Unless you’ve been hibernating for the past 40 years, you’ve seen the growth of China from a backwoods communist state with a huge population and a deep history, that saw what they needed to do to get into the Great Conflict of 2023. Yes, China plays the long game and their targeting intellectual property and western know how has been going on for decades, and it continues today in June 2023.
China Pays billions to listen into the United States from Cuba
In an exclusive, the Wall Street Journal revealed that China has agreed to pay Cuba billions of dollars in exchange for the right to build a massive surveillance and listening station in Cuba. This is taking a page straight out of the Cold War when Russia started with radio stations which transmitted both covert communications to assets in the United States, but also a massive listening post to intercept communications up and down the east coast.
From Cuba’s optic they need the hard currency China is willing to pay.
John Kirby, U.S. National Security Council spokesman, however, refutes the veracity of the WSJ reporting during a June 8 appearance on MSNBC, “I’ve seen that press report, it’s not accurate. What I can tell you is that we have been concerned since day one of this administration about China’s influence activities around the world, certainly in this hemisphere and in this region, we’re watching this very, very closely.”
Luftwaffe fighter pilot trainer to train the PLAF
TA German periodical published a deep dive into China’s recruiting foreign fighter pilots to train their PLAF pilots and found that the practice, which we wrote of in late 2022, continues. Spiegel International published an expose where a retired officer in the Bundeswehr, Alexander H., callsign, “Limey” used to train pilots on the Eurofighter. Alexander, the expose tells us, left Germany with his American girlfriend, registering his move in 2013, not to the United States, but rather the airport in Qiqihar, China. Another German pilot, Peter S, who flew with the Air Force Wing in Laage, Germany is also in China as an “aviation consultant contractor.”
The expose continues how there are a group of former German fighter pilots working as instructor/trainers in China and earning salaries which one would normally associate with professional athletes or top tier corporate executives.
To the jaded eye of this writer, it appears that the Thousand Talents Program we have seen drawing in technical and scientific expertise has a more direct and mercenary counterpart in the PLAF. Bring in foreign pilots with key expertise needed to make the PLAF a modern air force by assimilating NATO strategy and tactics.
German Defense Ministry said, “a significant danger that not just basic flight proficiency will be imparted, but that relevant tactics, techniques and procedures will be manifested.” With a retirement age of 41, and a pension of 50%, pilots look for onward commercial opportunities (some go the commercial pilot route). For the last 10 years, China has been quietly bringing pilots into China as an alternative employment track.
In April 2023, Australia arrested U.S. pilot Danial Duggan, and he now stands accused of having trained Chinese pilots. He is awaiting extradition to the United States.
China attempts to intimidate U.S. armed forces in the Taiwan strait
Two separate incidents have occurred, the first in May when a Chinese J-16 buzzed a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft (one may remember that in the past, China has collided with aircraft they choose to buzz). The second involved U.S. and Canadian vessels which were transiting the Taiwan Strait and had a Chinese naval vessel basically race past the U.S. guided missile destroyer and Canadian frigate and then cut across their bow at less than 150 yards (450 feet). When questioned, the Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said, “What’s the point of going there? In China we say, ‘Mind your own business.’”
The world watches Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and can’t help but think that China is watching to determine when (not if) they should attempt to take control of Taiwan by force. If we thought China was going to be neutral or support Ukraine, one should think again. China this week finished up a series of joint military exercises with Russia. They have signed joint economic accords. There will be arms sales going both ways. China is Russia’s key commercial partner in 2023 and second isn’t even close. They’d be delighted to have Russia as a vassal state.
China plays the long game and these actions, occurring in different areas of the world serve to exemplify the dexterity of their diplomatic and and military efforts and attempt to force the rest of the world to stand up and take notice, China is a major player.
