ALJACOBSLADDER.COM 

CHINA - THE OTHER SLEEPING GIANT

“  THE GIANT SLEEPS WITH ONE EYE OPEN, AMERICA SNORES AWAY
WHILE T-RUMP GOLFED AND WE INHERITED A MESS “

China Did Not Fail Under T-Rump  —  It Expanded  — Oh, so you know those tariffs are not paid by the Chinese, the Wall is not being paid by the Mexicans and thats costing you a personal minimum of  $600-800 a year more. And  go price some vegetables and necessities for your home  —  
The fees are passed on in the higher prices of the goods, how stupid can you be to not understand that simple explanation and it proves the America voter who believed in T-RUMP,  a dumbass and believes all the lies you were told and you just stand there and do nothing, you deserve what you get.

ONCE AGAIN  — OUTCLASSED —  XI SEES DONALD AS WEAK

XI-JIN-PING IS PRESIDENT OF CHINA FOR LIFE — WAKE UP AMERICA

HE IS IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN —  KEEP READING

Xi’s experience with T-RUMP has been different. Tangled in a trade war, he has had to calculate Trump’s real intent: on money, human rights issues, such as the Uyghurs or Hong Kong, and simply stopping the rise of the world's next superpower.  A diplomat, who had spent many years in Europe, told me in very precise terms that T-RUMP was intentionally preventing China taking its rightful place in the world as a high-tech advanced economy.  And he failed to do so just like everything else he touches.  The man is a living failure and a successful liar — 

— The One China Deal is real as the Chinese now rule Hong Kong.  More bullsh*t  and we are in a verbal and military buildup war with China and no trade agreements. In fact it has grown wider and more militaristic.  Just ask Wal-Mart and their stores full of Chinese products.  And the folks in Hong Kong who saw the one China Deal get cut by a Chinese bayonet either capitulate or get executed…little choice… their next attack will come to Taiwan.

CHINAS DREAM IS THE PACIFIC BECOMING THEIR PARTNERS  — 

Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — On a small group of atolls in the central Pacific Ocean, Kiribati islanders celebrated their Independence Day Tuesday with a President who had skipped the region's first face-to-face meeting in three years. 

President Taneti Maamau not only opted out of the Pacific Island Forum meeting in Suva, Fiji, but withdrew the country from the 18-member group as a matter of principle over a dispute involving its leadership.   Some saw Beijing's hand in Maamau's decision to leave the alliance, a claim China's Foreign Ministry rejected as "completely groundless" during a regular news briefing Monday.

But on Tuesday, it was the United States' turn to step forward with incentives for Pacific Island leaders to counter Beijing's efforts to dominate an increasingly competitive geopolitical tussle in a region of great strategic importance.

A senior administration official told reporters in a call the US was "significantly stepping up (its) game in the Pacific Islands."

The incentives included more funding for fisheries, extra aid, and offers of new US embassies in the Pacific -- including one in Kiribati, which along with the Solomon Islands appears to be moving closer to China. 

The measures will be personally presented to Pacific leaders Wednesday in a virtual address by US Vice President Kamala Harris -- underscoring Washington's efforts to stress the Pacific's importance to US strategy.

Kanton Island in Kiribati  —  It's not clear if Kiribati's decision to pull out of the forum influenced the scale of the US commitment -- the US has been promising greater engagement in the region for months as China sought to strike a flurry of deals with Pacific leaders. 

But Kiribati's decision to go it alone while tightening its economic and diplomatic ties with China shows the depth of the diplomatic challenges in the region -- and the pressure Pacific leaders are under as they try to manage their domestic and regional affairs.

"There's clear regional and subregional dynamics at play," said Anna Powles, a senior lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University in New Zealand. "What is unclear is what President Maamau's gameplan is, what he's hoping to achieve by withdrawing Kiribati from the forum, and how this will benefit the people of Kiribati."

China may deny playing a role in Kiribati's decision not to attend the forum, but Professor Anne-Marie Brady, a specialist on China's policies in the Pacific at the University of Canterbury, said Beijing's influence is clear.

"Kiribati appear to have been given instructions not to attend," Brady said. "The timing of the announcement shows it is meant to be a disruptor to Pacific unity, just when it was about to come up with a collective response on China's attempt to set up a security treaty in the region."

An Island Nation With Vast Fishing Resources  —  Kiribati is a group of 33 atolls scattered over a large area of the central Pacific, covering 3.5 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles) of ocean -- an area larger than India. Around 100,000 people live there under pro-BeijingPresident Maamau, who was re-elected for a second term in 2020.

Three years ago, when the Pacific Island Forum last met in Tuvalu in August 2019, Kiribati was aligned with Taiwan, the democratic island that China's Communist Party regards as its sovereign territory, despite having never ruled it. But within weeks of the forum, Kiribati followed the Solomon Islands in switching its allegiance to Beijing. And within months, Maamau had met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing to sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on China's Belt and Road initiative. Xi said China was willing to integrate the Belt and Road with Maamau's 20-year vision (KV20) -- from 2016-2036 -- to create a "wealthier, happier and peaceful country." 

"Kiribati is absolutely desperate for development, so it will be signing as many development agreements as possible," said Jess Collins, from the Lowy Institute's Pacific Island Program. "Thirty percent of Kiribiti's population live in poverty. You've got a growth rate of about 0.3 to 0.6%. They're really going to be struggling in the current economic climate."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Kiribati President Taneti Maamau in Tarawa, Kiribati, on May 27.

According to Maamau's KV20 blueprint, success depends on building the country's key sectors of tourism and fishing. Not only does Kiribati offer access to stunningly beautiful coral reefs, it has one of the world's largest exclusive economic zones.

"China is very invested in accessing Kiribati's EEZ and accessing Kiribati's fisheries," Powles said. Though it's unclear what role China played in Kiribati's decision to leave the forum -- if any -- Powles said there has been "significant concern about the level and extent of Chinese influence in Kiribati at the highest political levels.”

Diplomatic Maneuvers Overshadow Climate Crisis  —  Washington's promise of greater support and engagement came at the end of the forum's first full day, as leaders sought to present a united front over their biggest challenge -- the climate crisis.

"The time for slow and steady action has passed," Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman told the forum. "The Pacific Islands Forum leaders have called climate change the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and well-being of our people."

To help the Pacific Island respond to the threat, the US said it and its allies and partners -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom -- would establish the Partners in the Blue Pacific to support Pacific priorities and boost Pacific regionalism. It mirrors the name of the 50-year Blue Pacific plan the Islands are expected to launch on Thursday -- with or without Kiribati.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrives in Fiji on July 11 for the Pacific Islands Forum.

Other US commitments include tripling funding to $60 million a year for 10 years to secure US fishing rights in the Pacific, the release of America's strategy on the Pacific Islands and the appointment of the first US envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum. 

To achieve the US's soft power goals, the Peace Corps will return to four countries including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu and the US will increase aid funding to the region. 

"What we're putting on the table is a true partnership based on friendship, and respect and transparency," said a senior administration official. "What we offer is an affirmative positive agenda to take on short and long term challenges together.”

Strategic Importance  —  For China and the US, the entire Pacific region offers security and opportunity. But Kiribati's location offers something special -- a potential military port of call, as it has done in the past.

During World War II, the US and its allies used the single runway at Canton airport -- now called Kanton Island Airport -- as an important refueling stop for planes entering and leaving the Pacific. 

But when the war ended, its usefulness as a base waned, and the airport fell into disrepair.

In 1979, when Kiribati gained independence from Britain, the allied connection to the airport ended, but the US signed the Treaty of Tarawa, giving it the power to veto the use of former US facilities by third parties on Kanton and other islands. 

"The treaty says that facilities on the 14 islands where the US formerly claimed sovereignty could not be used for military purposes without the agreement of the US," Brady said. But she added there are ways around that. "A dual use facility, where the military functions are not immediately activated, could get around that provision."

"China is looking for a location for military facilities in the Pacific," she said. "As elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, the way they have been going about this is via dual use port and air facilities."

Last year Kiribati said China planned to upgrade the airstrip to better connect the islands and improve tourism -- a key part of its KV20 blueprint -- according to Reuters.

In May, the Guardian quoted Teburoro Tito, Kiribati's ambassador to the US and the United Nations, as saying that China had agreed in principle to finance the runway's upgrade, after the US said financing could take years. "The US turned us down," Tito said, according to the article.

CNN reached out to the US State Department to confirm the claim but didn't receive a response.

Beijing told Reuters last year that it was exploring plans to upgrade the airstrip at the request of the Kiribati government -- for use by civilians traveling within Kiribati. CNN has requested an update from Beijing on the status of the airstrip plans.

Pacific leaders have a busy agenda over the next two days as they consider the US's renewed vigor in the region -- and any rival offers from Beijing. 

"It is immediately obvious that geopolitics have intruded on the forum's agenda and will be a great distraction," said Patricia O'Brien, a visiting fellow in Pacific Affairs at Australian National University, before the US released its plan.

Among leaders' other priorities will be to continue efforts to bring Kiribati back into the "Pacific family." Though it remains to be seen if President Maamau sees a brighter future alone -- backed by China -- and if other Pacific nations will join him.

ASIAN, CHINA, And Other Partners  — China, Japan and 13 other Asian-Pacific nations have signed the world’s largest trading bloc in a deal many hope will hasten the region’s recovery from the shocks of the pandemic.  China and 14 other countries agreed Sunday to set up the world’s largest trading bloc, encompassing nearly a third of all economic activity, in a deal many in Asia are hoping will help hasten a recovery from the shocks of the pandemic.  The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was signed virtually on Sunday on the sidelines of the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The accord will take already low tariffs on trade between member countries still lower, over time, and is less comprehensive than an 11-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that President Donald T-RUMP pulled out of shortly after taking office.  Apart from the 10 ASEAN members, it includes China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, but not the United States. 

The accord is also a coup for China, by far the biggest market in the region with more than 1.3 billion people, allowing Beijing to cast itself as a “champion of globalization and multilateral cooperation" and giving it greater influence over rules governing regional trade, Gareth Leather, senior Asian economist for Capital Economics, said in a report.

THE CHINESE - T-RUMP DEBACLE

🇨🇳  We Are Not The Main Strongman In The Orient — The US military is not the primary force anymore in Asia, and it would struggle to defend its allies against the Chinese. This sobering assessment comes from a new report that claims missiles from China’s rapidly improving military could overwhelm US bases in the region in a matter of hours. 

So, Japan, Australia and other US partners need to bolster their forces in the region, said the report from the United States Study Center at Australia's University of Sydney. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said the country’s military policy is "defensive in nature." Hitler claimed that too,  that Germany was wronged and defensive…

China is merely seeking a place at the international table commensurate with its status, Fareed argues, and its rise is not necessarily incompatible with US aims. Some suspect Beijing of employing a “marathon” strategy to dominate the world in the long term. 

 

SHORT VERSION           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzrpCC7XmyE&pbjreload=10
FULL VERSION                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnoaWO3KDIA

 

NOT A TOURIST RESORT —  Knowing about the geostrategic value of the spratly islands holds an insightful position for understanding the interests of major powers. Spratly islands are located at the mildest of a major intersection of international sea and trade lanes. About one quarter of the world’s seaborne trade passes through these sea lanes. This includes vital oil from the Middle East to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. 

The nations that surround the South China Sea rely heavily on trade among themselves and with other nations for their continued economic growth and political stability. The proximity of the Spratly to South China Sea shipping lanes would be an important strategic element if any island claimant would decide to disrupt trade or create a conflict in the area. The region’s economic growth and security depend upon continued freedom of navigation for both merchant and military traffic. Likewise, the world economy is highly dependent on the free flow of goods through the South China Sea. 

The Spratlys are the heart of South China Sea both naturally and emblematically. In order to protect the claimed area, some nations have built small scale buildings and ports on their claimed islands and even some of them had stuck a few people in there, but as told earlier China believes the whole South China Sea is theirs and also the spratly islands belong to them therefore, China has started building the artificial islands there. Not just building the islands but also installing the military bases on these new artificially based islands, this took the conflict to an entire new level also showing that China is possibly willing to defend its claims with power. 

China is building man made islands because they are building naval bases on these islands, this is because the more islands they have the more ships they can support and by doing this they are slowly taking control of the surrounding territory. The Chinese are very careful using the cabbage strategy in the spratly islands to control the contested islands. They are doing it in small steps because they want to avoid a bigger conflict. But with the passage of time issues are getting intensified.  Countries like the Philippines and Vietnam are now actively arresting fishermen in the waters that they claim and China could go a step further. China also threatened to declare an Air Identification Zone above the South China Sea so that any aircrafts flying through the sea would need Chinese permission, in 2015. 

Armed Camp and Xi Keeps Kim Jung Un In Check… Even Putin is a Friend
It is not just an airfield nor a summer home for the Chinese military, it is an;  Armed camp; Marine base with support ships; An airport with both fighters and bombers; All types of missile capability in; Air-to-Air, Surface-to-Air, Surface-to-Surface and    Ship-to Air.

Hong Kong (CNN Business)The United States has escalated its trade war with China, hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports hours after trade talks held in Washington failed to produce a breakthrough. Tariffs on the targeted exports increased from 10% to 25% at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, prompting a swift rebuke from Beijing.

VIVID PICTURES OF CHINESE DEMOCRACY

The Chinese government expressed “deep regret over the development" and pledged to take "necessary countermeasures."  "We hope the United States will meet us halfway, and work with us to resolve existing issues through cooperation and consultation," China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. The ministry did not give specifics on how it would respond.

WAR IS NOT THE ONLY THREAT FROM CHINA

 CHINA'S LAX EXPORTED GERM WARFARE  IS

JUST AS DANGEROUS

⺞  Infectious diseases remain the major causes of morbidity and mortality in China despite substantial progress in their control.  China is the major contributor to the worldwide infectious disease burden because of its population size. 

⺞  The association of China with the rest of the world through travel and trade means that events in the country can affect distant populations. 

⺞  The ecological interaction of people with animals in China favors the emergence of new microbial threats. The public-health system has to be prepared to deal with the challenges of newly emerging infectious diseases and at the same time try to control existing diseases.

⺞ Currently Bird or Avian Flu —  According to WOAH, the disease is caused by influenza A viruses in the family Orthomyxoviridae.  It reports that because its identification in the People’s Republic of China in 1996, there have been multiple waves of intercontinental transmission of the H5Nx Gs/GD lineage virus.

⺞  The virus has resulted in the death and mass slaughter of more than 316 million poultry worldwide between 2005 and 2021, with peaks in 2021, 2020, and 2016. In 2006, 2016, 2017, and 2021, more than 50 countries and territories were affected by HPAI.

⺞ In addition, up to now, humans have occasionally been infected with subtypes H5N1, with about 850 cases reported, of which half died; H7N9 with approximately 1,500 cases reported, of which about 600 died; H5N6 with about 75 cases reported, of which about 30 died; H9N2 with about 75 patients reported, of which two died; and sporadic cases have been reported with subtypes H3N8, H7N4, H7N7, and H10N34,5,6,7,8.  —  

⺞  COVID-19 - China  —   5 January 2020  — Unknown — 

On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. As of 3 January 2020, a total of 44 patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology have been reported to WHO by the national authorities in China. 

Of the 44 cases reported, 11 are severely ill, while the remaining 33 patients are in stable condition. According to media reports, the concerned market in Wuhan was closed on 1 January 2020 for environmental sanitation and disinfection.

The causal agent has not yet been identified or confirmed. On 1 January 2020, WHO requested further information from national authorities to assess the risk.  National authorities report that all patients are isolated and receiving treatment in Wuhan medical institutions. The clinical signs and symptoms are mainly fever, with a few patients having difficulty in breathing, and chest radiographs showing invasive lesions of both lungs.

According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan Seafood market. Based on the preliminary information from the Chinese investigation team, no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission and no health care worker infections have been reported.

⺞  Public Health Response — National authorities have reported the following response measures: One hundred and twenty-one close contacts have been identified and are under medical observation;  The follow-up of close contacts is ongoing;  Pathogen identification and the tracing of the cause are underway;  Wuhan Municipal Health Commission carried out active case finding, and retrospective investigations have been completed; Environmental sanitation and further hygiene investigations are under way.

⺞  WHO is closely monitoring the situation and is in close contact with national authorities in China.  There is limited information to determine the overall risk of this reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology. The reported link to a wholesale fish and live animal market could indicate an exposure link to animals. 

⺞  The symptoms reported among the patients are common to several respiratory diseases, and pneumonia is common in the winter season; however, the occurrence of 44 cases of pneumonia requiring hospitalization clustered in space and time should be handled prudently.

⺞  Wuhan city, with a population of 19 million, is the capital city of Hubei province, with a population of 58 million people. WHO has requested further information on the laboratory tests performed and the differential diagnoses considered.

⺞  Based on information provided by national authorities, WHO’s recommendations on public health measures and surveillance of influenza and severe acute respiratory infections still apply.  

⺞  WHO does not recommend any specific measures for travellers. In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, travellers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share travel history with their healthcare provider.

⺞  WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the current information available on this event.   

⺞  BIG FRIKEN MISTAKE KILLED 5 MILLION PEOPLE

⺞  Infectious Diseases Are Not New In China — Spread Of HIV/Aids — HIV/AIDS was first reported in China in 1985 and by 1998 infection had spread to all 31 provinces. The 2007 estimate suggests that about 700 000 people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 50 000 new infections per year.  The Chinese Government has identified HIV/AIDS as a major threat to public health. The continuing challenges in the control of HIV/AIDS are outlined in a review by Zhang and colleagues in this Series.

⺞  SARS - An Airborne Pathogen —  The first new infectious disease identified in the 21st century was caused by the SARS coronavirus—an airborne pathogen.  The first cases of SARS were retrospectively identified in Guangdong Province in November, 2002. Infection spread within Guangdong and to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to other parts of the world. Simultaneously, SARS spread to other provinces in China, including Beijing (in March, 2003), resulting in the world's largest local SARS epidemic.  Overall, China reported 5327 of 8071 (66%) cases and 349 of 776 (45%) deaths from the 2003 worldwide SARS epidemic.  After some delay in response, the government mobilised the entire country to control the spread of the epidemic. After successful containment in June, 2003, three other laboratory-related outbreaks occurred in Beijing, Singapore, and Taiwan. The origin of the virus was never identified, but studies suggest that bats might serve as the animal reservoir and that civet cats might have been the immediate source of the virus that infected people.

⺞  Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) — The first human cases of avian influenza caused by the H5N1 strain were reported in Hong Kong in 1997, but the initial outbreak was contained by the rapid public-health response.

Since then, outbreaks have occurred in poultry or wild birds, or both, in at least 55 countries. By April, 2008, 382 human avian influenza cases (241 fatal) were documented in 14 countries.   Mainland China has had 88 avian influenza outbreaks in poultry and birds in 23 provinces, and it reported its first human avian influenza case in November, 2003. By the end of April, 2008, a total of 30 human cases and 20 deaths had been reported.

⺞  Streptococcus Suis —  Streptococcus suis (a microbe that occurs in pigs) caused the largest ever reported outbreak of infection in people in Sichuan province, China in 2005. The pathogen identified as causing human disease was a highly virulent clone.  A total of 215 human cases were reported, with 38 deaths.  Most cases were previously healthy adult male farmers who had been in contact with sick pigs or their products. No person-to-person transmission was noted.  Cases have also been reported in Vietnam, Thailand, the Netherlands, and other countries with intensive pig rearing.

⺞  Zoonoses And Infectious Disease Emergence —  Zoonoses—infections transmitted from animals to people—such as, SARS and avian influenza, are prominent in emerging infections in China and worldwide. Domestic and wild animals are sources of well characterised and new microbial threats to people. The increasing size and density of populations with the expanding interface between people and animals provide increased opportunities for previously unknown microbes to enter the human population.

As wealth has increased in China, consumption of animal protein has increased and the number of animals raised for food, especially pigs and poultry, has expanded rapidly. Between 1968 and 2005, the increase in the human population was less than two-fold (790 million to 1·3 billion), whereas it was almost 100-fold (5·2 million to 508 million) in the pig population and more than 1000-fold (12·3 million to 13 billion) in the poultry population.35 In China, as in most other developing countries, these animals are raised in close association with people, increasing the risk of transmission from animal to people.

The interest of the Chinese people in exotic food further increases the risk of transmission of infection from animals to people. Animals that previously were not used for food consumption are readily available in Chinese markets, in which live animals of diverse species might have contact with people and each other. People can come into contact with the microbial flora of animals through raising, collection, transportation, trade, slaughter, preparation, and consumption of animals and their products.

Movement of live animals and trade across borders are the other routes by which pathogens can reach new animal and human populations. Animals and birds that migrate or fly and are not confined in closed spaces share their microbial flora with other species. For example, studies show viruses that infect bats can cause disease and death in other species, including people.   Other examples include the SARS coronavirus and the Nipah virus, which have caused outbreaks in other Asian countries.   Other microbes not yet characterized but which might be pathogenic to people exist in animal populations. A related concern is that the increased use of antimicrobial drugs (including antiviral drugs) in animal populations could affect resistance profiles of bacteria and viruses that infect people. The Strepto - suis strains implicated in the outbreaks in China have acquired tetracycline resistance.

⺞  Outcomes Of Emerging Infectious Diseases —  Although the emerging infectious diseases in China have not resulted in large epidemics, they are important because of their potential for swift national and international spread if not quickly detected and contained;  Obviously COVID had not been active yet.

The spread of SARS is perhaps the best example to date. With less than 8000 cases worldwide, the SARS outbreak clearly showed how a new infectious disease can cause social instability and economic disruption with repercussions worldwide. 

The outbreak is estimated to have resulted in a total loss of US — $25·3 billion to China's economy and a 1–2% drop in China's gross domestic product growth rate for 2003.  Although the circulating H5N1 avian influenza virus does not transmit well from person to person, it could undergo genetic change that would affect transmissibility, or another influenza virus with pandemic potential could emerge.

Because of the potential for quick national and international spread of emerging infectious diseases, rapid detection and containment will be needed to prevent an epidemic or pandemic. Unusual and new infections might be highly visible, can provoke anxiety, disrupt travel and trade, and lead people to flee to try to avoid them. Resolution of these types of difficulties requires good science, surveillance, implementation of effective interventions; and an effective communication system to inform the at-risk communities and to educate them about the appropriate measures to be taken.

The enactment of the International Health Regulation is designed to improve communication and coordination between countries so that early reporting and response to emerging infectious diseases can take place. China is committed to implementing this new regulation. 

The importance of China in addressing emerging infectious diseases and being part of the worldwide surveillance and response network is highlighted by evidence suggesting that H3N2 influenza viruses originating in east and southeast Asia each year subsequently seed influenza virus epidemics worldwide.42

⺞  ADDITIONAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES FOUND IN CHINA

Plague
Epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis    
Scarlet fever
Epidemic encephalitis B (Japanese encephalitis)
Malaria
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever  (hantavirus haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome)
Hook-worm diseases
Brucellosis
Rabies
Anthrax
Hepatitis (A,B,C,E, other)
Diphtheria
Pertussis
Poliomyelitis
Measles
Dysentery
Cholera
Typhoid and paratyphoid
Dengue fever (1990)
Gonorrhoea (1990)
Syphilis (1990)
AIDS (1990)
Tetanus Neonatorum (1996)
HIV infection (1997)
Tuberculosis (1997)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (2004)
Schistosomiasis (2005)
Human avian influenza (2005)

⺞  Past notifiable diseases (notified from 1970–89)

Smallpox
Relapsing fever
Tsutsugamushi disease
Forest encephalitis (tickborn encephalitis)
Influenza

⺞  Past notifiable diseases (notified from 1970–2004)

Ship-fever (mainly louse-borne typhus)
Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis)

CHINAS NEWEST WEAPON

17 Oct 2022  —  Chinese state broadcaster CCTV shows a twin-seat J-20 leading several UAVs that may be GJ-11 Sharp Sword drones. China seeks to turn advanced drones into “loyal wingmen” for stealth fighter jets. Photo: CCTV

🇨🇳  China has started researching ways to turn the country’s advanced military drones into “loyal wingmen” for the country’s most powerful fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the J-20, state media reported.  Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) alongside piloted planes is a concept outlined by the United States in its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.  China has tried to adopt the concept for its joint combat operations, according to the Military Technology programme on state broadcaster CCTV aired on October 12.

🇨🇳 In a computer-generated graphic, CCTV showed a twin-seat J-20 commanding several stealth attack drones resembling the GJ-11 Sharp Sword drone. It is the first time state media has confirmed why the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group developed a twin-seat version of the J-20 – to accommodate a “weapons officer”.

🇨🇳 China’s biggest drone maker DJI blacklisted by US Defence department   Supported by artificial intelligence, big data, autonomous control, physical networks and other advanced technologies, China has become the world’s leading UAV developer in both the military and civilian arenas, CCTV said, adding that the country had developed different types of multirole drones of varying sizes and functions.

🇨🇳 In the combat zone of the future, drones will replace the role of piloted stealth aircraft in “door-breaching” assaults, Beijing-based defence expert Wei Dongxu told CCTV.  “In tomorrow’s battlefield, joint cooperation operations between the piloted fifth-generation aircraft and stealthy drones will make up a powerful, stealthy air-combat squadron, connecting and communicating by information link that is supported by big data,” Wei told the state broadcaster.

🇨🇳   “The back-seat pilot on a [twin-seat] stealth aircraft will give orders to their ‘loyal wingmen’ to make offensive attacks, letting the other [pilot] concentrate on flight control.”

CHINA GIVES A LOOK AT ITS FIRST DEDICATED DRONE SQUADRON

24 Sep 2022  —  The CCTV footage indicated China had started making the twin-seat J-20 to test the American NGAD concept, said Song Zhongping, a defence commentator and former instructor of the People’s Liberation Army.

🇨🇳  “In future, the GJ-11 would not be the only drone to be paired with the J-20 – other types of UAVs could also be optional ‘loyal wingmen’ to any aircraft platforms,” Song said.   

🇨🇳 “Also, the twin-seat J-20 aircraft will not be the only platform to apply the NGAD concept, because the new battle tactic could be also used on any twin-seat next-generation aircraft.”

🇨🇳 The PLA is coming up with more NGAD combat options, Ge Lide, a professor with the army’s National Defence University, told CCTV. He cited the specific design of the GJ-11 drone shown on CCTV as an example.

🇨🇳 “The compact body of the GJ-11 allows it to be launched on both ground-based airstrips and flight decks, while its embedded missile bay would increase its stealth, making it more capable of escaping radar detection,” Ge said.

🇨🇳 “The embedded missile bay may limit its payload, but its precision strike capability could fix such a problem.”

🇨🇳 ‘Use of military power needs to be normalized’,  Xi Jinping tells Congress.

🇨🇳 To enhance precision strikes launched by the “ Loyal wingmen”, China has also developed many types of “smart ammunition” with self-navigation capability, including miniatures such as the 850-gram (30-ounce) CH-817 mini-attack bomb, the 2,000-gram "Feihong-901”  cruise missile, the CCTV report said.

🇨🇳 In 2020, the exchange of drone attacks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh was a forerunner of combat tactics in future wars, pushing countries such as Russia, China, the US and other Western countries to step up their research into AI and drone technology.