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Chinese scientists build hypersonic generator for power-hungry weapons of the future

The Truth News — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 18:00:32 +0000

Chinese scientists build hypersonic generator for power-hungry weapons of the future

Scientists in Beijing say they have developed a generator that can turn hot gas moving at hypersonic speeds into an intense electric current capable of powering futuristic weapons.

The electricity produced could be used to charge military lasers, microwave weapons, rail guns and other pulsed energy weapons, according to the team led by assistant researcher Zhang Xiaoyuan with the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

According to the researchers, the technology could also be used for civilian purposes, such as devices for producing nuclear fusion energy or to send a burst of strong SOS signals in an emergency.

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The device produced more than 10 times the power generated in previous experiments, they said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics on January 19.

The generator system works by setting off explosions that turn gas into fast-moving plasma. It then converts the plasma’s energy into high-power electricity.

In one experiment, the system generated high-energy shock waves through a hydrogen-oxygen explosion. The shock waves compressed Argon gas and accelerated it to Mach 14, or 14 times the speed of sound, turning the inert gas into a highly conductive plasma full of hot, electrically charged ions.

China Built a Hypersonic Generator That Could Power Unimaginable Weapons

The plasma streamed through a component called a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) generator, a tubelike instrument that can collect energy from the fast moving ions and convert it into electricity.

The MHD generator produced rapid pulses of electric current of up to 212 kilowatts using less than one litre (0.26 gallons) of hypersonic gas, showing its potential to release a burst of energy in an extremely short period of time for military use, according to the researchers.

The MHD generator is a solution to some of the biggest constraints in developing and deploying pulsed energy weapons, which release huge bursts of energy to destroy a target.

Conventional combustion, such as the burning of fossil fuel in a jet engine, cannot produce ionised fluids fast enough for high-power electricity generation.

This type of electricity generation typically requires a large, sophisticated facility with generators that have lots of mechanical components and require regular maintenance.

The electricity produced in these facilities needs to be stored in supercapacitors so the energy can be released in a split second. Supercapacitors are heavy and bulky, and repeat use puts a huge burden on their costly, complex components.

The research team’s generator was assembled and tested at a research facility for developing hypersonic weapons. The Beijing-based institute, set up in 1956 by Qian Xuesen, the father of China’s rocket programme, plays an important role in the country’s hypersonic research.

China’s hypersonic weapons programme was founded with the goal of developing missiles that can travel at more than five times the speed of sound and penetrate an air defence system.

Beijing’s huge investment in its hypersonic weapons programme has spurred research in many other sectors including new materials, communication technology and AI.

The Chinese government issued a new funding policy last year encouraging more scientists to participate in hypersonic research and bring the technology, now mostly used by the military, to civilian users.

But the MHD generator can produce high-power electricity within a simple and relatively compact system.

“The MHD generator has no rotating parts, among its numerous unique advantages,” Zhang and colleagues wrote.

“It has a large capacity and high efficiency. There is no need for intermediate energy storage components. The energy can be directly transferred to the load without a high-power switch. And the device can start up quickly.”

Some large laser weapons under development would need a megawatt or more of electricity to destroy a target from a long distance.

China is developing a high-power microwave weapon capable of jamming planes and satellites that would reportedly require a gigawatt of input energy.

Zhang’s team said their generator system could produce one gigawatt of electricity from just five cubic metres (177 cubic feet) of hypersonic plasma.

Chinese team powers up ultra-high microwave output: paper

Other researchers have tried setting off dynamite to generate hypersonic shock waves for an MHD generator, but this approach required lots of chemical explosives and was largely abandoned because of safety concerns, Zhang’s team said.

Turning explosive energy into electricity is not easy, according to a Beijing-based researcher not involved in Zhang’s study.

An MHD generator works efficiently with gas at high temperatures. But the faster the gas travels, the more quickly it cools.

Zhang’s team was able to achieve extremely high speeds and temperatures at the same time, said the researcher who requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Explosions are also difficult to control, and taming this extreme process for energy production could benefit society, the researcher said.

“If this technology finds an application in power generation, we may owe the hypersonic weapons a big ‘thank you’.”

New device could protect satellites from microwave attacks, scientists say

However, military users might have reservations about the technology proposed by Zhang’s team, said the researcher, who studies the physics of high-speed fluids.

Mobile platforms for pulsed energy weapons, such as warships, planes and trucks, would have to overcome many engineering problems to be able to host a detonation shock device, he said.

Zhang’s system contains a detonation shock tunnel made of several sections of tubes, each separated by metallic membranes that allow scientists to control the explosions.

However, the Beijing-based researcher noted that reloading new membranes after each shot could be difficult on the battlefield, unless the job could be automated in a quick and reliable manner.

The power-generating explosion could also produce a loud noise that would expose the weapon’s location, he said. source

China Built a Hypersonic Generator That Could Power Unimaginable Weapons

You have our attention.

sakkmesterke//Getty Images

Turning gas into plasma creates an intense electrical current for powering potent hypersonic weapons.
Chinese researchers built a hypersonic generator that could power military lasers, rail guns, and microwave weapons.
The relative compact nature of the hypersonic generator opens the scope of potential uses.

Chinese scientists say one formidable explosion inside a shock tunnel can turn hot gas into the most powerful hypersonic generator a military has ever seen—strong enough to charge military lasers, rails guns, microwave weapons, and more.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, a new peer-reviewed paper in the Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics explains how the hypersonic generator turns one detonation inside a shock tunnel into enough electrical current to power hypersonic weapons of the future.

China Built a Hypersonic Generator That Could Power Unimaginable Weapons

China built a hypersonic generator that could power unimaginable weapons. Here’s how it works.© sakkmesterke – Getty Images

Turning gas into plasma creates an intense electrical current for powering potent hypersonic weapons.
Chinese researchers built a hypersonic generator that could power military lasers, rail guns, and microwave weapons.
The relative compact nature of the hypersonic generator opens the scope of potential uses.

The Chinese scientists were able to use a controlled detonation to turn hot gas into a plasma filled with racing ions, which converted to current. With shock waves accelerating the compressed argon gas to 14 times the speed of sound, the charged ion-filled plasma then passed through magnetohydrodynamics generators to produce electric current up to 212 kilowatts while using.26 gallons of gas. That’s enough power for a burst of energy unlike anything available now in a compact system.

“It has a large capacity and high efficiency,” the scientists write, via the SCMP. “There is no need for intermediate energy storage components. The energy can be directly transferred to the load without a high-power switch. And the device can start up quickly.” The generator also has no rotating parts, increasing efficiency and ease of use.

With some of the largest weapons in development requiring a gigawatt of input power, the researchers say they can produce that with 177 cubic feet of hypersonic plasma (that’s smaller than most vans).

China isn’t ready to deploy the new system just yet. There are plenty of logistical hurdles to sort out in how to transport a device that requires controlled detonation, and just how to handle the gas needed for a second charge when on the move. Still, if the next iteration of the science offers up an automated reloading of the technology, China’s hypersonic weapons just got a colossal burst of power. source

China furious after US warns against arming Russia: ‘The US is in no position to tell China what to do’

The Truth News — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 09:37:33 +0000

China furious after US warns against arming Russia: ‘The US is in no position to tell China what to do’

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China deteriorated further on Monday after China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs snapped at the Biden administration for suggesting that it has information suggesting that China is considering sending weapons and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made that accusation Sunday on CBS, where he said Chinese companies have already been supplying Russia with non-lethal aid and may soon do more.

“The concern that we have now is, based on information we have, that they’re considering providing lethal support, and we’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship,” Blinken said. When asked what lethal aid China might deliver, Blinken said, “weapons.”

The Biden administration is worried that China, led by President Xi Jinping, may soon start delivering lethal aid to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his war against Ukraine. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) (Photo by Li Xueren/Xinhua via Getty Images) | Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images© (Photo by Li Xueren/Xinhua via Getty Images) | (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

That remark drew a furious comment from China on Monday – but not an outright denial – even as China’s top diplomat was expected to travel to Moscow this week.

“It is the U.S. not China, that has been pouring weapons into the battlefield,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin said. “The U.S. is in no position to tell China what to do. We would never stand for finger-pointing, or even coercion and pressurizing from the U.S. on our relations with Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the accusation over the weekend, which drew a furious response from China. Fox News© Fox News

“The international community is fully aware who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fanning the flames and stoking confrontation,” he said. “We urge the US side to seriously reflect on the role it has played, do something to actually help deescalate the situation and promote peace talks, and stop deflecting the blame and spreading disinformation.”

Wang said China would soon release a document proposing a peaceful resolution of the conflict, which will stress that a “nuclear war must never be fought and can never be won.”

Wang also fired back at the U.S. over the diplomatic disruption that was caused when the Biden administration confirmed the existence of a Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over the U.S. That discovery prompted Blinken to postpone a scheduled trip to China.

President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images© Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Blinken said over the weekend he met with Chinese officials at the Munich Security Conference to warn that the U.S. would not stand for any violation of U.S. sovereignty. But Wang accused the U.S. of continuing to “fuss” over the incident.

“The U.S. itself is the number one country in conducting surveillance worldwide, whose high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over China multiple times,” Wang said, repeating an assertion the U.S. has rejected. “The U.S. is in no position to smear China. The U.S. needs to demonstrate sincerity, and acknowledge and resolve the damage its abuse of force has done to China-US relations.”

“If the U.S. side continues to fuss over, dramatize and escalate the unintended and isolated incident, it should not expect the Chinese side to flinch,” he added. “The U.S. side should be prepared to bear all consequences arising from an escalation.”

“Wang said China supports peace and took another shot at the U.S. by saying it’s the U.S. that is promoting conflict by arming Ukraine. source

Chinese Spy Balloon Linked to Global Surveillance Program

The Truth News — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:43:56 +0000

Chinese Spy Balloon Linked to Global Surveillance Program

China’s spy balloon flight program has been launched over five continents

A large balloon drifts above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it Saturday. (Chad Fish via AP)

Senior U.S. military and national security officials confirmed Wednesday that the Chinese spy balloon shot down off South Carolina’s coastline over the weekend was tied to a major surveillance program run by China’s military.

The program has been largely run out of China’s Hainan Island province off its southeast coastline in the South China Sea by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). It has been known to operate over regional neighbors like Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and India, The Washington Post first reported.

But these surveillance balloons, used to collect military intelligence from nations that are of strategic interest to Beijing, have also emerged over the U.S. before.

A large balloon drifts above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it Saturday. (Chad Fish via AP)

Another Chinese spy balloon was discovered four months ago after it crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, Fox News confirmed earlier this week. Another three Chinese surveillance balloons were found to have flown over Texas, Florida and Guam during the Trump administration.

Department of Defense press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters Wednesday the U.S. had been tracking China’s surveillance practices before the latest balloon arrived stateside last week.

“We are now learning more about the scale of this Chinese balloon surveillance program, which U.S. intelligence and the Pentagon have been observing for several years,” he said. “Our awareness and understanding of this capability has increased.”

It is unclear how long Beijing has been operating the espionage program that relies on dated balloon technology along with modern surveillance techniques. Spy balloons have been spotted over five continents since 2018.

“When you look at the scope of this program — operating over at least five continents in regions like Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe — again, it demonstrates why, for the Department of Defense, that China remains the pacing challenge and something that we’ll continue to stay focused on,” Ryder added.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Saturday. (REUTERS/Randall Hill)

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Saturday. (REUTERS/Randall Hill)

The majority of the PLA’s surveillance program is conducted through the use of satellites, but Beijing also apparently spotted an opportunity for additional intelligence gathering.

The balloons travel through the upper atmosphere, hovering between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above Earth, above where commercial jets travel.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday told reporters “these balloons are part of a PRC [People’s Republic of China] fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations” and said they have “violated the sovereignty” of several nations.

China has tried to write off the surveillance balloon that floated across the U.S. for seven days before being shot down as a weather balloon caught off course.

But U.S. defense officials have dismissed these claims.

U.S. forces haul debris from China’s surveillance balloon onto a boat off the coast of South Carolina. (U.S. Fleet Forces)

U.S. forces haul debris from China’s surveillance balloon onto a boat off the coast of South Carolina. (U.S. Fleet Forces)

National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said Monday the U.S. “took steps to mitigate whatever collection capability the balloon would have over our sensitive military sites.”

He also told reporters the U.S. decision not to strike down the balloon until it was safely over the Atlantic “afforded us a terrific opportunity to gain a better understanding to study the capabilities of this balloon.”

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Monday briefed nearly 150 diplomats from 40 embassies across the globe on China’s espionage program.

The U.S. has also begun to share specific details about its findings with allies like Japan, whose military has been directly targeted by Beijing’s efforts.

By Jennifer Griffin , Caitlin McFall | Fox News

China Aids Russia’s War in Ukraine, Trade Data Shows What’s Next World War 3 ?

The Truth News — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 19:38:12 +0000

China Aids Russia’s War in Ukraine, Trade Data Shows

What’s Next World War 3 ?

WASHINGTON—China is providing technology that Moscow’s military needs to prosecute the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine despite an international cordon of sanctions and export controls, according to a Wall Street Journal review of Russian customs data.

The customs records show Chinese state-owned defense companies shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defense companies.

Those are but a handful of tens of thousands of shipments of dual-use goods—products that have both commercial and military applications—that Russia imported following its invasion last year, according to the customs records provided to the Journal by C4ADS, a Washington-based nonprofit that specializes in identifying national-security threats. Most of the dual-use shipments were from China, the records show.

China’s backing for Russia while it wages war on Ukraine was supposed to be on the agenda for discussion during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s travels to Beijing this weekend. That trip was indefinitely postponed Friday after the Pentagon said that it had tracked a Chinese reconnaissance balloon over the continental U.S. earlier in the week.

Russia’s foreign, defense and economic ministries didn’t respond to requests for comment. “Russia has enough technological potential to ensure its security and conduct the special military operation. This potential is constantly being improved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

While Russia has the capability to produce much of its basic military needs domestically, it relies heavily on imports for dual-use technology, such as semiconductors, that is essential for modern warfare.

Western officials said their economic pressure campaign launched last February would cripple Moscow’s war machine by targeting those exports to Russia, including computer chips, infrared cameras and radar equipment.

But customs and corporate records show Russia is still able to import that technology through countries that haven’t joined the U.S.-led efforts to cut off Moscow from global markets. Many of the export-controlled products are still flowing through nations such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, whose governments are accused by Western officials of flouting the sanctions and controls. Turkish officials have said the sanctions are ineffective and that Ankara is playing an important role as an interlocutor with Russia. Under pressure from the U.S., Turkey has moved to halt some financial and business ties.

The U.A.E. embassy in Washington, D.C. didn’t comment.

The records reviewed by the Journal, however, show Chinese companies—both state-owned and private—as the dominant exporters of dual-use goods that U.S. officials say are of particular concern.

The Journal analyzed more than 84,000 shipments recorded by Russia’s customs office in the period after the West launched the economic pressure campaign that focused on commodities the Biden administration red-flagged as critical to the Russian military. The official Russian customs records, which C4ADS said might not include all records, detail each shipment into the country, providing dates, shippers, recipients, purchasers, addresses and product descriptions.

The Journal also identified from the records more than a dozen Russian and Chinese companies targeted by the U.S. under the Russia pressure campaign, as well as all other sanctions programs.

Industry and government officials said the data offers substantial evidence of how Russia is able to sidestep the centerpiece of the West’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Despite international scrutiny and sanctions protocols, reliable global trade data shows that Chinese state-owned defense companies continue to send military-applicable parts to sanctioned Russian defense companies,” said Naomi Garcia, an analyst at C4ADS. “These Russian companies have been recorded using these same types of parts directly in Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

To tighten the enforcement of the international pressure campaign, U.S. officials have said they are investigating the export of banned products and business dealings, trying to wrangle compliance through diplomatic outreach around the world, and have said they are preparing sanctions against new targets thought to be facilitating the Kremlin’s war.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department added to its sanction rolls nearly two dozen individuals and the companies they are allegedly using to procure weapons and other goods for Russian state defense firms.

Just before Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine last February, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a “no limits” partnership aimed at countering the U.S. Since the invasion, Beijing has attempted to strike a cautious balance, saying it is opposed to the war in Ukraine while keeping its diplomatic, financial and trade ties open to Russia.

“The allegation that China provides ‘aid’ to Russia has no factual basis, but is purely speculative and deliberately hyped up,” Liu Pengyu, China’s spokesman at its Washington embassy told the Journal. Mr. Liu reiterated the long-held view by Beijing that China opposes what it calls unilateral sanctions that have no basis under international law.

The customs records include examples of exports of parts for the type of weapons used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

China’s state-owned defense company Poly Technologies on Aug. 31, 2022, shipped navigation equipment to Russia’s state-owned military export firm JSC Rosoboronexport for M-17 military transport helicopters. Earlier that month, Chinese electronics firm Fujian Nanan Baofeng Electronic Co. supplied to Rosoboronexport—through an Uzbek state-owned defense firm—a telescoping antenna for the RB-531BE military vehicle, which is used for communications jamming. On Oct. 24, Chinese state-owned aircraft firm AVIC International Holding Corp. shipped to AO Kret, a subsidiary of sanctioned government-owned defense giant Rostec, $1.2 million worth of parts for Su-35 jet fighters.

Wang Shaofeng, general manager of Fujian Baofeng Electronics Co., Ltd., said in an emailed response that a third party may be illegally using his firm’s name, and that it doesn’t include “Nanan.” He also said his company doesn’t produce telescoping antennas and doesn’t have a record of shipping to any Uzbek state-owned defense firm. “This report lacks factual basis and is inconsistent with the facts,” Mr. Wang said.

U.S. Federal Communications Commission documents filed by Fujian Nanan Baofeng Electronic Co. for U.S. sales of two-way radios records matching contact details and is signed by a “Wang Shao Feng.”

The other Chinese and Russian firms didn’t respond to requests for comment.

In the past, Russian officials have said they would adapt to the Western sanctions campaign by turning to Asia, including China.

Other foreign-government suppliers found in the customs data include China Taly Aviation Technologies Corp., a procurement unit of China’s Air Force Equipment Department. The Chinese aviation company didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Among that firm’s shipments were parts sent on Oct. 4 to Russia’s sanctioned state-owned missile-manufacturer Almaz Antey for use on the 96L6E mobile radar unit. Russia uses the radar to detect enemy jet fighter, missiles and drones as part of its S-400 antiaircraft missile system being used in Ukraine, according to arms analysts. The Russian firm didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Kret and a host of other Russian companies that contract with the government’s intelligence, military and security services also used privately held Chinese firms. Sinno Electronics, sanctioned late last year by the U.S. Treasury Department for allegedly procuring banned goods for Russia’s defense sector, was one of the most prolific exporters of dual-use goods, sending more than 1,300 shipments between April and October worth more than $2 million, according to customs data. Neither Kret nor Sinno Electronics responded to requests for comment.

The data also shows shipments of Chinese DJI quadcopters to Russia after the sanctions and export controls were imposed. Military analysts say the drones are being used by the Russian forces to locate and surveil Ukrainian forces, then target them with artillery.

Some of these drones are delivered directly by a Chinese retailer to Russian distributors, according to customs records, but other DJI quadcopters transit through the United Arab Emirates. The emirates’ embassy in Washington, D.C., didn’t respond to requests for comment.

DJI said the company opposes military use of its drones, suspended its operations in Russia in April and requires global agents to comply. The company added, however, “We cannot stop users or organizations from buying in countries or regions other than Russia and Ukraine, and then transporting or giving them to Russia and Ukraine.”

Among the supplies critical to Moscow’s war efforts, U.S. officials say, are the computer chips that are used in weapons that target Ukrainian forces and infrastructure, and in electronic circuitry that makes possible satellite geolocating, radio communication, surveillance and navigation systems.

Exports of such chips and associated components were more than cut in half after the U.S. and its allies first imposed strict export restrictions, according to the customs records. But those levels quickly began to rise, and by October hit nearly $33 million, just shy of the $35 million monthly level Russia averaged since the U.S. started targeting Russia with sanctions in 2014 after Putin’s army occupied Crimea, according to the Journal’s analysis of the Russian custom records and the United Nations’ Comtrade database.

Unlike previous export-control regimes that banned the direct provision of certain dual use goods, Western authorities in February said they were targeting the entire supply chain. That means transshipments—goods produced in third countries using U.S. dual-use items, such as chips, that are then shipped to Russia—are also targeted.

Silverado Policy Accelerator, a Washington-based think tank that seeks to bolster U.S. competitiveness, said in a report published this month that Russia is increasingly relying on transshipments of dual-use goods through China, and especially Hong Kong, to meet its military needs.

“These measures have had a pretty significant impact on Russia’s capabilities,” said Sarah Stewart, chief executive of Silverado, referring to the allied sanctions and export controls, “but they have not yet delivered a death blow.” source

China launches investigation into suspected spy balloon flying over US, ministry says

The Truth News — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:59:38 +0000

China launches investigation into suspected spy balloon flying over US, ministry says

Mao urged the US and China to proceed ‘calmly and carefully’ amid the suspected spy balloon investigation

China has announced its government is looking into reports that a suspected Chinese spy balloon was discovered flying in U.S. airspace over Montana.

“China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international laws, and China has no intention to violate the territory and airspace of any sovereign countries,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning during a daily briefing on Friday.

She also urged U.S. officials and Chinese authorities to proceed “calmly and carefully” amid the investigation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 1, 2022. (Ju Huanzong/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The foreign minister said judgment should be withheld “before we have a clear understanding of the facts.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to visit China on Friday, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

His visit comes amid months of tense relations between Beijing and Washington over trade, Taiwan, human rights issues and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

“What I want to emphasize is that before we have a clear understanding of the facts, speculation and sensationalizing will be unhelpful to the proper handling of the issue. As for Blinken’s visit to China, I have no information,” Mao said.

“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now,” said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon.

Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

He added: “The U.S. government, including NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”

The U.S. government is “confident” the surveillance balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China, a defense official told Fox News. It is also considering bringing it down using military assets.

It is not immediately clear how long the balloon has been in U.S. airspace. The senior defense official said the government has been tracking it for “some time” and that it entered U.S. airspace a “couple of days ago.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. By Lawrence Richard | Fox News

US government monitoring suspected Chinese spy balloon over northern states

Senior U.S. defense official said government closely monitoring suspected Chinese spy balloon

The U.S. government is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been moving over northern states over the past several days.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon that the U.S. government has detected a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental U.S.

“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Ryder said.

Red flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People before the annual two sessions in Beijing on March 4, 2022. (VCG / VCG via Getty Images)

A senior defense official said that the U.S. government is “confident” that the surveillance balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China.

The defense official said that the balloon was recently over Montana and that officials were considering bringing it down with military assets, but they decided against doing so because of the risks associated, adding that President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation and asked for military options.

“You did see reports yesterday of a ground stop at Billings Airport and the mobilization of a number of assets, including F-22. The context for that was that we put some things on station in the event that a decision was made to bring this down while it was over Montana. So, we wanted to make sure we were coordinating with civil authorities to empty out the airspace around that potential area. But even with those protective measures taken, it was the judgment of our military commanders that we didn’t drive the risk down low enough. So, we didn’t take the shot,” the official said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, center, walks past military guards during his arrival at the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo military camp in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Thursday. (Rolex Dela Pena / Pool Photo via AP)

A well-placed senior U.S. official told Fox News that the government is still considering a variety of options with how to deal with the Chinese spy balloon, saying that the options presented to Biden and his national security team included concerns that if the military did shoot down the balloon, there could be civilian casualties the ground.

The White House hasn’t ruled out shooting the balloon down if it were deemed safe to do so, according to the source.

According to the source, there’s more than just a balloon, and heavy equipment would come crashing to the ground if it were to be shot down, creating a large debris field.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened a meeting with senior Department of Defense leadership Wednesday to discuss the balloon, and it was decided not to take military action due to “the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field,” the official said. At the time, Austin was visiting Camp Navarro in the Philippines, which is around 2,000 miles from China.

The balloon’s discovery also comes as the U.S. and Philippines agreed to increase its military presence within the islands amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan.

Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 27, 2018. (Reuters / Tyrone Siu)

The senior defense official said that the government has been tracking the balloon for “some time” and said it entered U.S. airspace a “couple of days ago.”

While maintaining that the balloon doesn’t present a military threat to the U.S., the official said that it likely isn’t gathering any information of significant value to the People’s Republic of China.

“They’re trying to fly this balloon over sensitive sites, one of which was just mentioned to collect information,” the official said, adding that it’s not the first time that a balloon “of this nature” has been over the U.S.

By Adam Sabes , Liz Friden , Jennifer Griffin | Fox News

updated 2/3/2023 below with videos

Chinese military aircraft, vessels cross into Taiwanese space in latest threat of force

The Truth News — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 12:36:14 +0000

Chinese military aircraft, vessels cross into Taiwanese space in latest threat of force

Taiwan’s vice president has vowed to uphold the self-ruled island’s democracy in the face of China’s authoritarianism

Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young provides insight on relations with Taiwan on ‘Special Report.’

Chinese military aircraft and vessels invaded Taiwan’s airspace and waters yet again early Wednesday in what has become a near daily show of intimidation against the island nation.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said four Chinese military aircraft and three Chinese naval vessels were detected around 6 a.m. local time.

Taiwan’s armed forces are monitoring the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to China’s activities, the Defense Ministry said.

Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war and have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.

The Chinese Communist Party regularly flies fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan to enforce its stance that the island is obliged to unite with the mainland – by force if necessary.

FILE: Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China’s closest point from Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island. (Getty Images)

Tensions escalated after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives in August became the highest-ranking American official to visit the island in 25 years.

Lai Ching-te, who currently serves as Taiwan’s vice president and has assumed the new role of the ruling Democratic Progress Party, vowed to uphold the self-ruled island’s democracy in the face of China’s authoritarianism.

“Facing China’s threat in the future, our new mission is to guard Taiwan, promoting Taiwan’s democracy, peace and prosperity,” Lai said. “Peace is something everyone hopes for.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

By Bradford Betz | Fox News

China Records 1st Population Drop in Decades as Births Rates Plumate

The Truth News — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:25:56 +0000

China Records 1st Population Drop in Decades as Births Rates Plumate

BEIJING (AP) — China’s population shrank for the first time in decades last year as its birthrate plunged, official figures showed Tuesday, adding to pressure on leaders to keep the economy growing despite an aging workforce and at a time of rising tension with the U.S.

Despite the official numbers, some experts believe China’s population has been in decline for a few years — a dramatic turn in a country that once sought to control such growth through a one-child policy.

Many wealthy countries are struggling with how to respond to aging populations, which can be a drag on economic growth as shrinking numbers of workers try to support growing numbers of elderly people.

But the demographic change will be especially difficult to manage in a middle-income country like China, which does not have the resources to care for an aging population in the same way that one like Japan does. Over time, that will likely slow its economy and perhaps even the world’s, and could potentially keep inflation higher in many developed economies.

“China has become older before it has become rich,” said Yi Fuxian, a demographer and expert on Chinese population trends at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A slowing economy could also pose a political problem for the ruling Communist Party, if shrinking opportunities foment public discontent. Anger over strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which were a drag on the economy, spilled over late last year into protests that in some cases called for leader Xi Jinping to step down — a rare direct challenge to the party.

“China has become older before it has become rich,” said Yi Fuxian, a demographer and expert on Chinese population trends at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

China’s population has begun to decline nine to 10 years earlier than Chinese officials predicted and the United Nation projected, said Yi, the demographer. At 1.4 billion, the country has long been the world’s most populous nation, but is expected to soon be overtaken by India, if it has not already.

China has sought to bolster its population since officially ending its one-child policy in 2016. Since then, China has tried to encourage families to have second or even third children, with little success, reflecting attitudes in much of east Asia where birth rates have fallen precipitously. In China, the expense of raising children in cities is often cited as a cause.

Zhang Huimin bemoaned the “fierce competition” young people face these days — a fairly typical attitude toward starting a family among her age group.

“Home prices are high and jobs are not easy to find,” said the 23-year-old Beijing resident. ”I enjoy living by myself. When I feel lonely, I can take pleasure in staying with my friends or keeping pets.”

Yi said that his own research shows China’s population has actually been declining since 2018, indicating the population crisis is “much more severe” than previously thought. The country now has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, comparable only to Taiwan and South Korea, he said.

That means China’s “real demographic crisis is beyond imagination and that all of China’s past economic, social, defense and foreign policies were based on faulty demographic data,” Yi told The Associated Press.

The looming economic crisis will be worse than Japan’s, where years of low growth have been blamed in part on a shrinking population, Yi said.

The statistics bureau said the working-age population between 16 and 59 years old totaled 875.56 million, accounting for 62% of the national population, while those aged 65 and older totaled 209.78 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total.

It also reported China’s economic growth fell to its second-lowest level in at least four decades last year, although activity is reviving after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions that kept millions of people at home.

Any slowdown has wider implications. China became a global manufacturing powerhouse in the early 2000s. With millions of its citizens flocking from the countryside to its cities, China’s seemingly endless supply of cheap labor lowered costs for consumers around the world for computers, smartphones, furniture, clothes and toys.

Its labor costs have already begun to rise — and changing demographics will likely accelerate that trend. As a result, inflation could creep higher in countries that import China’s products, though production may also move to lower-cost countries such as Vietnam, as it already has.

On top of the demographic challenges, China is increasingly in economic competition with the U.S., which has blocked the access of some Chinese companies to American technology, citing national security and fair competition concerns.

If handled correctly, a declining population does not necessarily translate to a weaker economy, said Stuart Gietel-Basten, professor of social science at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s a big psychological issue. Probably the biggest,” Gietel-Basten said.

According to the data from the statistics bureau, men outnumbered women by 722.06 million to 689.69 million, the bureau reported, a result of the one-child policy and a traditional preference for male offspring to carry on the family name.

The numbers also showed increasing urbanization in a country that traditionally had been largely rural. Over 2022, the permanent urban population increased by 6.46 million to reach 920.71 million, or 65.22%.

The United Nations estimated last year that the world’s population reached 8 billion on Nov. 15 and that India will replace China as the world’s most populous nation in 2023. India’s last census was scheduled for 2022 but was postponed amid the pandemic.

Gietel-Basten said China has been adapting to demographic change for years by devising policies to move its economic activities up the value chain of innovation, pointing to the development of semiconductor manufacturing and the financial services industry.

“The population of India is much younger and is growing. But there are many reasons why you wouldn’t necessarily automatically bet your entire fortune on India surpassing China economically in the very near future,” he said.

Among India’s many challenges is a level of female participation in the work force that is much lower than China’s, Gietel-Basten said.

“Whatever the population you have, it’s not what you’ve got but it’s what you do with it … to a degree,” he said.

Taiwan, Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, and Chris Rugaber in Washington, and AP video journalist Emily Wang Fujiyama and video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.

by: Ken Moritsugu source

China’s population expected to dip ahead of 2025: official

China’s projected population shrink comes after the country previously had a one-child policy

China has seen its population growth decline significantly, and a senior health official says the country can expect its population to start shrinking prior to 2025.

Yang Wenzhuang, head of population and family affairs at China’s National Health Commission, said the country’s population is expected to begin declining in 2021-2025, according to state-backed outlet, the Global Times.

Birth data released Sunday revealed that new births in China last year were the lowest number in decades in several of the country’s provinces.

A senior Chinese health official says the country can expect its population to start shrinking before 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (The Associated Press)

Births in the central Hunan province dropped below 500,000 for the first time in nearly 60 years, the Global Times reported, adding that China’s southern Guangdong province is the only one to deliver more than 1 million new births.

China is grappling with a fast decline in natural population growth as a number of young people elect not to have children because of several factors, including the high cost of raising kids and work pressure.

Many young people have elected not to have children because of several factors, including the high cost of raising kids. (Reuters)

The Asian nation previously had a one-child policy from 1980 to 2016 amid soaring population numbers that the country believed could hurt its economy. China then raised the limit to two in 2016 and now, families are given permission to have three children.

China previously had a one-child policy from 1980 to 2016 amid soaring population numbers the country believed could hurt its economy, but the country upping the limit in recent years has not boosted population numbers. (Reuters)

However, the Chinese government changing laws to allow women to have three children has not helped the country’s population numbers. Several women have said the change in policy did not come soon enough, and they do have the financial means to support additional offspring.

Reuters contributed to this report.

By Landon Mion | Fox News

COVID origins ‘may have been tied’ to China’s bioweapons program: GOP report

The Truth News — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 07:54:23 +0000

OVID origins ‘may have been tied’ to China’s bioweapons program: GOP report

House Republicans state that the virus ‘spilled over’ to the human population

FIRST ON FOX: Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee are alleging in a newly released report that there are “indications” that COVID-19 could be tied to China’s biological weapons research program and “spilled over” to the general human population during an incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Members of the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease are seen. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)

The information was released in a minority staff report by members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday night.

“Contrary to the implication of the [Intelligence Community’s] declassified report, based on our investigation involving a variety of public and non-public information, we conclude that there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” a summary of the report states. “The IC failed to adequately address this information in its classified Updated Assessment. When we attempted to raise the issues with the IC, it failed to respond.”

In a declassified assessment on the origins of COVID-19 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in October 2021, the report states that SARS-CoV-2 was “probably not a biological weapon,” adding, “We remain skeptical of allegations that SARS-CoV-2 was a biological weapon because they are supported by scientifically invalid claims.”

Members of the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease are seen. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, speaks during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (Al Drago/Pool via AP) (AP)

Wednesday’s report released by House Republicans also alleges that its investigation “revealed serious shortcomings with both the classified and declassified versions of the Intelligence Community’s,” and states that the omissions “likely skewed the public’s understanding of key issues and deepened mistrust.”

“The Committee believes the IC downplayed important information relating to the possible links between COVID-19 and China’s bioweapons research based in part on input from outside experts,” the report states, adding that the intelligence community “refuses to be transparent with the Committee regarding which experts it relied on.”

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, speaks during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (Al Drago/Pool via AP) (AP)

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital that Americans deserve answers regarding the origins of COVID-19

A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

“The American people are owed answers about the origins of COVID-19. Our report states that COVID-19 may have been tied to China’s bioweapons research program and that the Intelligence Community (IC) withheld key information from the American public’s authorized elected officials, deepening public mistrust,” Wenstrup said. “Our findings also show that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) bears more responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic than what has been publicly known or transparently communicated to the American people.”

Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. (AP)

“As a physician and Army veteran, I believe it is vitally important that we understand the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to do everything within our power to pursue policies that will help prevent our country from being vulnerable like this in the future.”

A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

While alleging that COVID’s origins were likely tied to China’s biological weapons research program, the report states, “We have not seen any credible indication that the virus was intentionally, rather than accidentally, released.” Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. (AP)

“Nor do we claim the information we have found is a smoking gun that definitively resolves the question of the origins of COVID-19 beyond all doubt. However, the information is important to furthering the public’s understanding, and we will seek to declassify the classified version of our report in the next Congress to further the conversation,” the report states.

cited https://www.foxnews.com/politics/covid-origins-may-have-been-tied-chinas-bioweapons-program-gop-report