Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Monday, 24 October 2022.
CHINA’ S XI JINPING CONSOLIDATES POWER, PUTTING TAIWAN IN CROSSHAIRS: China’s current and newly elected President Xi Jinping cemented power over the weekend by being elected to an unprecedented third term, publicly detaining his rivals and promising to focus China’s military on reunification of Taiwan.
CHINA TESTING ANTI-STARLINK SYSTEMS: China’s Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, a military-run research center based in Xian, is running simulation models to evaluate performance of nuclear anti-satellite weapons. China is reportedly seeking ways to disable Starlink satellite-based internet service to control information on the battlefield. The team’s latest research simulation showed that a ten mega-ton warhead could destroy Starlink clusters if detonated at an altitude of 80 kilometers – a “near space” altitude. A paper detailing the project was published in the Nuclear Techniques peer-reviewed journal.
INDONESIA SEEKS TO JOIN BRICS: Speaking to Russian state media, Indonesia’s ambassador to Russia, Jose Tavares, said there is a “possibility” for his country to “fully join BRICS.” The comments follow earlier statements from The Indonesian president during the BRICS summit that Indonesia wanted to join the BRICS alliance. Tavares said Jakarta would have to discuss and weigh the benefits of integration before making a decision, but added joining the BRICS was seen as a great benefit by his country.
KREMLIN WALKS BACK MOBILIZATION END DATE: Kremlin officials walked back an earlier announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the end of partial mobilization efforts. Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no “specific date” for the end of mobilization. The comments mark a significant departure from Putin’s statements on October 14th, saying the mobilization would end in two weeks, and are reflective of ongoing reports of hidden mobilization efforts and travel bans instituted by the Russian government.
In today’s Early Warning, the team looks at Xi’s outlook for his third term and a shock to diesel supplies. For access to the full report, visit https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe