Building a US-Philippines alliance strong enough to transcend presidential politics.
Welcome to VOA Asia Weekly. I'm Chris Casquejo in Washington. That story is just ahead, but first, making headlines:
45 ex-lawmakers and activists left a Hong Kong court Tuesday. They’ve been sentenced up to 10 years in prison in the city’s biggest case under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Prosecutors said activists aimed to paralyze Hong Kong’s government. Supporters say the trials are an assault on democracy.
“Of course it will silence more people.”
A driver crashed an SUV into a crowd of students, Tuesday. It happened outside a primary school in Hunan province, just as children were arriving at school. State media reported that many bystanders were injured. Authorities have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the incident. The crash comes just eight days after a driver killed 35 people in Zhuhai. It’s China’s third major attack this month.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted more than 70 animals, including an African lion and two brown bears, to a zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov on Monday, state media reported. Kim said the meeting aimed to boost trade and scientific ties between the two countries.
New Delhi shut down schools, banned construction, and restricted non-essential trucks this week as air pollution levels soared to more than 50 times above the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit.
Some 15,000 demonstrators poured into Wellington, New Zealand this week, shutting down busy streets for their "hikoi" march towards parliament. Protestors object to a proposed law to redefine the founding Treaty of Waitangi which reached a partnership with the native Maori people in 1840. The bill has almost no chance of passing.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the Philippines this week to highlight the expansion and modernization of the alliance in just a few short years. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has more.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin breaking ground in the Philippines for a military coordination center for the two allies.
Austin said America’s commitment to the Philippines is “ironclad,” and the alliance will transcend changes in U.S. presidential administrations.
“This is an important country, not only to me, but to people in both parties back in the United States."
Austin and his Philippine counterpart signed a new military agreement that allows both countries to share classified military information securely.
The two countries remain committed to a Mutual Defense Treaty signed in the 1950s, in which both agree to a joint response should either be attacked.
“The Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including our Coast Guards anywhere in the South China Sea."
A clear message to China, whose Coast Guard has used water cannon against Philippine ships and collided with a Philippine Coast Guard ship with American journalists on board.
China disputed the latter accusation, blaming the Philippine ship for the collision.
“China is a real and serious threat to the Philippines, and the Philippines understands the United States is it’s true economic and security partner of choice.”
Some view the intensified US-Philippines cooperation as a direct countermove to Chinese maritime maneuvers that deny Philippine boats access to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones.
“Pseudo military vessels disguised as Coast Guard vessels and maritime militia vessels in the areas in the West Philippine Sea. They have been very aggressive in their information operations against the Philippines."
China responded to the increased U.S.-Philippines cooperation by saying no military agreement should target any third party or exacerbate regional tensions.
Carla Babb, VOA News, The Pentagon.
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