capabilities, fosters distrust, analysts say
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has expanded his military purge to loyalists, raising questions about the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) readiness, Xi’s grasp on power, and distrust between the party leader and PLA elites. Beijing’s defense ministry announced in late November 2024 that PLA Navy Adm. Miao Hua was suspended pending an investigation into “serious…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC’s links to Russia, battle inexperience cited for slowing arms sales
Voice of America The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) drive to buttress its military modernization through increased international arms sales has slowed, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with experts citing Chinese-made weapons systems’ lack of battlefield testing as a detriment. The December 2024 report shows significant growth in total international arms sales driven by…
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