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Xinhua: Cuban PM Vows Defiance Against U.S. Sanctions, Pledges to Defend National Dignity

According to Xinhua News Agency, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero reaffirmed Cuba’s unwavering resistance to U.S. sanctions during the July 26 commemoration of “National Rebellion Day.” He vowed that Cuba would overcome its current hardships and defend its national dignity at all costs.

In his address, Marrero condemned the U.S. government’s long-standing hostile policies toward Cuba, accusing it of imposing a severe blockade tantamount to a “wartime siege.” He argued that the blockade seeks to economically strangle the nation and stir despair and discontent among the Cuban people. Despite facing unprecedented challenges, Marrero said the Cuban people remain resilient and optimistic, just as they were during the revolutionary era. “Cuba will not surrender, will not yield, and will never kneel to anyone,” he declared.

Source: Xinhua, July 27, 2025
http://www.xinhuanet.com/20250727/3892c9dad76a4c37a0734ebbb432d91a/c.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

After Trillion-Yuan Investment in 5G, Beijing Considering Shift to Satellite Internet

On June 6, 2019, China officially issued commercial 5G licenses, marking the country’s entry into the so-called 5G era. As of the end of April 2025, China had a total of 4.4 million 5G base stations – more than three times the number in the United States – accounting for over 60 percent of the global total. Even in rural areas, the 5G coverage rate is expected to reach 95 percent by the end of the year. This has come at a considerable cost to the Chinese government. China’s three major telecom operators (all state owned) have collectively invested over 1.8 trillion yuan (US$ 250 billion), creating the world’s largest standalone 5G (SA) network.

However, China started taking a notable turn in 2025. On April 1, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center launched four next-generation experimental satellites for satellite internet. This sparked questions over whether the trillion-yuan investment in 5G had been in vain.

Yuan Jungang, the chief designer of China’s satellite internet project, explained the rationale for this shift in a June 6 lecture. He noted that the move toward satellite internet stems from the “many shortcomings of the current terrestrial internet.”

  • “Limited coverage” – Building base stations is costly and constrained by geography.
  • “High energy consumption” – It’s estimated that China’s 5G base stations consume about 100 million yuan (US$ 13 million) in electricity per day.
  • “Inadequate support for the low-altitude economy” – Current 5G antennas mainly face downward for ground coverage, providing insufficient connectivity for aircraft, drones, and other low-altitude flying devices. While the new 5GA (an enhanced version of 5G, also known as 5.5G) aims to address this need, upgrading from 5G to 5GA is extremely costly, and 5GA still has coverage limitations.

Whether China pursues 5G or Starlink-like satellite internet, both strategies are hindered by semiconductor restrictions. For example, Huawei, a key 5G equipment supplier and one of the largest holders of 5G patents, was forced by U.S. chip sanctions to release only 4G phones in 2023 despite China being deep into the 5G era.

Source: Epoch Times, July 13, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/25/7/11/n14549799.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

People’s Daily: Joint Landing Exercises Between Army and Navy Become Routine

People’s Daily reported a story about coordination between the army and the navy.

In recent years, as joint training has steadily expanded, an armored unit from a certain brigade has increasingly conducted coordinated landing ship training with naval forces, making such exercises a routine practice. The duration of the maritime training varies.

To address the issue of meal provision for armored unit personnel during extended periods at sea, the brigade headquarters established a coordination mechanism with a naval detachment. During training, naval cooks on board provide hot meals to the army soldiers.

Source: People’s Daily, July 15, 2025
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2025/0715/c1011-40521761.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Nikkei Asia Review: Can China Built Its Own ASML?

Huanqiu Times reported that Nikkei Asia Review published an article “Can China Build Its Own ASML?” ASML is the Dutch maker of advanced lithography machines critical for chip production. The U.S. has imposed strict export controls on China, restricting exports of advanced semiconductor chips as well as design software and manufacturing equipment.

The U.S. export controls have inadvertently fostered a “golden age” for Chinese chip equipment makers to develop their own alternatives. While Chinese firms like SMIC and others have made progress replacing foreign tools in several chipmaking processes, lithography remains a major challenge due to its complexity and high cost. Only ASML, Canon, and Nikon have historically produced such machines.

However, with strong government support, there are Chinese companies working on that front. Companies like Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) have created machines to make 90nm chips, while Huawei supports local R&D and talent recruitment. Smaller firms like Shanghai Yuliangsheng, backed by top research institutes, also aim to develop China’s own EUV lithography machines and build an independent ecosystem free from U.S. restrictions.

A U.S. semiconductor expert warned that Chinese toolmakers could someday become competitive both domestically and globally, and once that happens, they will be hard to stop.

Source: Huanqiu Times, July 16, 2025
https://oversea.huanqiu.com/article/4NWVNXq6viC

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Information/Technology US-China Relations

China-Africa Youth Military Leader Forum Opens in Nanjing

The Youth Leadership Conference of the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum was hosted in Nanjing from July 15 to 19. Representatives of the Chinese military joined nearly 90 mid- to senior-level military officers from over 40 African countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, and Zambia.

With the theme “Looking to the Future, Building Peace Together,” the forum featured three main topics: “Capacity Building for African Peace and Security,” “Empowering Defense and Security Cooperation Through Emerging Technologies,” and “Comprehensive Approaches to Non-Traditional Security Threats.” The event combined keynote speeches, thematic presentations, and group discussions, aiming to create a platform for equal dialogue among young Chinese and African military officers and to further build consensus, strengthen solidarity, and expand cooperation in the fields of peace and security.

Source: Huanqiu Times, July 15, 2025
https://mil.huanqiu.com/article/4NW0TmjysIG

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: BRICS Media and Think Tanks Unite to Amplify “Voice of the South”

The BRICS Media and Think Tank High-Level Forum was held on July 16 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with over 250 representatives from nearly 150 media, think tanks, government agencies, and enterprises across the 36 BRICS member states and partner countries attending.

Themed “Co-Creating the Future of BRICS, Writing a New Chapter for the Global South,” the forum was jointly hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the Brazilian Communications Company. It marked the seventh plenary meeting under the BRICS media and think tank mechanism and the first since BRICS’ historic expansion. The forum released a report titled “BRICS Cooperation Promotes United Progress for the Global South” and launched initiatives to strengthen media and think tank cooperation as well as the content co-creation project “Knocking on BRICS, Listening to the South.”

Participants highlighted that BRICS is increasingly a key channel for Global South solidarity and global governance reform. The BRICS media and think tanks provide a solid platform for the “common voice of the Global South”: creating synergy in the international public opinion arena, consolidating the “BRICS Consensus,” amplifying the “Voice of the South,” and contributing wisdom to the growth of the “Great BRICS” and the Global South.

Source:
1. Xinhua, July 17, 2025
http://www.news.cn/world/20250717/33ed4400fb834e95a99865ab93e62206/c.html
2. Xinhua, July 17, 2025
http://www.news.cn/world/20250717/1f4fb1cb3bbf4ed0938c1b2b87e6954e/c.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Huanqiu Editorial: What Actions to Take to Improve China-India Relations

Huanqiu Times published an editorial on Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit to China on July 15 for attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Tianjin and also making an official visit to China on the sidelines. It called it the first visit to China by an Indian foreign minister in five years, signaling that China–India relations are “starting to improve.”

The article listed several “practical issues between China and India” to be resolved:

  • The border issue continues to be the most sensitive and complex aspect of bilateral relations. Establishing a stable and effective border trust mechanism, restoring strategic dialogue platforms, and enhancing multi-level security cooperation are essential steps for moving China–India relations toward maturity.
  • Concrete, tangible improvements can help foster mutual trust at the societal level, including promoting the resumption of direct flights, restarting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening academic and think tank interactions.
  • Cooperation on multilateral platforms such as SCO and BRICS could be improved.

The article also warned that improving China–India relations will not happen overnight. Strategic mutual trust cannot be built through a single meeting or a single joint statement. Instead, it must be accumulated through long-term, continuous, and measurable engagement. What it requires is sustained political will, pragmatic consultation mechanisms, and – most importantly – mutual respect for each other’s core concerns.

Source: Huanqiu Times, July 14, 2025
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/4NUoO9YeyXA

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend