June 17:
As labor strikes in China continue to spread, Hong Kong’s Apple Daily reports that Beijing is unlikely to give workers the freedom to form independent labor unions. To deal with the situation, the independent newspaper cites unnamed Beijing sources as saying that the powerful Central Commission of Politics and Law has determined to suppress the strikes using force if workers are reluctant to accept the determined salary increase and continue to take to the streets or set up illegal labor unions.
June 21:
During May’s U.S. – China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, senior U.S. officials were told by Chinese counterparts that Beijing would not brook any interference in the South China Sea, which, they said, was now among China's core national sovereignty interests, on a par with Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. To underscore this position, China subsequently conducted naval exercises around the Spratly Islands – disputed with Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. In response, at this month’s Asian Security Summit in Singapore U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the South China Sea was an area of growing concern for the U.S.: “We do not take sides on any competing sovereignty claims, but we oppose the use of force and actions that hinder freedom of navigation.” Gates also said a peaceful and non-coerced resolution to the Taiwan issue was “an abiding national interest,” and vital for the security of Asia. A new forum for defense ministers from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the U.S. will meet for the first time in Hanoi in October to address these outstanding issues, Australia’s Canberra Times reports.
[Editor’s Note: At present, Taiwan controls the biggest island in the Spratly island chain, Itu Aba. Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia hold atolls large enough for an airstrip. Many are now garrisoned with troops. Vietnam occupies 29 of the Spratlys claimed by China, the Philippines eight, and Malaysia three. China holds about nine tiny islands, none large enough for more than a helicopter pad and refueling docks for ships.]
June 26:
China's 2.3 million military personnel have been banned from blogging, creating websites or homepages, and online dating. “It means soldiers cannot open blogs on the internet no matter (whether) he or she does it in the capacity of a soldier or not,” Wan Long, a political commissar within China People's Liberation Army (PLA) was quoted as saying by the official state-run press the Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports.
Between 32,000 and 100,000 Taiwanese have taken to the streets to vent their anger at the recent trade deal between Taipei and Beijing. Although in the agreement China has offered relatively generous terms, opposition supporters fear the new trade pact, which will cut tariffs on exports and loosen curbs on investment, may harm Taiwan's economy. Under the agreement, Beijing will cut tariffs on 539 Taiwanese products including car parts, petrochemicals, and fruit. In turn, 267 Chinese products will benefit from reduced tariffs on the Taiwanese side. China will also be able to invest in some of Taiwan’s service industries, while Taiwan would gain access to the mainland’s computer services and airline maintenance sectors. Leaders of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party are calling for Taiwan to hold a referendum on the pact, known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, the BBC reports.
June 27:
To reduce dependence on oxygen cylinders and boost soldiers’ performance, the PLA has developed oxygen-enriched barracks for troops posted in Tibet. The state-of-the-art barracks are being built at Naqu Military Sub-Command in Tibet. They involve using plants to generate oxygen in a specially-equipped exercise room attached to the soldiers’ living quarters. Those that worked out in the room – as opposed to outside – were found to have 10% more oxygen in their blood and were relieved of altitude sickness, the Times of India reports.