Aggressive Chinese industrial policy impacting American defense industry, says Pentagon report
Washington, Oct 6 : The aggressive Chinese industrial policies has adversely impacted some of the critical American capabilities and its defense manufacturing base, the Pentagon said in a report.
In its report at the direction of the President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said Friday while many companies have established their research and development wing in countries like India and China, the latter is different in its approach.
"Many technology-intensive multinational corporations have established R&D facilities in countries like India and China for access to cheap, high skilled labour. As part of its industrial policy aggression, China has forced many American companies to offshore their R&D in exchange for access to the Chinese market," the Pentagon report said.
As technical innovation moves abroad, changing rules around intellectual property development will impede US access to the latest manufacturing technologies and decrease overall competitiveness, it said.
"At risk is America's loss of leadership in industries of the future such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics. Over the remainder of this century, these emerging industries will help redefine the battlefield," the Pentagon said.
According to the Pentagon, China's capture of foreign technologies and intellectual property, particularly the systematic theft of US weapons systems and the illicit and forced transfer of dual-use technology, has eroded the military balance between the US and China.
Such transfers aid China's efforts to gain a qualitative technological advantage over the US across key domains, including naval, air, space, and cyber, it said.
"China's aggressive industrial policies have already eliminated some capabilities with critical defense functions, including solar cells for military use, flat-panel aircraft displays, and the processing of rare earth elements," the report said.
As such China's actions seriously threaten other capabilities, including machine tools; the production and processing of advanced materials like biomaterials, ceramics, and composites; and the production of printed circuit boards and semiconductors, the report said.
The Pentagon said foreign dependency risk arises when domestic industry does not produce the item, or does not produce it in sufficient quantities. China is the single or sole supplier for a number of specialty chemicals used in munitions and missiles.
In many cases, there is no other source or drop-in replacement material and even in cases where that option exists, the time and cost to test and qualify the new material can be prohibitive especially for larger systems (hundreds of millions of dollars each), it said.
According to the report "Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States" currently, the US industrial base faces an unprecedented set of challenges: sequestration and uncertainty of government spending; the decline of critical markets and suppliers; and unintended consequences of the US government's acquisition behaviour, aggressive industrial policies of competitor nations; and the loss of vital skills in the domestic workforce.
The report said increasing globalisation of the supply chain and a diminishing domestic manufacturing sector are combining to create human capital gaps and erosion of American capabilities. STEM knowledge and core trade skills are necessary to ensure the holistic and synergistic health of the defense ecosystem.
It said skill gaps in both areas entail inherent risk, from a decline in production capacity to decreased innovation.
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44 peacocks die of H5N1 in Karnataka’s Tumakuru; minister orders precautions
Bengaluru (PTI): After 44 peacocks died of the H5N1 virus in Tumakuru district, Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre on Saturday directed officials to implement strict precautionary measures to prevent its spread across forest areas, including zoos and bird sanctuaries.
The directive comes after laboratory reports from the ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal recently confirmed H5N1 avian influenza as the cause of the deaths.
According to the state forest minister, the peacocks died between April 16 and 21 in and around Bommanahalli and Kolihalli villages in Urdigere hobli, and Bairasandra and Hullenahalli villages in Gulur hobli of Tumakuru district.
“In this context, instructions have been issued in line with the revised H5N1 Action Plan of the Central Government to prevent the spread of infection across all forest areas, including zoos, bird sanctuaries, Magadi Lake, and the community reserve at Kokkare Bellur,” Khandre said in a note addressed to the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden.
He also directed that any deaths of birds, whether migratory or local, must be reported immediately, and that samples from carcasses should be collected and sent for testing.
If required, a nodal officer may be appointed to monitor the situation across the state, he added.
Authorities have established an infected zone within a 0–3 km radius and a surveillance zone extending from 3 to 10 km.
According to the Health Department, surveillance for fever, Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) will be carried out over the next 10 days, covering a population of 20,432 across 38 villages.
In light of the situation, the department has advised the public to follow precautionary measures to minimise the risk of infection by avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and maintaining hand hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water.
It has also suggested the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) while handling birds or their droppings, and advised ensuring that poultry and eggs are thoroughly cooked (above 80 degrees celcius) before consumption.
The health department has also recommended avoiding close contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness.
The department said it is closely monitoring the situation and has put necessary precautionary measures in place.
The public has been advised to remain vigilant and report any unusual bird deaths or symptoms promptly, officials added.
Avian influenza (H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances, according to the World Health Organisation. Human cases reported so far have been mostly linked to close contact with infected birds or other animals, or with contaminated environments.
