Moderator:
Southern Weekly reporter Wang Hang
Southern Weekend intern Chen Qiushi
Commentators:
Zhang Xuefeng, an expert on military issues
Li Weijian, Research Fellow, Center for West Asian and African Studies, Shanghai Institute of International Studies
hot spot
Russia held a military parade on Victory Day on Red Square
On May 9, 2024 local time, in Moscow, Russia, during the Victory Day military parade to commemorate the 79th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, the "Iskander-M" missile launcher marched on Red Square. Photo/Visual China
At about 10 o'clock local time on May 9, 2024, Russia's military parade on Red Square to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War was held in Moscow. The leaders of nine countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau, attended the parade as distinguished guests.
"Russia will make every effort to avoid a global confrontation, but at the same time it will not allow Russia to be threatened in any way, and Russian strategic forces will always be in a state of combat readiness." Putin, who has just been sworn in as president for two days, stressed in his speech.
The 2024 Victory Day military parade on Red Square is the third military parade held in Russia since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The reduction of personnel, the streamlining of equipment, and the low-key and insipid have become the key words for the outside world to evaluate this military parade.
According to Russian media reports, more than 9,000 people were paraded on Red Square this year, including about 1,000 frontline soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine. Compared with the previous two years, the parade has been reduced in size and number of people.
Judging from the reference equipment, the parade has a kind of "light loading", and only about 70 pieces of weapons and equipment participated in the parade ceremony.
The Soviet-era T-34-85 medium tank with the Order of the Red Banner was at the top, followed by the Tiger, BTR-82A wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, and the Ural and Typhoon wheeled armoured vehicles. In addition, the "Iskander-M" tactical ballistic missile, the S-400 "Triumph" anti-aircraft missile, and the "Yars" strategic missile also appeared at the parade.
Unlike the past two years, this year Moscow resumed a highly symbolic air link. Towards the end of the parade, the Russian Air Force flew through the sky and drew three colors in the air, which symbolize the Russian flag, white, blue and red.
Zhang Xuefeng, an expert on military issues:
A military parade in peacetime can show the strength and spirit of the country. But in wartime, the best way to show strength is on the battlefield, and winning a battle is far more convincing than flexing your muscles in a military parade. Russia will devote more energy to the frontal battlefield, putting a large number of actual combat weapons and personnel on the front line, and will naturally scale back the military parade.
Nevertheless, the equipment on display by Russia is very representative, ranging from defensive weapons to tactical and strategic nuclear forces. The S-400 anti-aircraft missile is the workhorse of the Russian air defense system and has repeatedly intercepted Ukrainian missiles; The Iskander missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, is one of Russia's active tactical nuclear weapons; The Yars ICBM is a representative of the Russian strategic nuclear forces.
In particular, Russia's demonstration of strategic nuclear forces is the cornerstone of national security as a whole. The reason why the United States and Western countries only provide economic and military assistance to Ukraine and do not send regular troops to directly intervene is largely because of Russia's strategic nuclear capability deterrence.
Compared with the military parades on Red Square in the previous two years, the situation in Russia is much better. At the time of the 2022 military parade, Russia had just withdrawn its troops from the perimeter of Kyiv and was also facing a battle for Mariupol. In the second half of 2022, Ukraine recaptured much of the territory occupied by Russia and was preparing a new round of large-scale counteroffensive, just before the parade, the Kremlin was hit by a drone attack. When Russia holds a Victory Day parade in 2023, domestic security and the battlefield situation are not optimistic.
But this year, Russia has the initiative on the battlefield. On the one hand, Russia thwarted Ukraine's summer offensive. On the other hand, since October 2023, as the United States and the West have reduced aid to Ukraine, Russia has stepped up its offensive and controlled a lot of Ukrainian territory.
Defense
The United States suspended the delivery of American-made ammunition to Israel
On May 11, 2024 local time, in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians evacuated with their luggage after Israeli airstrikes. Photo/Visual China
On May 9, 2024 local time, U.S. President Joe Biden once again warned Israel not to violently attack Rafah, otherwise some of the offensive weapons originally delivered to Israel will be detained.
A day earlier, in an exclusive interview with CNN, Biden had spoken about Washington's suspension of deliveries of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel last week, "as a result of which civilians in Gaza have been killed as a result of these bombs and other attacks on populated locations." ”
Biden pointed out that if Israel attacks Rafah, although the United States will continue to ensure that Israel's "Iron Dome" air defense system and other systems can effectively defend against foreign attacks, the United States will no longer provide Israel with weapons such as bombs and artillery shells.
According to an analysis by the New York Times, Biden's speech highlights the deepening rift between the United States and its close ally Israel over the Gaza crisis.
In response to the US decision to "suspend military aid", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that even if the United States does not provide weapons, Israel will not stop attacking Rafah. "If there is no support, Israel will fight alone".
Since the outbreak of the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Biden has always expressed his firm support for Israel's fight against Hamas and has continued to provide military assistance. But Israel's decision to invade Rafah seems to have changed Biden's attitude.
This week, the Biden administration will submit its first report to formally rule on whether Israel's airstrikes on Gaza and obstruction of aid violate international law and U.S. law. Israeli officials are concerned that the verdict will further increase pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to the Israeli military, according to congressional sources.
Li Weijian, a researcher at the Center for West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies:
Israel has been America's only hardcore ally in the Middle East for decades. It is precisely with the support of the United States that Israel has gradually grown into a "little bully in the Middle East." The reason why the United States supports Israel is mainly influenced by its domestic politics, and Jewish capital has a deep penetration into American politics and can influence the policy orientation of the White House.
But as the international landscape and U.S. global strategy have changed, and the differences between Netanyahu and the Biden administration over Gaza have deepened, more Americans have begun to reflect on how much strategic value Israel has to the United States. Now that the 2024 U.S. election is approaching, it is necessary to continue to observe whether Biden will still unreservedly support Israel.
Still, the Biden administration will generally support Israel in public, as long as Netanyahu's actions don't fundamentally affect the outcome of the election. The United States will not allow Israel to collapse under pressure from the international community. If such a situation occurs, the United States will see it as a failure, as a sign of a decline in America's global influence. But in private, the Biden administration is bound to put pressure on Israel.
hot spot
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Palestine's accession to the UN
Voting site of the 10th emergency special session of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Photo/United Nations
On May 10, 2024 local time in New York, the 10th emergency special session of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution with 143 votes in favor, 9 votes against and 25 abstentions, confirming that the State of Palestine meets the membership status of the United Nations as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and should be admitted as a member of the United Nations.
143 countries, including China and France, voted in favor, 9 countries including the United States and Israel voted against, and 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Ukraine, abstained.
The British newspaper The Guardian pointed out in its analysis that the overwhelming majority of votes in the UN General Assembly supported the Palestinian "accession to the United Nations", indicating that Israel is increasingly isolated on the world stage.
Palestine is currently an observer State of the United Nations. In September 2011, Palestine submitted a formal application to then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for membership in the UN, but it was not approved by the Security Council. At that time, the Palestinians suspended the application due to the tough stance of the United States on the issue.
In early April this year, at the request of Palestine, the 15 members of the Security Council again considered Palestine's application for membership in the United Nations and voted on the draft resolution entitled "The State of Palestine becomes a full Member of the United Nations" on 18 April. The draft received 12 votes in favour, with 2 abstentions and 1 against. The draft was not adopted because the United States, a permanent member of the United Nations, used its veto power to vote against it.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Doe-yeol will soon visit China
On January 12, 2024 local time, in Seoul, South Korea, the new Foreign Minister Cho Doi-yeol attended the inauguration ceremony and took the oath of office. Photo/Visual China
On May 10, 2024, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian announced that at the invitation of Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Doi-yeol will visit China from May 13 to 14.
This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the Chinese and ROK foreign ministers after the China-Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Busan last November, and it will also be the ROK foreign minister's second visit to Beijing after a six-and-a-half-year hiatus.
Yonhap News Agency reported that Cho may exchange views with Wang Yi on the direction of China-South Korea relations, supply chain cooperation, North Korean nuclear and North Korea issues, and other issues. In addition, while China, Japan, and South Korea are finalizing the trilateral summit meeting in Seoul at the end of this month, the two sides may also communicate and coordinate on the specific agenda and topics of the summit.
Cho served as the second official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and took office as South Korea's foreign minister in January 2024.
On February 6, Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a telephone conversation with him at his request to exchange views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
World
The flame of the Paris Olympics landed in France
On May 8, 2024 local time, Marseille, France, the flame of the Paris Olympics arrived at the port of Marseille, France. Photo/Visual China
On the evening of May 8, local time, the flame of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games crossed the Mediterranean Sea on the three-masted sailing ship "Bellham" and arrived at the old port of Marseille, France.
According to French media reports, as many as 150,000 people gathered in the old port of Marseille to greet them. French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Olympic Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet made a special trip to Marseille on the same day to watch the arrival of the Paris Olympic flame with the public.
Marseille is heavily guarded and people must go through strict security checks before entering. According to reports, more than 1,000 security personnel are on duty to ensure the safety of this large-scale event.
Marseille is the first stop on the 11-week national tour of the Olympic torch in Paris. The torch will be carried by around 10,000 torchbearers over 69 days through more than 400 cities in 65 regions of France, including six overseas territories, before arriving at the opening site of the Games on 26 July.
TikTok and its parent company sue the U.S. government
On April 23, 2024 local time, in Washington, D.C., pro-TikTok activists gathered at the East Square of the U.S. Capitol. Photo/Visual China
On May 7, 2024 local time, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court to prevent the implementation of the new law on the forced sale of TikTok by the U.S. government.
TikTok's 77-page complaint in the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is as long as it is. Reuters reported that "this lawsuit is the latest action TikTok has taken to preserve its business in the United States." ”
On April 24, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a bill passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Apps Protection from Foreign Adversaries Act, which involves forcing ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations within 270 days or face a nationwide ban on TikTok in the U.S. If the sale of TikTok progresses, there is a 90-day extension period for the sale.
TikTok pointed out in the lawsuit that it is an active platform used by 170 million Americans, and that the relevant laws of the US Congress are not only unprecedented, but also violate the US Constitution. TikTok also said that the U.S. Congress did not provide any evidence to justify its bill, and that the social platform had data security risks or foreign political propaganda risks.
The lawyer team hired by TikTok for the lawsuit successfully assisted Xiaomi in the U.S. "military-related enterprise" case in 2021.
Southern Weekly reporter Wang Hang and Southern Weekly intern Chen Qiushi
Editor-in-charge: Yao Yijiang