China has surrounded the island of Taiwan again. The problem is that we now know the US response if there is an invasion

China lo has done againand this time he has a very clear recipient. Beijing has started Your second day of large -scale military exercises around Taiwan. The number of troops and the enormity of the fleet that is currently in the area is a direct response to The statements From the Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-Te, who had defined China as a “hostile foreign force” announcing measures to counteract the interference and espionage of Beijing. The problem: A document He has revealed what the US response would be. A warning. According to the spokesman The popular liberation army, the maneuvers that are currently taking place simulate the total control of the island, including maritime blocks, attacks on land and sea objectives, and control of strategic routes. As we said, this time, unlike other exercises, China made it clear that the operation It is a “punishment” Against the independence positions of LAI, who belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party and denies that Taiwan is part of China. Without crossing lines. A few hours ago, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that, only on Tuesday, they were registered 71 air incursions and the presence of 21 ships, including Shandong aircraft carrier, which operated in the vicinity of Taiwan. It should also be clarified that although none of these elements violated the limit of 24 nautical miles established by Taiwan’s adjoining zone, experts consider that maneuvers seek to raise psychological and military pressure on the island. In addition, the China Coast Guard patrol Islands controlled by Taipéithus increasing the sensation of fence. Specialists like Chieh Chung and his Tzu-Yun They pointed to New York Times That, although the military exhibition is “intimidating”, it seems calculated to avoid a direct escalation. Dual message. Although China frames these maneuvers as a reaction to Lai’s wordsanalysts consider that the message is also addressed to another nation: United States. As we have counted before, the Government of Lai has strengthened links With Washington, promising to increase military spending to More than 3% of GDP to maintain deterrence against Beijing. In parallel, the United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, reaffirmed from Japan The American commitment With stability and defense in the Taiwan Strait, highlighting the strategic priority of preventing a forced taking of the island. In this context, China seeks, According to Amanda Hsiao and Wen-Ti Sungdemonstrate firmness before Trump’s government Without completely closing The door to the de -escalated, especially when commercial tensions persist and new US rates against Chinese products persist. However, as we said at the beginning, we now also know Washington’s response if tensions go more. Pentagon secret guide. I told the weekend in a Exclusive Washington Post. Secretary of Defense Hegesh had issued a secret guide that redefines the strategic priorities of the pentagon, almost exclusively focusing military preparation on Taiwan’s defense Before a possible attack by China and in the protection of the US territory, even at the expense of reducing its global presence. Said document, called Interim National Defense Strategic Guidancedistributed in March and classified as “secret”, instructs the Armed Forces to “assume risks” in other regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Africa, delegating much of the responsibility of facing regional threats such as Russia, Iran or North Korea. The strategy leaves no doubt: it orders the Pentagon to redirect its resources to prevent China from achieving a rapid occupation of Taiwan and strengthening the defense of strategic places in the American continent, Like Greenland and The Panama Canal. Absolute priority: a single scenario. The new orientation revealed marks a radical turn with respect to previous administrations by identifying China as the only strategic threat (“Pacing Threat”) and Taiwan’s defense as the only scenario that guides the structure of forces and the allocation of resources. In fact, the strategy Discard Russia As the main focus of planning, delegating its containment almost completely to the European forces. Plus: The anti -terrorist missions would be limited to face groups with the ability and will to attack US territory, relegating operations against militias that only destabilize their own regions. Exercises in Taiwan The Heritage Foundation report. It is the germ of the memo to which the post has had access. The document carries the fingerprint of The Heritage Foundation, a closely Think Tank Tank Linked to the Trump Administration. Moreover, the post that there are many passages that are practically identical to the Heritage report published in 2024centered on three axes: deterrence of the Chinese invasion of Taiwan, defense of the US territory and increased the military burden of the allies. Even Alexander Velez-Green, co-author of the Heritage report, currently occupies An interim key position In the Pentagon. The similarity, in fact, has already been recognized by Congress advisors, who consider that the guide is directly inspired by the recommendations of the Think Tank, which confirms The growing influence of Heritage in the American defense policy. Deployment and pressure. The magnitude of the brief is understood in figures. The plan orders to strengthen the Military presence in the Indo-Pacific With submarines, bombers, naval drones and specialized units capable of destroying fortified and underground objectives, while demanding Taiwan to increase their military spending up to 10% of GDPwell above the current levels and NATO standards. At the same time and as we said, the Atlantic Alliance is urged to assume most of the defense of Europe, leaving the United States only the role of nuclear deterrence and limited support, especially if there is a simultaneous war with China. What does Taiwan say. He counted the post A few hours ago, the Taiwanese government and analysts have received the leak of the memo with relief, although that yes, with surprise that the Trump administration has placed as the highest military priority the deterrence of a possible Chinese invasion to Taiwan. The measure, in addition, comes after months of restlessness in Taipéi for the policy of “America First” and the weakening of international commitments, including the suspension of Military assistance to Ukrainewhich made the United … Read more

In the Norwegian cold war he devised a plan underground to detain the Soviet. Invasion to Ukraine has reactivated it

The story took place at some point in The cold war. The plan started from a premise: how to contain a more than likely Soviet naval attack by one of the key maritime corridors in the Arctic Ocean? Thus the Term Bear Gap and a plan that germinated in a series of underground constructions with which Norway would put its grain of sand. Today, and after the Russian invasion in Ukraine, these secret constructions have reactivated. The origin of the bases. As we said, during the Cold War, the strategic location of Norway, close to the then Soviet Union, carried out the country to carry out a plan: build approximately 3,000 underground facilities destined to protect aircraft, submarines and troops both Norwegians and allies before a possible attack by Moscowand thus placate the offensive. Many of these structures, camouflaged in mountains and fjords, remained in secret even for the local population. Among them, the Bardufoss Air Base and the Naval Base of Olavsvernauthentic fortified complexes excavated in rock which had hangars, command centers, maintenance areas, fuel storage and underground exits designed to resist nuclear attacks. The reactivation. As I counted The BBC weekenddecades after the collapse of the USSR, Norway has decided to reactivate Bardufoss and Olavsvern due to the deterioration of regional security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the increased activity Russian military in the Arctic since the mid -2000s. The Bardufoss Air Base, opened in 1938 and Used by Germans During World War II to protect TIRPITZ battleshipwas adapted in the postwar to protect combat planes against a possible Soviet offensive. Today, modernized and equipped to accommodate F-35 Lightning IIits main function is guarantee survival of these aircraft before threats such as kamikaze drones, whose effectiveness It has been tested In the Ukrainian conflict. Unlike improvised solutions in battlefields, such as networks or tire covers, Bardufoss offers real protection thanks to their hardened shelters under the mountain. One of the underground bases used in the past by the United States Olavsvern and its importance. It We explained recently. The Naval Base of Olavsvern, built from the 50s With strong financial support from NATO, it was conceived to control The so -called Bear Gapa vital maritime step between the Norwegian coast, the island of the bear and Svalbard, where they traditionally travel Russian submarines towards the Atlantic. Olavsvern has an underground port with direct exit to the sea, dry dock, control center and large logistics facilities, protected by thick layers of Gabbro and a monumental anti-explosion door. Although Its closure in 2009 and its subsequent private sale (in A controversial operation that even allowed access to Russian vessels), in 2020 the company Wilnor Governmental Services, linked to the Norwegian Defense Ministry, He regained his control And he began his rehabilitation. Currently, the base has once again received active military presence and, As we countthe United States Navy has shown great interest in using it for its nuclear submarines. Bear Gap. It is of a strategic term used to describe that maritime corridor between the coast of Norway, the Bear Island (Bear Island) and the Svalbard archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean. The area is considered a key step or natural strangulation (Chokepoint) where Russian submarines and warships that seek to leave from the base of the fleet of northern Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula, towards the North Atlantic. During the cold war and even today, NATO considers this corridor a Critical point to monitordetect and, if necessary, block Russian naval forces, since it is one of the most accessible routes that connects the Barents Sea with the Atlantic. Hence, bases such as Olavsvern and other Norwegian facilities in the Arctic have so much strategic importance. Controlling or monitoring this step is essential to prevent Russian submarines with strategic (nuclear or conventional) missiles can operate freely in the Atlantic. The Arctic Resurgence. Far from being an isolated phenomenon, the reactivation of these bases is part of a broader trend. Russia He has reopened nearly 50 military facilities Arctic of the Soviet era, while countries like Sweden They have reactivated its underground naval base of Muskö and China has built New underground complexes For submarines and command centers. They will, meanwhile, too has followed this path with his “Missile City” In the Persian Gulf. Norway, aware of the intensification of Russian military exercises in the Arctic and their renewed interest in exploiting natural resources in the region, has resumed its defensive logic of dispersion and protection undergroundnot only for its strength, but also as an essential point of support for NATO. Utility and limitations of bunkers. It is the last of the legs to be treated. Despite their apparent strategic value, experts warn that Reactivate old bunkers presents Important challenges. Many have been dismantled, flooded or present degraded structures, making their modernization expensive and complex. In addition, the truth is that facilities such as Olavsvern have already been identified by satellites as a potential objective for decades, reducing any type of surprise factor. Thus, analysts also agree that underground facilities are still One of the best defenses Faced with modern aerial threats, including guided missiles, provided that their vulnerabilities are correctly updated. Norway seems to bet on resilience and deterrence, accepting that, given strategic uncertainty, underground security remains a prudent and effective option, especially in a region where Russia seems determined to project all its can. Image | Rawpixel, Marine In Xataka | The US plan B in the Arctic is an underwater cave in Norway. The only drawback is that it is not for sale In Xataka | Trump wants to keep Greenland. There are two countries for which it would be a serious problem: China and Russia

Madrid libra a new existential battle in its tourist process: the invasion of the tuk tuk

Until not so long ago tuk tuk They were associated mainly with Thailand or India, populations of Asia where they circulated through crowded streets, often with foreigners on board. Not anymore. As Spain Win weight in the International Capital Tourist Circuit as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville either Alicante They have begun to see how These vehicles Light and three -wheeled, they reached their neighborhoods, becoming passing through A headache For the authorities. In Madrid They know well. So much that the City Council has launched to the complicated task of regular Your activity. Fever Tuktukera. In the most busy destinations the Tourist It is felt in different ways and on different fronts: in the real estate marketin The commercial fabric And in the streets. In February we told you how in the center of Madrid there are already bass that They have passed to host banks to become private and payment WC. The tuk tuk They are another test. A few years ago they associated with cities like Bangkok. Now they are common in Spanish destinations (Valencia, Alicante either A Coruñato mention three) where they offer tours for tourists who want to save walks. Click on the image to go to Tweet. THE CASE OF MADRID. Another clear example is Madrid. At least in the summer of 2023 the sector calculated that they operated there about 50 tuk tuk managed by a dozen companies and freelancers. It is not bad if you consider that fever Tuktukera It started in Spain makes less than a decadetowards 2016. That is a quick search for that year and a half In networks either Google It shows that in Madrid there are still people who offer tours aboard these light vehicles. In fact their number is high enough (or visible) so that they can be found in X complaints from neighbors who denounce their presence in THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE REAL PALACE either San Migueltwo Hot Spots of Madrid tourism. They also have been under time The media focus and of the municipal authorities, which They have put themselves To analyze your situation. But … why? Because although its number can be much lower than that of taxis (Madrid has 15,700 licenses) either VTC vehiclesthe tuk tuk They present certain peculiarities that have generated debate. Both in Madrid and other cities, including Seville, Barcelona either Alicante. The controversy usually revolves around several points: its presence in the streets (with the consequent Effect on traffic), its regulatory framework and the competition they pose for traditional mobility alternatives, such as taxis. The Tourism Area of ​​the City of Madrid I explained recently to The Spanish that belong to the category l of motor vehicles with less than four wheels and, therefore, have a circulation permission. Its normative lace seems, however, less clear. The city mayor itself, José Luis Martínez Almeida, I recognized A few months ago being “worried” about “the phenomenon of tuk tuk“ Click on the image to go to Tweet. Ordering the sector. In addition to recognizing your concern, in September Almeida revealed that had ordered the Councilor for Tourism to specify “the regulatory framework” that protects the tuk tuk. The objective: “to be able to make decisions about it.” The opposition itself He has shown In fact, their “doubts about the legal margins” in which these vehicles provide their tourist services, in addition to the competition they exert on licensed taxis. At the beginning of the year the City Council assured that he is studying “everything” related to the service, but warned that it is not the only administration that must act. “All this is being studied, but first it is necessary tuk tuk“, They remembered from the municipal area of ​​Finance. “They hinder traffic”. The debate around the regulatory framework has not prevented the tuk tuk Be well visible, especially in the points with the greatest flow of tourists in the city. “Apart from the Royal Palace, Bailén and Major the San Miguel market is horrible,” They recognized Recently from the sector. “Legally in these areas you can stop for a moment if it is to collect or leave the client; but many companies and self -employment stop, park, and offer their services to capture tourists, hindering traffic.” {“Videoid”: “X80ZM7F”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “How your town or city has changed in 40 years: This is the new function of Google Earth”, “Tag”: “”, “Duration”: “135”} In Atocha as in Bangladesh. The taxi drivers are also very critical and in 2023 they warned of the competition they suffered. “We begin to see that they take tourists in the hotels with suitcases and take them to the stations. We have detected them around Atocha, as if this were Bangladesh,” regretted At that time the professional federation of the Taxi of Madrid. Among the professionals who are in charge of driving these vehicles, they would “love to” have stops for tuk tuk regulated. Images | César (Flickr) In Xataka | Spanish tourism faces the real risk of dying of success. There are already guides that advise three of its great destinations (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news Madrid libra a new existential battle in its tourist process: the invasion of the tuk tuk It was originally posted in Xataka by Carlos Prego .

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