Tag: Lloyd Austin

By Satish Cheney and Martin Abbugao Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Friday that the United States presence is "crucial to regional peace" as the Southeast Asian country faces growing Chinese pressure in waters off its coastline.

By Jing Xuan Teng and Martin Abbugao The U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held rare direct talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for more military dialogue that could help prevent disputes over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues from spinning out ...

Russia is building new trade routes to Asia that will circumvent international sanctions by crossing the Arctic and passing through Iran to the Indian Ocean. The new routes will cut transport times to China and India by up to 50% while avoiding dangerous passages like the Red Sea. 

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, provided fresh assurances to his Filipino counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jr. that Washington stands ready to support Manila should tensions escalate with Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The two defense chiefs ...

Chinese exporters’ profit margins are suffering as container shipping companies reroute their ships away from the Red Sea. The move to escape strikes by Houthi militias against ships headed for Israel will add to shipping time and costs, driving up shipping quotes for next year.

ASEAN defense ministers gathering in Jakarta expanded talks on Thursday to include defense chiefs from China, the U.S., Japan, and India. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin attended but did not meet with a Chinese counterpart. ...

While the dispute between China and the Philippines around territorial claims in the South China Sea keeps escalating, economic relations between the two are “business as usual.” However, the growing disagreement could cause economic complications for Manila. The current fight centers around a WWII-era warship, ...

India, the current president of the Eurasia-focused Shanghai Cooperation Organization announced the China-centered bloc’s next summit will take place virtually. According to the Indian press, the decision was aimed at avoiding awkward face-to-face meetings between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping (and Pakistan’s PM ...

Vietnam was again at the center of great power politics this weekend during a brief visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his first trip to the country as Washington's top diplomat. Blinken's one overriding priority on this trip was ...

China has rejected a joint call by the Philippines and the United States to scale back its presence in the South China Sea. This follows Tuesday’s 2+2 talks between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Philippine Secretary of ...

Japan will upgrade its ties with the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN later this year to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" -- joining both the United States and China at this level. Tokyo is moving quickly to strengthen its ties in the region in response to heightened tensions with China and ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will leave Tuesday on an 11-day, three-nation tour of Africa that Biden administration officials say is intended to rejuvenate ties on the continent and counter Chinese influence. Yellen will visit South Africa, Senegal, and Zambia, where debt issues are expected to feature prominently on ...