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Philippines urges China to remove ‘illegal structures’ in South China Sea

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. — U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILE PHOTO

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporters

THE PHILIPPINES on Thursday urged China to remove “illegal structures” and stop what it called the militarization in the South China Sea.

“We call on China to remove all these illegal structures, cease reclamations in the South China Sea, and be accountable for the damages caused by these illegal activities,” Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza said in a statement.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Ms. Daza noted that in 1995, when Manila protested China’s construction of a structure at Mischief Reef, China had promised that it was only a “fisherman’s shelter.”

The reef, which the Philippines calls Panganiban, has since become a “militarized artificial island,” Ms. Daza said.

Mischief Reef, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippines deliberately grounded a World War II-era ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its sovereignty after China seized Mischief Reef.

Chinese vessels on Nov. 10 fired a water cannon at Philippine vessels trying to deliver food and other supplies to BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines calls Ayungin.

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing filed a diplomatic protest against China after the incident, it said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing on Nov. 10 the Philippine vessels had “seriously violated China’s sovereignty.”

“China urges the Philippines to immediately stop causing trouble and provocation at sea,” Mr. Wenbin said. “The Philippines should tow away the illegally beached warship as soon as possible.”

Ms. Daza said that Second Thomas Shoal is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and its resupply missions follow international law and are not meant to threaten China.

“The resupply mission and the upkeep of the BRP Sierra Madre are legitimate Philippine government activities in our EEZ, and in accordance with international law,” she said.  “We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. We will not do so.”

China cannot lawfully exercise sovereignty over Second Thomas Shoal after a United Nations-back tribunal voided its claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea in 2016, Ms. Daza said.

Second Thomas Shoal is 106.3 nautical miles off the Philippine island of Palawan and 617.39 nm from mainland China, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said, adding that the latter is “clearly beyond the 200 nm maximum maritime entitlement for an EEZ under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).”

Ms. Daza said a “favorable and conducive environment is essential to the peaceful resolution of the South China Sea situation.”

Dozens of Chinese militia vessels appeared to have left Iroquois Reef between Nov. 11 and 12, Raymond Powell of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation said in an X post, citing satellite images.

The Philippines in September flagged the destruction of corals at the reef, a land feature at the southern end of Reed Bank, where Chinese vessels have also been seen.

Reed Bank, an area northeast of the Spratly Islands, is thought to be rich in oil and gas, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

Both Iroquois Reef and Reed Bank fall within the Philippines 200-nautical mile EEZ.

On Wednesday night, the Defense chiefs of the Philippines and US called out Beijing for its dangerous maneuvers against American aircraft and ships operating in the South China Sea.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin said Washington “stands shoulder to shoulder” with the Philippines “in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its EEZ.”

They met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

The two Defense chiefs “reaffirmed their countries’ shared vision of a free and open region grounded in transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” according to a joint statement.

“The secretaries discussed the importance of preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows,” it said.

“In this context, they denounced the recent harassment by vessels from the People’s Republic of China towards Philippine Coast Guard and resupply vessels conducting lawful resupply operations around Second Thomas Shoal.”

The Philippines filed 125 diplomatic protests against China from July 2022 to Nov. 7, according to DFA.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. met with US Vice-President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco.

“They reaffirmed the strength of the alliance between the United States and the Philippines and discussed ongoing efforts to deepen our security ties and expand commercial and economic cooperation,” according to a statement from the White House posted on its website.

“They also reiterated their shared commitment to upholding international rules and norms, including in the South China Sea,” it added.

Mr. Marcos left the Philippines on Tuesday for the APEC forum. His weeklong trip also includes a visit to the US Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii.

House belies talks of impeachment vs VP

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

A CONGRESSMAN on Thursday brushed off claims that the House of Representatives was plotting to oust Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“Such rumors are mere attempts to sow discord between Vice-President Sara Duterte and Speaker Martin Romualdez,” House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe said in a statement.  “There is no truth in them.”

He also belied claims that the Speaker was trying to undermine the vice president due to potential competition in the 2028 presidential elections.

“Speaker Romualdez has always shown respect toward the Vice President and such derogatory tactics are not part of his approach and his character,” Mr. Dalipe said.

Deputy Majority Leader and Party-list Rep. Erwin T. Tulfo also dismissed rumors of impeachment talks.

“We don’t see any violations of the Constitution done by the Vice President, so why are we going to impeach her?” he told reporters.

Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said impeachment talks are premature, but they “highlight the growing rift” in the ruling coalition.

The UniTeam political alliance led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Ms. Duterte-Carpio enjoyed a landslide victory in the 2022 elections.

The House on Nov. 6 passed a resolution upholding its “integrity and honor” after ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued scathing remarks against the institution.

Mr. Duterte described the House as the country’s “most rotten institution” after congressmen on Oct. 10 stripped several agencies including the Office of the Vice President and the Education department of their confidential funds.

Lawmakers transferred P1.23 billion worth of these budgets to security agencies amid worsening tensions with China.

Mr. Duterte is the father of Ms. Duterte-Carpio, who is also Education secretary.

Congressmen also removed staunch Duterte allies Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Davao City Rep. Isidro T. Ungab from the deputy speaker posts for not signing the resolution.

Ms. Duterte-Carpio in May resigned from Romualdez-led Lakas-CMD after congressmen demoted Ms. Arroyo from the senior deputy speaker post. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Duterte laughed off DoJ summons, says spokesman

REUTERS

FORMER President Rodrigo R. Duterte laughed off a prosecutor’s summons that required him to answer allegations that he threatened to kill a congresswoman, according to his spokesman.

“He just laughed, that was his only reaction,” Harry L. Roque told One News channel on Wednesday when asked if the ex-President was worried about the subpoena.

In a single-page order, Quezon City Senior Assistant Prosecutor Ulric Q. Badiola ordered the tough-talking leader to appear before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Dec. 4 for a preliminary investigation.

Mr. Duterte must submit his answer to the criminal complaint for grave threat filed by Party-list Rep. France L. Castro, the prosecutor said.

The lawmaker on Oct. 24 sued the ex-President for allegedly threatening to kill her during a TV interview last month.

Mr. Duterte “called my name multiple times and made grave threats to kill me and made me immensely fearful for my life, safety and security,” she said in the eight-page complaint.

Mr. Duterte, whom she called a “self-confessed murderer,” must be held accountable now that he no longer enjoys immunity from lawsuits as a private citizen, she said.

“No motion to dismiss shall be entertained,” the prosecutor said in the order, adding that he would only accept counter-affidavits from the parties.

Mr. Duterte is deemed to have waived his right to present evidence if he insists on having the complaint dismissed, according to the summons.

The prosecutor also ruled out any postponement except for “exceptionally meritorious grounds.”

Ms. Castro separately told One News channel her group would present before the prosecutor other evidence of red-tagging by Mr. Duterte.

The congresswoman was among the lawmakers who had criticized Mr. Duterte’s daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, for seeking confidential funds in the 2024 budget.

The House of Representatives has since stripped her of P650 million of the funds, transferring these to agencies in charge of national security.

In an SMNI interview on Oct. 11, Mr. Duterte said he had told his daughter to say that she would use her proposed intelligence funds to kill Maoists in Congress including Ms. Castro.

“Your first target in your intelligence fund is France, the communists, whom you want to kill,” he said in Filipino.

Ms. Duterte-Carpio had sought P500 million in confidential funds for her office and another P150 million for the Education department, which she also heads.     

Ms. Castro also questioned Ms. Duterte-Carpio’s confidential funds worth P125 million that she allegedly spent in less than a month last year.

She said Mr. Duterte, who is no longer President, has lost immunity from lawsuits and should be held accountable for his threats.

She accused Mr. Duterte of violating Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code, which punishes offenders with up to six months of jail time and a P100,000 fine.

Felonies under the code in relation to section 6 of the Cyber-crime Prevention Act could get a penalty that is one degree higher — a jail term of up to six years with a P100,000 fine, Tony M. La Viña, who teaches law at the University of the Philippines, said last month.

In the complaint, Ms. Castro said Mr. Duterte had made several statements linking her to the armed Maoist movement without evidence.

Southeast Asian human rights group Asian Parliamentarians for Human Rights has called out Mr. Duterte, saying his remarks “have no place in a democracy or, indeed, any civilized society.”

Philippine congressmen on Oct. 10 stripped several agencies including the Office of the Vice President and Education department of their confidential funds, transferring P1.23 billion worth of these budgets to security agencies amid worsening tensions with China.

In response, Mr. Duterte described the chamber as the “most rotten institution” in the country. — Jomel R. Paguian

Senate tackles DSWD budget, related issues

BW FILE PHOTO

SENATOR Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos’ defense of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) budget during Thursday’s Senate session brought to fore some critical concerns, among them the criminal cases filed against a private orphanage in Quezon City.

“Four criminal cases have already been filed by the mothers who claim that their children were kidnapped for adoption against their wishes,” she noted, referring to kidnapping charges faced by the children’s care center, Gentle Hands.

Parents filed the charges, claiming difficulty in retrieving their children from the orphanage which has put them up for adoption against their wishes.

The DSWD issued three cease-and-desist orders against Gentle Hands — on May 22, June 13, and July 4 — citing concerns over overcrowding, fire safety, ventilation, and the absence of a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate.

“We’re aware… their license to operate has been suspended in the meantime, in as much as their fire safety requisites have not yet been complied with,” Ms. Marcos said. 

On the budget front, she outlined the DSWD’s proposed budget of P209.668 billion for 2024, an increase of P10.411 billion from the current year. 

However, a discrepancy emerged as the House of Representatives elevated the DSWD budget to P245.130 billion, a P35.462 billion increase.

The Senate, despite retaining most House-introduced augmentations, reduced the budget to P244.416 billion, resulting in a net reduction of P714.166 million.

Ms. Marcos clarified that this reduction involved the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) due to beneficiaries graduating and the sustainable livelihood program (SLP) being encompassed by other projects.

Meanwhile, Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel added another dimension to the discussion by highlighting the importance of strengthening Republic Act No. 11321, the Sagip Saka Law.

She proposed integrating the DSWD’s food stamp program, aimed at benefiting rural farmers and fisherfolk.

“I asked recently the DSWD secretary if this program can be replicated in other DSWD regional offices to procure (local products) for the food stamp program and he was very open, saying they will explore it,” she said.

The Food Stamp Program (FSP) has a proposed budget of P1.89 billion, targeting 300,000 beneficiaries.

For his part, Senator Francis N. Tolentino cautioned against fraudulent schemes that could arise from the administration’s FSP which is managed by the DSWD.

While he urged for the expansion of the program during the plenary debates, Tolentino stressed the need for enhancements and suggested collaboration with various institutions, including religious organizations.

Highlighting the importance of providing healthier food options for FSP beneficiaries, Tolentino proposed the inclusion of more accredited cooperative stores.

Ms. Marcos supported this idea and cited the need for proper accreditation to ensure quality and a consistent year-round supply. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz and NCB

Fish kill caused by algal bloom

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Thursday that algal bloom was the main cause in the fish kill observed in Cañacao Bay, Cavite.

“As of yesterday (Nov. 15), our laboratory has released new results and it appears that there was an algal bloom in the area of the fish kill,” BFAR spokesperson Nazario C. Briguera said in an interview with PTV channel, adding that this had caused a drop in dissolved oxygen levels and an increase in ammonium nitrogen.

“Algal bloom is a natural phenomenon especially in the Manila Bay area, so we can’t really predict when it will pop up next,” he said. He said that the phenomenon had mostly affected blackchin tilapia which does not have much commercial value.

“These aren’t farmed tilapia… so in terms of fishing activities in Manila Bay, fisherfolks are continuing. Walang masyadong impact ito sa fishing industry kasi nga itong mga naglutangan na isda ay mababa ang commercial value,” he added. (It does not have much impact on the fishing industry because those fish have low commercial value)

Earlier reports by the Philippine Coast Guard said, that more than 31 families near the area were already evacuated due to the foul odor caused by the dead fish.

Mr. Briguera said that the BFAR would “continue to extend the necessary technical assistance (to the affected area). — Adrian H. Halili

Villar frowns at junked DA cases

EXPRESSING dismay during Senate debates, Senator Cynthia A. Villar revealed on Wednesday that the fight against agricultural smuggling has seen five out of the 15 cases filed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) already junked by the courts.

Citing how these dismissals underscore a significant challenge in prosecuting such illicit activities, Ms. Villar pushed for non-bailable charges against smugglers of agricultural produce to enhance legal accountability.

She raised the issue alongside news that authorities arrested a long suspected large-scale smuggler of onions.

The senator said that the DA is “trying to file a case” against the head of a group of companies that the House agriculture and food committee in May said was involved in the whole onion value chain for the price manipulation of the commodity, causing it to hit P700 per kilogram last year.

“They are investigating together with the PCC (Philippine Competition Commission),” she said.

The House of Representatives in September passed House Bill No. 9284, which seeks to raise penalties against smuggling of agricultural commodities. The Senate has yet to approve its version of the measure.

Newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Francisco T. Laurel, Jr. told senators that under his leadership, the DA will prioritize modernizing the agriculture sector to lessen the country’s dependence on importation.

“Our plans for the Department of Agriculture is basically the marching orders of our president, which is to increase production…through the use of technology, modernization and improve logistics to lower cost of all the products that we produce in this country,” Mr. Laurel told the plenary. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

CTA rejects SL Harbor’s claim

THE COURT of Tax Appeals (CTA) has rejected a P10.33-million tax refund claim by San Miguel Corporation’s fuel importer company, SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation, due to a lack of evidence presented.

In a 31-page decision on Wednesday, the CTA Special Second Division denied the company’s claim that the excise taxes were not applicable due to the tax exemptions granted to businesses operating within the Economic Zone.

SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation said they were erroneously taxed for the importation of bunker fuel and diesel sold from April 1 to June 30, 2018, to tax-exempt companies registered with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) The court ruled, however, that the company had not submitted sufficient evidence to prove its claim.

“An applicant for a claim for tax refund or tax credit must not only prove entitlement to the claim but also compliance with all the documentary and evidentiary requirements required by law. As discussed above, petitioner failed to do so in the present case,” the ruling penned by Associate Justice Lanee S. Cui-David read.

The appellate court also said the petitioner failed to provide sufficient evidence for excise tax payments on sales to other entities, such as JX Nippon Mining & Metals Philippines, Inc. and Philippine Sinter Corporation, lacking essential details in the submitted agreements.

The court said essential details, such as dates of sale, product descriptions, dates of contractual events, and evidence of agreements with the tax-exempt entities were not included in the supply or sales agreements submitted before the court. — Jomel R. Paguian

Town hall rises in Maute stronghold

COTABATO CITY — Officials will inaugurate this weekend a new municipal hall in the hometown of the founders of the long decimated Maute terror group that had ranted noisily about poor governance in the area and lack of public service facets for marginalized residents.

The construction of the P25-million local government operations center in the hinterland town of Butig, Lanao del Sur was bankrolled by the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

According to BARMM’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), the new building will be officially opened to the public on Sunday in a symbolic rite to be officiated by Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal A. Adiong, Jr., Butig Mayor Dimnatang B. Pansar, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim and Regional Local Government Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo. 

Mr. Adiong said on Thursday that he is thankful to the MILG-BARMM for having provided Butig with a municipal building from where local officials can manage all the barangays in the municipality, now peaceful and dotted with highland resorts frequented by local tourists from towns around and from the provincial capital, Marawi City.

“For us, this new municipal building is a beacon of hope and source of inspiration to continue with our peacekeeping activities in Butig to sustain the peace now that its residents enjoy,” he said.

Butig first hit the news in 2014 when the siblings Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute hoisted the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in one of its barangays, imposed a ruthless justice system on villagers, and launched clandestine attacks on military and police installations and bombings of selected targets.

Members of the Maute clan, along with Abu Sayyaf terrorists from the island provinces of Basilan and Sulu, together laid siege to Marawi City on May 23, 2017, bragging then that they were to establish a puritan Islamic community in the area.

Their religious adventurism triggered a bloody conflict that lasted for five months, resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people, among them 119 soldiers and policemen, and caused the displacement of no fewer than 300,000 innocent villagers.

The conflict ended on Oct. 16, 2023 after soldiers had killed the brothers Omarkhayam and Adullah and their key Abu Sayyaf supporter, Isnilon Hapilon, in a clash in one of the barangays in Marawi City that they occupied. — John Felix M. Unson

Name-dropping drivers fined

SENATOR Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. (left) shakes hands with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Task Force Special Operations Unit head, Edison ‘Bong’ Nebrija, at the Senate on Wednesday. Moments before this, acting MMDA chairman Romando S. Artes (middle) announced Mr. Nebrija’s suspension, pending an investigation into the ‘wrongful naming’ of the senator as the passenger of a vehicle that violated the exclusive buslane of EDSA in Pasay City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JESSE BUSTOS

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday issued traffic violation tickets to the two drivers who wrongfully tagged Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. for illegal use of the EDSA bus lane on Wednesday.

In a statement, the MMDA said the two drivers admitted that Mr. Revilla was not on board their vehicle when traffic enforcers apprehended them for illegally using the bus lane. They also clarified that the senator is not the owner of the vehicle.

MMDA said they fined the two drivers P5,000 for a first offense, but it is up to Mr. Revilla to file the necessary charges against them for “name-dropping” him.

“The Agency considers this a welcome development in light of the incident as the agency conducts a probe and determines the lapses in the procedures in the implementation of the EDSA Bus Lane regulation,” said MMDA Acting Chairman Romando S. Artes in a statement. 

Mr. Artes said that the vehicle owner contacted him through a mutual friend. Subsequently, the two drivers met with the chairman at the MMDA Head Office on Thursday afternoon.

On Wednesday, MMDA suspended Bong Nebrija, head of the MMDA’s Task Force Special Operations Unit, for allowing a convoy, which reportedly included Mr. Revilla, to use the exclusive bus lane. Mr. Nebrija later clarified in a media forum that he mentioned the senator’s name based on the information provided by an enforcer, even though he did not personally see the official.

Mr. Artes said that Mr. Nebrija was suspended “not because he was doing his job but because he went overboard” when they conducted the operations. — Jomel R. Paguian

Country club workers on strike

WORKERS at Valle Verde Country Club, a private country club in Pasig City, marked on Thursday the first week of their strike over unresolved demands in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Answering questions through email, Valle Verde Country Club president Rodolfo Enrico A. Lozada said 57 out of 96 rank-and-file employees have joined the strike, with workers demanding a P1,500 monthly wage increase, a P5,000 sign-on bonus, and a P25,000 lump sum to compensate for the delayed salary increase this year.

Mr. Lozada said that during the negotiations, the club management gave the union a “fair and generous offer” of P1,000 monthly wage increase and agreed to the two other demands. “Regrettably, the union has chosen not to accept our offer,” he said.

In response, union president Anthonio Pantaleon, Jr. said: “Nothing is happening. They are stuck with their offer.” — Jomel R. Paguian

Biden and Xi’s ‘blunt’ discussions yield deals on military, fentanyl

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., Nov. 15, 2023. — REUTERS

WOODSIDE, California — US President Joseph R. Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on Wednesday to open a presidential hotline, resume military-to-military communications and work to curb fentanyl production, showing tangible progress in their first face-to-face talks in a year.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi met for about four hours on the outskirts of San Francisco to discuss issues that have strained US-Chinese relations. Simmering differences remain, particularly over Taiwan.

In a significant breakthrough, the two governments plan to resume military contacts that China severed after then-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

“We’re back to direct, open clear direct communication on a direct basis,” Mr. Biden said.

In addition, Mr. Biden said he and Mr. Xi agreed to high-level communications. “He and I agreed that each one of us can pick up the phone call directly and we’ll be heard immediately.”

But in a comment likely to irk the Chinese, Mr. Biden told reporters later that he had not changed his view that Mr. Xi is a dictator.

“Well, look, he is. I mean, he’s a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is a communist country,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden that the negative views of the Communist Party in the United States were unfair, a US official told reporters after the meeting.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi came into the talks looking to smooth over a rocky period in relations that took a turn for the worse after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon transited the United States and was shot down by a US fighter jet in February.

The White House said Mr. Biden raised areas where Washington has concerns, including detained US citizens, human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong and Beijing’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea.

“Just talking, just being blunt with one another so there’s no misunderstanding,” Mr. Biden said.

MILITARY, TAIWAN
US and China’s militaries have had a number of near-misses and acrimonious exchanges over the past year. After the pledge to renew communications, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet his Chinese counterpart when that person is named, a senior US official said.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi agreed China would stem the export of items related to the production of the opioid fentanyl, a leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States. “It’s going to save lives,” Mr. Biden said, adding he appreciated Mr. Xi’s “commitment” on the issue.

Under the agreement, China will go directly after specific chemical companies that make fentanyl precursors, a senior US official told reporters. He vowed to “trust but verify” Chinese actions on the drug.

The two leaders also agreed to get experts together to discuss the risks of artificial intelligence.

A US official described an exchange over Taiwan, the democratic island that China claims as its territory. China’s preference is for peaceful reunification with the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan, Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden, the US official said, but Mr. Xi went on to talk about conditions in which force could be used.

Mr. Biden said he stressed the need for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The US official said Biden argued to maintain the status quo and for China to respect Taiwan’s electoral process.

“President Xi responded ‘Look, peace is all well and good, but at some point we need to move towards resolution more generally’,” the official quoted Xi as saying.

Mr. Xi also urged the United States to stop sending weapons to Taiwan and support China’s peaceful “reunification” with Taiwan, Chinese state media said.

Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan expert at the Germen Marshall Fund of the United States, said Mr. Xi seemed to have conveyed both threats and assurances on Taiwan. “The suggestion that a resolution needs to be found in the near term is a worrisome sign, even if he emphasized that there are no plans for military action against Taiwan in the coming years,” she said.

Mr. Biden said he asked Mr. Xi to use his influence with Iran to urge Tehran not to launch proxy attacks on US targets in the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues in Gaza.  

RESPECT AND WARMTH
Mr. Biden welcomed the Chinese leader at the Filoli estate, a country house and well-manicured gardens about 30 miles (48 km) south of San Francisco, where they will move later for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

APEC meets amid relative Chinese economic weakness, Beijing’s territorial feuds with neighbors and a Middle East conflict that is dividing the United States from allies.

Mr. Xi came into the meeting looking for respect from the United States as China’s economy struggles to recover from sluggish growth.

Mr. Biden, who had long sought the meeting, struck a warm, welcoming tone. Video of the two clasping hands in farewell after the meeting was posted on X by the Global Times, China’s state-backed tabloid.

“Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed,” Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden as they and their delegations sat across from each other at a long table in an ornate conference room.

Mr. Biden said the US and China had to ensure that competition between them “does not veer into conflict” and manage their relationship “responsibly.”

After lunch, the leaders took a short walk together in the manicured garden of the mansion following an interaction that lasted around four hours. Mr. Biden waved to reporters and gave a thumbs up sign when asked how the talks were going. “Well,” he said.

Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden as they began their talks a lot had happened since their last meeting a year ago in Bali, citing the impacts of the COVID pandemic, and calling the US-China relationship “the most important bilateral relationship in the world.”

“For two large countries like China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option,” he said. “It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other.”

After the two met, Mr. Biden welcomed global leaders to the APEC meeting in San Francisco, where he said Mr. Xi regarded the visit as a homecoming given the city’s large Chinese population. — Reuters

Israeli troops deepen search at Gaza hospital for evidence of Hamas

ISRAELI soldiers inspect the Al Shifa hospital complex, amid their ground operation against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, Nov. 15, 2023 in this handout image. — ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Israel said its forces were operating in and around Gaza’s biggest hospital, a chief objective in its campaign to destroy Palestinian Hamas militants that the army says stored weapons and ran a command center in tunnels beneath the buildings.

Israeli troops forced their way into Al Shifa hospital in the early hours of Wednesday and spent the day deepening their search, the army said. An army video showed automatic weapons, grenades, ammunition and flak jackets it said were recovered from an undisclosed building within the complex.

“The troops continue to search the hospital in a precise, intelligence-based, manner,” army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing late on Wednesday. “We will continue to do so, in order to gather further information, to discover additional assets, and to expose the terror activities within the hospital.”

US President Joseph R. Biden said that Hamas was committing war crimes by having its military headquarters under the hospital. He said Israel had gone into Al Shifa with a limited number of troops with guns. “They were told…we discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful,” Mr. Biden told reporters on Wednesday.

The Israeli military made no mention of finding any tunnel entrances in Al Shifa. It previously said Hamas had built a network of tunnels under the hospital. Hamas has denied it and dismissed the latest army statements.

“The occupation forces are still lying … as they brought some weapons, clothes and tools and placed them in the hospital in a scandalous manner,” Qatar-based Hamas senior member Ezzat El Rashq said. “We have repeatedly called for a committee from the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross to verify the lies of the occupation.”

Israeli forces raided the Shifa complex on Wednesday evening “for the second time in 24 hours” WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, reported. Bulldozers and military vehicles were used, the agency said, citing local sources.

Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency reported early on Thursday that Israeli tanks raided Al Shifa from the complex’s southern side and that gunfire was heard in the area.

Israel began its campaign against the Islamist group that rules Gaza after militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7. Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 people taken hostage in the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, but has not put forward a plan for after the war as to who would govern Gaza.

Mr. Biden said on Wednesday that he had made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution was the only way to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict and that occupying Gaza would be “a big mistake.”

Mr. Biden told reporters he was doing everything in his power to free hostages held by Hamas militants, but that did not mean sending in the US military. 

Washington has boosted its military presence in the Middle East, sending two aircraft carriers and support ships to the region, to prevent the conflict spreading and to deter Iran, a long-time backer of Hamas, from getting involved.

Iran’s supreme leader told the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran would continue to lend Hamas political and moral support, but wouldn’t intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.

FIRST FUEL TRUCK ARRIVES IN GAZA
Israel has put Gaza’s population of 2.3 million under siege and carried out an aerial bombardment. Gaza health officials, considered reliable by the United Nations, say about 11,500 Palestinians are confirmed killed, around 40% of them children, and more are buried under the rubble.

Israel has ordered the evacuation of the entire northern half of Gaza, and around two-thirds of residents are now homeless.

The first truck carrying fuel into Gaza since the start of the war crossed from Egypt on Wednesday to deliver diesel to the United Nations (UN), though it will do little to alleviate shortages that have hampered relief operations.

The delivery was made possible by Israel approving 24,000 liters (6,340 gallons) of diesel fuel to be allowed into Gaza for UN aid distribution trucks, though not for use at hospitals, according to a humanitarian source.

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting for a “sufficient number of days” to allow aid access. It also called in a resolution for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas. The 15-member council overcame an impasse in four attempts to take action last month.

Israel has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire, which it says would benefit Hamas. A pause in fighting has been discussed, however, in negotiations mediated by Qatar to release some hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack.

Qatari mediators were seeking a deal that would include a three-day truce, with Hamas releasing 50 of its captives and Israel to release some women and minors from among its security detainees, an official briefed on the negotiations said. — Reuters

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