AOC in Munich

There's a reason this trip exists, and it isn't subtle. One unnamed Democratic insider told the Daily Mail what everyone already knows, "She has strong domestic policy credentials, and strong progressive credentials, but if you're going to be on a national ticket and be president or vice president, you have to have some knowledge of foreign affairs."

"Some knowledge" being the operative phrase. In a 2018 PBS interview during her first congressional campaign, Ocasio-Cortez herself admitted the obvious, "I am not the expert at geopolitics on this issue."

Since then, she's reportedly been receiving foreign policy advice from Matt Duss, who spent five years as Bernie Sanders' foreign policy advisor, and getting briefings from the Center for International Policy.

Whether that's enough to stand on a stage in Munich and be taken seriously by European heads of state is the gamble she made.

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She failed miserably.

Time to recognize Taiwan

Why The G7 Gives Palestine A Pass But Denies Taiwan Recognition

The recent announcements by several G7 nations, notably France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, that they will recognize Palestine as a sovereign state mark a significant geopolitical moment.

Until very recently, the idea that even one, much less four, members of the G7 would take this step was unthinkable.

Their longstanding policy of non-recognition was rooted in a commitment to the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 and 1995, which created the Palestinian Authority as an interim administration and emphasized that a Palestinian state should emerge only through direct bilateral negotiations with Israel, not unilateral action.

That this barrier has now been crossed reveals a troubling contradiction in the application of international law and diplomatic principles. These same nations refuse to recognize Taiwan, a self-governing, prosperous democracy that clearly meets the established legal criteria for statehood.

By contrast, Palestine does not presently meet those criteria, and yet it is being ushered into recognition largely as a political rebuke of Israel. This double standard is as untenable as it is transparent.

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China on the Move

China Ramps Up War Preparations, Directly Targeting US Across The Pacific

And it will include attacks in space. China’s increasing military ‘exercises’ start to look more like operations. The head of Space Forces Indo-Pacific warned that China’s expanding military exercises, aided by an increased use of space, are blurring the line between drills and a potential invasion of Taiwan.

“It is clear in the increasing complexity with which the PLA exercises are done in a way that it becomes very difficult… to discern an exercise from an invasion, and that’s clearly by design,” the commander of Space Forces Indo-Pacific, said. “We have begun to see the space piece integrated into some of that.”

A decade ago, the Chinese only had about two dozen satellites. Now, they operate more than 1,000—most of which are “specifically designed to track U.S. forces.

“(China) has been building a space architecture specifically designed to keep the U.S. outside the Second Island Chain,” the commander said. Their strategic goal is to limit U.S. and allied forces’ ability to intervene in key conflicts, particularly in the South China Sea and around Taiwan and the Philippines.

Read more at American Liberty News

The Semi-Conductor Chip Industry and Taiwan

Taiwan pledged to invest more in the U.S.

after President Donald Trump vowed to impose sweeping tariffs on foreign countries

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said Friday that his country would communicate more with the U.S. about Trump’s concerns over the semiconductor chip industry and would also invest more in the U.S., according to multiple reports.

The Taiwanese president’s announcement came after Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday outlining a plan to impose “reciprocal” and “fair” tariffs on U.S. trading partners across the globe.

“Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of: this plan will put the American worker first, improve our competitiveness in every area of industry, reduce our trade deficit, and bolster our economic and national security,” Trump wrote in the memorandum.

Trump said on Thursday that he believes Taiwan has taken away the semiconductor chip industry from the U.S. Notably, Taiwan is home to the world’s most valuable chipmaker, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which produces advanced chips that can be used in applications such as computers, smartphones and artificial intelligence systems. In the third quarter of 2024, TSMC recorded a market share of 64.9% in the global semiconductor foundry market.

We used to be top dog in chip manufacturing but due to the "combination of top-tier engineers, relatively lower labor cost and long working hours, Taiwan has led to better productivity,” Konrad Young, a former research and development director at TSMC added that Taiwan’s comprehensive tech ecosystem is another crucial component of the island’s chip prowess.

Read about Taiwan's semiconductor chip

Semiconductors were invented in the United States but now most chips are manufactured elsewhere...we lost the edge due to Taiwan's originality, advancement, and modernization. Silicon Valley was the place years ago and my husband was an engineer there. Everyone prospered as well as California.

China preparing to seize control of Taiwan

Analysts say China is gaslighting the West while Taiwan sounds alarm on incursions

Communists blame the Philippines for escalating tension in nearby international waters

Tensions between China and Taiwan have reached a boiling point, and analysts are warning the U.S. won't defeat China if the communists go ahead with plans to invade the island nation.

According to Brandon Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, former congressional staffer, and geopolitical analyst, China is preparing to seize control of Taiwan, and far sooner than 2027.

The balance of power in the Indo-Pacific has shifted away from the United States and toward China in the last decade. Should Beijing opt to hit Taiwan now with a blockade, they will be able to do so. China will likely be victorious," Weichert said.

According to TaiwanPlus News, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said China's increased military activity around Taiwan makes it harder to spot potential acts of war and China's People's Liberation Army has staged over 2,000 incursions into Taiwan's air defense zone in 2024 alone.

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Taiwan makes the chips that power everything from mobile phones to electric cars—and chips make up 15% of Taiwan’s GDP. Taiwan produces over 60% of the world’s semiconductors and over 90% of the most advanced ones. Most are manufactured by a single company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC).

And that's why Taiwan is so important to us and to China.

China's invasion of Taiwan looms

China Intensifies Military Presence Near Taiwan Amidst Drills

According to Newsweek, tensions mounted over the weekend as a Chinese military drone circled Taiwan's airspace amidst Taiwan's largest-ever Han Kuang military exercises.

The maneuvers paralleled Taiwan’s efforts to ready itself against potential conflicts, framing a stark picture of the region’s strained dynamics.

As Taiwan began its comprehensive war games aimed at defending against a potential amphibious assault, its air force repositioned jets like the F-16V Fighting Falcons from western bases to eastern ones closer to the Philippine Sea. This move comes as the self-governing island, which China claims as its own, continues to assert its independence.

The presence of about a dozen Chinese aircraft and seven warships near Taiwan was reported over 24 hours up to early Tuesday morning. In monitoring the situation, Japan noted Chinese military activity transitioning from the South China Sea to the East China Sea, which emphasizes the escalation in regional military maneuvers.

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Now that Biden is a lame duck, China sees a great opportunity to invade Taiwan over the next six months.

Hey, what about Border Security?

House GOP unveils border bill as conservatives slam foreign aid measures

House GOP leaders on Wednesday introduced a new border security bill designed to appease conservatives who are up in arms that Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) foreign aid package excluded tougher measures to battle migration.

Johnson announced Wednesday morning that he was plowing ahead with sending aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan despite outspoken opposition from hard-line Republicans, many of whom were incensed that his plan excluded border security.

For months, the Speaker had said that any assistance for Kyiv must be paired with legislation to address the situation at the southern border.

Speaker Johnson said that the border security bill would move under a separate procedural rule from the Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan measures.

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Taiwan preparing for China attack

Taiwan war games to simulate repelling Chinese drill

Taiwan's annual war games this year will practice "kill" zones at sea to break a blockade and simulate a scenario where China suddenly turns one of its regular drills around the island into an actual attack, the defense ministry said on Tuesday.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has been staging regular exercises around the island for the past four years, to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing's claim of sovereignty, despite Taiwan's strong objections.

The drills will integrate naval, air and coast guard forces, shore-mounted anti-ship weapons and drones to establish a maritime "attack and kill chain.

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In August last year, the Biden administration approved funding for the first-ever transfer of US military equipment to Taiwan under a program typically saved for sovereign nations, according to a notification sent to Congress on Tuesday.

The package – which is part of the State Department’s foreign military financing (FMF) program – totals $80 million and will be paid for by US taxpayers.

Under the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act passed last year, the US government is authorized to spend up to $2 billion annually in military grant assistance to the island from 2023 to 2027.

Taiwan, a Beacon of Democracy in the Chinese World

President Biden Says US Does Not Support Taiwanese Independence After Pivotal Election

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term.

Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks.

"We do not support independence..." Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections.

Biden is scared to death of China.

After Saturday's election, Blinken said the U.S. is "committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure."

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Taiwanese democracy holds an exemplary reputation, warts and all. Ranked 10th in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2022 (mainland China is ranked 156th) Taiwan is considered one of three full democracies in Asia, alongside Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan has elected a new non-nonsense President

Taiwan Elects New President, La Ching-te, Defying China's Warnings

Taiwan on Thursday warned China not to “cross the line” saying that it wants peace but will defend its people.

“Don’t cross the line. China again flew fighter jets into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone today. Make no mistake, Taiwan wants peace but we will defend our people,” Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-Te said in a tweet. Now he's just been elected as President.

Voters in Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te as their next president on Saturday, defying warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it has called a separatist and a “troublemaker.”

The election, which China had described as “a choice between war and peace,” could test recent efforts by Beijing and Washington to repair relations that in recent years have fallen to their lowest point in decades.

The status of Taiwan, one of the strongest democracies in Asia, is among the most sensitive issues between the two superpowers, and focus will now turn to any potential show of force from Beijing in response.

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Xi Jinping said Taiwan will reunify with China

China Mocks Biden with Shocking Threat – Reveals Their Terrifying Plan to the President

Many critics have commented on Biden’s handling of China. Despite human rights violations and possible spying attempts, the president has seemingly done nothing to confront the communist nation’s growing danger.

Some might suspect it has something to do with the Bidens’ long history with China, including Hunter Biden’s business connections.

The communist regime has long threatened the sovereign nation of Taiwan. Fears grow that China might trigger a war in the region if they invade. And now, President Xi himself told Biden what he was about to do.

From NBC News: Chinese President Xi Jinping bluntly told President Joe Biden during their recent summit in San Francisco that Beijing will reunify Taiwan with mainland China but that the timing has not yet been decided, according to three current and former U.S. officials.

• Chinese President Xi told President Biden that China will annex Taiwan in the future.

• The communist claimed he wanted to take Taiwan peacefully, despite Taiwan’s refusal to join China.

• China has been talking about invading Taiwan ever since Biden allowed the Taliban to retake Afghanistan.

American Journal

I doubt Biden is even thinking about this. The U.S. has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan's government, which is defined by a 1979 law that then-senator Biden voted for. The law commits the U.S. "to assist Taiwan in maintaining its defensive capability," to oppose any one-sided changes in the status quo and to support a peaceful resolution to their differences, according to the State Department.

Last year, Biden said we had a commitment to defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack.

Will we defend or not? Taiwan is important to our national security--Taiwan produces over 60% of the world’s semiconductors and over 90% of the most advanced ones.

U.S. sending aid to Taiwan denounced by North Korea

North Korea denounces US arms aid to Taiwan as 'dangerous' provocation

North Korea on Friday criticized a U.S. weapons aid package to Taiwan, state media reported on Friday, accusing the United States of driving tensions in the region to "another ignition point of war."

The United States unveiled an aid package for Taiwan worth up to $345 million on Friday as Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of weapons for the island as a part of the 2023 budget.

In a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, Maeng Yong Rim, director general of the North Korean foreign ministry's Chinese affairs department, said the plan is a "dangerous political and military provocation" and a "flagrant violation" of the One China principle.

Remember back in June when Antony Blinken said that "the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence."

So, what are we doing?

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China sending Warplanes & Ships toward Taiwan

Tensions Rise As China Sends Warplanes, Ships Toward Taiwan

Relations between China and Taiwan seemed to hit a new low over the past several days.

According to reports, the People’s Liberation Army of China sent dozens of fighter jets and bombers along with 13 warships toward Taiwan.

Although Taiwan has been under independent rule for decades, China has been attempting to reassert its dominance over the region and has suggested that military intervention could be part of its plan. The most recent escalation resulted in some of the aircraft crossing the disputed border between China and Taiwan.

If anything happens I blame it on Antony Blinken when he met with the Chinese last month in Beijing and said, "US does not support Taiwan independence." It was a shocking statement.

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Listen to the double speak:

Secretary of State Blinken

Blinken says US 'does not support Taiwan independence' during China visit

Foreign policy is not our strong point...actually nothing is under this administration

China threatens Taiwan

China Threatens To ‘Smash’ Taiwan If US Continues To Send Arms And Advisors

China prepared to ‘smash' Taiwan independence as US preps arms package. A Chinese defense ministry spokesman said an increase in exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries is an “extremely wrong and dangerous move.”

It added that it is prepared to “resolutely smash any form of Taiwan independence” as the U.S. reportedly prepares to accelerate the sale of defensive weapons and other military assistance to the self-governing island democracy.

Team Biden will soon send Taiwan military weapons and equipment from its stockpiles but will require Congress to pay to backfill that delivery.

The State Department in recent years approved the sale of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, M1 Abrams main battle tanks, amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), F-16 fighter aircraft and munitions, Volcano minelayers and more.

Such capabilities could potentially be pulled from U.S. stockpiles and fast tracked to Taiwan now.

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Chinese military jets, ships encircle Taiwan in simulated attack

Russia's simulated attack on Taiwan

Chinese fighter jets and warships have simulated strikes on Taiwan. China has deployed dozens of jets and vessels, encircling the island in a second straight day of military drills. It's an angry show of force following a meeting between Taiwan's president and senior US politicians.

Beijing has described the drills as a warning to Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province. Taiwan says they threaten regional stability and Washington is calling for restraint.

Is he a spineless pawn of Chinas' dictator?

China Makes Shock Move Against Spineless Biden – Every Patriot Needs to Get Ready, Because They Are ‘Ready to Fight’

What’s Happening:

We’ve seen Joe Biden fail at confronting China. The communist nation has cheated Americans, taken our jobs, and has even spied on us openly. In response, Biden’s done… nothing. Why hasn’t he condemned China’s attempts to violate our national security?

Now, things are getting worse. We know that China has some bad intentions for the world. Yet Joe’s weakness has forced our allies to go to China for help. It seems China now has an upper hand on the global stage. And they are “ready” to do the very worst.

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China threatens US & Taiwan if McCarthy meeting takes place

China Issues Threat Ahead of Meeting Between House Speaker, Taiwan leader

According to recent reports, China warned it was planning to take action against the United States and Taiwan if Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meet today

China has repeatedly criticized the US’s attitude toward Taiwan, accusing the US of trying to help Taiwan win its independence.

China has now warned that if the leaders proceed with their scheduled meeting on Wednesday, April 5, then the country will retaliate. As part of the meeting, Tsai is going to be visiting Los Angeles, California where he will meet with McCarthy.

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Pooh Bear and Nancy Pelosi's stunt

China Grabs Taiwan by Throat in Military Stranglehold

China just grabbed Taiwan by the throat politically, through a military stranglehold on outside access to the controversial island territory. Experts say it appears that Nancy Pelosi prodded the Pooh Bear into taking decisive action.

Xi Jinping may call what China is doing “military exercises” but they clearly show that “Beijing doesn’t need to invade Taiwan to control it.” All they have to do is “strangle the self-ruled island, cutting it off from the outside world.”

At least, that’s what CNN says that Chinese and American analysts tell them.

Things that the People’s Liberation Army are up to with their tanks, ships, planes and rockets have all been focused on “six zones that essentially encircled Taiwan.”

And just think, Pelosi's little stunt visiting Tawian kicked this off.

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China Warns the United States on Taiwan

China Makes a DEADLY Threat Against U.S.

"While Antony Blinken was hanging around the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, his counterpart from China dragged him off to the side. The Chinese Foreign Minister spent a full hour and a half slapping our woke Minister of State and telling him to wake up.

Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have no right whatsoever to “interfere” in whatever methods Beijing may use to “resolve” their Taiwan issue. Back down now, Wang Yi warned or the “re-unification” will be deadly, not peaceful. It could get a lot worse from there.

Beijing, he slowly and carefully explained, using small words even an American Secretary of State can comprehend, will use whatever methods they want to “resolve” the Taiwan issue. China wants to do it peacefully but that won’t happen as long as America keeps teasing them with hope for democracy. Its not going to happen."

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