HSR - An undiplomatic request through 'diplomatic' channel

"SINGAPORE: Singapore has requested that the Malaysian Government clarify its position on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan said in a statement on Friday (Jun 1).

He said that Singapore made this request through "diplomatic channels" following media reports of Malaysia's decision to terminate the project. He also said that Singapore would exercise its rights to compensation if the project was terminated.

"We have informed the Malaysian Government that Singapore is continuing to incur costs on this project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification, and that in the event Malaysia terminates the project, Singapore will study the implications and exercise our rights (including any right to compensation for expenses incurred) in accordance with the terms of the HSR bilateral agreement," said Mr Khaw."

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-asks-malaysia-to-clarify-position-on-kl-singapore-hsr-10315158

The above is the request made by Singapore to Malaysia on their unilateral cancellation of the project, without consulting Singapore. It was a rather rude and undiplomatic way to cancel a major contract between two states, in the style of Donald Trump. Singapore is offended for sure. Not a whisper and just say no and that's it.

To be fair to Mahathir, he was not targeting, Singapore was not his main concern. His has to cancel the project because he was going after Najib. Singapore's reaction in the media, calling it through 'diplomatic channels' is as undiplomatic as the undiplomatic diplomats attacking China openly on the South China Sea island dispute with the Philippines only to back down when China slammed them real hard. 

The content in the media is as good as telling Mahathir to explain, and Singapore would not take his one sided decision as final, and would continue to work on the project and billed him should the project be finally cancelled. Is this diplomatic? How would Mahathir react to such a public spat?

Yes, this is going to become a public spat. And the last thing Singapore needs is another public cross border spat with Malaysia. Mahathir has shown his middle finger to the Americans as well as you know who. In this case, Mahathir see no one up and he may simply throw the project file into a corner of his room for the next two years without looking at it. What can Singapore do about it? Go to the ICJ and start another international litigation process?

If Singapore treasures its good relations with Malaysia, it is best to deal with this case between the ministries, and not under the spotlight. What good is it to Singapore to show that it has balls and standing up to Malaysia and Mahathir? Do not be surprise that Singapore may come out and say, for good relations between the two states, Singapore would waive all compensation for the work done on the project and say it would renegotiate with the future govt when things are favourable.

But fighting cocks are fighting cocks and cannot resist a fight. Another show is brewing. Just wait for Mahathir to open his mouth on this. Rubbing up Mahathir the wrong way is not helpful at this point in time. Lim Guan Eng has diplomatically said that the project may be revived in the future. But to demand Mahathir to explain in the media and telling him Singapore would not take no for an answer without explanation is totally unnecessary and provocative.

And this was what Lim Eng Guan advised Singapore, diplomatically.

"Let him (Mahathir) move at his own pace," added Mr Lim. "I'm sure I'll get the necessary directions when it's ready. You don't pressure the Malaysian prime minister."

Mr Lim said that Malaysia "understand(s) the sensitivity ... that the cancellation of these projects has cost to neighbouring countries".  CNA

US View of Status Quo in South China Sea Is Outrageous And ASEAN's View Selfish And Ignorant

I refer to the Shangrila Dialogue on Sunday, 3rd of June, 2018  with reference to a misguided statement about preserving the status quo in the South China Sea issue. What is the "Status Quo" they are talking? As a paradox I will tell a story . A few of Mr. X bad neighbours had entered his courtyard and stole some of his chickens. The  rogue leader in the village who had interest in the stolen goods then told Mr X to accept the fait accompli - the status quo in order to preserve peace in the village. It is the same when Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei were goaded by the rogue state USA to steal many of the Chinese islands in the South China Sea in the early 1960s and 1970s when China had no credible navy to speak of to supervise and maintain security of Chinese sovereignty over the Chinese island territories in the South China Sea. Now China is strong and powerful enough to assert her legal and lawful rights in her former territories. China is not even chasing the robbers away from the Chinese islands they occupy. Instead China just reclaim some of the shoals and islets from the sea and build some defensive facilities to ensure China,s security in the South China Sea from further encroachment by the thieves and robbers and by the rogue Americans. If this is the status quo US or Mr Ng is speaking of it is totally unacceptable to China and all respectable and dignified Chinese wherever they may be.

The Evil Empire - USA and the misinformed ASEAN ministers and politicians must be clear and more specific when they talk about preserving the 'status quo' in the South China Sea.

Since ancient times China had founded the Paracel and Spratly islands as well as many more of the atols, shoals and islets in the South China Sea and these have been part of Chinese sovereign territories since time immemorial. Even when the British buccaneers encroached on China from the 1830s to 1950s and the French conquest of parts of Southern China and Indo-China in 1885 they never challenge Chinese sovereignty over these islands. These islands were occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War , 1937 to 1945.

After the Second World War , under the terms of Japanese surrender as imposed by the United Nations and witnessed and signed by all the big powers including US, Russia, UK, France, China and even Japan too , all the South China Sea islands inclusive of the Paracel and Spratly islands, the Scaborough Islands and the rest of the island archipelagos as well as the Diau Yudao or Senkaku as called by the Japanese  were lawfully and legally returned to China which was then nominally ruled by a pro-US decadent government of Chiang Kai Shek's Kuomingtang  - KMT  which was having a civil war with Chairman Mao's communist party from 1930s to 1949.

But when Chairman Mao's People Republic of China won the civil war and China came under the rule of  the Chinese communist party, the rogue Americans then reneged on the terms of the Japanese surrender. US first illaterally and illegally transfered its trustiship  in the administration of Diau Yudao to Japan in 1976 without China's agreement and without consultation with the United Nations Organisation . Then in the  1970s realising its hold on South East Asia was untenable because it sensed defeat coming soon in the Vietnam war and at the time when China was still weak without a credible navy to oversee  and maintain China's sovereignty over her South China Sea island territories , a few South East Asia land robbers with the instigation and support of America began to steal many of the Chinese islands. The Vietnamese stole 25 islands , Philippines 12, Malaysia 9 and Brunei 5. Even Indonesia quietly encroached on a large part of the Chinese fishing ground.

US and its western allies kept quiet when Vietnam and the Philippines began to fortify the islands they occupied with military installations. They assume these stolen islands as their fait accompli possessions inspite of China.s protest and they were very bravado about it because they have the rogue Americans backing them.

The fact that China has a communist government does not in any  sense legally or otherwise nullify the original terms of the Japanese surrender . Whether China is rule by the KMT or communist or by whatever ideological government for it is after all still a Chinese state and no amount of excuse or treachery is allowed to transcend and nullify the original terms of Japanese surrender pertaining to the return of Chinese territories in the East  China and South China Sea. That is in essence the prevailing legal status quo at the point of history and must be seen to be adopted and respected at all times by all countries in due respect to Chinese rights and sovereignty.

However the prevailing status quo was sinisterly breached and broken by the treacherous Americans who insidiously reneged on the original terms of Japanese surrender just because China now has a communist government which is anathema to US interest. So if any ASEAN politician or minister wants to talk of status quo pertaining to the South China Sea issues they must be clear minded and conversant with the true historical and political perspective of the region and not base on guess work, personal or private opinion and worst on massive American worldwide toxic propaganda. They must courageously tell Americans to the face to honour the  original terms of the Japanese surrender failing which they will appear to show that they are biasly pro-America and anti-China and that does not bode well for ASEAN and Asia as a whole.

Further under US outrageous view of status quo which has somehow influenced and poisoned the thinking of some silly ASEAN member countries it is tantamount to asking China to submit to US demand that China must somehow sacrifice and give up her ownership and sovereignty of her South China Sea islands and territorial seas in order to placate the insatiable appetite of American. aggression .

The ugly and evil hands of US and its western allies are always at work to undermine China in all spheres of life be it political, economic, financial or territorial. In 1986 they contrived the idea of UNCLOS - United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea which allowed maritime countries to claim up to 200 miles economic zone offshore . China as a maritime country supported the agreement but with the proviso that it must not supercede and impinge on China's historical rights and sovereignty over all her existing South China Sea island territories and territorial seas.

However though the US and some western countries dishonourably refused to sign , they nevertheless insisted that China should accept the unlawful claims of many of these Chinese islands by Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei because they are within two hundred miles offshore of these countries totally ignoring Chinese existing rights , sovereignty and interest.

It is very clear that US and the West connived and contrived this UNCLOS treaty with a view to create trouble and problems for East Asians and to disadvantage China vis-a-vis her neighbouring South China Sea littoral states. In short the Evil Empire and its western allies had plotted long in advance the Arab Middle East syndrome of permanent wars and instabilities for East Asia and the South China Sea periphery.

Had the US signed the treaty America would have to give up many of her ill gotten illegal   possessions of territories like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Marshall Islands and many other small islands in the Pacific Ocean and UK and France will have to surrender many of the islands in the Indian Ocean like Diego Garcia and the Falkland Island and some other islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Where is the logic when China legally and rightfully build some defense facilities in her own territories it is strongly objected by US and its Western allies , whereas on the contrary US has built over a thousand military bases all over the world and in other people's lands which they acquired by coercion to surround China and Russia menacingly in threatening posture not only to threaten China and Russia but also to awe and blackmail other smaller weaker countries into submission to American dictates and hegemony. This evil satanic aspect of the Evil Empire has been overlooked or ignored by many ASEAN ministers and politicians either through ignorance or fear of the monster and so they tend to echo America''s false accusations against China. To the Americans and its Western allies China is not even allowed to have the right to light a lamp but they have every right to pervertly build big and strong ferocious fires at China's door steps.

It is time ASEAN and the world must wake up and in unison with United Nations Organisation demand that America close down and dismantle all its worldwide military bases . These bases cannot be for peace but for wanton US aggression and total hegemony over all other people and countries on earth.

Southernglory1

Tuesday, 5th June, 2018

Singapore's elusive reserves

"For strange reasons, the PAP has refused to disclose the size of our past reserves.
For stranger reasons, past reserves could be depleted/kosong but Singaporeans will still be informed that the funds are still there....It’s about time President Halimah does her job and disclose the tens of billions that have quietly left our reserves.  Or have been lost."  Phillip Ang

Phillip Ang posted another article on the nation's reserves and questioned if there is any left and how much have been lost.

For a start, someone should raise in Parliament on the 28 times or 30 times that the reserves were drawn down during Nathan's watch. The people want to know the reasons for these drawdowns and how much were drawn down and how much were put back. We only learnt of these drawn downs but no details were given, or at least that is all I know.

Was the details made known when these were highlighted in Parliament? Can someone enlighten on these?

The Americans and Japanese have decided that US bases must remained in Korea

What was the main reason for the stationing of American troops in South Korea? No prizes for correct answer. There was a war between North and South Korea. Though there is a truce, technically both sides are still at war and American troops are needed because the useless South Koreans could not defend themselves against the North Koreans. So they needed the Americans to back them up just in case they got they got themselves chased all the way to Pusan again. Never believe that the South Koreans could defend themselves against the North. If they could, then there will be no need for the American presence.
 
With the changing of time and leadership, the North Koreans are willing to talk about peace and peaceful reunification of the two Koreas. If they do and agree to peace and both Koreans establish friendly relations and taking steps to reunify the two people, why is there a need to have the continuing presence of American bases in the Korean Peninsula?
 
The Japanese are hyping about the threats of China and Russia when in reality it was the Japanese that invaded China and Russia in the Second World War. The threat to peace in north east Asia is from the Japanese, not China or Russia. The Japanese have a lot of reasons to want the American troops to remain in Korea. If the Americans were to move out, the only American colony left in Asia would be Japan. As a proud people, they would not want to be seen as the only country that is still colonized by the Americans. They would want the Koreans to be dragged into the same sorry state of affair.
 
Also, militarily, if there is a conflict between the US and China or Russia, the first military targets would be the American bases in Korea instead of Japan. When all the American bases are in Japan, Japan would be the first to be hit while the Koreas would be safe from any attacks and becoming a war zone.
 
As for the Americans, the bases are there as part of the American Empire, to contain China and Russia and also to keep Korea as a colony. And this is exactly the reason why they are deciding that the bases must stay without having to consult the Koreans. To the Americans, the Koreans are just subjects of the American Empire and the Americans are the overlord that decides what and where they want to put their military bases. A colony has no right to object, no speaking right on such matters.
 
Both the Americans and Japanese would like the Koreans to continue to be an American colony and the first line of defence of the American Empire. Sorry Koreans, even if you are united as a single Korea, you will still remain as an American colony and the American troops would be there to take charge and control of your country.

Shangri La Dialogue - America's Military Forum for War

China has been accumulating trillions of reserves over the last 3 decades from international trades. The Americans are spending trillions of their reserves in the same period in conducting wars and destabilizing nations to maintain it dominance as the American Empire.
 
While the Americans are spending its trillions in conducting wars, in building weapons of wars, weapons of mass destruction and in selling arms, China is doing the reverse. China is ploughing its wealth into infrastructure developments in China and around the world, in manufacturing and in trades. While the Americans are trying to use and military might to maintain its grips and controls over its allies and enemies, provoking, threatening and intimidating countries with their military might, China is offering a helping hand to help countries to rebuild their infrastructure and to facilitate trades.
 
From Central Asia to the Indian Ocean, from Latin America, Africa to the Pacific Ocean, China has been spending its money for peaceful purposes to help these countries in their infrastructure and economic development. China is building ports in the Pacific Ocean, in Hamtambota, Sri Lanka, in Mauritius, in Malaysia, in Pakistan, in Greece, in Portugal and in Europe, to link all these countries under the Belt and Road Initiative. On land, the Central Asian landlock countries are linked to Europe and Africa with land transport hubs.
 
As a result, the economies of these countries are given a boost by the Chinese investments. Many of these countries were out of the way of traditional trade routes or been sidelined under the old trade routes. With the openings provided by the BRI, these countries are now in the centre of new trade routes and economic development. Despite all the negativities, threats and pressure from the Americans, the Chinese offer of development versus the American’s alternative of wars and buying weapons is an offer they cannot refuse. Some of these ports were leased to China on a 99 years lease, an arrangement that many nationalistic govts would refuse to sign away. This is in contrast to the Americans and the Europeans that came to conquer and to seize these countries as their colonies some for imperpetuity, without paying a cent. Countries leasing their ports to China must have seen the benefits from such contracts to their countries to say no.
 
The Chinese plan is very simple. Pour in the money for economic development and trade. Bring or divert economic activities to these countries and their ports. It is easy to build ports and road leading to nowhere like the Aussies claimed and trying to discredit and derail the Chinese BRI. China did not build these ports for nothing. Ports exist and thrive only when the ships are calling. The ships would only call when there are reasons to come. A good example is the Changi Airport. World travelers would come to Changi to visit the Jewel shopping centre? Not sure why they would visit the Tuas super port. The Chinese ships would skip Tuas when the Malaysian ports are ready. All Chinese ships would transit to all the ports they built in the BRI plan. A great example is the revival of the port in Greece and in Pakistan and soon Hamtambota.
 
Money speaks, when money is used wisely to benefit all parties. The govts of countries participating in the Chinese BRI could see all the benefits in the project. No gun was used to point at the head of these leaders unlike the days of western colonialism and imperialism. The respective govts could see what were good for their countries to jump on the bandwagon of growth and economic development, to prosper their countries in peaceful development instead of wars and living in fear of wars. No need to buy more weapons from the evil Empire.
 
Money is for food and the well being of their people, not for war machine to conduct wars. Wise govts would use their money wisely, not to buy guns.
 
The attitude and aggressiveness of the Americans are clearly evident in the Shangri La Dialogue. The American's plan is very simple, create tension, create fear by branding some countries as hostile and then offer them military treaties to protect them from the red herrings. Then continue to offer to sell weapons and war machine. If this does not work, raise the spectre of terrorism, support terrorists and used them to conduct terrorist acts in the countries, and then offer to fight the terrorists just like in the Phillippines and in Iraq and Syria. Send in the terrorists to terrorise the country and people and march in as the soldiers of God. They have been 'helping' the Phillippines to fight terrorism but the problem would not go away. Why? They have sent in terrorists into Syria and pretended to be fighting them to no end. Only when Russians moved in that the terrorists are defeated.
 
Now the Americans are trying to start another war zone in the South China Sea by sending in their warships to threaten and intimidate China. The evil Americans are playing with fire. China is not a pushover. The sad part is that the Asean countries would be dragged into this turmoil by this evil Empire and everything would be history.

The Shangri La Dialogue is a platform for the evil Americans to promote their war plans and incite countries to go to war. The Americans have nothing good to offer to the world except wars and war machine and weapons of mass destruction.