tyb
welcome
moar newfags every day. Doesn't hurt to encourage them. Was vastly different environment a year ago.
China Unveils New Guided-Missile Destroyer
China has unveiled its newest high tech destroyer during Tuesday's 70th anniversary of the Chinese PLA Navy's founding, in an event witnessed by naval delegations from some 60 countries around the world gathered at the eastern port city of Qingdao.
President Xi Jinping reviewed the major naval parade which further had the direct participation of nearly a dozen regional navies, including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. In hosting the major exercises, China is using the opportunity to both flex its muscle amid heightening tensions with the US in the East and South China seas, and show off its new generation of guided-missile destroyers.
China's navy has been a major focal point and beneficiary of Xi's push for rapid modernization, which has shifted priority away from a conventional infantry in order to create a more high tech and agile force.
The PLA navy has been rapidly growing since 2000, a year ago surpassing the United States' own in size, and compliments an already huge over 2-million strong PLA troop fighting force.
Reuters summarized Tuesday's naval parade scene as follows:
After boarding the destroyer the Xining, which was only commissioned two years ago, Xi watched as a flotilla of Chinese and foreign ships sailed past, in waters off the eastern port city of Qingdao.
“Salute to you, comrades. Comrades, thanks for your hard work,” Xi called out to the officers standing on deck as the ships sailed past, in images carried on state television.
“Hail to you, chairman,” they replied. “Serve the people.”
In all, 32 Chinese warships are participating the anniversary exercises, including the Liaoning aircraft carrier and nuclear subs, along with destroyers, frigates, landing ships, auxiliary ships.
Air assets deployed as part of the exercise also include bombers, fighters, carrier-based fighters, and carrier-based helicopters engaged in flyovers.
The 70th anniversary exercise appeared an occasion for Beijing to reassert its own vision of "freedom of navigation" and maritime security issues with "major naval leaders" from the region at a time when the US is challenging Chinese territorial claims.
Other regional powers sent some of their advanced warships to showcase, such as a stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy, INS Kolkata, and the Russian Caliber cruise missile-equipped frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov.
Noticeably absent from the naval parade and exercises, however, was China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, reported to still be undergoing sea tests before its official future launch.
And though older submarines were present, China did not showcase its new nuclear submarines as previously promised, according to footage aired on state television.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-23/china-unveils-new-guided-missile-destroyer-xi-overseas-naval-parade
North Korea's Kim enters Russia for summit with Putin
SEOUL/MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into Russia on Wednesday by train, Russian media reported, for his first trip there aimed at galvanizing support from President Vladimir Putin while nuclear talks with Washington are in a limbo.
Kim is expected to project himself as a serious world player with his first meeting with the Russian leader and at the same time seek assistance from a key ally to ease economic pressure brought on by U.S. and international sanctions.
The young leader will meet with Putin in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok on Thursday with the nuclear stalemate with the United States topping the agenda, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
“In the last few months the situation around the peninsula has stabilized somewhat, thanks in large part to North Korea’s initiatives of stopping rocket testing and closing its nuclear test site,” Ushakov told reporters.
“Russia intends to help in any way possible to cement that positive trend.”
Arriving in an armored train at the Russian border station of Khasan, Kim was greeted with flowers and traditional gifts of bread and salt, the RIA news agency reported, citing an unnamed local government official.
He then toured the Russian-Korean Friendship House located at the station, built ahead of a 1986 visit by his late grandfather and state-founder and leader Kim Il Sung who died in 1994, RIA said.
The North’s official KCNA news agency reported earlier on Wednesday that Kim departed for Russia accompanied by key aides including Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and veteran nuclear negotiator Choe Son Hui.
Kim is seeking to rally support from Moscow after his second meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February broke down over differences about demands for Pyongyang to denuclearize and for Washington to drop sanctions.
Kim would hope to get a break from crushing sanctions through his unprecedented summit with Putin but that is likely to prove elusive, analysts say.
Japan’s NHK broadcaster reported citing an unnamed senior Russian official that Putin could propose a restart of the six-party denuclearization talks - which involved the United States, China, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas - last held in 2008.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-russia/north-koreas-kim-enters-russia-for-summit-with-putin-idUSKCN1RY1KT?il=0
used to live three blocks from there. A shopping mall and retail store's aplenty on that corner.