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☆ 5 takeaways from Joe Biden’s trip to the G20 and Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

New Delhi CNN —President Joe Biden is nearing the end of a whirlwind trip to India and Vietnam for a series of high-profile meetings aimed at countering China’s influence in the developing world. That’s what this trip is all about, having India cooperate much more with United States, be closer to the United States, Vietnam being closer with the United States. “I think we have an enormous opportunity,” he said, adding: “Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time. Here are five takeaways from the president’s trip to New Delhi and Hanoi. Biden tries to pull Vietnam closer to USBiden’s trip to Hanoi was his latest attempt to pull another one of China’s neighbors closer to the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, It’s, Nguyễn Phú, ”, I’m, ” “ I’m, Biden’s, Narendra Modi, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Oleg Nikolenko, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, they’re, Kurt Campbell, Modi, – Biden, Campbell, it’s, ratchets, aggressions, Vietnam’s, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Li Qiang, presser Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Communist Party of Vietnam, Sunday, Diplomats, Indian, Foreign, Facebook, “, United, United Arab Emirates, World Bank, White, White House, Korean, Communist, Communist Party, Biden, CNN Locations: New Delhi, India, Vietnam, Hanoi, Asia, Beijing, China, United States, Ukraine, ” Russia, Russia, Ukrainian, East, Europe, United Kingdom, Japan, United Arab, Bali, Philippines, South China

☆ Biden, Modi discuss rail deal, democracy as U.S. press sidelined
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Biden and Modi last met in person in June when the Indian leader was the guest of a White House state visit. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined Friday's meeting, as did White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the White House said in a statement. Biden spoke to Modi about the importance of a healthy democracy, Campbell told reporters. Modi, of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, has faced criticism about shrinking press freedom in India since he took office. His allies attacked the reporter afterward, in a targeted online harassment campaign that the White House later called "unacceptable" and "antithetical to the very principles of democracy."

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, We're, we've, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Eileen Laubacher, Modi, amiably, Janet Yellen, Jake Sullivan, Subrahmanyam, Ajit Doval, Amit Dave, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Indian, U.S, U.S . National Security Council, South, U.S ., General Electric, Treasury, Friday's, White, REUTERS, World Bank, Biden, Bharatiya Janata Party, White House, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, India, East, Europe, U.S, South Asia, Washington, Delhi, China, Africa, Latin America, Asia, Vietnam, United States, American

☆ Biden, Modi discuss democracy, technology in meeting ahead of G20 summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Students give final touches to paintings of U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at an art school in Mumbai ahead of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi, Sept. 5, 2023. President Joe Biden kicked off his visit to India with a private meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the leaders discussed democracy and joint technology and infrastructure projects. Kurt Campbell, a Biden advisor on the Indo-Pacific, said the two leaders have formed a growing bond "over a series of meetings and shared projects and ambitions over the last several years." Biden is in New Delhi for the Group of 20 summit and does not have any other formal bilateral meetings scheduled aside from his visit with Modi but will mingle with world leaders at the summit. The president in June hosted Modi at a lavish state dinner at the White House.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Giorgia Meloni, Kurt Campbell, Biden, Modi Organizations: Indian, Italian, Group, White Locations: Mumbai, New Delhi, India

"What we have seen over the last couple of months is a breathtaking kind of diplomacy, that has been led by courageous leaders in both Japan and South Korea," said Kurt Campbell, Biden's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs. CHINA VIEWS SUMMIT WARILYNo specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply increase tensions with China, though Beijing has warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with South Korea and Japan could "increase tension and confrontation in the region." While South Korea, Japan and the United States want to avoid provoking Beijing, China believes Washington is trying to isolate it diplomatically and encircle it militarily. South Korea has legislative elections next year and Japan must hold one before October 2025, and what analysts see as a still fragile rapprochement between the two nations remains controversial among the countries' voters. The White House, conscious of the electoral clock, wants to make the progress between South Korea and Japan hard to reverse, including by establishing routine cooperation on military exercises, ballistic missile defense, the economy, and scientific and technological research.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Jonathan Ernst, David, Joe Biden's, Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Camp David, Donald Trump, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Andrea Shalal, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Japan’s, Grand Prince Hotel, REUTERS, U.S, South, Biden, Republican, Thomson Locations: Hiroshima, Japan, HAGERSTOWN , Maryland, United States, South Korea, U.S, Seoul, Tokyo, Korean, CHINA, China, Beijing, Washington, North Korea, Russia, South China, Philippines, Philippine, Hagerstown , Maryland

☆ China's growing aggression will be in focus as U.S. closes ranks with Japan and South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden will unveil the measures with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David on Friday, said Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs. Most countries in the region have "deep, profound economic and political interests," and a "steady and stable relationship" with China, Campbell added. watch nowChina has "warned Tokyo and Seoul against pursuing greater trilateral security cooperation with Washington, but its diplomatic pressure is backfiring," they added. "What President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida have done has defied expectations. In March, Yoon's government announced a landmark agreement over compensation payments for South Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Brendan SMIALOWSKI, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Brendan Smialowski, David, Kurt Campbell, Camp David, Biden, Campbell, Victor Cha, Cha, Wang Wenbin, Beijing Campbell, Rahm Emanuel, Kishida, Yoon, we've, Yoon's Organizations: Japan's, South, Getty, Afp, Biden, Japanese, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Washington, White, CSIS Locations: Hiroshima, AFP, Japan, South Korea, Camp, Washington, Asia, Korea, Ukraine, Beijing, U.S, China, United States, America, America … China, warily, Eurasia, Tokyo, Seoul, South

U.S. President Joe Biden hopes to cement those ties with a summit at Camp David, the storied presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, this Friday. To be sure, previous efforts to build closer ties between South Korea and Japan have stumbled. China blasted the move, seizing on a chance to embarrass Tokyo ahead of the Camp David summit. No specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply escalate rhetoric with Beijing. Just last month, Kim hosted Russia's defense minister and a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member in Pyongyang for an event celebrating the end of the 1950-1953 war between North and South Korea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Yoon Suk, didn't, Yoon, Biden, Camp David, Dennis Wilder, George W, Bush, Kishida, Kim Tae, hyo, David, Donald Trump, Kurt Campbell, East Asia Mira Rapp, Hooper, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Tim Kelly, Sakura Murakami, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell Organizations: White, REUTERS, South, Camp, Georgetown University, Republican, East Asia, NATO, Chinese Communist Party Politburo, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, South Korean, North Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, East Asia, Taiwan, U.S, Camp, Maryland's Catoctin, South Korea, Korean, China, Korea, Washington, Pacific, Beijing, Russia, Pyongyang, North

☆ Prigozhin's uprising failed, but it triggered China's 'psychology about warlords,' top White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A brief, failed revolt by Russian mercenaries in June raised doubts about Putin's hold on power. It also worried officials in China, which has its own history with "warlords," a US official said. They were unnerved by what happened two weekends ago in Moscow," Campbell said in an interview with The Wire China published on July 16, after several senior US officials visited China. China presented a peace plan in April — shortly after President Xi Jinping visited Moscow — that was widely seen as vague and self-interested. Putin and Xi have been a driving force behind the strengthening of Sino-Russian relations over the past 15 years.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Prigozhin, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Xi Jinping, Wagner, We've, Putin Putin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Yu Sui, Joseph Torigian, China's, Torigian, Xi, Ryan Haas, PAVEL BYRKIN, Haas, Obama, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti Organizations: Service, Pacific Affairs, White House National Security Council, China, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Getty, Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times, Communist, Central Propaganda Department, China Center, Contemporary World, American University, Brookings Institution, The New York Times, Getty Images, National Security Locations: Russian, China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Rostov, Beijing, lockstep, Getty Images Beijing

[1/2] The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Officials from the United States and South Korea are meeting on Tuesday in Seoul for the first Nuclear Consultative Group discussion, aimed at better coordinating allied nuclear response in the event of a war with North Korea. China and North Korea have criticised the group's formation as further raising tensions on the Korean peninsula. When asked whether South Korea will have a role in U.S. nuclear war planning, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters the group was more about sharing information. "We will discuss information sharing, consultation system, steps for joint planning and implementation to strengthen nuclear deterrence against North Korea," Yoon's spokesperson, Lee Do-woon, told reporters on Monday.

Persons: Ken Scar, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Kim Tae, Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, Lee, woon, General John Weidner, Josh Smith, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, hyang Choi, Ed Davies, Stephen Coates Organizations: . Army, REUTERS, Nuclear, Monday, South, Reuters, South Korea's, . National Security, Pacific Affairs, . U.S, U.S . Forces, Thomson Locations: Yongin, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, North Korea, Seoul, Korea, U.S, Washington, China, ., U.S . Forces Korea, Lincoln

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A US national is believed to be in North Korean custody after crossing the border during a tour, a United Nations agency said Tuesday. The individual was detained during a Joint Security Area tour after crossing the Military Demarcation Line separating North and South Korea, the United Nations Command said in a tweet. The prospect of a US national being held in North Korean military custody comes at a time of fraught diplomacy and rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Under leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been ramping up tests of potentially nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, something South Korea and its treaty ally the United States are keen to push back on. The NCG is a joint US and South Korean panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April.

Persons: “, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Kurt Campbell, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: South Korea CNN, United, Security, United Nations Command, U.S, National, Democratic People’s, UNC, Joint Security, North, CNN, Busan –, US National Security Council, Nuclear Consultative, South Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North, United Nations, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK, South, North Korea, United States, Busan, Washington, Pyongyang

Seoul, South Korea CNN —For the first time in decades, a nuclear capable US Navy ballistic missile submarine has made a port call in South Korea, in a move that comes just days after North Korea test-fired what it said was a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile. The presence of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan was announced by the country’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday afternoon. The NCG is a joint US and South Korean panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April. The Nuclear Threat Initiative at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that each Trident missile can carry four nuclear warheads, meaning each US ballistic missile submarine could be carrying about 80 nuclear warheads. One arriving in South Korea on a port visit – which must be arranged 24 to 48 hours in advance – would be far more visible, giving North Korea an advantage, Schuster said.

Persons: Kurt Campbell, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, ”, Kim, “, James Martin, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk, ” Biden, Biden, Yoon, ” Carl Schuster, ” Blake Herzinger, Schuster, Kim Jong, we’ve, ” Schuster Organizations: South Korea CNN —, North, country’s Defense, US National Security Council, Nuclear Consultative, DPRK, Democratic, Nuclear, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation, Trident, South, ROK, US Navy, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific, United States Studies Centre Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Ohio, Korean, Busan, Washington, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Hawaii, –

☆ Amid US-China rivalry, a landmark science deal faces new scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"Extending the Science and Technology Agreement between the U.S. and China would only further jeopardize our research and intellectual property," said Representative Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of a congressional select committee on China. "The administration must let this outdated agreement expire." "It is hoped that the U.S. side will expedite the internal review before the expiration of the agreement," he said. Given the state of U.S.-China ties, trying to renegotiate could derail the agreement, they said. Proponents of renewing the deal argue that without it, the U.S. would lose valuable insight into China's technical advances.

Persons: Florence Lo, Antony Blinken, Mike Gallagher, Liu Pengyu, Joe Biden, Kurt Campbell, Denis Simon, Anna Puglisi, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, ., China Science, Technology, Science, U.S, State Department, National Security Council, Hudson Institute, University of North, Chapel Hill, Georgetown University's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, United States, Beijing, Washington, Pacific, University of North Carolina, East Asia

☆ Blinken set for high-stakes China visit with tensions rising and breakthrough prospects low
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic trip to China to try to cool down escalating tensions between the two powers that have set many around the world on edge. Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability. Shortly before leaving, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS — for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Blinken, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Bill Gates, Gates, William Burns, Jake Sullivan, Yi, Lloyd Austin, Austin, we're, Qin, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell Organizations: State Department, Washington , D.C, Foreign, Microsoft, CIA, Ukraine, . Defense, Washington, National Security Council Locations: Washington ,, China, Beijing, Bali, Chinese, United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South, Ukraine, Washington, U.S, Vienna, Taiwan Strait, Russia, Cuba, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Australia, Britain, United Kingdom, East Asia, Asia

U.S. officials said Blinken would push to establish open communication channels to ensure competition with the Chinese does not spiral into conflict. Chinese state media said Blinken would visit on June 18 and 19. Kritenbrink said Blinken would hold a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials. The two sides did not say which officials Blinken would meet. "I believe Secretary Blinken will advocate strongly that these lines of communication are necessary.

Persons: Antony Blinken's, Qin Gang, Joe Biden, Blinken, We're, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, Xi Jinping, Matthew Miller, Xi, Kurt Campbell, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Campbell, Biden, Qin, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama, William Maclean Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Blinken, State, U.S . State Department, Washington, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Beijing, U.S, East Asia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Blinken's, Bali, North Korea

Blinken's long-delayed visit is aimed at stabilizing relations between the world's two largest economies and strategic rivals. Chinese state media said Blinken would visit on June 18 and 19. Kritenbrink said Blinken would hold a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials. The two sides did not say which officials Blinken would meet. "I believe Secretary Blinken will advocate strongly that these lines of communication are necessary.

Persons: Antony Blinken's, Qin Gang, Joe Biden, Blinken, We're, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, Xi Jinping, Matthew Miller, Antony Blinken, Faisal Bin Farhan, Ahmed Yosri, Xi, Kurt Campbell, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Campbell, Biden, Qin, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama, William Maclean Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Blinken, State, U.S . State Department, Saudi Foreign, Intercontinental, REUTERS, Washington, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Beijing, U.S, East Asia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Blinken's, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bali, North Korea

☆ Blinken to travel to China this weekend as US looks to reset relations after spy balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend, the State Department announced on Wednesday – a significant trip that comes as the Biden administration navigates its complicated relationship with China. Blinken was originally set to travel to Beijing in early February, but postponed his trip due to a Chinese spy balloon transiting the US. Blinken will be the first Cabinet official to travel to China under the Biden administration, and the first since 2019. Blinken will ‘advocate strongly’ for military to military communicationsPrior to the public announcement of the trip, Blinken spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Campbell told reporters that Blinken will “advocate strongly” for the need for appropriate military to military communications.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, “, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, ”, Jake Sullivan, Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell, Matthew Miller, Xi Jinping, Campbell, Qin Gang, Qin, ” Kritenbrink, ” Campbell, National Defense Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, “ We’ve, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: CNN, State Department, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, National, “, Foreign, Ministry, China’s, National Defense, Defense Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Singapore

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - Efforts to build a floor under U.S.-China relations have yet to be successful and coming months will determine if it is possible to reestablish constructive diplomacy with Beijing, a top White House official said on Thursday, stressing the need for "Cold War"-era hotlines and other crisis mechanisms. Campbell said the U.S. was in the early stages of a new phase of competitive relations with China. Campbell said the United States was stepping up its focus on the Indo-Pacific in spite of the war in Ukraine and this would been seen in its budgets, engagements, aid and assistance. He pointed to India, which is due to take part in another summit of the so-called Quad countries in Australia expected in May, and said he believed its relationship with the United States was the most important of the 21st century. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand defence minister says military needs more resources amid growing challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand's military will require big investment as it faces new challenges and greater expectations from regional allies, the country’s new defence minister, Andrew Little, said Thursday. The United States is "certainly keen to have New Zealand engaged but it’s not a decision I get to take alone,” he said. Little said that whatever New Zealand decided in terms of engaging with AUKUS, it was important that the defence force was equipped to work with its Australian counterparts. New Zealand, which spends roughly 1.5% its of GDP on its military, is undertaking a defence policy review as the country grapples with regional geopolitics and climate change. The Defence Force has been struggling with record attrition in part because of low pay, which has forced the navy to idle three of its ships and to retire its P-3 Orion fleet early.

☆ China firm wins tender to redevelop Solomon Islands port
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces," Qaqara said. The Solomon Islands and China have denied the security pact would allow a naval base, however. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the government said in a statement. Writing in the Australian Foreign Affairs this month, Connolly noted that ADB infrastructure contracts in the Pacific islands had been dominated by Chinese state companies who offered the lowest bids.

☆ China firm wins Solomon Islands port project as Australia watches on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Solomon Islands and China have consistently denied that their security pact would allow a naval base. The Solomon Islands Infrastructure Development Ministry has said that there will be no expansion of the port for dual use," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday evening. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the Solomon Islands government said in a statement. "It is not about bases it is about access," Connolly, a former military officer, said, referring to the security pact between Honiara and Beijing.

☆ Japan to roll out plans to back Ukraine at 'appropriate time', U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Japan is engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine and is expected to roll out plans at the "appropriate time" to support Kyiv against Russia's invasion, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Kishida has a game plan and is already engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine," Campbell told a Center for Strategic and International Studies event. "I fully expect that at appropriate time Japan will be rolling out specific plans to support Ukraine in a variety of ways. They are active in many of the contact group discussions about support for Ukraine and they are just a key member," Campbell said, adding that Japan was "stepping up". Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom in Washington, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend the Japan-U.S.-Australia-India Fellowship Founding Celebration event, in Tokyo, Japan, May 24, 2022. Kishida is in Washington as the last stop in a tour of countries of the G7 industrial powers. U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers met on Wednesday and announced stepped-up security cooperation and the U.S. officials Tokyo's praised military buildup plans. He called the Japanese defense reforms "really, really significant." Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Don Durfee and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Senior U.S. delegation to visit China in coming days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reacts as he listens to a youth representative during a visit to Oxygen Park in Education City in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar on November 21, 2022. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger will travel to China, South Korea and Japan from December 11-14, the State Department said in a statement. The two leaders pledged more frequent communications at a time of simmering differences also on human rights, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and economic issues. The State Department said the delegation will follow up on the meeting "to continue responsibly managing the competition between our two countries and to explore potential areas of cooperation" and will also lay the groundwork for Blinken's visit. Campbell was speaking to an Aspen Security Forum event in Washington two days after the United States announced plans to step up its rotational military presence in key region ally Australia amid shared concerns about China.

☆ With eye on China, US to boost military forces in Australia – and ‘invite’ Japan to join in
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United States will increase the rotational presence of air, land and sea forces in Australia, including bomber aircraft and fighter jets, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, amid shared concerns about China. Australia’s Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the US. Thousands of US Marines rotate through the territory annually for training and joint exercises, started under former President Barack Obama. Just before last year’s AUSMIN talks, the US, United Kingdom and Australia created a security deal, known as AUKUS, that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The two sides said they had further discussions on that issue and Britain’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace will attend a first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington.

Leaders and representatives from 14 Pacific island states are taking part in the summit. Washington and its allies want to boost maritime security and island states' communication links with countries like Japan, Australia and India, he said. SOLOMON ISLANDS TIES TO CHINAIn a statement on the first day of the talks, Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, said he was confident the islands and the United States "can, and ... will secure and build a partnership." Sogavare has repeatedly appeared to snub the United States, heightening Washington's concerns. Wednesday's talks included a session hosted by U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, who praised Pacific island leaders for a more ambitious global climate target than agreed at the 2015 Paris climate summit.

☆ Biden seeks closer ties with Philippines after ‘rocky’ past
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Biden also noted that the Philippines was among U.S. allies to quickly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The “One China” policy recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan. He has said he wants to pursue closer ties with China, which has also sought to court him. He sees a rising China as the most threatening economic and national security adversary to the United States. The elder Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972, a year before his term was to expire.

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