November 26:
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has said that if re-elected he will continue procurement of defensive weapons from the United States, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reports. Ma stressed that Taiwan will only buy weapons for its security and those it cannot produce itself, and renewed his call for Beijing to dismantle ballistic missiles targeted at Taiwan, calling them detrimental to cross-strait relations. Ma also denied allegations that Beijing backs his re-election bid: “Is Beijing kind to me when it has missiles targeting me?” he asked. If re-elected Ma said he will continue to promote rapprochement with China and touted the benefits of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed with Beijing in 2010. Taiwan’s President insisted that he will not visit the mainland, a proposition the opposition Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen said she would consider.
November 29:
Police in Tokyo, Japan have raided the offices of a semiconductor production equipment dealer after it exported technology to China that officials suspect will be used for military purposes. Kanagawa prefectural police officials said last year Intertec Corp. allegedly exported 500 sets of second-hand semiconductor manufacturing equipment items with built-in automatic control programs to China without obtaining the proper permissions. Police suspect semiconductors produced in China with the equipment have been used to develop missile control devices, Kyodo News Agency reports. Japan’s foreign trade law requires firms to obtain government permission before they export security related technologies.
November 30:
Ruili, Yunnan, a town on the China side of the China-Burma border, has hosted leaders of the Burmese separatist group, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and a Burmese government delegation in a failed effort to reach a political solution to the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Kachin State. Thanks to continuous artillery bombardment the KIO is losing ground to Burma’s army. According to a recent report, the fighting in Kachin State has resulted in “grave human rights violations in the region” and 30,000 to 40,000 locals have fled their homes. Burma’s President Thein Sein told the ASEAN summit in Bali that government troops could annihilate the KIO within a day, the Thailand-based Irrawaddy reports. Burma recently suspended a massive Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam in Kachin State, prompting Chinese concerns about the security of its economic investments in Burma.
[Editor’s Note: In a major breakthrough for the Burmese government, it concluded a cease-fire agreement with the Shan State Army-South. On November 19, Burmese government peace-making delegations met with four ethnic armed groups: the Shan State Army-South, the Karenni National Progressive Party, the Karen National Union and the Chin National Front separately to seek cease-fires. The other ethnic groups have yet to sign peace agreements, the Thailand-based Mizzima reports.]
China and Burma have signed a military agreement on defense cooperation in Beijing, indicating that the relationship remains close despite a thaw in U.S.– Burma relations. Chen Bingde, Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Burma’s armed forces, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on mutual defense that confirmed cooperation “no matter how the international situation changes.” Min Aung Hlaing also held talks with China’s Vice-President Xi Jinping. The Irrawaddy reports that Min Aung Hlaing’s sought China’s help against the KIO in Burma’s Kachin State located along the Yunnan border.
December 1:
Authorities in Liaoning are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to watch waters off North Korea. Liaoning, the first province to use drones for coastal patrols, has established an annual 10 million yuan budget, South Korea’s Choson Ilbo reports. Liaoning officials said UAVs will help prevent illegal activity at sea and collect information to protect the coast. Some suspect China is upgrading marine patrols in case of a sudden flow of refugees from North Korea. Li Ziwei, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The PLA’s drones are among the best in the world, able to climb tens of thousands of meters and stay in the air for almost 24 hours without refueling."
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