© Wu Hong
Something extraordinary, at least on the surface, happened on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this month - a somewhat pompous affair self-described as "Asia's premier defense summit".
Intel heads of 24 nations met in de facto semi-secrecy, because in the end the event was duly leaked (Western spin qualified it as an "informal" meeting).
Among the 24, the real deal comprised the US and all the other Five Eyes, plus representatives of two
BRICS members, China and India. All the others were not identified with certainty or preferred to remain anonymous - presumably due to their "hanger on" status.
Crucially, key BRICS member Russia was not represented.
Reuters swore the information about the not-so-secret gathering came from
five different - unnamed - sources. A Southeast Asian diplomat independently confirmed the presence of the Five Eyes, China, India and Singapore - and that was it. The de facto sponsor of the meeting was Singapore's Ministry of Defense.
Things gets curioser and curioser when we examine the leak a bit closer.
So many sources basically corroborating each other point to a concerted spin - practically on an official level. If this was meant to be really secret, as in the past, that would have been the case, with every involved lip conveniently sealed. So why leak it?
Washington's Divide and Conquer StrategySuch
spy vs. spy meetings, historically, take ages to prepare, especially one involving 24 nations and featuring superpower rivals US and China. That implies countless qualified sherpas redacting documents; very complicated logistics; an ultra-secure environment; and an extremely detailed script covering every
intervention.
All of that must have been discussed in excruciating detail for months, side by side with putting together the larger agenda for the Shangri-La Dialogue: and all the while there were no leaks.
And then what was leaked, after the meeting, was just that it happened. With only selected participating players fully identified. There's absolutely nothing on substance.
It beggars belief that the Five Eyes would openly discuss Western security fears and/or procedures openly with the Chinese, not to mention the other minor hangers-on. After all the Beijing leadership is fully aware the US-UK is engaged in full
hybrid war against China, with the Five Eyes and containment mechanisms such as Quad and
AUKUS in tow.
The main reason for the leak is a dead giveaway when we see what US Think Tankland is spinning: the US was talking security with China and India behind Russia's back. Translation:
the US is trying to undermine the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from the inside.This is purely wishful thinking - because no one knows anything about the substance of the discussions. The meat of the matter was not leaked on purpose.
The dead giveaway about the leak being engineered to undermine the BRICS - at least in the Western public sphere - would have to come from the usual suspects themselves: US think tanks, inserted in what the indispensable Ray
McGovern, a former CIA analyst, christened as MICIMATT (Military-Industrial-Congressional-Intelligence-Media-Academia-Think Tank complex).
The chairman of the Eurasia Group
laid it all out in detail: US foreign policy needs essentially to deploy the whole arsenal of Hybrid War techniques to seduce, coerce or subdue 6 so-called "swing states" in the geopolitical arena: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkiye.It's no accident three of these are BRICS members (Brazil, India, South Africa) and the other three (Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye) are prime candidates to the inevitable expansion,
BRICS+, already being discussed and about to get started during the upcoming BRICS summit in August in South Africa.
The American tactics remain predictable: classic Divide and Rule; attempts to undermine BRICS from the inside via P.R. operations and a vast 5th brigade; and if all goes wrong, attempts at color revolution and regime change.
Recently, the tactics miserably failed against both Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, and are also failing in terms of provoking mischief within the key RICs trio (Russia-India-China).
Growing Signs of US DesperationThe leak was, once again, shadow play: an extra layer of fog of war - and related to an ongoing war. It's quite intriguing the "secret" gambit took place right before the green light from the usual suspects for Kiev to bomb the Kakhovskaya dam, and the de facto start of the spun-to-death Ukrainian "counter offensive."
To have DNI head Avril Haines and her Beijing counterpart Chen Wixin discussing this on the same table is as far-fetched as it comes.
A more realistic scenario would have China and India on the same table discussing their intractable border issues. But they don't need to go to Singapore to do that; they do it in the framework of the SCO, of which both are members,
with Russia playing a mediator role.
US Think Tankland/MICIMATT spinning, predictably masquerading as political analysis, never reaches beyond the level of guesswork: they assume that China was discussing security with the superpower that really matters - the US - while ditching their comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.
Nonsense strikes again:
top security issues concerning both are discussed at the highest level, for instance during the recent visit to Moscow by China's Minister of Defense Li Shangfu, complete with a personal encounter with Putin.
Even without any input on the substance of the meeting, it's fair to consider all about the leak that points to Ukraine.
The American intel narrative would go something like this: we need an exit strategy, badly, immediately. So let's get Chinese intel to convince the Russians to freeze the battlefield as it stands - a ceasefire of sorts.
Then we can re-weaponize Kiev and have another go at it later on.Anyone following Russia-China high-level interaction these past few months knows this is - once again - nonsense. Beijing may have its 12-point plan for peace - which Moscow respects. But facts on the ground, imposed by US/NATO hubris, have engineered a major game-changer.
And then there's the really fundamental question: when and how Russia will decide to cross the Dnepr. Only after that Moscow will be willing to discuss any possible "peace", and only under its own terms.
At the same time, both Moscow and Beijing are fully aware that the
proxy US/NATO war in Ukraine against Russia is
a rehearsal inbuilt in the ongoing Chronicle of a War Announced: the real one, up next, against China, with Taiwan as pretext.To believe that Chinese intel would willingly bend to the whims of the Five Eyes because they feel China is in a precarious geopolitical position does not even qualify as laughable. And yet that's also inbuilt in US Think Thankland spin.
It's as laughable as the Beltway narrative, imposed 24/7, of "China threatening war over Taiwan" when it's the Hegemon that is using Taiwan as a remixed Ukraine, forcing Beijing to lose its Taoist patience.
So in the end what really stands out in this spy vs. spy saga? Not much. Except yet another whiff of Hegemon desperation.
Reader Comments
Well, if you can answer that question, then you must know who got more information during this "spy meeting".
Do you think it is a coincidence Israel bombed the Liberty while Johnson was the president?
Do you think it is a coincidence Johnson was from Tejas and Kennedy got a bullet to the brain in Dallas?
Like did you know that Jimmy Carter was a nuclear engineer in the navy? I wonder if my Dad ever met Jimmy when they were on the sea. I'm sure if Jimmy had a few final thoughts one of them might be.....I don't want the Delaware Dimwit presiding over my grave in DC and the other might be - why did I listen to Brezhnev - or whatever that fellas name was....that Jimmy was not Christian you want my humble opinion you Georgia peanut farmer old man! What is the value of permanent conflict any peanut farmer ought know - not much...and lack of humility is recipe for empires to fade to dust. Still, in my book, you were basically the last half-way decent president - since then it has been all downhill, but it comes as no surprise if you consider the reality that the gubment been lying to me and my generation since the day we were born.
OK - I clicked it - I've read much of that material already....sometimes root cause analysis is difficult - other times not so much.
The world's tallest building in Saudi Arabia was decorated with the RUSSIA FLAG on the occasion of the RUSSIAN NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
Photos and video can be seen in the article below:
[Link]
Here is a translation of the beginning of the article:
"The tallest building in the world in Russian colors. "Disgusting"
The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, was lit up in the colors of Russia. The occasion was the Russian public holiday celebrated that day. The recording of the illumination of a skyscraper in Dubai caused a storm in the network. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world and one of the main attractions in Dubai. It is 828 meters high and has 163 usable floors.
On Monday, a skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates was illuminated in white, blue and red, which symbolize the Russian flag. The action was directed towards the celebration of Russia. Wishes appeared on the official profile of the skyscraper. The Russian national anthem also sounded.
"Tonight, the Burj Khalifa celebrates Russia's rich history, vibrant culture and remarkable achievements. We wish the Russian people an unforgettable celebration and a future of unity and prosperity," the post read in Arabic and English."
There is wideo on instagram
[Link]
Hardly.
Go ask Lavrov who told the Indians he can't use their money - can't use because Indian currency is worthless. Hence India got loads of Russian oil at low price for free.... unless Russia can find anyone besides the indians who wants rupees.
Is the "inevitable expansion" include the 10, 000s of Indians camping on US border and entering EU illegally? Or the Indians' demands that US give them all the greencards they want & US jobs?
Someone is desperate alright. I don't think the US is the top candidate for desperation