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Weekly Debrief: December 17, 2023

Covers the period between December 11 - 17, 2023

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U.S. GOVERNMENT UPDATES


CONGRESS PASSED THE FY24 DEFENSE POLICY BILL: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE

Congress passed its $874.2 billion defense policy bill, sending it to the White
House for President Biden’s signature. Some brief highlights:1

 * The legislation also allows the Air Force to retire some F-15 Eagle fighters
   and A-10 Warthogs, but it blocks the retirement of 32 older F-22 Raptors.

 * Expands the list of munitions eligible for emergency and multiyear
   procurement authorities. It adds Israel and Taiwan to the list in a program
   started last year to expedite the delivery and replenishment of munitions to
   Ukraine.

 * Authorizes $1 billion to finish buying a San Antonio-class amphibious ship
   per the Marines’ unfunded priorities list.

 * The bill also contains four key authorizations needed to implement the
   trilateral AUKUS agreement with Australia and Britain, including a provision
   allowing the transfer of three Virginia-class submarines to Canberra.

 * Institutionalizes the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile program over the
   objections of the Biden administration for Virginia-class attack submarines


U.S. APPROVES $300 MILLION SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN’S TACTICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States
(TECRO) has requested to buy follow-on life cycle support to maintain Command,
Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) capabilities managed under its Syun
An program. The C4 capabilities consisting of previously procured
Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT)
and Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) equipment with parts
and technical support.2


U.S.-CHINESE MILITARY HOTLINE HASN’T BEEN RESTORED A MONTH AFTER BIDEN-XI SUMMIT

Nearly a month after President Joe Biden announced that he and Chinese President
Xi Jinping had agreed to resume direct communications between U.S. and Chinese
military commanders, U.S. defense officials have repeatedly tried to reach their
Chinese counterparts but not received any responses, according to three senior
U.S. officials.3


UNDER SECRETARY ALLEN OPENS THE U.S.-ASEAN CENTER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Announced by Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2023 U.S.-ASEAN Summit, the
Center will serve as a hub for U.S.-ASEAN engagement and deepen this important
relationship. The Center will do so by bolstering support for U.S. economic and
cultural engagement with Southeast Asia and helping connect key private sector
organizations, academic institutions, and civil society. Its activities will
also strengthen the United States’ and ASEAN’s joint efforts to promote an open,
connected, prosperous, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region.4


TREASURY ANNOUNCES SANCTIONS ON CHINESE ENTITIES FOR SUPPLYING RUSSIA’S
MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL BASE

OFAC is designating a network of four entities and nine individuals based in the
PRC, the Russian Federation, Hong Kong, and Pakistan involved in the
facilitation and procurement of Chinese-manufactured weapons and technologies to
Russia. Chinese national Hu Xiaoxun (Hu) has utilized his PRC-based private
defense company Jarvis HK Co., Ltd. (Jarvis) and a network of associates to
coordinate the sale of Chinese-manufactured weapons and technologies to Russia.5


DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE UPDATES


U.S. INDOPACOM JOINT MISSION ACCELERATOR DIRECTORATE (JMAD) REACHES INITIAL
OPERATING CAPABILITY

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command JMAD has reached Initial Operational Capability. Adm.
John C. Aquilino, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, formally established the
JMAD within the headquarters with the mission of driving the acceleration,
integration, and interoperability of the most critical and strategic needs
across INDOPACOM. The JMAD maintains an Industry Engagement team to facilitate
DoD collaboration with commercial companies seeking to provide mature,
innovative technology solutions that can answer JMAD requirements.6


DOD OFFICIALS UNDERSCORE ’IRONCLAD’ COMMITMENT TO PHILIPPINES AFTER CHINA’S
UNSAFE MANEUVERS

Defense officials remain in close consultation with counterparts from the
Philippines following the latest unsafe operational behavior by Chinese military
vessels against Philippine vessels operating lawfully in the South China Sea
over the weekend, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
Ryder underscored the United States’ "ironclad" commitment to upholding its
obligations under its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines and urged "all
nations to work together in the region to ensure that ships and aircraft can
sail wherever international law allows."7


NEWLY RELEASED REPORTS

 * Shadow Play: A Pro-China Technology and Anti-US Influence Operations Thrives
   on YouTube Australian Strategic Policy Institute

 * Resisting China’s Gray Zone Military Pressure on Taiwan Center for a New
   American Security

 * China’s Essential Role in the Gulf States’ Energy Transitions & The
   Outcompete World: Revisiting U.S. Economic Priorities for Competition with
   China in Latin America and the Caribbean Center for Strategic and
   International Studies

 * PLA Counterspace Command and Control China Aerospace Studies Institute

 * Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Congressional Research Service

 * Ongoing Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities in the People’s
   Republic of China Congressional-Executive Commission on China

 * Reinforcing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Diplomacy and Deterrence in the
   Pivotal Year of 2022 Hudson Institute

 * China Space Talent Institute for Defense Analyses

 * China’s AI Exports: Developing a Tool to Track Chinese Development Finance in
   the Global South — Technical Documentation & China’s AI Exports: Technology
   Distribution and Data Safety & Kicking the Tires? The People’s Liberation
   Army’s Approach to Maintenance Management RAND Corp

 * Reset, Prevent, Build: A Strategy to Win America’s Economic Competition with
   the Chinese Communist Party House Select Committee on the CCP

 * China’s Global Police State: Background and U.S. Policy Implications
   U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

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 1. Defense News↩︎

 2. Defense Security Cooperation Agency↩︎

 3. CNBC↩︎

 4. Department of State↩︎

 5. Treasury Department↩︎

 6. USINDOPACOM↩︎

 7. Department of Defense↩︎

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