Politics
Security beefed up in three southern Thailand coastal provinces
Security officials in three coastal provinces along the Andaman Sea well known as tourist attractions have been put on alert for potential violent incidents by southern militants.
In Krabi province, local reporters explained that tourist police on Saturday checked all the 40 monitoring cameras installed in commercial parts and spots popular among holidaymakers to make sure they are in working condition.
They said that Pol Maj-Gen Worawit Panprung, commander of Krabi territorial police, ordered the security beef-up after having an intelligence review that southern militants might release another wave of attacks against tourist attractions in Krabi in addition to two other coastal provinces related to an arson attack around Ao Nang of Krabi around August last year.
In neighbouring Phang-nga province, police launched a offense crackdown during June 1-9 and managed to seize 17 illegal firearms, including an M16 assault rifle, 260 rounds of ammunition, 15,000 methamphetamine pills.
Similar security beef-up was also reported in Trang province where a bomb explosion took place in August last year.
Politics
US Navy Carrier Conducts Exercises in South China Sea
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A US Navy aircraft carrier conducted exercises in the contested South China Sea on Friday, the US navy said in a statement. –
A strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan conducted flight operations and high-end maritime stability operations and exercises, the statement said, Reuters reported.”Integration with our joint partners is essential to ensuring joint force responsiveness and lethality, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” US Navy Commander Joshua Fagan, Task Force 70 air operations officer aboard USS Ronald Reagan, was quoted as saying.The drill comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and China.
Washington has criticized Beijing over its novel coronavirus response and accuses it of taking advantage of the pandemic to push territorial claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere.The United States has long opposed China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea and has sent warships regularly through the strategic waterway.China has objected to such exercises and said the US rejection of its claims in the South China Sea has raised tension and undermined stability in the region.China claims nine tenths of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which some $3 trillion of trade passes a year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims.
Politics
How China is using tourism for geopolitical goals
The Chinese government has a degree of leverage over its tourists that other governments do not enjoy. Many Chinese tourists are new to international tourism and have limited international language abilities
Decades of astonishing economic growth have given China new tools for extending its influence abroad and achieving its political goals.
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