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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 1 augusT 2023
EU leader warn against China’s aggression in Asia

By JIM GOMEZ China seas and in the Tai-
Associated Press wan Strait directly affects
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippines and other part-
The leader of the European ners in the region,” the EU
Union’s executive commis- leader said. “But it could
sion cited Russia’s invasion also have global repercus-
of Ukraine to warn against sions because any weak-
China’s increasingly as- ening of regional stability in
sertive actions in disputed Asia...affects global secu-
Indo-Pacific waters and rity, the free flow of trade
against Taiwan and said and our own interests in the
Monday that the EU would region.”
not tolerate aggression in Beijing has turned seven
either region. disputed reefs into missile-
European Commission protected island bases in
President Ursula von der the last decade, further
Leyen spoke at a joint news alarming Western govern-
conference with Philippine ments and rival claimants,
President Ferdinand Mar- including the Philippines,
cos Jr. after holding talks in Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei
Manila that aimed to bol- and Taiwan.
ster trade, economic and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., second from right, claps beside European Commission China’s fleet of coast
security relations. President Ursula von der Leyen, second from left, after signing ceremonies at the Malacanang guard ships and swarms of
The leaders announced the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, Monday, July 31, 2023. militia boats have warned
27-nation bloc would re- Associated Press vessels from rival claimant
sume negotiations with the ereignty,” she said. cause an Indo-Pacific free Duterte over human rights. states and the U.S. military
Philippines on a free trade “This is why Europe sup- of the threats of coercion is It’s the first such top-level and its allies not to stray
agreement that stalled in ports Ukraine’s brave fight key to all our stability to our visit in nearly six decades into its claimed territories in
2017 under Marcos’s pre- against the aggressor, be- peace, and to the prosper- of Europe-Philippines rela- the disputed waters, which
decessor, Rodrigo Duterte. cause the illegal use of ity of our people.” tions. The EU leader later straddle one of the world’s
Von der Leyen also stressed force cannot be tolerated, Without naming China, von spoke more bluntly against busiest sea lanes and are
the need for security coop- not in Ukraine, not in the der Leyen reaffirmed the China at a business forum in believed to be sitting atop
eration, saying Russia’s full- Indo-Pacific,” von der Ley- EU’s recognition of a deci- Manila, where she warned undersea deposits of oil
scale invasion of Ukraine en said. “Security in Europe sion by a U.N.-backed tribu- that Beijing’s increasingly and gas.
showed how authoritarian and security in the Indo- nal that invalidated China’s aggressive actions in Asia Von der Leyen urged Asian
leaders “are willing to act Pacific is indivisible. Chal- territorial claims in virtually “could also have global re- nations never to rely on a
on their threats.” lenges to the rules-based the entire South China Sea percussions.” She criticized single supplier for energy
“Russia’s war of aggression order in our interconnected on historical grounds. Chi- China’s stance on the war and raw materials, citing
against Ukraine shakes the world affect all of us.” na has rejected the arbi- in Ukraine, its increasingly how “Russia tried to black-
foundation of the interna- “This is why we are con- tration decision as a sham aggressive actions in dis- mail us” by considerably
tional order. It is in violation cerned about the rising and continues to defy it. puted Asian waters and its cutting its natural gas sup-
of the U.N. charter and the tensions in the Indo-Pacif- Von der Leyen’s visit to the provocative moves against ply to European countries
fundamental principles of ic,” she said, adding that Philippines is a sign of im- Taiwan. after the EU imposed sanc-
international law, such as the EU backs a free and proving ties after a stormy “China’s show of military tions against Moscow over
territorial integrity and sov- open Indo-Pacific “be- period between the EU and force in the South and East the invasion of Ukraine. q

4 separatist Bosnian Serb leaders are sanctioned by U.S. Treasury

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herze- tions on four ranking Bos- agreement that ended to not recognize or imple- against each other. It end-
govina (AP) — The U.S. on nian Serb officials for un- a war that left more than ment any decisions by Bos- ed with the U.S.-sponsored
Monday imposed sanc- dermining a 1995 peace 100,000 dead and millions nia’s multi-ethnic Constitu- Dayton accords that creat-
homeless. tional Court. ed two regions, the Repub-
The four officials sanc- “This action threatens the lika Srpska and the Bosniak-
tioned by the U.S. Treasury stability, sovereignty, and Croat Federation.
include Zeljka Cvijanovic, a territorial integrity of Bos- The Bosnian Serb ruling
Serb member of the tripar- nia and Herzegovina and party, SNSD, said that the
tite collective Bosnian presi- the hard-won peace un- latest U.S. sanctions were
dency, as well as the prime derpinned by the Dayton “shameful” and “hypocriti-
minister of the Serb entity in Peace Agreement,” said cal” and would not “stop
Bosnia, Radovan Viskovic. Under Secretary of the us from doing our job.”
The four are alleged to Treasury for Terrorism and The pro-Russian Bosnian
have taken part in drafting Financial Intelligence Brian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik,
a law that U.S. and other in- E. Nelson. “This behavior has openly been striving to
ternational officials say un- further threatens the coun- separate Bosnian Serb terri-
dermines the unity of Bosnia try’s future trajectory and tories from the rest of Bosnia
by ignoring the decisions of successful integration into and join them with neigh-
the country’s constitutional Euro-Atlantic institutions.” boring Serbia.
Zeljka Cvijanovic, a Serb member of the tripartite collective court. The Bosnian War started in Because of that, he was
Bosnian presidency attends the final campaign rally in the
Bosnian town of Banja Luka, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. The Bosnian Serb parlia- 1992, pitting mostly Muslim also sanctioned by the U.S.,
Associated Press ment has passed the law Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats in 2017.q