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WORLD NEWS Monday 10 February 2025
Canada and Philippines are in final negotiations for defense pact

to boost joint military exercises

By JIM GOMEZ "We have been vocal in
Associated Press confronting the provocative
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — and unlawful actions of the
Canada and the Philippines People's Republic of China
are in the final stages of ne- in the South China Sea and
gotiating a key defense pact the West Philippine Sea," Hart-
that would allow their forces man said. "We will continue
to hold larger military drills, to do so."
said the Canadian ambas- Canada signed an agree-
sador to Manila while rais- ment on defense coopera-
ing concerns over China's tion with the Philippines last
"provocative and unlawful year. Another agreement
actions" in the region. signed in Ottawa in 2023
Canada has been reinforc- gave the Philippines access
ing its military presence i n the to data from Canada's "Dark
Indo-Pacific region and has Vessel Detection System,"
committed to help promote which harnesses satellite
the rule of law and expand technology to track illegal
trade and investment. vessels even if they switch
That dovetails with Philip- off their location-transmitting
pine efforts under President devices.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to The Philippine coast guard
broaden defense ties with has accused Chinese coast
friendly countries to bolster In this handout photo provided by Public Affairs Office Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine guard ships and fishing ves-
his country's external defense Navy personnel watch the Canadian vessel HMCS Montreal (FFH336) during the Multilateral sels of switching off their loca-
Maritime Cooperative Activity being held in the West Philippine Sea, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.
as it faces an increasingly as- Associated Press tion-transmitting devices to
sertive China in the disputed avoid detection and surveil-
waters. officials, foreign ambassa- China. joined the United States, Aus- lance in the South China Sea.
Canadian Ambassador dors and defense attaches China claims virtually the tralia and the Philippines in The Philippines has visiting
David Hartman said Friday aboard the HMCS Ottawa, entire sea passage, a key air and naval maneuvers to forces agreements, which
night that his country and a Royal Canadian Navy global trade route, and has promote the rule of law and provide a legal framework
the Philippines were "in the Halifax-class frigate on a port deployed coast guard and unhindered passage in the for temporary visits of foreign
final stages of the negotia- visit to Manila. The vessel will naval fleets and other ves- South China Sea. troops and large- scale com-
tions of our status of forces take part in a joint exercise sels to guard what it says is In an apparent response, bat exercises, only with the
visiting agreement that will off the Philippines next week, its territory. The Philippines, China said it conducted United States and Australia.
enable us to have even more he said. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, air and sea combat patrols In July last year, the Philip-
substantive participation in The Philippine military has Taiwan also lay claims that on the same day. Although pines signed a similar accord
joint and multilateral training staged multinational patrols clash with China's and ter- no confrontations were re- with Japan, which still needs
exercises and operations with and drills since last year with ritorial confrontations have ported, the Philippine military to be ratified by Japanese
the Philippines and allies here counterparts from the U.S., flared particularly between said three Chinese navy ships legislators.
in the region." Japan, France, Australia and Beijing and Manila in the last tailed the four-nation maneu- The Philippines is in separate
Hartman spoke before Canada, including in the two years. vers off the western coast of talks over defense pacts with
Philippine national security South China Sea, infuriating In August last year, Canada the Philippines. France and New Zealand.q

North Korea’s Kim slams U.S.-South

Korea-Japan partnership and vows to

boost his nuclear program

By HYUNG-JIN KIM diplomacy anytime soon. deterrence including nucle-
Associated Press In a speech marking the 77th ar forces, he clarified once
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — founding anniversary of the again the unshakable policy
North Korean leader Kim Korean People's Army on of more highly developing
Jong Un said an elevated Saturday, Kim said the U.S.- the nuclear forces," KCNA
U.S. security partnership Japan-South Korea trilateral said.Amid stalled diplomacy
with South Korea and Japan security partnership estab- with the U.S. and South Ko-
poses a grave threat to his lished under a U.S. plot to rea in recent years, Kim has
country and vowed to further form a NATO-like regional focused on enlarging and In this undated photo provided Oct. 6, 2024, by the North Korean
bolster his nuclear weapons military bloc is inviting mili- modernizing his arsenal of nu- government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits an artillery
program, state media report- tary imbalance on the Ko- clear weapons. In response, exercise at an undisclosed place in North Korea.
Associated Press
ed Sunday. rean Peninsula and "raising the United States and South
Kim has previously made a grave challenge to the Korea have expanded their Since his Jan. 20 inaugura- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
similar warnings, but his lat- security environment of our bilateral military exercises tion, Trump has said he would on Friday, Trump said that
est statement implies again state," according to the of- and trilateral training involv- reach out to Kim again as "We will have relations with
that the North Korean leader ficial Korean Central News ing Japan. North Korea has he boasted of his high-stakes North Korea, with Kim Jong
won't likely embrace Presi- Agency. lashed out at those drills, summit with him during his Un. I got along with him very
dent Donald Trump's over- "Referring to a series of new calling them rehearsals to first term.During a joint news well, as you know. I think I
ture to meet him and revive plans for rapidly bolstering all invade the country. conference with Japanese stopped the war."q