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Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- General
- Miami Herald
China Alarms US Ally in Disputed Waters
China's activities in the disputed waters between its shores and the Korean Peninsula continue to raise concerns in South Korea, a treaty ally of the United States. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense and Foreign ministries for comment by email. Under a 2000 agreement, China and South Korea established the provisional measures zone (PMZ) in the Yellow Sea, where their 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap, paving the way for future negotiations to establish permanent maritime boundaries. China has recently refused South Korea's calls to remove its structures installed in the PMZ, saying they are for aquaculture purposes. Seoul fears this could signal a shift in the status quo in Beijing's favor, similar to developments in the South China Sea territorial disputes. Meanwhile, Chinese maritime authorities declared three "no-sail zones" in the PMZ in late May for military exercises, including one entirely within South Korea's EEZ. The move follows accusations by South Korean media that China is "militarizing" the Yellow Sea. With regard to the Chinese "no-sail zones," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on Monday that China had conducted military training in the PMZ. The South Korean military is now assessing and analyzing the nature of the training and China's combat capabilities. An unnamed South Korean defense official also told Yonhap News Agency that the military has been closely monitoring Chinese activities in the PMZ. The South Korean navy was dispatched to nearby waters to collect intelligence during China's training, the report added. The report also said the Chinese military conducted training with an aircraft carrier from May 22 to 27, during the effective period of the "no-sail zones." It remains unclear whether the vessel was CNS Liaoning, which departed its Yellow Sea home port during that time. The "no-sail zones" were located beyond the territorial waters of China and South Korea, which extend up to 13.8 miles from their coastlines. South Korea previously conducted military training within its own "no-sail zones" in international waters, the report said. Also on Monday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Seoul was monitoring additional Chinese observation buoys installed within and near the PMZ, warning that the buoys might serve a "potential military surveillance purpose" beyond maritime and meteorological observation. A total of 13 observation buoys have been identified in the Yellow Sea, a map by Yonhap News Agency shows. Three of these buoys, installed in May 2023, were recently detected by South Korea. Each buoy measures 9.8 feet in width and 19.6 feet in height. A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Monday: "The government is closely monitoring the related situation … while remaining open to various possibilities, including the potential military surveillance purpose of the buoys." Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on April 24: "I would like to point out that what China set up in the provisional measures zone (PMZ) are the aquaculture facilities. And relevant activities of China are consistent with China's domestic law and international law." It remains to be seen how South Korea will respond to China's maritime activities in the PMZ, including the potential enhancement of its military and coast guard presence in the area. Related Articles American Teacher in South Korea Compares School Lunch to U.S.-'Grotesque'US Coast Guard Teams Up With Allies Amid China EscalationMilitary Plane Crashes In South Korea: What To KnowChina Tests US Ally in Disputed Waters 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China Issues No-Go Zone in Disputed Waters Claimed by US Ally
The Chinese government declared a "no-sail zone" in the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea, which lies between the East Asian power and South Korea, a treaty ally of the United States. Newsweek has emailed both the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministries for comment. The "no-sail zone" is located within the Yellow Sea's Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), an area where the Chinese and the South Korean Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) overlap. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, each coastal state may establish an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from its coastline, within which it holds sovereign rights for the exploration and exploitation of natural resources. China has installed three structures-including a steel rig-on the western side of the PMZ. Seoul is concerned that they may be part of China's efforts to expand its territorial presence, while Beijing has downplayed South Korea's worries, saying they are aquaculture facilities. A regional branch of the China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in Lianyungang-a city in Jiangsu Province-prohibited ships from entering a designated area in the southern Yellow Sea from 8 a.m. on Thursday to 8 a.m. on May 27, local time, without providing a reason. Based on coordinates provided by the Lianyungang MSA, the "no-sail zone" is located on the mid-eastern side of the PMZ, within South Korea's EEZ. It lies well outside South Korea's territorial waters that extend up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from its coastline. While it remains unclear whether the zone was established for military activities, China has maintained a naval presence in the Yellow Sea, which South Korean media claimed is part of Beijing's attempt to "militarize" the waters by deploying warships near South Korea. Meanwhile, two zones designated for military exercises were established in the PMZ waters north of the previously declared "no-sail zone," which are active from Thursday through May 27. One of these zones overlaps with South Korea's EEZ, a Newsweek map shows. Last month, Chinese and South Korean officials discussed maritime affairs, during which they held a "comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views," according to Beijing. The South Korean side warned China not to violate its "legitimate and lawful maritime rights." The meeting in Seoul followed an incident in late February, when a South Korean vessel-operated by a private oceanographic research organization-encountered the China Coast Guard while approaching a Chinese installation in the PMZ, leading to a standoff at sea. Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, previously said, in comments provided by the ministry: "I would like to point out that what China set up in the provisional measures zone (PMZ) are the aquaculture facilities. And relevant activities of China are consistent with China's domestic law and international law." Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry, previously said: "We will determine specific actions through a comprehensive review of factors such as the Chinese side's future behavior and the economic feasibility of our options." China's foreign ministry said following a meeting between Chinese and South Korean officials in April: "The two sides also agreed to enhance mutual trust and strive to make the Yellow Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, while jointly promoting the continuous development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership." ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea. It remains to be seen how China and South Korea will resolve their disputes over the man-made structures in the PMZ, as military tensions persist on the nearby Korean Peninsula. Related Articles China Research Ship 'Loitering' Near Undersea Cables: ReportChina Reacts to Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile ShieldDonald Trump Gives Timeline, Price for 'Golden Dome for America'US Economic Outlook Darkens as Major Forecast Records Steep Drop 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Issues No-Go Zone in Disputed Waters Claimed by US Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chinese government declared a "no-sail zone" in the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea, which lies between the East Asian power and South Korea, a treaty ally of the United States. Newsweek has emailed both the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministries for comment. Why It Matters The "no-sail zone" is located within the Yellow Sea's Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), an area where the Chinese and the South Korean Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) overlap. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, each coastal state may establish an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from its coastline, within which it holds sovereign rights for the exploration and exploitation of natural resources. China has installed three structures—including a steel rig—on the western side of the PMZ. Seoul is concerned that they may be part of China's efforts to expand its territorial presence, while Beijing has downplayed South Korea's worries, saying they are aquaculture facilities. What To Know A regional branch of the China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in Lianyungang—a city in Jiangsu Province—prohibited ships from entering a designated area in the southern Yellow Sea from 8 a.m. on Thursday to 8 a.m. on May 27, local time, without providing a reason. Based on coordinates provided by the Lianyungang MSA, the "no-sail zone" is located on the mid-eastern side of the PMZ, within South Korea's EEZ. It lies well outside South Korea's territorial waters that extend up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from its coastline. While it remains unclear whether the zone was established for military activities, China has maintained a naval presence in the Yellow Sea, which South Korean media claimed is part of Beijing's attempt to "militarize" the waters by deploying warships near South Korea. Meanwhile, two zones designated for military exercises were established in the PMZ waters north of the previously declared "no-sail zone," which are active from Thursday through May 27. One of these zones overlaps with South Korea's EEZ, a Newsweek map shows. Last month, Chinese and South Korean officials discussed maritime affairs, during which they held a "comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views," according to Beijing. The South Korean side warned China not to violate its "legitimate and lawful maritime rights." The meeting in Seoul followed an incident in late February, when a South Korean vessel—operated by a private oceanographic research organization—encountered the China Coast Guard while approaching a Chinese installation in the PMZ, leading to a standoff at sea. What People Are Saying Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, previously said, in comments provided by the ministry: "I would like to point out that what China set up in the provisional measures zone (PMZ) are the aquaculture facilities. And relevant activities of China are consistent with China's domestic law and international law." Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry, previously said: "We will determine specific actions through a comprehensive review of factors such as the Chinese side's future behavior and the economic feasibility of our options." China's foreign ministry said following a meeting between Chinese and South Korean officials in April: "The two sides also agreed to enhance mutual trust and strive to make the Yellow Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, while jointly promoting the continuous development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership." ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea. What Happens Next Chinese J-15 fighter jets launch from aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning during military drills in the Yellow Sea, off China's east coast, on December 23, 2016. Chinese J-15 fighter jets launch from aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning during military drills in the Yellow Sea, off China's east coast, on December 23, 2016. STR/AFP via Getty Images It remains to be seen how China and South Korea will resolve their disputes over the man-made structures in the PMZ, as military tensions persist on the nearby Korean Peninsula.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the Sistine Chapel
Update: Date: 6 min ago Title: China, which has a tense relationship with the Vatican, congratulates Pope Leo XIV Content: China has congratulated Robert Francis Prevost on his selection as the new pope, expressing hopes for continued dialogue with the Vatican despite their tense and sensitive ties. 'We hope that, under the leadership of the new Pope, the Vatican will continue to engage in dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, conduct in-depth communication on international issues of mutual concern, jointly promote the continuous improvement of China-Vatican relations, and contribute to global peace, stability, development, and prosperity,' Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told a regular news conference on Friday. The ruling Communist Party of China, an officially atheist state with millions of Catholics, has had a difficult and complex relationship with the Vatican. The Vatican has not had formal diplomatic relations with China since 1951, when the newly established communist regime broke ties and expelled the papal nuncio, the Holy See's envoy. Instead, the Vatican remains one of a dwindling number of countries – and the only one in Europe – that recognizes the sovereignty of Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims. That diplomatic allegiance has remained a sore point for Beijing as it feuded with the Vatican for decades over who gets to appoint Catholic bishops in China. Pope Francis had attempted to address the issue through a landmark – although controversial – deal with the Chinese government, as he pushed the Vatican closer to the Communist Party leadership than any of his predecessors. Update: Date: 25 min ago Title: Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass and again appear on the balcony at St. Peter's Basilica today Content: Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at the Sistine Chapel today, along with the cardinals who elected him, the Vatican said at a briefing yesterday. At midday Sunday, he will also recite the Regina Coeli prayer at St. Peter's Basilica — from the same balcony where he was revealed to the world. Journalists will be able to have an audience with the new pope on Monday morning, the Vatican added. 'We share the joy for this moment,' Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said. 'We have heard his first words to St. Peter's Square — they are the first words that Jesus pronounced after Easter. Words of peace,' he added. Update: Date: 23 min ago Title: Meet Pope Leo XIV Content: The newly chosen pontiff, now known as Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States, and the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Considered a highly capable and accomplished leader, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the 69-year-old from Chicago, most recently headed the powerful Vatican office for new bishop appointments, the Dicastery for Bishops, assessing candidates and making recommendations to the late pope. Francis appointed Prevost to the position, indicating he saw the US cleric as an effective leader. He also made him president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, where Prevost had spent much of his earlier career as a missionary. The new pontiff is a member of the Augustinian religious order and spent more than a decade as its prior general, giving him experience of heading an order spread across the world. He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023. In 2015, he also received Peruvian citizenship. Prevost earned his bachelor's in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went on receive his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. Later in his career, he taught canon law in the seminary in Trujillo, Peru. Update: Date: 23 min ago Title: These are some of the challenges Pope Leo XIV could face during his papacy Content: Now that Robert Prevost is Pope Leo XIV, he steps into a lot of responsibility and upcoming challenges as the new head of the Catholic Church. First, the world is also watching to see whether he will follow in the path of Pope Francis. Francis' rejection of opulence and his softer tone on social issues was praised by some Western leaders, but there remains a faction in the church advocating for a stricter line on questions of sex, gender, marriage and migration. He must also choose carefully when to intervene on the world stage. Francis became increasingly political in the final years of his papacy, making the case for the rights of migrants, urging a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and suggesting — to the ire of Kyiv — that Ukraine should wave 'the white flag' and make concessions to end Russia's war in the country. These ongoing conflicts, and the rise of populism and authoritarianism around the world, set a complicated context in which the new pope — himself an important figure in global diplomacy — will operate. And how Leo will handle the clerical sex abuse scandals that have long plagued the Church could also define his papacy. Though Francis spoke defensively about his record on the matter, and took some important steps to tackle systemic issues involving abuse, the previous pope was accused by survivors' groups of failing to hold accountable bishops and cardinals accused of covering up abuse. Update: Date: 36 min ago Title: Pope Leo XIV has Creole lineage, New York Times reports, citing his brother Content: Robert Francis Prevost, who on Thursday became the first American elected Pope, has Creole of color roots in New Orleans, Louisiana, his brother confirmed to the New York Times. John Prevost, the new Pope's older brother, confirmed to the Times research done by Jari C. Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection. CNN reached out to John Prevost for comment. Records shared with CNN by Honora show the family of Prevost's mother, Mildred Martinez Prevost, lived in New Orleans before they migrated to Chicago, where Mildred was born in 1912. Honora also shared a marriage certificate for Mildred's parents and a photo of a family grave site that shows her parents' name. 'Her parents are listed in the 1900 census at 1933 North Prior Street in New Orleans 7th Ward neighborhood as Black and the father's occupation was cigar maker,' Honora said. 'The family were free people of color prior to the Civil War. When they move to Chicago between 1910 and 1912, they 'passed' into the white world.' Creole ancestry includes people of mixed Spanish or French and Black descent. Read the full story. Update: Date: 30 min ago Title: Victims' group alleges pope mishandled sexual abuse cases involving priests in Chicago and Peru Content: Six weeks before American Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, the activist group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) filed a complaint against him, along with other church leaders, to the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The group alleged Prevost 'harmed the vulnerable and caused scandal' by mishandling two situations – in Chicago in 2000, and in Peru in 2022 – involving priests accused of sexual abuse. The group said that as provincial supervisor in Chicago for the Augustinian order in 2000, Prevost allowed a priest accused of abusing at least 13 minors to live at the Augustinian order's St. John Stone Friary in Hyde Park, half a block from St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School. The priest, Father James Ray, had been barred since 1991 from performing parish work or being alone with minors – restrictions the Archdiocese of Chicago noted when it asked Prevost to allow Ray to live at the friary, the complaint said. In the 1980s and 1990s, Prevost served as a parish pastor and diocesan official in Peru. He returned there in 2015, when Pope Francis appointed him as Bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru. In 2022, three women filed a complaint to Prevost accusing two priests there of sexual abuse beginning in 2007, when they were minors, as reported by The Pillar, a Catholic investigative journalism project. The women filed civil complaints, saying the diocese had failed to act or inform civil authorities about their allegations. But prosecutors closed the case a month later, saying the statute of limitations had expired, according to SNAP's complaint. The diocese denied the women's allegations, saying that Prevost met with them personally when they filed their initial complaint. The diocese said it suspended one priest after the complaint, and that the other was no longer in ministry because of his age and poor health. It also said it forwarded their complaint to higher-ups in Rome, to an office known as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. But the dicastery closed that case in 2023. SNAP's complaint alleges that Prevost, as bishop, failed to open an investigation, properly inform civil prosecutors, or restrict the priests involved. The women also said church investigators never talked to them, SNAP's Pearson told CNN. Prevost's successor as Bishop of Chiclayo, Guillermo Cornejo, reopened the case in 2023 and called for a new investigation, after one of the three women went public with her accusations, as reported by The Pillar. Rodolfo Soriano Nuñez, a sociologist in Mexico City who has written extensively about the Roman Catholic church and its handling of clerical sexual abuse, said that Prevost was one of the few bishops in Peru who tried to address sexual abuse by priests, setting up a commission to deal with such cases. While he served as Bishop of Chiclayo, Prevost told newspaper La Republica in 2019 that, 'We reject cover-ups and secrecy' about sexual abuse cases. He urged people to come forward if they're aware of abuse against minors by a priest. Update: Date: 46 min ago Title: Pope appears to have reposted social media posts critical of Trump and Vance Content: The newly elected American pope, Robert Prevost, appears to have previously reposted social media posts critical of Vice President JD Vance and the immigration policies of President Donald Trump — views that were in line with his predecessor and could cause friction with the White House. An X account listed under Prevost's name did not appear to personally write any of the critical posts, but reposted articles and headlines from others. CNN has not been able to independently confirm the X account is connected to the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. The posts took aim at past comments from Vance accusing the far left of caring more for migrants than American citizens, as well as the Trump administration's wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant who was residing in Maryland before he was sent to a Salvadoran prison. The latter was the subject of the most recent critical repost. On April 14, the account reposted an article regarding Abrego Garcia and a piece written by Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar of Washington, DC. The bishop argued: 'The federal government has pursued a 'shock and awe' campaign of aggressive threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that go far beyond mere immigration 'enforcement.'' Read the full story.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
China says US must show sincerity before tariff talks can proceed
China's Ministry of Commerce on Friday said that the country is currently evaluating the situation after the United States made multiple recent attempts to initiate dialogue over tariffs through various official channels, according to a report by Xinhua. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in International Beijing: China's Ministry of Commerce on Friday said that the country is currently evaluating the situation after the United States made multiple recent attempts to initiate dialogue over tariffs through various official channels, according to a report by a statement, a ministry spokesperson said that the tariff and trade wars were unilaterally initiated by the United States, and if it wants to negotiate, it must demonstrate sincerity by making preparations and taking concrete actions, such as correcting its erroneous practices and lifting the unilateral tariffsStating that China has noticed the US side constantly talking about adjustments to its tariff measures, the spokesperson said that "in any potential dialogue or talks, if the United States does not rectify its erroneous unilateral tariff measures, it would demonstrate a complete lack of sincerity and further undermine mutual trust," Xinhua on April 28, the Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had called him, reiterating that no talks were held between the two nations to resolve the tariff war, CNN Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun's statement came after Trump in an interview with Time magazine last week, said that Xi had called addressing a regular news conference, Guo Jiakun said, "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state."He added, "I want to reiterate that China and the United States are not engaged in consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue."According to publicly available records, Xi and Trump last spoke on January 17, days before the US leader assumed office for his second to a White House fact sheet, China's retaliatory actions have resulted in up to a 245 per cent tariff on imports to the United States. Prior to the latest revision, a 145 per cent tariff was being levied on Chinese exports to the United States.
