Biden seeks closer ties with Philippines after 'rocky' past
President Joe Biden has pledged in his first face-to-face meeting with new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to work to strengthen relations with the key Pacific nation after what he acknowledged had been some “rocky times” in the past.
China's response to Pelosi visit a sign of future intentions
China’s response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was anything but subtle — dispatching warships and military aircraft to all sides of the self-governing island democracy, and firing ballistic missiles into the waters nearby.
China sending fighter jets to Thailand for joint exercises
The Chinese air force is sending fighter jets and bombers to Thailand for a joint exercise with the Thai military on Sunday. The training will include air support, strikes on ground targets and small- and large-scale troop deployment, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website. China's expanding military activities in the Asia-Pacific region have alarmed the United States and its allies and form part of a growing strategic and economic competition that has inflamed tensions between the world's two largest economies.
news.yahoo.comUS official says Solomon Islands leader 'missed opportunity'
The U.S. deputy secretary of state says the prime minister of the Solomon Islands “missed an important opportunity” by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.
US warns Solomon Islands of action over pact with China
Solomon Islands US FILE - The then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell speaks to the media at foreign ministry in Tokyo, Jan. 17, 2013. A U.S. delegation led by Campbell, the now National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, has arrived in the Solomon Islands to express its concerns that China could send military forces to the South Pacific nation and destabilize the region. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) (Shizuo Kambayashi)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday warned the Solomon Islands that the United States will take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should its recently concluded cooperation agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. The White House said the message was delivered directly to the country’s leadership by a visiting senior U.S. delegation. In a bid to deal with the matter, the U.S. proposed, and the Solomon Islands accepted, a proposal to launch a high-level strategic dialogue that would address mutual concerns.
wftv.comUS officials land in Solomons to discuss China pact concerns
Solomon Islands US FILE - The then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell speaks to the media at foreign ministry in Tokyo, Jan. 17, 2013. The broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for China to send in military forces, U.S. officials said. In an address to lawmakers this week, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the pact wouldn't undermine the peace and harmony of the region. China says the pact is about helping the Solomons maintain social order and providing humanitarian assistance. The embassy in Papua New Guinea said that the signing of the agreement with China doesn't change U.S. bonds with the people of Solomon Islands.
wftv.comUS warns Solomon Islands of action over pact with China
The Biden administration has warned the Solomon Islands that the United States will take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should its recently concluded cooperation agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.
Solomon Islands leader defends new security pact with China
The Solomon Islands prime minister has confirmed that his government has signed a new security agreement with China, but told lawmakers it would not undermine the peace and harmony of the region, as has been feared by the opposition and countries including the United States and Australia.
US officials heading to Solomons over China pact worries
The move comes after the Solomons and China initialed a draft agreement of a security pact last month, with the Solomons saying they would sign a final version soon. “Despite the Solomon Islands government’s comments, the broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for the deployment of P.R.C. (People’s Republic of China) military forces to the Solomon Islands,” Price said. The U.S. trip comes after a visit to the Solomons last week by Australian Sen. Zed Seselja, the minister for international development and the Pacific. Seselja said he met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and asked him to abandon the Chinese agreement.
wftv.comRussia blocks flights that avoid Belarusian airspace
Russia Thursday blocked at least two European planes from landing in Moscow because they planned to avoid Belarusian airspace after Belarus diverted a Lithuania-bound flight to detain a government dissident on Monday, U.S. News reports.Why it matters: The move comes after the EU told European airlines not to fly over Belarus, and appears to seek to undermine the bloc's response to the country's strongman leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeContext: EU leaders have described Lukashenko ordering the diversion of the Ryanair flight to arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich as a "hijacking," as did the CEO of Ryanair.Lukashenko claimed this week the action was necessary to quell a bomb threat.The UN's civil aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said in a statement the landing "could be in contravention of the Chicago Convention," a treaty protecting airspace sovereignty.The EU, in addition to telling European airlines not to fly over Belarus, banned Belarusian airlines and promised more economic sanctions on the country.The big picture: Russia on Thursday blocked an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna and an Air France flight from Paris from landing in Moscow.The Kremlin denied any involvement in the detention of Pratasevich but did not criticize Lukashenko's actions. Go deeper ... Biden: U.S. will coordinate with the EU on Belarus responseMore from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
news.yahoo.comBiden beefs up administration with Asia experts as the U.S. prepares to take on China
President Joe Biden has beefed up his foreign policy team with several experts on Asia — a move analysts said signals renewed efforts to raise U.S. standing in a region where China's influence is growing. The Biden administration has identified a rising and more assertive China as one of its biggest foreign policy challenges, and stressed the importance of allies in responding to the strategic competition posed by Beijing. China policy in 2021 I think is actually gonna be about ally policy. He was widely credited for the Obama administration's pivot to Asia — a strategy seen faltering during Donald Trump's term. Potential U.S. strategy in the Indo-PacificWhile the Biden administration has not laid out a foreign policy blueprint for Asia, Campbell offered some insights in an article he co-wrote for Foreign Affairs magazine last month.
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