Manila should strengthen coordination with Southeast Asian nations on its policy towards China, a retired Philippine naval officer said on Monday, as engagement with Washington alone risks potential stronger resistance by Beijing over the contested South China Sea. “I believe that we made some mistakes … we could have engaged at least most of the…
Israeli airstrikes Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured dozens in central Beirut as diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the death toll in the country’s capital could rise as emergency responders dig through the rubble looking for survivors. DNA tests are being used to identify…
China said it rejected a bilateral defense ministers’ meeting with the United States because Washington disrespected its “core interests” by continuing weapon sales to Taiwan. The Pentagon said on Wednesday that China had rejected U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin‘s proposal to meet his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ two-day…
China on Thursday defended its rejection of a defence chiefs’ meeting with the United States, blaming it on Washington’s support for Taipei. Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun on Wednesday reportedly declined to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the margins of a regional security meeting in Laos. Austin said the decision was “unfortunate ……
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian defense chiefs met Thursday with China, the United States and other partner nations in Laos for security talks, which come as Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance in its claim to most of the South China Sea is leading to more confrontations. The closed-door talks put U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd…
VIENTIANE – Southeast Asian defense chiefs and representatives are meeting in the Laotian capital on Wednesday for security talks at a time of increasing maritime disputes with China in the Asia-Pacific and as the transition to a new U.S. president looms. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was set to join the meetings of the…
U.S. Marines will take part in joint training with Japanese and Australian forces in northern Australia, the three countries’ defense ministers announced Sunday as they expressed concern about a spate of confrontations with China’s increasingly assertive military. Australia’s acting Prime Minister Richard Marles hosted U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving to the Kursk region near Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing development. Austin was speaking at a press conference in Washington with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as concerns…
The deployment of North Korean troops to back Russia’s war efforts marks a significant shift in global dynamics by bridging European and Indo-Pacific security theatres in unprecedented ways, observers warn. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin confirmed on Wednesday that 3,000 soldiers were sent to Russia – a development first disclosed by Ukraine and South…
“I’m delighted to report that we are firmly on track to delivering [on] the €40 billion pledge for the coming year as agreed in Washington,” Rutte told a press conference on Wednesday, referring to the NATO leaders’ summit in July. “I can announce today that NATO allies committed €20.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine during…