Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, U.S., CCP
News (1)
Potential cancer drug OMO-103 blocks gene that causes tumours to grow
An experimental drug has for the first time been shown to block a gene central to the growth of many cancer cells — in what could be a breakthrough.
Image : Daily Mail
News (2)
OMO-103 works by suppressing MYC, halts tumor growth in eight patients
The treatment — known as OMO-103 — works by suppressing MYC, which orchestrates messages telling a cell to divide.
In a study of a dozen patients with various forms of hard to treat cancer, the drug was able to halt tumor growth in eight patients.
Of these, two had pancreatic cancer, three had colon cancer, one had non-small lung cancer, one had a sarcoma and one had a salivary gland cancer.
Experts have been trying for years to develop a drug that directly blocks MYC, which goes into overdrive in 70 per cent of human cancers.
Normal cells only make the protein when it is time to multiply but cancer cells produce it in large amounts continuously, leading to uncontrolled growth.
Lead study author Dr Elena Garralda, Director of the Early Drug Development Unit at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, said, "'MYC is one of the ‘most wanted’ targets in cancer because it plays a key role in driving and maintaining many common human cancers, such as breast, prostate, lung and ovarian cancer.
"To date, no drug that inhibits MYC has been approved for clinical use."
News (3)
OMO-103 is a mini-protein which inhibits the ability of MYC to promote tumour growth
Scientists developed a mini-protein called OMO-103 that can enter cells and reach the nucleus.
In experiments in the lab and in mice, they had shown that it successfully inhibited the ability of MYC to promote tumour growth.
It does this by blocking MYC’s function of controlling the flow of information from many common genetic mutations found in cancer.
How does OMO-103 work?
- OMO-103 is a mini-protein that scientists developed to help block tumor growth in cancer patients
- The protein targets MYC, a gene that controls many aspects of the cell life cycle
- MYC also induces cancer formation by evading multiple tumor-suppressing checkpoint mechanisms, including cell death and/or senescence
- Overexpression of the MYC oncogene contributes to the genesis of many human cancers
- OMO-103 is injected and enters into cell nuclei where it inhibits the ability of MYC to promote tumor growth by blocking it from binding to other molecules
Starting last April, researchers enrolled 22 patients to a phase I clinical trial to assess the best dose of OMO-103 and to see if there were any signs of it controlling cancer.
They had all been heavily pre-treated, having received between three and 13 other treatments previously.
OMO-103 was given intravenously once a week at six dose levels ranging from 0.48 to 9.72 mg per kg of patient weight.
The researchers took biopsies from the tumours at the start of the study and after three weeks of treatment to assess levels of MYC gene activity and other biological indicators for cancer.
By 10 October 2022, eight out of 12 patients who had CT scans after nine weeks had stable disease, with the treatment having stopped the cancer growing.
The most common treatment-related adverse side effects were mild reactions to the IV infusion, such as chills, fever, nausea, rash and low blood pressure.
Higher dose levels were associated with more reactions to the infusion but were easily treated.
Inflammation of the pancreas was the only dose-limiting reaction, which occurred in one patient.
Analysis of how OMO-103 was absorbed and processed in the body indicated that it remained for at least 50 hours in blood serum.
Dr Garralda added, "We have experimental evidence that this could be a significant underestimate of how long the drug remains in the tumor.
"Evidence from our work in mice suggest drug concentrations in the tumor that are at least four-fold higher than in the blood.
"In addition, even after long-term treatment, we could not detect any anti-drug antibodies, which can decrease the amount of drug available and therefore make it less effective."
These early findings are a promising sign that an innovative treatment is closer than previously thought.
Dr Lawrence Young, an oncologist at the University of Warwick in the UK said, "These are very exciting results but it is still early days.'
Cancers are extremely prevalent in the U.S. Over a million cases of cancer are diagnosed each year.
Over 609,360 deaths from cancer are expected to occur in the US in 2022, which is about 1,670 deaths a day, the American Cancer Society said.
Cancer continues to be the second most common cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease.
Dr Young said, "Cancer is a complex disease and the best way of attacking tumour cells is to use a multi-pronged approach – that’s why combination therapies are the most effective.'
"If subsequent trials of this new MYC-targeted drug hold up, then exploring combinations with other chemotherapy drugs or some of the new agents that stimulate the body’s immune response to cancer hold out the prospect of new, more effective treatments," he added.
News (4)
Cancer vaccine could be ready in months
Pharma giants Merck and Moderna have teamed up to develop a cancer vaccine that is based on the same tech used in Covid shots.
The new shot — designed for people with high-risk melanoma — is in the second of three trials and a verdict on whether it works or not is expected within months.
Image : Daily Mail
It harnesses mRNA technology that uses pieces of genetic code from patients' tumors to teach the body to fight off the cancer.
The vaccine is given to people post-surgery to prevent the tumour from returning, and it is tailored to each patient, meaning no two shots will be the same.
This means it could be hugely expensive. Similar cancer vaccines being trialed cost around $100,000 (£91,000) to make each individual shot.
Merck and Moderna will share the production and commercial costs and split the profits if it goes to market. The collaboration has got markets excited, sending Moderna's shares soaring 16 per cent Wednesday.
MRNA is leading the frontier of potential cancer cures after the tech was rapidly accelerated during the pandemic, leading to the two most successful covid vaccines — made by Pfizer and Moderna.
As part of the updated deal, Merck will pay $250million to Moderna for joint rights to the cancer vaccine.
The two drug makers have been running trials of the shot together after forming a 'strategic partnership' in 2016.
In the latest phase 2 study, 157 patients given personalized vaccines alongside Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda.
They are being compared to a control group who also have high-risk melanoma but are only being given Keytruda. The trial has been going on for the past year.
If it works, the vaccine will be trialed in a much larger group involving thousands of patients.
Moderna was able to develop, trial and seal approval of its covid shot within the space of a year. The vaccine uses DNA taken from each patient's tumor.
This genetic snippet is then inserted into messenger RNA — the molecule that carries a cell’s instructions for making proteins.
Once inside the body, the mRNA delivers this piece of code to human cells, teaching them to recognize cancer cells and attack them if it returns.
The hope is that the body will be able to recognize and destroy them before they can start to multiply and form tumours.
The vaccine is being given in nine doses every three weeks, along with one course of Keytruda every three weeks.
Dr Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, said he was 'excited about the future and the impact mRNA can have as a new treatment paradigm in the management of cancer'.
With the Covid vaccine market expected to die down in the near future, Moderna has been turning its attention to non-covid vaccines.
The biotech giant’s stock surged 16 per cent when the cancer vaccine announcement was made yesterday morning, and were still up by around 10 per cent in the afternoon.
Moderna and Merck’s joint venture could be a cause for optimism, but Americans appear to be suffering vaccine fatigue after constant covid jab rollouts.
The White House's lead covid chief, Dr Ashish Jha, issued a warning on Tuesday that the pandemic is not over in response to the US' sluggish booster vaccine uptake.
The rollout of the bivalent booster vaccines that were designed to perform better against Omicron variants has largely been a failure to this point.
Most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that only 11 million Americans have received the shot so far.
That represents fewer than 10 per cent of everyone who is eligible for the jabs.
Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society said the rates of melanoma have been growing significantly over the past years.
It estimates that about 99,780 new melanomas will be diagnosed (around 57,180 in men and 42,600 in women) in the US in 2022.
And about 7,650 people are expected to die of melanoma (roughly 5,080 men and 2,570 women).
You are more than 20 times more likely to get melanoma if you are White compared to if you are African Americans.
The lifetime risk of contracting melanoma is about 2.6 per cent (one in 38) for Whites, 0.1 per cent (one in 1,000) for Blacks, and 0.6 per cent (one in 167) for Hispanics.
The type of cancer is more common in men, but before age 50 it is more prevalent in women.
News (5) to (9) / Report by : Yang Wei / Editor : Liu Mingxiang / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/10/28/a103561677.html
News (5)
Who is tougher when Biden and Xi Jinping shout to each other?
Image : On 26 October 2022, U.S. President Biden (fourth from right) met with senior U.S. military generals and made a public speech directly targeting Xi Jinping, saying "we must maintain our military superiority", "I told him we are seeking competition", "There will be intense -- intense competition", "but no need for conflict." (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
On 26 October 2022, Biden and Xi Jinping shouted to each other almost simultaneously. Speaking at the White House, Biden said there will be "intense -- intense competition" between China and the U.S. On the same day, Xi Jinping made an indirect call in a letter, saying that he would "find the correct way for China and the United States to get along in the new era". Biden's words are tougher and more certain; Xi Jinping's tone is not tough, and it seems uncertain, but the relevant content in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is relatively clear, which is probably the reason why Biden once again made clear the "intense competition".
News (6)
Biden strongly responds to China's military targets
Before and after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the White House spokesman repeatedly avoided relevant questions, but US Secretary of State Blinken warned that the Chinese Communist Party may attack Taiwan in advance, and the U.S. military has the same judgment. Biden's speech, which talked about Sino-US relations and military confrontation, amounted to a clear response to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
On 26 October, Biden met with U.S. Department of Defense leaders at the White House, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and other military generals, and give an official speech.
After the establishment of the new Politburo of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping first attended the meeting of the Military Commission before presiding over the first Politburo meeting. This meeting between Biden and the US military generals is quite confrontational.
In his speech, Biden said, "The world is changing, and changing rapidly"; "We must control our own destiny in this change"; "We must address the growing competition between great powers"; The Security Strategy makes it clear that modernizing and strengthening the military is a core source of our nation's strength and a priority for me and my administration."
At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Communist Party continued to claim that it would build a "world-class army". The Russian army’s performance in the actual combat in Ukraine was poor. At present, the real “world-class army” is actually only the US military. The CCP’s new military commission held its first meeting and continued to regard the US military as an imaginary enemy, revealing its intention to prepare for a war with the US military. The President of the United States is bound to respond positively.
"We will continue to lead (the world) with our diplomacy and alliances," Biden said, and "to meet global challenges with unquestioned strength -- this is not an exaggeration -- with the best combat power in the history of the world."
The White House's National Security Strategy makes it clear that China is the only adversary capable of challenging the United States. The Chinese military continued to target the U.S. military, and Biden immediately showed the Chinese the strength of the U.S. military. He made it clear that “we can – and we must – manage the growing competition with China responsibly”.
Biden also directly named Xi Jinping and said "we have to maintain our military superiority", but "we do not seek conflict"; "I told him we are seeking competition"; "there will be fierce -- fierce competition", " But there is no need for conflict"; "We want competition".
Biden's words are quite strong. Compared with his repeated remarks about defending Taiwan, this is probably the strongest statement Biden has made against the CCP and Xi Jinping since he took office.
News (7)
The situation is grim, the leaders of the CCP lack confidence
Xinhua News Agency reported that on 26 October 2022, Xi Jinping sent a letter to the annual dinner of the U.S.-China Relations Committee, saying that "China and the United States are major countries, and the two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation"; "Win and find the right way for China and the U.S. to get along in the new era."
Such a tone and statement is obviously much weaker than Biden, and even has the intention of seeking peace. It is Xi Jinping's indirect propaganda to the United States after the re-election of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. However, during the military exercise around Taiwan in August, the CCP announced eight "countermeasures" against the United States and suspended many communication channels between China and the United States, including high-level military communications. Two months later, Xi Jinping also called "strengthening communication and cooperation". It appears that the CCP is ready to turn around.
On 25 October, the new Politburo of the Communist Party of China held a meeting. Xinhua News Agency reported that the meeting required in-depth study and implementation of the contents of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China report, “understanding the analysis and judgment of the Party Central Committee on domestic and foreign situations”; thinking"; "to deal with various complex situations"; "must dare to fight and be good at fighting".
Xinhua News Agency did not elaborate on the "analysis and judgment of internal and external situations", but the public draft of the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China wrote that "the world has undergone great changes unseen in a century and has accelerated its evolution" and that "the international balance of power has been profoundly adjusted." new strategic opportunities". However, the report also called "the rise of the anti-globalization trend"; "the suppression and containment from the outside may escalate at any time"; "opportunities, risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors increase"; "various 'black swans' and 'grey rhinos' Events can happen at any time."
It is not clear to the top officials of the CCP that the external situation is unclear, but the goal for the next five years in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is still to “further improve China’s international status and influence and play a greater role in global governance.”
The report did not disclose how this unrealistic goal could be achieved but the Politburo meeting emphasized "enhancing the awareness of urgency and strengthening bottom-line thinking"; "must be brave and good at fighting."
This contradicts Xi Jinping's statement in his letter. Does the CCP continue to "fight" or "cooperate" with the United States?
The White House judged that the CCP would continue to "struggle", and Biden immediately responded with "intense competition"; "cooperation" seems to be out of the question, but the United States has not given up "communication" and does not want "conflict".
If the "intense competition" is set by the United States, the CCP has no chance of winning. The U.S. sanctions have obviously "escalated", and the CCP's external "risks and challenges" are even greater, but there is no "opportunity" in sight. CCP leaders know that "all kinds of 'black swan' and 'grey rhino' events can happen at any time," but they are powerless to control them. The CCP leaders actually have little confidence.
News (8)
The respective situations of Biden and Xi Jinping and the cards in their hands
The Democratic Party is facing enormous pressure in the mid-term elections. A series of sanctions by the White House before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China hit the CCP in time, which can be regarded as some kind of effort to save the election. If the Republican Party regains control of the House of Representatives, the pressure on Biden will be even greater. The Republican Party will think that Biden is not tough enough on the CCP, and so far CCP has not held accountable for the epidemic, and even think that the current sanctions on CCP are long overdue. Democratic lawmakers have acknowledged that former President Trump's judgment and handling of TikTok was correct.
After November, Biden may have even less room to retreat in the face of the CCP. The 2023 U.S. presidential nomination is about to begin, and the Democratic Party is unlikely to show favour to the CCP. The Republicans have announced that they will set up a committee dedicated to the Chinese Communist Party after gaining a majority in the House of Representatives.
On 24 October, the U.S. military deliberately disclosed the details of the CCP’s Rocket Force. The U.S. military will receive more defense budgets to maintain or increase its advantage over the Chinese military, deter the Chinese Communist Party from taking possible risks, and prevent military conflicts, so that the Chinese Communist Party has to be gradually weakened under the "intense competition" model of the United States. Tech sanctions, financial decoupling, and supply chain transfers are all cards Biden is playing. Biden will also continue to unite with allies to exclude the CCP from international affairs and prevent the CCP from participating in "global governance."
After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping took over the power and no one seems to question the mistakes of the U.S. policy. Wang Huning should have participated in the previous plan, and of course he refused to admit defeat. Zhao Leji will not sing the opposite. He is afraid that he will carry out the conspiracy of Jiang and Zeng, and let Xi Jinping slide into a deeper quagmire. The newly promoted members of the Politburo Standing Committee have no say in diplomacy and can only echo Xi Jinping. Politburo members even dare not speak casually. Wang Yi will continue to rave about "Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy", and whoever takes over as foreign minister will only play the role of a wolf warrior.
When the pressure from the United States is too great, the CCP may have to lower its tone, but the situation of "struggle" is difficult to change. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has clarified the "internal circulation" economic policy of "self-reliance", and is ready to fight against the United States. The report only said that "by the middle of this century", the "modern power" of "Chinese style" can be achieved. It is obviously too far-fetched to compete with the United States for hegemony now. But the top CCP has shouted the slogans of "rejuvenation" and "community with a shared future for mankind", and it is difficult to take back the power now.
The CCP has limited means of “fighting” against the United States, and the Taiwan card is the most important one. However, as the U.S. military expands its advantages, the cost of the CCP’s military adventures is also increasing. The CCP’s Taiwan card will make neighboring countries and Western countries more united, to jointly deal with the CCP.
During the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CCP's North Korea card was loud enough. North Korea should not have too many missiles to test and consume at will, and use aircraft, artillery, and ships. The United States, Japan and South Korea held a tripartite meeting in Tokyo on 26 October to discuss regional security issues such as the North Korean nuclear threat. The CCP is pushing South Korea further and further.
The Chinese Communist Party's attitude towards Russia has clearly changed, much to the disappointment of the Kremlin. Regardless of the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war, the value of Russia's use of the CCP will be greatly reduced. Russia has to continue to hold on to the CCP but it will also be more wary of the CCP. After Russia lost its status as a great power, the CCP has actually become the biggest threat around, and Russia’s nuclear weapons may be used more to deter the CCP. Russia will not be willing to become a CCP puppet like North Korea, and the CCP will not dare to get closer to Russia easily. Apart from fear of U.S. sanctions, it has to be careful to further anger NATO countries.
The CCP should also try to divide Europe and win over Southeast Asian countries, but it is difficult to form an anti-US camp. Some countries may reach out for benefits from both sides, but it is unrealistic for the CCP to expect these countries to oppose the United States together as more countries need the protection of the U.S. military, and they also hope to participate in the U.S. Indo-Pacific economic framework and receive supply chains transferred from China.
The funds that the CCP can spread to the outside world are getting more and more limited, and it can only be used for propaganda, which proves that there are still "friends" and that they are not isolated. After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the number of heads of state who sent congratulatory messages to Xi Jinping was so poor that they could not do anything.
News (9)
The story of what could happen at the G20 summit
The CCP should have been trying to invite a large number of foreign heads of state to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to create the illusion that all countries are coming to the DPRK, but it seems to have little effect. In mid-November, the G20 summit will be held in Indonesia. Whether or not Xi Jinping will attend will be a big problem. There is no better reason for Xi Jinping to continue to miss international summits. In order to show that he is in full power and has a solid foundation at home, Xi Jinping may need this appearance and a timely propaganda of "major power diplomacy".
The White House revealed that it may arrange a meeting with Xi, but at most it will only continue to communicate. The dispute over Taiwan may further escalate, and the CCP's promotion of "China-US cooperation" is equivalent to its own slap.
Some heads of state may have friendly chats with Xi but there will probably be little substance to talk about. It should be unknown whether the heads of countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia are willing to meet with Xi Jinping bilaterally. The host probably will not put Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Xi Jinping next to each other, otherwise they will become the focus again.
Xi Jinping watched as heads of state frequently interacted, held bilateral and changeable meetings, and advanced various cooperation matters but the CCP was excluded. I wonder if the leaders of the CCP can stand it. Some countries may also coordinate their strategies against the CCP behind closed doors but Wang Yi is helpless. How can he explain to Xi Jinping?
If Xi Jinping once again avoids attending the G20 summit, the party media will not be able to publicize the improvement of "international status and influence", let alone participate in "global governance".
Either way, the CCP leader could be the story of the G20 summit. The United States and its allies will decide the agenda and outcome of the G20 summit, and Xi Jinping's full power at the 20th Party Congress does not mean that the external situation can also be changed.
The propaganda of Biden and Xi Jinping have different effects on Sino-US relations, and the effects on the world are also significantly different. After all the weirdness of the 20th National Congress, the CCP will be regarded as an alternative in the world. Is every Chinese more worried about China's fate?
This article represents the views and statements of the contributor only.
News (10)
Xi Jinping suddenly shows goodwill to the United States, willing to cooperate with the United States
Image : On 23 October 2022, Xi Jinping walked into the new Standing Committee and appeared at the press conference. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping suddenly sent a congratulatory letter to the United States on26 October 2022, saying that "China is willing to coexist peacefully with the United States." Prior to this, Xi Jinping's report to the 20th National Congress showed that the CCP was preparing to confront the United States.
News(11)
Xi Jinping re-elected, China-US relations more challenging
Chinese Communist Party media Xinhua News Agency reported on 27 October 2022 that Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the annual awards dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations on the 26th. Xi Jinping said that the world today is neither peaceful nor peaceful, and China and the United States should strengthen communication and cooperation.
After the end of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping suddenly showed his goodwill to the United States, which caused concern. Prior to this, it was widely believed that Xi Jinping’s report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China showed that the future US-China relationship will be more challenging, and the interaction between the CCP and the West will also change.
At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping asked the CCP's army to "train troops and prepare for war" and increase its rapid combat effectiveness. After Xi Jinping was successfully re-elected, he attended the meeting of leading cadres of the army on the 24th, and once again asked the senior cadres of the army to speak politics and be able to fight.
Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, said at the seminar on25 October that although Xi Jinping's report to the 20th National Congress did not name the United States, the various challenges and threats described, "many are actually refers to the challenges posed by the United States.”
In addition, when Xi Jinping talked about international relations in the report, his speech focused on "peaceful coexistence" rather than "cooperation". Lin Yang said this showed that Beijing was not optimistic about the prospect of cooperation with Washington. "It believes that the prospect of peaceful coexistence and avoiding a crisis or conflict with the United States is actually getting harder and harder."
The "Wall Street Journal" quoted people familiar with Xi Jinping's thinking on the 19th as saying that Xi believes that a showdown with the West is increasingly likely. In his ten years in office, he has launched a series of actions to strengthen the military, restructure the economy, reshape society, and prepare for a possible conflict between China and the United States.
During the first decade of Xi Jinping's presidency, Sino-US relations plummeted. Xi Jinping reiterated "unification of Taiwan by force" in his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and the outside world is worried that in the near future, China and the United States may have a conflict over the Taiwan issue.
Yuan Hongbing, a Chinese scholar in Australia, told NTDTV, "After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping's entire national policy will focus on solving the Taiwan issue according to their will. The so-called peaceful reunification is simply impossible, and the entire society of Taiwan will not It will accept the rule of the Communist Party. So it has only one way left, which is to invade Taiwan by force.”
On the same day that Xi Jinping expressed his goodwill to the US side, U.S. President Biden also sent a congratulatory letter to the annual awards dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations.
Biden met at the White House that day with Secretary of Defense Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley, and commanders of the various services and arms. "We must manage the growing competition with China responsibly, we must maintain our military superiority and make it clear that we do not seek conflict," he said.
News (12)
The U.S. military exposes the secrets of the CCP's rocket force
After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, on 24 October 2022, the U.S. Air Force University's think tank "China Aerospace Research Institute" (CASI) released a detailed research report on the CCP's Rocket Force. The detailed information on the location and personnel deployment of all the bases of the CCP Rocket Force has been checked, which has caused heated discussions.
Netizens said that the report was "extremely insulting" to the CCP and that "the pants were taken off".
Current affairs commentator Yokogawa told NTDTV that the CCP's use of unconventional weapons to conduct "asymmetric" warfare is the biggest threat to Taiwan and the United States. However, the comprehensive exposure of such an extremely important Chinese military service by the U.S. military research institute is undoubtedly a shock to the Chinese Communist Party.
Yokogawa said that the U.S. used this method to tell the CCP to think twice when launching a war. I know where you are and what you are doing. "I think it is playing a deterrent effect on the CCP's attempt to directly invade Taiwan by force."
News (13)
U.S. successfully tests hypersonic weapon technology, Army deploys as soon as next year
The U.S. military successfully conducted a series of technical tests of "hypersonic weapons" on 26 October 2022. Wolff, one of the U.S. military generals, said that the tests will improve the U.S. military's ability to compete with CCP China and Russia.
On the 26th, the U.S. Navy and Army launched a sounding rocket at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility to test a series of hypersonic weapons experiments. The purpose of this experiment is to test the relevant materials and systems with data in a true hypersonic environment.
Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe is the director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, whose unit leads the development of the Navy's hypersonic weapons. Wolff pointed out in the interview that hypersonic weapons will bring more advantages to the Navy.
US Navy Vice Admiral Wolf (2022.10.26): "This hypersonic weapon gives us the ability to go deep inland and do what we need. Most importantly, for our Navy, put it on a ship or put it on a submarine, it would allow us to go almost anywhere in the ocean. So it gives us a competitive advantage for what we are going to do.”
Hypersonic weapons have become a technology that many countries are scrambling to research in recent years, and China and Russia are the United States' biggest competitors in this regard. Wolff said that the success of the U.S. military test will shorten the gap between the United States and China and Russia.
Wolff (2022.10.26): "The threat is indeed coming from Russia and China in particular, and this time it is indeed chasing some of the goals they have achieved. Over time, they have figured out how to defeat some of our other capabilities. So that's going to start filling that gap."
Wolf holds a high degree of confidence in the research and development progress of the U.S. military's hypersonic weapons, and said that it will be available to the Army as soon as next year, and will be deployed to the Navy's cutting-edge destroyers and submarines in the next few years.
Wolf (2022.10.26): "When it comes to progress, our schedule is very fast. In fact, we will complete the design development next year. In the same year, which is next year, we will provide this system to the U.S. Army. It's here. We will deploy on our DDG-1000 (Jewart class) destroyers in fiscal 2025. By fiscal 2029, we will deploy this weapon on Virginia-class submarines with Virginia Advanced Loading Module."
News (14)
U.S. announces national defense strategy, referring to Russia as 'imminent threat' and China as "most important competitor"
The US Department of Defense released the "National Defense Strategy Report" on 27 October 2022 local time, which alleges that Russia is an "imminent threat" and China is a "pace challenge" and "the most important strategic competitor". ", which means the pace of China's military development, which is the measure of the US military.
"Voice of America" reported that the report said that conflict with China is not inevitable, nor is it the intention of the United States, but the focus is to prevent Beijing from dominating key areas. The report believes that the areas it refers to are the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The report also mentioned that CCP China is trying to undermine U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific and threaten its neighbours with military force.
As for Russia, the report mentioned the Russia-Ukraine war, and said that Russia has nuclear weapons, cyber attacks and long-range missiles, which seriously threaten the United States and its allies. In addition, Russia's development of a partnership with China poses a challenge to the security of the United States.
The report calls Russia an "acute threat" and China a "pacing challenge" and "most consequential strategic competitor," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. CCP China is currently the only competitor who has the intention to reshape the international order and has the strength to do so, while Russia cannot systematically challenge the United States for a long time.
Austin emphasized that CCP's challenge has allowed the United States to enhance defense capabilities in all domains of operations, especially in space and cyber, and to show adversaries that the cost of aggression against the United States and its allies far exceeds any conceivable benefits. In addition, an anonymous U.S. defense official said that nuclear weapons remain the cornerstone of U.S. military deterrence.
News (15)
Dynamic clearing is too hurting, the economy is going backwards
Since CCP China’s reform and opening up in 1978, China has driven rapid economic growth with its huge demographic dividend. However, since Xi Jinping took office in 2013, China’s economy seems to have gradually changed from prosperity to decline. In 2020, during the Wuhan pneumonia (covid) epidemic, China's strict zero-covid policy has become the last straw to bring down the economy.
With the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (20th National Congress), the GDP growth in the third quarter, which was originally delayed, exceeded expectations and recorded a growth rate of 3.9%, which was significantly better than the growth rate of only 0.4% in the previous quarter. There are some doubts about the reliability of the data.
How much damage does the reset do to CCP China's economy? Just as the world is taking into account the economy, learning and co-existing with SARS-CoV-2, the CCP still adheres to the usual epidemic prevention measures in the past. The extreme measures of locking down cities at every turn have disrupted the pace of life of the local people, affecting transportation, supply chains, factories, and more. Nucleic acid testing is repeated day after day, and CCP China's economy is weakening with strict epidemic prevention policies.
News (16)
Strong supervision and suppression of technology companies are all over the place
Since the second half of 2021, Chinese regulators have vigorously rectified technology and Internet companies, causing the share prices of Tencent and Alibaba to plummet. The beginning of last year can be said to be the heyday of Chinese technology stocks. TWD 3181), and now it has fallen to around HK $ 208 (about TWD 856.9) per share, a drop of more than 70%, and the market value has evaporated by about HKD 5 trillion (about TWD 20 trillion); e-commerce giant Alibaba is not too worried, the stock price From the historical high of HK$309 (about NT$1,273) to about HK$63 (about NT$259) recently, the market value has shrunk by more than HK$5 trillion (about NT$20 trillion).
In addition to the recent collapse of Chinese and Hong Kong stocks, this wave of tech stock selling has also spread from Hong Kong to the United States. On October 24, the Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index (HXC) of Chinese companies listed in the United States plummeted 14.43%, hitting a record high of 4 in 2013. The lowest point since the month, of which Alibaba and Baidu ADRs fell by about 12.5%, JD.com and Pinduoduo ADRs fell by 13% and 24.6% respectively. These Chinese technology stocks used to be the darlings of foreign capital. After the turmoil, the stock price fell all the way.
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Economic intimidation to ban Australian coal leads to power cuts in China
In recent years, not only the Sino-US Cold War, but also China’s semiconductor industry has been severely sanctioned. Sino-Australian relations have long been in trouble. China banned the import of Australian coal in September 2020. At that time, China’s economic recovery and the approaching winter led to electricity consumption. Exceeding the power plant's expectations, and 60% of China's electricity is supplied through coal combustion. Originally, I wanted to boycott and threaten Australia, but instead I fell into the dilemma of coal supply and demand imbalance, and also planted power cuts and tight coal supply in the future. remote cause.
Although China then turned to the United States, Russia, Indonesia and other countries to purchase coal, the low price of Australian coal and the high CP value of good quality make it difficult to replace it with coal from other countries. In addition, the price of bulk materials continues to soar, which increases China's transportation and import costs. , and other countries' coal power generation efficiency is not high, which further exacerbates the power shortage crisis in China.
In order to save the economic downturn and avoid repeating the mistakes of last year's power curtailment, it has been recently reported that China intends to release Australian coal imports to ease domestic demand and corporate pressure.
News (18)
Real estate bubble could lead to financial crisis
Over the years, real estate has been an important engine driving China's economic growth, and related industries have contributed as much as 1/4 of China's GDP. Come high profit, but the financial crisis also comes with high risk.
The debt crisis of Evergrande last year and the unfinished building incidents that broke out this year have both hit market confidence. Coupled with the Chinese government's series of housing policies, and the impact of the epidemic, real estate sales and investment have been affected. The temporary real estate in China has gradually dropped to freezing point, dragging down China's overall economic growth.
News (19)
Xiao Jianhua may be a white glove? Xi imprisoned him
Since Xi Jinping took office, he has not only cracked down on real estate and Internet technology companies, but also promoted anti-corruption campaigns. Many corrupt officials have been sacked because of this. In addition to the corruption of the "National Fund" that has been making a lot of noise this year, a wealthy Chinese businessman sentenced to 13 years in August In fact, Xiao Jianhua was also the driving force behind the huge benefits for Xi Jinping's family, but he was suspected of being closely related to Zeng Qinghong, Xi Jinping's number one political enemy, and was suspected of participating in the 2015 financial coup, which was purged by Xi Jinping.
However, the "New York Times" once revealed that before Xi Jinping took office, Xiao had acquired shares held by Xi Jinping's sister Qi Qiaoqiao and brother-in-law Deng Jiagui, and the companies involved included Kanghai Tianda founded by Xiao, a joint venture between Deng Jiagui and China Construction Bank. Qinchuan Dadi, the overseas company CCB and Qi Qiaoqiao and his wife, reported that Xi Jinping is likely to urge his relatives and friends to sell hundreds of millions of dollars of assets as soon as possible before the corruption crackdown, so as to reduce the political damage to himself.
Before Xiao Jianhua was "disappeared", he was forced to withdraw from CCB, and the company that took over Xiao's equity was "Qinchuan Dadi", a company owned by Qi Qiaoqiao and his wife into the hands of the Xi Jinping family.
News (20)
Common prosperity becomes "going to prison"? The rich are in danger
Xi Jinping proposed the "common prosperity" policy in mid-2021, which was accompanied by a crackdown on the Internet technology industry and a series of anti-corruption actions. At the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping mentioned the word 4 times, which shows that he broke the precedent and won the first time. Xi Jinping, who has been in office for three terms, is bound to implement this plan more actively in the future.
In the past few years, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China's economy has continued to slow down. Unfavorable factors such as strong supervision, zero policy, deadlocked relations with many countries, sanctions by the United States, and the development of the semiconductor industry have been blocked. The current Chinese economy seems to be the same as many years ago. The prosperity of China and Hong Kong is far apart. Not only is foreign investment not optimistic, but the common wealth has also accelerated the departure of Chinese and Hong Kong billionaires from China. In the future, under the control of Xi Jinping's almost emperor, it is bound to add more variables to China's economic trend and development in the future.
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