China cancels military talks with U.S. in protest at sanctions over Russia military equipment The Saigon Times Daily A worker places U.S. and China flags near the Forbidden City ahead of a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, in Beijing, China November 8, 2017 – PHOTO: REUTERS SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - China summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing and postponed joint military talks in protest against a U.S. decision to sanction a Chinese military agency and its director for buying Russian fighter jets and a surface-to-air missile system. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang summoned Ambassador Terry Branstad to lodge "stern representations", the foreign ministry said. China's Defence Ministry said in a statement it would recall navy chief Shen Jinlong from a visit to the United States and postpone planned talks in Beijing between Chinese and U.S. military officials that had been set for this week. It added that China's military reserved the … [Read more...] about China cancels military talks with U.S. in protest at sanctions over Russia military equipment
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Russian military mission in Syria brings history full circle
Valery Anisimov and his fellow Russian servicemen were smuggled out of the Black Sea hiding below the decks of their ship, they grew their hair long so they could pass as tourists, then landed at a Syrian port to join up with government military units. Their trip took place in January 1983, 32 years before Russia's military again joined a Syrian conflict with its launch last month of air strikes on militant groups opposed to the Damascus government. As Anisimov's story shows, even if Russia's entry into the Syrian conflict may have caught Western countries off guard, it is the continuation of a long history of involvement in the Middle East. That role declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union left Russia broke and in chaos, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has now restored what, in the Kremlin's eyes, is business as usual in the region. "We moved away from supporting the Arabs," said Pogos Akopov, a retired diplomat who served as Soviet ambassador to Egypt, Libya and Kuwait. … [Read more...] about Russian military mission in Syria brings history full circle
New National Military Strategy expands the US’s role in global security
(VOVworld) – The US has released its new National Military Strategy for 2015, which has turned its strategic targets to the Pacific and focused on some state adversaries as major threats to the security. The US military is urged to have a stronger influence reflecting the responsibility of a preeminent power in global order and security. The US 2015 National Military Strategy points to state adversaries, in addition to terrorism and extremism (photo: yahoo.com) The US’s National Military Strategy is built every four years on the basis of the National Security Strategy. The 2015 version says that the US military is the best-led and best-equipped force in the world and is committed to defend US citizens. The US military will build a global security network, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, welcome the rise of emerging nations, and stand ready to defeat potential enemies. The Strategy points out the challenges of the … [Read more...] about New National Military Strategy expands the US’s role in global security
Russia to deliver 2 more warships to Vietnam by 2016
Vietnam will receive the second pair of the Russian-made frigates with antisubmarine weapons in late 2016, Russian news agency TASS has reported. “A couple of such frigates were built for Vietnam earlier, now the second pair is being built that differs in the weapons and military equipment. The delivery deadline is late 2016,” TASS quoted Yevgeny Matveyev, chief engineer of the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau, as saying Thursday. A Gepard-class frigate built by Russia's Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant. Photo credit: Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant “To date, there are no factors for non-fulfilment of the obligations, the shipbuilding is going on schedule,” Matveye said. A.M. Gorky Zelenodolsk Plant delivered two Gepard-class frigates to the Vietnamese navy in 2011 under a US$350 million contract. These vessels were named after King Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) and King Ly Thai To (974-1028). The new pair of frigates differs from the previous ships by antisubmarine weapons and … [Read more...] about Russia to deliver 2 more warships to Vietnam by 2016
Vietnam goes shopping for U.S. military hardware
Vietnam's military is going shopping. Anxious about a more assertive China on its doorstep and frictions over territory in the South China Sea, officials in Hanoi recently hosted a group of foreign defense contractors looking to sell the nation everything from radar systems to night vision technology and aircraft. The military's top officers were not present because of the sensitivity of hobnobbing with U.S. defense companies eight days before celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the defeat of America and its allies. But the meeting shows how Vietnam's leaders are looking past ideology to practical realities. "There are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests," Alexander Vuving, a security analyst at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, said by phone. Squeezed by slower U.S. military spending, defense firms are looking to Southeast Asian nations for new markets, capitalizing on their concerns about China's outlays on long-range planes, ships … [Read more...] about Vietnam goes shopping for U.S. military hardware