Category: Russian Federation

MIL-OSI Russia: PLA National Defense University Delegation to Attend Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

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, May 29 (Xinhua) — A delegation from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University will attend the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue Conference in Singapore, the Chinese Defense Ministry said Thursday.

As the official representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense Zhang Xiaogang noted at a press conference, the delegation will also visit Singapore’s military and civilian institutions.

Asked about the Chinese delegation’s bilateral meeting schedule and possible meetings with their American counterparts during the upcoming conference, Zhang Xiaogang said details would be disclosed in due course.

He stressed that China pays special attention to relations between the armed forces of China and the United States and remains open to bilateral communication at all levels.

“We hope that the U.S. side will actually respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and move toward China, promoting the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries’ militaries,” Zhang Xiaogang told reporters.

The 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue Conference will run from May 30 to June 1. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: We invite you to take part in the elections of the Academic Council of the State University of Management

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On June 23, 2025 at 14:00, a conference of employees and students of our university will be held at the State University of Management.

There are two main issues on the conference agenda: 1. Approval of employee representatives in the labor dispute commission; 2. Election of members of the Academic Council of the State University of Management.

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 –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why are the US and Israel not on the same page over how to deal with Iran? Expert Q&A

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin

The US president, Donald Trump, claimed on May 28 to have personally stopped Israel from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. When asked if he’d intervened during a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump replied: “Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did … I said, I don’t think it’s appropriate right now”. The Trump administration is currently in talks with Iran over the future terms of its nuclear programme.

Middle East expert Scott Lucas answered the Conversation’s questions about the disagreement over Iran and how it might affect US-Israel relations.

The US wants a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel doesn’t. Why the disagreement?

Israel has long been sceptical of diplomatic overtures to Tehran, saying Iran is committed to Israel’s destruction. This position has not changed.

When Trump apparently told Netanyahu recently that he wanted a diplomatic solution with Iran and believed in his ability to “make a good deal”, the Israeli leader insisted that the only “good deal” would be one that dismantled Iran’s nuclear facilities.

But Trump’s priority is not a “good deal”. He is more interested in a photo opportunity portraying him as a “dealmaker” even when there is no substantive agreement.

Trump’s first term saw him embrace North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he had previously threatened with “fire and fury” and denounced as “little rocket man”, to proclaim a breakthrough in stalled nuclear talks. There wasn’t anything beyond a meaningless one-page memorandum, but Trump became the first serving US president to step into North Korea and garnered international attention for doing so.

Then, at the start of his second term, Trump claimed he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours. But, more than four months later, he is frustrated and embittered. He recently called Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin “absolutely crazy”.

Trump also said he could resolve Israel’s assault on Gaza. He claimed the glory of a phase one ceasefire agreement in which Hamas freed some hostages in return for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinians detained in its prisons. But he walked away when Netanyahu’s government refused to move to a second phase.

So now his hope, as outlandish as it might seem, is to appear alongside Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, or even the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, making some kind of deal.

What do the Gulf states hope for?

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are rivals of Iranian regional leadership, but they want to avoid Israeli military action against Tehran as this could spark a conflagration across the region.

They are looking to extract themselves from a decade-long war in Yemen, where their intervention has not toppled the Iran-backed Houthi insurgency. And they would like space for Syria to develop after five decades of Assad family rule came to an end in December 2024 – with possible profits for Gulf companies involved in recovery and reconstruction.

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Qatar, which Trump also visited in May, as well as Oman have long burnished their reputations as peace brokers. This has included facilitating talks between the US and Iran.

What is Iran’s position and how close is it to building a nuclear weapon?

When Iran agreed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) in 2015 with the UK and other world powers, it gave up any potential for a military nuclear programme. Enrichment of uranium was limited to 3.67%, and stocks of 20% grade were shipped out of the country. While uranium enriched to 20% is not weapons-grade, it shortens the time it will take to produce a nuclear weapon considerably.

It was Trump who allowed Iran to restart its nuclear programme when he pulled the US out of the JCPoA in May 2018 and imposed comprehensive sanctions six months later. Iran not only resumed 20% enrichment but began production of 60% uranium, which can be further enriched to the 90% required for military use.

Tehran is still stopping short of that 90% level. And it has said it will forego any potential for a military programme in a renewed agreement with the US, but is refusing US demands to end enrichment for civil purposes.

What might Israel do to disrupt the talks?

Netanyahu could defy Trump and order military strikes. But such action would further alienate Israel from the international community, unsettle relations with Washington, and risk regional conflicts that would overstretch the Israeli military.

Israeli intelligence and military institutions have opposed Netanyahu’s plans to attack Iran in the past, notably in 2010 and 2011. When he tried to lay the foundations for military action, they raised political, diplomatic and logistical obstacles that put an attack on hold.

And, despite Netanyahu’s attempts to replace intelligence heads and military commanders with his loyalists, the new appointees are still likely to take the same position.

For more than 15 years, Israel has pursued covert operations to disrupt Iran’s nuclear programme. These include sabotage, cyber-attacks, assassinations and explosions set off by agents inside Iran. Those operations have appeared to diminish in recent months, but they might be renewed without raising Trump’s ire.

How does the disagreement over Iran affect US-Israel relations, especially when it comes to Gaza?

We are in a world where Trump can hold back Netanyahu over Iran, but give him a blank cheque for the assault and starvation of Gaza.

Trump’s administration did nothing to oppose the Netanyahu government’s inevitable rejection of the phase two ceasefire in Gaza at the start of March. This subsequently saw renewed military operations and imposition of a blockade on humanitarian aid. Trump’s envoy, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, has been ineffectual in his purported mediation efforts.

Netanyahu has not only tabled the plan for Israel’s long-term occupation of Gaza, with four military zones and Gazans penned into three areas with limited movement. He has publicly embraced Trump’s proposal for the displacement – some would call it “ethnic cleansing” – of hundreds of thousands of Gazans.

In October 2024, Trump reportedly told Netanyahu to “do what you have to do” in the offensive against Hamas. Then, in mid-February, he said: “Bibi, you do whatever you want”.

So, even as Trump does what he wants over Iran to Netanyahu’s chagrin, the Israeli prime minister is finding that Trump is not restricting what he does closer to home in Gaza.

Scott Lucas 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. Why are the US and Israel not on the same page over how to deal with Iran? Expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/why-are-the-us-and-israel-not-on-the-same-page-over-how-to-deal-with-iran-expert-qanda-257758

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Nato faces a make-or-break decision about how to protect Europe and its future in next few weeks

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amelia Hadfield, Head of Department of Politics, University of Surrey

Nato is facing a pivotal moment in its history.

Ahead of its June 24-25 summit in The Hague, Nato is weighing up whether it can truly continue to count on US support (and membership), whether it will become a European-only organisation, or whether it has a future at all. This suggests a massive shift for the intergovernmental organisation that sits at the heart of defence and security for Europe, and beyond.

The past year has changed everything. Trump’s anti-Nato rhetoric has become increasingly vociferous and disrespectful, undermining both the organisation itself, and the other 31 Nato member countries, which include Germany, France, Canada, Turkey, the UK, Sweden and Norway. Add to this the Trump administration’s embrace of international isolationism, and the potential, consequential loss of clear US backing for the alliance, all of which highlight the organisation’s historical dependence on the US.

This is what makes the June 2025 summit so critical. It is a make-or-break opportunity to unveil a plan for Nato’s wholesale transformation, or an event conclusively marking its obsolescence. The plan itself is simple: build – or rebuild – Nato as a possible Europe-only endeavour.

Read more:
Why it matters for European security if an American no longer commands Nato troops – by a former Trident submarine commander

If this plan becomes reality, historians of European security and defence may spot earlier parallels for Nato with the original Western European Union (WEU). The WEU was the European defence security structure established in 1954 under the Paris Accords, which helped to redefine relations with West Germany.

Ultimately subsumed into both Nato and EU governance structures, the WEU’s prime goal at the time was to bolster the European content of the Atlantic alliance.

US never wanted Europe to lead

There is a deep irony in Trump’s bluster about Nato states paying more towards their defence. The US has, for decades, been sanguine at best, and hostile at worst on almost every form of European defence autonomy, from basic ops-based endeavours established by the EU to more ambitious strategies. Instead, the US has insisted almost exclusively on increased defence spending by other Nato members, improved interoperability between the various national forces, but all “in furtherance of a US-dominated alliance”, rather than a more authentically US-European approach to safeguarding both European and American interests according to Max Bergman, a former senior adviser to the US state department.

What is the future of Nato?

If the US is now reducing its involvement in Nato, or abdicating entirely, the only option for Nato is to reduce its dependence on the US, and in doing so, to focus more on Europe. A clear mandate is needed, to ensure that being US-less does not render Nato itself useless. Without a mandate, opportunistic space would quickly open up for an aggressive Russia.

Trump made clear early in his first administration that he was no fan of Nato, and argued that its funding structure should no longer overburden the US. In his second administration, Trump has been even clearer, has variously threatened to pull US troops from Nato joint exercises, reduce US security commitments to Nato as a whole, remove some or all of the 80,000 US troops on permanent rotation in Europe and vastly reduce the US’s contribution to Nato’s central budget of US$5 billion (£3.6 billion).

These threats are now repeated routinely by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and others in the Trump administration. This has profoundly rattled Nato as an institution and its individual member states.

As Nato’s own records show, from 2023 onward, there have been major increases in European defence spending. But the opportunity to keep spending commitments high, as well as overhaul the organisation to meet Ukraine’s demands and defence opportunities for the EU as a whole – which could have been nailed onto Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in 2024 – did not materialise.

There are pros and cons of a new Europe-focused approach for Nato, and these will work themselves out in the final five-to-ten-year plan which is being prepared ahead of the June summit.

For some, building a European defence mission within Nato is an opportunity to plot a new and more sustainable course for Nato, rather than trying to shore up an expanding US-shaped hole. Spending increases that reduce Nato’s perceived helplessness, or reliance on the US, may also be a benefit.

For others, the removal of US command and control, hardware, software, intelligence and much more from Nato is a futile endeavour that will leave the organisation in pieces at best, and present Russia with a golden opportunity for continued eastern aggression at worst.

The signals from Washington remain confusing. Trump’s suggestion of a sudden and total US withdrawal from European defence was tempered in April by US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s suggestion that Trump remained supportive of Nato but also demanding expanded spending commitments (these demands vary from 2.5% to 5% of GDP), and for other members to take on far greater responsibility for developing Nato’s capabilities.

An emerging European coalition

Many members now support the emerging “coalition of the willing”, led by France and Britain, to underwrite a force and secure a post-conflict deal for Ukraine. In figuring out the current provision of military force, including logistics and intelligence capacities in addition to air, land and sea forces, Nato members are aiming to remove the US’s presence and fill the vacuum with European assets over a decade.

The task is colossal, and not without risks. Nato does not want an overnight abdication of the US, as it currently relies far too heavily upon US capabilities, such as long-range precision missiles, and crucially, heavy-lift aircraft which are vital in shifting armoured forces around the continent rapidly. Nato also wants a clear plan, which new member Finland has emphasised as crucial, to prevent an abrupt and disjointed transition that Russia could exploit.

A new vision must be set out by the end of June in order to deal sensibly with ongoing defence spending commitments, reworked governance structures, and possible planned responses to the war in Ukraine.

Scrapping Nato is unnecessary and lays Europe – and the US, if the White House could but see far enough ahead – open to innumerable threats and consequences. Even without the US, Nato provides a valuable structure for security cooperation in Europe. Strengthening European capabilities within Nato, rather than creating an entirely new defence structure, makes sense.

Amelia Hadfield 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. Nato faces a make-or-break decision about how to protect Europe and its future in next few weeks – https://theconversation.com/nato-faces-a-make-or-break-decision-about-how-to-protect-europe-and-its-future-in-next-few-weeks-256348

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: IMF and Ukrainian Authorities Reach Staff Level Agreement on the Eighth Review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement
Source: IMF – News in Russian

May 29, 2025

End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. This mission will not result in a Board discussion.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff and the Ukrainian authorities have reached staff level agreement (SLA) on the Eighth Review of the 4-year, $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement. Subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Ukraine would have access to about US$0.5 billion (SDR 0.37 billion), bringing total disbursements under the program to US$10.65 billion.
- All end-March quantitative performance criteria (QPCs) and indicative targets (IT) have been met and understandings were reached on a set of policies and reforms to sustain macroeconomic stability. The structural reform agenda continues to make progress with two structural benchmarks met, another to be completed in the coming weeks, and strong commitments to advance other key reforms.
- The outlook remains exceptionally uncertain as the war continues to take a heavy toll on the population, economy, and infrastructure. Despite the challenging environment, the program remains on track and fully financed on the back of large-scale external commitments.
Kyiv, Ukraine: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Gavin Gray held discussions with the Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv, Ukraine during May 20-27 on the Eighth Review of the country’s 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement. Upon the conclusion of the discussions, Mr. Gray issued the following statement:

“IMF staff and the Ukrainian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the Eighth Review of the EFF, subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, with Board consideration expected in coming weeks.

“Ukraine’s four-year EFF Arrangement with the IMF continues to provide a strong anchor for the authorities’ economic program in times of exceptionally high uncertainty. All quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets for end-March have been met, and progress continues on the structural agenda due for this review.

“The economy remains resilient despite the challenges arising from more than three years of war. As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, real GDP growth is expected to remain modest, at 2-3 percent for 2025, reflecting headwinds from labor constraints and damage to energy infrastructure. Inflation has continued to rise, reaching 15.1 percent y/y in April mainly due to rising food and labor costs; inflation expectations remain anchored. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has raised the policy rate by a cumulative 250 bps since December in response. Gross international reserves reached US$46.7 billion as of end-April, reflecting continued large external official support. Risks remain exceptionally high given uncertainty on the war and the prospects for peace and recovery.

“The 2025 fiscal deficit is large as the level of critical expenditures remains elevated as the war continues. Financing the deficit requires significant external support, notably from the G7’s ERA Initiative, whose full disbursement during the program period is critical to support macroeconomic stability and ensure the program remains financed. Risks of additional critical expenditure requirements in 2025 are high and thus the authorities need to prepare offsetting measures should expenditure shocks materialize. Beyond 2025, expenditures are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future. Consequently, it is imperative and unavoidable that the authorities sustain efforts to mobilize domestic revenues over the medium-term since external support alone will not be sufficient to finance the deficit, restore fiscal sustainability, support critical spending, and finance reconstruction.

“Determined efforts are required to mobilize domestic revenues, tackle tax evasion and avoidance, and improve the investment climate. Broad-based, durable, and efficient revenue measures and robust implementation of Ukraine’s National Revenue Strategy (NRS) is essential. Tax policy reforms need to be coupled with improvements in tax administration and continued reforms to the state customs service (SCS) and state tax service (STS). Restoring debt sustainability hinges on this revenue-based fiscal adjustment and continued implementation of the authorities’ debt restructuring strategy, including a treatment of the GDP warrants. The upcoming 2026-2028 budget declaration is an important step to set out the strategic objectives of the authorities’ medium-term fiscal framework and policies.

“With rising inflation, the increases by the National Bank of Ukraine’s (NBU) to their key policy rate (KPR) have been appropriate. Additional action may be warranted if inflation accelerates further or inflation expectations deteriorate. The monetary stance should remain tight to help reduce inflation and bring it to the NBU’s target over its three-year policy horizon. The exchange rate should play a greater role as a shock absorber, as per the preconditions outlined in the relevant NBU Strategy; this will help prevent external imbalances and preserve adequate reserves, particularly given heightened risks to the outlook. The judicious and staged approach to FX liberalization should continue, consistent with overall monetary and FX policy mix to maintain adequate reserves, and measures should continue to be closely monitored.

“Governance reforms remain essential to bolster the rule of law and increase the independence, competence, and credibility of anti-corruption and judicial institutions. Reforming the state customs service (SCS) is essential to tackle corruption and reduce tax evasion. Progress in this area requires finalizing a comprehensive reform plan—a requirement for the completion of the review—coupled with the swift appointment of a permanent head of the SCS. The recently published NABU external audit, a structural benchmark, provides an opportunity to implement additional reforms to strengthen the institution and increase public trust. Similarly, the government’s commitment to amend the criminal procedure code, also a structural benchmark, is a signal of their willingness to strengthen the anti-corruption system and meet international obligations. On SOE corporate governance, the selection of new CEOs for GTSO and Ukrenergo should proceed promptly based on a merit-based process.

“Effective public investment management (PIM) is critical for post-war recovery, reconstruction, and growth against a backdrop of limited fiscal space. To tackle these challenges, the government of Ukraine has made important progress in strengthening PIM frameworks, and we encourage the authorities to build on this success. A strategic, holistic, and transparent approach is essential to overcome absorption capacity constraints and allocate scarce resources efficiently.

“The financial sector remains stable, but continued vigilance is warranted given elevated risks. Swift action to address critical institutional challenges of the NSSMC is a priority to enhance its effectiveness, and fit and proper tests need to proceed without further delay. Developing financial markets infrastructure and associated reforms will be indispensable to attracting private sector and foreign capital to support reconstruction and recovery. Comprehensive consultation with financial market participants is essential to facilitate a prioritized reform agenda.

“The mission met with Prime Minister Shmyhal, Finance Minister Marchenko, National Bank of Ukraine Governor Pyshnyy, other government ministers, public officials, and civil society. The mission thanks them and their technical staff for the excellent collaboration and constructive discussions.”

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Eva-Maria Graf

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/29/pr-25165-ukraine-imf-and-ukr-authorities-reach-agreement-on-8th-rev-of-eff-arrang

MIL OSI
MIL OSI Russia News –
May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Outcomes of the UK/EU Summit on 19 May: UK statement to OSCE
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Speech

Outcomes of the UK/EU Summit on 19 May: UK statement to OSCE

Ambassador Holland briefs on the outcomes of the UK/EU Summit, which took place on 19 May in London, including the leaders’ commitment to the Helsinki Decalogue and resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Thank you, Chair. On 19 May the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Presidents Von Der Leyen and Costa and High Representative Kallas to Lancaster House, for the first ever Summit between the UK and the EU. It was an important forward-looking discussion at which our leaders confirmed our steadfast dedication to the fundamental tenets of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. They restated our commitment to the Helsinki Decalogue and to the rules based international order, with the United Nations at its core.

Our leaders stressed our resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and underlined our commitment to hold Russia accountable for its aggression. Our leaders also offered continued support to Moldova and reaffirmed our commitment to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans.

Europe faces a generational threat to our shared security and against this backdrop the discussion included global and strategic priorities of joint concern and agreement to strengthen cooperation across a range of issues for the security, safety and prosperity of all people across the UK and EU.

During the Summit the UK and the EU reached agreement on a Security and Defence Partnership. The Partnership is broad and ambitious and will upgrade our cooperation on areas ranging from defence industry, mobility of military material and personnel, maritime security and space security, to illicit finance, irregular migration and working together to protect our critical infrastructure. These are issues relevant to the work that we do each day here in Vienna and our partnership will contribute to our shared security.

Madam Chair, this Summit underpinned the importance of UK and EU cooperation and our new geopolitical partnership that drives closer coordination, builds on our OSCE principles and commitments and will underpin our comprehensive approach to security.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 29 May 2025

Invasion of Ukraine

UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals

Move to the UK if you’re coming from Ukraine

Homes for Ukraine: record your interest

Find out about the UK’s response
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Joint statement of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team on the first report covering Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-Russia military cooperation

Source: Government of Canada News

May 29, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Today, the governments of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and United States issued the following statement:

“We, the participating states of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), released today its first report. This multilateral mechanism was established in October 2024 to monitor and report on the implementation of United Nations sanctions measures on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The report is available on the official MSMT website (https://msmt.info).

“The report, which focuses primarily on unlawful DPRK-Russia military cooperation including arms transfers and Russia’s training of DPRK troops, consolidates information provided by MSMT participating states on violations and evasions of sanction measures stipulated in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). The report also contains information provided by open-source intelligence organizations.

“This report is a product of our efforts to address the monitoring gap arising from the disbandment of the UN Security Council’s 1718 Committee Panel of Experts in April 2024, which was caused by Russia’s veto in March 2024. The report will assist with the full implementation of UN sanctions by the international community. The opportunity for dialogue to reestablish the Panel of Experts as a central element of the UN sanctions framework remains open, provided the panel is restored to the full form it had prior to disbandment.

“With the release of the first MSMT report, we underscore once again our shared determination to fully implement relevant UNSCRs. We urge the DPRK to engage in meaningful diplomacy, and call on all states to join global efforts to maintain international peace and security in the face of ongoing threats from the DPRK and those that facilitate its illicit activities in contravention of relevant UNSCRs.

“We will continue our efforts to monitor the implementation of UNSCRs on the DPRK and raise awareness of ongoing attempts to violate and evade UN sanctions.”

Associated links

MIL OSI Canada News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai attends 2025 Europe Day Dinner

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Details
2025-05-28
President Lai meets US delegation led by Senator Tammy Duckworth
On the afternoon of May 28, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by United States Senator Tammy Duckworth. In remarks, President Lai thanked the US Congress and government for their longstanding and bipartisan support for Taiwan. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. He pointed out that the Taiwan government has already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties and will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses. He then expressed hope of deepening Taiwan-US ties and creating more niches for both sides. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome this delegation led by Senator Duckworth, a dear friend of Taiwan. Senator Duckworth previously visited in May last year to convey congratulations after the inauguration of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. Your bipartisan delegation was the first group from the US Senate that I met with as president. Today, you are visiting just after the first anniversary of my taking office, demonstrating the staunch support of the US and our deep friendship. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincere appreciation and greetings. And I invite you to come back and visit next year, the year after that, and every year. Taiwan and the US share the values of democracy and the rule of law and believe in free and open markets. Both sides embrace a common goal of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. I thank the US Congress and government for their longstanding, bipartisan, and steadfast support for Taiwan. In 2021, to help Taiwan overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Duckworth made a special trip here to announce that the US government would be donating vaccines to Taiwan. In recent years, Senator Duckworth has also promoted the TAIWAN Security Act, STAND with Taiwan Act, and Taiwan and America Space Assistance Act in the US Congress, all of which have further deepened Taiwan-US cooperation and steadily advanced our ties. For this, I express my deepest appreciation. I want to emphasize that the people of Taiwan have an unyielding determination to protect their homeland and free and democratic way of life. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience. The government is committed to reforming national defense, and it has proposed prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP. This will continue to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US. In addition to jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability, we also aspire to deepen bilateral trade and economic ties. At the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, earlier this month, Taiwan’s delegation was once again the biggest delegation attending the event – proof positive of our close economic and trade cooperation. We have already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties. We will narrow the trade imbalance through the procurement of energy and agricultural and other industrial products from the US. We will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses to stimulate industrial development on both sides, especially in such industries as national defense and shipbuilding. We therefore look forward to Congress passing the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act as soon as possible, as this would deepen Taiwan-US trade ties and create more niches for business. In closing, I once again thank Senator Duckworth for making the trip to Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to elevate Taiwan-US ties. I wish you a pleasant and successful visit. Senator Duckworth then delivered remarks, saying that she is happy to be back in Taiwan and that she wanted to make sure to come back just after President Lai’s one-year anniversary of taking office to show the dedication and the outstanding friendship that we have. She noted that because no matter who is in the White House, no matter which political party is in power in Washington, DC, she has always believed that if America wants to remain a leader on the global stage, it has to show up for friends like Taiwan. Senator Duckworth mentioned that in the years that she has been coming to Taiwan since pre-COVID times, she has seen a remarkable increase in participation in its defense and the support of the Taiwanese people for defending the homeland. She then thanked Taiwan for making the commitment to its self-defense, and also for being a partner with other nations around the world. The STAND with Taiwan Act, the senator noted, is so named because the US wants to stand side by side with Taiwan. Pointing out that Taiwan is an important leader in the Indo-Pacific and on the global stage, she reiterated that there is support on both sides of the aisle in Washington for Taiwanese democracy, and added that the people of Taiwan are showing that they are willing to shore up their own readiness. Senator Duckworth said that whether it is delivering vaccines to Taiwan or making sure that the US National Guard works with Taiwan’s reserve forces or even with its civilian emergency response teams, these are all important components to the ongoing partnership between our nations. Senator Duckworth indicated that there are many great opportunities moving forward beyond our military cooperation with one another. Whether it is in chip manufacturing, agricultural investments, shipbuilding, or in the healthcare field, those investments in both nations will facilitate stability and development in both our nations. She said that is why she wants to continue the Taiwan-US relationship, underlining that they are in it for the long haul. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

President Lai meets delegation led by US House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman”>Details
2025-05-27
President Lai meets delegation led by US House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman
On the afternoon of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the United States House of Representatives Bruce Westerman. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. The president said that Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from and together build non-red supply chains with the US, expressing hope that economic and trade relations grow even closer and that both work together to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange views with members of the US House Committee on Natural Resources today. Chair Westerman, the leader of this delegation, is an old friend of Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a very warm welcome to the delegation. I also want to thank you all for your long-term close attention to Taiwan-related affairs and your strong support for Taiwan. Taiwan and the US enjoy close ties and share ideals and values. There is an excellent foundation for cooperation between us, particularly in such areas as energy, the economy and trade, agriculture and fisheries, environmental protection, and sustainable development. In recent years, Taiwan-US ties have grown closer and closer. The US has become Taiwan’s largest destination for overseas investment, accounting for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s outbound investment. Taiwan is also the seventh largest trading partner of the US and its seventh largest export market for agricultural products. The SelectUSA Investment Summit held in Washington, DC earlier this month was the largest in its history. Taiwan’s delegation, representing 138 enterprises, was once again the biggest delegation attending the event. This shows that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. Looking ahead, with the global landscape changing rapidly, Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from the US, including energy resources such as natural gas and petroleum, as well as agricultural products, industrial products, and even military procurement. This will not only help balance our bilateral trade, but also strengthen development for Taiwan in energy autonomy, resilience, the economy, and trade. Taiwan and the US are also well-matched in such areas as high tech and manufacturing. As the US pursues reindustrialization and aims to become a global hub for AI, Taiwan is willing to take part and play an even more important role. We will strengthen Taiwan-US industrial cooperation and together build non-red supply chains. In addition to bringing our economic and trade relations even closer, this will also allow Taiwanese industries to remain rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence, helping bolster the US, and marketing worldwide. As for military exchanges, we are grateful to the US government for continuing its military sales to Taiwan and backing our efforts to upgrade our self-defense capabilities. Taiwan will continue to work with the US to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. In closing, I thank our guests once again for making the long journey here, not only offering warm friendship, but also demonstrating the staunch bipartisan support for Taiwan in the US Congress. Chair Westerman then delivered remarks, saying that it is an honor for him and his colleagues to be in Taiwan to talk about the strong relationship between the US and Taiwan and how that relationship can continue to grow in the future. The chair pointed out that natural resources are foundational to any kind of economic development, whether it is energy, which is key to manufacturing, or whether it is mining, which provides rare earth elements and all the minerals and metals needed for manufacturing. He said that as for natural resources including fish, wildlife, or timber, all are foundational to any society, but this is especially so for agriculture, noting that the US produces a lot of food and fodder and is always looking for more friends to share that with. Chair Westerman indicated that they are excited about opportunities to work with Taiwan, adding that Taiwan’s investments in the US have been greatly appreciated. He said they also are excited about the talks with the Trump administration and the future going forward on how we can have a stronger trade relationship, a stronger bilateral relationship, and how we can work with each other to help both economies grow and prosper. Chair Westerman concluded his remarks by expressing thanks for the opportunity to visit, saying that they treasure Taiwan’s friendship and our long-term relationship, and are very excited to be able to discuss in more detail how our two countries can work together. The delegation also included US House Natural Resources Committee Representatives Sarah Elfreth, Harriet Hageman, Celeste Maloy, and Nick Begich. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

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2025-05-27
President Lai meets and hosts luncheon for delegation led by Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Guam
On the morning of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Guam and her husband, and hosted a luncheon for the delegation at noon. In remarks, President Lai noted that this is the governor’s first trip to Taiwan, fully demonstrating the Guam government’s support and high regard for Taiwan. The president said that Guam, being the closest United States territory to Taiwan, is an important bridge for collaboration between Taiwan and the US. He stated that aside from promoting tourism, we can also explore even more opportunities for collaboration in other areas to further advance industrial development for both sides. He said that, as we begin a new chapter, we look forward to working together to generate even more momentum in bilateral cooperation and exchanges. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Governor Leon Guerrero and her delegation. Last year, I transited through Guam en route for visits to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific. The enthusiastic reception I received from the government, legislature, people, and members of our overseas community in Guam was very touching and left me with a deep impression. During the morning tea reception hosted by Governor Leon Guerrero, we joined in singing our respective national anthems, as well as the Fanohge CHamoru. I also received at the Guam Legislature a copy of a Taiwan-friendly resolution it passed on behalf of the people of Taiwan. And I still remember to this day the striking scenery of the governor’s house and the warm reception I received there. It is therefore a great pleasure to meet with all of you today here at the Presidential Office. This is Governor Leon Guerrero’s first trip to Taiwan. Your visit fully demonstrates the Guam government’s support and high regard for Taiwan. As we begin a new chapter, we look forward to working with you to generate even more momentum in bilateral cooperation and exchanges. Taiwan and Guam are like family. We share the Austronesian spirit and culture. Our wide-ranging and mutually-beneficial collaboration is very fruitful. And now, we are facing the challenges of climate change, public health and medicine, and regional security together. The world is rapidly changing and tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to rise. But if we combine our strengths, come together as one, and enhance cooperation, we can maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity. Last Tuesday, I delivered an address on my first anniversary of taking office. I mentioned that for many years, Taiwan, the US, and our democratic partners have actively engaged in exchange and cooperation. Taking a market-oriented approach, we will promote an economic path of staying firmly rooted in Taiwan and expanding the global presence of our enterprises while strengthening ties with the US. Guam is the closest US territory to Taiwan. It is an important bridge for collaboration between Taiwan and the US. Last month, we were pleased to see United Airlines officially launch direct flights between Taipei and Guam. I believe this will benefit tourism and economic and trade exchanges for both sides. In the area of health care, many hospitals in Taiwan already offer referral services to patients from Guam. Both Governor Leon Guerrero and I have backgrounds in medicine. It is my hope that Taiwan and Guam can continue to work hand in hand to create even more positive outcomes from cooperation in public health and medical services. During the governor’s visit, aside from promoting tourism, we can also explore even more opportunities for collaboration in other areas. There is potential for more exchanges in aquaculture, food processing, hydroculture, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and recycling. This will further advance industrial development in Taiwan and Guam. In closing, I thank Governor Leon Guerrero and all our distinguished guests for backing Taiwan. I wish you all a smooth and successful visit. Governor Leon Guerrero then delivered remarks, saying that she is very happy to come to Taiwan. She said that after learning during President Lai’s visit to Guam last year that he is a medical doctor, she felt more relaxed because healthcare colleagues are one in their endeavor to help enhance the health and well-being of people. She then expressed her heartfelt appreciation for the invitation to Taiwan. Governor Leon Guerrero said that as they learn more about opportunities for collaboration with Taiwan, they are humbled by the hospitality they have experienced. In both of our islands, she said, hospitality is more than just a custom – it forms a part of our identities. She noted that despite being nearly 2,000 miles apart, we are connected by the Pacific Ocean and common roots, and our ancestors both value family, community, and tradition. That is why being here today, she said, she feels a strong sense of familiarity, like reconnecting with old friends. The governor remarked that Taiwan has evolved so quickly in all areas of essential life, sustenance, economy, and prosperity, adding that Taiwan’s resources in such areas as health, education, data, AI, advanced technology, aquaculture, agriculture, and commerce enhance our economic stability. She stated her belief that in collaboration and support, and working with each other, we can gain prosperity, maintain freedom and democracy, and live in peace. Governor Leon Guerrero stated that their delegation is here to see how they can partner with Taiwan to help raise the quality of life for both our peoples, mentioning that one special concern of theirs is tourism. Tourism, she said, is the most influential engine and driver for the economy and quality of life in Guam, but they cannot have a vibrant economy and tourism without air connectivity. She added that they are prepared to help in any way to provide incentives and low-cost fees so that they can get more airlines from Taiwan to establish permanent flight schedules to Guam, so as to drive development in Guam’s tourism industry. Governor Leon Guerrero then proceeded to introduce each of the members of her delegation before remarking that while they have been very busy on this visit they are always reminded of the freedom and democracy that the people must protect. She said she looks forward to a great, strong relationship between Taiwan and Guam in cooperation on social and economic issues, in culture, marketing, tourism, and freedom and democracy. Among those in attendance were First Gentleman Jeffrey A. Cook, Chief of Staff Jon Junior Calvo, Director of the Department of Administration Edward Birn, General Manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau Regine Biscoe Lee, Deputy Executive Manager of the Guam International Airport Authority Artemio “Ricky” Hernandez, Board of Directors Chairman of the Guam International Airport Authority Brian J. Bamba, Deputy General Manager of the Guam Economic Development Authority Carlos Bordallo, Director of Landscape Management Systems Guam Bob Salas, Chairperson of the Guam Chamber of Commerce Tae Oh, President of the University of Guam Anita Borja Enriquez, and Director of the Guam Taiwan Office Felix Yen (嚴樹芬). After the meeting, President Lai, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, hosted a luncheon for Governor Leon Guerrero, her husband, and the delegation.

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2025-05-27
President Lai meets delegation from European Parliament
On the morning of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the European Parliament. In remarks, President Lai thanked the European Parliament for continuing to pay close attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and voice support for Taiwan. The president expressed hope for an even closer relationship and diversified cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union. The president said that Taiwan and the EU can work together in such areas as semiconductors, AI, and green energy to create more resilient supply chains for global democracies and contribute to global prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome our guests to the Presidential Office. After being elected last year, MEPs Reinis Pozņaks and Beatrice Timgren are making their first visits to Taiwan, demonstrating support for Taiwan through concrete action. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincerest welcome and appreciation. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the European Parliament for continuing to pay close attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Just last month, the European Parliament adopted resolutions with regard to annual reports on the implementation of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy. These resolutions reaffirmed the EU’s steadfast commitment to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The European Parliament also condemned China for continuing to take provocative military actions against Taiwan and emphasized that Taiwan is a key democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. It called on the EU and its member states to continue working closely with Taiwan to strengthen economic, trade, and investment ties. Once again, I thank the European Parliament for voicing support for Taiwan. Just as MEPs Pozņaks and Timgren are visiting Taiwan to strengthen Taiwan-EU exchanges, our Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) also led a delegation to Europe last year, marking the first in-person dialogue between high-ranking economic and trade officials of Taiwan and the EU. Moving ahead, we look forward to bringing Taiwan-EU ties even closer and to diversifying our cooperation. The EU is Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment. Both sides are highly complementary in such areas as semiconductors, AI, and green energy. Through our joint efforts, we can create more resilient supply chains for global democracies and further contribute to global prosperity and development. Looking ahead, I hope that MEPs Pozņaks and Timgren will continue to make the case in the European Parliament for the signing of a Taiwan-EU economic partnership agreement. This would not only yield mutually beneficial development, but also consolidate economic security and boost international competitiveness for both sides. In closing, I am sure that you will gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan through this visit. Please feel welcome to come back as often as possible as we continue to elevate Taiwan-EU ties. MEP Pozņaks then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor to be here and thanking everybody involved in arranging this trip that allows them the opportunity to better know Taiwan. He added that it is definitely not the last time they will be here, as Taiwan is a very beautiful country. MEP Pozņaks mentioned that he comes from Latvia, and despite their being on the other side of the world, they know how the Taiwanese people feel, because they also have a big neighbor who is claiming that Latvia belongs to them. Unfortunately, he said, there is already war in Europe, but he is confident that their situation is similar to Taiwan’s, adding that they have a neighbor who uses disinformation attacks. MEP Pozņaks said that we live in very challenging times, and that our choices will define the future of the world, asking whether it will be a world where the rule of law prevails or where physical power and aggression succeeds. Coming from a small country, he said he clearly understands that for them there is no other possibility; they must protect the world where the rule of law prevails. That is why now, he emphasized, it is very crucial for all democracies around the world to stick together to protect our freedoms, values, and democracy. MEP Timgren then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for meeting with them and saying it is a big honor. Noting that they arrived here two days ago and that while she really loves Taiwan, its food, and the good weather, she stated that the reason they are here is because of the values that we share, our good relationships, and solidarity with other democratic countries in the world, which is important for them in Europe and in Sweden. MEP Timgren, referring to MEP Pozņaks’s earlier remarks, said that they face a big threat from Russia that is discernible even in the European Parliament. Actually, she pointed out, there is a war inside Europe that shows us how important it is that we support one another. She said that the Russian people thought it would be easy to take over Ukraine, but it was not, because all European countries stepped up and provided weapons and support. And that is why, MEP Timgren said, it is important that democratic countries maintain good relationships and let China and Russia see that we have good relationships, because a part of defense is solidarity. In closing, she expressed her gratitude for having the honor to be here in this beautiful country.

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2025-05-20
President Lai hosts state banquet for President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Republic of Palau
On the evening of May 20, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, hosted a state banquet at the Presidential Office in honor of President Surangel Whipps Jr. of the Republic of Palau and his wife. In remarks, President Lai said that he looks forward to working closely with President Whipps to promote tourism exchanges and sports cooperation so that Taiwan and Palau shine brightly together on the international stage. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a pleasure to host this banquet tonight at the Presidential Office for President Whipps, First Lady Valerie Whipps, and the esteemed members of their delegation. Welcome to Taiwan. During my trips to Palau in 2022 and last year, President and First Lady Whipps received me with great hospitality. Wearing my island shirt, I enjoyed a very friendly reception from the people of Palau. It felt warm and friendly, just like being welcomed back home. The first time I visited Palau, President Whipps and I piloted a boat to the Milky Way lagoon. We both tried volcanic mud facial masks. We also fished together and enjoyed the breeze as we walked on the beach. Last year, on my second visit to Palau, I was honored to be invited to address the National Congress. I also observed the results of the close bilateral cooperation between our two nations. Due to its world-famous ocean scenery, Palau is sometimes referred to as “God’s aquarium.” And it is even possible to snorkel with sharks. It leaves a deep impression. Nothing compares to seeing Palau firsthand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and Palau launched a travel bubble that created a safe means of travel. Now, with the pandemic behind us, I hope that even more Taiwanese can tour Palau and gain a greater understanding of our diplomatic ally. In addition to tourism exchanges, I mentioned on my visit to Palau last year that I hoped Taiwan and Palau could promote sports cooperation by providing training away from home. Next month, Palau will be holding the Pacific Mini Games. And right now, Palau’s national baseball and table tennis teams are holding training sessions here in Taiwan. We will do our utmost to support Palau’s national players and we hope they stand out and achieve outstanding results in the events. I look forward to working closely with President Whipps so that Taiwan and Palau shine brightly together on the international stage. Thank you! Mesulang! President Whipps then delivered remarks, saying that it is truly an honor to be here once again one year after President Lai’s inauguration. Mentioning that this is his first state visit after being reelected to a second term, he said that it is important to be here among friends, and that we are more than friends, we are family. He thanked President Lai for the generous words and, most importantly, Taiwan’s enduring support. He remarked that our relationship continues to get stronger in each passing year. President Whipps said that President Lai’s diplomacy initiative, leadership, and vision deeply resonate with them. Diplomacy must be rooted in our shared values, he said, and an unwavering support for our allies and a commitment to a sustainable, inclusive development are all deeply appreciated by their people. President Whipps emphasized that, as we look into the future and the challenges that we face, from security to climate change, it is so important that we are united. He added that it is important for the world, and especially important for them in Palau, that they stand up for Taiwan, so that Taiwan can participate on international fora that address climate change, security, and health, because they know the world is better when Taiwan has a seat at the table. Mentioning that Palau will host the Pacific Islands Forum next year, President Whipps said that Palau remains committed to working closely with Taiwan to ensure a successful event, and that they will continue to speak up for Taiwan’s indispensable contributions as we stand together against any efforts to silence or isolate democratic partners. President Whipps said that our nations have navigated challenges and emerged stronger, bound by a partnership that is built on trust, respect, and hope for a better world. Whether it is in clean energy, education, smart medicine, or tourism, our shared journey is just beginning, he said, and we are stronger together. Also in attendance at the banquet were Palauan Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industries Charles Obichang, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur, House of Delegates Floor Leader Warren Umetaro, High Chief of Ngiwal State Elliot Udui, Governor of Peleliu State Emais Roberts, and Governor of Koror State Eyos Rudimch.

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2025-05-20
President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era. The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Weaponized storytelling: How AI is helping researchers sniff out disinformation campaigns

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mark Finlayson, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Florida International University

The human proclivity for storytelling makes disinformation difficult to combat. Westend61 via Getty Images

It is not often that cold, hard facts determine what people care most about and what they believe. Instead, it is the power and familiarity of a well-told story that reigns supreme. Whether it’s a heartfelt anecdote, a personal testimony or a meme echoing familiar cultural narratives, stories tend to stick with us, move us and shape our beliefs.

This characteristic of storytelling is precisely what can make it so dangerous when wielded by the wrong hands. For decades, foreign adversaries have used narrative tactics in efforts to manipulate public opinion in the United States. Social media platforms have brought new complexity and amplification to these campaigns. The phenomenon garnered ample public scrutiny after evidence emerged of Russian entities exerting influence over election-related material on Facebook in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

While artificial intelligence is exacerbating the problem, it is at the same time becoming one of the most powerful defenses against such manipulations. Researchers have been using machine learning techniques to analyze disinformation content.

At the Cognition, Narrative and Culture Lab at Florida International University, we are building AI tools to help detect disinformation campaigns that employ tools of narrative persuasion. We are training AI to go beyond surface-level language analysis to understand narrative structures, trace personas and timelines and decode cultural references.

Disinformation vs. misinformation

In July 2024, the Department of Justice disrupted a Kremlin-backed operation that used nearly a thousand fake social media accounts to spread false narratives. These weren’t isolated incidents. They were part of an organized campaign, powered in part by AI.

Disinformation differs crucially from misinformation. While misinformation is simply false or inaccurate information – getting facts wrong – disinformation is intentionally fabricated and shared specifically to mislead and manipulate. A recent illustration of this came in October 2024, when a video purporting to show a Pennsylvania election worker tearing up mail-in ballots marked for Donald Trump swept platforms such as X and Facebook.

Within days, the FBI traced the clip to a Russian influence outfit, but not before it racked up millions of views. This example vividly demonstrates how foreign influence campaigns artificially manufacture and amplify fabricated stories to manipulate U.S. politics and stoke divisions among Americans.

Humans are wired to process the world through stories. From childhood, we grow up hearing stories, telling them and using them to make sense of complex information. Narratives don’t just help people remember – they help us feel. They foster emotional connections and shape our interpretations of social and political events.

Stories have profound effects on human beliefs and behavior.

This makes them especially powerful tools for persuasion – and, consequently, for spreading disinformation. A compelling narrative can override skepticism and sway opinion more effectively than a flood of statistics. For example, a story about rescuing a sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nose often does more to raise concern about plastic pollution than volumes of environmental data.

Usernames, cultural context and narrative time

Using AI tools to piece together a picture of the narrator of a story, the timeline for how they tell it and cultural details specific to where the story takes place can help identify when a story doesn’t add up.

Narratives are not confined to the content users share – they also extend to the personas users construct to tell them. Even a social media handle can carry persuasive signals. We have developed a system that analyzes usernames to infer demographic and identity traits such as name, gender, location, sentiment and even personality, when such cues are embedded in the handle. This work, presented in 2024 at the International Conference on Web and Social Media, highlights how even a brief string of characters can signal how users want to be perceived by their audience.

For example, a user attempting to appear as a credible journalist might choose a handle like @JamesBurnsNYT rather than something more casual like @JimB_NYC. Both may suggest a male user from New York, but one carries the weight of institutional credibility. Disinformation campaigns often exploit these perceptions by crafting handles that mimic authentic voices or affiliations.

Although a handle alone cannot confirm whether an account is genuine, it plays an important role in assessing overall authenticity. By interpreting usernames as part of the broader narrative an account presents, AI systems can better evaluate whether an identity is manufactured to gain trust, blend into a target community or amplify persuasive content. This kind of semantic interpretation contributes to a more holistic approach to disinformation detection – one that considers not just what is said but who appears to be saying it and why.

Also, stories don’t always unfold chronologically. A social media thread might open with a shocking event, flash back to earlier moments and skip over key details in between.

Humans handle this effortlessly – we’re used to fragmented storytelling. But for AI, determining a sequence of events based on a narrative account remains a major challenge.

Our lab is also developing methods for timeline extraction, teaching AI to identify events, understand their sequence and map how they relate to one another, even when a story is told in nonlinear fashion.

Objects and symbols often carry different meanings in different cultures, and without cultural awareness, AI systems risk misinterpreting the narratives they analyze. Foreign adversaries can exploit cultural nuances to craft messages that resonate more deeply with specific audiences, enhancing the persuasive power of disinformation.

Consider the following sentence: “The woman in the white dress was filled with joy.” In a Western context, the phrase evokes a happy image. But in parts of Asia, where white symbolizes mourning or death, it could feel unsettling or even offensive.

In order to use AI to detect disinformation that weaponizes symbols, sentiments and storytelling within targeted communities, it’s critical to give AI this sort of cultural literacy. In our research, we’ve found that training AI on diverse cultural narratives improves its sensitivity to such distinctions.

Who benefits from narrative-aware AI?

Narrative-aware AI tools can help intelligence analysts quickly identify orchestrated influence campaigns or emotionally charged storylines that are spreading unusually fast. They might use AI tools to process large volumes of social media posts in order to map persuasive narrative arcs, identify near-identical storylines and flag coordinated timing of social media activity. Intelligence services could then use countermeasures in real time.

In addition, crisis-response agencies could swiftly identify harmful narratives, such as false emergency claims during natural disasters. Social media platforms could use these tools to efficiently route high-risk content for human review without unnecessary censorship. Researchers and educators could also benefit by tracking how a story evolves across communities, making narrative analysis more rigorous and shareable.

Ordinary users can also benefit from these technologies. The AI tools could flag social media posts in real time as possible disinformation, allowing readers to be skeptical of suspect stories, thus counteracting falsehoods before they take root.

As AI takes on a greater role in monitoring and interpreting online content, its ability to understand storytelling beyond just traditional semantic analysis has become essential. To this end, we are building systems to uncover hidden patterns, decode cultural signals and trace narrative timelines to reveal how disinformation takes hold.

Mark Finlayson receives funding from US Department of Defense and the US National Science Foundation for his work on narrative understanding and influence operations in the military context.

Azwad Anjum Islam receives funding from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

– ref. Weaponized storytelling: How AI is helping researchers sniff out disinformation campaigns – https://theconversation.com/weaponized-storytelling-how-ai-is-helping-researchers-sniff-out-disinformation-campaigns-251349

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 30, 2025
India’s first homegrown semiconductor chip to launch by end of 2025: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Thursday announced that the first Made-in-India semiconductor chip of 28-90 nm technology is set to be rolled out this year.

Addressing the CII Annual Business Summit here, the minister said, “We targeted a particular segment, which has 60 per cent of market volume, using a focused approach.”

“Today, we have six units under construction. The first Made-in-India chip of 28-90 nm will roll out this year. We started manufacturing in 2022,” the minister added.

In semiconductor manufacturing, smaller nanometer (nm) measurements signify more compact transistor designs, allowing manufacturers to fit more transistors onto a single chip. The 28-90 nm chip is used in automotive, telecom, power, and train applications.

Underscoring the importance of the manufacturing sector, the Vaishnaw said, “Many top economists want us to focus on services. Manufacturing and services are both equally important for the next level of growth. We should increase our work wherever we get the opportunity. We should have our own IP, product, design, and standards.”

He also highlighted the positive changes happening due to Artificial Intelligence (AI). “We have experienced a big change due to AI, and it is here to stay,” Vaishnaw remarked.

“What the internet did for the world, a similar phenomenon will be brought forth by AI. We should be prepared for that change regardless of industry or sector. AI will bring a humongous change in our society and industry,” the minister said.

The minister emphasized the need to develop AI models trained on Indian culture, nuances, languages, and social norms. He added that one of the first such models is being developed by Sarvam.

Vaishnaw also highlighted the achievements and growth of Indian Railways, of which he also holds charge as minister.

“We have achieved a major milestone as we have become the second-largest cargo-carrying railway in the world, transporting 1,612 million tonnes of freight, overtaking the US and Russia,” he said.

“Our passenger-carrying capacity has also increased substantially. We have reached a level where dreams are being fulfilled and goals are being achieved. We are moving in a steady direction in railways; more industries must join,” Vaishnaw added.

Vaishnaw further said that the country’s experiment of bringing startups into the railway sector has proved very successful. “We are now bringing a new policy where we can test a new innovative idea and then scale it up based on the test results,” he added.

IANS

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China is effectively promoting data marketization as a unique production factor

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, May 29 (Xinhua) — China’s three-year action plan to boost development by using the unique value of data as a production factor has shown great results.

In the year since the launch of the plan (2024-2026), the country has seen acceleration in the integration of data into large-scale socialized production, as well as positive progress in data marketization and capitalization, the National Data Administration said on Thursday.

According to Luan Jie, an official from the department, more and more enterprises in China are now entering the data market. To date, about 500 digital technology companies have been established under centrally-controlled state-owned enterprises, and about 66 percent of leading enterprises in the industry have purchased data.

Currently, the official noted, data as a unique production factor is widely used in many industries in China, demonstrating an increasingly stimulating role in promoting industry production. In the agro-industrial complex, for example, some enterprises have managed to achieve a 5.5 percent increase in total crop yields by using data to optimize the fertilizer application process.

At the same time, some leading industrial enterprises have integrated data from various production links – from research and development, logistics, warehousing to obtaining price information, which has led to a reduction in R&D, procurement and supply cycles by more than 30 percent.

In the next phase, the State Data Administration intends to step up efforts to advance the implementation of the action plan to stimulate development through the use of data, focusing in particular on removing barriers and difficulties in the dissemination of data application in some key production scenarios. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s rocket successfully completes vertical landing test to improve reusability technology

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

JINAN, May 29 (Xinhua) — A Chinese rocket startup has successfully conducted its first sea test of a proof-of-concept rocket, which made a vertical landing in waters off the coast of east China’s Shandong Province.

On Thursday morning, the 26.8-metre-tall stainless steel rocket, which had a diameter of 4.2 metres and weighed 57 tonnes at liftoff, completed a 125-second flight, reaching an altitude of about 2.5 kilometres during its climb under full thrust.

A video released by Beijing-based Space Epoch shows the XZY-1 rocket firing its engine as it descends, hovering over the sea surface before landing softly in a vertical position.

Post-flight data analysis confirmed that the rocket had performed normally throughout the test, and experts declared the landing a success.

It is one of the latest attempts by Chinese aerospace companies to develop reusable rockets. In 2024, at least two Chinese-made rockets, namely the Zhuque-3 and one developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, completed 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tests in northwest China.

In January of the same year, a GDP test was conducted on the experimental model of the reusable launch vehicle /LV/ “Kuaizhou” /”Fast Shuttle”/, developed by Expace Technology.

In addition, tests of the SQX-2Y reusable launch vehicle developed by i-Space were conducted in 2023. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The priority at the moment is to continue direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations – D. Peskov

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, May 29 /Xinhua/ — The priority at the moment is to continue direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“The main thing now is to continue this process of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. And it has been proposed to do this on Monday in Istanbul,” he said.

Answering the question of what Russia might do if Ukraine disrupts the talks on June 2, the Kremlin spokesman noted: “I think such a question is inappropriate now. We need to wait for the Ukrainian side’s response and then take our bearings.”

Ukraine’s demand to “immediately transfer the memorandum” is not constructive, D. Peskov emphasized.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to provide Ukrainian negotiators with its memorandum on the terms of the conflict settlement during direct talks on June 2 in Istanbul. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Kazakhstan airline SCAT to launch Xi’an-Shymkent flight

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, May 29 (Xinhua) — Kazakhstan’s SCAT airline will launch a Xi’an-Shymkent flight in July this year, the Xi’an Ribao (Xi’an daily) newspaper reported.

The new flight will connect Xi’an and Shymkent starting July 3, bringing the number of air routes between Xi’an and Central Asian cities to eight, the Xi’an Xianyang International Airport Administration said at a presentation on Wednesday.

Flights on this route will be operated twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.

Shymkent, one of three cities of national significance in Kazakhstan, maintains close trade and economic contacts with the city of Xi’an, which is the administrative center of Shaanxi Province in northwest China.

Currently, there are 54 international and regional air routes from Xianyang Airport. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China expresses deep concern over EU probe into Chinese tyres

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, May 29 (Xinhua) — China is deeply concerned about the European Union’s anti-dumping probe into imported passenger car and light truck tires from China, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

Answering a question on the topic at a regular press briefing, the agency’s spokesperson He Yongqian stressed that protectionist practices only lead to an increase in the consumer burden, the formation of trade barriers to the detriment of stability and the smooth functioning of value and supply chains, which is not in the interests of both parties.

China, He Yongqian noted, has consistently advocated the reasonable and prudent use of trade defense measures and calls on the EU not to resort to reckless trade restrictions, but to resolve mutual concerns through dialogue and consultation.

According to her, the Chinese side will closely monitor the EU’s further actions and will resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

The official representative of the Ministry of Commerce noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and the agenda of bilateral relations includes many important issues.

“We will maintain dialogue and communication with the EU to properly handle economic and trade differences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote the development of China-EU economic and trade relations on a positive trajectory, and inject more certainty and positive energy into bilateral relations and the world economy,” He Yongqian said. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: In 2025, more than 2,100 budget places will be available at NSU at all levels of training

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

Today, TASS hosted a press conference dedicated to the specifics of the upcoming admissions campaign to universities in the Siberian Federal District. The event was attended by representatives of leading universities in Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk and Gorno-Altaisk. NSU was represented by Alexander Trusevich, Head of the Department for Work with Applicants.

— Last year, more than 8,000 applicants showed interest in entering the university, in terms of the number of applications, this is, of course, several times more. We hope that this year the number will be even greater. As a rule, 2/3 of the total number of those enrolled are those who were enrolled in budget places, and the rest are paid admission. The interest and popularity of NSU is increasing among applicants based on the results of prestigious Olympiads — this is the All-Russian School Olympiad, these are the list Olympiads. Last year, the number of enrolled applicants with such results increased by almost 20%, — noted Alexander.

In 2025, 2108 budget and 1363 fee-paying places will be available at NSU at all levels of training. In general, the number of places remains at the level of previous years.

— This year, NSU will have a new category of places for the first time — places financed by industrial partners. Education in these places will be completely free for applicants, with the possibility of receiving a scholarship at the expense of industrial partners, — added Alexander.

Among the main innovations that await applicants this year:

— the most noticeable change compared to last year is the abolition of the requirement to provide the original educational document as a prerequisite for enrollment; instead of the original educational document, applicants must submit an application for consent to enrollment;

— for the first time this year, applicants for master’s and postgraduate programs will be able to use the super service “Online University Admission” and submit documents using the “Gosuslugi” portal; this will expand the geography of applicants;

— starting with this admissions campaign, universities must designate the maximum number of fee-paying places, which cannot be increased during the admissions campaign;

— amendments were recently made to the Federal Law on Education, which will allow children of participants in military operations on the territory of the Russian Federation to enroll in places under a separate quota;

— starting this year, a new type of individual achievements has been introduced for applicants to target quota places — targeted individual achievements; the maximum score that an applicant can receive is 5 points.

This year, the university will introduce a number of new educational programs that train interdisciplinary specialists and cover promising areas. Among them are the specialty “Medical Cybernetics” and the master’s program “Industrial Pharmacy”. New educational programs are being implemented jointly with the MSU Engineering School, and large companies “Pharmstandard” and “Generium” are industrial partners. New educational programs will be developed on the basis of the infrastructure of the educational and scientific center of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, which is part of the modern NSU campus, built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”.

Also starting this year, NSU is opening admission to the bachelor’s degree program “Applied Artificial Intelligence”. This program won the federal grant competition for training top specialists in the field of artificial intelligence. The pilot recruitment will consist of 150 students. The program will be implemented with the active participation of industrial partners – Rostelecom and Innotech (T1). Grant support will allow students to study for free and receive scholarships from industrial partners.

On Faculty of Physics a new Master’s program “Applied Mathematics and Physics” will be implemented. Within its framework, training will be conducted in three profiles – “Space and Special Instrumentation”, “Medical Physics” and “Information Processes and Systems”.

If we talk about the most popular areas, then the biggest competition is for those with a small number of budget places, for example: linguistics; business informatics; jurisprudence. The competition for them reaches 50 people per place.

According to the results of the 2024 admissions campaign, the following can be distinguished among the most popular areas of natural science and engineering:

— Applied Mathematics and Physics — 33.6 people per place (14 people enrolled on a budgetary basis);

— Computer science and engineering — 27.3 people per place (185 people enrolled on a budgetary basis);

— Physics. Physical informatics — 14.6 people per place (28 people enrolled on a budgetary basis);

— Mechatronics and robotics — 13.8 people per place (70 people enrolled on a budgetary basis);

— Chemistry — 9.9 people per place (65 people enrolled on a budget basis).

— The interest in NSU from applicants coming from other regions is growing. Thus, last year, out of 2,000 people admitted to bachelor’s and specialist’s degree programs, almost 50% were not from the Novosibirsk Region. Moreover, applicants come not only from neighboring regions, but also from the central part of Russia: from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Kaliningrad, Samara and other cities, — Alexander emphasized.

The university is increasing the number of foreign students, primarily interested in medical, natural science and engineering research areas. Many applicants are from the CIS – Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Among the far abroad countries, the top countries include China, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. This year, a joint educational program for a bachelor’s degree in physics will open with Chongqing University, 60 Chinese students will be accepted.

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 –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: AI Can Predict Students’ Academic Performance Based on Social Media Subscriptions

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

A team of Russian researchers, including scientists from the National Research University Higher School of Economics, used artificial intelligence to analyze 4.5 thousand student subscriptions to VK communities. It turned out that the algorithms can predict with high accuracy who is an excellent student and who has difficulties with their studies. The work was published in the journal IEEE Access.

A person leaves behind a digital trace – likes, photos, information about listening to music and clicking on links. Even the most careful people can learn a lot from their Internet activity. Some believe that you can not monitor your digital trace and that information on social networks does not affect your professional and personal life. For scientists, open data on the Internet is a subject of research.

A group of scientists from the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Skoltech, and Tomsk State University collected data on subscriptions of 4,445 students with open profiles to various VKontakte communities. Then, using NLP analyzers (natural language analysis methods), they classified the topics of the communities, assessed the complexity of the texts that students read, and the emotional tone of the content. For each student, the researchers created a digital profile, including preferences and interests. After that, the scientists used machine learning to find a relationship between online activity and academic success.

The researchers created an algorithm that predicts academic performance based on subscription analysis. In particular, students with high grades are more likely to be subscribed to communities related to science and education topics, where new technologies are discussed and analytical articles are published. Excellent students read more complex texts and show greater interest in discussions and deep analysis of information.

Low-performing students were more likely to subscribe to entertainment communities that focused on humor, memes, music, and video games. The content of these communities was more likely to display negative emotions and was also less informative than that of higher-performing students.

“Some of the results surprised us. For example, that students who are interested in art or traveling show excellent academic performance. These hobbies do not interfere with their studies. On the contrary, they seem to help them study better. And active interaction with communities related to part-time work is a marker of low academic performance, which is understandable,” comments Sergey Gorshkov, a postgraduate student. Department of Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence Faculty of Computer Science National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Educational organizations can use this approach to identify talented applicants and tailor curricula to specific groups. In addition, subscription analysis can help employers in recruiting, allowing them to find candidates with a high expected level of analytical skills.

“This study once again reminds us of the need for digital hygiene. For example, in agreements on opening an account at a bank or with a mobile operator, you can see that you give permission to use some information from a social network account linked to your phone number. This can then be used to create a digital profile. Whether you want this is up to you,” says Dmitry Ignatov, head of the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Models and Methods of Computational Pragmatics at the Faculty of Computer Science at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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 –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AMENDMENTS 001-001 – REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus – A10-0087/2025(001-001)

Source: European Parliament

AMENDMENTS 001-001
REPORT
on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
(COM(2025)0034 – C10-0006/2025 – 2025/0021(COD))
Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: Inese Vaidere

Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ADDENDUM on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (COM(2025)0034 ; C10-0006/2025 ; 2025/0021(COD)) – A10-0087/2025(ERR01)

Source: European Parliament

ADDENDUM on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (COM(2025)0034 ; C10-0006/2025 ; 2025/0021(COD))
Committee on International Trade
Inese Vaidere

Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: From idea to prototype: Polytechnic University held a fair of student projects

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The first Student Project Fair “Idea in Action” was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The organizers were the Youth Trajectory Center “Polytech Tower” under the Youth Policy Department and the OPD competition team. The goal of the event was to provide students with a platform to present their projects to the university’s partners, establish new contacts and find opportunities for further development. In addition, participants from the FabLab Polytech association presented the infrastructure and equipment available for creating prototypes.

The event attracted interest from both student engineering teams, who organized more than 20 stands with their prototypes, and partners. The exhibition was visited by such companies as: JSC Power Machines, OOO Glavstroy-SPB Specialized Developer, OOO ARMAN, JSCB FORA-BANK (JSC) in St. Petersburg, TRICOLOR, the Russian Union of Young Scientists, ROBBO, JSC NPF Dipol, OOO VK, GC SoftBalance, Gazprom ID, the State Hermitage Museum.

The university’s partners were also able to select three best projects, among which were: the robot battle team “Omnivores” (IMMIT, Higher School of Automation and Robotics) and two projects from the Higher School of Project Activity and Industrial Innovations of IMMIT – an electronic cigarette sensor and the student project accelerator “Grant Lab”.

In addition to the exhibition of engineering projects, a traditional competition of projects for the course “Fundamentals of Project Activities” was held.

The competition was held based on the results of the spring semester of this year, which was completed by more than 4,000 second-year students of all areas of training at SPbPU. 50 projects reached the university-wide final in four nominations: scientific and technical (8), IT (18), organizational (10), creative (14). Four teams from Surgut State University, winners of a similar event at their university, participated outside the competition. At Surgut State University, the OPD course is taught by teachers trained at SPbPU.

In the nomination “Scientific and technical projects” the winner was the project “Development of a series of decks for skateboards and longboards and a modular ramp”, headed by Maya Varennikova. The project under the supervision of Daniil Vyzhanov “Robotized production line fishertechnik indusrty 4.0 under the control of 1C: Enterprise 8.3.” took 2nd place, “Bionic hand prosthesis”, headed by Ekaterina Trosko – 3rd place.

The strongest organizational project was “IPMET Board Games”, Anastasia Kurynkina. The second was the project led by Varvara Polyakova “Development of a turnkey service package for a segment of the target audience (optional)”, the third was “Podcast for applicants of SPbPU ISI”, led by Polina Khazova.

In creative projects, the leaders ranked as follows: 1st place – “Development of a game with a banking theme”, leader Daria Yudina, 2nd place – “Development of a board game dedicated to the history of the university (TsifKaf)”, leader of the RP Alexander Perin, 3rd place – “Katastrofa Code”, leader Alexandra Ryfalskaya.

Among IT projects, the best was recognized as “Mobile application “Safe House”, headed by Mark Zheleznyakov. Second place was taken by the project “Development of a computer simulator/game “By the lake”” headed by Anastasia Bagrova, 3rd place – “Neural network fuzzer”, headed by Daniil Morozov.

The award ceremony for the teams was attended by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov, Director of the Higher School of Project Activities and Innovations in Industry Sergey Redko, and Director of the Center for Youth Trajectories Andrey Dolgirev.

Director of the Center for Youth Trajectories Andrey Aleksandrovich Dolgirev shared his impressions: It is great that our Polytechnic has so many wonderful students who, applying the knowledge they gained during their studies, have the desire and opportunity to create their own technical and social projects. This is also facilitated by the OPD course, as well as the space of opportunities with a fleet of machines and equipment, such as the Polytechnic Towers. If we add here the industrial partners of the university, such projects can be noticed by employers and investors. This is the main idea of the format of the “Idea in Action” fair. It allows combining educational activities and opportunities outside the educational programs, as well as giving students a chance for direct dialogue with companies.

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 –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft Days were held at the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MIEP), thematic “Rosneft Days” were held for the university students.

Over the course of two days, representatives of the Central Office and scientific institutes of Rosneft told students about the Company’s projects. The lecture topics covered issues of climate change, the use of renewable energy sources, sustainable development, carbon management and the implementation of climate projects that are relevant to the global energy agenda. The students were also told about the Company’s unique experience in conducting scientific expeditionary work in the Arctic and the evolution of fuels and petrochemical synthesis.

For visitors of the Company’s theme days, master classes and a business game were organized, and educational films about the activities of Rosneft were shown. In addition, a selection of candidates for admission to the master’s program of the basic department with subsequent internship at Rosneft was also held. 50 applicants from MIEP took part in the selection.

In May, one of Rosneft’s key partners, the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Cooperation with the institute has been developing for over 20 years, is comprehensive and includes: work with talented youth, retraining and advanced training of the Company’s employees, implementation of the Company’s educational cooperation with foreign universities, development of the institute’s educational infrastructure, support for students and teachers, as well as research work.

Rosneft was the first fuel and energy company to create a basic department of “Global Energy Policy and Energy Security” at MIEP, which has been operating since 2007. The department trains masters in the program “Energy Strategies of International Oil and Gas Companies”. The curriculum of the program includes practice-oriented courses in special disciplines and a two-year internship for students in the Company’s specialized divisions. The annual admission to the master’s program is 10 people.

During the operation of the basic department, more than 160 master’s degree students completed a long-term internship at Rosneft. The best graduates of the master’s degree are employed by the Company following the internship.

The Rosneft Corporate Training Center, created at MIEP, implements more than 20 unique programs for advanced training in regional studies, international law, economics, finance and other areas for the Company’s specific needs. More than 4 thousand employees of the Company have completed training at the Center.

For high-potential and promising employees of the Company, who are in the personnel reserve, training is provided under the corporate Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with a specialization in “International Business in the Oil and Gas Industry”. More than 200 managers and personnel reserves of Rosneft have graduated from the program.

Rosneft, together with MIEP, is developing cooperation with foreign partner universities.

Reference:

Rosneft cooperates with 203 educational partner organizations, including 75 Russian universities. Work with educational institutions is carried out within the framework of the corporate system of continuous education “School – College/University – Enterprise”, which has been in operation since 2005 and ensures a constant influx of young specialists with a high level of training to the Company.

Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft May 29, 2025

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 –

May 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to his Truth Social social media channel to proclaim that if it wasn’t for him, “lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia”. The following day the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, announced that his country would assist Ukraine in developing long-range missiles to deploy against targets inside Russia. Both statements are quite extraordinary.

Even by Trump’s own standards, the public declaration by a sitting US president that he is protecting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is unprecedented. Putin is under indictment for war crimes and has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than three years after having illegally annexed Crimea over a decade ago. There can now be no doubt left that the US has become an unreliable ally for Ukraine and its European partners.

This is the context in which Merz’s announcement of increasing defence cooperation with Ukraine becomes significant. While Trump continues to chase an impossible deal with Putin – even after threatening to abandon his mediation efforts less than ten days ago – Germany has doubled down on Ukraine’s defence.

Not only that, but as the EU’s largest and Nato’s second-largest economy, Germany is now also aiming to turn its Bundeswehr (the German army, navy and air force) into the “strongest conventional army in Europe”. Its most senior military officer and chief of defence, Carsten Breuer, has published plans for a rapid and wide-ranging expansion of defence capabilities.

Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

Germany is finally beginning to pull its weight in European defence and security policy. This is absolutely critical to the credibility of the EU in the face of the threat from Russia. Berlin has the financial muscle and the technological and industrial potential to make Europe more of a peer to the US when it comes to defence spending and burden sharing. This will be important to salvage what remains of Nato in light of a highly probable American down-scaling – if not complete abandonment – of its past security commitments to the alliance.

After decades of failing to develop either a grand strategy to deal with Russia or the hard power capabilities that need to underpin it, achieving either will take some time. But it is important to acknowledge that some critical first steps have been taken by the new German government.

Facing a growing threat

For Germany, and much of the rest of Europe, the investment in more defence capabilities does not simply require producing more ammunition or procuring more advanced defence systems. These are important – but what is also needed is a significant investment in developing manpower. This means either finding more volunteers or reintroducing conscription, which is now no longer a taboo in Germany.

Sending a whole new brigade to Lithuania, in its first international deployment since the second world war, is an important signal to Nato allies about Germany’s commitment to the alliance. It is also a clear signal to Russia that Germany finally is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to containing the threat from Russia. It’s a threat which has grown significantly since the beginning of the Kremlin’s full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The three years of Russia’s war against its neighbour have also highlighted the threat that Russia poses beyond Ukraine’s borders. The war against Ukraine has exposed European vulnerabilities and its dependence on the US. And it has taught military planners important lessons about what a future confrontation with Russia might look like. This is why Germany’s military planners have identified air defence systems, precision strike capabilities, drones, and electronic and cyber warfare assets as procurement priorities.

Beyond Germany, the signs have have been that Europe more broadly is beginning to learn to stand on its own feet when it comes to its security. For the continent, the challenge is threefold. It needs to beef up its defence spending in light of the ongoing war against Ukraine and Russian threats to expand it further. Europe also needs to come to terms with the dismantling of the transatlantic alliance by Trump. And, finally, there is a populist surge that threatens the very foundations of European democracy and risks undermining efforts to stand up to both Trump and Putin. This has been given extra fuel by the alignment of Trump’s “America-first” Maga movement with Putin’s Russia.

Major challenges ahead

These are enduring challenges with no quick fixes. The first test of this apparent new-found European mettle will be the war in Ukraine. Giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia is not a new development. Such a move was first taken by the then US president, Joe Biden, in November 2024 when he authorised Ukraine to launch limited strikes into Russia using US-made long-range missiles, followed by similar authorisations from London and Paris at the time, but not Berlin.

Now, as then, how effective this will be depends not only on how many actual missiles Ukraine has but also on whether US intelligence sharing will continue. This is crucial for targeting. What’s more, effectiveness will also be difficult to measure. In a best-case scenario, Ukraine will now be able to stave off Russia’s reportedly impending summer offensive.

The Kremlin has already indicated its displeasure and ratcheted up its nuclear sabre rattling.

Trump, meanwhile, remains all talk when it comes to putting any pressure on Russia. By contrast, the Europeans, for once, are much more action orientated, which is another indication of the increasing rift across the Atlantic.

This does not mean an end to transatlantic relations and pragmatic cooperation, as demonstrated by the meeting between the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, which happened almost simultaneously with Trump’s and Merz’s statements.

What it does mean, however, is that Europe’s security now entirely depends on whether key players on the continent can muster the will to mobilise the resources required to defend the continent against an aggressive foe to the east. Berlin and other European capitals seem to have recognised at long last that this needs to happen. Now they need to demonstrate that they can follow through with swift and decisive action.

Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

– ref. Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security – https://theconversation.com/germany-steps-up-to-replace-unreliable-us-as-guarantor-of-european-security-257735

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 29, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Three deposit auctions of UK FRT LLC will take place on 05/29/2025

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

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.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.M.

Categories24-7, Mil-SOSI, Moscow, Moscow Stock Exchange, Russian Economy, Russian Federal, Russian Language, Russian economy

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Parameters
Date of the deposit auction	05/29/2025
Placement currency	Rub
Maximum amount of funds placed (in placement currency)	2 665 000 000.00
Placement period, days	32
Date of deposit	05/29/2025
Refund date	06/30/2025
Minimum placement interest rate, % per annum	21.00
Conditions of imprisonment, urgent or special	Urgent
Minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in placement currency)	2 665 000 000.00
Maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs.	1
Auction form, open or closed	Open
Basis of the Treaty	General Agreement

Schedule (Moscow time)
Preliminary applications	from 13:00 to 13:10
Applications in competition mode	from 13:10 to 13:15
Setting a cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid	until 13:25

Additional terms

Category: Russian Federation

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