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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 13 July 2022
U.S. warns it will defend ally if China breaks sea ruling

By JIM GOMEZ In addition to China and
Associated Press the Philippines, Vietnam,
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Malaysia, Taiwan and Bru-
U.S. Secretary of State Ant- nei have had overlapping
ony Blinken called on Chi- claims in the busy water-
na to comply with a 2016 way, where an estimated
arbitration ruling that invali- $5 trillion in goods passes
dated Beijing's vast territo- each year and which is be-
rial claims in the South Chi- lieved to be rich in under-
na Sea and warned that sea gas and oil deposits.
Washington is obligated to The potential flashpoint has
defend treaty ally Philip- become a key front of U.S.-
pines if its forces, vessels or China rivalry.
aircraft come under attack Washington lays no claim
in the disputed waters. to the disputed waters but
Blinken's statement, is- has deployed Navy ships
sued by the U.S. Embassy and Air Force jets to patrol
in Manila on Tuesday, was the waterway for decades
released on the sixth anni- and says freedom of navi-
versary of the 2016 decision gation and overflight is in
by an arbitration tribunal the U.S. national interest.
set up in The Hague under That has provoked an-
the U.N. Convention on gry reactions from China,
the Law of the Sea after Protesters hold slogans to mark the 6th anniversary of the issuance of the 2016 decision by an which has accused the
arbitration tribunal set up under the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea after the Philippines
the Philippine government complained against China's increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed sea during a rally U.S. of meddling in a purely
complained in 2013 about outside the Chinese consulate in Makati, Philippines, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Asian dispute and warned
China's increasingly ag- Associated Press it to stay away.
gressive actions in the dis- Philippine Foreign Secre-
puted waters. behavior," Blinken said, us- There was no immediate re- pact called a "code of tary Enrique Manalo said
China did not participate in ing the acronym for China's action from Beijing. But Chi- conduct" to turn the South Tuesday that the arbitra-
the arbitration, rejected its formal name, the People's nese Foreign Minister Wang China Sea "into a sea of tion ruling will be a pillar of
ruling as a sham and con- Republic of China. Yi told a news conference peace and cooperation." his new government's poli-
tinues to defy it, bringing "We also reaffirm that an in Malaysia's administra- "We will oppose bloc con- cy and actions in the dis-
it into territorial spats with armed attack on Philippine tive capital of Putrajaya frontation and Cold War puted region and rejected
the Philippines and other armed forces, public ves- that China is speeding up mentality," Wang told jour- attempts to undermine the
Southeast Asian claimant sels, or aircraft in the South talks with the Association nalists after meeting his "indisputable" decision.
states in recent years. China Sea would invoke of Southeast Asian Na- counterpart in Malaysia, "These findings are no lon-
"We call again on the PRC U.S. mutual defense com- tions, which includes the the last stop in his five-na- ger within the reach of
to abide by its obligations mitments" under the 1951 Philippines and three other tion swing through South- denial and rebuttal and
under international law U.S.-Philippines Mutual De- claimant states, to come east Asia. He did not take are conclusive as they are
and cease its provocative fense Treaty, Blinken said. up with a nonaggression any questions. indisputable.q

Israel grants more Palestinian permits ahead of Biden visit

Palestinians in the absence lack such status, forcing zoning plans for the West
of any peace process. The them to live under severe Bank. Israeli authorities
last serious peace talks movement restrictions. heavily restrict Palestinian
broke down more than a Israel said it would grant construction in the 60% of
decade ago. another 1,500 permits for the West Bank that is under
The latest measures were Palestinian laborers in Gaza full Israeli control and rou-
approved by Defense Min- to work inside Israel, bring- tinely demolish homes and
ister Benny Gantz, who met ing the total number to other structures built with-
with Palestinian President 15,500 — the highest since out hard-to-get Israeli per-
Mahmoud Abbas in the the Islamic militant group mits. Authorities also said
occupied West Bank last Hamas seized power in they would open a new
week to discuss coordina- Gaza from Abbas' forces 15 vehicular crossing in the
tion ahead of Biden's visit. years ago. Israel and Egypt northern West Bank.
Abbas' Palestinian Author- have imposed a crippling Israel captured the West
ity has limited rule over blockade on Gaza since Bank in the 1967 war and
Palestinian workers enter Israel after crossing from Gaza on the parts of the West Bank and then, the Palestinians want it to
Israeli side of Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip,
March. 27, 2022. cooperates with Israel on Israel says the blockade is form the main part of their
Associated Press security matters. needed to keep Hamas future state. The Biden ad-
Israel will allow an addi- — which is opposed to ministration says it supports
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel Biden's visit to the region tional 5,500 Palestinians to its very existence — from an eventual two-state so-
said Tuesday it would in- later this week. be added to the Palestin- arming itself. The Palestin- lution. But it has largely
crease the number of work Israel portrays such moves ian population registry — ians and rights groups view stood by as Israel expands
permits issued to Palestin- as confidence-building which it effectively controls the blockade as a form of its West Bank settlements,
ians in the Gaza Strip and measures aimed at reduc- — so they can get ID cards. collective punishment of where nearly 500,000 Jew-
allow thousands more Pal- ing tensions. Critics say they Rights groups say tens of Gaza's 2 million Palestinian ish settlers with special legal
estinians to gain legal sta- merely entrench its 55-year thousands of Palestinians residents. status live alongside some 3
tus ahead of President Joe military rule over millions of in the West Bank and Gaza Israel has also approved six million Palestinians.q