The United States opens an embassy in Vanuatu to combat CCP infiltration

Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on the U.S., Vanuatu, South Korea, CCP

News (1)

The United States opens an embassy in Vanuatu to combat CCP infiltration

Reporter : Xia Yu / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/7/18/n14293773.htm /  Image : Pictured is Vanuatu. (Jeremy Piper/AFP/Getty Images)

On Thursday (18 July 2024), the United States announced the opening of an embassy in the Pacific island country of Vanuatu. This is the latest sign of the long-term confrontation between the United States and China in the Asia-Pacific region.

On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement saying that the United States officially opened its embassy in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. "The opening of the embassy promotes the United States to provide an increased diplomatic presence throughout the region." , and solidify efforts to further engage the United States and its Pacific neighbors."

"The opening of the embassy also further marks the development of our relationship with Vanuatu and underscores our commitment to our bilateral relationship, the people of Vanuatu, and our partnership in the Indo-Pacific region," Miller said.

The CCP has been actively infiltrating Pacific island countries, and Vanuatu is heavily in debt. According to data from Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy, about 40% of Vanuatu's foreign debt is owed to the Export-Import Bank of China. The institute also estimated that the Chinese Communist Party spent more than 21 million US dollars to build a presidential palace in Vanuatu.

In order to counter the CCP’s infiltration into Pacific island countries, the United States is also continuing to work hard to strengthen its diplomatic presence in the Pacific region. Miller said the United States looks forward to cooperating with the Vanuatu government in addressing climate change, developing the economy, and ensuring maritime security, and continues to build people-to-people ties, just as the Peace Corps program did in the 1990s.

The Peace Corps is a small, independent agency run by the U.S. government that employs volunteers around the world, primarily educators and professionals in the fields of agriculture, health, community economics, and youth development. They strive to improve the lives of people in less developed or underserved areas by increasing productivity and encouraging self-reliance.

More than 60 years ago, then-President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. "I hope it will bring satisfaction to Americans and contribute to world peace," President Kennedy said at the signing ceremony.

In March this year, Tai Vanuatu police and officials stated that the Vanuatu police boarded the first U.S. Coast Guard ship patrolling Vanuatu waters for a boarding inspection and found six Chinese fishing boats violating Vanuatu fisheries laws.

Also in March, U.S. State Department officials told Congress that they had opened embassies in two other Pacific island countries, Solomon Islands and Tonga, and planned to open another embassy in Kiribati in the future. The official said the Kiribati mission was awaiting parliamentary approval.

The Pacific island countries are relatively small, but each country has equal voting rights in the United Nations. They control fishery resources and seabed mineral resources in an area three times larger than the continental United States. One regional leader, then-President of Micronesia David Panuelo, said in March 2023 that Beijing had been engaging in "political infiltration" to control the country's strategic infrastructure , the infrastructure is not far from an important U.S. military base in Guam.

News (2) to (5) / Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/7/20/n14294667.htm

News (2)

If Trump is elected, how will the United States cooperate with its allies? Expert analysis

Image : Trump and Vance are about to be nominated as the Republican Party's presidential and vice presidential candidates at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

At this week’s Republican Convention, Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential candidate nomination. People are also increasingly concerned about how Trump, if elected, will work with allies to deal with threats from authoritarian regimes such as the Chinese Communist Party. For some voters, this may affect their voting intentions.

In an interview with the "Voternomics" program, Elbridge Colby, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and co-founder of the Washington think tank "The Marathon Initiative", believed that Trump will understand to allow allies to understand the "reality of the situation", build "real military alliances" and "help those who help themselves".

Colby drafted the 2018 National Defense Strategy for the Trump administration. Outsiders believe that if Trump returns to the White House, he is one of the possible candidates for national security adviser. Therefore, although Colby has repeatedly mentioned that he cannot speak for Trump and only expresses his own opinions, his interpretation of Trump and his running mate JD Vance still attracts much attention from the outside world.

Image : Elbridge Colby, who drafted the 2018 National Defense Strategy for the Trump administration. (U.S. Department of Defense website)

News (3)

Trump conveys reality, urges allies to take action

Colby believes that Trump and Vance's foreign policy is "to serve the interests of the United States and put the interests of Americans first."

"The foreign policies of most countries try to put the interests of the people first." He further said that although European allies may be dissatisfied with this, Trump is trying to "clearly convey the reality" to allies so that they can They "have time to take action."

“There are limits to what Americans can do,” he emphasized. “We have seen this. Over-appeasing our allies will encourage free-riding behavior. When using resources, consumers are unwilling to bear the due costs).”

"This is not only dangerous for Americans, but even more dangerous for Europeans," he said.

Colby believes that Trump’s approach is effective.

"I think it's interesting that Europe has actually started to take action." Colby said that Europe and the United States need to restart their foreign policies to more realistically link available resources with feasible commitments.

"Right now, there's a huge gap between those two things," Colby said.

News (4)

Pay attention to the CCP and build an anti-hegemonic alliance

Colby said that Trump brought "historic changes" to the United States during his last term, facing reality and facing a larger, more ambitious and aggressive CCP. This is now a broad consensus within the United States.

He believes that to counter the alliance of authoritarian regimes such as the CCP, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, "empty talk" is meaningless, and actual military power must be built. To do this, the United States must have "very difficult conversations" with its allies.

"The way President Trump and Senator Vance behaved was actually more consistent with the spirit and lessons of the Cold War, because during the Cold War we had very, very difficult conversations with our allies," Colby said.

He cited how the United States responded to the balance of payments crisis in the 1960s, the issue of compensation for the U.S. military stationed in West Germany, and President Reagan's remarks in the Plaza Accord. He said that the United States put a lot of pressure on its allies at that time, but it also successfully built a true military alliance.

He emphasized that the United States needs to quickly rebuild its defense industrial base.

"If we can produce it quickly and at scale, then our own military will be better prepared, stronger, more capable of deterrence, and therefore more likely to maintain the peace," Colby said.

Image : On 10 August 2022, Lieyu Island in Kinmen Islands, Taiwan, with the skyline of Xiamen, China visible in the distance. Anti-landing fortifications have been deployed on its coast, and the island is only 3.2 kilometers away from the Chinese coast. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

News (5)

Taiwan issue: America will help those who help themselves

Recently, Trump said in an interview that Taiwan should pay defense costs to the United States. This has caused some people to worry about whether Trump will still support Taiwan as he did during his first term.

"On the issue of Taiwan's defense, as far as I know, President Trump basically adheres to the traditional policy of strategic ambiguity." Colby said that the United States definitely supports "freedom and democracy," but it must also consider reality and give priority to helping those who are willing to help themselves.

Colby said, "Taiwan is very important to the United States and to what I call a counter-hegemonic alliance," but for the United States, losing Taiwan does not constitute an existential threat.

He said that the United States should conserve military resources and provide the best basis for defending Taiwan as much as possible. Secondly, and crucially, Taiwanese people need to step up in a big way.

He said that Taiwan faces more threats than Europe, but its defense expenditure is less than 3% of GDP.

"This is very important, and I think the United States is more likely to help people who help themselves. This is very important in Taiwan, and it is very important in Europe."

He said that the U.S. federal government is facing a deficit problem and has limited space to further increase the defense budget, and the United States has invested nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in defense for a long time.

He emphasized that much of the increased funding must come from Europe.

"I think if you take the Russian threat seriously, and I think the Russian threat is serious, action should be taken as quickly as possible," Colby said. are compatible.

He also called on Japan to focus more on strengthening its self-defense capabilities and contribute to collective defense.

"I think Taiwan is the most obvious and urgent example that a country's efforts are seriously below the required level. But the same is true for Japan." He said that although Japan has proposed a plan, it hopes to gradually reduce the Defense spending increased to 2% of GDO.

"When you look at the scale of construction in China, it's not particularly impressive," Colby said.

News (6) to (10) / Reporters : Xu Yi and Jin Mingguo / Editor : Sun Yun / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/7/20/n14294458.htm

News (6)

The owner of South Korea’s “Anti-Communist Hotel” was threatened by the CCP and worried about his family’s safety

Image : The Chinese restaurant "Anti-Communist Hotel" located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. (Zheng Xiangmei/The Epoch Times)

"I just followed the arrangement and took a look. To tell you frankly, I am a person sent from 'over there'." A Korean guest said on the phone with the restaurant owner after dining at a Chinese restaurant in South Korea. The guest asked the boss to change the hotel sign and revealed in the subsequent conversation that he was assigned by the Jilin Provincial Security Bureau of the Communist Party of China.

This Chinese restaurant is called "Anti-Communist Hotel" and is located in Dongtan New City, Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The owner, Yu Shengjun, is a Korean who has lived in China since childhood. He came to South Korea in 2000 and became a Korean national with his father in 2009.

While living in South Korea, he discovered that the "rotten capitalism" criticized by the CCP was a normal social system that could allow people to live a happy and prosperous life. However, more and more Koreans began to accept communist ideals.

In order to regain freedom in South Korea, Yu Shengjun often participates in demonstrations to protect democracy and freedom, and in 2022, he changed the sign of the hotel he operates from "Beijing Hotel" to "Anti-Communist Hotel".

Image : The owner of the "Anti-Communist Hotel" in South Korea is Yu Shengjun, a former Korean national who has become a South Korean citizen. (Zheng Xiangmei/The Epoch Times)

News (7)

Behind the threats and inducements is the CCP’s instigation

In the afternoon of 25 June 2024, Yu Shengjun received a message from a Korean customer, asking him to call him back after closing business. The customer had visited the restaurant three or four times before.

After Yu Shengjun made the call, the guest claimed to be someone sent from "over there" and said that he was "a gangster in Yanbian, very close to the Communist Party of China, and also connected to some forces in South Korea."

The customer asked Yu Shengjun to take off the words "Anti-Communist Hotel" and replace it with another sign. He said that if he did not change it, Yu Shengjun would be "very dangerous." The customer said that it would not be free of charge, but would pay 10 million won as the replacement cost.

Due to the loss of customers and sales after changing the sign, Yu Shengjun's restaurant is in the red. 10 million won is a considerable amount of money for him now.

However, he said that the "Anti-Communist Hotel" is not his hotel alone. It is a beacon and hope for those who pursue the truth. Therefore, he wants to open the "Anti-Communist Hotel" forever on the land of free South Korea. He asked the messenger to reply "over there": "I don't accept unexplained money. If the Korean government gives me a subsidy, I can accept it, and it's fair and square, but I won't accept this money. If I accept other people's money, I will lose it." free."

On 20 July 2024, Yu Shengjun contacted the Epoch Times reporter again. The reason is that the guest visited the hotel again three or four days ago and threatened, "You are in danger now" and if the hotel sign is not taken down, "you will get into trouble."

At that time, Yu Shengjun asked who had instructed him to harass him several times, and the person finally revealed, "It was the Jilin Provincial Security Bureau of China who asked me to come."

Yu Shengjun told reporters, "It should be the task assigned by the CCP to the Jilin Provincial Security Bureau to change the brand. Instead of coming directly, it (the Security Bureau) hired a temporary worker to come to me... because I am from Jilin Province. 

Due to repeated harassment, Yu Shengjun asked the customer not to come to him again or call him again. But the guest said, "Even if I don't come, someone else will come."

Yu Shengjun believed that this guest only served as a messenger and would not harm him. The real threat to him was the communist forces. Because after he officially changed the name of his restaurant to "Anti-Communist Hotel" in 2022, some YouTube bloggers and media began to report on it, and he gradually became famous, so he became the target of attention.

News (8)

Feeling depressed, worried about family safety, seeking help from various sources

"They were in the dark, and I was in the open. I didn't know what would happen at what time. Originally, this world should be beautiful, and justice should exist in this world. However, the world is upside down. I feel very depressed." It was the first time I received this message. Yu Shengjun said threateningly.

Even under tremendous pressure, Yu Shengjun still insists on opening the door for business every day in order to make a living. But what worries him the most is his wife. He told her to "be more careful when commuting to and from get off work," but she complained that she was a fool. His wife believed that he was no match for those who threatened him.

Yu Shengjun’s wife is in South Korea and he has other relatives in China. The guest also revealed to Yu Shengjun that they had obtained the addresses, mobile phone numbers and other information of his relatives in China, and threatened that "all your relatives will be in danger."

"Since there has been action over there, I have to be careful." Yu Shengjun said, "I cannot bear such a threat alone. I have to rely on the government and the law for protection. How can I, a praying mantis, resist a big wheel?" "Over there" is powerful, but I have little power, so I can only seek protection."

To protect his own safety, Yu Shengjun went to Dongtan Police Station to call the police. After confirming the footage captured by the surveillance camera, the police gave him a smart watch that could call the police in a crisis situation but he still felt scared and uneasy for his family.

News (9)

Stick to the path of truth and call for support

Yu Shengjun sighed, "Actually, the road to maintaining justice is very difficult, but I want to go on it, and I will do it for as long as I can. I don't want it to die halfway."

"(Communist forces) have penetrated into South Korea and are everywhere." He said that if the "Anti-Communist Hotel" really cannot persist in the free Republic of Korea one day, it will be like losing hope to him and will make him very sad.

Taking this opportunity, Yu Shengjun told the readers of The Epoch Times: "Awaken as soon as possible. Don't help evildoers, but do good. How much oppression will it take to wake up? It is human nature to pursue truth and truth."

News (10)

South Korean politicians and democracy activists express support for "exposing the rogue nature of the CCP"

In a telephone interview with The Epoch Times, Hwang Kyo-an, a former South Korean prime minister and conservative politician who once served as acting president, expressed his respect for Yu Shengjun's choice because "even though he is worried about his own safety, he still wants to protect South Korea."

He believes that "if such an incident occurs in the United States, politicians will stand up and speak out." The reason why not many people in South Korea express support for Yu Shengjun is that "these things have not been known to the public yet, but they will be known one day ”.

Huang Jiao'an also said, "Nowadays, few people mention words like 'eliminate the Communist Party' and 'anti-communist'... I have always held the same position. When I have the opportunity, I will also bring up topics related to the Destroy the Communist Party Hotel to publicize it to the outside world."

In an interview with an Epoch Times reporter, Wu Zhenrong, director of the Korean branch of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Movement, said that he admired Yu Shengjun's courage, "I never thought of a hotel with this name before, so the CCP also has a headache."

“Although the CCP said it would spend 10 million to buy this brand, I admire this young man’s stance, temperament, and courage very much. He can represent the Chinese people’s spirit of resisting oppression, dictatorship, and one-party dictatorship. Wu Zhenrong said, "There must be many people who publicly support him, including us Chinese, who will also secretly applaud him."

He believed that the CCP’s actions “exactly exposed the rogueness and cruelty of the CCP regime.” At the same time, he also expressed his concern and encouragement for Yu Shengjun’s future safety, “On this issue, the CCP may use all means to suppress it behind the scenes... I'm also worried about this young man and I hope he can win in the end."

In addition, he believes that Yu Shengjun's resistance to oppression after becoming a Korean citizen is very educational. "This young man is very unusual. Logically speaking, he has become a Korean national and should break away from his past, but he has not."

"When the system oppresses people, as an individual, he can only endure it and be suppressed at the psychological level. But when he came to South Korea's free social environment, his deep subconscious mind of being oppressed by the system in China broke out. After people reflect on it, they can He wanted to resist oppression, so he gave the hotel a name that would alert people."

"This is worthy of deep thought by every Chinese." He continued, "I hope that the majority of Chinese people can be inspired by this news, be able to carry forward their righteousness, and liberate themselves from the humiliation of being oppressed by the CCP."