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GUIDE bill wins third-reading approval from House

THE House of Representatives, sitting in plenary session, passed on third reading the GUIDE bill, which would require government financial institutions to aid small businesses and others deemed “strategic” as a form of pandemic relief.

The chamber approved the bill with a vote of 282 legislators, with no votes against and no abstentions.

The proposed Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) Act seeks to require the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to lend to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and those classified as strategically important companies (SICs).

The bill prescribes a pathway for LANDBANK and the DBP for aiding distressed SICs. It authorizes the establishment of a joint venture special holding company to carry out the rehabilitation.

Eligibility criteria for MSMEs are as follows: micro enterprises with assets not exceeding P3 million, small enterprises with assets not exceeding P15 million, and medium enterprises not exceeding P100 million.

The rehabilitation fund will be seeded with P10 billion from the Treasury, with P7.5 billion to be allocated to LANDBANK and P2.5 billion to the DBP.

The bill was passed by on third reading by the 18th Congress, but the Senate failed to pass a counterpart bill. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

China likely to just snub PHL senators’ tirade on sea incident

SEA and air assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command, the lead unit watching over the West Philippine Sea, hold joint interdiction exercises in waters off Brooke’s Point, Palawan in November. — WESTERN COMMAND-AFP

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter

CHINA could not be expected to change its stance and course of action in disputed parts of the South China Sea after Philippine senators signed a resolution on Wednesday condemning what they called harassment and encroachment by Chinese vessels in Philippine maritime territory.

“Probably not,” said Herman Joseph S. Kraft, a professor and former chair of the political science department at the University of the Philippines, when asked on how Beijing is likely to react.

“The Chinese are probably going to be more sensitive to such statements if it was President (Ferdinand R.) Marcos (Jr.) making it,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

Senator Francis N. Tolentino, in a privilege speech on Wednesday, said they want Mr. Marcos to bring the legislative body’s formal position when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an official visit to Beijing on Jan. 3 to 6.

The Senate adopted the still unnumbered resolution expressing “disgust” over China’s maneuvers in the South China Sea.

“As it is, China is already increasingly more active in the WPS (West Philippine Sea) without having to react to the Senate’s statement,” Mr. Kraft said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

EU SUPPORT
Mr. Marcos, meanwhile, said that objections against violations on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will only be effective if nations unite behind the call.

“Every action that might be taken that objects or brings light to a possible violation of the UNCLOS  (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) is much stronger when it is brought about by a group of nations such as ASEAN and if the EU, now with our strategic partnership, is able to also join their voices to that,” Mr. Marcos said in a live-streamed press conference at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

He said the EU’s commitment to the doctrine of behaviors in the South China Sea is already “a very big step” for the Philippines.

“That we now have the strategic support from not only the member-countries of EU but of EU itself, because EU and ASEAN together comprise the largest, most well-organized regional aggrupations, then that will be a very strong position to be able to negotiate even individually for the Philippines or jointly with ASEAN,” he said.

The South China Sea, a key global shipping route, is subject to overlapping territorial claims involving China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Each year, trillions of dollars of trade flow through the sea, which is also rich in fish and gas.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Martin “Koko” D. Pimentel III said the resolution presented the current sentiment of the upper chamber.

“This should be sent to the Office of the President and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),” he said in a statement. “We stop short of directly communicating with the foreign embassies. We should always course it through the DFA.”

The DFA did not respond to a WhatsApp message seeking update before the print deadline.

The minority leader, who chaired the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in the last Congress, said that “the actual, concrete, practical steps to take regarding the West Philippine Sea should be made or taken by the executive branch.”

The administration, he said, should “bring the incidents in the WPS up in the meetings during the state visit for the purpose of how to avoid similar incidents in the future.”

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, told BusinessWorld in a Viber message that the Senate condemnation will unlikely affect bilateral relations between the Philippines and China.

“Filing protests and expressing disagreement over disturbing actions taken by a rival claimant in a contested flashpoint are normal and expected,” he said.

China has rejected a 2016 arbitral ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal that voided its claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration based in the Hague upheld the Philippines’ rights to its exclusive economic zone within the disputed waterway. It rejected China’s claim to most of the sea based on a 1940s nine-dash line map.

In a statement on Thursday, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito urged the government to speed up efforts to build up defense forces and military equipment in the South China Sea, noting that Beijing’s military assets are moving closer to Manila’s coastline.

“This is already a clear and present danger. It can no longer be ignored,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “If you saw the most recent pictures of the disputed islands, there are full blown military bases. That’s a lot. It’s like a city already.”

“If we continue to be a laggard, they might even annex Palawan,” he added.

At the House of Representatives, a coalition of progressive party-lists reiterated their push for the administration to take a more assertive stance on the Philippines’ maritime territory.

“Based on the pronouncement of the chief executive that we are friendly to other countries, [it has come to a point wherein] our territory is exposed not only to China but to other countries like the United States,” Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said in a press conference on Thursday.

Assistant minority leader and Gabriela Part-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas, for her part, said the government’s responses do not inspire nationalism.

“We keep calling for patriotism, yet we couldn’t prevent instances like this. If we want to show patriotism and love for the country, let us not allow the Chinese to take swarm over the Philippine Sea,” she said. — with Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

PHL partners with two EU countries on defense

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. held bilateral meetings with leaders of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands on the sidelines of the ASEAN-US Commemorative Summit in Brussels on Dec. 12-14. — OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has sought support from the Czech Republic and the Netherlands to enhance the technological capacity of the Philippines’ defense sector, according to statements released by the press secretary’s office on Wednesday.

“It’s something that has been very helpful to the program of modernization that we are undergoing for defense forces in the Philippines, especially now that we… are trying to strengthen the capabilities of our coast guard,” Mr. Marcos said in a meeting with Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

“But what would be even more interesting is besides just the equipment, would be the transfer of technology from your country to mine so that you are able to produce (in our own country) some of the material that is now being provided by other countries and perhaps… make the Philippines a center for all that, the logistics,” he added.

Mr. Marcos noted that technology transfer is a vital aspect of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program, which was launched in 2013 through Republic Act No. 10349 or the Revised Armed Forces Modernization Act.

The law sets out a 15-year modernization program to beef up the AFP’s capability on counterterrorism, maritime domain security, and address internal threats.

NETHERLANDS
The Philippine leader also had a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, where they agreed to bolster maritime defense ties as well as expand collaboration in water management.

The Dutch leader noted that the Netherlands is hosting a conference on the role of artificial intelligence in the military domain in February next year, which aims to gather foreign ministers, defense ministers, and heads of states.

Mr. Marcos noted that cybersecurity is becoming increasingly more important for the Philippines’ armed forces, noting the prevalence of cyberattacks in the country’s military networks.

“The cybersecurity part of our military is growing everyday,” he said.

Mr. Rutte also invited Mr. Marcos to participate in a conferences on water management next year.

Amsterdam will be hosting a conference in March on water management and climate change adaptation, which is among the key priorities of the Marcos administration.

“We are two counties who run a risk or two with rising sea levels and climate change,” Mr. Rutte said.

Mr. Marcos, in response, said, “We are actually trying to decide whether or not to form a new agency just for water management… That seems to be right exactly within the area of concern of the Philippines.”

The Philippines is among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change. It is visited by an average of 20 typhoons every year, about five of which are destructive. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

House approves NCSTP bill on final reading

YOUTH activists from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines stage a die-in protest at the Mendiola Peace Arch in Manila on Dec. 12 early morning to denounce the proposed mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in schools. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE HOUSE of Representatives on Thursday approved on 3rd and final reading a measure that seeks mandatory military training for public and private tertiary education students.   

House Bill 6687, certified by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as urgent, got 276 affirmative votes, while four opposed and one abstained.  

Under the proposed law, the National Citizens Service Training Program (NCSTP) will be required for all students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in all public and private higher education institutions and at least two-year technical-vocational education and training programs.   

The program shall be administered for at least four semesters and 240 hours in two academic years.  

The NCST program “shall provide the students with practical and applicable knowledge and skills that are necessary, essential, and ideal for survival, and for attaining resilience, and to ensure the immediate availability of these skills in times of local and national emergencies and disasters, both natural and man-made.”  

The curriculum will also “instill in students the values of civic mindedness, volunteerism, and genuine service to others. It shall develop tertiary education students to be community crisis managers and leaders in times of emergencies and disasters,” reads the bill.   

The NCSTP will be a requisite for graduation of all tertiary education students.  

Students who complete the NCSTP program will be incorporated in the National Service Reserve Corps and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Force.  

The optional Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program will become a four-year baccalaureate degree course, wherein graduates will be “capable of immediate deployment as commissioned officers of the AFP.”  

The Department of National Defense, AFP, and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will design the ROTC baccalaureate degree program.  

In an earlier press conference, opposition lawmakers expressed their dissent on the bill. 

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said the bill would only normalize military presence in educational institutions. “What is most disturbing is that the NCST[P] normalizes the presence of armed forces in campuses by building School-based Ready Reserve Units under the AFP, contrary to making schools zones of peace,” he said.  

Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Party List Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said, “The youth does not need mandatory [military training]. What they need is access to quality education that will enable them to attain skills that they can use to serve marginalized sectors.”  

House deputy minority leader and ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France L. Castro said that the bill would decrease funds for the Universal Access to Free Tertiary Education. It would also be costly to parents and students.  

Various student groups have also opposed the proposed law.  

The House bill is now up for transmission to the Senate, where there are several pending counterpart bills. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz 

Bangsamoro transport ministry ready to take over airport terminal operations by Jan. 1

BARMM MOTC

THE BANGSAMORO Airport Authority (BAA) will start handling the passenger terminal operations of four airports in the region by Jan. 1, the regional government said on Thursday.   

BAA head Carmencita O. Salik, in a statement from the regional information office, said they held their first meeting with airport concessionaires and other business operators on Dec. 14 to discuss the new management policies and guidelines.   

“Today is our first concessionaires and stakeholders meeting because we want to inform them that starting January 1, all landside operations will be turned over to the MOTC-BARMM,” she said.  

She was referring to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The BAA is an attached agency of the ministry.   

The landside operations cover the passenger terminal building, administrative building, parking area, and other facilities or areas that are not restricted or not part of air navigational facilities.  

The national government, through the Civil Aviations Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), will continue to handle airside operations, as stipulated under Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law. 

Six airports owned and managed by CAAP were formally turned over to the Bangsamoro government in September through a memorandum of agreement.   

Under the agreement, CAAP transferred all the properties, assets, powers, and functions pertaining to the landside management of operational airports in Cotabato, Sanga-Sanga, Jolo, and Mapun, as well as the non-operational airports in Malabang and Wao.  

Ms. Salik said with BAA’s takeover, all concessionaires and other business owners inside the airports will have to apply again as a new entity.  

“All applications will be treated as new,” she said.  

Based on the new guidelines, interested parties need to submit the following requirements: letter of intent, business plan and company profile, application form, business permit, location, certificate of good standing from previous concessionaires in charge, and clearance from the airport manager. — MSJ 

Spain vows continued support for peace programs in Bangsamoro region 

OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY

SPAIN has vowed to provide continuing support to peace programs in the Bangsamoro, an autonomous region in southern Philippines that is transitioning from a history of conflicts, according to Philippine press secretary’s office.   

“But it’s true that you know, Philippines is the only Asian country in… from our side, listed as a priority country in the masterplan for Spanish cooperation,” Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón said during a bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium.  

“The Spanish cooperation in Muslim Mindanao… especially this region, (the) Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, (is) where we try to provide institutional support and strengthen the dialogue,” he said.  

The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation is among the funding agencies for the P1.5-Billion Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) Programme, which is intended to strengthen the region’s democratic governance capacities during the transition period.  

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was set up in 2019 following a peace agreement between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.  

Mr. Marcos, for his part, recalled his time at the Senate, where he said he was among the legislators who worked to create an autonomous political entity to end the conflict.  

“I was a senator, and we were forming the new autonomous region, and of the places I went to seek advice was your experience in Catalonia, and… we learned very much,” he said.   

The leaders also agreed to strengthen other aspects of the Philippines-Spain bilateral relations. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Comelec disqualifies Cagayan governor for violating spending ban

CAGAYAN Governor Manuel N. Mamba, Sr. delivers a speech during an event at the provincial capitol in Dec. 2021. — CAGAYAN PIO

THE COMMISSION ON Elections (Comelec) has disqualified Cagayan Governor Manuel N. Mamba, Sr. from the May elections for disbursing funds for transport vehicles, cash assistance and scholarships during the spending ban period. 

“It’s all over the records of this case that respondent (Mr. Mamba) disbursed public funds during the prohibited period for the village programs,” according to the 18-page decision dated Dec. 14 penned by Election Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo.  

The election body noted that the governor, who was running in May for a third term in office, did not deny the disbursements for the provincial government, but maintained they were not “massive vote buying activities.”  

Mr. Mamba did not immediately reply to a Facebook Messenger chat seeking comment.  

Under a Comelec resolution dated Dec. 16, 2021, government officials were barred from releasing or spending public funds from March 25 to May 8.   

Public officials must apply for exemptions from Comelec to proceed with a project during this period.  

The petition was filed by Zarah De Guzman Lara, who lost to Mr. Mamba in this year’s gubernatorial race. She argued that the governor committed vote-buying during the period in the guise of cash aid distribution.  

Mr. Mamba argued that he did not commit an election offense since the programs being implemented were ongoing non-infrastructure projects during his second term.  

Comelec ruled that he was not liable for vote-buying, but maintained that he violated the 45-day spending ban.  

The governor can still appeal the case before the Comelec en banc within five calendar days or bring his case to the Supreme Court, Comelec Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco told reporters in a Viber message. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Russia says no Christmas ceasefire in Ukraine

Army soldier figurines are displayed in front of the Ukrainian and Russian flag colors background in this illustration taken, Feb. 13, 2022. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

KYIV — Russia ruled out a “Christmas ceasefire” after nearly 10 months of war in Ukraine and rejected a call by Kyiv to start withdrawing troops by Christmas as a step to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.

Russia and Ukraine are not currently engaged in talks to end the fighting, which is raging in the east and south with little movement on either side.

Violence returned to Kyiv on Wednesday, with the first major drone attack on Ukraine’s capital in weeks. Two administrative buildings were hit, but air defenses largely repelled the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 13 drones had been shot down.

In one Kyiv district, where snow lay on the ground, residents said they heard the loud whirring engine of an Iranian Shahed drone followed by a powerful explosion at a building next to their homes.

“I want this all to be over … For (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, that bastard, to die,” said Yana, 39, who had been getting ready for work when the attack took place.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions more displaced and cities reduced to rubble since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, saying it needed to protect Russian speakers from Ukrainian far-right nationalists. Kyiv and its allies call it an unprovoked war of choice.

“There is no calm on the front line,” Zelensky said in a regular evening video address, describing Russia’s destruction of towns in the east with artillery “so that only bare ruins and craters” remain.

Asked on Wednesday whether Moscow had seen proposals for a “Christmas ceasefire,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “No, no such offers have been received from anybody. This topic is not on the agenda.”

Zelensky said this week that Russia should start withdrawing by Christmas as a step to end the conflict, but Moscow rejected the proposal, saying Ukraine must accept the loss of territory to Russia before any progress can be made.

“Just given what we’re seeing in the air and on the ground in Ukraine, it’s difficult to conclude that this war will be over by year’s end,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in response to a question about the prospects for a negotiated peace.

Russia, which calls the war a “special military operation,” has fired barrages of missiles on energy infrastructure since October, disrupting power supplies and leaving Ukrainians without heating in freezing winter conditions.

In a move which would significantly bolster Ukraine’s air defense, US officials told Reuters this week that a decision on providing the Patriot missile system to the Ukrainian military could be announced as soon as Thursday.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the United States is also planning to send equipment that converts unguided aerial munitions into smart bombs, allowing a high degree of accurate targeting.

The Kremlin said US Patriot systems would be legitimate targets and warned that Washington was getting “deeper and deeper into the conflict in the post-Soviet republic”.

CHILDREN TAKEN TO RUSSIA
Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s commissioner for human rights, said 12,000 Ukrainian children had been taken to Russia since the invasion began in February, including 8,600 taken by force.

He said Ukrainian investigators had uncovered a cell where Russian troops detained and mistreated children in Kherson, a southern city abandoned by pro-Moscow forces last month.

Lubinets did not provide evidence of his assertions and Reuters could not immediately confirm his account. Russia denies targeting civilians and rejects allegations of war crimes. 

Despite the lack of peace talks, hundreds of detainees have been freed in swaps in recent weeks. The releases — along with progress on talks to resume Russian exports of an ingredient in fertiliser and the extension of a grains deal — have shown the two sides maintain at least limited contact on several levels.

The latest exchange of dozens of detainees included a US citizen, Kyiv and Washington said on Wednesday.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, identified the American as Suedi Murekezi, who he said had been “helping our people” before ending up in Russian custody. The Washington Post said Mr. Murekezi was a US Air Force veteran born in Uganda.

“We certainly welcome that news,” Kirby told reporters, but did not name the freed American, citing privacy concerns.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday an all-for-all prisoner of war swap deal was an option in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The ICRC emphasised it was up to the two countries to reach an agreement on the issue.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said a major swap could build confidence and that such exchanges had in the past constituted “the first step to a broader agreement”.

Neither the Red Cross or the two sides have made public precise numbers for each country’s war detainees but there are believed to be thousands of such prisoners.

Ukraine has pushed for more captives to be returned as part of talks with Russian representatives seeking the reopening of an ammonia gas pipeline through Ukraine, Reuters has reported. The pipeline is widely seen as important to lowering world prices for fertilizer made with the gas. — Reuters

Tokyo makes solar panels mandatory for new homes to be built after 2025

MICHAEL WILSON-UNSPLASH

TOKYO — All new houses in Tokyo built by large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions, according to a new regulation passed by the Japanese capital’s local assembly on Thursday.

The mandate, the first of its kind for a Japanese municipality, requires about 50 major builders to equip homes of up to 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet) with renewable energy power sources, mainly solar panels.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike noted last week that just 4% of buildings where solar panels could be installed in the city have them now. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2000 levels.

Japan, the world’s fifth-largest carbon emitter, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 but faces difficulty as it has relied heavily on coal-burning thermal power after most of its nuclear reactors were in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

“In addition to the existing global climate crisis, we face an energy crisis with a prolonged Russia-Ukraine war,” Risako Narikiyo, a member of Ms. Koike’s regional party Tomin First no Kai, said at the assembly on Thursday. “There is no time to waste.” — Reuters

US Senate passes bill to ban TikTok on gov’t devices

WASHINGTON — The US Senate late on Wednesday passed by voice vote a bill to bar federal employees from using Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok on government-owned devices.

The bill must still be approved by the US House of Representatives before going to President Joseph R. Biden for approval. The House of Representatives would need to pass the Senate bill before the current congressional session ends, which is expected next week.

The vote is the latest action on the part of US lawmakers to crackdown on Chinese companies amid national security fears that Beijing could use them to spy on Americans.

The Senate action comes after North Dakota and Iowa this week joined a growing number of US states in banning TikTok, owned by ByteDance, from state-owned devices amid concerns that data could be passed on to the Chinese government.

During the last Congress, the Senate in August 2020 unanimously approved legislation to bar TikTok from government devices. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Senator Josh Hawley, reintroduced in legislation in 2021.

Many federal agencies including the Defense, Homeland Security and State departments already ban TikTok from government-owned devices. “TikTok is a major security risk to the United States, and it has no place on government devices,” Mr. Hawley said previously.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued directives prohibiting executive branch agencies from downloading the app on any government-issued equipment. Around a dozen US states have taken similar actions, including Alabama and Utah this week.

TikTok has said the concerns are largely fueled by misinformation and are happy to meet with policymakers to discuss the company’s practices.

“We’re disappointed that so many states are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States,” the company said Wednesday.

Other states taking similar actions include Texas, Maryland and South Dakota.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Tuesday unveiled bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok altogether in the United States, ratcheting up pressure on ByteDance due to US fears the app could be used to spy on Americans and censure content. Mr. Rubio also is a sponsor of Mr. Hawley’s TikTok government device ban bill.

The legislation would block all transactions from any social media company in or under the influence of China and Russia, Mr. Rubio’s office said.

At a hearing last month, FBI Director Chris Wray said TikTok’s US operations raise national security concerns.

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump attempted to block new users from downloading TikTok and ban other transactions that would have effectively blocked the apps’ use in the United States but lost a series of court battles over the measure.

The US government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a powerful national security body, in 2020 ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok because of the fears that US user data could be passed to the Chinese government, though ByteDance has not done so.

CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for months to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of TikTok’s more than 100 million users but it does not appear any deal will be reached before the end of the year. — Reuters

Vietnam makes big push to expand South China Sea outposts, says US think tank

US NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON — Vietnam has conducted a major expansion of dredging and landfill work at several of its South China Sea outposts in the second half of this year, signaling an intent to significantly fortify its claims in the disputed waterway, a US think tank reported on Wednesday.

Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the work in the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by China and others, had created roughly 420 acres (170 hectares) of new land and brought the total area Vietnam had reclaimed in the past decade to 540 acres (220 hectares).

Basing its findings on commercial satellite imagery, CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said the effort included expanded landfill work at four features and new dredging at five others.

“The scale of the landfill work, while still falling far short of the more than 3,200 acres of land created by China from 2013 to 2016, is significantly larger than previous efforts from Vietnam and represents a major move toward reinforcing its position in the Spratlys,” the report said.

Vietnam’s Washington embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

AMTI said Vietnam’s midsized outposts at Namyit Island, Pearson Reef and Sand Cay were undergoing major expansions, with a dredged port capable of hosting larger vessels already taking shape at Namyit and Pearson.

Namyit Island, at 117 acres (47 hectares) and Pearson Reef, at 119 acres (48 hectares), were both now larger than Spratly Island at 97 acres (39 hectares), which had been Vietnam’s largest outpost. Tennent Reef, which previously only hosted two small pillbox structures, now had 64 acres (26 hectares) of artificial land, the report said.

AMTI said Vietnam used clamshell dredgers to scoop up sections of shallow reef and deposit the sediment for landfill, a less destructive process than the cutter-suction dredging China had used to build its artificial islands.

“But Vietnam’s dredging and landfill activities in 2022 are substantial and signal an intent to significantly fortify its occupied features in the Spratlys,” the report said.

“(W)hat infrastructure the expanded outposts will host remains to be seen. Whether and to what degree China and other claimants react will bear watching,” it said.

China claims most of the South China Sea and has established military outposts on artificial islands it has built there. Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have overlapping claims in the sea, which is crisscrossed by vital shipping lanes and contains gas fields and rich fishing grounds. — Reuters

Steely France ends Morocco run to set up Argentina showdown

France battles Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final

AL KHOR, Qatar — France will play Argentina in the World Cup final after beating Morocco 2-0 in an enthralling semifinal on Wednesday to stay on course to retain the title and end the fairytale run of the north Africans in Qatar.

Theo Hernandez scored in the fifth minute in a perfect start for the holders, who would have been looking for an early strike to silence the rowdy Moroccan support at the Al Bayt Stadium and dent the confidence of their team.

But it still proved a close-fought match as Morocco overcame injury blows and showed no deference to France’s reputation, taking the game to them in a gallant effort that added to the glowing reputation they have earned at the tournament.

France settled the outcome with a second goal 11 minutes from time as substitute Randal Kolo Muani, with a first touch after coming on, tucked in a shot at the back post.

They are now into a fourth World Cup final and can become the first country to successfully defend their title since Brazil 60 years ago.

“There’s emotion, there’s pride, there’s going to be a final step, we’ve been together with the players for a month, it’s never easy, there’s happiness so far,” said a smiling coach Didier Deschamps.

For the first goal, Mr. Hernandez had to lift his left foot high to connect with a bouncing ball from a tight angle to finish off a sweeping move started by Antoine Griezmann’s run down the right and a cutback pass that Kylian Mbappé initially fluffed.

Mr. Mbappé was the creator of the second as he attempted first to dribble through the Morocco defense and then shoot, his effort blocked but falling for Kolo Muani to net.

Olivier Giroud struck the post and missed from point-blank range in the first half at the end of a barnstorming run through the middle from Aurelien Tchouameni.

The midfielder threaded a superb ball to find Mr. Mbappé, whose miscued shot was poorly cleared, allowing Mr. Giroud a first-time shot which went wide from close-in.

But Morocco were never overawed and created opportunities of their own as Azzedine Ounahi forced two good saves out of French captain Hugo Lloris with speculative efforts, and curling set-pieces put the French defense under pressure.

The north Africans were hit hard by injuries to their key centre backs with the gamble of naming Nayef Aguerd in the starting line up failing to work as he hurt his hamstring in the warm-up and skipper Romain Saiss was forced off after 20 minutes.

BICYCLE KICK
Replacement center back Jawad El Yamiq was, however, closest to an equalizer with a spectacular bicycle kick on the stroke of halftime, from a poorly cleared corner by the French, with Mr. Lloris getting a vital touch as it hit the base of the upright.

“We gave the maximum, that’s the most important,” said Morocco coach Walid Regragui.

“We had some injuries, we lost Aguerd in the warm-up, Saiss, Mazraoui at halftime. We paid for the slightest mistake. We didn’t get into the game well, we had too much technical waste in the first half, and the second goal kills us, but that doesn’t take away everything we did before.”

France’s victory set up the tantalizing prospect of a decisive clash between Argentina maestro Lionel Messi, at the end of his international career, and France’s Mr. Mbappé, emerging as the next superstar of the world game.

“Playing two World Cup finals in a row is an incredible moment. We did a good job, it was hard, but we are in the final. We will work hard to win this final,” Mr. Hernandez said.

Morocco’s exit was tempered by their achievement of becoming the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup semifinal, a feat widely celebrated. They can expect to be hailed as heroes when they return home after Saturday’s third-place playoff against Croatia. — Reuters

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