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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Innovation-Driven Growth Gains Momentum: Report

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — The results of innovation-driven development are becoming more evident every day, and the strategy of driving development through innovation is gaining momentum, a State Council report said Tuesday.

    Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have made remarkable progress in becoming international hubs for scientific and technological innovation, according to a report submitted by the State Council to the current session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

    In 2024, the integrated circuit industry saw rapid growth, with production increasing by 22.2 percent and its export value exceeding 1.1 trillion yuan (about 153 billion US dollars), reaching a historical high.

    The report states that new batches of high-tech domestically produced equipment have been put into operation, including high-power tractors with continuously variable transmission and large-capacity liquefied natural gas tankers.

    The report shows that China’s scientific, technological and industrial innovation are deeply integrated, and the country’s construction of a modernized industrial system is progressing at an accelerated pace.

    China has also made progress in promoting green and low-carbon development, with energy consumption per unit of GDP falling by more than 3 percent in 2024. The report emphasizes that China has created a good foundation and favorable conditions for cultivating productive forces of new quality. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: The One Big Beautiful Bill Advances President Trump’s Commitment to Peace through Strength

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — The world is being reminded that peace is only possible when America leads from a position of strength. And that’s why the One Big, Beautiful Bill advances President Trump’s bold Peace through Strength agenda and charts America’s path to strength, security, and sovereignty.

    “While Congressional Democrats feign concern about the safety and wellbeing of U.S. service members, House Republicans are working to deliver legislation that actually accomplishes that and supports them. Amid this global threat landscape, there’s never been a better time for a piece of legislation, a once in a generation opportunity like the One Big Beautiful Bill,” Speaker Johnson said. “The One Big Beautiful Bill is a generational investment in American military might, and we need to get it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible.”

    Historic Investment for President Trump’s Golden Dome

    • $25 billion to develop this cutting-edge missile defense system. This system will defend Americans against hypersonic missiles, ballistic threats, and next-generation aerial attacks from our adversaries like China and Iran.

    Puts American Troops First

    • $8.5 billion to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers. This includes funds to improve military barracks and housing; enhance healthcare services; expand educational opportunities and professional assistance programs for military spouses; childcare assistance; among other programs to support servicemembers.

    A Down Payment on the Future of America’s National Security

    • $34 billion to expand the size and capabilities of our naval fleet
    • $21 billion to restock America’s arsenal of munitions and ramp up domestic production of rare earth and critical minerals
    • $13 billion to modernize the nuclear deterrence and readiness of nuclear forces
    • $11 billion to expand military exercises and improve the readiness of Indo-Pacific forces 
    • $7 billion to accelerate delivery of next-generation aircraft and autonomous systems

    BOTTOM LINE: The One Big Beautiful Bill is critically important and urgent to guarantee America’s ready, capable, and lethal fighting force.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, McCormick Push for Stronger Oversight to Prevent Currency Manipulation by Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Dave McCormick (R-Penn.) introduced the China Exchange Rate Transparency (CERT) Act, which would direct the U.S. Executive Director at the IMF to advocate for enhanced transparency in China’s exchange rate arrangements at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The bill also calls for stricter oversight of China’s compliance with its commitments under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement which prohibit countries from manipulating currencies.
    “As we work and trade with countries all around the world, it’s critical that every nation follows the same rules that make our global system fair,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I will continue to push for Communist China to be held accountable for unfair trade practices, like currency manipulation, which take advantage of the rest of the world.”
    “China’s currency manipulation and secrecy are further examples of the CCP putting American businesses at a disadvantage in the global economy,” said Senator McCormick. “We need more transparency and stricter oversight of China’s economic commitments. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Senator Cortez Masto and fellow Pennsylvanian Rep. Dan Meuser on this legislation to stand up to China’s economic malpractice.”
    Under Article IV of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has committed to orderly exchange rate arrangements, the avoidance of exchange rate manipulation, and cooperation with the Fund to ensure ‘‘firm surveillance’’ of PRC exchange rate policies. However, according to the Department of the Treasury’s most recent report on Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States, “China stands out among our major trading partners in its lack of transparency around its exchange rate policies and practices.” When any country artificially lowers the value of their currency, it allows them to sell to more countries than other nations who are trying follow the rules, gaining an unfair trade advantage.
    Read the full bill here. The House companion bill, H.R. 692, was introduced by Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Penn.-09) and passed the House of Representatives on February 10.
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and protect the American national and economic security. She introduced the PASS Act to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites and the Strengthening Exports Against China Act, which would incentivize economic growth by eliminating barriers for American businesses competing directly with China in emerging industries like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. She’s also introduced the Pacific Partnership Act to strengthen the United States’ strategic partnerships with Pacific Island nations, support sustainable development, and combat the increasing Chinese aggression in the region. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Vice Premier Calls for High-Quality Development of Manufacturing Industry, Strengthening Industrial Safety

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    TAIYUAN, June 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry and steadily strengthening industrial safety.

    Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour of north China’s Shanxi Province from June 22 to 24.

    High-quality development of the manufacturing industry is a top priority in achieving high-quality economic development, Zhang Guoqing stressed, pointing out that it is necessary to promote scientific and technological innovation and accelerate the construction of a modernized industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the core.

    The Vice Premier of the State Council called for promoting high-tech, digital and green transformation of the manufacturing industry.

    We should cultivate and strengthen green and low-carbon industries, increase the clean and efficient use of coal, and continuously promote the high-quality development of sectors such as coal liquefaction and gasification, fine chemicals and new materials, Zhang Guoqing said.

    The Vice Premier of the State Council also called for strengthening industrial safety in coal mines, combating various illegal activities in mines, and implementing strict liability measures for ensuring industrial safety. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China calls for real ceasefire, de-escalation in Middle East: Chinese FM

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China supports Iran’s efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty and security and achieve a genuine ceasefire on this basis that will restore people’s normal lives and contribute to an early de-escalation of the situation in the Middle East, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday.

    During the conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said that China intends to promote the UN Security Council in fulfilling its due role and most important responsibility in maintaining world peace and security.

    Wang Yi said China hopes Iran will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions, personnel and diplomatic missions in the country.

    A. Araghchi, for his part, emphasized that the dangerous actions of Israel and the United States, which attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, are a serious violation of international law, and therefore Iran has no choice but to fight back.

    The Iranian diplomat noted that genuine negotiations can only begin after Israel stops its aggression.

    Iran wants to maintain close contacts with China and expects China to play a stronger role in easing tensions, A. Araghchi added. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War will be one of the main themes of the exhibition “Far East Street” within the framework of the EEF-2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    11 regions of the Far East and federal ministries will present their key projects at the exhibition “Far East Street”, which will be held as part of the Eastern Economic Forum – 2025. Among the main topics are the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the victory over militarist Japan, support for a special military operation, the implementation of city master plans, and advanced technological developments.

    From September 3 to 6, the exhibition will be available to forum participants, and on September 7 and 8, it will be open to everyone. The exhibition is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District.

    “The exhibition “Far East Street” shows participants and guests of the Eastern Economic Forum qualitative changes in the economy and social sphere. This is a unique opportunity to introduce thousands of guests from dozens of countries of the world to the cultural features and unique traditions of various peoples, to attract investors and tourists to these territories. Everyone who comes to the EEF will be able to not only learn about the technological achievements of the Far Eastern regions, but also watch performances by creative groups, learn about the features of Kamchatka, Chukotka, Buryatia, Yakutia and other regions. Each region talks about its features, what it is proud of, presents plans for the future. This year, each Far Eastern region will pay special attention to two topics – the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and support for a special military operation. On “Far East Street” you can learn about the exploits of our fathers and grandfathers, about those guys who are defending the independence of the Motherland today, and about the support that the Far East provided then and provides now,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

    Currently, the appearance of the pavilions and the content of the exhibits are being updated.

    “The Far East Street exhibition is a vivid embodiment of the dynamic development of the macro-region, its economic potential and rich cultural heritage. The EEF is becoming a platform where the successes of the implementation of state policy to strengthen the Far East as a strategic center of national development are demonstrated. New opportunities for investment, tourism and international cooperation are created here, which is fully consistent with the course for sustainable growth and prosperity of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. This will traditionally be reflected in the expositions of the regions,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the Preparation and Holding of the Eastern Economic Forum.

    The Kuril landing operation on Shumshu, which took place in August-September 1945, was the last major episode of the Soviet-Japanese War and the end of World War II. The operation was aimed at liberating the Kuril Islands, which at that time were under the control of Japan. An installation dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War will be placed inside the Sakhalin Region pavilion. The exhibition “Roads of Victory” will tell about the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk operation and the landing on Shumshu. It is planned to show a film about the expedition to the island, videos about the reconstruction of battles in the Kholmsky and Smirnykhovsky districts. The Tourism zone will present new programs: military-historical tours “Battle for Shumshu” and “Liberation of the South of Sakhalin”, seasonal offers for winter and summer recreation, as well as gastronomic tours and the project “Far East – Land of Adventures”. In a separate zone “UAV and BEK” data on the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems will be presented. This topic will be dedicated to a separate exposition aimed at promoting Sakhalin’s achievements in this area.

    In the Khabarovsk Krai pavilion, the combined zone “Everything for Victory” and “Aircraft and Shipbuilding” will tell about the industrial potential of the region, about the parade dedicated to the victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II, on September 3. It is planned to use models of aircraft and ships as exhibition samples, and samples of products for the needs of the SVO will be demonstrated in holographic niches.

    A special place in the Magadan Region exposition will be given to the historical heritage – the role of Kolyma in the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as its contribution to ensuring the country’s success during the special military operation. The small pavilion of the Magadan Region will house the “Kolyma – from Victory to Victory” zone, which will introduce visitors to facts about the contribution of Kolyma residents to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and support for the SVO.

    An interactive stand in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War will be installed next to the Amur Region pavilion. Here visitors will be able to see unique historical materials, photographs, and veterans’ memories. Interactive elements will be presented that will allow you to delve deeper into the events of those years.

    The “Air Defense, Civil Defense and Emergencies” zone of the Primorsky Krai pavilion will be represented by a stand in the form of three vertical screens and will tell about the region’s contribution to the military-industrial complex of Russia, ensuring information and security of the population and participation in a special military operation. The stand can be controlled using a joystick. The section will show animated videos telling about Primorye residents – heroes of the Great Patriotic War. About 200 thousand residents of Primorsky Krai took part in the military operations of the Great Patriotic War – both on the European fronts and in China and the Korean Peninsula, where they fought against the Kwantung Army of Japan. Their feat became an integral part of the overall victory. It will also tell about modern fighters participating in the Air Defense. The format of the materials varies – from documentary biographies to artistic sketches reflecting the strength of spirit, courage and dedication of the people.

    The exploits of Yakutians in the Great Patriotic War and the special military operation will also be presented at the exhibition “Far East Street”. Snipers from Yakutia, such as Fyodor Okhlopkov and Ivan Kulbertinov, were known for their outstanding results and received wide recognition. In honor of Fyodor Okhlopkov, the All-Russian Long-Range Shooting Tournament is being held in Yakutia. In addition, the entire country knows the crew of the “Alyosha” tank, which performed a heroic feat during the SVO. Yakut enterprises supply electric enduro motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and other equipment to the front lines. In particular, for their active civic position and assistance in the special military operation, the companies “Timir AT” and “Yakt-Sokol” were awarded the public and business prize “Star of the Far East” in the nomination “Everything for Victory”.

    The “80 Years of Victory” zone in the Zabaikalsky Krai pavilion will be dedicated to the achievements of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the heroes of the special military operation. The exposition will use augmented reality technologies with biographical materials about the participants of these events.

    The Buryatia exposition will be presented in two pavilions. An outdoor exhibition area, an area for holding master classes, and a new space will appear – a spiritual cleansing area. A Buryat yurt will be installed here, inside which the Center for Eastern Medicine will operate. As part of the exposition, those wishing to will be able to compete in national sports and take part in the games of the peoples of Buryatia. A separate exposition will be placed demonstrating Buryatia’s contribution to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and support for a special military operation.

    The attention of visitors to the exhibition “Far East Street” will be attracted by the interactive museum of Kamchatka military glory, installed in the “Will of Man” zone of the regional pavilion. Guests will be able to learn about the exploits of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and the special military operation.

    The Jewish Autonomous Region will dedicate a “living newspaper” to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the exploits of the heroes of the special military operation. The structure with built-in screens and texts in the style of a printed spread will tell about fellow countrymen – participants of the Great Patriotic War and the Special Military Operation.

    The Chukotka exposition is dedicated to three significant dates: 95 years of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, 80 years of the Great Victory, and 10 years of the Eastern Economic Forum. The exposition will include a “Chukotka for Victory” zone, which will show video materials about Chukotka’s contribution to the victory during the Great Patriotic War. There will also be an interactive wall with images of defenders of the Fatherland: a pilot, a reindeer herder, and a soldier. The central element of the zone will be an art object dedicated to the participants of the special military operation.

    The unified exposition of the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and Arctic and the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation “Developing the Far” will be dedicated to the mechanisms of state investment support operating in the macroregion, as well as socially significant programs implemented on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at improving the quality of life of people. Thematic multimedia expositions “Travel”, “Study”, “Work” and “Live” will tell about the dynamics of the development of the economy of Far Eastern cities, opportunities for obtaining higher and professional education, tourist routes and hospitality facilities for recreation and new experiences. Each thematic zone will be equipped with multimedia equipment and filled with text and video content.

    Participants of the All-Russian travel competition “The Far East – Land of Adventures” will share their personal experiences of traveling around the Far East with the guests of the exhibition – in the pavilion you can see their video diaries, study the routes they have taken and get inspired for new trips.

    Traditionally, the Ministry of Sports will present its expositions on the “Far East Street”. The “Sport is the Norm of Life” pavilion will become a platform for discussing current topics in the industry, and sports activities can be enjoyed in the “GTO Arena” pavilion.

    The exhibition will open the “House of the Falcon” pavilion. It is also planned to expand the “Arab Village” exposition, which won recognition from participants last year and was timed to coincide with the international forum “Day of the Falcon”.

    The central venue will traditionally host cultural program events with the participation of representatives from all Far Eastern regions.

    The 10th anniversary Eastern Economic Forum will be held from September 3 to 6 on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. The organizer of the EEF is the Roscongress Foundation.

    The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of national and international congress, exhibition, business, public, youth, sporting and cultural events, created in accordance with the decision of the President of Russia.

    The Foundation was established in 2007 to promote the development of economic potential, advance national interests and strengthen Russia’s image. The Foundation comprehensively studies, analyses, formulates and covers issues on the Russian and global economic agenda. Provides administration and facilitates the promotion of business projects and the attraction of investments, promotes the development of social entrepreneurship and charitable projects.

    The Foundation’s events bring together participants from 209 countries and territories, more than 15,000 media representatives work annually at Roscongress venues, and more than 5,000 experts in Russia and abroad are involved in analytical and expert work.

    The Foundation interacts with UN structures and other international organizations. It develops multi-format cooperation with 226 foreign economic partners, associations of industrialists and entrepreneurs, financial, trade and business associations in 89 countries of the world, with 358 Russian public organizations, federal and regional executive and legislative bodies of the Russian Federation.

    Official telegram channels of the Roscongress Foundation: in Russian – T.Ta/Roscongress, in English – T.Ta/Roscongress, in Spanish – T.Ta/RoscongressP, in Arabic – T.Ta/Roscongressarabik. Official website and information and analytical system of the Roscongress Foundation: Roscongress.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission President’s participation at the WEF – E-000243/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. On 20, 21 and 23 January 2025, the President of the Commission participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission met with Her Excellency Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Helvetic Confederation, and the President of the United States National Academy of Medicine.

    The President participated in the following events:

    — Opening remarks and question and answer (Q&A) session at ‘Deutsche Meets Davos’ Event;

    — Opening remarks and Q&A session ‘Europe‘s Competitiveness Compass: A Conversation with Ursula von der Leyen and International Business Council’;

    — Opening remarks at the launch of the Energy Transition Forum ‘All Hands on Deck for the Energy Transition’, together with the President of Peru;

    — Opening remarks and Q&A session at Financial Times lunch;

    — Remarks at the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ high-level event, organised by Global Citizen as a follow up to the campaign launched with South Africa in November 2024.

    3. The President’s mission costs will be published on a dedicated website[1].

    2. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission delivered a keynote speech, where she addressed topics like competitiveness, simplification, decarbonization, energy supplies and the relations with China and the United States[2]. Following her address, she provided more details by replying to questions by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum. The keynote address and the exchange can be watched online[3].

    • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiative/meetings/mission.do?host=a2c7c963-a9ad-4c47-aa73-4bb46b06dd5d.
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_25_285.
    • [3] https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-265956.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: InvestHK holds reception to welcome new companies in Hong Kong and celebrate 25 years of impact (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         ​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) hosted a reception today (June 24) for new establishments of international and Mainland businesses in Hong Kong. An occasion to thank businesses for their trust and support in Hong Kong’s business environment, the event attracted nearly 350 senior representatives from companies worldwide. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the ceremony, reaffirming Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” connecting the Mainland and the rest of the world. He also encouraged companies to seize the myriad opportunities in Hong Kong to expand globally.

         In his keynote speech, Mr Lee said that under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys the advantages of being connected to both the Mainland and the rest of the world, offering an open and easy place to do business, a long and established tradition of the rule of law, and a simple and low tax regime. Mr Lee highlighted that as the world’s freest economy and one of the world’s top three international financial centres, Hong Kong’s global competitiveness has risen two places to rank third globally in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025, marking the second consecutive year of such advancement from its seventh place two years ago. In the recent World Investment Report released by the United Nations Trade and Development, the city has moved up to the third place in terms of foreign direct investment inflows. Mr Lee said that the Government will continue to co-ordinate the practical needs of enterprises across different sectors, enabling them to develop their business overseas through Hong Kong’s multinational supply chain management centre and explore new strategic blue oceans for development.

         This year, the reception not only expressed appreciation to the attending companies for their contributions to Hong Kong, but was also held to mark a significant milestone – the 25th anniversary of InvestHK. The department premiered its 25th anniversary video, celebrating its achievements and economic impact over the past quarter century, in the presence of Mr Lee; the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Maggie Wong, and other distinguished guests.

         The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, thanked InvestHK’s clients, partners, stakeholders, and other government bureaux and departments for their staunch support. She said, “For a quarter-century, we have helped international companies from around the world establish, grow, thrive here and beyond, to Mainland China and Asia. We are also the launchpad for Mainland companies to go global. InvestHK actively promotes two-way foreign direct investment between China and the rest of the world, using Hong Kong as a platform. Looking forward, we will continue to connect markets, empower growth, and create long-term value through two-way investment.”

         For photos of the reception, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720327068792.

                              

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Navy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today’s hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Navy”. Prepared text of his opening statement follows:
    “I’ll begin by welcoming Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James Kilby, and Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith. I’m grateful to each of you for your willingness to lead at a pivotal moment for the Department, and to the sailors, Marines, and civilian personnel who advance Navy and Marine Corps missions and keep America safe every day.
    “I’m particularly grateful to the sailors who have stood watch in the Gulf and the Red Sea over the last 20 months helping to defend Israel, US interests, and freedom of navigation against Iranian-backed terrorists. And to the crews deployed there right now who launched Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of the joint operation to strike what I hope is a fatal blow to Iran’s nuclear aspirations.
    “I also want to recognize the Marine Corps, whose fallen comrades were among the earliest victims of Iran’s decades-long war against the United States and Israel — those taken hostage with U.S. Embassy personnel in Tehran and the hundreds killed in Beirut in 1983, before any of us on this dais showed up in Washington.
    “Generations of servicemembers carry the scars of Iran-backed attacks on American personnel in the region over the decades. Their sacrifices remind us that ‘Death to America’ is more than rhetoric.
    “For too long, Tehran itself faced negligible costs for the actions of their terrorist proxies. Thanks to Israel’s initiative in turning the tables – and the President’s decision to back them up – the Islamic Republic is finally paying a steep price.
    “This weekend’s events are yet a further reminder of the challenges facing the joint force today. And my colleagues and I hope to understand the extent to which you think the President’s budget request would provide the resources necessary to meet, deter, and defeat them.
    “Each of the Services is grappling in its own way with the reality of renewed major-power competition and with the increasing alignment of America’s adversaries. As you know, major transformations test assumptions and service culture. They test the capacity of the industrial base. And, importantly, they hinge on transparent working relations with Congress and on robust and consistent full-year investments in major priorities.
    “I’ll offer just a few observations in this vein. First, the good: Secretary Phelan, I’ve appreciated your recognition of Congress’ role in equipping the Navy and Marine Corps and the collaborative approach you’ve taken with this subcommittee. Your willingness to communicate transparently will continue to benefit our shared mission of restoring the Navy’s preeminence. I also appreciate your persistent engagement with the maritime industrial base. Your travels to see our shipbuilding challenges across the country, firsthand, have not gone unnoticed. We will not solve this problem without the private sector.
    “Likewise, General Smith – The Marine Corps spent years developing a clear rationale for major transformation, made tough and deliberate choices, and engaged Congress effectively along the way. Marine Corps Force Design 2030 continues to offer other services valuable lessons as they pursue transformation efforts of their own. I look forward to hearing how the Marine Corps’ own transformation to meet future threats is going: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But, to be quite frank, the decisions this Administration has made on resourcing the Department of Defense – a full-year CR that failed to address rising costs of operations and maintenance and major modernization requirements, a one-time reconciliation investment that risks new cliffs for sustainment, and a base request for FY26 even lower than the previous Administration’s FY25 request – make each of your jobs more difficult.
    “At the most basic level, an FY26 base defense topline that doesn’t keep pace with inflation – let alone with the ‘pacing’ threat of the PRC – does not show we’re serious about the tasks before us. Neither does pretending that one-time injections of funding are a substitute for consistent appropriations. For example, none of you needs me to point out the breadth of bipartisan support for accelerating procurement of Virginia-class submarines. If the Administration shares our interest in meaningfully expanding shipbuilding capacity, why are investments like this one not built into the base budget request? Why are we allocating funds under extraordinary parliamentary authorities for capabilities that would otherwise have been funded in an annual appropriation? Will the Navy even be able to complete two Virginia class subs with reconciliation money before the funding expires? 
    “Leaving aside the color of money, we’ll also want to hear your assessment of the impediments to delivering essential capabilities like submarines, destroyers, and amphibious vessels at the speed of relevance. This subcommittee has been consistently generous, but despite pouring billions more dollars into the effort, the timeline for producing a Virginia-class sub continues to stretch longer. Of course, we don’t just need to build platforms faster. We need to figure out how to make munitions more efficiently – especially the exquisite missile defense interceptors and long-range fires on which current operations are relying so heavily. How has the Navy handled the high operational tempo in the Red Sea? How does the FY26 request reflect the urgent need to deepen our magazines in a more cost-effective manner?
    “Finally, I’m curious about the lessons your services are taking from current conflicts. What has the Navy learned from the demands of long deployments and the costs of air wing accidents on the U.S.S. Truman? What lessons is the service taking from Ukraine’s decimation of Russia’s Black Sea fleet? How is the Navy approaching force protection itself? Is it hardening major assets, both in port and at sea? Does it have sufficient resources to do so?
    “What is the Marine Corps learning from Russia’s ground war in Ukraine? How does information-sharing at the cutting-edge of modern warfare inform the service’s ongoing transformation effort? To what extent is success in the face of unique Indo-Pacific circumstances dependent on things outside your control, like logistics and transportation provided by other services or commands?
    “I will be curious for each of your observations. I would just suggest that any honest accounting of the task at hand will have to reckon with the deficiencies of the defense topline. If our objective is to build a force capable of projecting power globally to deter, fight, and prevail against Chinese aggression, possibly while engaged in conflict in other theatres, I don’t see how this budget request gets us there. So we’ll look forward to your testimony in just a moment.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Colleagues Call for Plan to Address Communist China’s Forced Labor Transfers of Uyghurs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and three other senators sent a bipartisan letter to the Chair of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) Christopher Pratt. The letter calls for the FLETF to take action to prevent Communist China’s circumvention of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA) through forced labor transfers. The letter comes in response to a joint investigation, led by the New York Times, that found that the Communist Chinese government is forcing thousands of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities to work in factories outside Xinjiang. Communist China’s deplorable actions have complicated enforcement of the UFPLA. These actions enable Communist China to skirt accountability for its human rights abuses, artificially lower the cost of producing goods, and undermine American workers.
    “On May 29, 2025, the New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Der Spiegel published a joint investigation detailing efforts by Communist China to ship tens of thousands of Uyghur workers out of the Xinjiang province—and into factories across China,” said Ricketts. “It is clear based off of the joint investigation referenced above that further measures are needed to drastically expand the UFPLA Entity List to address these forced labor transfer programs outside Xinjiang and crack down on Communist China’s evasion of U.S. law.” 
    In addition to Ricketts, other signatories include Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Curtis (R-UT), and Chris Coons (D-DE). All are members of the Foreign Relations Committee. 
    Read the full letter here or below: 
    Dear Under Secretary Pratt, 
    We write to raise concerns regarding increased efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to utilize State-directed labor transfer programs to circumvent the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA). 
    Since the implementation of the UFPLA’s enforcement mechanism in June 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reviewed over 11,000 shipments covering billions of dollars of various products, including apparel, automotive parts, chemicals, electronics, flooring, and solar panels. These actions have incentivized companies to increase their supply chain due diligence and shift their supply chains away from suppliers that exploit Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China, particularly in Xinjiang. As a result of this enforcement, however, the PRC is now actively working to sidestep our forced labor prohibitions. 
    On May 29, 2025, the New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Der Spiegel published a joint investigation detailing efforts by the PRC to ship tens of thousands of Uyghur workers out of Xinjiang and into factories across China. Over 100 companies in at least five major industries appeared to receive Uyghur workers or parts or goods produced by them. According to a February International Labor Organization report, these labor transfer programs used measures “severely restricting the free choice of employment.” 
    The UFPLA requires the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) to produce and update an entity list, including “a list of entities working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor or receive forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.” CBP is required to enforce the prohibition of imported goods from entities on the UFPLA Entity List. Currently, the entity list contains 144 entities, with 37 added just in January. However, it is clear based off of the joint investigation referenced above that further measures are needed to drastically expand the UFPLA Entity List to address these forced labor transfer programs outside Xinjiang and crack down on the PRC’s evasion of U.S. law. 
    We therefore request a briefing by July 18, 2025, on the actions FLETF intends to take to prevent the PRC’s circumvention of the UFPLA through forced labor transfers and the FLETF’s plan for engagement with the private sector to improve compliance with the UFPLA. We stand ready to work with FLETF to ensure it has both the resources and authorities necessary to tackle these grotesque human rights abuses that the PRC uses to artificially lower the costs of goods and undermine American workers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China to Strengthen Ties with Islamic Countries and OIC – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China will continue to work with Islamic countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to promote the continuous development of relations with them, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

    Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a question about the 51st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, which was held from June 21 to 22 in Istanbul, Turkey.

    The official representative recalled that the participants of the event recognized China’s efforts to protect Muslim communities, highly appreciated the comprehensive development of relations between China and Islamic countries, and expressed hope for further strengthening of cooperation between the OIC and China.

    “This is the sixth time that the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ resolution has included language that is friendly to China. The Chinese side welcomes this,” Guo Jiakun said.

    Calling the OIC a symbol of unity and independence of Islamic countries and a bridge for developing their ties with China, Guo Jiakun noted that in recent years, China, Islamic countries and the OIC have continuously deepened mutual trust, expanded cooperation in various fields and strengthened inter-civilizational exchanges, which has yielded significant results.

    The Chinese diplomat also pointed out that representatives of the OIC and its member states have visited China on numerous occasions, including to Xinjiang. According to Guo Jiakun, this has allowed them to better understand China’s ethnic and religious policies and the development situation in Xinjiang, and to give a positive assessment of what they have seen. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mariam Kvrivishvili appointed Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Tbilisi, June 24 (Xinhua) — Mariam Kvrivishvili has been appointed Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. This was announced by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at a briefing at the government administration.

    The appointment follows the resignation of Levan Davitashvili, who previously held the post.

    Since May 2021, M. Kvrivishvili has held the position of Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and oversaw key areas, including the development of tourism and aviation.

    In 2019-2020, she headed the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

    M. Kvrivishvili is also a member of the political council of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

    L. Davitashvili has been appointed to a new position — Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister on Economic Issues, as well as Secretary of the Economic Council. He has headed the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development since February 2022, while simultaneously serving as Deputy Prime Minister and then First Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Opposes Resolving Disputes Through Force — Chinese Foreign Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China opposes the use of force to resolve disputes and always stands for peace, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

    Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

    As the Chinese diplomat noted, Israel and the United States used force against Iran, citing “potential future threats,” thereby seriously violating international law and encroaching on the sovereignty of the Iranian state.

    Dialogue and negotiations are the only way out of the situation, Wang Yi said, stressing that all parties should resume dialogue on an equal basis and promote the return of the Iranian nuclear issue to the path of political settlement.

    The head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry also drew attention to the fact that the Palestinian issue remains the core of the Middle East problems and in this regard it is necessary to facilitate the implementation of the two-state solution.

    H. Fidan, for his part, said that if Israel wants to protect its security, it should agree to a two-state solution and stop the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

    He added that Türkiye expects to strengthen communication and coordination with China in order to jointly achieve peace and stability in the Middle East region. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: About one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    June 24, 2025

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, World Bank, and Global Energy Monitor, Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker
    Note: LNG=liquefied natural gas, FSRU=floating storage regasification unit

    • In 2024, about 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transited the Strait of Hormuz, primarily from Qatar. The strait is a critical route for oil and petroleum products as well.
    • Qatar exported about 9.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exported about 0.7 Bcf/d, accounting for nearly all LNG flows from the Persian Gulf through Hormuz.
    • We estimate that 83% of the LNG that moved through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024 went from Persian Gulf countries to Asian markets. China, India, and South Korea were the top destinations for LNG moving through the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for 52% of all Hormuz LNG flows in 2024. In 2024, disruptions to LNG flows through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, and more U.S. LNG exports to Europe pushed LNG exports from Qatar away from Europe to Asia.
    • Kuwait and the UAE imported LNG that originated outside of the Persian Gulf, including from the United States and West Africa. Bahrain began operating an LNG import terminal in April 2025 and also received cargoes that transited Hormuz from outside of the Persian Gulf, including recent cargoes in April and June that originated from the United States.
    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration analysis based on Vortexa tanker tracking data
    Note: 1Q25=first quarter of 2025. figure data

    Principal contributors: Candace Dunn, Justine Barden

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: New industrial strategy brings Rachel Reeves’ securonomics to life – but will it protect Britain from more supply chain shocks?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Phil Tomlinson, Professor of Industrial Strategy, Co-Director Centre for Governance, Regulation and Industrial Strategy (CGR&IS), University of Bath

    Peter Titmuss/Shutterstock

    Brexit, COVID, the war in Ukraine and now Trump’s tariffs have all highlighted how vulnerable life in the UK is to disruptions in trade. Everyday items that people rely on can be subject to major shortages, delays and price rises, due to something as simple as a ship getting stuck in a canal.

    This is because the UK is hugely reliant on other countries to provide much of what it needs. Medical supplies, cars, electronics and fruit are just a few of Britain’s favourite things that it tends to buy in from elsewhere.

    Global supply chains deliver lower prices and wider choice to consumers but they are also often highly complex. In the car industry for example, components may move within and between companies and cross national boundaries many times, before ending up in the final assembled vehicle. This can make them vulnerable.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    In response to the disruption of recent years, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has long been arguing for what she calls “securonomics” – investing in domestic energy sources and resilient networks. So perhaps it was no surprise that the British government’s new industrial strategy plans emphasise the importance of supply chain security.

    A new industrial competitiveness scheme for example, is designed to cut energy costs for the UK’s most energy intensive firms, which manufacture things like steel, ceramics and glass. This should help domestic supply capacity.



    Read more:
    UK plan to cut energy bills for industrial firms threatens to leave small businesses out in the cold

    A reported £600 million has also been allocated to develop the UK’s logistics industry. And there is a proposal for a “national supply chain centre” to identify weaknesses, enhance domestic capability and build strategic international partnerships. Vulnerabilities and dependencies will also be more closely monitored.

    Another focus will be to diversify critical supply chains by reducing the UK’s dependence on single supplier nations (such as China for rare earth elements or semiconductors). One option should be strengthening alliances with friendly nations (known as “friendshoring”) with the aim of embedding supply chains in places that can be relied upon.

    The recently announced trade deals with the US and India, and signs of greater cooperation with the EU do offer some promise in this area. Trade deals help with supply chain cooperation, but could go further and include resilience initiatives (such as creating joint stockpiles of things like critical minerals) to reduce disruption in the future.

    An increased supply of cyber security.
    metamorworks/Shutterstock

    Manufacturing from home

    On the domestic front, the UK could still do more to incentivise “reshoring” (bringing some manufacturing or production of goods back to the UK). Reversing decades of decline in these sectors would be challenging, and require a long-term investment in domestic capacity and skills. But it could also deliver a boost to jobs and growth, potentially in parts of the UK which need it most.

    Given recent geopolitics, the government has also prioritised strengthening the defence supply chain, allocating £173 million of new funding on defence infrastructure and skills. Developments are are at an early stage, but the recent UK-EU security and defence partnership is a welcome start. And more work will be needed to make UK-EU collaboration on building a resilient defence industry across Europe a reality.

    Supply chains within that industry (and others, such as healthcare) can be vulnerable to cyberattacks and economic coercion from malicious groups and hostile foreign states. So enhancing cybersecurity in logistics and infrastructure will also be critical.

    This will mean better protection for ports, customs systems and logistics software. There is some limited additional funding on offer for this, but more will be required, which in turn will open up new opportunities for firms in the cyber industry. Indeed, a “cyber cluster” of businesses is already emerging in central England from the government defence and technology campus at Porton Down in Wiltshire across to GCHQ – the national centre for intelligence and security – in Gloucestershire.

    But with still much to do, overall Reeves has been right to stress the importance of supply chains. They are crucial to people’s jobs and homes, the medicines they need and the food they eat. And supply chain security is not just an economic issue. It is a strategic imperative for safeguarding the UK, its businesses and the welfare of its citizens.

    The tone of the new industrial strategy reflects Reeves’s “securonomics” rhetoric. But how far this goes in actually strengthening supply chains and boosting their resilience remains open to question, especially in the context of limited resources and a chancellor keen to build a reputation for fiscal prudence.

    Phil Tomlinson receives funding from the Innovation and Research Caucus (IRC).

    David Bailey receives funding from the ESRC’s UK in a Changing Europe programme.

    Paddy Bradley is affiliated with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise based at Newcastle University.
    He is Chair of TransWilts Community Interest Company which aims to increase public use of trains and buses in the Wiltshire area.
    He is Chair of Governors of Wiltshire College and University Centre.

    – ref. New industrial strategy brings Rachel Reeves’ securonomics to life – but will it protect Britain from more supply chain shocks? – https://theconversation.com/new-industrial-strategy-brings-rachel-reeves-securonomics-to-life-but-will-it-protect-britain-from-more-supply-chain-shocks-258410

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union & Allies Advocate for American-Made Ship Production

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    On Tuesday, IAM Union leaders, a congressional delegation and local shipbuilders gathered at Boston Ship Repair, an IAM-represented repair yard in downtown Boston, to call attention to the need to reinvigorate America’s domestic shipbuilding and repair industry. In recent years, global shipping companies have overwhelmingly chosen to use cheap labor and materials to source vessels primarily from China. As a result, this strategically vital domestic industry along with its highly skilled workforce have suffered greatly. These leaders met in a call to action to reinvigorate domestic shipbuilding for the sake of U.S. economic and national security.

    The post IAM Union & Allies Advocate for American-Made Ship Production appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese doctor Zhang Junqiao’s heroic act demonstrates deep friendship between China and Africa – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — The heroic act of Chinese doctor Zhang Junqiao demonstrates the deep friendship between China and Africa and the extraordinary devotion, dedication, love and fighting spirit of Chinese medical teams, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

    The head of the 27th Chinese medical team in Tanzania, anesthesiologist Zhang Junqiao, died on June 15 while rescuing a drowning woman off the coast of Dar es Salaam.

    “We express our sincere condolences to Zhang Junqiao’s family and mourn the loss of an outstanding member of China’s medical teams providing aid to Africa,” the diplomat said.

    Guo Jiakun noted that it has been 62 years since China sent its first medical team to Africa in 1963, and nearly 57 years since China began sending medical teams to Tanzania.

    The kind and highly skilled members of the Chinese medical teams have treated and saved many local residents and trained local teams, Guo Jiakun said, adding that the work of the Chinese medical teams has made a great contribution to strengthening the friendship between China and African countries.

    “The people of China and Africa will never forget this. History will not forget this either,” the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry summed up. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The first plenary session of the 16th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC was held in Beijing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — The first plenary meeting of the 16th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) of China was held in the Chinese capital on Tuesday, where various bills and reports were reviewed.

    The meeting was chaired by Zhao Leji, Chairman of the 14th NPC Standing Committee.

    The deputies reviewed draft laws on social assistance, on medical care, on responding to public health emergencies, and on propaganda and education in the area of the rule of law.

    In addition, draft amendments to the Law on Punishment for Disorderly Conduct, the Law on Combating Unfair Competition, the Law on Maritime Commerce, the Law on Fisheries, the Law on Civil Aviation, and the Law on Food Security were considered.

    Legislators considered a proposal to ratify the Convention on the Establishment of the International Mediation Organization.

    The financial report on the execution of the central government budget for 2024, the audit report on the execution of the central government budget and other budget revenues and expenditures for 2024, reports on the development of productive forces of a new quality, on the powers of individual deputies and on personnel changes were also reviewed. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 8 people killed, 84 injured as a result of missile strike on central Ukraine – head of Dnipropetrovsk OVA

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KYIV, June 24 (Xinhua) — At least eight people were killed and 84 others were wounded on Tuesday in a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s fourth-largest city of Dnipro, located in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration (OVA) Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.

    According to him, 62 victims were hospitalized, seven of them are in serious condition.

    S. Lysak added that due to the Russian attack in Dnepr, civilian infrastructure was damaged, including a dormitory, a gymnasium and an administrative building, and a train was also damaged.

    In addition, the head of the OVA reported that the Russian Federation attacked the city of Samara, which is located approximately 26 km from the Dnieper. There, according to S. Lysak, two people were killed and 11 more were injured. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Acts as a “Peace Broker” in the Ukrainian Crisis – Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, June 24 (Xinhua) — China is acting as a “peace broker” in the Ukrainian crisis and is making efforts to facilitate peace talks, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in a written interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Monday.

    “Since the comprehensive escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, China has been acting as a ‘peace broker’ and has been making consistent efforts to end the fighting and facilitate peace talks,” he said.

    The Chinese ambassador stressed that China’s position on the Ukrainian issue is consistent and clear: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed, reasonable security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts for a peaceful settlement deserve support. “This is the authoritative position and fundamental principle of the Chinese side on the Ukrainian issue,” the ambassador explained, adding that China welcomes and supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace, and will continue to take an objective and fair position, promote consensus building and create conditions for resolving the crisis.

    According to Zhang Hanhui, Li Hui, the special representative of the PRC government for Eurasian affairs, has already conducted four rounds of “shuttle diplomacy,” covering four continents – Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. He visited both the parties to the conflict – Russia and Ukraine – and key European countries, including France and Germany. In addition, deep exchanges of views were held with countries of the Global South, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa. “These efforts have received wide approval and high praise from the international community, including Russia,” the diplomat noted.

    In addition, in 2024, China and Brazil jointly established the Friends of Peace platform through the UN to seek ways to peacefully resolve the Ukrainian crisis, and several meetings have already been held. According to the ambassador, this group has become an important mechanism through which the countries of the Global South express their position on the Ukrainian issue and which reflects the common desire of the international community for a ceasefire and peace. “In its work, the group invariably adheres to an impartial, objective and open position, and is always ready to listen to the views and positions of all parties to the conflict, including Russia. The group adheres to the principle of consensus and focuses on promoting all actions that contribute to a political settlement and the restoration of peace,” the ambassador added.

    At the same time, Zhang Hanhui confirmed that China did not participate in the discussions on sending peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone. “The Chinese side believes that three basic principles must be observed when sending peacekeeping forces: consent of the parties to the conflict, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense. At present, there are serious disagreements between the parties concerned on the issue of post-war peacekeeping, there is no sign of an end to hostilities, and the number of casualties continues to rise,” the diplomat noted, adding that China calls on all parties to continue efforts to reduce tensions, create favorable conditions for dialogue, and open a “window” of opportunity for peace.

    The Chinese ambassador acknowledged that the causes of the Ukrainian crisis are complex. He recalled the Chinese proverb that “a meter-thick layer of ice does not form in a day,” so “melting” it also takes time. “The end point of any conflict is the negotiating table. The Chinese side welcomes the holding of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul and hopes that all parties can reach a fair, sustainable, binding and mutually acceptable peace agreement through dialogue and negotiations,” he said.

    Zhang Hanhui pointed out that following the direct talks in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine reached agreements on issues such as prisoner exchange, which created favorable conditions for establishing peace and was an important step forward. As the Chinese ambassador emphasized, China calls on the parties to the conflict to demonstrate a desire for negotiations, and also hopes that the parties concerned can provide favorable external conditions for the negotiation process, jointly support the trend towards peaceful negotiations, and ultimately come to a political settlement.

    According to the diplomat, China hopes that peace and stability will be restored on the European continent as soon as possible, and is ready to continue to make constructive contributions to this. “Regardless of how the situation develops, China will always stand on the side of peace, on the side of dialogue, and on the right side of history. We will continue to make efforts to resolve the crisis and end the fighting, maintain contact with all parties, and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to promoting a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” Zhang Hanhui assured. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Joint construction of the Belt and Road has entered a new stage of high-quality development – Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, June 24 /Xinhua/ — The joint implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative has entered a new stage of high-quality development. China intends to accelerate the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and deepen strategic cooperation with Russia in various fields, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in a written interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Monday.

    “Currently, global, epochal and historical changes are unfolding in an unprecedented way, and the joint construction of the Belt and Road has entered a new stage of high-quality development. We will accelerate the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, comprehensively deepen strategic interaction between China and Russia and practical cooperation in various fields, and invest even more effort in the joint development of the two countries, in the implementation of modernization by our countries, and in protecting multilateralism and the free trade system,” the ambassador emphasized.

    As Zhang Hanhui noted, China and Russia are good neighbors, time-tested true friends and natural partners in the joint construction of the Belt and Road. He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation three times and delivered an important speech in support of this initiative, which “fully reflects Russia’s serious attention and support.”

    The Chinese ambassador pointed out that in May this year, during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia to attend the ceremonial events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the leaders of China and Russia signed a Joint Statement on Further Deepening Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation in the New Era. The document reaffirms the commitment of both sides to both jointly promoting the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the EAEU and promoting the joint and coordinated development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Eurasian Partnership. According to the diplomat, this outlined the direction for further deepening cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the joint construction of the Belt and Road.

    “The Chinese side is willing to take the implementation of the important agreements reached by the two heads of state as an opportunity to firmly adhere to the Silk Road spirit of peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win, as well as the principle of joint discussion, joint construction and shared benefits,” Zhang Hanhui said.

    He also noted that, in accordance with the agreement reached, the Russian President will visit China and take part in commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. “This not only clearly demonstrates the strong personal friendship between the leaders of the two states, but also fully reflects the high level and special nature of the Chinese-Russian relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction,” the Chinese Ambassador to the Russian Federation added. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Issouf Binaté, enseignant-chercheur, Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké

    Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa as the geopolitical and economic landscape in the region shifts. In Senegal, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has entered a key partnership in the oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Karpowership, a company providing electricity via floating power plants, now supplies energy to eight African countries. But Turkey’s not stopping there. As part of its soft power strategy, it is also winning hearts and minds through education and culture while deepening trade and security ties.

    Historian Issouf Binaté, who has studied Turkey’s growing presence in west Africa, breaks down how Ankara is positioning itself as an alternative to both former colonial powers and newer global players competing for influence on the continent.

    What drives Turkey’s growing influence in west Africa?

    Turkey’s foreign policy in west Africa leans on two main pillars.

    One is institutional power, driven by state-backed agencies (embassies, the religious affairs directorate Diyanet, and the economic cooperation agency (TIKA) .

    The other is more grassroots, led by non-state actors such as religious foundations and NGOs.

    These groups laid the groundwork for Turkey’s African expansion long before Ankara officially stepped in.

    A key player in Turkey’s earlier outreach was the Gülen movement, named after preacher Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024). The Gülen movement pioneered Turkey’s soft power approach with “Turkish schools”, starting with the Yavuz Sultan Selim and Yavuz Selim-Bosphore high schools in Dakar in 1997.

    Also at the end of the 1990s a network composed of Turkish business leaders and social activists under the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists, which claimed over 100,000 member companies, expanded Turkey’s influence across Africa. At that time, Turkey had only three diplomatic representations for the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

    The more recent contact with Africa comes at a time when western hegemony faces growing criticism from a new generation of Africans engaged in decolonial movements. Gülen-affiliated institutions now number 113, alongside religious and secular schools run by other groups like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi. Since the 2016 political rift between Gülen and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, these schools were gradually transferred to Maarif Foundation, Turkey’s state-run overseas education arm.

    Back in 2003, Turkey had only 12 diplomatic missions across Africa. Today, that number has grown to 44, bolstered by Turkish religious foundations (like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi), NGOs, and entrepreneurs who have filled the gap left by the Gülen movement.

    Another powerful player in Turkey’s Africa strategy is Turkish Airlines, now one of the top carriers on the continent. It is now flying to 62 airports in 41 African countries.

    What role do west African students trained in Turkey play?

    By investing in education, Turkey didn’t just open its doors to African students. It also planted the seeds for a long-term influence strategy. These students, and more broadly young African migrants trained in Turkey, are now among the key messengers of “Turkishness” back home.

    In doing so, Ankara is following a familiar path once used by colonial powers. They used student mobility as a powerful tool for their diplomacy.

    This policy of openness took several forms. As early as 1960, it welcomed students from non-self-governing territories in accordance with UN General Assembly resolutions.

    Then, in the 1990s, Turkey continued this effort through a scholarship programme for African students, supported by the Islamic Development Bank. During this period, Turkey launched the Büyük Öğrenci Projesi (Great Student Project), which provided scholarships to international students.

    Starting in 2012, this programme was re-branded as YTB (Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı, or Directorate for Turks Abroad and Related Communities). It introduced reforms, including a digital application process for scholarships via an app on the YTB website. This shift caused a dramatic spike in interest. Applications soared from 10,000 to 155,000 between 2012 and 2020.

    For non-scholarship students, Turkey simplified visa processes, reduced tuition fees, and offered other incentives. These measures contributed to a significant increase in the number of applicants to study in Turkey. As the number of universities in Turkey jumped from 76 to 193 between 2003 and 2015, the country became increasingly attractive.

    By 2017, Turkey had become the 13th most popular destination for students from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Campus France (a platform that supports international students studying in France). By 2019, there were an estimated 61,000 African students studying in Turkey.

    Now, nearly three decades into this strategy, many of these former students are stepping into new roles. They are taking over from Turkish entrepreneurs in fostering socioeconomic ties with Africa. They also act as bridges, promoting Turkish universities and supporting visitors in areas like medical and industrial tourism.

    In Istanbul, some run cargo companies – some of them informal – that ship goods to Africa. Others are working to formalise these ventures and build long-term economic bridges. Groups like Bizim Afrika, a network of African Turkish-speakers, and the Federation of African Students in Turkey (founded in 2019), are playing key roles in shaping this next chapter of Turkey–Africa relations.

    How is Turkey’s strategy in west Africa different from that of China or France?

    In substance, Turkey’s strategy isn’t so different from that of France or China. It also carries traces of colonial thinking, even though its approach leans more on religious soft power like building mosques across Africa. Unlike France, which used force in its colonial past, Turkey is trying to gain influence through other means. It uses familiar tools: embassies, schools, cinema, security services, and development agencies.

    However, Turkey has learned from the criticism faced by western powers at a pivotal moment in Africa’s global relations.

    While access to Europe, the US and Canada has become more difficult due to stricter visa rules, Turkey has opened its doors. It eased visa procedures for African business people, expanded its universities, and promoted medical tourism.

    Turkey has become a hub for several sectors. It’s a major centre for nose surgery (rhinoplasty), hair transplants, and textiles. Its textile industry now supplies traders at Makola Market in Accra, Adjamé’s Forum in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Grand Marché in Bamako.

    Turkey has also capitalised on the security crisis in the Sahel, where France’s military presence has become controversial. It stepped in by selling Bayraktar TB2 drones and offering private security services to some governments.

    Is this Turkish presence set to last?

    Turkey’s presence in Africa is now visible in several symbolic ways. You can see it in Maarif schools, murals at Abidjan airport, the “Le Istanbul” restaurant in Niamey’s government district, or the National Mosque in Accra, modelled after Istanbul’s Blue Mosque.

    Turkey’s engagement is a work in progress. But its outreach to Africa is already yielding results. Trade volume reached US$40.7 billion in 2022. The return of the first waves of African students trained in Turkey has shifted the dynamic. Cooperation no longer relies solely on Turkish business people and social entrepreneurs.

    Even though African elites often speak English, French or Arabic, new voices are emerging. Young people trained in Turkey are beginning to find their place. Many work in import-export, construction, and even Islamic religious leadership. This trend points to promising prospects for long-term ties.

    For Turkey, Africa represents a continent with major economic opportunities. Becoming a trusted partner is now a key goal. On the diplomatic level, Turkey gained observer status at the African Union in 2005 and has hosted Turkey-Africa summits in Istanbul since 2008.

    This growing involvement suggests that Turkey’s role in Africa is likely to last. It will depend on the continent’s market needs, especially at a time when many African countries are rethinking their relationships with traditional western powers and international institutions.

    Issouf Binaté does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power – https://theconversation.com/turkey-is-stepping-up-its-influence-in-west-africa-whats-behind-its-bid-for-soft-power-256929

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Issouf Binaté, enseignant-chercheur, Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké

    Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa as the geopolitical and economic landscape in the region shifts. In Senegal, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has entered a key partnership in the oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Karpowership, a company providing electricity via floating power plants, now supplies energy to eight African countries. But Turkey’s not stopping there. As part of its soft power strategy, it is also winning hearts and minds through education and culture while deepening trade and security ties.

    Historian Issouf Binaté, who has studied Turkey’s growing presence in west Africa, breaks down how Ankara is positioning itself as an alternative to both former colonial powers and newer global players competing for influence on the continent.

    What drives Turkey’s growing influence in west Africa?

    Turkey’s foreign policy in west Africa leans on two main pillars.

    One is institutional power, driven by state-backed agencies (embassies, the religious affairs directorate Diyanet, and the economic cooperation agency (TIKA) .

    The other is more grassroots, led by non-state actors such as religious foundations and NGOs.

    These groups laid the groundwork for Turkey’s African expansion long before Ankara officially stepped in.

    A key player in Turkey’s earlier outreach was the Gülen movement, named after preacher Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024). The Gülen movement pioneered Turkey’s soft power approach with “Turkish schools”, starting with the Yavuz Sultan Selim and Yavuz Selim-Bosphore high schools in Dakar in 1997.

    Also at the end of the 1990s a network composed of Turkish business leaders and social activists under the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists, which claimed over 100,000 member companies, expanded Turkey’s influence across Africa. At that time, Turkey had only three diplomatic representations for the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

    The more recent contact with Africa comes at a time when western hegemony faces growing criticism from a new generation of Africans engaged in decolonial movements. Gülen-affiliated institutions now number 113, alongside religious and secular schools run by other groups like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi. Since the 2016 political rift between Gülen and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, these schools were gradually transferred to Maarif Foundation, Turkey’s state-run overseas education arm.

    Back in 2003, Turkey had only 12 diplomatic missions across Africa. Today, that number has grown to 44, bolstered by Turkish religious foundations (like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi), NGOs, and entrepreneurs who have filled the gap left by the Gülen movement.

    Another powerful player in Turkey’s Africa strategy is Turkish Airlines, now one of the top carriers on the continent. It is now flying to 62 airports in 41 African countries.

    What role do west African students trained in Turkey play?

    By investing in education, Turkey didn’t just open its doors to African students. It also planted the seeds for a long-term influence strategy. These students, and more broadly young African migrants trained in Turkey, are now among the key messengers of “Turkishness” back home.

    In doing so, Ankara is following a familiar path once used by colonial powers. They used student mobility as a powerful tool for their diplomacy.

    This policy of openness took several forms. As early as 1960, it welcomed students from non-self-governing territories in accordance with UN General Assembly resolutions.

    Then, in the 1990s, Turkey continued this effort through a scholarship programme for African students, supported by the Islamic Development Bank. During this period, Turkey launched the Büyük Öğrenci Projesi (Great Student Project), which provided scholarships to international students.

    Starting in 2012, this programme was re-branded as YTB (Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı, or Directorate for Turks Abroad and Related Communities). It introduced reforms, including a digital application process for scholarships via an app on the YTB website. This shift caused a dramatic spike in interest. Applications soared from 10,000 to 155,000 between 2012 and 2020.

    For non-scholarship students, Turkey simplified visa processes, reduced tuition fees, and offered other incentives. These measures contributed to a significant increase in the number of applicants to study in Turkey. As the number of universities in Turkey jumped from 76 to 193 between 2003 and 2015, the country became increasingly attractive.

    By 2017, Turkey had become the 13th most popular destination for students from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Campus France (a platform that supports international students studying in France). By 2019, there were an estimated 61,000 African students studying in Turkey.

    Now, nearly three decades into this strategy, many of these former students are stepping into new roles. They are taking over from Turkish entrepreneurs in fostering socioeconomic ties with Africa. They also act as bridges, promoting Turkish universities and supporting visitors in areas like medical and industrial tourism.

    In Istanbul, some run cargo companies – some of them informal – that ship goods to Africa. Others are working to formalise these ventures and build long-term economic bridges. Groups like Bizim Afrika, a network of African Turkish-speakers, and the Federation of African Students in Turkey (founded in 2019), are playing key roles in shaping this next chapter of Turkey–Africa relations.

    How is Turkey’s strategy in west Africa different from that of China or France?

    In substance, Turkey’s strategy isn’t so different from that of France or China. It also carries traces of colonial thinking, even though its approach leans more on religious soft power like building mosques across Africa. Unlike France, which used force in its colonial past, Turkey is trying to gain influence through other means. It uses familiar tools: embassies, schools, cinema, security services, and development agencies.

    However, Turkey has learned from the criticism faced by western powers at a pivotal moment in Africa’s global relations.

    While access to Europe, the US and Canada has become more difficult due to stricter visa rules, Turkey has opened its doors. It eased visa procedures for African business people, expanded its universities, and promoted medical tourism.

    Turkey has become a hub for several sectors. It’s a major centre for nose surgery (rhinoplasty), hair transplants, and textiles. Its textile industry now supplies traders at Makola Market in Accra, Adjamé’s Forum in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Grand Marché in Bamako.

    Turkey has also capitalised on the security crisis in the Sahel, where France’s military presence has become controversial. It stepped in by selling Bayraktar TB2 drones and offering private security services to some governments.

    Is this Turkish presence set to last?

    Turkey’s presence in Africa is now visible in several symbolic ways. You can see it in Maarif schools, murals at Abidjan airport, the “Le Istanbul” restaurant in Niamey’s government district, or the National Mosque in Accra, modelled after Istanbul’s Blue Mosque.

    Turkey’s engagement is a work in progress. But its outreach to Africa is already yielding results. Trade volume reached US$40.7 billion in 2022. The return of the first waves of African students trained in Turkey has shifted the dynamic. Cooperation no longer relies solely on Turkish business people and social entrepreneurs.

    Even though African elites often speak English, French or Arabic, new voices are emerging. Young people trained in Turkey are beginning to find their place. Many work in import-export, construction, and even Islamic religious leadership. This trend points to promising prospects for long-term ties.

    For Turkey, Africa represents a continent with major economic opportunities. Becoming a trusted partner is now a key goal. On the diplomatic level, Turkey gained observer status at the African Union in 2005 and has hosted Turkey-Africa summits in Istanbul since 2008.

    This growing involvement suggests that Turkey’s role in Africa is likely to last. It will depend on the continent’s market needs, especially at a time when many African countries are rethinking their relationships with traditional western powers and international institutions.

    Issouf Binaté does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power – https://theconversation.com/turkey-is-stepping-up-its-influence-in-west-africa-whats-behind-its-bid-for-soft-power-256929

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Issouf Binaté, enseignant-chercheur, Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké

    Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa as the geopolitical and economic landscape in the region shifts. In Senegal, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has entered a key partnership in the oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Karpowership, a company providing electricity via floating power plants, now supplies energy to eight African countries. But Turkey’s not stopping there. As part of its soft power strategy, it is also winning hearts and minds through education and culture while deepening trade and security ties.

    Historian Issouf Binaté, who has studied Turkey’s growing presence in west Africa, breaks down how Ankara is positioning itself as an alternative to both former colonial powers and newer global players competing for influence on the continent.

    What drives Turkey’s growing influence in west Africa?

    Turkey’s foreign policy in west Africa leans on two main pillars.

    One is institutional power, driven by state-backed agencies (embassies, the religious affairs directorate Diyanet, and the economic cooperation agency (TIKA) .

    The other is more grassroots, led by non-state actors such as religious foundations and NGOs.

    These groups laid the groundwork for Turkey’s African expansion long before Ankara officially stepped in.

    A key player in Turkey’s earlier outreach was the Gülen movement, named after preacher Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024). The Gülen movement pioneered Turkey’s soft power approach with “Turkish schools”, starting with the Yavuz Sultan Selim and Yavuz Selim-Bosphore high schools in Dakar in 1997.

    Also at the end of the 1990s a network composed of Turkish business leaders and social activists under the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists, which claimed over 100,000 member companies, expanded Turkey’s influence across Africa. At that time, Turkey had only three diplomatic representations for the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

    The more recent contact with Africa comes at a time when western hegemony faces growing criticism from a new generation of Africans engaged in decolonial movements. Gülen-affiliated institutions now number 113, alongside religious and secular schools run by other groups like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi. Since the 2016 political rift between Gülen and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, these schools were gradually transferred to Maarif Foundation, Turkey’s state-run overseas education arm.

    Back in 2003, Turkey had only 12 diplomatic missions across Africa. Today, that number has grown to 44, bolstered by Turkish religious foundations (like Mahmud Hudayi Vakfi and Hayrat Vakfi), NGOs, and entrepreneurs who have filled the gap left by the Gülen movement.

    Another powerful player in Turkey’s Africa strategy is Turkish Airlines, now one of the top carriers on the continent. It is now flying to 62 airports in 41 African countries.

    What role do west African students trained in Turkey play?

    By investing in education, Turkey didn’t just open its doors to African students. It also planted the seeds for a long-term influence strategy. These students, and more broadly young African migrants trained in Turkey, are now among the key messengers of “Turkishness” back home.

    In doing so, Ankara is following a familiar path once used by colonial powers. They used student mobility as a powerful tool for their diplomacy.

    This policy of openness took several forms. As early as 1960, it welcomed students from non-self-governing territories in accordance with UN General Assembly resolutions.

    Then, in the 1990s, Turkey continued this effort through a scholarship programme for African students, supported by the Islamic Development Bank. During this period, Turkey launched the Büyük Öğrenci Projesi (Great Student Project), which provided scholarships to international students.

    Starting in 2012, this programme was re-branded as YTB (Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı, or Directorate for Turks Abroad and Related Communities). It introduced reforms, including a digital application process for scholarships via an app on the YTB website. This shift caused a dramatic spike in interest. Applications soared from 10,000 to 155,000 between 2012 and 2020.

    For non-scholarship students, Turkey simplified visa processes, reduced tuition fees, and offered other incentives. These measures contributed to a significant increase in the number of applicants to study in Turkey. As the number of universities in Turkey jumped from 76 to 193 between 2003 and 2015, the country became increasingly attractive.

    By 2017, Turkey had become the 13th most popular destination for students from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Campus France (a platform that supports international students studying in France). By 2019, there were an estimated 61,000 African students studying in Turkey.

    Now, nearly three decades into this strategy, many of these former students are stepping into new roles. They are taking over from Turkish entrepreneurs in fostering socioeconomic ties with Africa. They also act as bridges, promoting Turkish universities and supporting visitors in areas like medical and industrial tourism.

    In Istanbul, some run cargo companies – some of them informal – that ship goods to Africa. Others are working to formalise these ventures and build long-term economic bridges. Groups like Bizim Afrika, a network of African Turkish-speakers, and the Federation of African Students in Turkey (founded in 2019), are playing key roles in shaping this next chapter of Turkey–Africa relations.

    How is Turkey’s strategy in west Africa different from that of China or France?

    In substance, Turkey’s strategy isn’t so different from that of France or China. It also carries traces of colonial thinking, even though its approach leans more on religious soft power like building mosques across Africa. Unlike France, which used force in its colonial past, Turkey is trying to gain influence through other means. It uses familiar tools: embassies, schools, cinema, security services, and development agencies.

    However, Turkey has learned from the criticism faced by western powers at a pivotal moment in Africa’s global relations.

    While access to Europe, the US and Canada has become more difficult due to stricter visa rules, Turkey has opened its doors. It eased visa procedures for African business people, expanded its universities, and promoted medical tourism.

    Turkey has become a hub for several sectors. It’s a major centre for nose surgery (rhinoplasty), hair transplants, and textiles. Its textile industry now supplies traders at Makola Market in Accra, Adjamé’s Forum in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Grand Marché in Bamako.

    Turkey has also capitalised on the security crisis in the Sahel, where France’s military presence has become controversial. It stepped in by selling Bayraktar TB2 drones and offering private security services to some governments.

    Is this Turkish presence set to last?

    Turkey’s presence in Africa is now visible in several symbolic ways. You can see it in Maarif schools, murals at Abidjan airport, the “Le Istanbul” restaurant in Niamey’s government district, or the National Mosque in Accra, modelled after Istanbul’s Blue Mosque.

    The. Amuzujoe

    Turkey’s engagement is a work in progress. But its outreach to Africa is already yielding results. Trade volume reached US$40.7 billion in 2022. The return of the first waves of African students trained in Turkey has shifted the dynamic. Cooperation no longer relies solely on Turkish business people and social entrepreneurs.

    Even though African elites often speak English, French or Arabic, new voices are emerging. Young people trained in Turkey are beginning to find their place. Many work in import-export, construction, and even Islamic religious leadership. This trend points to promising prospects for long-term ties.

    For Turkey, Africa represents a continent with major economic opportunities. Becoming a trusted partner is now a key goal. On the diplomatic level, Turkey gained observer status at the African Union in 2005 and has hosted Turkey-Africa summits in Istanbul since 2008.

    This growing involvement suggests that Turkey’s role in Africa is likely to last. It will depend on the continent’s market needs, especially at a time when many African countries are rethinking their relationships with traditional western powers and international institutions.

    – Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power
    – https://theconversation.com/turkey-is-stepping-up-its-influence-in-west-africa-whats-behind-its-bid-for-soft-power-256929

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Ageas successfully places its inaugural GBP 400 million Senior Notes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Today ageas SA/NV successfully placed its inaugural debt securities in the form of GBP 400 million Senior Fixed Rate Notes (the “Notes”) maturing in December 2028 and with a first call date in September 2028. The issuance generated substantial interest from UK institutional investors.

    The Notes will be issued in denominations of GBP 100,000 at a re-offer price of 99.963 with a fixed coupon rate of 4.75% payable annually, with a first coupon payment scheduled for December 2025.

    Standard and Poor’s assigned an A+ rating and Moody’s assigned an A1 rating to the Notes. Application has been made for the Notes to be listed on the official list of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and to be admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s Euro MTF market. The Notes are expected to be issued and settled on 1 July 2025.

    The net proceeds of the Notes complete the financing of the acquisition of esure and will also be used for general corporate purposes.

    Ageas is a listed and Belgian rooted international insurance Group with a heritage spanning of 200 years. It offers Retail and Business customers Life and Non-Life insurance products designed to suit their specific needs, today and tomorrow, and is also engaged in reinsurance activities. As one of Europe’s larger insurance companies, Ageas concentrates its activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the major part of the global insurance market. It operates successful insurance businesses in Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries and long-term partnerships with strong financial institutions and key distributors. Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates. It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.

    Disclaimer

    THIS COMMUNICATION IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH DISTRIBUTION IS PROHIBITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

    The issue, exercise or sale of securities in the offering mentioned in this press release are subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. The information contained herein shall not constitute or form part of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ageas SA/NV assumes no responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe for, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered, exercised or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. There is no intention to register any portion of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States.

    This communication may only be communicated, or caused to be communicated, to persons in the United Kingdom in circumstances where the provisions of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “Financial Services and Markets Act”) do not apply to ageas SA/NV and is directed solely at persons in the United Kingdom who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments, such persons falling within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”) or (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order or other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This communication is directed only to relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons.

    The securities referred to herein are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, any retail investor in the European Economic Area. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID II”) or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, as amended (the “Insurance Distribution Directive”), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II.

    The securities referred to herein are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA”) or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act and any rules or regulations made under the Financial Services and Markets Act to implement the Insurance Distribution Directive, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA.

    The securities referred to herein are also not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available, and will not be offered, sold or otherwise made available, in Belgium to “consumers” (consumenten/consommateurs) within the meaning of the Belgian Code of Economic Law (Wetboek van economisch recht/Code de droit économique), as amended.

    The securities referred to herein may be held only by, and transferred only to, eligible investors referred to in Article 4 of the Belgian Royal Decree of 26 May 1994, holding their securities in an exempt securities account that has been opened with a financial institution that is a direct or indirect participant in the securities settlement system operated by the National Bank of Belgium or any successor thereto.

    This press release is not a prospectus nor an advertisement for the purpose of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

    A security rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency.

    Attachment

    • PDF version of the press release

    The MIL Network –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: China audit: Foreign Secretary’s statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Oral statement to Parliament

    China audit: Foreign Secretary’s statement

    The Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House of Commons, updating members on the government’s approach to China following the cross-Whitehall audit.

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the China audit.  

    China’s rise has shaped the geopolitical landscape. Over the past decade, their military expenditure doubled. Their armed forces became the world’s largest. They established dominance over most critical mineral supply chains. They pursued relentless innovation in electric vehicles, AI and even space travel.

    And over this same period, China has delivered a third of global economic growth, becoming the world’s second largest economy. And, together with Hong Kong, the UK’s third largest trading partner.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, not engaging with China is therefore no choice at all. Chinese power is an inescapable fact.

    After what the Intelligence and Security Committee in 2023 described as a “completely inadequate” approach over the past decade to dealing with China’s “size, ambition and capability”, we must now look at the facts.

    [Political content redacted]

    Madam Deputy Speaker, this Government conducted an audit of our most complex bilateral relationship to deliver a long-term strategy – moving beyond cheap rhetoric to a data-driven, cross-government approach. I would like to thank the hundreds who contributed – Honourable Members of course, experts, businesses, diaspora communities, Devolved Governments, and close allies.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the audit is less a single act, than an ongoing exercise which will continue to guide the UK’s approach to China.

    It informed the Government’s Strategic Defence Review, which assessed China was a “sophisticated and persistent challenge”. It informed the National Security Strategy, published today, which sets out China’s impacts on each strategic pillar of our UK national security. And it has steered our Trade and Industrial Strategies, which analysed where greater engagement is possible – given the important role China can play in delivering UK growth.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, Honourable Members will understand that much of the audit was conducted at high classification, and most of the detail is not disclosable without damaging our national interests. I am therefore providing a broad summary of its recommendations today, in a manner consistent with that of our Five Eyes partners.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, on security, the audit described a full spectrum of threats – from espionage and cyber-attacks, to the repression of Hong Kongers, and attacks on the rules-based order. It made clear that our protections must extend more widely than they currently do, from the security of this House, to our critical national infrastructure.

    Honourable Members will again recognise that disclosing the detail of these responses would undermine their effectiveness.

    But I can confirm that, following the audit, we are investing £600 million in our intelligence services. We are updating our state threats legislation, following Jon Hall’s review. We are strengthening our response to transnational repression, introducing training for police and launching more online guidance to support victims.

    We are launching, as announced in the Industrial Strategy, a 12-week consultation on updating the definitions covering the 17 sensitive areas under the National Security and Investment Act. And we are working bilaterally with China to enhance intelligence flows related to illicit finance specifically, organised immigration crime and scam centres, using National Crime Agency capabilities.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, on global security, the audit underlined the extent of Beijing’s support for the Kremlin. The Government has already tripled the number of Chinese entities sanctioned for equipping Russia’s illegal war. And we will continue to confront that.

    The audit reiterated that our approach to China must stay rooted both in international law and deterrence. We will continue to confront China’s dangerous and destabilising activity in the South China Sea, which I saw for myself when I visited the Philippines.

    And we will continue to work with our regional partners to support freedom of navigation and call out China’s abuses. We will double down on AUKUS.

    We will not change our longstanding position on Taiwan, while sustaining unofficial but vibrant ties with Taiwan on trade, on education and innovation. We will also never shy away from shining a spotlight on human rights, notably the situations in Xinjiang and Tibet.  

    While on Hong Kong, we will insist that China honours its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, including by repealing the National Security Law and releasing Jimmy Lai.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the audit made clear that our approach will always be guided by the UK’s long-term economic growth priorities. It provided ample evidence of the extent to which our economies are intertwined.

    China is our third biggest trading partner. Our universities’ second-largest source of international students. China will continue to play a vital role in supporting the UK’s secure growth.

    But over the past decade, we have not had the structures, either to take the opportunities, or protect us from the risks which those deep links demand. Businesses told us time and again that they have lacked senior political engagement. Lacked adequate government guidance.

    We have already begun to develop new structures. Regular Economic and Financial Dialogues, with my Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor setting us on course to unlock £1 billion of economic value for the UK economy, and positioning the UK’s world leading financial sector to reflect China’s importance to the global economy.

    Joint Economic and Trade Commissions, and Joint Commission Meetings on science. We will also launch a new online hub bringing together detailed and specific business advice.

    And the forthcoming Trade Strategy will set out how we will support British firms to enhance links with China’s vast and growing consumer market, as well as assess new tools to keep goods made by forced labour anywhere in the world off Britain’s high streets.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the audit recognised that China’s global role does not fit into simple stereotypes. China is the world’s biggest emitter, but also the biggest producer of renewables. It offers $80 billion towards development annually. And China is the UK’s second largest research collaborator – 11% of British research output included Chinese authors.

    So, the audit was clear. The UK must develop new dialogues with China on issues like climate, development, global health and science, as well as on trade. In doing so, we are driving our long-term interests and creating secure opportunities for UK plc.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, we cannot deal with China’s complexity, unless we improve our capability to understand it – for our national security and for secure trade and growth.

    The audit showed that [political content redacted] there was a profound lack of confidence in how to deal with China, and a profound lack of knowledge regarding China’s culture, its history and – most importantly – its language.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, over the past year I have found that far too few mandarins speak Mandarin. We are already taking action to address this. Introducing a new China Fast Stream in the FCDO. Creating an FCDO global China network. Training over 1000 civil servants on China policy in the past year.

    Enhancing these capabilities still further will be a core focus for the £290 million FCDO Transformation Fund, announced in the National Security Strategy by my Honourable Friend a short time ago. The new strategy which proceeds from this audit will ensure that the Government examines the full spectrum of interests in its decision-making processes [political content redacted].

    Madam Deputy Speaker, anyone expecting a simple prescription on China is not living in the real world. The audit has painted a complex picture, but it has provided us with a clear way forward.

    The UK’s approach to China will be founded on progressive realism: taking the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be. Like our closest allies, we will cooperate where we can and we will challenge where we must.

    Never compromising on our national security. Recognising the complexity of the world as it is. Engaging confidently, carefully and pragmatically. Delivering secure growth. These are the hallmarks of grown-up government, acting in the long-term national interest.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Vice Chairman Calls for Strengthening SCO Security Cooperation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met in Beijing on Tuesday with heads of foreign delegations attending the 20th meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    Han Zheng said that the Global Security Initiative put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the concept of comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security actively promoted by China are being recognized and supported by more and more countries.

    China is willing to work with other SCO member states to adhere to multilateralism to ensure sustainable security, uphold the spirit of law for mutual benefit and win-win results, maintain equality and solidarity in implementing joint governance, and strive for in-depth cooperation while enhancing its own potential, while strengthening the SCO’s role in maintaining security and stability in a world full of changes and upheavals, he said.

    Representatives of foreign delegations highly appreciated China’s important role during the rotating presidency of the SCO and expressed their readiness to address security challenges through joint efforts. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 25, 2025

  • The Emergency in India: A historical overview

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Emergency in India, declared on 25 June 1975 and lasting until 21 March 1977, was one of the most controversial periods in the nation’s history. It was proclaimed under Article 352 of the Constitution on the grounds of internal disturbance and had profound legal, political, and social implications.

    Lead-Up to the Emergency

    In the early 1970s, political unrest began to grow across the country. Opposition to the then government increased, especially in states like Bihar and Gujarat, where Jayaprakash Narayan led a series of protests. Issues like student-led agitations, unemployment, rising inflation and allegations of corruption fueled public dissatisfaction. 

    On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court found then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of misusing government machinery in her 1971 Lok Sabha campaign. The court disqualified her for six years under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This ruling was triggered by a petition from Raj Narain, a socialist leader who had contested against Ms. Gandhi in Rae Bareli. 

    The Supreme Court granted a conditional stay allowing her to continue as Prime Minister and attend Parliament, but prohibited her from voting. Political pressure mounted with public calls for her resignation.

    Declaration of Emergency

    On 25 June 1975, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared the Emergency under Article 352, citing threats of internal disturbance. The government released a press note accusing Jayaprakash Narayan and other opposition leaders of provoking unrest against police and the armed forces. This was India’s third Emergency after those declared during wars with China in 1962 and Pakistan in 1971. However, this was the first time an Emergency was declared in peacetime. 

    At the time, Article 352 permitted the President to proclaim an Emergency on three grounds — war, external aggression, or internal disturbance. The phrase “internal disturbance” was later amended to “armed rebellion” by the 44th Constitutional Amendment in 1978.

    Legal Measures and Suspension of Rights

    Following the proclamation, civil liberties were severely curtailed. On 27 June 1975, Articles 358 and 359 were invoked. Article 358 suspended protections under Article 19, stripping citizens of their freedoms of speech, expression, assembly and movement. Article 359 allowed the government to suspend the enforcement of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 21 and 22, which guaranteed equality, life and personal liberty, and protection against detention. Citizens could not approach courts for relief. Opposition figures such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and L.K. Advani were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). The Shah Commission estimated that nearly 35,000 people were detained without trial.

    Censorship and Media Control

    Starting 26 June 1975, censorship was imposed on newspapers across India. Editors were required to submit articles and photographs to government-appointed censors before publication. On 5 July 1975, telex messages sent by foreign correspondents were also placed under strict scrutiny.

    On 20 July 1975, the Board of Film Censors was reorganised under the Cinematograph Act to monitor cinema. On 1 February 1976, four major Indian news agencies — PTI, UNI, Samachar Bharati and Hindustan Samachar — were merged into a single entity named Samachar. The Press Council of India was abolished.

    Legislative Changes

    Parliament introduced several constitutional amendments during the Emergency, consolidating central powers. The 38th Amendment barred courts from questioning the President’s decision to declare an Emergency. The 39th Amendment placed elections of the Prime Minister and Speaker of the Lok Sabha outside the scope of judicial review. The 42nd Amendment increased central authority further, gave primacy to the Directive Principles over Fundamental Rights, prohibited judicial review of constitutional amendments and curtailed the powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts. It also extended the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies’ terms from five to six years.

    Sterilisation Campaign

    A controversial part of this period was a large-scale sterilisation drive for population control. Launched in 1975, this campaign led to 26.42 lakh sterilisation procedures in 1975–76. By 1976–77, the number rose to 81.32 lakh. Over two years, a total of 1.07 crore sterilisation operations were conducted. Several states tied access to basic amenities — food rations, housing, jobs, loans — to compliance with sterilisation requirements.

    End of Emergency

    The Emergency ended on 21 March 1977. Lok Sabha elections were held between 16 and 20 March 1977, resulting in the defeat of the Congress party and the formation of the Janata Party government on 24 March 1977. Following this, the Shah Commission of Inquiry was established in May 1977 to review the abuses that occurred during the Emergency. The 44th Constitutional Amendment of 1978 was subsequently enacted to restrict future abuse of Emergency provisions. It replaced “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion” as the grounds for Emergency and restored checks and balances, including judicial review.

    The Shah Commission 

    Chaired by Justice J.C. Shah, the Shah Commission investigated the Emergency’s impact. Its mandate was to probe actions between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977. The Commission examined misuse of power, arbitrary detentions, censorship, and sterilisation campaigns. It gathered testimonies and reviewed public records, submitting three reports between 1978 and 1979. 

    The findings revealed that as of 1 January 1975, Indian jails housed 2,20,146 prisoners despite a capacity of only 1,83,369, and over 1.26 lakh were under-trial detainees. Complaints about forced sterilisation numbered 548 for unmarried individuals; 1,774 deaths were reported as a result of these procedures. The Commission also noted that 25,962 public-sector employees were forcibly retired during the period, power supply to newspaper offices was disrupted, and court verdicts were censored. Media outlets were classified as “friendly,” “neutral,” or “hostile,” based on their editorial positions.

    The Emergency from June 1975 to March 1977 left an indelible impact on India’s democratic, constitutional and administrative institutions. Fundamental rights were curtailed, preventive detentions soared, and public freedoms were suppressed. Wide-ranging constitutional amendments and a harsh sterilisation programme defined this period. After it ended, a dedicated inquiry examined the abuses committed, and reforms were put in place to prevent a recurrence of such an Emergency without proper checks and accountability.

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Alert renewed as scorching heat persists across several regions in China

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Scientists have uncovered evidence indicating that humans extensively used fire to transform environments as early as 50,000 years ago — far earlier than previously believed.

    During the day on Wednesday, parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi will experience scorching weather, with temperatures reaching over 35 degrees Celsius, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

    High temperatures ranging from 37 to 39 degrees Celsius are expected in some of the aforementioned regions — with certain local areas even set to experience temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, the NMC said.

    The center suggested that people take protective measures to prevent excessive exposure to the sun.

    China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Scientists join classrooms to inspire teenagers to become innovators

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Peking University life sciences professor Zhang Yan, who has been researching Alzheimer’s disease for two decades, has taken on a new mission this semester: educating young teens.

    Beyond lectures and experiments, Zhang is committed to giving her young students an authentic glimpse into the world of scientific research. She believes such hands-on learning should begin early in basic education, and as a scientist, she sees it as her responsibility to contribute.

    Zhang is one of thousands of researchers to be appointed as a “vice principal of science” — a position introduced by China’s Ministry of Education two years ago, in an initiative aiming to ensure every primary and secondary school engages the services of at least one scientific researcher from a university, research institute or technology company to strengthen science education.

    Scientist-led classes

    Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, sipping milk tea and switching seamlessly between Chinese and English, Zhang teaches her middle school students much like she does her doctoral candidates in university labs.

    This casual approach is the first message she hopes to convey: scientists are not always solemn, bookish or eccentric. During her first lecture at Beijing Guangqumen Middle School in late May, she said that in reality, many scientists have diverse interests, lead balanced lives and possess both intellectual and emotional intelligence.

    Similarly, Zhang seeks to dispel another common misconception about careers in science: success comes solely from hard work, much like scoring high in college entrance exams.

    “You may spend years with few breakthroughs, and that is the first challenge scientists must face — learning to deal with frustration,” she said in English during a recent class.

    Her students listened carefully, not distracted by phones or computers. They are preparing to enter senior high school after their summer vacation, and in three years, they will choose a university and a major.

    “The earlier they learn, the more they benefit,” Zhang said, noting that understanding scientific careers as teens will help them make choices in the future.

    Using examples ranging from the discovery of penicillin to the gene-editing of white mice in labs, Zhang also encouraged her young students to develop habits of critical thinking, questioning authority and pursuing lifelong learning.

    Next month, she plans to take them to her university lab, where they will observe and conduct basic scientific experiments.

    “They will experience real scientific work,” she said.

    National push

    To make classes more engaging, researchers nationwide are adopting diverse approaches. Besides lab experiments, some organize field expeditions or showcase models of scientific facilities such as lunar probes, submarines and large telescopes.

    The study of emerging technologies like AI and humanoid robots has also made its way into classrooms, becoming part of the content being taught by scientists.

    Tasked with more than teaching, these vice principals of science also help schools with science curriculum planning, teacher training and bringing in scientific resources, forming part of the country’s broader picture of science education.

    Since 2023, under a national “double reduction” policy launched in 2021 to ease the burdens of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring that students face in their compulsory education years, greater emphasis has been placed on enhancing science education and nurturing young people with both the potential to become scientists and aspirations to dedicate themselves to scientific research.

    According to a January report by the state broadcaster CCTV citing the latest data from the Ministry of Education, 45 percent of primary and secondary schools have appointed a vice principal specializing in science over the past two years.

    Schools are also striving to nurture their own science teaching staff. Beijing Haidian Aerospace Tuqiang Primary School, for example, employs 15 full-time or part-time science teachers. The number of science teachers in the country’s junior high schools has increased by more than 8,400 nationwide, and by over 28,000 in senior high schools.

    And technology firms are also joining this national push for improved science education. Leading AI company iFlytek has launched study tour programs to showcase its voice-recognition tools and robots to students, and carmaker Geely has opened its workshops to students, allowing young people to learn about the manufacturing process of new energy vehicles.

    Duty of educators

    However, serving as a school educator does not offer extra pay or benefits for her research work, Zhang said. “It is purely driven by a sense of duty.”

    China has intensified efforts to encourage scientist participation in science education. A revised Science and Technology Popularization Law came into effect last year and introduced concrete measures, such as those on professional recognition and evaluation, to reward researchers for public engagement.

    Zeng Fankui, a researcher at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is passionate about popularizing his potato studies and serves as vice principal of science at three local schools.

    He applauds the progress the country has made in science education, but points to some problems: many rural schools lack proper science equipment and specialized teachers, and traditional mindsets that prioritize rote learning over scientific thinking remain.

    Xiong Bingqi, dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that the goal of the vice principal of science role is to cultivate true scientific literacy.

    “If science classes only assign mechanical exercises, AI could replace them,” he warned, adding that science education should shift focus from knowledge delivery to the cultivation of self-directed learning and nurturing innovation.

    Students crammed with scientific knowledge alone will find it difficult to adapt to the rapid changes of the future, Xiong said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 25, 2025
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