U.S., Philippines Kick Off Largest Joint Military Exercises in Decades |
The drills that opened today (FT) demonstrate Manila’s increased military cooperation with Washington under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office last year. In total, about 17,600 personnel will participate in these exercises, which will run until April 28, compared to nine thousand people (Nikkei) last year. In addition, Marcos Jr. has granted U.S. forces greater access to Philippine military bases facing Taiwan and disputed areas of the South China Sea.
The drills coincidentally follow three days of nearby military exercises (AP) from China, which has faced increased tensions with the United States and the Philippines over some of its territorial claims. Meanwhile, the foreign policy and defense chiefs of the United States and the Philippines are meeting in Washington today for the first time in seven years.
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“Manila is aware that if an armed conflict between Beijing and Taipei erupts and intensifies over the Taiwan Strait, there is little chance the country will escape the adverse consequences in terms of massive refugee flows, the rapid return of Filipino overseas workers based in Taiwan, and the actual spread of the conflict,” De La Salle University’s Renato Cruz De Castro writes for the Brookings Institution.
“Nowhere has China’s pursuit of territorial advantage more clearly undermined its efforts to weaken U.S. alliances than in the South China Sea,” the National Defense University’s Andrew D. Taffer and the Center for Naval Analyses’ David Wallsh write for Foreign Affairs.
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Pyongyang Cuts Crisis Hotline With Seoul |
For the past few days, North Korea has been silent (Bloomberg) on a hotline used to reduce bilateral tensions, South Korea’s military said. Pyongyang has cut communications on the crisis line before, including in 2020, after South Korean activists delivered anti-government leaflets across the border by balloon, and in 2021, following U.S.-South Korea military drills.
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Top Ukrainian Official Visits India for First Time Since War Began |
On a visit to New Delhi, Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister, Emine Dzhaparova, asked for India’s help (Hindustan Times) in ending the war in Ukraine. While India has called for an end to hostilities in Ukraine, it has not publicly condemned Russia’s invasion.
Myanmar: Local news outlets reported that at least fifty people, including some civilians, were killed by a government air strike (Reuters) that targeted an event attended by opponents of the country’s military regime.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Netanyahu Formally Reinstates Defense Minister He Fired |
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UN Probes Reports of Food Theft in Ethiopia |
A letter to the World Food Program’s humanitarian partners in Ethiopia said that action should be taken to stop the theft of UN food aid and that the program will be investigating the issue. Humanitarian workers told the Associated Press that enough food for one hundred thousand people recently went missing from a town in the Tigray region.
Ghana: Officials are meeting with bilateral creditors (FT) today with the hope of securing enough debt relief to obtain a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund. |
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Polish Premier to Meet U.S. Vice President at White House |
Ahead of today’s visit, which will focus on economic and defense cooperation, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that “perhaps [bilateral relations] have never been so strong” (AP). Like the United States, Poland is a major donor of military aid to Ukraine, and it has hosted increased numbers of U.S. troops since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
Italy: The coast guard began attempts (BBC) to rescue 1,200 migrants traveling on two overcrowded boats near Sicily, one of which is reportedly taking on water. The coast guard has rescued two thousand other migrants since Friday.
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Mexico’s President Says Talks With U.S. Will Cover Fentanyl Smuggling |
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State Department Determines Russia Is Wrongfully Detaining Reporter |
The declaration allows Washington (CNN) to explore prisoner swaps and other avenues to secure Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s release. As of yesterday, U.S. officials in Moscow had not been given consular access to Gershkovich. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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