Hello everyone, welcome to Five People’s News. Today’s co-hosts are Tang Qing, Qin Peng, Jin Shi, Zhou Ziding, and I am Yu Ting. With diverse perspectives and opinions colliding, we will guide you into the rich world of news. Feel free to subscribe and like our independent channel.
Today’s Focus: Israel-Iran Conflict, China’s 4 Fears Revealed! Israel’s Superior Capability Leaves China and Russia Trembling; Iran’s Revealing Moves for China; US Focuses on ‘Catch the Thief First’ Strategy, China’s ‘Taiwan Dream’ Far Out of Reach.
This episode has a significant change in lineup as several hosts are preparing for a special live broadcast to commemorate the 25th anniversary of over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners peacefully petitioning in Beijing. The live broadcast will be at noon on April 21st. Viewers are welcome to watch at that time.
Let’s first focus on the highly anticipated “Israel-Iran Conflict.” Starting on April 1st with Fool’s Day, both sides engaged in attacks and defenses. Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented “firework display” in retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes on Iran’s consulate in Syria. Speculations arise about when and how Israel will retaliate.
On April 19th, Israel carried out missile strikes on Isfahan, Iran’s third-largest city and the location of Iran’s “nuclear facilities,” causing explosions in Syria and Iraq as well.
Iran, on the other hand, downplayed the situation, hinting at no retaliation. Iranian officials claimed no damage had been inflicted, suggesting the explosions might be due to their “defense systems firing at suspicious objects.” However, this narrative raises questions, as if to deny any significant event. According to CNN, a US official stated that intelligence personnel believe the mutual strikes between the two countries have concluded.
Questions:
Q1: Has the current round of “Israel-Iran Conflict” truly come to an end? What are your thoughts?
Tang Qing, Zhou Ziding, Qin Peng, Jin Shi.
Audience, do you believe the conflict has concluded? Should Israel proceed with pinpoint removal of Iran’s “nuclear facilities”? Feel free to leave your comments.
Q2: However, we also witnessed Iran’s use of drones, cruise missiles, and a combination of ballistic missiles in a five-hour attack on Israel, with 99% being intercepted by Israel, the US, UK, France, and Jordan, resulting in a grand “firework show” with a shadow of China behind it. China’s drones not only support Russia but also aid Iran. The Chinese drone company “Shenzhen Jasi Technology,” which entered the US trade blacklist in April, was found assisting Iranian aviation companies in purchasing drones and aerospace components, including producing “Witness” drones.
After Israel’s retaliation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared its opposition to “escalation of Middle East tensions.” Qin Peng, what is China’s real stance regarding the “Israel-Iran Conflict”?
Qin Peng: After Israel retaliated, I think China is actually afraid. Its simple response of opposing the escalation of Middle East tensions is quite straightforward. First, the relevant countries have seen through that China is the instigator behind these events.
Secondly, Iran has exposed its power, making it difficult to fight against. If the conflict continues, it will be disastrous for them, hence their stance of opposing the escalation in the Middle East. This is quite an interesting perspective.
Moreover, China has economic interests, especially in the significant quantity of oil and natural gas coming from Iran. Given China’s current struggling economy, further aggravating the situation would be like adding fuel to the fire, which is a major concern for them.
Another concern is they may not want to be facilitators for Trump’s re-election, as stirring chaos in the Middle East and undermining Biden’s image would aid Trump’s chances. Trump, for China, is an unpredictable and formidable opponent, making it harder to deal with. This unpredictability is crucial.
Zhou Ziding, what do you think China’s role and objectives are in the Israel-Iran Conflict? What is China’s Middle East policy like?
Zhou Ziding: From a geopolitical perspective, Iran has always been a vital ally for China in the Middle East. Militarily, China has provided extensive technical support to Iran, including the cruise and ballistic missiles we saw being used, originally Chinese technology, especially the anti-ship ballistic missiles.
Over the past decade, China has touted its advanced Dongfeng-21 and Dongfeng-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles, now provided to Iran. Through this Red Sea battle, we see that these so-called anti-ship ballistic missiles are not as formidable as claimed.
The primary objectives are twofold. First, militarily, China hopes the events in the Middle East distract the US, as it’s not the core focus for China; it aims to divert the US attention away from Taiwan, its primary target. If the US is preoccupied in other global regions like Ukraine or the Middle East, it works in China’s favor.
Secondly, economically, China seeks to improve relations with certain Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and leverage control over Iran to enhance ties with Middle Eastern nations, whether for trade, oil imports, or promoting the internationalization of the yuan. China is playing a certain role in the Middle East.
Question: As we see the increasing importance of drones in current battlefields, will Iran’s decisive defeat also impact China’s drone tactics in its plans against Taiwan?
Q3: The current uncertainty in the Middle East, the US House of Representatives is set to vote this Saturday on whether to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Tang Qing, do you think the bill will pass?
Question: Do you believe the US should continue to spend taxpayer money on aiding Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, who are on the frontlines against the “New Axis of Evil”?
Jin Shi, Zhou Ziding, Qin Peng, Tang Qing.
Audience, do you think the US should keep allocating substantial funds to assist these countries in the face of the “New Axis of Evil”? Feel free to provide feedback. Thank you for watching today’s Five People’s News. See you next time.
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