The Vilnius Summit, convened by the NATO Heads of State and Government on July 11-12, 2023, concluded with the release of an extensive communiqu. This document distinguishes itself from a typical summit declaration, serving instead as a strategic roadmap that outlines NATOs future direction in an ever-evolving world order.

The communiqu, detailed in its exposition of pivotal policy directions and strategic initiatives, encapsulates the collective vision of NATO members. Owing to its depth and breadth, this essay will focus on the salient points that underscore a significant shift in NATOs role and strategic posture.

The document signals the advent of a New Cold War, indicative of a shift in global power dynamics with NATO positioning itself against strategic competitors, notably Russia and China. Additionally, it broadens the traditional concept of security to incorporate the global commons, including oceans, space, technology, and cyberspace.

Released on July 11, 2023, the Vilnius Summit Communiqu heralds a new epoch in international politics. This era, while echoing past rivalries, is shaped by contemporary realities. The subsequent analysis dissects the communiqus main points and their implications for this emerging New Cold War.

NATOs Evolution and the Advent of a New Cold War

NATO, established on shared values of individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, was originally formed as a defensive alliance against the Soviet Union. Over time, NATO has had to redefine its role in a rapidly evolving world order, particularly in the post-Cold War era. This period brought into question NATOs identity and purpose in a world that seemed to have moved beyond the bipolar power dynamics of the Cold War.

The Vilnius Summit Communiqu describes NATO as the unique, essential and indispensable transatlantic forum to consult, coordinate and act on all matters related to our individual and collective security. This powerful reaffirmation underscores NATOs central role in preserving peace and stability across the Atlantic. Furthermore, it emphasizes NATOs commitment to defend each other and every inch of Allied territory at all times, thereby ensuring the protection of its one billion citizens and safeguarding freedom and democracy.

The communiqu, however, reveals a significant shift in NATOs strategic outlook. The Alliance is no longer merely a defensive entity but positions itself as a proactive force ready to confront emerging challenges in an increasingly multipolar world. The communiqu underscores a transition towards a broader definition of security that includes the global commons of oceans, space, technology, and cyberspace.

The document recognizes that the geopolitical landscape has evolved, ack...

Iranian press review: One person executed almost every 12 hours in 2023

7 Jul 2023 Source: The Wall Street Journal By Al Mayadeen English The increasing economic growth opportunities between China and the Middle East pose a great threat to the US and its influence in the region in the coming decades. After Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in December to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin []

• U.S. officials are reportedly planning to restrict Chinese companies access to cloud computing services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft, as a security measure to safeguard advanced technology.
• The proposed controls would require providers to obtain government approval before offering cloud services that utilize powerful artificial intelligence (AI) chips to Chinese clients, closing a loophole in existing chip export sanctions. The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to announce these measures in the coming weeks. 
• In response, the Chinese government plans to implement controls on exports of gallium and germanium, crucial materials for semiconductor production, potentially impacting the chip manufacturing industry.  Read More

The post US Plans to Restrict Chinese Access to Cloud Services appeared first on The Clarion Project.

Mike Whitney The Unz Review July 12, 2023

Look carefully at the chart above. What do you see?

You see the development of a high-speed rail system that is unrivaled anywhere on earth. You see the actualization of plan to connect all parts of the country with modern-day infrastructure that reduces shipping costs, improves mobility and increases profitability. You see a vision of the 21st century in which state-directed capital links rural populations with urban centers lifting standards of living across the board. You see an expression of a new economic model that has lifted 800 million people out of poverty while paving the way for global economic integration. You see an industrial juggernaut expanding in all directions while laying the groundwork for a new century of economic integration, accelerated development and shared prosperity.

Is there a high-speed rail system in the United States that is comparable to what we see in China today?

No, there isnt. So far, less than 50 miles of high-speed rail has been built in the United States. (Amtraks Acela, which reaches 150 mph over 49.9 miles of track, is the USs only high-speed rail service.) As everyone knows, Americas transportation grid is obsolete and in a shambles.

But, why? Why is the United States so far behind China in the development of critical infrastructure?

Its because Chinas state-led model is vastly superior to Americas carpetbagger model. In China, the government is directly involved in the operation of the economy, which means that it subsidizes those industries that enhance growth and spur development. In contrast, American capitalism is a savage free-for-all in which private owners are able to divert great sums of money into unproductive stock buybacks and other scams that do nothing to create jobs or strengthen the economy. Since 2009 US corporations have spent more than $7 trillion on stock buybacks which is an activity that boosts payouts to rich shareholders but fails to produce anything of material value. Had that capital been invested in critical infrastructure, every city in America would be linked to a gigantic webbing of high-speed rail extending from...

Kit Knightley Off-Guardian July 13, 2023

In yet another blow to the globalist plan for World Domination, last week the government of Shanghai has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna.

For anyone living in a cave on Mars for the last couple of years, Moderna are an mRNA-focused research company who produced only the second ever safe and effective mRNA vaccine basically just a few days after Pfizer produced the first.

Thanks to Modernas rushed and untested vaccine the first product they ever successfully brought to market over the course of the pandemic their stock value increased over 2000%, from $19 per share to $450.

Modernas founders were among the 44 new billionaires (totally accidentally) created by Covid.

and now they get a brand new research centre in Shanghai, along with investment and co-operation from the local government and permission to run human trials using Chinese citizens, according to China Daily:

Moderna, the United States-based pharmaceuticals manufacturer, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with authorities in Shanghai on Wednesday, marking the companys first investment on the Chinese mainland.

Under the agreement among the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization, the district government of Minhang and Moderna, the parties will collaborate on investment, research and development, production and commercialization in the biomedical sector, it was announced by the Minhang district government on Thursday.

The companys first investment project on the Chinese mainland will involve setting up an R&D base in Minhang and conducting clinical trials on new medicines to put its products on the market, and produce and sell them in China.

Now, since Im reliably informed China are some kind of multilateral, anti-globalist 5th columnist who only pretended to go along with the Covid narrative (for as yet unknown reasons), my first thought was that this must be some kind of trick.

Perhaps the Chinese government is simply helping produce Modernas products in order to profit from Covid hysteria by selling them to idiotic Western governments, right?

but, alas, it doesnt look that way according to the Financial Times:

Any medicines produced under this agreement will be exclusively for the Chinese people who face many of the same health challenges that affect other communities around the world, the company said in a statement.

Yes, it seems all the *ahem* medicine Moderna produces in...

Frank Bergman SLAY News July 13, 2023

World Economic Forum (WEF) members are celebrating the emergence of digital cash as governments around the globe prepare for cashless societies.

During the WEFs Summer Davos event in China last month, attendees were buzzing about the advancement of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Over 1,500 government, corporate, and academic leaders, including a large delegation from Saudi Arabia, gathered for the WEF summit in Tianjin, China on June 2729.

The main topic of discussion during the three-day conference, also called the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, was how the WEFs agenda can be amplified in cashless societies through the use of CBDCs.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang kicked off the summit with an address in which he called for more globalization.

The second-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party also warned there will be more public health crises, which he suggested will bring new opportunities to advance the globalist agenda.

COVID-19 will not be the last public health crisis humanity faces, said Qiang.

Global public health governance needs to be enhanced.

Other notable moments included a panel discussion titled Chinas Economy: The Big Rebound? during which Cornell Professor Eswar Prasad advocated for governments using CBDC to control citizens purchases.

As Slay News reported, Prasad gloated that a digital dollar could be used to strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights by blocking them from buying ammunition and other less desirable items.

A CBDC is a digital currency issued and governed by a central bank.

In the case of the United States, a CBDC would be a digital currency issued and controlled directly by the Federal Reserve.

A CBDC would replace cash for all transactions and be controlled by the central bank.

It would be backed by the central bank and its value is manipulated by the Feds monetary policies.

However, whereas cash transactions are anonymous, CBDC transactions are not.

The monitoring of CBDC transactions has already been confirmed by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

But anonymity would not be the only casualty of CBDC as one of the key features would be the ability to monitor what individuals purchase to control and limit what they spend.

During a panel discussion at Summer Davos, Prasad boasted to WEF members that digital currencies offer governments the benefit of controlling what taxpayers purchase.

If you t...

The Cradle | July 13, 2023

Saudi Arabia imported record levels of Russian fuel oil in June, bringing in 910,000 metric tons, a nearly tenfold increase from the same period last year, to meet summer power generation needs.

Since the start of 2023, Saudi imports of Russian fuel have nearly doubled from last year. As of June, the kingdom imported 2.86 million metric tons of fuel oil, exceeding the 1.63 million metric tons imported for all of 2022.

Alongside many countries in the Global South, the kingdom has been ramping up its purchases of discounted Russian fuel over the past several months, allowing Moscow to negate much of the effects of western sanctions and a G7 price cap imposed on their energy sector.

The news comes just over a month after Saudi officials announced plans to cut oil production levels by an extra one million barrels per day (bpd) in July a cut that came on top of a massive reduction in oil output implemented since last October by OPEC+ member states, including Russia.

In May, Bloomberg reported, Saudi Arabia is snapping up millions of barrels of Russian diesel that Europe no longer allows, while simultaneously sending its own supplies back to buyers in the EU.

Traders and analysts believe the kingdom has been conducting this scheme to generate higher profits by taking advantage of western sanctions.

India and China are two other nations taking advantage of the situation, buying as much as 80 percent of the oil that Moscow exported in May.

In May 2023, India and China accounted for almost 80 percent of Russian crude oil exports, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report.

Russian fuel exports to Africa have also skyrocketed over the past year, increasing nearly 14-fold since the start of the war in Ukraine. Before March 2022, Moscow exported 33,000 bpd of refined products to African nations; by March 2023, exports soared to 420,000 bpd.

Kit Knightly In yet another blow to the globalist plan for World Domination, last week the government of Shanghai has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna. For anyone living in a cave on Mars for the last couple of years, Moderna are an mRNA-focused research company who produced only the second

Heres the latest installment in our ongoing series of posts documenting BDS fails stories of Israeli success that are rarely covered by British media outlets.

Political BDS fails

British MPs vote to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel 

MPs have voted to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel and other countries, despite scores of Conservative MPs not backing the bill, some of whom said the ban was illiberal and others that it would hamper action against China.

The bill will ban public bodies such as local councils from imposing economic sanctions on countries that are not sanctioned by the Westminster government, singling out Israel as particularly worthy of protection.

Michael Gove, the communities secretary, said during the Commons debate on Monday: [The bill] protects minorities, especially Jewish communities, against campaigns that harm community cohesion and fuel antisemitism.

Another US state passes anti-BDS law

New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu signed on Thursday an executive order prohibiting the Granite State from investing in or contracting with companies and commercial entities that boycott Israel and its trade partners.

The announcement, made in the presence of Israels Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, marks New Hampshire as the 37th state to enact regulations against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement

Switzerland, Austria to join European air defense project using Israels Arrow 3

Switzerland, Austria to join European air defense project using Israels Arrow 3 https://t.co/pwFiuuMkc5

The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael)...

Ever since May 2023, when the 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) reached an agreement on strengthening the resilience of supply chains a crucial aspect of the frameworks second pillar an intense debate has been ignited within academia and media regarding its feasibility. For obvious reasons, scholars and commentators have delved into the potential ramifications and explored various perspectives on the matter. Some have scrutinized the practicality of implementing the agreement, while others have examined the potential economic and geopolitical implications it may entail. While the final text of the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement is yet to be unveiled to the media, initial indications have partially revealed its main features, suggesting the creation of comprehensive regulations and institutional mechanisms. The success of this agreement hinges on its implementation, with a particular focus on delineating tangible measures and possibly establishing specialized projects to propel further advancements.

Launched by US President Joe Biden in May 2022 during a Quad Summit in Tokyo, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is a coalition of 14 member countries including India, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The IPEFs declared objective is to establish a shared framework based on four key pillars: connectivity and digital trade, resilient supply chains, clean energy, and corruption-free fair trade. But the IPEF is generally viewed as the United States strategic response to its perceived retreat from the Asia-Pacific region during the Trump era, symbolized by the withdrawal from the ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), now known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Evidently, the IPEF is an assertive move by the Biden administration to counter Chinas increasing sway in the Indo-Pacific region. With the IPEF, the United States aims to expand its economic leadership in the region while advancing its foreign policy and economic interests. Through strategic partnerships with member countries, Washington seeks to enhance the development of supply chains and promote regional connectivity in both physical and digital realms. In doing so, the United States hopes to solidify its position as a dominant economic force in the Indo-Pacific region, asserting its influence and securing its long-term economic and strategic objectives.

As per media reports, the proposed agreement has suggested the establishment of three bodies: a Supply Chain Council, a Supply Chain Crisis Response Network, and a Labor Rights Advisory Board. Additionally, the United States has pledged to initiate technical assistance and capacity-building programs, such as digital shipping pilot projects and an IPEF STEM Exchange Program. Nevertheless, the global response from th...

F.M. Shakil New Delhis inclination towards the Atlanticist core contradicts its position as a self-reliant economic and military force, and hinders its aspirations for Eurasian integration through collaboration with China and Russia. In an era marked by shifting geopolitical dynamics and strategic realignments, Indias evolving role as a supplying and maintenance agent for the US...

By Drago Bosnic | July 12, 2023

It seems that China has finally had enough of foreign attempts to slow down or effectively stop its technological advances. The Asian giant is now making very concrete moves against the United States and its numerous vassals and satellite states, targeting their own high-tech industries, including their massive Military Industrial Complex (MIC). The troubled Biden administration (but also the previous one) has started an essentially suicidal economic confrontation with Beijing, particularly against its high-tech sector, by far the fastest growing in the world. This includes a US attack on Chinese semiconductor advances.

In response, last week Beijing decided to impose export restrictions on two rare-earth elements it produces in abundance (up to 95% of global production, depending on the source) gallium and germanium. The two metals are heavily imported by the countries of the political West and its satellites, particularly for semiconductor production. It also seems that Chinas timing for this was perfect, as it greatly strengthened its negotiating position, particularly as it came mere days before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited China last week. In other words, Beijing is finally capitalizing on its absolute dominance in rare-earth mining and refining.

As such capacities are sorely lacking in the political West, China believes that this move would finally open up talks and help convince the US that any future restrictions on microchip and semiconductor development in China will be equally (if not more) painful for the political West. On July 7, The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellen and the Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed economic competition that would benefit both countries and precisely this was almost certainly one of the hotly debated topics during closed doors talks. The US has a very clear and easy choice in this regard. Unfortunately, its extremely likely to choose confrontation once again.

Chinas pushback is already yielding results, as the global prices of the aforementioned rare-earth elements have already spiked and continue to grow. Gallium soared 27% last week, traders who spoke with Bloomberg complained, adding that the gallium market, although well-supplied for the time being, will eventually be hit by export controls starting next month, causing a flurry of panic buying as traders are scrambling to purchase the metal in greater quantitie...

All nations understand that they must deal with outside pressures from other states, but Vietnam knows this better than most from their past experience with French colonialism, the Second Indochina War with the United States, and violations in their maritime waters by Chinese vessels.

Strong headwinds never fail to deter Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing trawlers from sailing into Vietnams exclusive economic zone (EEZ). While most policy analysts simply regard Beijings brazen acts of intimidation as routine, Vietnamese citizens recoil since they are all too familiar with Chinese advances into their sovereign territory.

Last month, a Chinese research vessel, Xiang Yang Hong, protected by an entourage of a dozen other ships, was dispatched into Vietnams EEZs oil and gas fields. This expansion of Chinas maritime militia has been widely recognized as a maneuver to achieve their control in disputed waters.

This unauthorized survey action was met by a rare public protest and resulted in the ships departure from the area.

In a Voice of America interview, Van Pham, head of the nonprofit South China Sea Chronicle Initiative says, Exploring the deep South China Sea has become Chinas strategy for obtaining valuable information for economic and military intelligence.

Pham and other commentators may recount the founder of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minhs quote, Land is the house, and sea is the door. How can we protect the house without guarding the door? The nations revolutionary leader and the Communist Party (CPV) acknowledge that their East Sea (SCS) is central to its national security and territorial integrity.

By guarding the sea, Vietnam seeks to safeguard its maritime sovereignty and protect its territorial claims. Despite its remarkable economic, industrial, and technological strides achieved over the past two decades, Vietnam faces real challenges in preventing Chinese vessels from entering its waters.

The sheer vastness of the maritime area, the complexity of disputes, and the disparity in naval capabilities between Vietnam and China make it difficult for Vietnam to keep Chinese boats out of their East Sea.

In 1974, in a bloody conflict, China annexed the Paracel Islands. It also failed to honor all of its law of the sea agreements including one reached in 2011 that sought to contain the dispute over the sea and the Paracels.

China, as a major super regional power, continues to rewrite the rules of freedom of navigation as it bolsters its maritime claims and exploits vital marine resources. Of the more than 3.1 million fishing vessels in Asia, China operates 864,000 of them according to a...

 Two stern warnings must be given to the arrogant NATO: Global Times editorial

Global Times Editorial

July 12, 2023: Information Clearing House -- The NATO summit is being held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from Tuesday to Thursday. The meeting focuses on plans to "counter the threat" from Russia, including discussions on NATO's expansion and Ukraine's future membership to NATO. Meanwhile, NATO's strategic impulse to meddle in the Asia-Pacific region is also imminent at this summit. Expanding cooperation with the four "Asia-Pacific partners" - Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand - is another major topic of the summit. In this regard, the US media boldly stated that NATO is trying to "deter China's strategic ambitions."

This is the second year that Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand have been invited to the NATO summit. In order to firmly rope in these four countries, NATO imitated the "Quad" mechanism of the US, Japan, India and Australia at last year's summit, and specially created a new name for these four countries called "Asia-Pacific Four (AP4)." This aims to institutionalize the cooperation between these four countries and NATO, and make them de facto new allies of "NATO+" in the Asia-Pacific region. According to sources, the joint statement to be issued in Vilnius will change the name of AP4 to "Indo-Pacific Four (IP4)," which is undoubtedly more in line with Washington's tone.

There are 31 NATO members, but they have never been monolithic and have different views on many international issues. However, they are in general dominated by the will of the US. Now they have been kidnapped by the panic and tension instigated by the US, becoming "Washington's axe, spears and shovels." Wherever NATO goes, wars are likely to break out. These are not only the subjective impressions left by NATO, but also objective facts to a large extent. This situation is actually more worthy of the high vigilance of those member states within NATO that have no intention of being pa...

  NATO is malicious poison former Australian PM

The Island of Taiwan has been turned into a powder keg by the infusion of U.S. weaponry, pushing the Taiwanese people into the abyss of disaster.  These are the words of the Chinese Defense Ministry in reaction to the recent $440 million sale of U.S. arms to the island. And now the U.S. is also Continue reading "Arming Taiwan is an Insane Provocation"

The post Arming Taiwan is an Insane Provocation appeared first on Antiwar.com Original.

Via: Summit News: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr declared Monday that he believes the CIA was involved in funding the Wuhan lab where the COVID pandemic originated. In an interview with Fox News Jesse Watters, Kennedy suggested that the Biden administration is not interested in punishing China for covering up the lab leak because []

BY ANDREW KORYBKO | JULY 11, 2023

Theres a growing consensus that the failure of Kievs NATObacked counteroffensive and Moscows edge over NATO in their race of logistics/war of attrition will result in the resumption of Russian-Ukrainian talks in some form by the end of the year as was explained here. This will at the very least be aimed at reaching a ceasefire, but Zelensky is prohibited by the Rada from conducting talks with Russia, ergo the need for a mediator. Here are five reasons why India could play this role:

-

1. The US Wants To De-Sinify The Peace Process

China has the diplomatic power to implement its plan for freezing the NATO-Russian proxy war, but only if the US allows Kiev to participate in talks under its aegis, which is unlikely to be approved. Theres no way that Washington would let its systemic rival go down in history as the country that helped end the most geostrategically significant conflict since World War II, with it instead preferring to de-Sinify the peace process by having someone else play this role in order to deprive Beijing of that diplomatic victory.

2. Russia Might Not Trust Turkiye To Mediate Again

Turkish President Erdogans violation of the Azovstal deal that he reached last year with his Russian counterpart might have irreparably damaged trust between them to the point where President Putin no longer feels comfortable with Turkiye mediating between it and Kiev e...

Emily Goodin Daily Mail July 10, 2023

President Joe Biden, behind closed doors, has a temper that sees him yelling at staff and shouting obscenities, a new report on Monday revealed.

In fact, his temper is so bad that some staff try to avoid meting alone with him or bring along a colleague to help defuse the situation, Axios reported.

Underneath his public persona of Joe from Scranton, who likes ice cream and uses folksy language, is a president with a potty mouth and short fuse.

Biden will blast four-letter words during his rages, including: God dammit, how the f*** dont you know this?!, Dont f***ing bullsh** me! and Get the f*** out of here!

He has shown flashes of his temper in public before, including his July 2022 visit to Saudi Arabia, where he snapped at a DailyMail.com reporter for asking about his fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman outside the royal palace in Jeddah.

Its a silly question, the president said, adding his signature phrase God love ya.

The president also has snapped back at reporters who ask about his son Hunters business dealings in Ukraine and China and whether he had any role in them.

No, hes shouted in response to such inquiries.

Even fellow leaders arent safe from Bidens bite.

The president lost his temper with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a June 2022 phone call, NBC News reported.

Biden had relayed to Zelensky the latest round of aid the US was sending when the Ukrainian president started listing more items he needed.

Biden snapped, telling Zelensky the American people were being generous, his administration was working hard to help and suggested Zelensky could show a little more gratitude.

...

Mauricio Ramrez Nez (Image by Alejandro Rodrguez) In recent years, Chinas Belt and Road project has captured global attention as an ambitious initiative that seeks to promote economic connectivity and international cooperation. Also known as the New Silk Road, this project aims to revive ancient trade routes and establish new connections between Asia, Europe, Africa,...

Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen visited China. There she tried to press the worlds biggest economy on several issues. Yellen, in Beijing, Criticizes Chinas Treatment of U.S. Companies - NY Times, July 7, 2023 Yellen Urges China to Step Up...