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☆ Biden and Japan's Kishida forge new partnership, eyeing China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to moon landings, strengthening their alliance with an eye on countering China and Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to moon landings, strengthening their alliance with an eye on countering China and Russia. "Regarding Russia's aggression of Ukraine ... Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow," Kishida said. Biden also vowed to keep open lines of communication with China and said the U.S.- Japan alliance was defensive in nature. He spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Kishida, Xi Jinping Organizations: Japanese, Nippon Steel's, U.S . Steel, U.S . Locations: China, Russia, Japan, United States, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, North Korea, South, East China, Taiwan, Beijing, U.S, East Asia

☆ Vietnam is planning high-speed rail connections with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Vietnam aims to start building two high-speed railway lines linking its capital Hanoi with China before 2030, the Ministry of Planning and Investment said, another sign of a recent warming of ties between the two Communist-ruled neighbors. The two countries are already connected via a system of highways and two railway lines that are old and need upgrading on the Vietnam side. Earlier this month, Vietnam said it was seeking to learn from China to develop its first high-speed railway network and had sent its officials to work with Chinese railway companies. A massive high-speed railway line linking capital Hanoi with business hub Ho Chi Minh City is also being planned in the country. Trade between Vietnam and China in the first quarter of this year rose 22% from a year earlier to $43.6 billion, according to Vietnamese government data.

Persons: Lao Cai, Vuong Dinh Hue, Xi Jinping Organizations: Ministry of Planning, Investment, National Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, China, Vietnam’s, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Lao, China’s Yunnan, Lang Son, China’s Guangxi, Chi Minh City, Beijing, South China

☆ Exclusive: On board a B-52 bomber mission to China’s doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sitting on the massive bomber’s sole bunk, the third pilot on the flight crew, Capt. This year, the Air Force began low-rate production of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the next generation of stealth bomber. In October, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a B-52 bomber at night over the South China Sea, south of our position. Everyone is tired, especially as we approach the 24-hour mark of the flight, but the mission is not yet complete. On final approach, with Barksdale Air Force Base looming off our nose, the right main gear does not extend.

Persons: Jinan Andrews, Omaha ” Barnett, Sabin “ Jett ”, Michael Maginness, CNN's Oren Liebermann, ”, Jason Armagost, Bo “, Bo “ NATO ” Cain, Oren Liebermann, MYLAR11, Leo “ Swabbie ” Weber, “, Rebecca “ Vulcan ” Moore, Moore, you’ve, Jared Patterson, Avery Bulsterbaum, Andrew Rodriguez, Justin Joyner, Dakeeja Nelson, Veruca Plott, it’s, . Sabin “ Jett ”, Jeremy Harlan Organizations: CNN, US, Barksdale Air Force Base, Boeing, 2nd Bomb, China, Eighth Air Force, “, Air Force, Bo “ NATO, 20th Bomb Squadron, Northrop Grumman, Raider, CNN Staff, US Department of Defense, South Korean Locations: East China, –, Alaska, Louisiana –, Louisiana, Japan, Capt, Jinan, Tramaine, Omaha, Vietnam, Russia, Russia’s, China, North Korea, South Korea, MYLAR11, Beijing, South China, Jinan Andrews

☆ Kishida US visit: Japan seeks investment in AI, semiconductors from American companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Junko Ogura | Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking in Washington at a lunch with American CEOs, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan welcomes American collaboration in “critical and emerging technology” and assured them that any investment would flow both ways. Last year, Japanese foreign direct investment to the US exceeded $750 billion, Kishida said, making Japan the biggest foreign investor in America and creating more than 1 million jobs. It is reportedly the company’s largest ever investment in Asia’s second largest economy. Earlier this month, Japan’s industry ministry approved subsidies worth up to 590 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for Rapidus. It comes as Washington adds increasing restrictions on the types of semiconductors that American companies are able to sell to China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Fumio Kishida, ”, Kishida, Joe Biden, Brad Smith, Gary Cohn, Sanjay Mehrotra, Ted Colbert, Albert Bourla, Mayumi Maruyama Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Microsoft, Microsoft Research Asia, IBM, Micron Technology, Boeing, Defense, Space & Security, Pfizer, CNN, US Chamber of Commerce, “, Intel, Samsung, US Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Japan, Washington, American, United States, America, Asia’s, Russia, South, Taiwan, Hokkaido, chipmaking, China, Europe, Asia, Germany

☆ To Counter China’s Rising Power, Biden Looks to Strengthen Ties With Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and Japan, faced with the challenges posed by an increasingly hostile China, are expected to further integrate their militaries and announce new agreements on technology and defense on Wednesday as President Biden hosts Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit to Washington. The talks are part of the Biden administration’s diplomatic outreach to counter China, which includes recent war games with Seoul. On Thursday, Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, another Pacific islands nation that finds itself the target of a mounting Chinese military presence in the South China Sea. The Biden administration is signaling the importance of its relationship with Tokyo by holding an official state dinner on Wednesday evening in honor of Mr. Kishida, something reserved for America’s closest allies. During a day of meetings, the two leaders will announce new plans designed to confront the far-reaching ambitions of China, which Mr. Biden has described as the only global rival to the United States with the “intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to advance that objective.”

Persons: Biden, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: Biden, Seoul Locations: States, Japan, China, Washington, Philippines, South China, Tokyo, United States

☆ Visits from Japanese and Filipino leaders highlight Biden’s efforts to blunt China’s aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Arlette Saenz | Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Biden’s week also includes an official visit for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, reinforcing his commitment to cultivating partnerships in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s rising economic and military power. The historic leaders summit on Thursday between Biden, Kishida and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos is expected to produce announcements relating to infrastructure, energy security, digital connectivity and maritime security. Meanwhile, Japan has recently loosened restrictions on the export of military technology – paving the way for deeper collaboration with like-minded allies. The first virtual meeting with the four leaders took place in March 2021 with subsequent in-person summits in the years that followed. Biden and his team also have sought to draw in smaller regional neighbors concerned about China’s military and economic aggression.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida, Biden, Jake Sullivan, “, Jill Biden, Kishida Yuko, They’re, Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos, ” Sullivan, ”, John Neuffer, ” Biden, ” Rahm Emanuel, Sullivan, zeroed, Japan’s, Yoshihide Suga, Korea’s, Moon Jae, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trump, ” Kishida Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, CNN, Biden White House, Australia, US Steel, APEC, Washington, Semiconductor Industry Association, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, American, White, Kishida, White House, Pacific, PBS Locations: Japan, Philippines, North Korea, Ukraine, Gaza, India, South Korea, China, Manila, ’, lockstep, Netherlands, Taiwan, Beijing, Thursday’s, US, Australia, South China, South, Russia, Kishida, United States, Tokyo, Seoul, David, United Kingdom, Washington, Vietnam, U.S

☆ NATO should recruit new members from Asia that share 'the alliance's vision of freedom,' former NATO commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Stavridis suggested recruiting countries like Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. AdvertisementThe NATO military alliance should consider broadening its membership to include Asia-Pacific nations like Japan and New Zealand, said a former NATO supreme allied commander. AdvertisementIn his op-ed, Stavridis suggested recruiting Asia-Pacific countries "that share the alliance's vision of freedom, democracy, liberty and human rights." Advertisement"I'd say the challenges and the benefits feel roughly balanced, but given the practical and political hurdles, it is probably too soon to consider a global NATO," Stavridis wrote. AdvertisementThe military alliance's overtures to Asia appear to have drawn the ire of countries like China, whose defense ministry has accused NATO of being a "walking war machine."

Persons: James Stavridis, Stavridis, —, Emmanuel Macron, Wu Qian Organizations: NATO, US, Service, Bloomberg, US Southern Command, Asia, Business Insider Locations: Asia, Pacific, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, NATO, Russia, Ukraine, Latin America, US, China, South China, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore

☆ China concerns bring new unity to once-turbulent US-Japan-Philippines relationship ahead of major White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Both the Philippines and Japan are US defense treaty allies, and the US military retains permanent bases in Japan and has base rights in the Philippines. That threat is manifested in three key areas – Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, analysts say. Here's why 03:27 - Source: CNNJapan and Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. “Alliance building is the most practical way to deal with China’s moves” in the South China Sea, he said.

Persons: ”, James D.J, Brown, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Xi Jinping, Biden, Micah Jeiel Perez, Marcos, Kishida, ” Marcos, Shinzo Abe, Ricardo Jose, ” Jose, Thomas, CNN Marcos, Shoal, China –, Masaharu Homma, –, Perez, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr’s, Duterte, Thomas Shoal, Veejay Villafranca, Robert Ward, BRP Antonio Luna, you’ve, Donald, Trump, ” Brown, “, Ward Organizations: South Korea CNN, White, Temple University, Japanese, Taiwan –, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, University of, Nikkei Asia, University of the, “, CNN, East China, Philippine, China Coast Guard, US, US State Department, Gen, “ Alliance, Clark Air Base, Naval, Bloomberg, Getty, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Cooperative, Philippine Navy, BRP, Royal Australian Navy, Self, Defense Forces, JS Akebono, US Navy, USS, Multilateral Maritime Cooperative, Armed Forces, AP Analysts Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Japan, Philippines, China, Tokyo, Philippine, Taiwan, Washington, South, Senkaku, East China, University of the Philippines, CNN Japan, East, South China, Palawan, China – Washington, Beijing, Spain, Spanish, Imperial Japan, New Orleans, Bataan, Subic, Manila, US, Australia, India, Vietnam, Warramunga, IISS

Kishida made the remarks days ahead of his Wednesday meeting with Biden in Washington, where he will also address a joint session of Congress and participate in the very first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines. Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the defense relationship has expanded under Kishida, who has raised Japan’s profile in global and regional security. That move is not without controversy, especially in China and other parts of Asia that suffered hugely under Japan’s World War II era militarism. Building Japan’s deterrence and response capability is also “essential” for the alliance with the United States, he argued. Since taking office, Kishida has also positioned Japan as a partner to the US not only in Asia, but more globally.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, ” Kishida, ”, Kishida, “, Biden, Donald Trump, White, Trump, Kim Jong Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Biden, Partnership, East China, South Korea –, North, South Locations: Japan, Ukraine, East Asia, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Philippines, Russia, South, Taiwan, China, Asia, East, South China, South Korea, America’s, Europe, North Korea, Moscow, Pyongyang

☆ US and Chinese military officials met in Hawaii to discuss operational safety in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US and Chinese military representatives met in Hawaii this week to discuss the safety of forces in the Pacific, marking the first in-person meeting of its kind in years after cancellations by China. The Military Maritime Consultative Agreement Working Group meeting was held in Honolulu on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Eighteen officials from China’s People’s Liberation Army attended, alongside 18 representatives from the US military’s major commands in the Pacific, including officials from US Indo-Pacific command, US Pacific Fleet, and US Pacific Air Forces. In January, US and Chinese officials also met at the Pentagon to discuss relations after two years of cancellations by China. But in January, two US defense officials told CNN that China’s unsafe interceptions of US military aircraft had eased.

Persons: ”, we’ve, Joe Biden’s, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Ian Francis Organizations: CNN, Maritime, People’s Liberation Army, US Pacific Fleet, US Pacific Air Forces, Pentagon, Northeast, INDOPACOM, PLA, US Locations: Hawaii, China, Honolulu, US, ”, Northeast Asia, PRC, Philippines, South China

☆ A double dose of hell: The Bataan Death March and what came next
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The Death MarchThat surrender site in Balanga doesn’t mark the beginning of the Bataan Death March. “It looked like they were really trying to kill us all.”White markers along a highway on the Bataan Peninsula show the route from the 1942 Bataan Death March. A boxcar used during the infamous 1942 Bataan Death March, displayed at the Capas National Shrine in Tarlac Province, north of Manila. All but Meyer also survived the Bataan Death March. A relief depicts the 1942 Bataan Death March on the Death March Memorial in Capas, Philippines.

Persons: Philippines CNN —, Edward P, King, Franklin Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, Edward King, “, …, ”, Matoo Nakayama, Masaharu Homma, Camp O'Donnell, AP Survivor James Bollich, ” Bollich, Brad Lendon, Tillman R, Rutledge, O’Donnell, defecated …, –, Manuel Abrazado, Emilio Aquino, Romeo Gacad, MacArthur’s, Robert Overbeck, Calvin Graef, Avery Wilber, Donald Meyer, Anton Cichy, Meyer, Overbeck, They’d, Charles, ” Overbeck, Arisan Organizations: Philippines CNN, Museum, Balanga Elementary, Bataan, Bettmann, US Army, US Navy, Gen, Army, AP Survivor, Air Force News Service, CNN, US Clark Air Base, Kyodo, Heritage Command, US Defense, Agency, Disabled, Getty, Mount, 14th Air Force, former Flying Tigers Locations: Philippines, Philippine, Bataan, American, Corregidor, Bataan As, Harbor, Hawaii, Luzon, Manila, Gen, Marileves, Mariveles, Capas, San Fernando, Tarlac Province, …, O’Donnell, ., Balanga, Tarlac province, AFP, Japan, China, Bashi, Taiwan, South China, Kunming, Asia, Washington, North Africa, Geneva, Arisan Maru

☆ U.S. loses its spot to China as Southeast Asia's most favored ally, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This is the first time Beijing has edged past Washington since 2020 when the annual survey first posed the question. China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea is the Philippines' (90.2%) and Vietnam's (72.5%) top concern, the region's two frontline South China Sea claimant states. The Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told Bloomberg last month that his government's claims on certain parts of the South China sea should not be viewed as provoking China. Vietnam has also asserted sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea though Beijing has brushed aside those claims. ASEAN should build up its resilience and unity to fend off pressures from the two major powers, the U.S. and China, nearly half of the survey respondents said.

Persons: ISEAS – Yusof, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Kenddrick Chan Organizations: ASEAN Studies, Jan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, China, Bloomberg, Philippines, U.S, LSE, London School of Economics, Political Science Locations: China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Singapore, ISEAS, Indonesia . China, Japan, South China, Philippines, Vietnam, Southeast Asia

☆ Biden and Xi speak for first time since November summit amid global tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Mj Lee | Donald Judd | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It is about verifying, as the president says,” the official told CNN when asked about Xi’s pledge that Beijing will not interfere in the US’ 2024 election. The Biden administration plans to continue stressing to Beijing the US’ grave concerns about Chinese efforts to hack US critical infrastructure, the official said. “We would hope there would be a chance for another in-person meeting” in the near future, the senior administration official said. A Treasury official told reporters Monday she planned to have frank discussions on what the administration considers “unfair” trade practices from China. In January, Sullivan met with the Chinese foreign minister in Bangkok, and Blinken met with the Chinese official in Munich in February.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, ”, Antony Blinken, Xi, Xi –, Jake Sullivan, Vladimir Putin, “, Yellen, Janet Yellen, Sullivan, Blinken, Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Sam Fossum, Arlette Saenz Organizations: Washington CNN, White, Biden, CNN, Treasury, Defense Locations: Gaza, Ukraine, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South, Taiwan Strait, China, Woodside , California, California, ”, Russia, Guangzhou, Bangkok, Munich

☆ Biden warns Xi Jinping about China's ongoing support for Russia amid Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping spoke in a Tuesday phone call. The leaders discussed global conflicts, including China's support for Russia amid the Ukraine war. Russia has managed to maintain its economy thanks in part to its trade partnership with China. AdvertisementUS President Joe Biden warned China's leader Xi Jinping about his government's ongoing support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine during a Tuesday phone call between the two world leaders. AdvertisementDespite alienating itself from the majority of the world, Russia continues to maintain an economic ally in China, whose ongoing support has helped Russia rebuild its defense industry during a vital moment in the war.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, —, China's, Biden, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, Central Bank of, Beijing Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, California, India, Beijing, Central Bank of Russia, Taiwan, South China, Israel, Gaza, Bali

☆ US Marines train for war with China on an island-hopping battlefield, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New US Marine formations are learning to battle adversaries like China on remote islands. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementUS Marines are learning how to battle adversaries like China on remote islands in response to rising tensions in the Pacific, a report says. Pentagon experts expect that US satellites will be jammed or destroyed by China in the event of a potential war, the Post noted. In 2021, The Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, conducted war games to imagine how a war between China and the US over Taiwan would play out.

Persons: —, John Aquilino, We've, Col, John Lehane, Lehane, Lewis B, Puller, Sarah Stegall, Mark Cancian Organizations: The Washington Post, Service, US Navy, US Armed Services House, China US, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd, Littoral, Pentagon, Marine, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Corps, US Marine Corps, Marines, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US Air Force Locations: China, Pacific, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Inner Mongolia, Sarah Stegall China, South, The Washington, United States

China’s economy has struggled to recover from severe self-imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic that it lifted only at the end of 2022. But Xi said that China was again contributing to world economic growth in the double digits percentage-wise. China's economy has been bogged down by a crisis in its property market in which builders are struggling under mountains of debt, and buyers are paying off loans on apartments that may never be completed. Other issues, such as an aging population and high youth unemployment, are prompting China's leaders to lean more heavily on boosting export manufacturing to make up for weak demand at home. “The respective successes of China and the United States create opportunities for each other," Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, ” Xi, Stephen A, Biden, Donald Trump, “, Craig Allen, China's, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen Organizations: BEIJING, U.S, Communist Party, China's, Xinhua News Agency, Blackstone . Trade, U.S ., China Business Council, Apple, Xinhua Locations: Beijing, China, U.S, United, Washington, San Francisco, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, People's Republic, United States

☆ U.S. Defence Chief Reaffirms Support for Philippines, Chides 'Dangerous' Chinese Conduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines and criticised as "dangerous" China's use of water cannon and disruption of a Philippine resupply mission last week. In a phone call on Wednesday with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, Austin "reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the Philippines" following Chinese obstruction at the Second Thomas Shoal "of a lawful Philippine resupply mission," said a statement from the Pentagon. Austin emphasised support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction, it said. The Philippines routinely sends boats to the Second Thomas Shoal to deliver supplies to a small group of its soldiers posted to guard a warship that was intentionally grounded on a reef 25 years ago. The Philippines has been furious over what it calls repeated aggression by China's coastguard around disputed features located inside Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro, Austin, Thomas, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: . Defense, Philippine, Pentagon, China's coastguard Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, China, United States

☆ China says relations with Philippines at 'crossroads' amid maritime incidents
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China warned the Philippines on Monday to behave cautiously and seek dialogue, saying their relations were at a "crossroads" as new confrontations between their coastguards over maritime claims deepened tensions. China warned the Philippines on Monday to behave cautiously and seek dialogue, saying their relations were at a "crossroads" as new confrontations between their coastguards over maritime claims deepened tensions. The message was delivered by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong during a phone call with Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro amid worsening friction over altercations at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. In the call, Lazaro relayed Manila's "strongest protest against the aggressive actions" by the China Coast Guard and maritime militia against a Philippines' resupply mission in the South China Sea, her ministry said in a statement. The Philippines accused China's coastguard of using water cannon against a civilian boat supplying troops on Saturday at the Second Thomas Shoal, which it said had damaged the boat and injured some crew.

Persons: Chen Xiaodong, Theresa Lazaro, Thomas Shoal, Lazaro, Manila's, Chen, Thomas Organizations: Foreign, Philippine, China Coast Guard, China's coastguard Locations: China, Philippines, Spratly, South China

Hong Kong CNN —China’s coast guard used water cannon against Philippine boats in a contested area of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in a string of maritime clashes between the two countries. The AFP also accused the Chinese coast guard of performing a “dangerous maneuver” by crossing the bow of the resupply vessel before using the water cannon. It said China subsequently installed floating barriers to “prevent further entry of any vessels.”A Philippine Coast Guard vessel had been “impeded and encircled” by a Chinese coast guard ship and two Chinese “maritime militia” vessels, the agency said, cutting it off from the resupply boat. The ship is now mostly a rusted wreckage and is manned by Philippine marines stationed on rotation. The latest run-in came just four days after Secretary of State Blinken told a news conference in Manila that the United States had an “ironclad commitment” to defending the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jay Tarriela, Thomas, “, Thomas Shoal, Blinken Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Armed Forces, AFP, Philippine Coast Guard, Convention, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine, Sierra Madre, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, South, Philippine, China, Philippines, AFP, ”, Beijing, Manila, Palawan, BRP Sierra, Madre, Sierra, China’s, United States, South China, People’s Republic of China, Washington

☆ China Coast Guard Says It Took Measures Against Philippine Vessels in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's coast guard said it had taken control measures against Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, while the Philippine coast guard decried the moves as "irresponsible and provocative". The incident occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal and Spratly Islands waters, according to the Chinese Coast Guard. A Philippine coast guard vessel was "impeded" and "encircled" by one Chinese coast guard vessel and two Chinese maritime militia vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a separate statement. As a result, the Philippine coast guard vessel was "isolated" from the resupply boat by the "irresponsible and provocative behaviour" of the Chinese maritime forces, the Philippine coast guard said. The China coast guard implements regulations in accordance with laws, and handles matters in a reasonable, legal, and professional manner, Gan said.

Persons: Thomas, Gan Yu, Gan, Neil Jerome Morales, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Chinese Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Convention Locations: MANILA, SHANGHAI, South, Philippine, Spratly, Manila, China, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ China and New Zealand pledge deeper trade and economic cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

China and New Zealand are working toward implementing an upgraded version of the free trade agreement between the two countries. Wang met New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay during an official visit to New Zealand. New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a bilateral free trade deal with China in 2008. China's door to the world will open even wider, Wang said, pledging to forge closer cooperation with New Zealand in the next decade and emphasizing on the need to safeguard free trade. He will be holding the seventh China-Australia Foreign and Strategic Dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in his visit to Australia.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Todd McClay, McClay, Winston Peters, China's, Peters, Penny Wong Organizations: Xinhua, New Zealand Trade, New Zealand, Foreign Affairs, Australian Foreign Locations: China, New Zealand, New, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, Zealand, South, Sea, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, Beijing, Philippines, Wang, Australia, Mar

☆ Biden to host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos for White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company. Eugene Hoshiko | AFP | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company. The announcement came as North Korea's state media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable "super-large" multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea's capital. Biden argued in announcing his opposition that the U.S. needs to "maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steelworkers." Meanwhile, long-running Philippines-Chinese tensions have come back into focus this month after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed South China Sea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Eugene Hoshiko, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kim Jong Un, Biden, Thomas Shoal, Thomas Organizations: AFP, Getty, White, Steel, Nippon Steel of, American steelworkers, " Nippon Steel, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre Locations: Philippines, South, American, Japan, North, Korea, U.S, Pittsburgh, Nippon Steel of Japan, Philippine, China, BRP Sierra, Thomas Shoal, Sierra

☆ Blinken Warns China Against Armed Attack on Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned China on Tuesday that an “armed” attack against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea would trigger a mutual self-defense pact between Washington and Manila, a reflection of rising tensions in the region that risk dragging the United States into armed conflict with Beijing. But in a sign that the United States hopes to de-escalate the situation, Mr. Blinken, on a visit to Manila, gave no indication that recent Chinese provocations — which include ramming Philippine vessels and blasting them with water cannons — crossed the threshold of “armed” attacks. Pressed during a news conference alongside his Philippine counterpart on how to deter what some analysts call China’s “gray-zone coercion tactics,” which Philippine officials say include aiming a high-powered laser at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and temporarily blinding some crew members, Mr. Blinken pointed to diplomatic, not military, measures. “The very visibility of those actions, I think, has provoked from a number of other countries clear statements in support of the Philippines and against these provocative actions that are a threat to peace, security, freedom of navigation and basic rights under international law,” he said.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, ” Organizations: Philippine, Philippine Coast Guard Locations: China, Philippine, South, Washington, Manila, United States, Beijing, Philippines

☆ Six more years of Putin will worry many countries. But not China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A stable relationship with Moscow, too, allows Beijing to focus on other areas of concern such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. “Xi sees Putin as a genuine strategic partner,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, ahead of the Russian election results, adding that anything less than a landslide win for Putin would be “a disappointment” for Beijing. The Russian leader has weathered an apparent miscalculation that what his government still calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine would be a swift success. Jose Colon/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWatchful BeijingBut that doesn’t mean countries tied to Moscow aren’t also watching the conflict in Ukraine carefully. That may be especially true for China, Russia’s most powerful strategic partner.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, Steve Tsang, Mao Zedong, won’t, Putin’s, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he’s, Alexey Navalny, –, BRICS, Jose Colon, Moscow aren’t, “, Eurasia Li Hui, Wang Yiwei, Putin –, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ukraine grinds, Kremlin, NATO, Washington, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Putin, Russia's, KCNA, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Russian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Moscow, Renmin University, Beijing, CNN Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Taiwan, Beijing, Moscow, South China, North Korea, Russia’s Far, Washington, Pyongyang, South Korea, Iran, India, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Russian, United States, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Ethiopia, Egypt, Russia’s Kazan, Crimea, Sochi, West, Israel, Gaza, Ukrainian, Eurasia, Europe, Beijing –

☆ Standing Up to China, Philippine Leader Courts New Network of Partners
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | Camille Elemia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With China aggressively asserting its claims on the South China Sea, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines spent his first year on the job beefing up Manila’s alliance with its oldest ally, the United States. Mr. Marcos is adding a new intensity to his muscular foreign policy at a critical moment in his country’s territorial dispute with Beijing. In January, Mr. Marcos and the leaders of Vietnam, another country fighting off Chinese claims to the crucial waterway, pledged closer cooperation between their coast guards. This month, Mr. Marcos clinched a maritime cooperation deal with Australia. “It has to be recognized that the South China Sea handles 60 percent of the trade of the entire world.

Persons: Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr, Marcos, it’s, Mr Organizations: Maritime, Australia, South China, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Locations: China, Philippines, United States, Beijing, Vietnam, Europe, South, Berlin

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