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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 7 september 2022
Taiwan leader cites threat of Chinese ‘cognitive warfare’

By HUIZHONG WU tack on Taiwan. The exer-
Associated Press cises will also feature joint
HENGCHUN, Taiwan (AP) drills with Taiwan’s air force
— Taiwanese President Tsai on Wednesday. While the
Ing-wen said Tuesday that exercises are routine and
China is conducting “cog- conducted multiple times a
nitive warfare” by spread- year, media were given an
ing misinformation in ad- unusual degree of access,
dition to its regular military possibly in response to the
incursions into nearby wa- current tensions. Along-
ters and airspace intended side promoting Taiwan’s
to intimidate the self-gov- high-tech economy, Tsai
erning island. Experts have has made strengthening
warned that China has the island’s defenses a key
made substantial inroads feature of her second and
within Taiwanese mass me- last four-year term in of-
dia and could plant false fice. That includes bulking
narratives in social media up the domestic defense
and elsewhere to erode industry as well as procur-
military morale and public ing more weaponry from
confidence in the event it the U.S., including fighter
makes good on its threat jets and missiles, to resist a
to use force to take control potential Chinese attack or
of the island it claims as its In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visits attempted blockade.
own territory. Taiwanese soldiers near the sign for Hualien Defense in Hualien, in eastern Taiwan on Tuesday, On Friday, the Biden ad-
“The situation around the Sept. 6, 2022. ministration announced a
Taiwan Strait continues to Associated Press $1.09 billion sale, including
be tense, and the threat drones “to increase pres- to $13.8 billion, or roughly from war but will not seek it $355 million for Harpoon air-
has never ceased,” Tsai sure on Taiwan’s military,” 2.4% of GDP. Taiwan on out.” The exercises began to-sea missiles and $85 mil-
said in a speech during a following incidents in which Tuesday also launched mili- with snipers firing at targets, lion for Sidewinder air-to-air
visit to an air defense and Taiwanese troops based on tary exercises on the Heng- followed by two Apaches missiles, the State Depart-
missile battalion in the east- islands just off the Chinese chun Peninsula in the far blasting away at hillside ment said. The largest por-
ern country of Hualien. coast warned off, and in south of the island, simulat- targets. Troops also fired tion of the sale, however, is
“In addition to frequent once case shot down un- ing ground warfare against rounds from M109 howitzers a $655 million logistics sup-
intrusions by China’s air- manned aerial vehicles an invading enemy aided and 105mm armored vehi- port package for Taiwan’s
craft and ships, China also that had been hovering by Apache attack heli- cle assault guns, as well as surveillance radar program,
conducted cognitive war- over their positions. copters. “We will continue Javelin anti-tank weapons which provides air defense
fare, using false informa- Anti-drone defenses are in- to hold the attitude of be- that have proven highly ef- warnings. Early warning air
tion to create disturbance cluded in a 12.9% increase ing prepared for war,” Lt. fective against Russian ar- defense systems have be-
in minds of people,” the in Taiwan’s defense bud- Col. Jing Feng-huang told mor in the Ukraine conflict, come more important as
president said. Tsai also get for next year. The rise reporters at the site of the which some have likened China has stepped up mili-
referenced China’s use of will increase total spending drills. “We will not shy away to a potential Chinese at- tary drills near Taiwan. q

Dutch farm minister resigns after protests over pollution

THE HAGUE, Netherlands exceed caps on how much tasked with transitioning Bart Kemp of farmers’ or- decisive person.”
(AP) — The Dutch agricul- manure farmers could re- the sector away from in- ganization Agractie told Staghouwer’s role will tem-
ture minister has unexpect- turn to their fields because tensive farming practices Dutch public broadcaster porarily be taken on by the
edly resigned, telling re- of the country’s compara- and buying out farmers to NOS that Staghouwer was former agricultural minister
porters he wasn’t the right tively small land area. But reduce total emissions. “a friendly man, but not a Carola Schouten.q
person for the job follow- Brussels wants to phase out The government allocated
ing a tumultuous summer this dispensation because an extra 24.3 billion euros
of protests by farmers over the Dutch are failing to ($24.2 billion) to tackle the
pollution regulations. meet EU water quality stan- problem. Last week Stag-
Henk Staghouwer, who dards. houwer told the Cabinet
held the position for only The country’s lucrative ag- that he would be unable
nine months, announced riculture sector has been in to meet a mid-September
his decision Monday night. crisis since a 2019 court rul- deadline to present a plan
He had just returned from ing forced the government for the transition.
Brussels, where he negoti- to slash emissions of nitro- “I respect his brave deci-
ated an agreement with gen oxide and ammonia, sion,” Dutch Prime Minister
the European Commission which livestock produce. Mark Rutte wrote on Twit-
to scrap a Dutch exemp- Thousands of farmers have ter, but others were less
tion to manure spreading staged protests, blockad- praising. Member of par-
limits. ing cities with tractors and liament Caroline van der
The Netherlands, along burning hay bales along Plas of The Farmer–Citizen Protesting farmers talk at a blockade outside a distribution
with Denmark, Ireland and highways. Movement party (BBB) said center for supermarket chain Aldi in the town of Drachten,
the Flanders region of Bel- A 60-year-old former bak- “he was totally unsuitable” northern Netherlands, on July 4, 2022.
gium, had been allowed to er, Staghouwer had been for the job. Associated Press