Video - North Korean official tells Channel news Asia: 'Pyongyang is capable of launching a first strike against the US.'

North Korean official tells Channel news Asia: 'Pyongyang is capable of launching a first strike against the US.'

WATCH: A North Korean official tells @JeremyKohCNA #Pyongyang is capable of launching a first strike against the US https://t.co/qTUQUs4zCA pic.twitter.com/1k6UlxiYqS

— Channel NewsAsia (@ChannelNewsAsia) April 15, 2017

The Institute for Science and International Security stated that #NorthKorea has as many as 30 nuclear warheads at present.

— InsideNK (@inside_nk) April 15, 2017

BREAKING: #NorthKorea new missiles pic.twitter.com/elMnggNoXp

— InsideNK (@inside_nk) April 15, 2017

NKorea: “The signal that they’re trying to send is that they are moving ahead with solid-fuel missiles” - @mhanham https://t.co/NUaQ1dQ9Aa pic.twitter.com/z88kyJOnor

— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) April 15, 2017

Some more shots of the "KN-08 painted black and stuck on a Musudan TEL" @armscontrolwonk pic.twitter.com/jIXzlzW7eG

— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) April 15, 2017

A look at #DPRK's submarine-launched ballistic missile, on display for first time, at military parade #Pyongyang pic.twitter.com/TpnZ5BsIna

— Jeremy Koh (@JeremyKohCNA) April 15, 2017

#BREAKING Vdeo reportedly shows at least 160K #Chinese troops underway to the #NorthKorea border! pic.twitter.com/WIJvLloMDC

— Saints Watch (@TheSaintsWatch) April 14, 2017

China warns of war as N Korea vows 'merciless' response to US. https://t.co/1xeVsjtpLv

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) April 15, 2017

China warns US after Mattis says Diaoyu islands covered by treaty.

China warns US after Mattis says Diaoyu islands covered by treaty. (channelnewsasia).

China warned the United States Saturday (Feb 4) not to destabilise East Asia after Donald Trump's new defence secretary said an island chain claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing was covered by a US-Japan military accord.

The Senkaku islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, sit in rich fishing grounds and are at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing, which claims they have been part of Chinese territory for centuries.

"The Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets have been an inherent part of Chinese territory since ancient times, which is a unchangeable historical fact," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, according to the official news agency Xinhua.

"We urge the US side to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks... and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation".

Speaking in Tokyo at the tail end of a visit to East Asia, new US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the islands were subject to a long-standing treaty between Washington and Tokyo.

"I made clear that our long-standing policy on the Senkaku Islands stands -- the US will continue to recognise Japanese administration of the islands," Mattis said.

"And as such Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty applies."

Article 5 commits the United States to defend Japan or territories it administers against any attack.
Lu said the US-Japan treaty was a product of the Cold War, and should not affect China's territorial sovereignty, Xinhua reported.

'The road to Hell is paved with Empty promises' Climate Promises Can't stop Asia's Coal Addiction.

'The road to Hell is paved with Empty promises' Climate Promises Can't stop Asia's Coal Addiction. (Bloomberg).

Asia’s demand for coal is likely to increase for years to come even though countries including China, Japan and India have agreed on steps to limit fossil-fuel pollution damaging the climate.

That’s the conclusion an analysis of Bloomberg New Energy Finance delivered at its conference in Shanghai on Wednesday. The charts below from a presentation by BNEF founder Michael Liebreich show the impact China’s coal consumption will have on the world’s climate goals.

At the same time, clean-energy investment is set to drop.

“Clean energy investment will be down 15 to 20 percent this year,” Liebreich said in an interview in Shanghai. “As things stand, it will not bounce back to a new record in the next five years” because of sluggish economic growth, moves by policymakers to reduce costs and the falling price of wind and solar equipment.

Meanwhile some 'Geniuses' will introduce carbon taxes on their economies killing all future growth. It really takes a special kind of stupid. Read the full story here.

Video - Footage of China's fifth generation fighter debut at Zhuhai Airshow

The Chinese Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is a fighter jet referred to the fourth generation under China’s classification and the fifth generation under the Western category system.

Some media sources have reported that Russian-made AL-31FN engines are mounted on the J-20 and the Chinese Army has purchased decommissioned engines of this type in large numbers. Read More here.

China Opposes US Indictment Of Firm Tied To North Korea Nukes

China Opposes US Indictment Of Firm Tied To North Korea Nukes. (NDtv)

China said Tuesday it opposes a US decision to bring criminal charges against a Chinese firm and executives for their alleged role in supporting North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

"We would like to stress we oppose any country carrying out so-called 'long-arm jurisdiction' over a Chinese entity or individual in accordance with its own domestic laws," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

Beijing has expressed its position directly to the US in recent communications, he added during a regular briefing.

On Monday the US Justice Department announced criminal charges against the Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development company and four Chinese nationals for conspiring to evade US sanctions on North Korea, violating US regulations against support for "weapons of mass destruction proliferators", and money-laundering.

In parallel the Treasury added the company and the four individuals to a sanctions blacklist, making them ineligible to do business with American individuals or companies, particularly financial firms.

The move follows an earlier announcement by Chinese authorities that they were investigating the company, located in the city of Dandong on the border with North Korea.

Geng said Beijing would "seriously punish any illegal activities by companies or individuals, once discovered".

He added that China was willing to cooperate with other countries, if needed, on the basis of "mutual respect and equal treatment." He also stressed that China opposes Pyongyang's nuclear programme and has been "faithfully observing" its commitment to UN sanctions.

However, customs data released Monday showed China's imports of North Korean coal have surged 60 percent since the latest sanctions went into effect in April, reaching nearly 2.5 million tonnes valued at $113 million.

Dandong Hongxiang logged more than $530 million in two-way trade with North Korea between 2011 and 2015, according to a recent report by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul and C4ADS in Washington.

That could have been enough to fund North Korea's uranium enrichment facilities, and to design, make, and test its nuclear weapons, the report said.

The North carried out its fifth and most powerful atomic weapons test this month, sparking moves to impose even tougher sanctions. Hmmm......As i said earlier Big Brother China will 'protect' North Korea, as they are their 'wild card' in the south China sea disputes.

Russian Analyst says North Korea will go ahead with ballistic missiles launches

Russian Analyst says North Korea will go ahead with ballistic missiles launches. (Tass).

North Korea will go ahead with launches of ballistic missiles and its missile program in general, the director of the Russian Strategy for Asia Center at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Economics, Georgy Toloraya, has told TASS.

"North Korea makes no secret of its intention to continue its missile program in defiance of all sanctions, and it will be doing so in an outspoken and challenging manner," Toloraya said. In his opinion, the latest launches are connected with the "US-South Korean exercise scheduled to begin soon."

"North Korea suspects that this exercise is directed against it," he said.

"Also, there are plans for practicing operations aimed at the elimination of the North Korean leadership and so on and so forth. Small wonder, therefore, there will be more launches in the future," Toloraya said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said that North Korea at 07:50 local time on Wednesday launched a ballistic missile from Hwanghae-namdo province towards the Sea of Japan. Last time North Korea launched two medium-range missiles Nodon and one short-range missile Scud on July 19. Hmmmm......Seems China has no desire to rein in North Korea, now that the South China sea is heating up.

Related: North Korea launches ballistic missile into Japanese waters.

The missile that landed in the Sea of Japan was launched at about 7.50am Seoul time on Wednesday (2250 GMT on Tuesday) from a region in South Hwanghae province to the south-west of the capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s office of the joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

The launch showed North Korea’s ambition to “directly and broadly attack neighbouring countries and target several places in the Republic of Korea such as ports and airfields”, the statement said, referring to South Korea by its official title.


The missile appeared to be a Rodong-type medium-range missile and flew about 620 miles (1,000km), it said. Read the full story here.

Lavrov: Frontiers of Russia’s Arctic zone can only be expanded.

Lavrov: Frontiers of Russia’s Arctic zone can only be expanded. (Tass).

The boundaries of the Russian Arctic zone can only be adjusted as regards their expansion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, delivering a lecture about the situation in the world at the National Educational Youth Forum "Territory of Meanings on the Klyazma."

He answered a question from the audience whether Russia, the United States and Canada intend to give their part of the Arctic to China.

"If the United States and Canada want to give part of their Arctic zone to someone - well, they are adults," he said, laughing. "But our Arctic zone - it’s our Arctic zone, and now its boundary is being adjusted as regards its expansion."

According to Lavrov, Russia has submitted a final bid for the expansion of the limits of its continental shelf in the Arctic.

"It has already been submitted to the UN Commission and will be considered in the next six months or a year", he said.

In August 2015, Russia filed a new bid for the expansion of the limits of its Arctic continental shelf through the inclusion into it of the Lomonosov submerged ridge and some other sections of the Arctic Ocean floor.

The Convention on the Law of the Sea enables a country to broaden its economic zone on the condition that the seafloor outside its border is a natural continuation of the continent’s fringe. Beside Russia, making claims to the areas under the masses of the Arctic Ocean water are Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US. Hmmmm......Putin will have Trudeau for appetizer. 

North Korea: " We will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula".

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry: " We will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula". (Tass).

The tense situation persists on the Korean Peninsula "due to the fault of the United States," a representative of North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"US deliberately aggravates the situation in the region by sending strike groups, including USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, USS Mississippi nuclear-powered submarine and strategic bombers," the diplomat said.

At the same time, Washington plans to send 12 F-16 fighter aircraft to South Korea to participate in maneuvers that will "train technique of delivering strikes at main military facilities of North Korea," he added. Pyongyang also criticized Washington’s decision to deploy THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea "will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and will take decisive measures," he warned. Read the full story here.

Merkel allegedly 'Proposed NATO Membership to Japan' in March 2015.

Merkel allegedly 'Proposed NATO Membership to Japan' in March 2015. (JapanNews).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly told Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe last year that his country could joint NATO counting on her support.

“We recognize the importance of maintaining dialogue with Russia.” This was inserted in a joint communique from the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting held in Hiroshima at the Japanese government’s desire.

Ever since Russia annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine in March 2014, the G-7 nations have continued to impose sanctions against Russia. Among these countries, the United States is particularly distrustful of Russia and U.S. President Barack Obama even gave bitter but sincere advice to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who maintains a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The word “dialogue” was incorporated in the joint communique, according to a Japan-Russia diplomatic source, because “if Abe visits Russia before the G-7 Ise-Shima Summit to make progress in negotiations over the northern territories, Japan can claim that his visit will not cause disarray among the G-7 nations.”

The northern territories issue is a weighty task that Abe has been focusing on.

In March last year, visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an unexpected proposal to Abe during a dinner meeting.

“Shinzo, why not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?” Merkel asked. “I can convince British Prime Minister Cameron and French President Hollande.”

Japan and Russia have long been caught in a dispute over the disputed islands referred to as the Northern Territories by Tokyo and the Kuril Islands by Moscow.

Abe reportedly said if Japan joined now, negotiations with Russia over the territories would stop. Read the full story here.

China - Shanghai coal imports jump in first two months to 1.94 million tonnes.

China - Shanghai coal imports jump in first two months to 1.94 million tonnes. (EyesOnChina)

 Imports of coal and lignite through Shanghai in January and February were up 150 percent year on year, the local customs authority announced on Tuesday.

Shanghai imported 1.94 million tonnes of coal and lignite in the first two months. The average price for a tonne of coal stood at 316 yuan (49 U.S. dollars), down 6.2 percent year on year, according to the customs.

During the period, coal imports from Australia more than doubled year on year to 566,000 tonnes, encouraged by tax cuts due to a China-Australia free trade agreement that took effect in December.

Shanghai coal imports from ASEAN countries reached 1.2 million tonnes in the first two months, up 90.5 percent year on year and accounting for 62 percent of its total imports.

Increased power demand and China's dropping domestic coal inventory contributed to the jump in imports, according to the customs. Hmmm........Will do wonders for the environment.     

China makes advance payment for Russian S-400 air defense system delivery.

China makes advance payment for Russian S-400 air defense system delivery. (Tass).

China has paid Russia an advance under a contract signed last year for the delivery of S-400 Triumf antiaircraft missile systems, Russia’s state hi-tech corporation Rostec Head Sergei Chemezov told TASS on Friday.

"We still have to go through a whole number of formal procedures, which we have not yet completed, although we have already received an advance payment. I believe we’ll settle these procedures by the end of the year," Chemezov said.

The deliveries of S-400 air defense systems to China under this contract may begin in the first quarter of 2017, Chemezov said.

A source in the system of Russia’s military and technical cooperation earlier told TASS that Beijing would receive the first S-400 antiaircraft missile systems no sooner than in twelve or eighteen months.

China’s deal to purchase S-400 Triumf systems was officially announced in the spring of 2015. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport Head Anatoly Isaikin didn’t disclose at the time the details of the contract, the number of S-400 systems that would be purchased by China or the timeframe of the deliveries.

According to media reports, the deal involves no less than six S-400 battalions worth a total of $3 billion.

One S-400 system can acquire 36 targets at a time with 72 missiles at a distance of 400 km. The S-400 Triumf antiaircraft complex is capable of hitting targets at an altitude of 30 km and can be used against ground objectives. More:

Communist China: "Female teachers preparing to have babies should get pregnant in the second semester".

Communist China: "Female teachers preparing to have babies should get pregnant in the second semester". (Icrosschina).

A contract dispute involving a pregnant teacher in central China has sparked online outrage over job discrimination against women.

A female teacher with Shangbo Primary School in Shangqiu City, Henan Province, posted pictures of a contract she signed with the school on microblog Sina Weibo, according to a report carried this week by the Voice of China.

Weibo user "5838013387" claimed that the school refused her application for maternity leave. After she decided to leave, the school fined her 800 yuan for breaking the contract.

According to the contract, the school "guarantees rest and vacation for its teachers," but any female teacher who "interrupts class schedules" due to pregnancy or other reasons should pay 2,000 yuan (307 U.S. dollars) in compensation for recruiting and paying replacement teachers.

"Female teachers preparing to have babies should get pregnant in the second semester," reads the high-handed provision. "If they get pregnant in the first semester, causing them to stop working or resign, they should pay 2,000 yuan in total."

Liu Zhu, headmaster of the private school, said the restrictive measure aims to "prevent disturbances to general school schedules."

"We will not stop anyone from becoming pregnant as long as their pregnancies do not interfere with the school curriculum," Liu said.

He added that the contract is signed annually, and that none of the 30-plus female teachers demurred when they signed it.

The story has spurred a wave of heated online discussions, with many netizens accusing the school of breaking the law.

"It's ridiculous," wrote Weibo user "Yigexingqiba." "Under such provisions, who dares to have a second baby?"

"This is obviously against the law, the teacher should file a lawsuit," read another comment.

According to China's Labor Law, all women are entitled to maternity leave when they work within the stated period of a contract. The law on the protection of the rights of women and children also stipulates that labor contracts should not contain any items restricting female workers from getting married or getting pregnant.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the case.
Though unlawful, job discrimination against women still pervades Chinese society.

According to a national survey by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), about 75 percent of women said they were fired after getting married or pregnant. Hmmmm......Two child policy... if it fits with the lessons. Read the full story here.

Iranian navy ships arrived in Tanzania.

Iranian navy ships arrived in Tanzania. (Taz).

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that the Islamic Republic’s navy fleet reached Tanzania.

"The warships would harbor in Dar es Salaam port in coming says," Fars news agency quoted him on Feb.25.

Last year, in April, Sayyari also said that Iran's 34th fleet has started a journey to the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb.


Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last November that “the advances in the Navy could not have been as outstanding as it is now; before the Revolution [1979], the sea had been downplayed in its prestige, grandeur, and strategic role in international politics; now however, the Navy have walked a long road, yet many miles should be covered to reach the optimal place”.

Related: Iran looking to lease land in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to grow rice, wheat.

Iran looking to lease land in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to grow rice, wheat.

Iran looking to lease land in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to grow rice, wheat. (Iranfrontpage).

Iran is reportedly looking to lease land in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for large-scale food production to serve local and export markets.

More than 10 Iranian companies have expressed interest in growing and processing rice, corn and wheat in East Africa, Iranian Ambassador to Kenya Hadi Farajvand has said.

He said Iran is supporting mechanized agriculture beyond its borders, with companies leasing huge chunks of land and applying modern agricultural methods to grow food for export to Iran.

The companies are willing to establish manufacturing plants in the region to cater to the local market and to export to Iran, Farajvand said.

The move is also aimed at narrowing trade deficit with the Horn Africa countries, which is in Iran’s favor, he added.

The East African Community (EAC) mainly exports unprocessed agricultural products like tea, coffee and meat to Iran. It imports oil products, machinery and telecommunication equipment from the Middle Eastern country.

Local trade experts said the region should strive to export more processed goods to Iran, beginning this year.

“The lifting of sanctions on Iran will pave the way for EAC member states to forge closer ties with Iran, but we need to export value-added products if we are to tilt the balance of trade in our favor,” Peter Kiguta, director-general of Customs and Trade at the EAC, told the Geeska Afrika news agency.

The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) expects exports to Iran to grow five-fold in one year with the opening of the market, it said.

Farajvand said the biggest challenge in fostering stronger trade ties between Iran and the EAC countries is the lack of political will in the region and limited information on the available opportunities in Iran.

He said many products from Iran are imported into the region through other countries, making the final product expensive. These imports include oil products, bitumen, ceramics and electricity equipment.

Iran’s Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati has said the government had envisioned investment on 500,000 hectares of farmland in a number of countries to produce food.

Last August, Agriculture Ministry’s Mohammad Reza Shafeinia said Iran had launched agricultural cultivation in Kazakhstan, marking its first farmland investment overseas.

Water-intensive rice and corn crops as well as oilseeds and livestock inputs have been cited by Agriculture Ministry officials as the target products which Iran seeks to grow on farmlands overseas.

Iran is pushing for development of 60,000 hectares of land to cultivate agricultural products in Brazil, Hojjati has said.

Food prices are a key driver of Iran’s double-digit inflation which shot over 40% under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Food security is a serious matter for Iran, given the size of its population which has grown over 80 million and seen its food basket grow smaller.

“Between 38-40% of the Iranian families’ economy is related to food which requires us to build a base for reducing prices of nutritional products and providing for facile access to them,” Shafeinia said. Hmmm.....Just imagine the pool of Shiite followers you can create....they did invent chess.

Quoting materials from Iran Front Page is permitted only if the source is mentioned by name.

China won't approve any new coal mines before the end of 2019.

China won't approve any new coal mines before the end of 2019. (NAC).

China won't approve any new coal mines before the end of 2019, the State Council said on Friday, as authorities work to slash overcapacity in the industry.

The country will shut down 500 million tonnes of capacity and consolidate another 500 million tonnes into the hands of fewer but more efficient mine operators in the next three to five years, according to a guideline issued by the council.

It said the government will continue to encourage mergers and acquisitions to make companies more competitive, and that the sector will be opened wider to private capital. The state council wants every coal producer's output to be no less than three million tonnes per year.

Massive coal production powered China's economic advance in the past few decades, but shrinking domestic demand amid the economic slowdown has made much of this capacity redundant.

Reducing overcapacity in sectors including coal and steel is a priority on the government's agenda.

In the past five years, China eliminated about 560 million tonnes of coal production capacity and closed 7,250 coal mines.

The country had about 11,000 coal mines at the end of 2015 with a total capacity of 5.7 billion tonnes.

China on Saturday urged U.S. not to undermine mutual trust and regional peace.

China on Saturday urged U.S. not to undermine mutual trust and regional peace. (NewsAcrossChina).

China on Saturday urged the United States to respect and abide by its laws, and not to undermine the mutual trust and regional peace and stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks as reports said a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhongjian Dao, Xisha Islands.

According to the China's law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone enacted in 1992, foreign warships entering China's territorial waters must be approved by the Chinese government.

"The U.S. warship violated Chinese law and entered China' s territorial sea without authorization. The Chinese side conducted surveillance and vocal warnings to the U.S. warship," Hua said.

Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun also issued a statement, saying the U.S. act severely violated Chinese law, sabotaged the peace, security and good order of the waters, and undermined the region' s peace and stability. The Defense Ministry is firmly against this, he said.

Yang said China's law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone accords with the international law and practice, and that many other countries have similar laws.

The Chinese government also issued a statement on territorial sea baseline on May 15, 1996, which announced part of the baseline of the territorial sea adjacent to China's mainland and the baseline of the territorial sea adjacent to the Xisha Islands.

"The U.S. side is fully aware of this, yet it still sent its warship into China' s territorial sea without authorization. It is a deliberate provocation," Yang said in the statement.

According to Yang, Chinese troops on the islands and Navy vessels and warplanes took actions immediately. They identified and verified the U.S. warship, warned and expelled it swiftly.

For many years, the U.S. side has proposed measures to ensure navigation safety of ships and aircraft of all parties, but it repeatedly sent vessels and planes into China' s territorial sea and air space regardless of China's opposition, leading to close encounters of navy and air force troops of the two countries, Yang said.

He added that the move on the U.S. side is very unprofessional and irresponsible for the safety of the troops of both sides, and may cause extremely dangerous consequences.

The Chinese armed forces will take whatever measures necessary to safeguard China's sovereignty and security, no matter what provocations the U.S. side may take, Yang said.  More on this story here.

China's mobile Internet security grim as malicious programs increase.

China's mobile Internet security grim as malicious programs increase. (IcrossChina).

Mobile Internet security is facing a great threat as malicious programs rose by 52 percent year on year in 2015, official data showed Friday.

More than 1.45 million cases of malicious mobile Internet programs that charge money compulsorily or steal personal information were found, according to the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center.

The center has blacklisted 29,000 programs and 120,000 mobile web site addresses.

Meanwhile, China has been tightening checks on mobile Internet app developers, apps stores and security software to curb the rise of malicious programs.

China lands 1st civilian plane on disputed Spratly Islands.

China lands 1st civilian plane on disputed Spratly Islands. (RT).

A test flight by a civilian plane landed on an island in the South China Sea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. It’s the first time China has done so in the disputed Spratly Islands. Tensions are now high with neighboring Vietnam and the Philippines.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at the weekend the test flight of a non-military aircraft was intended to check if the runway meets civilian aviation standards and fell “completely within China's sovereignty,” according to Reuters.

The runway is at the Chinese-administered Fiery Cross Reef, where Beijing has built an artificial island in the middle of the South China Sea. However, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines also lay claim to the area. The runway is 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet) long and is thought to be capable of serving long-range planes, including transport craft, bombers and fighter jets.

Both Vietnam and the Philippines have delivered formal diplomatic protests condemning China’s actions, Reuters reports.

"That's the fear, that China will be able take control of the South China Sea and it will affect freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight," the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose told reporters on Monday.Read the full story here.

Russia welcomes adoption of counter terrorist legislation by China.

Russia welcomes adoption of counter terrorist legislation by China.(RBTH).

Russia is confident that the adoption of legislation on fighting terrorism in China will help further consolidate counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.

"We are confident that the adoption of the said legislative act will help further consolidate dynamically developing Russian-Chinese counter terrorism cooperation within the framework of privileged strategic partnership between our two countries," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary available on its website on Dec. 30.


The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China passed legislation on fighting terrorism on Dec. 27.

Moscow and Beijing "stand up concordantly in favor of preserving the UN's central coordinating role in global anti terrorist efforts, which should be free from politicization and preconditions, setting up a broad antiterrorist coalition to combat ISIS [a terrorist organization banned in Russia], and taking comprehensive measures to oppose the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, including in the context of lowering risks for the Central Asian region," it said.


"Not only do Russia and China impartially assess the complicated antiterrorist situation in the world, but they also display preparedness to take joint measures to correct it," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

New law allows China's People's Liberation Army to undertake counter terror missions overseas.

New law allows China's People's Liberation Army to undertake counter terror missions overseas. (NewsIcrosschina).

A new Counterterrorism Law makes it legal for China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to get involved in antiterror operations abroad.

According to the law approved by China's top legislature on Sunday afternoon, the PLA and China's armed police forces could carry out counterterror missions overseas with the approval of the Central Military Commission.

Public security and national security authorities could also send personnel overseas for counter-terrorist missions, but these must be approved by the State Council and agreements signed with the countries concerned.

China has studied U.S. and European Union laws in drafting its own counterterrorism bill which requires tech firms to assist security authorities to prevent and investigate terrorism, an legislative official said here Sunday.

At a press conference held at the end of a week-long session of China's top legislature, Li Shouwei of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee legislative affairs commission, admitted that a number of countries and enterprises had voiced concerns about certain provisions in the law.

He pointed to Article 18 of the new law, which requires telecom operators and internet service providers to provide technical support and assistance, including decryption, to police and national security authorities in prevention and investigation of terrorist activities.

Li said the rule accorded with the actual work need of fighting terrorism and was basically the same as what other major countries in the world do.

"The clause reflects lessons China has learnt from other countries and is a result of wide solicitation of public opinion," he added.

"(It) will not affect companies' normal business nor install backdoors to infringe intellectual property rights, or ... citizens freedom of speech on the internet and their religious freedom," Li said.    

The law, which goes into effect January 1, was criticized by Western countries while it was being drafted, particularly over its cyber provisions. U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. State Department objected publicly to the law's requirement that overseas technology firms submit product encryption keys to the Chinese government as a condition for doing business in China.

 A key is a way of encoding messages so that two parties using communications software can exchange messages privately without fear of eavesdropping.