ALEX BLOG

Taiwan's military has grown used to the daily task of tracking Chinese warplanes flying near the island. Some days there are a handful. On others, many more. But they are a near-constant presence.

So when the aircraft suddenly stopped coming for nearly two weeks, the silence was both striking and deeply puzzling.

That spell was broken on Thursday with five People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft operating around the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours, according to Taiwan's military, with several flying near the median line that divides the waterway.

Analysts say it was the longest pause in Chinese air activity since Taiwan began publicly releasing daily military data.

"This is frankly unlike anything we've seen in recent history in terms of PLA activity around Taiwan," Ben Lewis, founder of PLATracker, an open data platform that tracks Chinese military movements around Taiwan, Japan and the South China Sea, told CNN.

"Since Taiwan's defense ministry began releasing this data in 2020 the trend has been up, up, up," Lewis said. "And now this lull, which maybe has ended today, maybe not, represents a very significant change in the pattern."

Beginning February 27, Taiwan recorded 13 consecutive days without Chinese warplanes flying near the island.

One brief exception came on March 6 when two aircraft were detected in the far southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, but analysts say the broader pattern still represented a striking break from recent years of steadily increasing Chinese military activity.

The sudden quiet puzzled analysts and raised a range of possible explanations.

One theory is that Beijing may be trying to avoid escalating tensions ahead of a planned meeting later this month between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, where trade, technology and Taiwan are expected to feature prominently.

"If I was in Vegas, I would put it on the Trump visit," Lewis said.

Others have pointed tothe war involving Iranand the potential impact on global energy markets, though analysts say that connection is less certain.

Some observers also note that China's annual parliamentary meetings, known as the "Two Sessions," are concluding this week, a period when military activity has occasionally slowed in the past.

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Taiwan's defense minister Wellington Koo urged caution about drawing conclusions from the lull, noting that Chinese naval activity around Taiwan has continued throughout the period.

"There are a lot of theories out there," Koo told reporters on Wednesday. "But we still see Chinese naval vessels operating around Taiwan on a daily basis, and these efforts to turn the Taiwan Strait into China's internal waters have not stopped."

Indeed, Taiwan continued to track several Chinese warships operating around the island throughout the period, even as the skies above remained unusually quiet.

Lewis said the limited number of aircraft detected Thursday may not signal a full return to normal activity.

The flights came the same day a US Navy P-8 surveillance aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait, in what the 7th Fleet says is a demonstration of Washington's "commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," and the Chinese planes may have been deployed simply to monitor the American aircraft.

Even then, the response appeared muted compared with past incidents when US ships or aircraft passed through the waterway.

"Relative to previous incidents when the US Navy transited the Taiwan Strait, the number of Chinese aircraft deployed today was actually quite low," Lewis said.

That uncertainty leaves analysts watching closely to see what happens next.

Over the past five years, Beijing has dramatically increased the number of aircraft it sends near Taiwan, gradually normalizing what once would have been considered major military incursions.

On some days, Taiwan has reported dozens of Chinese aircraft operating near the island.

In that context, Lewis said, the sudden disappearance of the flights has been just as striking as their return.

"It used to be that five aircraft would make headlines," he said. "Now we're talking about zero, and that's what's unusual."

For now, the mystery remains unsolved.

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BEIJING, March 12 (Reuters) - China passed a law on a "shared" national identity among the country's 55 ethnic minority groups on Thursday, a move critics say will further erode the identity of people who are not ‌majority Han Chinese and risk making anyone challenging that "unity" a separatist punishable by law.

China's annual parliamentary session concludes in Beijing

Called "Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress", the ‌ethnic minority law aims to forge national unity and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its core, a ​draft copy of the law showed.

It was passed at the closing session of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, China's legislature by 2,756 votes, with three opposing votes and three abstentions, according to a Reuters witness.

Officially, China has 56 officially recognised ethnic groups, dominated by the Han Chinese, who account for more than 91% of the country's 1.4 billion people.

China's ethnic minority populations—including Tibetans, ‌Mongols, Hui, Manchus, and Uyghurs — are concentrated in ⁠regions that together cover roughly half of the country's land area, much of it rich in natural resources.

The law aims to promote integration across ethnic groups through education, housing, migration, community life, ⁠culture, tourism, and development policy, the law said.

It mandates that Mandarin is the basic language of instruction in schools, and for government and official business.

In public settings, where Mandarin and minority languages are used together, Mandarin must be given "prominence in placement, order, and similar respects," the ​draft ​said.

"The state respects and protects the learning and use of minority languages ​and scripts," it added.

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Religious groups, religious schools, and ‌religious venues must adhere "to the direction of the Sinicization of religion in China," according to the draft.

The law also seeks to ban any interference with marriage choices based on ethnicity, custom, or religion, to enable more intermarriage between ethnic groups.

'INTEGRATE WITH THE MAJORITY'

Allen Carlson, an associate professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on Chinese foreign policy, said the law underlined a move towards assimilation.

"The law makes it clearer than ever that in President Xi Jinping's PRC non-Han peoples must do more to ‌integrate themselves with the Han majority, and above all else be ​loyal to Beijing," he said, referring to China by the initials for its ​official name.

Ethnic affairs are incorporated into China's social governance ​system, with clauses that include anti-separatism, border security, risk prevention, and social stability.

Organisations and individuals outside ‌China that carry out acts against the country "that undermine ​ethnic unity and progress or create ​ethnic separatism shall be pursued for legal liability in accordance with the law," the draft said.

An editorial in state newspaper China Daily said that the law had followed a rigorous legislative process, been through multiple readings and consultations ​with lawmakers and representatives from ethnic minority ‌communities.

"The law stresses the protection of cultural traditions and lifestyles of all ethnic groups... it is misleading to ​claim that ethnic minorities in China must choose between economic development and cultural preservation," it said.

(Reporting by ​the Beijing newsroom; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean lawmakers on Thursday passed a law to implement a pledge of $350 billion in U.S. investments Seoul made last year to avoid the Trump administration's highest tariffs.

South Korea US Tariffs

Government officials had urged lawmakers to quickly pass the contested bill, submitted in November, as uncertainty mounts for the country's trade-dependent economy, already rattled by President Donald Trump's protectionist swing and now fearing the fallout from his war on Iran.

The bill's passage came hours after the Trump administration increased pressure on trade partners by openinga new investigationinto manufacturing in foreign countries, including China and U.S. allies South Korea and Japan, which could result in new import taxes if U.S. officials see their practices as unfair.

Trump and his team have made clear they're seeking to use new tariffs to recoup lost revenue after the U.S. Supreme Courtinvalidated his sweeping tariffsissued with emergency powers.

The South Korean law, which passed 226 to 8, calls for establishing a public corporation to manage the promised U.S. investments, including reviewing and selecting projects based on input from South Korean and U.S. trade authorities.

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Some lawmakers spoke against the bill ahead of the vote, expressing frustration over Trump's new trade investigations and the potential impact of the war in the Middle East, which has exposed the vulnerability of South Korea's export-dependent economy and reliance on imported fuel.

"We cannot be the money machine Trump wants us to be," said Son Sol, a member of the minor opposition Progressive Party. She said the bill does not give the legislature sufficient power to review and reject investments that could go against South Korean business or public interests.

Following months of tense negotiations, South Korea finalized an agreement with the United States in November to invest $200 billion in U.S. semiconductor and other high-tech industries and another $150 billion in shipbuilding in exchange for Washington lowering reciprocal tariffs on Seoul from 25% to 15%.

The agreement, which followed a breakthrough at anOctober summitbetween Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, also caps South Korean investments at $20 billion a year to protect the country's foreign currency reserves.

Lee's liberal Democratic Party introduced the legislation in November but faced resistance from opposition lawmakers worried about the economic impact. The legislative holdup frustrated Trump, who in Januarythreatened to raise tariffson South Korean autos, pharmaceuticals and other goods back to 25%, increasing pressure on the opposition to move the bill forward.

When Kevin Ketels bought an electric 2026 Chevrolet Blazer last year, he wasn't thinking about the cost of gas. He just thought EVs were better and "wanted to be part of the future." Now thatthe Iran war is spiking pricesat the pump, the Detroit man is happy he is no longer filling up his 11-year-old gas-powered SUV.

Climate Oil Prices Electricity

"Electricity can go up, but it won't go up nearly as much as gas will and it won't go up nearly as fast, either," said Ketels, 55, an assistant professor of global supply chain management at Wayne State University.

Experts say prolonged high gas prices may drive some EV interest and sales, especially if drivers assume their electricity prices won't be affected by the crises.

But many factors influence consumer EV purchases — and electricity rates.

Are EV owners truly insulated from price hikes?

Drivers of gas-powered vehicles are much more vulnerable to fluctuating prices that result from global conflict than those who charge their cars. The national average for a gallon of regular gas this week was $3.57, up from $2.94 a month ago, according to AAA.

Meanwhile, "residential electricity prices are regulated and are much less volatile than gasoline prices," said University of California, Davis economics professor Erich Muehlegger. "As a result, EV owners are largely unaffected by oil price shocks."

But experts say electricity prices have been increasing nationally for a variety of reasons, including surging power demand from new data centers.

"This is an inflationary event," Holt Edwards, principal in Bracewell's Policy Resolution Group, said of the war. "Is this the driver in electricity prices? I think probably not. But it's certainly a contributing factor."

To what extent oil and gas conflicts could translate to the electricity sector is yet to be seen.

What about h

ow different grids are powered?

When it comes to the electricity an EV owner is tapping, much of the cost depends on which sources of electricity are in a local grid's power mix, experts say.

Because regulators set residential electricity prices annually, most households are sheltered from month-to-month changes in natural gas costs. Though experts say higher natural gas prices can increase the cost of generating electricity, natural gas prices haven't risen as quickly or as much as oil prices have recently.

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Those are just two of many energy sources — including coal, nuclear and renewables — that power the electric grid.

"The energy component varies depending on the energy you're using and the price of the energy that you're using to generate electricity," said Pierpaolo Cazzola, an energy expert at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. "What happens is that in the U.S., the variation of the price of the energy component is smaller than it is elsewhere."

The experts said persistent war could affect electricity bills in the future. And that is all the more reason for countries to transition to clean power, they said.

"Clean power and electrification combined is what provides the most security," said Euan Graham, an analyst at energy think tank Ember.

Michael B. Klein, a 56-year-old software developer in Evanston, Illinois, has driven EVs for the past eight years to save on fuel costs and because of environmental concerns.

Every time electrical grid efficiency improves — especially as renewables are added — "I get that benefit no matter what," said Klein, who drives a Chevy Bolt. "They can improve the efficiency of gas engines, but you have to get a new car in order to reap the benefit of that."

So will EV demand rise?

Several experts say high gasoline prices are a strong driver of EV sales, particularly if high prices persist. Drivers also consider more gasoline-efficient hybrid vehicles during these times.

Car-shopping resource Edmundsanalyzed consumer shopping datafor the week starting March 2, after the Iran war had begun. They found that interest in hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery EVs accounted for 22.4% of all vehicle research activity on their site that week, up from 20.7% the previous week. Analysts also looked back at the last major nationwide fuel price surges in 2022, and they saw that consideration of electrified vehicles consideration rose sharply then, too.

But whether this means more EV purchases depends on whether buyers expect to save not just now but in the future, experts say.

Adding to the complexity: A sudden increase in EV demand could drive up prices, Graham said.

"I think the real step change would be in whether this causes governments to shift tax, tariff policies around EVs," Graham said. Doing so would help reduce fossil fuel dependence, he said.

Does driving electric really save money?

Pretty much.People who buy EVs have a "really substantial" gas savings over the life of their vehicles even without government tax credits, said Peter Zalzal, an attorney with Environmental Defense Fund."We're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars" in savings, Zalzal said. "And as gas prices increase, those savings are only greater. Fuel costs are a big piece of overall vehicle costs, and increases in fuel prices have significant impacts on people."However, the upfront cost of a new EV is still more than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle;new EVs sold for an average of $55,300 last month, while new vehicles overall sold for an average $49,353, according to auto-buying resource Kelley Blue Book. Some experts also expressed national security concerns with EVs because China dominates significant parts of the EV supply chain.Ketels, the EV owner and professor, said he believes EVs and renewable energy should be a strategic priority for individuals and the U.S. because they could be produced domestically "and we don't have those fluctuations and those worries."But because the federal government has withdrawn many incentives for both, "it puts us at a disadvantage globally," Ketels said. "I think it's been a terrible mistake to withdraw these incentives and to attack the sustainable energy industry," and the war "is just making it that much more obvious."___Read more ofAP's climate coverage.___The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

Pretty much.

People who buy EVs have a "really substantial" gas savings over the life of their vehicles even without government tax credits, said Peter Zalzal, an attorney with Environmental Defense Fund.

"We're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars" in savings, Zalzal said. "And as gas prices increase, those savings are only greater. Fuel costs are a big piece of overall vehicle costs, and increases in fuel prices have significant impacts on people."

However, the upfront cost of a new EV is still more than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle;new EVs sold for an average of $55,300 last month, while new vehicles overall sold for an average $49,353, according to auto-buying resource Kelley Blue Book. Some experts also expressed national security concerns with EVs because China dominates significant parts of the EV supply chain.

Ketels, the EV owner and professor, said he believes EVs and renewable energy should be a strategic priority for individuals and the U.S. because they could be produced domestically "and we don't have those fluctuations and those worries."

But because the federal government has withdrawn many incentives for both, "it puts us at a disadvantage globally," Ketels said. "I think it's been a terrible mistake to withdraw these incentives and to attack the sustainable energy industry," and the war "is just making it that much more obvious."

Read more ofAP's climate coverage.

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

BEIJING (AP) — While much of the world's attention is onthe Iran war, that hasn't stopped China from moving ahead with national priorities with global repercussions.

Not thatChinadoesn't care about the war and its impact on energy supplies and geopolitics. But for the world's second largest economy, its growing rivalry with the United States revolves around a different battle: the development of the cutting-edge technologies shaping the 21st century.

That message came through ina five-year planformally endorsed Thursday by the National People's Congress at the end of itsannual meeting, the nation's biggest political event of the year. If anything, China is doubling down on a push to transform its economy and be at the forefront of technology. State media described China's determination to stay the course on economic development as a force for stability in an uncertain world.

"A stable and developing China injects more stability and certainty into a world fraught with change and turbulence," the official People's Daily newspaper said in a front-page column on Wednesday. Other state-media echoed that view.

The commentaries and official statements didn't mention U.S. President Donald Trump, whosetariffsand use of military force fromVenezuelato Iran are shaking up the global order that has governed international relations in the post-World War II era. China publicly defends that system, while calling for making it more equitable to reflect the interests of developing countries as well as rich ones.

Trump is due to visit Beijing in three weeks to hold talks with his counterpart, Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The National People's Congress also rubber-stamped three laws, includingone governing ethnic minorities, at its closing session. The votes are ceremonial and nearly unanimous, designed to show unity behind the ruling Communist Party's vision for the nation. The five-year plan was approved with 2,758 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions.

"We are forging ahead at full speed in building a great country," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at anannual news conferenceduring the Congress.

Banking on tech for growth

Many economists believe that China needs to do more to put more money into the hands of consumers toboost domestic spendingand reduce its dependence onexport-led growth.

China's leaders agree in concept, but the five-year plan puts technology front and center, confirming it remains the top priority. Analysts expect any steps to boost consumption to happen only gradually, such as expanding social security and health care benefits, while government funds are poured intoartificial intelligence, robotics and other areas.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang announcedan economic growth targetof 4.5% to 5% for 2026 at the start of the Congress, a level that gives the government more leeway to focus on the longer-term goals of the five-year plan rather than meeting a higher target this year.

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Staying conservative on climate

The five-year plan doesn't pledge to reduce carbon emissions overall, but only to reduce "emissions intensity" — how much pollutants are emitted relative to the size of the economy. That means emissions could still grow as the economy does.

The target for a reduction in intensity was set at 17%, a level that could allow emissions to rise 3% or more, analysts said. "International good practice is to move away from intensity targets towards absolute emission reduction targets," said Niklas Hohne of the NewClimate Institute in Germany.

China has a history of settingconservative targetsand its rapid expansion in solar and other clean energies may drive emissions down anyway. The country is the world's No. 1 emitter of greenhouse gases, but leaders have long argued that the size of its population and economy must be considered when evaluating its pollution levels.

Regulating ethnic groups

A sweepingethnic minorities lawendorsed by the Congress solidifies what critics say is a governmentpolicy of assimilation, emphasizing the creation of "a common consciousness of the Chinese nation."

The government said it is meant to foster a stronger sense of community and shared economic development among its ethnic groups. The law encapsulates an approach under Xi that has promoted unity over ethnic cultures and their languages.

"It puts a death nail in the party's original promise of meaningful autonomy," said James Leibold, a professor at Australia's LaTrobe University who has studied China's changing policies towards its ethnic minorities.

Seeking a "right to rest" for workers

Formal proposals and other suggestions to reduce work hours in a variety of ways were among those that got the most attention on social media during this year's Congress.

Many focused on a "right to rest," including calls to give employees the right not to respond to work messages after hours. Many Chinese workers get only five days of paid vacation a year. Yu Miaojie, an economist and deputy to the Congress, proposed raising the minimum statutory annual leave from five to 10 days.

The popularity of the proposals reflects concern about theintense workplace competitionin China. Giving workers more leisure time is also seen as a way to boost consumption by giving them more free time to spend.

Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Unrelenting Iranian attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure pushed oil above $100 a barrel on Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight.

Lebanon Israel Iran

Iran hit a container ship off the coast of Dubai, caused a blaze near Bahrain's international airport, targeted a major Saudi oil field with a drone attack and forced Iraq to halt operations at all the country's oil terminals after an attack on its port of Basra on the Persian Gulf.

Iran flouted a United Nations Security Council resolution from the previous day demanding that it halt strikes on its Gulf neighbors with new attacks also reported in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Sirens wailed before dawn in Jerusalem after Israel said it was working to intercept missiles launched from Iran. The country also announced it had begun a "wide-scale wave of strikes" on Tehran. In Lebanon, where Israel says it is targeting Iran-linked Hezbollah militants, 11 people were killed in two early morning strikes.

Since the United States and Israel sparked with war with a Feb. 28 attack on Iran, Tehran has embarked on a campaign generated at inflicting enough global economic pain to pressure them to relent in their attacks.

In addition to attacking energy infrastructure around the region, Iran has a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway leading from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported.

With traffic in the Strait effectively stopped, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose another 9% on Thursday to more than $100 a barrel, up some 38% over what it cost when the war started.

Iran fires at multiple Gulf Arab countries and hits ship in Persian Gulf

The U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to approve a resolution demanding a halt to Iran's "egregious attacks" on its Gulf neighbors, but Tehran showed no signs of changing its strategy.

As the day began Thursday, a container ship in the Persian Gulf was hit with a projectile off the coast of Dubai, sparking a small fire, according to British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center. It said the crew of the vessel were safe.

In Bahrain, an early Iranian attack sparked a major fire on Muharraq Island, home to the country's international airport. Authorities urged people to stay indoors and close windows to avoid smoke. The airport has jet fuel tanks, and other tanks in the area serve the kingdom's oil industry.

Kuwait's Defense Ministry said an Iranian drone smashed into a residential building, wounding two people, the UAE said it had activated air defenses twice to protect Dubai from attacks, and firefighters extinguished a blaze at a tower in Dubai Creek Harbor after a drone hit.

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Saudi Arabia said it had shot down a drone targeting the diplomatic quarter of the capital, Riyadh, and also reported downing drones in kingdom's east, including at least one trying to target its Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert.

Following an attack on Iraq's Basra port that killed at least one person, officials said Thursday that it had been forced to halt operations at all the country's oil terminals.

Farhan al-Fartousi, the director-general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, said the attack targeted a vessel in a ship-to-ship transfer area of the Persian Gulf port.

Explosions rock Jerusalem while Lebanon and Tehran are hit by Israeli strikes

Sirens wailed and loud explosions were heard shortly after midnight in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. The Israeli military said it was responding with another "wide-scale wave of strikes" in Tehran.

Overnight missile launches from Iran and Hezbollah also sent Israelis to shelters in multiple other areas, including Tel Aviv and the northern border with Lebanon.

An Israeli strike hit a car Thursday in Ramlet al-Bayda, a major seaside tourist area of Beirut where dozens of displaced people have been sheltering. Eight people were killed and 31 others were wounded, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The Israeli military press office told The Associated Press it was "not aware" of a strike at that location.

In Aramoun, a town about 10 kilometers (six miles) south of Beirut, another three people were killed and a child was wounded in another early Israeli attack.

Casualties continue to climb as conflict continues

At least 634 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest fighting began, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Wednesday.

The U.N. refugee agency said at least 759,000 people have beeninternally displaced in Lebanon.

Iranian authorities say more than 1,300 people have been killed there, and Israel has reported 12 people dead. The U.S. has lost seven soldiers while another eight have suffered severe injuries.

Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut and Rising from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, also contributed to this report, along with AP journalists around the world.

March 12 (Reuters) - Anthropic on Wednesday sought a stay from a U.S. appeals court after the ‌Pentagon said the company was a supply-chain ‌risk, pending a judicial review of the case, adding that the ​designation could cost it billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Anthropic's latest request comes after a weeks-long dispute over technology guardrails on the use of Anthropic'sartificial intelligence‌tools by the ⁠U.S. military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labelled the firm a supply-chain risk and barred ⁠the Pentagon and its contractors from using its AI products.

The AI firm separately filed a lawsuit earlier this ​week in ​a California federal court ​to challenge its Pentagon ‌blacklisting.

In a filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday, Anthropic said the Pentagon's supply-chain designation would cause the company "irreparable harm."

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According to Anthropic's court filing, more than 100 ‌enterprise customers have reached out to ​the company about the designation.

"By ​Anthropic's best estimate, ​for 2026, the government's adverse actions risk ‌hundreds of millions, or even ​multiple billions, ​of dollars in lost revenue," lawyers for the AI firm wrote.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond ​to a request ‌for comment outside of regular business hours.

(Reporting by ​Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Clarence Fernandez and Thomas Derpinghaus)