Biden leaves Washington to meet allies& shy;& mdash;then Putin
Washington---Joe Biden departs Washington early Wednesday on the first foreign trip of his presidency, launching an intense series of summits with G7, European, and NATO partners before a tense face-to-face with Russia’s Vladimir Putin......»»
Biden to Host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos
WASHINGTON - 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.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a sta.....»»
Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines on April 11
Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): US President Joe Biden will host a three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Washington on April 11, as announced by the White House, as reported by Kyodo News. This historic summit, the first of its kind involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, aims to bolster defence cooperation in response to China's asse.....»»
Biden meets Chinese FM, urges cooperation on ‘global challenges’
US President Joe Biden met China's foreign minister for talks on Friday as the two countries seek to smooth ties ahead of a possible visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Biden told top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that Washington and Beijing must "manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication," the White House said. With the Israel-Hamas conflict raging in the Middle East, Biden also "underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges," it added in a statement. Biden has invited Xi to San Francisco next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but he has also stood firm on China in the run-up, keeping up a stream of sanctions and backing US allies in disputes with Beijing. Wang Yi has been on a two-day visit to Washington during which he also met US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The Chinese foreign minister had been expected to meet Biden too after Blinken met Chinese president Xi in Beijing in June, but it had not previously been confirmed. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had said on Thursday that this week's talks were a "milestone in that effort to keep the lines of communication open with the PRC (People's Republic of China)." Sullivan was going to raise "areas of concern" including China's behavior in the South China Sea, where it has been forcefully asserting its maritime boundaries. Stabilize Wang said after meeting Blinken on Thursday that he wanted to "stabilize US-China relations" and "reduce misunderstanding" after years of tensions. Acknowledging that differences will still come up, Wang said China would respond "calmly, because we are of the view that what is right and what is wrong is not determined by who has the stronger arm or the louder voice." Biden and Xi have had no contact since a meeting in Bali in November 2022. Relations have been tense for years between world's top two economies as they vie for influence in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and as Beijing boosts cooperation with Russia in a bid to reduce US dominance. Tensions have been particularly high over Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing that over the past year has launched major military exercises in response to actions by US lawmakers. The United States and China have also traded barbs over the conflict in the Middle East, where Biden has been Israel's foremost ally. US officials have repeatedly spoken of creating "guardrails" with China to prevent worst-case scenarios and have sought, without success, to restore contact between the two militaries. Biden on Wednesday warned China of US treaty obligations to the Philippines, which said that Chinese vessels deliberately hit Manila's boats in dispute-rife waters -- an account contested by Beijing. Speaking alongside Australia's prime minister, a key Asia-Pacific ally, Biden vowed to compete with China "every way according to the international rules -- economically, politically, in other ways. But I'm not looking for conflict." The post Biden meets Chinese FM, urges cooperation on ‘global challenges’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden warned Iran leader against attacks — White House
President Joe Biden sent a message to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning against strikes on US troops amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House said on Thursday. "There was a direct message relayed. That's as far as I'm going to go," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, declining to say how it was delivered. Later Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said US forces conducted precision strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Pentagon says US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 16 times this month as tensions rise in the Middle East. It blamed "Iranian-backed militia groups." Biden told a press conference on Wednesday that he had warned Khamenei of a response if the attacks continue. "My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared. It has nothing to do with Israel," he said alongside visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Iran meanwhile warned Washington at the United Nations General Assembly over Israel's campaign of air strikes and artillery against Gaza following the 7 October Hamas attacks. "I say frankly to the American statesmen and military forces who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome the expansion and scope of the war in the region," Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. "But I warn if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire." The United States has moved two aircraft carrier groups near Israel since the Hamas attacks in what it says is a bid to deter Iran and its allies from broadening the conflict. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered the activation of air defense systems in the region and notified additional forces that they may be deployed soon. There are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group, which once held significant territory in both countries but was pushed back by local ground forces backed by international air strikes in a bloody multi-year conflict. The post Biden warned Iran leader against attacks — White House appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Netanyahu says Israel ‘preparing’ Gaza ground war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel is readying a ground war in Gaza, pressing ahead with plans that have troubled allies and threaten to worsen an already cascading humanitarian crisis. Facing ever-louder international calls to temper Israel's ferocious 19-day bombing campaign in the Hamas-controlled territory, Netanyahu delivered a nationally televised address. He told fellow Israelis still grieving and angry after Hamas's bloody attacks: "We are in the midst of a campaign for our existence," while insisting Israel will decide how the war is prosecuted. On 7 October, throngs of Hamas gunmen poured from Gaza into Israel, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 222 more, according to official tallies. US President Joe Biden is among the foreign leaders stepping up public calls for Israel to "protect innocent civilians" and to follow the "laws of war" as it pursues Hamas targets. Thousands of Gazans are already believed to have died in Israel's aerial assault, with the toll expected to rise substantially if tens of thousands of Israeli troops massed around Gaza move in. Biden on Wednesday said he had privately suggested Israel should get hostages out if possible before any ground invasion. "It's their decision, but I did not demand it", Biden said, as he called on Congress to allocate more money for Israeli defense. Speaking in Cairo, French President Emmanuel Macron warned: "A massive intervention that would put civilian lives at risk would be an error." But boasting of "raining down hellfire on Hamas" and killing "thousands of terrorists", Netanyahu said his war cabinet and the military would determine the timing of a "ground offensive" to "eliminate Hamas" and "bring our captives home." "I will not detail when, how, or how many," he said. 'It's a massacre' Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry puts the number of Palestinian deaths at 6,500, including many children and 700 people killed in a single 24-hour window this week. AFP could not independently verify the ministry's claims, and US President Biden has stated he has "no confidence" in the Hamas ministry figures. While the exact toll from the war in Gaza is unclear, the depth of the suffering is not in question. Entire neighborhoods have been razed, overflowing hospitals carry out procedures without anesthetic, and residents have been forced to use ice cream trucks as makeshift morgues. "They're not waging war on Hamas, they're waging war on children," raged Abu Ali Zaarab, after his family home was bombed in the southern town of Rafah. "It's a massacre." About 1.4 million people -- more than half the population -- have been displaced, according to the United Nations. The UN says 12 of the territory's 35 hospitals have closed due to damage or insufficient fuel, and a key UN aid agency serving almost 600,000 Palestinians "began to significantly reduce its operations." Israel has cut off Gaza's normal supply corridors for water, food, and other necessities, and fewer than 70 relief trucks have entered the impoverished territory since the war began. None contained fuel, which Israel fears Hamas will use for rockets and explosives. Aid agencies have warned that more people will die if medical equipment, water desalination plants, and ambulances stop operating because of a lack of fuel. Once the generators stop, hospitals will "turn into morgues", the Red Cross has warned. Hospitals are also struggling with a shortage of medicines and equipment. "There's not enough anesthetic," said Ahmad Abdul Hadi, an orthopedic surgeon working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. "The wounded are in severe pain but we can't wait for the procedure, so we're forced to do the operation. We performed a number of surgeries without anesthetic. It's tough and painful, but with the lack of resources, what can we do?" A regional 'explosion' The war has sparked fears of a regional conflagration if it draws in more of Israel's enemies. Since October 7, Israel has launched thousands of reprisal strikes in Gaza, but it has also hit targets in Lebanon and Syria. Late Wednesday, Lebanon-based Hezbollah fired what Israel said was a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli drone. Israel's military said it had intercepted the missile and "struck the source of the launch" in retaliation. Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria's government are backed by Iran, which denies Israel's right to exist. Tehran's top diplomat on Wednesday accused Israel of carrying out "genocide" in Gaza. Jordan's King Abdullah became the latest leader to warn that ongoing violence could "lead to an explosion" in the region. His wife Queen Rania accused Western leaders of a "glaring double standard" for not condemning Israel's killing of Palestinian civilians in its bombardment of Gaza. Violence has also risen sharply in the occupied West Bank, where health officials said more than 100 Palestinians had been killed, mostly in raids by Israeli troops or in clashes with Israeli settlers. The post Netanyahu says Israel ‘preparing’ Gaza ground war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden discusses Mideast war with Western allies — White House
US President Joe Biden discussed the Israel-Hamas war Sunday with leaders of major Western powers, the White House said, as Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza. Biden spoke with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. "The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians," a White House readout of the discussions said. It said the leaders discussed their own citizens trapped in the Israel-Hamas war, "in particular those wishing to leave Gaza." Fighting raged unchecked and scores more were killed in air strikes by Israel in Gaza as the humanitarian situation in the enclave worsened. Another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived in Gaza as the Hamas-run territory faced "catastrophic" shortages. Hamas militants stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The readout said the Western leaders voiced commitment to coordinate "to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs." They also pledged close diplomatic coordination "to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace." In addition to Biden, those on the call included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the White House said. The post Biden discusses Mideast war with Western allies — White House appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war
The first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a "godawful nightmare". Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has retaliated with a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. An Israeli siege has cut food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the densely populated and long-blockaded territory of 2.4 million people, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. The crossing -- the only one into Gaza not controlled by Israel -- closed again after the trucks passed. The lorries had been waiting for days on the Egyptian side after Israel agreed to a request from its main ally the United States to allow aid to enter. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the relief supplies were "the difference between life and death" for many Gazans, more than one million of whom have been displaced. "Much more" aid needs to be sent, he told a peace summit in Egypt on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the aid and urged "all parties" to keep the Rafah crossing open. But a Hamas spokesman said "even dozens" of such convoys could not meet Gaza's needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute the supplies to those in need. 'Reeling in pain' Tens of thousands of Israeli troops have deployed to the Gaza border ahead of an expected ground offensive that officials have pledged will begin "soon". As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders. "The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare," Guterres told the summit, calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". The region "is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice", he said. Guterres said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight". But he stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". "Those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he added. Egypt, historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has urged "restraint" and the relaunch of the long-frozen peace process. But diplomatic efforts to end the violence have made little headway, without the participation of Israel and its enemy Iran, a supporter of Hamas and other armed groups. 'Sliver of hope' A full-blown Israeli ground offensive carries many risks, including to the hostages Hamas took and whose fate is shrouded in uncertainty. So the release of two Americans among the hostages -- mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan -- offered a rare "sliver of hope", said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, for its mediation in securing the release. He said he was working "around the clock" to win the return of other Americans being held. Natalie Raanan's half-brother Ben told the BBC he felt an "overwhelming sense of joy" at the release after "the most horrible of ordeals". Hamas said Egypt and Qatar had negotiated the release and that it was "working with all mediators to implement the movement's decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow". Traumatised families with loved ones missing in Gaza demanded more action. "We ask humanity to interfere and bring back all those young boys, young girls, mothers, babies," Assaf Shem Tov, whose nephew was abducted from a music festival where Hamas killed hundreds, said Friday. Devastation Almost half of Gaza's residents have been displaced, and at least 30 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed or damaged, the United Nations says. Thousands have taken refuge in a camp set up in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Fadwa al-Najjar said she and her seven children walked for 10 hours to reach the camp, at some points breaking into a run as missiles struck around them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she told AFP. In Al-Zahra in central Gaza, Rami Abu Wazna was struggling to take in the destruction wreaked by Israeli missile strikes. "Even in my worst nightmares, I never thought this could be possible," he said. Israel's operation will take not "a day, nor a week, nor a month" and will result in "the end of Israel's responsibilities in the Gaza Strip", Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Friday. Regional tensions flare In Gaza, retired general Omar Ashour said the destruction was "part of a clear plan for people to have no place left to live". "This will cause a second Nakba," he added, referring to the 760,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled their homes when Israel was created in 1948. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, amid fears of a wider conflagration. Fire across Israel's border with Lebanon continued overnight, with one Israeli soldier killed, Israeli public radio said. The military said it hit Hezbollah targets after rocket and missile fire. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where 84 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The post First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gazans await ‘life and death’ aid, Israel readies invasion
Thousands of tonnes of "life and death" aid for Gaza should be delivered soon, the United Nations said Friday, to relieve a "beyond catastrophic" situation after unrelenting Israeli bombing in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack. Some 175 lorries stuffed with vital medicines, food, and water stretched into the distance at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which has removed concrete roadblocks and is scrambling to repair the route into besieged Gaza -- the only one not controlled by Israel. Overseeing operations personally, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: "These trucks are not just trucks, they are a lifeline, they are the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza." Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group launched a shock raid from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians shot, mutilated or burned to death, according to Israeli officials. Hamas gunmen also kidnapped some 200 hostages including foreigners from around two dozen countries. The Islamist group said Friday that its armed wing had released two Americans among the captives, a mother and her daughter, the first fruit of mediation efforts by the Gulf state of Qatar. The Islamist group did not detail how or when the hostages were released. The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive. It said more than 20 were minors. In response to the Hamas attack, Israeli bombers have levelled entire city blocks in Gaza in preparation for a ground invasion they say is coming soon. The Hamas-run health ministry said 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the onslaught. Israeli jets pounded more than 100 Hamas targets in Gaza overnight, the army said, with AFP reporters hearing loud explosions and witnessing plumes of smoke billowing from the northern Gaza Strip. Embracing front-line soldiers and clad in body armour, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to "fight like lions" and "win with full force". Fists clenched and voice raised, Netanyahu told cheering troops: "We will deal harsh blows to our enemies in order to achieve victory." Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told some of the tens of thousands of personnel preparing the ground invasion that "the order will come soon". 'Beyond catastrophic' US President Joe Biden said Friday he expected the first aid for Gaza to pass through the Rafah crossing from Egypt within the next two days, under a deal he clinched to allow in 20 trucks of supplies for civilians. Medicine, water purifiers and blankets were being unloaded at El Arish airport near Gaza, an AFP reporter saw, with Ahmed Ali, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent, saying he was getting "two to three planes of aid a day". But World Health Organization emergencies director Michael Ryan said Biden's 20-truck deal was "a drop in the ocean of need" and that 2,000 trucks were required. The UN says more than one million of Gaza's 2.4 million people are displaced, with the humanitarian situation "beyond catastrophic" and deteriorating daily. Refugees from northern Gaza told harrowing tales of bombs, profiteering and extreme temperatures as whole families trekked on foot to flee the violence. Mother of seven Fadwa Al-Najjar walked for 10 hours with her family from northern Gaza to reach a UN camp in the southern city of Khan Yunis, saying she saw cars hit by a strike just in front of them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she said. 'It's unimaginable' On the other side of the conflict, the full horror of what Israel suffered on October 7 and following days was still emerging, as traumatised residents recounted their stories. Shachar Butler, a security chief at the Nir Oz kibbutz, where Hamas militants killed or kidnapped a quarter of the 400 residents, recalls more than a dozen gunmen spraying bullets indiscriminately and lobbing grenades at homes. "It's unimaginable," the 40-year-old told AFP as part of a trip organised by the Israeli military. "Anytime someone tried to touch my window, I shot him," he said. "The people who came out got kidnapped, killed, executed, slaughtered." Butler estimated as many as 200 militants attacked the kibbutz, entering from three sides before going house-to-house. Homes there were still charred with burnt personal belongings strewn everywhere. Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control. 'No safe place' Biden requested a massive $105 billion security package Friday, including $14 billion for Israel, but paralysis in the still speakerless Congress means it will hit an immediate wall. Fresh from a whirlwind trip to Israel this week, Biden is hoping to staunch the possibility of a wider Middle East war. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, from getting involved. After days of clashes with Hezbollah fighters along the Lebanese border, Israeli authorities announced the evacuation of Kiryat Shmona, a nearby town which is home to some 25,000 residents, many of whom have already left. The conflict has inflamed passions across the region, with protests held in several countries. Thousands flooded into Egypt's iconic Tahrir Square in support of Gaza, an AFP correspondent said. Protests were also held outside the French and US embassies in Tunis. Following a strike at a church compound late Thursday, the Hamas-controlled interior ministry said several people sheltering at the church were killed and wounded, blaming an Israeli strike. The Israeli army acknowledged a church wall had been damaged in one of its air strikes targeting a "command and control centre belonging to a Hamas terrorist". "This place is dedicated for praying, a place of love and peace," said witness Abu Khalil Jahshan. "There is no safe place here in Gaza." The post Gazans await ‘life and death’ aid, Israel readies invasion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden fears US chaos could hit Ukraine aid
President Joe Biden admitted Wednesday he was worried that political turmoil in Washington could threaten US aid to Ukraine, urging Republicans to stop their infighting and back "critically important" assistance for Kyiv. Biden added that he would soon be giving a major speech on the need to support Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion after the chaos in Washington alarmed US allies. "It does worry me," Biden told reporters when asked whether the ousting of Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy by hardliners in his own party could derail more funds for Ukraine's war effort. "But I know there are a majority of members of the House and Senate of both parties who have said that they support funding Ukraine." A last-gasp deal in Congress to avoid a US government shutdown at the weekend contained no fresh funding for Ukraine, and hopes for a quick solution have been further complicated by McCarthy's exit on Tuesday. The contenders to replace him hold a range of views but among them is hard-right Republican Jim Jordan, who has been notably skeptical on funding Ukraine. The timing is critical, with the White House warning that aid could run out within months just as Ukraine tries to push forward its slow-moving offensive against Russia before winter sets in. Biden indicated there was "another means by which we may be able to find funding" without congressional approval, but would not give further details. The president will get a briefing on Ukraine from his national security team on Thursday, the first to feature the new top US military officer, General Charles "CQ" Brown, the White House added. 'Keep our commitment' The president's comments reflected a change of tone, as Biden had told allies in a call on Tuesday that he was "confident" of getting fresh aid passed, according to the White House. The US president said he would now make the case for the importance of helping Ukraine as it battles the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022. "I'm going to be announcing very shortly a major speech I'm going to make on this issue, and why it's critically important for the United States and our allies that we keep our commitment," Biden said. Biden declined to say when he would make the speech. Russia has said that the questions over the future of US aid reflect growing fatigue in the West over its support for Ukraine. But the White House insisted that there were no cracks in the alliance when Biden spoke to the leaders of key European allies and others on Tuesday. "None of them brought up that they were concerned," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. "They have their own domestic political issues that they have to deal with as well." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was among those who spoke with Biden, said on Wednesday he was "convinced" of continued US support for Ukraine. The United States is by far the biggest supporter of Kyiv, committing more than $43 billion in military assistance to Kyiv so far, while Congress has approved a total of $113 billion in aid including humanitarian help. Without new aid being approved, the funding could run out in a "couple of months," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. In a statement Wednesday, the US military said it had given Ukraine's armed forces more than 1 million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition. But the White House's Jean-Pierre said she "wouldn't connect" this with concerns over the future of US aid. The post Biden fears US chaos could hit Ukraine aid appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. speaker faces bipartisan pressure
United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing renewed pressure from both Democrats and Republican partymates after averting a federal government shutdown over the weekend with a 45-day stopgap funding law. US President Joe Biden on Sunday called on McCarthy to avoid another shutdown drama when the 45-day stopgap deal agreed on Saturday runs out. “I’m sick and tired of the brinksmanship,” Biden said, speaking from the Roosevelt Room at the White House. “The brinksmanship has to end. There shouldn’t be another crisis.” Biden made the call as he assured Ukraine that the US will not abandon it. An 11th-hour deal by Congress late Saturday contained no new war-time aid for Ukraine as part of a compromise between Republicans and Democrats. “I want to assure our American allies, the American people and the people in Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away,” Biden said in an address from the White House. Meanwhile, leading hardline Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz said Sunday he would move to oust McCarthy for striking the deal that was without the spending cuts demanded by the right-wing caucus. “I do intend to file a motion to vacate Speaker McCarthy this week,” Congressman Matt Gaetz told CNN. “I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy,” Gaetz added, but acknowledging that the speaker may retain his post if Democrats bail him out. In addition to Democratic support, pro-McCarthy Republicans will work to prevent his ouster. Republican Mike Lawler told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that “the only responsible thing to do was to keep the government open and funded while we complete our work.” “By putting this motion to vacate on the floor, you know what Matt Gaetz is going to do? He’s going to delay the ability to complete that work over the next 45 days,” Lawler said. If Congress had failed to keep the government open, the closures would have begun just after midnight (0400 GMT Sunday) and would have delayed salaries for millions of federal employees and military personnel. Among other immediate effects, the majority of national parks would have been shuttered to the public from Sunday. The stopgap measure buys legislators time to negotiate full-year spending bills for the rest of fiscal 2024. WITH AFP The post U.S. speaker faces bipartisan pressure appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ukraine left out in cold by US shutdown deal
The future of US aid for Ukraine hangs in the balance after a last-gasp deal to avoid a government shutdown, despite President Joe Biden's attempts to reassure Kyiv it will get what it needs to fight Russia. Barely a week after President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington appealing for more funds, the compromise struck in Congress late Sunday dropped new funding for Ukraine amid opposition from hardline Republicans. Biden and his Democratic party say America has a duty to help Ukraine stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion, warning that a failure to do so could embolden other autocrats in the future. But the issue has become so politicized in Washington that the fate of vital military aid is now in jeopardy, just as Kyiv tries to make progress in its sluggish counteroffensive before winter sets in. Biden urged Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday to "stop the games" and said he "fully expects" him to secure passage of a separate bill for Ukraine funding soon. "I want to assure our American allies, the American people, and the people in Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away," Biden said in an address from the White House. Ukraine played down the blow, saying Sunday it was "actively working with its American partners" to ensure new wartime aid. Josep Borrell, the top diplomat for the European Union -- a major US partner in delivering aid to Ukraine -- said the bloc was "surprised" by the last-minute deal and "regret (the US decision) deeply, thoroughly." "I have a hope that this will not be a definitive decision and Ukraine will continue having the support of the US," he said. The post Ukraine left out in cold by US shutdown deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden vows Ukraine support, urges Republicans to stop ‘games’
President Joe Biden on Sunday vowed the United States would not abandon Ukraine despite aid being dropped from a deal to avoid a government shutdown, urging Republicans to "stop the games" on funding. "I want to assure our American allies, the American people, and the people in Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away," Biden said in an address from the White House. Biden said there was an "overwhelming sense of urgency" to get Congress to pass a new package of assistance to Ukraine in the days and weeks to come as it battles the Russian invasion. An 11th-hour deal by Congress late Saturday to avoid a US government shutdown contained no new war-time aid for Ukraine as part of a compromise between Republicans and Democrats. Democrat Biden lashed out at Republicans and called on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid another shutdown drama when the 45-day stopgap deal agreed on Saturday runs out. "I'm sick and tired of the brinksmanship," Biden said, speaking from the Roosevelt Room at the White House. "The brinksmanship has to end. There shouldn't be another crisis." The post Biden vows Ukraine support, urges Republicans to stop ‘games’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini
Iranians at home and abroad marked the first anniversary Saturday of the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, with activists speaking of a renewed crackdown to prevent any resurgence of the protests which rocked major cities last year. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died a few days after her arrest by religious police for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in force since shortly after the 1979 revolution. Her family says she died from a blow to the head but this is disputed by Iranian authorities. Anger over her death rapidly expanded into weeks of taboo-breaking protests which saw women tearing off their mandatory headscarves in an open challenge to the Islamic republic's system of government under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But after several months, they lost momentum in the face of a crackdown that saw security forces kill 551 protesters, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), and arrest more than 22,000, according to Amnesty International. Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as "riots" incited by foreign governments and hostile media. Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases. Campaigners say the authorities have renewed their crackdown in the runup to the anniversary, putting pressure on relatives of those killed in the protests in a bid to stop them speaking out. New York-based Human Rights Watch said family members of at least 36 people killed or executed in the crackdown had been interrogated, arrested, prosecuted or sentenced to prison over the past month. "Iranian authorities are trying to impose a chokehold on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Mahsa Jina Amini's death in custody, which has become the symbol of the government's systematic oppression of women, injustice and impunity," said HRW's senior Iran researcher, Tara Sepehri Far. 'Repressive forces' deployed The two journalists who did the most to publicize the Amini case –- Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi who respectively reported from her hospital and funeral –- have been held in prison for almost a year. Another reporter, Nazila Maroufian who interviewed Amini's father Amjad, has been arrested repeatedly. Amjad Amini has told Persian media based outside Iran that he plans to hold a commemoration for his daughter in their hometown of Saqez in Kurdish-populated western Iran later Saturday. Outlets, including Prague-based Radio Farda, said he was summoned by intelligence officials after his announcement. He was not arrested but one of Amini's uncles, Safa Aeli, was detained in Saqez on 5 September. According to Kurdish-focused news outlet Hengaw, the government has sent additional security forces to Saqez and other towns in western Iran that could become flashpoints. On Saturday, Hengaw said, "repressive forces" were deployed around the Amini family residence in Saqez. It posted photos on X, formerly Twitter, showing armed men in fatigues on the streets of Saqez, as well as video of shops shuttered and on strike to mark the anniversary in Saqez, Sanandaj and other cities of Kurdistan province. 'Doubling down' While some women are still seen walking in public without headscarves, particularly in wealthy, traditionally liberal areas of north Tehran, the conservative-dominated parliament is currently considering a draft law that would impose far stiffer penalties for non-compliance. "The Islamic republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls," said Sara Hossain, the chair of the UN fact-finding mission set up to investigate the crackdown. Under the slogan "Say her name!", Iranian emigres are expected to hold commemorative rallies, with large demonstrations expected in Paris and Toronto. Amnesty International accused Iran's authorities of committing a "litany of crimes under international law to eradicate any challenge to their iron grip on power" and lamented that not a single official had been even investigated over Amini's death or the crackdown. "The anniversary offers a stark reminder for countries around the world of the need to initiate criminal investigations into the heinous crimes committed by the Iranian authorities under universal jurisdiction," said Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Diana Eltahawy. On the eve of the anniversary, Iran's arch-foe the United States and its Western allies including Britain and the European Union imposed new sanctions on the Islamic republic over its protest crackdown. Announcing the measures, US President Joe Biden led international calls in solidarity with Iranians on the anniversary of Amini's death. "Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but the United States remains committed to standing with them," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani slammed the Western countries' "illegal and undiplomatic actions" in a statement late Friday. The post Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden leads US tech push in Vietnam
President Joe Biden and senior executives from top US tech firms including Google and Intel met Vietnamese business leaders Monday after the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation as Washington seeks to counter China's growing clout. Biden and Vietnam's ruling Communist Party chief -- the country's paramount leader -- struck a "comprehensive strategic partnership" as Washington pushes to boost its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific. The United States sees manufacturing dynamo Vietnam as an important part of its plan to decrease reliance on China for supplies of strategic resources, and the new pact includes agreements on semiconductors and rare earths. Executives from tech behemoth Google, chip makers Intel and GlobalFoundries, and aviation giant Boeing joined Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for an "innovation and investment summit". They held talks with senior figures from a host of leading Vietnamese tech and manufacturing companies including electric car maker VinFast, internet firm VNG and digital wallet Momo. At the talks, Biden announced that flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines had agreed a $7.8-billion deal with Boeing to buy 50 medium-haul 737 airliners. Other deals announced include Microsoft developing a "generative AI-based solution tailored for Vietnam" and NVIDIA teaming up with local companies to deploy artificial intelligence in the cloud, automotive and healthcare sectors. Semiconductor security The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production, including by funding workforce training. Tiny semiconductors are vital to modern life, found in every electronic device from children's toys and smartphones to electric cars and sophisticated weapon systems. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and AI. With Washington looking to diversify and strengthen its supply chains after a series of shocks hit the global economy, it is increasingly looking to Vietnam, which has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths -- another strategically vital resource -- after China. The White House highlighted US investment in chipmaking in Vietnam, pointing to a new $1.6 billion factory near Hanoi due to start operations soon. China difficulties Biden insisted Sunday that he did not want to "contain" China, but accused Beijing of seeking to change the rules of the international order. And in their joint statement, Biden and Trong launched a fresh broadside at Beijing in the sprawling, multi-state territorial row over the South China Sea. They warned against "threat or the use of force", days after the latest clash involving Chinese vessels, and insisted the competing claims to the strategic waterway must be settled under international norms. Beijing claims almost the entire sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. The president met Chinese Premier Li Qiang -- the country's number two leader -- on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi on Sunday. Biden said the major economic problems Beijing was wrestling with would limit its scope for action, particularly on Taiwan -- which China regards as a renegade province. "China has a difficult economic problem right now for a whole range of reasons that relate to the international growth and lack thereof and the policies that China has followed," he said, pointing to high youth unemployment and real estate issues. "I don't think it's going to cause China to invade Taiwan. As a matter of fact, the opposite -- it probably doesn't have the same capacity that it had before." Vietnam has its own squabbles with Beijing, notably over the contested South China Sea. Hanoi's state media on Monday hailed the deal with former war foe the United States as "historic". Biden will end his visit by paying his respects at a memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US Senator shot down in Hanoi as a pilot during the Vietnam War. The post Biden leads US tech push in Vietnam appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam warn against ‘threat or use of force’ in South China Sea
The United States and Vietnam warned on Monday against the "threat or use of force" in the disputed South China Sea, days after the latest clash involving Chinese vessels. President Joe Biden and Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said the competing claims on the strategic waterway must be settled under international norms. Beijing claims almost the entire sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. "The leaders underscored their unwavering support for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, without the threat or use of force," Biden and Trong said in a joint statement. They also called for "freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea". The statement came a day after Biden and Trong struck a deal to deepen cooperation, widely seen as a way to counter China's growing assertiveness in the region. Washington is at loggerheads with Beijing on a range of issues including trade, security, human rights and climate change and is looking to boost its network of allies to counter Chinese influence. Vietnam, which fought a war with China between 1979 and 1988, is wary of its giant northern neighbor, and is one of a handful of countries with claims on the many islets and outcrops that dot the South China Sea. Last week the Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard and "militia" boats of harassing two of its own coast guard vessels as they took supplies to Filipino troops on the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine Navy deliberately grounded an old ship on the shoal in 1999 to check China's advance in the waters. China deploys hundreds of vessels to patrol the South China Sea and swarm reefs. The Philippines, a longtime US ally, has outposts on nine reefs and islands in the Spratly Islands -- which Vietnam also claims along with the Paracel Islands. Manila says Chinese coast guard and navy ships routinely block or shadow Philippine boats in the contested waters. Tensions between Manila and Beijing flared last month when China Coast Guard vessels used water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to the reef, preventing one of the boats from delivering its cargo. pdw/aph/ser © Agence France-Presse The post US, Vietnam warn against ‘threat or use of force’ in South China Sea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden widens web of US alliances faced with China, Russia, Trump
With a historic three-way summit with Japan and South Korea, President Joe Biden has further deepened the web of US partnerships in a determined signal to adversaries despite question marks on the political climate at home. Since Biden took office in 2021, NATO has expanded and mostly closed ranks over Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- and, in clear if unstated responses to an assertive China, the United States forged a new three-way defense pact with Australia and Britain and ramped up work through the four-way Quad involving Australia, India and Japan. The United States already has security alliances with Japan and South Korea, together the bases for some 84,500 troops, but will now also plan three-way, multi-year military exercises across all domains along with real-time information-sharing and a crisis hotline. Jon Alterman, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that alliances were "baked" into the mindset of Biden, who was a senator at the end of the Cold War. Partnerships can increase other countries' faith in the direction of the United States, Alterman added. "This administration believes deeply in the centrality -- not the importance, the centrality -- of partnerships," he said. "The challenge is, all of our partners remember the previous administration, they look at the polling numbers, and they have absolutely no confidence in where the US is going to be in two years' time, five years' time or 10 years' time," he said. Previous president Donald Trump loudly questioned the value of alliances, insisting that countries such as Germany and South Korea were not paying enough for the US troop presence and scoffing at NATO's commitments of mutual defense to all allies. Trump is again seeking the White House and recent opinion polls have also shown softening support for US military assistance to Ukraine, which has totaled $43 billion since Russia's attack. Asked about Trump at a news conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Camp David presidential retreat, Biden said that his predecessor's "America First policy, walking away from the rest of the world, has made us weaker, not stronger." "America is strong with our allies and our alliances, and that's why we will endure," Biden said. Tougher task in Asia Whereas in Europe the United States has led a common defense for decades under NATO, in Asia -- seen by Biden as the critical region -- Washington has navigated individual alliances with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and Thailand. One reason for the hodgepodge has been historical animosity between Japan and South Korea, with the Camp David summit until recently unthinkable. Yoon has turned the page by resolving a dispute over Japan's wartime forced labor of Koreans. Yoon, Kishida and Biden said they shared the same vision of a "rules-based international order" -- a nod to China's muscle-flexing in Asia but also to Ukraine, of which Japan and South Korea have been prominent non-Western supporters. China denounced the Camp David initiative, with state media saying the United States was raising tensions by creating a "mini-NATO," although there was no three-way mutual defense promise. Shihoko Goto, acting director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center, doubted that the three countries were even aspiring to collective self-defense but said their new cooperation was part of an "interweaving" with existing alliance arrangements. "As a single thread it may be weak, but because it is going to be part of that fabric and making it into a multi-layered approach, it would actually be really strong," she said. Risks await Biden has also moved bilaterally with countries concerned about Russia and China. He has said he plans to travel shortly to boost ties with Vietnam, whose tensions with Beijing run deep. But one of his big bets, India, has stood firm on its historic refusal to join alliances and is also taking part this week in a summit with Russia and China of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies. Trump is not the only wild card for the future. In South Korea, Yoon is only allowed a single term, which ends in 2027. "If an ultra-leftist South Korean president and an ultra-right wing Japanese leader are elected in their next cycles, or even if Trump or someone like him wins in the US, then any one of them could derail all the meaningful, hard work the three countries are putting in right now," said Duyeon Kim, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. The post Biden widens web of US alliances faced with China, Russia, Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S.Korea in face of China
US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea said Friday they saw a "new chapter" of close three-way security cooperation as the Asian allies joined a first-of-a-kind summit that has already rattled China. Going tieless at the bucolic Camp David presidential retreat, Biden praised the "political courage" of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in turning the page on historical animosity. "Your leadership, with the full support of the United States, has brought us here because each of you understands that our world stands at an inflection point," Biden told a joint news conference in the wooded hills outside Washington. Biden insisted the summit was not about China, which has been flexing its muscle both at home and in Asia under President Xi Jinping, including with major exercises around self-ruling Taiwan. But in a joint statement, the three leaders said they opposed the "dangerous and aggressive behavior" of China in maritime disputes in the East and South China Sea. "We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific," it said. The two US allies largely see eye to eye on the world -- and together are the base for some 84,500 US troops -- but such a summit would have been unthinkable until recently due to the legacy of Japan's harsh 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula. But Yoon, taking political risks at home, has turned the page by resolving a dispute over wartime forced labor, and is now calling Japan a partner at a time of high tensions with both China and North Korea. Yoon said he hoped to be "forward-looking" and called the summit a "historic day" in bringing a "firm institutional basis" to the three nations' joint relationship. The three leaders also agreed to a multi-year plan of regular exercises in all domains, going beyond one-off drills in response to North Korea, and made a formal "commitment to consult" during crises, with Biden saying they would open a hotline. The leaders also agreed to share real-time data on North Korea and to hold summits every year. Camp David marks the first time the three countries' leaders have met for a standalone summit, not on the sidelines of a larger event, and is the first diplomatic event since 2015 at the resort, which is synonymous with Middle East peacemaking. 'You can never become a Westerner' Even if Biden said the summit did not target China, Rahm Emanuel, the blunt-speaking US ambassador to Japan, took another tone when he previewed the meeting, saying the three nations were defying China with the United States showing, "We are the rising power; they are declining." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two economically developed Northeast Asian democracies instead to work with Beijing to "revitalize East Asia." "No matter how blond you dye your hair or how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," he said in a video shared on official media. "We must know where our roots lie," he said. But China's pressure tactics have led to a sharp deterioration in its favorability in Japan and South Korea, which have traditionally been more discreet than the United States in their comments. Tensions have also risen with North Korea, which has launched a volley of missiles in recent months and is feared to respond to the summit with new action. The leaders' joint statement renewed a call on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and urged all nations to enforce sanctions. As the Camp David summit opened, North Korea said it had scrambled jets in response to what it called a US spy plane's incursion. Global allies The summit also set its focus beyond North Korea and even Asia. Tokyo and Seoul have offered a major boost to Ukraine as major non-Western powers joining pressure against Russia's invasion. Kishida said greater cooperation with South Korea was "almost inevitable" in light of the "crisis" in the world order. "Due to Russia's aggression of Ukraine, the international order is shaken from its foundation. The unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas are continuing and the nuclear and missile threats of North Korea are only becoming even greater," Kishida said. The summit aims to institutionalize three-way cooperation to make it difficult for any reversal by a future leader -- a South Korean president who again seizes on hostility with Japan or, potentially, a return of Donald Trump, who has disparaged US troop commitments overseas as wasteful. To the surprise of many observers, Yoon's embrace of Japan has drawn relatively muted protests at home. Yoon, a conservative, has quickly become a close US ally, with Biden welcoming him for a rare state visit in which the South Korean leader regaled the audience by singing "American Pie." But Yoon is constitutionally prohibited from serving more than a single term, which ends in 2027. The post Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S.Korea in face of China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S. Korea in face of China
US President Joe Biden on Friday hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan as the allies unveiled new three-way security cooperation at a first-of-a-kind summit that has already rattled China. Going tieless in the Camp David presidential retreat, Biden praised the "political courage" of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in turning the page on historical animosity. "Our countries are stronger -- and the world will be safer -- as we stand together. I know that's a belief that we all three share," he told them as he opened the talks in the mountains west of Washington. Biden said the three would pursue "this new era of cooperation and renew our resolve to serve as a force of good across the Indo-Pacific and, quite frankly, around the world." The two treaty-bound US allies largely see eye to eye on the world -- and together are the base for some 84,500 US troops -- but such a summit would have been unthinkable until recently due to the legacy of Japan's harsh 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula. But Yoon, taking political risks at home, has turned the page by resolving a dispute over wartime forced labor, and now calling Japan a partner at a time of high tensions with both China and North Korea. "Today will be remembered as a historic day, where we established a firm institutional basis and commitments to the trilateral partnership," Yoon said. The three leaders will agree to a multi-year plan of regular exercises in all domains, going beyond one-off drills in response to North Korea, and will announce a "commitment to consult" during crises, said Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor. The leaders will also agree to share real-time data on North Korea and to hold summits every year, officials said. Camp David marks the first time the three countries' leaders have met for a standalone summit, not on the sidelines of a larger event, and is the first diplomatic event since 2015 at the resort, which is synonymous with Middle East peacemaking. You can never become Westerner Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, said the summit would have an "affirmative vision" on how the countries can deliver together and was "not taking aim at a country." But Rahm Emanuel, the blunt-speaking US ambassador to Japan, took another tone when he previewed the summit, saying that the three powers "created something that is exactly what China was hoping would never happen." For Emanuel, the former congressman turned ambassador, China should understand one thing: "We are the rising power; they are declining." China has flexed its muscle both at home and in Asia under President Xi Jinping, exerting disputed maritime claims and carrying out major exercises near Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two economically developed Northeast Asian democracies instead to work with Beijing to "revitalize East Asia." "No matter how blond you dye your hair or how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," he said in a video shared on official media. "We must know where our roots lie," he said. But China's pressure tactics have led to a sharp deterioration in its favorability in Japan and South Korea, which have traditionally been more discreet than the United States in their comments. Tensions have also risen with North Korea, which has launched a volley of missiles in recent months and is feared to respond with new action in response to the summit. As the Camp David summit opened, North Korea said it had scrambled jets in response to what it called a US spy plane's incursion. Global allies But the summit hopes to move beyond a focus on North Korea or even just Asia. Tokyo and Seoul have offered a major boost to Ukraine as major non-Western powers join pressure against Russia's invasion. The summit aims to institutionalize three-way cooperation to make it difficult for any reversal by a future leader -- a South Korean president who again seizes on hostility with Japan or, potentially, a return of Donald Trump, who has disparaged US troop commitments overseas as wasteful. To the surprise of many observers, Yoon's embrace of Japan has drawn relatively muted protests at home. Both Japanese and South Koreans feel that there are "a number of fundamentally aligned values and interests that should bring them together," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior director for East Asia and Oceania on the National Security Council. Yoon, a conservative, has quickly become a close US ally, with Biden welcoming him for a rare state visit in which the South Korean leader regaled the audience by singing "American Pie." But Yoon is constitutionally prohibited from serving more than a single term, which ends in 2027. The post Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S. Korea in face of China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan scrambles jets after Russian planes spotted off coasts
Japan scrambled fighter jets on Friday after Russian patrol aircraft were seen off the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, the country's Joint Staff said. Two planes flew along the coast between Japan's central and southern regions, passing through the Tsushima Strait and returning the same way, the Joint Staff said in a brief statement. Japan's Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets "were scrambled in response," it said. The military also scrambled jets in May against Russian intelligence-gathering planes. The move comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet US President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol in a summit at the Camp David presidential retreat on Friday. The leaders will agree to a new three-way crisis hotline and regular military drills and agree to hold trilateral summits each year. Japan has joined Western allies in sanctioning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and warned of the threat posed by Russia. Its latest security document, which once called for enhanced ties and cooperation with Russia, now warns that Moscow's joint military drills with China pose a concern. Last month, the two countries carried out their joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan and conducted a joint patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea in June. Japan scrambled jets 778 times in 2022, including 150 against Russia -- the lowest number since 2013 -- according to the Joint Staff. The post Japan scrambles jets after Russian planes spotted off coasts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»