Taiwan Says Its Sovereignty Cannot Be 'Violated', as China Ends Coast Guard Patrol

China has ended a patrol off its eastern shores, stating that Taiwan's Maritime sovereignty cannot be "violated" by Chinese efforts to create a false impression of jurisdiction.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered after Japan and the Philippines said they would begin formal talks on their Maritime boundaries, viewing that as involving waters off Taiwan. Late on Wednesday, Chinese state media said the patrol had ended, after it had "inspected 198 passing vessels and rectified violations involving three ships", carried out a Hydrographic survey and patrolled areas where undersea cables are located.

Taiwan's Coast Guard said Beijing has no jurisdiction in those waters and that whenever Chinese ships appear, Taiwan's own vessels will "forcefully drive them away, and maintain the freedom and safety of navigation".

China recognises no sovereignty claimed by Taiwan, and Chinese warships and warplanes operate around the island on an almost daily basis.

Reference Sources

1. usnews - Taiwan Says Its Sovereignty Cannot Be 'Violated', as China Ends Coast Guard Patrol
2. france24 - Taiwan says Chinese vessels entered disputed waters in South China Sea
3. aawsat - Taiwan Says Chinese Ships Entered Waters of Disputed South China Sea Island

U.S. becomes India’s top gas supplier, as Iran war cuts it off from the Gulf

The US has emerged as the top supplier of liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas to India in May, as shipments from the Gulf countries fell due to traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

India imports 60% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG), and almost all liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies through the critical waterway, which has been disrupted since the US and Israel first struck Iran on Feb 28.

Washington supplied 630,000 tonnes of LPG to India in May, roughly 60% more than the 380,000 tonnes the country received from all the Gulf countries put together, as per data from Kpler.

The US exported 900,000 tonnes of LNG to India in May, which accounted for more than 40% of India's total requirement and was a threefold increase on April, Kpler said. Experts said that the conflict in the Middle East boosted us exports, but added that the rise was also driven by Washington's broader push to sell India more American energy.

Even before the start of the war, the two countries were deepening their energy trade.

Reference Sources

1. cnbc - U.S. becomes India’s top gas supplier, as Iran war cuts it off from the Gulf

Malaysia and South Korea collaboration to drive future national defence tech

Malaysia and South Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in defence procurement and technology development.

Kim Youngdo, a Digital Communications officer with South Korea's Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), emphasises the importance of prioritising homegrown national defence manufacturing and technology development during a media visit.

This can take the form of armament development through collaborative research and development in areas lacking capacity with foreign partners. In a report on the MOU signing from the Korea Times, Korean Minister of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Seok Jong-Gun, shared similar thoughts, saying that this involves more than armament exports from South Korea, but also developing the Malaysian arms industry. In the lead-up to the signing, Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the country has much to learn from South Korea, and further highlighted the country's advancements in aerospace, surveillance, Cyber defence, and advanced manufacturing.

Such Collaborations have already materialised with neighbouring countries, including Indonesia, which jointly developed the KF-21, a new multi-role fighter jet platform indigenous to South Korea, with its mass production beginning at the end of March this year.

Reference Sources

1. thestarmy - Malaysia and South Korea collaboration to drive future national defence tech

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.  

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