Latest news with #alliance
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Quote of the Day: France Assails Trade Bargain as ‘Dark Day'
'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, gathered to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submit.' FRANÇOIS BAYROU, prime minister of France, as the government aired its sharp disapproval of the trade agreement with the United States.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why US alliance didn't save Philippines from Trump's tariffs
Poor optics, lacklustre results and sparse details describe the recent visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to the United States. The outcome of the trip – the first by a Southeast Asian head of state under the second Trump administration – raises questions about whether Manila is able to fully leverage its long-standing alliance with the US. The terms of the trade deal – of 19 per cent tariffs being imposed on Philippine goods entering the US market, compared to no tariffs for US goods bound for the Philippines – were seen as lopsided. Financial services firms Nomura and Fitch initially anticipated that Manila could bring down the rate to the baseline 10 per cent given its strong alliance with the US and the fact it is not a known hub for goods transshipment. Beyond the disappointment, the trade agreement is estimated to cost Manila 27 to 32 billion pesos (US$472.7 to US$560.2 million) in revenue losses during the next five years. According to Nomura's forecast, direct trade losses on account of higher US duties will reduce the Philippines GDP growth this year from 5.3 per cent to 4.9 per cent. Manila's commitments to buy more US soybeans and wheat will benefit American farmers . Last year, the Philippines was the second-largest buyer of US wheat, and this volume is likely to surge further with the new agreement. The exact details of the deal – such as whether Washington will ask Manila to buy more US aircraft and energy products, as it did in the agreement with Indonesia – are still taking shape. The potential influx of more US pork, poultry and beef could give Filipino farmers reason for concern. US suppliers, which face no tariffs, are in a better position than their competitors from Australia, Brazil, Canada and the EU. Meanwhile, Philippine exporters have to compete with producers from Latin America and other Southeast Asian countries while dealing with 19 per cent levies. 03:00 Philippines' Marcos secures trade deal with Trump, but tariffs only drop 1 percentage point Philippines' Marcos secures trade deal with Trump, but tariffs only drop 1 percentage point
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Kim Jong Un's Sister Rejects Outreach by South's New President
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rebuffed overtures by South Korea's new liberal government, saying Monday that its 'blind trust' in the country's alliance with the US and hostility toward North Korea make it no different from its conservative predecessor. Kim Yo Jong's comments imply that North Korea — now preoccupied with its expanding cooperation with Russia — sees no need to resume diplomacy with South Korea and the US anytime soon. Experts say she likely hopes to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington. 'We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed,' Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. It's North Korea's first official statement on the government of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, which took office in early June with a promise to improve badly frayed ties with North Korea. Lee's government has halted anti-Pyongyang frontline loudspeaker broadcasts, taken steps to ban activists from flying balloons with propaganda leaflets across the border and repatriated North Koreans who were drifted south in wooden boats months earlier. North Korea has shunned talks with South Korea and the US since leader Kim Jong Un's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019 due to wrangling over international sanctions. North Korea has since focused on building more powerful nuclear weapons targeting its rivals and declared a hostile 'two-state' system on the Korean Peninsula to terminate relations with South Korea. Kim Yo Jong called Lee's steps 'sincere efforts' to develop ties, but said the new government still 'stands in confrontation' with North Korea. She mentioned the upcoming summertime South Korea-US military drills, which North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea's Unification Ministry responded that it will steadfastly seek reconciliation with North Korea to realize peaceful coexistence. Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam told reporters that the statement shows North Korea closely monitors the Lee government's North Korea policy despite deep mistrust. Moon Seong Mook, an analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said Kim Yo Jong's statement shows North Korea is holding out for South Korea to abandon the US alliance. Moon said that Kim likely sees little upside in engaging with the South since it cannot restart economic projects that previously benefited the North as long as international sanctions remain in place. North Korea focuses on Russian ties North Korea built cooperation with Russia, sending troops and conventional weapons to support its war in Ukraine, and likely receiving economic and technological assistance in return. Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has repeatedly boasted of his personal ties with Kim Jong Un and expressed intent to resume diplomacy with him. But North Korea hasn't publicly responded to Trump's overture. Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said that Kim Yo Jong's statement had a domestic audience. 'Kim Yo Jong's comments are an effort to advance national pride by portraying North Korea in a superior position, despite its economic struggles and international pariah status,' Easley said. 'She also seeks to justify Pyongyang's weapons programs and divide Seoul and Washington by criticizing upcoming military exercises.' Still, there is a limit on what North Korea can get from Russia, and Pyongyang could change course at a major upcoming meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, likely to be held in January, said Kwak Gil Sup, the head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korea affairs. 'I think North Korea may formulate a Plan B and Plan C in relations for South Korea and the US,' Kwak said.
Japan Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Philippine president and top U.S. officials vow to ramp up deterrence
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received assurances from top U.S. officials during a visit to Washington that the United States' alliance with his country remains ironclad despite unilateral tariffs and demands that American allies spend more on defense. Marcos met separately with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department, with both top U.S. officials pointing to China as a top mutual threat. Marcos was due to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday, where the Philippine leader will aim to secure a trade deal before an Aug. 1 deadline while fending off demands to dole out more cash for defense. The U.S. this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20% from the 17% announced in April. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has set a 'global standard' for U.S. allies to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense. Those moves have stoked concern in Manila about Washington's commitment to their alliance and the larger U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific region. But Hegseth sought to ameliorate concerns, emphasizing that the region is the United States' 'priority theater' and that the administration 'is committed to achieving peace through strength.' 'Our storied alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today, and together we remain committed to the Mutual Defense Treaty,' Hegseth said. 'This pact extends to armed attacks on our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including our Coast Guard anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.' Manila and Beijing have faced off in the disputed South China Sea, nudging Marcos closer to Washington. This has also seen the Philippines grant the U.S. expanded access to military bases in the Southeast Asian nation — a move that comes amid China's growing pressure on democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. Although Hegseth did not directly mention China by name, his intended audience was clear. 'We do not seek confrontation, but we are and will be ready and resolute,' he said. Marcos, calling the allies' mutual defense pact the 'cornerstone' of their relationship, offered praise for the allies' growing defense ties. He also appeared to defend the alliance from criticism by Beijing that the allies have been working hand in glove to contain China. 'It is the proper response considering the challenges, let me put it that way,' Marcos said. 'The challenges that we face in the Philippines specifically are vis a vis the changing political geopolitical forces and the political developments around our part of the world.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the State Department in Washington on Monday. | AFP-JIJI But Marcos said that the U.S.-Philippine relationship 'must continue to evolve' as circumstances change — a hint that he would continue to promote even more robust defense ties. Hegseth also touched on this, lauding Manila's focus on collective defense, including its push to build security relationships with like-minded partners such as Japan and Australia, as well as its modernization of its armed forces. The U.S. defense chief also noted the controversial deployment of 'new cutting-edge missiles' and 'unmanned systems.' This includes continued deployment of the advanced Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and Typhon U.S. missile systems to Philippine territory. Both systems could put nearby Chinese forces at risk. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is set to build a new boat maintenance facility to help repair Philippine military vessels in a province facing the South China Sea. The facility could also host unmanned platforms. "Together, we must forge a strong shield of real deterrence for peace," said Hegseth, who visited Manila in March. Meanwhile, Marcos and Rubio also discussed economic issues, including cooperation on the Luzon Economic Corridor and strengthening supply chains. A press release from the State Department did not mention if tariffs had been discussed. However, in a development that could engender goodwill in Trump's mind and help offset trade concerns, the Philippines has signaled an openness to jointly producing ammunition with the U.S. in the Southeast Asian nation. Manila's ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, told Philippine media Sunday that such a move would be a 'combination both of defense and economic cooperation.' U.S. lawmakers have urged the Pentagon and State Department to study the 'feasibility of establishing a joint ammunition and manufacturing storage facility' at the former U.S. naval base in Subic Bay, citing the 'lack of forward-stage ammunition manufacturing facility in the Indo-Pacific.'
Wall Street Journal
21-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Europe Will Never Keep Its Promises to Trump on Defense
Among President Donald Trump's more ballyhooed successes in the early months of his second term has been forcing European nations finally to take more responsibility for their own defense. '[It's] something that no one really thought possible,' the president said at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in the Hague last month, when members of the alliance promised to increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035, from the current average of below 2%. 'They said, 'You did it, sir. You did it.' Well, I don't know if I did it, but I think I did.'
