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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 24 November 2020
U.S. provides missiles, renews pledge to defend Philippines

By JIM GOMEZ lows American forces to
Associated Press train in large-scale combat
MANILA, Philippines (AP) exercises in the Philippines.
— U.S. President Donald Duterte moved to abro-
Trump’s administration pro- gate the Visiting Forces
vided precision-guided mis- Agreement with the U.S.
siles and other weapons to early this year but later
help the Philippines battle delayed the effectivity of
Islamic State group-aligned his decision to next year,
militants and renewed a a move welcomed by
pledge to defend its treaty O’Brien.
ally if it comes under attack He said the U.S. stands with
in the disputed South China the Philippines in its effort to
Sea. protect its sovereign rights
National Security Adviser in the South China Sea.
Robert O’Brien represented The Philippines announced
Trump in Monday’s cer- last month that it would re-
emony at the Department sume oil and gas explora-
of Foreign Affairs in Manila, tions in or near Reed Bank,
where he announced the which lies off the country’s
delivery of the missiles and western coast and is also
bombs to the Philippine mili- claimed by China.
tary. Trump pledged to pro- “They belong to the Philip-
vide the $18 million worth U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, right, and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro pine people. They don’t be-
of missiles in a phone con- Locsin Jr. elbow bump after the turnover ceremony of defense articles at the Department of long to some other country
versation with Philippine Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. that just because they may
President Rodrigo Duterte Associated Press be bigger than the Philip-
in April, Foreign Secretary Duterte had asked Filipi- in a recent online sum- of its leader, Abu Bakr al- pines they can come take
Teodoro Locsin Jr. said. no Americans to vote for mit between the U.S. and Baghdadi, in Syria, and re- away and convert the re-
O’Brien expressed condo- Trump but congratulated leaders of the Association newed its commitment to sources of the Philippine
lences to the Philippines af- Joe Biden, through his of Southeast Asian Nations help defeat IS-linked mili- people.
ter back-to-back typhoons spokesperson, for winning and an expanded East tants in the southern Philip- That’s just wrong,” O’Brien
left a trail of death and the election. Asia summit of heads of pines. said.
devastation in the coun- Asked in an online news state attended by China “President Trump is stand- He repeated U.S. Secretary
try and outlined U.S. help briefing if any of the officials and Russia that was also ing with President Duterte of State Mike Pompeo’s
to the country to fight the he met in Vietnam and the held by video and hosted as we combat ISIS here in statement early this year
coronavirus pandemic. Philippines voiced concern by Vietnam. Southeast Asia,” O’Brien that “any armed attack on
The U.S. assistance projects about the post-election In his remarks at the turn- said. “This transfer under- Philippine forces aircraft or
normalcy in Washington’s situation in the U.S., O’Brien over of the U.S. missiles in scores our strong and en- public vessels in the South
foreign relations as Trump said nobody did. “There will Manila, O’Brien cited the during commitment to our China Sea will trigger our
works to challenge the be a transition if the courts Trump administration’s role critical alliance.” mutual defense obliga-
results of the Nov. 3 presi- don’t rule in President in the defeat of the Islamic He expressed hope for the tions.” The allies have a
dential election, claiming Trump’s favor,” he said. State group in the Middle continuance of a key se- 69-year-old mutual de-
he was a victim of fraud. O’Brien represented Trump East and last year’s killing curity agreement that al- fense treaty.q

China lashes out at U.S. withdrawal from open skies treaty

BEIJING (AP) — China on transparency and imper- tary facilities. tive impact on the inter- ment of weapons such as
Monday lashed out at iled future attempts at That leaves only one arms- national arms control and intermediate-range bal-
Washington over its with- arms control. control pact still in force disarmament process,” listic missiles, bolstering its
drawal from the “Open The treaty, to which China between the former Cold Chinese foreign ministry military’s capabilities in the
Skies Treaty” with Russia, is not a signatory, had al- War foes, the New START spokesperson Zhao Lijian event of a conflict over
saying the move under- lowed each country over- treaty, which limits the said at a daily briefing Taiwan, the Indian border,
mined military trust and flight rights to inspect mili- number of nuclear war- Monday. the South China Sea and
heads each may have. Critics complain that Bei- other Asian hotspots, crit-
That treaty will expire in jing has urged other major ics say.
February and the Trump countries to reach arms The INF Treaty “acted as
administration had said control agreements while a security guarantee for
it wasn’t interested in ex- refusing to take part in China: Beijing successfully
tending it unless China any such arrangements, made use of the mutual
also joined, something Bei- including the Intermedi- limitations imposed by the
jing says it will not do. ate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty on Russia and the
“This move by the U.S. un- Treaty, or INF, that expired United States to minimize
dermines military mutual last year. the military threat to itself,”
trust and transparency Meanwhile, it has taken Russian consultant Andrey
among relevant coun- advantage of limitations Baklitskiy wrote in a com-
tries, is not conducive to set by Russia and the U.S. mentary for the Carn-
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian gestures maintaining security and on each other to keep egie Moscow Center last
during a press briefing in Beijing on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. stability in relevant regions itself safe and engage year.q
Associated Press
and will also have a nega- in unrestricted develop-