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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jun-2014
19-Jun-14 World View -- Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing

Web Log - June, 2014

19-Jun-14 World View -- Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing

U.S. is flying F-18 surveillance missions over Iraq

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

U.S. is flying F-18 surveillance missions over Iraq
Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing
Ebola unexpectedly surges again in western Africa

U.S. is flying F-18 surveillance missions over Iraq

F-18 Super Hornet attack aircraft

F-18 Super Hornet attack aircraft

After send 375 special forces troops to Iraq earlier this week, President Obama's administration has authorized F-18 surveillance missions over Iraq. The administration has also received a request from the Iraq's government to begin air strikes against targets from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, air strikes would require special forces on the ground to identify targets.

F-18s are not traditional surveillance aircraft, but are attack aircraft, and they're big and loud. It's believed that the intent is to frighten the ISIS militants with a lot of noise. Fox News

Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing

For years, China has been taking actions to annex the entire South China Sea, including regions that have historically belonged to Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines. China has been using a "salami slicing" strategy, annexing the South China Sea bit by bit, threatening anyone who stands in its way with military action. The confrontation between China and the Philippines has gotten moderately worse in the last few months.

But the confrontation between China and Vietnam has become extremely bitter in the last few months, after China set up an oil rig and started drilling for oil in a region in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China and Vietnam have been ramming each other's ships, and Chinese warships frequently train their high-pressure water hoses on exhaust pipes, antennae, radars and windows of Vietnamese ships, in order to disable to sink them. Last month, the oil rig triggered anti-China demonstrations across Vietnam that turned violent, killing five Chinese nationals and injuries to hundreds more.

So China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi visited Hanoi on Wednesday, to meet with Vietnam's foreign minister Pham Binh Minh and prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung, the media "expressed hope" that this would cool things off.

So when Yang and Minh first met and shook hands, they did so with only the faintest of smiles. According to Minh:

"Our meeting ... demonstrates that the two parties and states of Vietnam and China have the desire for dialogue to settle the current complicated situation in the East Sea."

According to China's foreign ministry, Yang replied:

"The most urgent thing is for Vietnam to stop its interference and harassment, stop hyping up the issue and stop whipping up disagreement to create new disputes, and properly deal with the aftermath of the recent serious incidents of violence."

China Daily and Thanh Nien News (Hanoi) and Reuters

Ebola unexpectedly surges again in western Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) believed that the Ebola virus breakout in Spring of this year had fizzled out, as there hadn't been any new deaths from the virus since April. But in recent days, seven people have died in Monrovia, Liberia's capital city. It's now believed that Ebola is still spreading in west Africa, where the death toll now exceeds 330. The outbreak began in Guinea, and later spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. The new deaths have spurred fears that the outbreak is no longer under control, as authorities had previously said. VOA

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 19-Jun-14 World View -- Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (19-Jun-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jun-2014 19-Jun-14 World View -- Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing

U.S. is flying F-18 surveillance missions over Iraq

Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing

Ebola unexpectedly surges again in western Africa

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jun-2014
19-Jun-14 World View -- Chinese and Vietnamese officials meet without smiling and agree on nothing