Tag: Indo-Pacific

Messages at Shangri-La

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

by Brian Berletic

During this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth laid out an alarming vision for the future of the Asia-Pacific region, a vision that includes the same type of U.S. military encroachment and confrontation that has turned Europe, North Africa and the Middle East into devastated battlegrounds over the past two decades.

Messages at Shangri-La (archived)

The plan behind Washington’s violations of the One-China Principle

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

By Brian Berletic

While much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the economic fallout of the tariffs imposed by the United States on allies and designated adversaries alike, they are only one part of a much wider strategy aimed at what U.S. policymakers themselves claim is a bid to maintain the U.S. as “the world’s dominant superpower.”

The plan behind Washington’s violations of the One-China Principle

“Dark Indonesia” and Astroturfed Subversion + More

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

21-04-2025: Since February, Indonesia has been beset by protests largely led by students, so-called civil society organisations, some labour unions and K-pop fans. Protests emerged in many cities throughout the Indonesian archipelago including Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Solo, Semarang, Bali, Samarinda, Banjarmasin and South Sumatra. The protestors were reportedly delivering a “red report card” on the first 100 days of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. They also condemned Prabowo’s “Ndasmu!” remark towards critics of the Free Nutritious Meal program.[1] “Ndasmu” is an impolite Javanese word meaning “your head”, which perhaps implies that the protestors’ actions were the result of something that existed in their heads only. The slogan “Dark Indonesia” under which the protests took place, is a stab at Prabowo’s election slogan of “Golden Indonesia” (Indonesia Emas), which aims to advance the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) to a sovereign, prosperous nation by 2045, the centennial of its independence won in 1945.[2]

“Dark Indonesia” and Astroturfed Subversion

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Philippines to receive 20 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets from the US as confrontations with China grow.

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Philippines to receive 20 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets from the US as confrontations with China grow.

The timing of this approval is significant as the Philippines has been engaged in a series of escalating maritime confrontations with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have increasingly voiced support for Manila in countering Chinese maritime expansion. During his recent visit, Hegseth committed to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region,” calling attention to China’s growing assertiveness. Additionally, Philippine military leadership, including General Romeo Brawner, has publicly stated that a conflict in Taiwan would inevitably involve the Philippines, urging preparations for possible hostilities. Preparations for such scenarios have reportedly influenced the planning of joint U.S.-Philippine exercises, such as the annual “Balikatan” drills. These developments add urgency to the Philippine modernization program, of which the F-16 acquisition is a cornerstone.

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