logo
Japan sends more naval ships to China-linked base despite US concerns

Japan sends more naval ships to China-linked base despite US concerns

Yahoo22-04-2025

Japan has sent two naval ships to a Cambodian naval base which was recently upgraded using Chinese funds, heightening US concerns that it will be used as an outpost for China's navy in the Gulf of Thailand.
The two Japanese naval ships docked at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on Saturday. The two minesweepers are part of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. Their visit marks the first foreign navy visit since the base's expansion project was completed earlier this month.
Japanese officials have developed closer ties with Cambodian counter parts in recent year, which experts say is in a bid to offset China's influence in East and Southeast Asia. Japan had been invited to make the renovated port's first call, widely seen as an attempt to allay Washington's concerns.
Both Japanese ships made a four-day port call at the base's new pier. Holding a total 170 sailors, they are the 141 metre Bungo and the 67 metre Etajima. The two ships were greeted by Cambodian officials including Rear Admiral Mean Savoeun, deputy commander of the base, who held a welcome ceremony.
Concerns about China's activities at the Ream base emerged in 2019 following a Wall Street Journal report alleging a draft agreement that would grant China 30-year use of the base for military personnel, weapon storage, and warship berthing. The US government has publicly and repeatedly aired its concerns.
China and Cambodia have close political, military, and economic ties. They commenced the port project in 2022, which included the demolition of previous naval structures built by the US at the base.
Cambodia has stated that warships from all friendly countries are welcome to dock at the new pier, provided they meet certain conditions. When Japanese Defense Minister Gen. Nakatani announced the planned visit on Tuesday, he said Japan's port call symbolizes friendship with Cambodia and is key to regional stability and peace.
He stated that the visit would help ensure Cambodia has an open and transparent naval port, while noting the concerns over China's growing efforts to secure overseas outposts for military expansion.
The port call came just one day after Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day state visit to Cambodia aimed at further strengthening China's strong ties with its closest ally in Southeast Asia.
A statement on Saturday from Japan's embassy in Cambodia stated that the two vessels are on a mission that began in January to visit 11 countries across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia. The port call in Cambodia is considered a 'historically significant event for Japan-Cambodia relations," it said.
The embassy emphasized that the journey of the Japanese vessels 'underlines the importance of freedom of navigation, free and open international order based on international law, and its development."
In December last year, a US Navy warship called at the nearby civilian port of Sihanoukville on a five-day visit. The visit by the USS Savannah, carrying a crew of 103, was the first in eight years by a US military vessel to Cambodia.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jim Cramer says it's time for the U.S. to negotiate with other countries for rare earth minerals
Jim Cramer says it's time for the U.S. to negotiate with other countries for rare earth minerals

CNBC

time22 minutes ago

  • CNBC

Jim Cramer says it's time for the U.S. to negotiate with other countries for rare earth minerals

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday said it's necessary for the U.S. to negotiate with countries other than China for rare earth minerals. "We need to make these rare earth deals with the same alacrity that the White House gave out the reciprocal tariffs on 'liberation day.' We need them yesterday," he said. "Then, and only then, will we truly be liberated." China dominates the global market for these critical minerals, producing about 60% and processing almost 90%, CNBC reported. The materials are used in most electronics and are vital to the automotive and defense industries. Officials have warned that the U.S.'s dependence on China for the minerals poses a strategic issue. China imposed export restrictions on rare earth minerals back in April in response to President Donald Trump's harsh tariff hikes. Trump said on Wednesday that China will supply the minerals up front to the U.S. as part of a trade agreement. While he posted on Truth Social that the deal is "done," he also said it's "subject to final approval" between himself and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Cramer, the U.S. needs to reach out to countries like Brazil, Vietnam and Australia, who have the raw materials for earth minerals and magnets. The U.S. should make deals with these countries immediately and perhaps wave the high tariffs that the White House put on their imports, he said. Cramer said the U.S. doesn't "have the cards," in negotiations with China because of its reliance on rare earth minerals, even as it tries to disrupt China's manufacturing economy. "What the heck were we thinking when we started a trade war without having this rare earths issue all buttoned up and ready to go?" he asked. The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment Click here to download Jim Cramer's Guide to Investing at no cost to help you build long-term wealth and invest

Rubio vowed to revoke Chinese student visas. Trump now says Chinese students are welcome
Rubio vowed to revoke Chinese student visas. Trump now says Chinese students are welcome

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Rubio vowed to revoke Chinese student visas. Trump now says Chinese students are welcome

In a potential pullback after U.S. officials said two weeks ago that they would "aggressively" revoke visas for Chinese students enrolled at U.S. universities and increase vetting of student visa applicants, President Trump said Wednesday that he had come to an agreement with China on students "using our colleges and universities." The president offered no details on the students in the announcement posted to his Truth Social platform as part of a brief outline of a trade deal with China that he said was pending approval by each side. But the decision appeared to relax a clampdown on America's second-largest international student group that has been under increased scrutiny since May 28, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the U.S. would broadly revoke Chinese student visas and target individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or who studied unnamed "critical fields." On Wednesday, Trump said that having Chinese students at U.S schools "has always been good with me!" "Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me. Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent! Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said in his all-caps post. Read more: Trump administration threat to revoke Chinese student visas roils California The State Department did not respond to a request for clarification on the visa matter, including the question of whether Rubio's comments still applied. The May policy to aggressively cancel Chinese student visas has roiled higher education nationally and in California. Universities depend on the full tuition fees paid by international students and see Chinese and other foreign students as integral to their academic operations and missions to foster diverse campuses. The May 28 Rubio announcement — and now the potential relaxing of it — has exacerbated growing uncertainty at universities, which have been dealt a barrage of actions under Trump, including grant cancellations, federal investigations into alleged antisemitism and investigations into admissions policies. International students have especially been in the crosshairs. There have been thousands of student visa cancellations over the spring for violations as minor as speeding tickets and attempted deportations of pro-Palestinian college activists who are international students. There is a pause of new student visa application appointments while the State Department increases security vetting procedures, including probing social media profiles for pro-Palestinian language and imagery. Trump's new travel ban, which went into place Monday, has also led some universities to advise incoming students from countries on the list to defer enrollment. Of the 1.1 million foreign students enrolled at U.S. universities, roughly 277,000 are Chinese — second only to Indians. The 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state's nearly 141,000 foreign students. The University of California has 17,832 Chinese students across all of its campuses. Locally, USC has nearly 6,000 and UCLA has 2,208. Read more: S. Jack Hu, new UC Riverside chancellor, defends international students amid Trump crackdown A UC spokesperson declined to comment on Trump's social media post and pointed The Times to the university's prior statement on Chinese student visa restrictions that said it was "concerned about the U.S. State Department's announcement to revoke visas of Chinese students." "Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission," the statement said. A USC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. While there are no data pointing to widespread security concerns over Chinese students and scholars, there have been incidents in recent years. This week, the U.S. said it arrested a Chinese scientist who was arriving in Detroit to pursue research at the University of Michigan. The scientist, from University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, is accused of illegally smuggling biological material related to worms that require a government permit. In an interview, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), a member of the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce, called the potential Trump shift on Chinese student visas an example of "TACO," a phrase some Democrats are using to say "Trump always chickens out," reflecting the president's policy shifts. Republicans have argued that the president's shifts are a negotiation strength. "In allowing Chinese students to come here, it's part of the importance of the United States being a draw for students from everywhere," Takano said. "But his overreach, his interference in the operations of universities ... endangers the higher education enterprise of America." There is also political value to the U.S. in having Chinese students here, experts said. "For the United States, bringing Chinese students [here] isn't just about educating them in subjects like math and science — it is about educating them in American values, like democracy and freedom of speech," said Emily Baum, an associate professor of modern Chinese history at UC Irvine. "And the expectation is that either they will stay in the United States because they enjoy life here or take those values back to China and influence the political system." It could be that some Chinese students are turned off by the vacillations of the Trump administration and decide to stay in China for university, one expert added. Gaurav Khanna, an associate professor of economics at UC San Diego, said that around the year 2000, China began a major campaign to build new universities. Within about half a decade, it had doubled the number of institutions in the country, he said. "They invested heavily," Khanna said. "In some ways, they are well-suited to say, 'Hey, don't risk your future going to a second-tier American university. Why don't you stay back here in China and go to this really good university where ... there is funding for research?'" Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

ICE ramps up arrests of convicted criminals as riots rage in blue city: 'You will not stop us'
ICE ramps up arrests of convicted criminals as riots rage in blue city: 'You will not stop us'

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

ICE ramps up arrests of convicted criminals as riots rage in blue city: 'You will not stop us'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that several convicted criminals who are in the U.S. illegally were arrested as part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles on Monday and Tuesday. The ICE operations in Los Angeles triggered protests and riots in parts of the city, and President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to protect the federal immigration officers while they continued arrests. "Murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers. These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect. How much longer will Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass continue to prioritize these criminal illegal aliens over their own citizens?" Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Wednesday. California Sheriff Says Newsom 'Encouraged' La Riots As Ice Arrests Violent Illegal Aliens "Secretary Noem has a message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law and arrest criminal illegal aliens," McLaughlin added. DHS highlighted nine arrests — all of whom the agency says are in the country illegally. Read On The Fox News App Mexican national Gerardo Antonio-Palacios had been deported before but was previously convicted of burglary and homicide. Cambodian national Mab Khleb, 53, was convicted of transporting and possession of a controlled substance, battery, and "lewd action with a child," according to DHS. Laotian Sang Louangprasert was criminally convicted of "lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14" and "inflicting corporal injury, spouse or cohabitant." Dozens Of Anti-ice Rioters Arrested In La As Trump Sends In National Guard To Quell Violence Mexican national Antonio Benitez-Ugarte was convicted on drug trafficking charges, and Alberto Morales-Mejia, also from Mexico, was convicted for amphetamine production. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage Honduran national Carlos Alberto Escobar-Flores was also arrested, and he was previously convicted of grand theft. Another Honduran national, Jose Jimenez-Alvarado, was also arrested after a prior conviction of "two counts of theft." Mexican national Jesus Romero-Retana, 52, had prior convictions of "threatening crime with intent to terrorize and battery." Another Mexican national, Raul Teran-Guillen, was previously arrested for "human smuggling and money laundering" before his ICE arrest this week. Ice Arrests 'Worst Of The Worst' Illegal Aliens In Los Angeles While Protesters Advocate For Criminals: Dhs The Trump administration has a goal of 3,000 ICE arrests daily in hopes of fulfilling the campaign trail promise of mass deportations following millions of people being let in during the Biden administration. The ICE efforts have received scrutiny from Democrats in California and nationwide, and saying that Trump's decision to deploy the guard and conduct ICE sweeps is instigating. "Donald Trump's government isn't protecting our communities. They're traumatizing our communities," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a brief address on Tuesday night. "Angelenos are trying to live their lives—going to work, caring for their families—while facing the constant threat of sudden immigration crackdowns," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted to X on Wednesday morning. "This fear paralyzes communities. We saw it before: kids too scared to go to school, families torn apart without warning. Let's not pretend this is about public safety. It's political retribution—plain and simple." Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Newsom and Bass for comment, but they did not immediately article source: ICE ramps up arrests of convicted criminals as riots rage in blue city: 'You will not stop us'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store