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Chinese Navy Cruises Around Australia and Sends a Message to the World

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5 months ago

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A Chinese naval task group recently completed a first-of-its-kind journey around much of Australia—it was sending a clear message regarding the strategic presence of the Chinese navy.

The Australians named it Task Group 107, while one naval expert coined it “Operation Tasmanian Dragon.“ This name is appropriate given that China has begun to copy U.S. naming conventions for military operations (such as ”Joint Sword“ for exercises simulating a quarantine of Taiwan).

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) assemblage consisted of the Type 55 destroyer Chinese Navy Ship (CNS) Zunyi, the Type 54A frigate CNS Hengyang, and the large replenishment ship CNS Weishanhu.

The three-ship formation had significant capabilities. The Zunyi is considered larger than the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The Hengyang did not have an equivalent in the U.S. Navy until the Constellation-class program delivered its first vessel. And there is no Weishanhu equivalent, as the U.S. Navy no longer has a medium-speed, large replenishment ship in commission.

The Chinese formation apparently arrived with no prior notice along the east coast of Australia, conducted a weapons exercise in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, and then continued south of Australia before heading north along the west coast.

Glaring Gaps in Situational Awareness

China’s flotilla arrived as a strategic surprise.  Michael Shoebridge, the founder and director of Strategic Analysis Australia, a Canberra, Australia-based defense and security think tank, shared his recent article about the episode with The Epoch Times. 

“The Chinese military’s no-notice live firing between Australia and New Zealand is bringing deliberate and dangerous behavior into our peaceful neighborhood. Of course, China is telling everyone this is all good because it’s not illegal, but it’s odd to hear our prime minister and defense minister parroting their words,” Shoebridge wrote in the article.

Shoebridge also noted that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asserted that the Australian military was doing an “unprecedented job monitoring these three warships.” However, it appears that the live-fire exercise was reported by an airline pilot, not by the Australian or New Zealand militaries or their national intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

“More disturbingly, hours after the drill, the chief of Australia’s military told us it was not clear if any live firing had actually occurred. What does ‘watching every move’ mean if you don’t know if warships fired their guns or launched missiles?” Sheobridge wrote.

Shoebridge also observed that monitoring such a Chinese exercise would be routine for countries such as South Korea or Japan.

This Chinese naval task group demonstrated a vulnerability in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting that neither country possesses decisive and pervasive intelligence and surveillance capabilities to monitor, detect, and analyze maritime activity in their approaches and littorals.

Reminiscent of America’s Great White Fleet Voyage

Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow for naval warfare and advanced technology at The Heritage Foundation and a retired U.S. Navy captain, was interviewed by The Epoch Times about the Chinese naval expedition around Australia.  Sadler said his “concern was less about the legality of the PLAN’s activities as it was about the location and drills conducted there.”

“The PLAN is flexing its muscles and building its familiarity with distant seas. This begs the realization that the PLAN is a blue-water modern navy—something too many still resist acknowledging to their own risk,” he said.

In some ways, the Chinese navy borrowed a page from President Teddy Roosevelt’s playbook. Between 1907 and 1909, Roosevelt sent the U.S. Navy’s “Great White Fleet” worldwide to demonstrate America’s rise to international power status. The journey was significant for the U.S. Navy and the United States, as the fleet’s 16 battleships and numerous support ships sent a message of American goodwill and strength while providing valuable experience in power projection.

As Sadler referenced, this current voyage demonstrated that the PLAN is now an ocean-going navy capable of moving at will around the world.

Australia and New Zealand Lag in Defense Spending

The PLAN’s foray was a wake-up call to the region. According to Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and former foreign service officer, the Chinese message toward Australia and New Zealand is clear: “It is a demonstration of contempt and intimidation toward both countries. And a sign of what’s in store for both of them.”

He added: “There’s more to come and more often. And especially up in the Southwest and South Pacific—on the approaches to Australia and New Zealand.”

It appears that the arrival of the Chinese flotilla was a surprise to both nations.  The atrophy in defense spending by New Zealand and Australia was starkly demonstrated by this event.

“This PLAN cruise really highlighted, if any more evidence was needed, how diminished Australian and New Zealand defense capabilities have become,” Newsham said. “In fact, New Zealand is basically defenseless. Australia is a little better, but that’s not saying so much.”

Australia spends about 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, while New Zealand spends 1.2 percent, a figure lower than even Canada’s.

“To Australia’s chagrin, they really have no option but to rely on the U.S. for protection,” Newsham said. “Though I suppose they could surrender to China …. I don’t know how much New Zealand even cares.”  This Chinese naval mission has exposed a crucial strategic vulnerability in the Indo–Pacific. Whether Australia and New Zealand heed this wake-up call remains to be seen.

All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.

This article first appeared in Epoch Times and was reprinted with permission, with minor editorial adjustments for clarity and formatting.

The post Chinese Navy Cruises Around Australia and Sends a Message to the World appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Victor Reacts: This Is Almost Too Stupid to Be True – NYC Transgender Homeless Shelter (VIDEO)

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19 hours ago

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August 9, 2025

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Democrats continue to somehow subvert the lowest of expectations as they fight their woke crusades.

In a first ever virtue signal, New York City is set to open a transgender only homeless shelter.

The Gateway Pundit reported,

The city of New York is opening the nation’s first transgender-only homeless shelter.

The shelter, a partnership between a local LGBTQ nonprofit and the city government, will cost the city an extraordinary $65 million and will be the first transgender homeless shelter in the nation.

“ We’ve watched so many other corporations and foundations and businesses just like completely turn their back on the community and the city didn’t do it,” said Sean Ebony Coleman, founder and CEO of Destination Tomorrow, the nonprofit that will manage the shelter for the city.

“The city is keeping in line with what New York City has always been, a sanctuary city, a safe haven, but more importantly, a trendsetter when it comes to LGBTQ rights.”

The opening comes amid a broader homelessness crisis in New York City, where more than 100,000 people are estimated to be without stable housing on any given night.

The city’s shelter system is already stretched thin, with demand rising due to a combination of economic hardship, an influx of illegal aliens ,and a severe shortage of affordable housing.

Who cares about all the other homeless people in New York City each night, the transgender homeless come first.

Truth has become stranger than parody. With any luck, Democrats will continue down this path of self destruction that has been so thoroughly rejected by the American people.

The post Victor Reacts: This Is Almost Too Stupid to Be True – NYC Transgender Homeless Shelter (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Suspect in Deadly Montana Bar Shooting Captured After a Weeklong Manhunt

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19 hours ago

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August 9, 2025

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A weeklong manhunt has come to a close with the apprehension of Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old Army veteran, following a fatal mass shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda.

On August 1, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m., Brown entered The Owl Bar, where he lived next door, and opened fire with a rifle, killing four local residents: bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelley (64) and patrons Daniel Edwin Baillie (59), David Allen Leach (70), and Tony Wayne Palm (74).

A multi-agency effort, including state law enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, and federal resources, scoured the mountainous terrain surrounding Anaconda. Helicopters, K9 units, and tactical teams were deployed across the region.

A reward of $7,500 to $10,000 was offered for information leading to Brown’s capture.

On Friday, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte confirmed Brown’s arrest via social media, acknowledging the rapid and resolute law enforcement response.

“The Anaconda shooter Michael Brown has been apprehended. Incredible response from law enforcement officers across Montana. Thank you to all partners for your commitment to the search. May God continue to be with the families of the four victims still grieving their loss,” Gianforte.

CNN reported:

Brown had been on the run since the “biggest” shooting in the state of Montana in a decade. He was arrested around 2 p.m. local time Friday near the search area in Anaconda and is now in the custody of Anaconda-Deer Lodge County authorities, according to the Montana Department of Justice.

Brown, an Army veteran, was seen on security footage fleeing The Owl Bar, where the fatal shooting occurred, investigators said. Since then, he had been sought by authorities representing at least 38 local, state and federal agencies traversing challenging terrain in the western Montana wilderness.

“I am proud of the unrelenting law enforcement effort this week to find and arrest Michael Paul Brown. The support we’ve seen for the community of Anaconda from across the state and the nation has also been remarkable,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement following the arrest. “The families and friends of the victims remain in my prayers.”

[…]

Brown served as an armor crewman in the US Army from January 2001 to May 2005 and was deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, a spokesperson with the US Army, previously told CNN.

Brown’s niece, Clare Boyle, previously told CNN he struggled with his mental health during his time in the Army and was never the same after his service. Brown’s mental health got progressively worse with the passing of both of his parents, Boyle said.

The post Suspect in Deadly Montana Bar Shooting Captured After a Weeklong Manhunt appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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WATCH: Fire Ravages World-Famous Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba, Spain

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19 hours ago

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August 9, 2025

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Fire breaks out in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Cordoba.

More than a tourist attraction, more than an architectural treasure, the Mosque-Cathedral in the Andalusian city of Cordoba, Spain is a historical monument and a spiritual center – so, all around the world, both the faithful and the history lovers are mourning as a massive fire consumes the building complex.

Newsweek reported:

“Firefighters are responding to the blaze at the major tourist attraction and UNESCO-listed heritage site in Andalusia. Footage shows thick smoke billowing out from the millennia-old building as flames lapped at its roof.

Firefighters from the city of Córdoba are still battling to extinguish the fire at the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba but local reports say the blaze is mostly contained as of 10 p.m. local time. The extent of damage is not yet clear.”

Being simultaneously one of the most significant buildings both in Islamic and in Christian architectural history, it began as a grand mosque in the 8th century and was transformed into a cathedral in 1236.

“The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, officially called the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, was built as a mosque over 200 years starting 785 CE. The mosque opened in 988 CE, and remained a Muslim site for nearly 300 years before the Christian conquest of Cordoba in 1236 CE.

The structure converted to a cathedral, undergoing additional modifications and building until one final, major addition in 1607 CE.”

Read more, from November 2024:

‘The Virgin of Paris’: Medieval Statue of the Virgin Mary With Baby Jesus, That Survived the 2019 Fire, Is Returned to the Notre Dame Cathedral Ahead of December Grand Reopening

The post WATCH: Fire Ravages World-Famous Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba, Spain appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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