The White House announced that leaders from the Philippines, the US, and Japan discussed China's actions in the South China Sea, emphasizing the importance of continued coordination in the Indo-Pacific region. The Philippines recently protested Chinese vessels entering its exclusive economic zone, a move described by Chen Xiangmiao as an attempt to provoke China while also seeking dialogue with the US and Japan. Despite unresolved fundamental contradictions, Chen believes that dialogue and consultation are the only way forward.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1327023.shtmlThe government of Bangladesh, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's successor, Yunus, has announced plans to review border agreements with India that were signed between 2009 and 2024. The agreements in question include the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities (1975), the Land Boundary Agreement Protocol (2011), and the Coordinated Border Management Plan (2011). According to Jahangir Alam, a Bangladeshi official, these agreements have led to issues such as India's failure to provide Bangladesh with access to the Tin Bigha Corridor, which was promised in exchange for handing over the Berubari area. The review of these agreements is seen as an attempt by the new government to address long-standing grievances and ensure that Bangladesh's interests are protected along its border with India.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/india-bangladesh-now-border-fencing-row-erupts-as-india-protests-yunus-govts-remarks-13852304.htmlIndia and China have a long-standing border dispute that has been a source of tension between them for decades. The two countries share a poorly demarcated border along the Himalayas, which led to a brief but bloody war in 1962. Despite diplomatic efforts from 1991, including a series of pacts, tensions flared up again in 2020 with clashes disrupting trade and business links between the two nations.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1271810-indian-army-chief-says-no-reduction-in-troops-along-china-border-this-winterPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern over China's conduct in the South China Sea after a virtual call with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The discussion focused on China's expansive claims, which overlap with the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of several countries including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. This strategic shipping route is crucial for global commerce, handling around $3 trillion worth of trade annually. A 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling found that China's claims have no basis under international law, a decision China does not recognize.
https://www.voanews.com/a/philippines-files-protest-over-beijing-s-escalatory-actions-in-south-china-sea/7934590.htmlEuropean leaders, including Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have pushed back against US President Donald Trump's comments suggesting the US may use force to annex territory in Greenland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern that powerful nations can't simply gobble up others, a principle underpinning the international order since World War II. Analysts, such as Flemming Splidsboel Hansen, have expressed profound disquiet over Trump's words, warning of turbulence ahead for trans-Atlantic ties and the NATO military alliance. Despite reassurances from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that the US is "our closest ally," analysts fear damage has already been done to international norms and relationships.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/us-president-elects-words-on-redrawing-borders-raise-fears-of-a-new-world-order-13851868.html