USA: U.S. Forces Work With Partners in Numerous Military Exercises

By Terri Moon Cronk 

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2017 — Military exercises are underway between U.S. military forces and those of many other nations, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, told reporters today.

In the Pacific region, Exercise Talisman Saber 2017 involves more than 33,000 U.S. and Australian personnel who are participating in the biennial military training exercise in Australia, June 23 to July 25.

U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel, as well as Australian forces and members of other government agencies in both countries are participating in Talisman Saber, which is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and the Australian military's Joint Operations Command.

It features 21 ships, including the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, and more than 200 joint aircraft. This year's seventh iteration of the exercise is focusing on training a combined task force of U.S. and Australian forces in a mid-intensity, high-end warfighting scenario, incorporating interagency participation, along with a command post exercise involving a transition between a three- and four-star headquarters.

"Talisman Saber provides an invaluable opportunity to conduct operations in a combined, joint and interagency environment that will increase both countries' ability to plan and execute contingency responses, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance efforts," Davis said.

News Report: How Taiwan Quietly Gained on China in Global Diplomatic Rivalry

Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Even as Taiwan loses diplomatic allies to its bigger rival China, the increasingly isolated government has bested Beijing at a level of international relations that common people can feel: the number of countries that let citizens enter visa free.

Taiwan has persuaded 166 countries to allow their 23 million citizens to enter without visas or with simplified visa applications, sometimes over fears that China would retaliate, foreign ministry sources say. Just 21 countries offer visa-free entry to people from China.

The rise of visa-free countries from 10 years ago to places such as the United States and Europe indicates that Taiwan can expand diplomatically in at least one way despite China’s countermeasures and have something to show citizens who want more foreign policy achievements.

USA: Acting Assistant Secretary C.S. Eliot Kang Travels to Japan

Acting Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation C.S. Eliot Kang will attend the biannual Plenary Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) in Tokyo, Japan June 1-2.

The mission of GICNT is to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to nuclear terrorism. 

All GICNT partner nations have voluntarily committed to implementing the GICNT Statement of Principles, a set of fundamental nuclear security goals encompassing a range of deterrence, prevention, detection, and response objectives. 

The Plenary Meeting will highlight progress made by GICNT’s three Working Groups: Nuclear Forensics, Nuclear Detection, and Response and Mitigation. 

It will also provide a forum for partner nations to showcase their contributions to GICNT and share recommendations that will inform the direction and activities of the Initiative for 2017-2019. 

The United States and Russia, as GICNT Co-Chairs, will also welcome GICNT’s newest partner nations, Paraguay and Nigeria.

US State Department