US-China leaders hold 'substantive' talks, IDF makes moves in Al-Shifa

The President of Ukraine admitted something, the British Foreign Secretary spoke up, ADMM+ opened in Indonesia... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

US President Joe Biden (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on November 15 at Filoli Gardens, California, US. (Source: Reuters)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

* Russia maintains its stance on Ukraine joining NATO: On November 15, speaking at a weekly press conference, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the neighboring country's joining an "aggressive military alliance" threatens Russia's security.

She reiterated Russia's goal of "demilitarization" and "defascization" of Ukraine. Accordingly, Ukraine must remain neutral and not join any military bloc, first of all the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

At the same time, Ms. Zakharova asserted that NATO disregards international law, national sovereignty and is unable to perceive the interests of alternative power centers. According to her, Russia views the new package of sanctions by the European Union (EU) as an example of “Western aggressive policy” and a violation of international law.

Previously, in an interview with The Guardian (UK) on November 11, former NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen suggested that Ukraine should join NATO without the lost territories. He argued that excluding Russian-controlled territories from NATO would reduce the risk of conflict between the two sides. (TASS)

* Ukraine claims to have shot down a series of Russian UAVs : On November 16, the country's Air Force said it had shot down 16 out of 18 attack drones deployed by the Russian military as well as a missile in overnight attacks.

Ukrainian authorities also said that civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv region had been damaged by the S-300. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (Reuters)

* Ukraine “will be in crisis ” without Western support : On November 15, in a video meeting on the YouTube channel of the President’s Office, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized: “I will tell you frankly - without support (from the West) it will be very difficult. All the money earned, Ukraine spends on the army.

“If we don’t get social security support in important areas like pension payments, as well as some support for those in need, things will be very difficult. We will have to reduce support for the military, their salaries or not pay benefits. That will be a crisis.”

He stated that the termination of financial support will not affect the course of the military conflict and the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU). The leader also disagreed with the view that Ukraine is completely dependent on Western military support. “The statement that Ukraine depends only on Western military support is incorrect,” he said.

Recently, Western media has often raised the topic of partners' fatigue with the conflict, as well as growing disagreements with Kiev when the VSU has not achieved real success, but is asking for more financial and military support. (Reuters)

* British Foreign Secretary affirms London's support for Ukraine : On November 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Kiev, during the official's first foreign trip.

In a video released by the Ukrainian presidency, Mr Cameron stressed London's support for Kiev. "What I want to say when I'm here is that we will continue to support you morally, we will continue to support you diplomatically... But above all, it is the military support that you need not only this year, next year, for as long as it is needed," he said. The British foreign minister added that London would work with its allies "to ensure that the international community turns its attention to the conflict in Ukraine."

For his part, Mr. Zelensky thanked the British move. The leader also said that the conflict in the Middle East was taking global attention away from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has entered its 21st month with no end in sight. President Zelensky said: "The world is no longer so focused on the situation in Ukraine. Obviously, this division of attention is not really helpful." (Reuters)

* Israeli army withdraws from area inside Al-Shifa hospital : On November 15, AFP quoted a journalist trapped in this hospital as saying that Israeli soldiers have withdrawn from inside this location and are deploying in surrounding areas.

Earlier, in the early morning of November 15, Israeli forces raided the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, raising concerns about the safety of thousands of patients, medical staff and civilians trapped inside the hospital.

Speaking to MSNBC (US) later, Mr. Mark Regev, advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated: "We found weapons and other things. We entered the hospital based on reliable intelligence information." (AFP/Reuters)

* Israel reports on attack in South Jerusalem: On the morning of November 16, Israeli media reported a “terrorist attack” with guns at the security checkpoint at the entrance to Street 60, also known as the “tunnel” in the south of Jerusalem, injuring 8 people. According to the media, the attackers were traveling in a car, carrying M-16 submachine guns and 2 pistols. In response, Israeli security forces shot and killed 3 gunmen, believed to be from the Palestinian city of Hebron in the West Bank, thereby preventing the incident from becoming more serious.

The attack left six Israeli security personnel and two civilians injured, one of them seriously. All victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Israeli security forces are expanding their investigation in the area. (Times of Israel)

* Israel orders residents of Khan Yunis to evacuate : On the morning of November 16, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dropped leaflets over the eastern part of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, warning residents to leave the area. The leaflets demanded that civilians evacuate the area immediately and that anyone near the Palestinian gunmen's positions would be in danger of death. The IDF had previously dropped similar leaflets over the northern Gaza Strip before landing in the area.

Currently, the IDF is implementing a humanitarian ceasefire of about 4 hours a day to allow Palestinians to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip. The dropping of leaflets demanding the evacuation of people in the eastern city of Khan Yunis is a sign that the Jewish State is preparing to strike hard at this location. (Jerusalem Post)

* Houthi movement threatens to attack Israeli ships : On November 16, the Al-Akhbar (Lebanon) newspaper, which supports the Hezbollah Islamic movement, reported that the Houthi forces in Yemen have drawn up a list of targets to attack, including all Israeli ships, both civilian and military. Accordingly, the Houthis have just attacked oil tankers running the Eilat-Ashkelon route, following the route from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

At the same time, the Houthis are “preparing for any response from the US”. Accordingly, any action by Washington “will be responded to by attacking a series of other targets, including US ships moving through the Red Sea”.

Notably, the newspaper said that the US had offered to give the Houthis some benefits such as humanitarian issues, lifting the blockade of funds for the Houthis to pay salaries for employees in Sanaa, lifting the sea blockade and opening an international flight route for other countries to fly to Yemen. However, the Houthis rejected this offer from the US.

Al-Akhbar sources said that “there are some dialogues between the Saudi and Yemeni governments, as well as a search for a format that can harmonize the interests of both sides that are currently in conflict.” (Reuters)

* The US supports eliminating the threat from Hamas : On November 15, speaking after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden said he "does not know how long the conflict in the Gaza Strip will last, but Israel will end the campaign when Hamas is no longer able to pose a threat to the Jewish people."

The leader stated: “Israel has an obligation to be careful when attacking targets in the Gaza Strip… It would be a mistake for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.” The US President also said that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, affirming: “The only solution (to end the conflict) is a two-state solution.”

On the same day, a senior US official said that Mr. Biden had asked Mr. Xi to intervene to prevent Iran from escalating tensions in the Middle East, leading to provocative actions. For his part, the Chinese President also said that he had discussed with Iranian officials the risks in the Middle East. (AFP)

* The US-China summit ended with many results: On November 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with host President Joe Biden at the Filoli resort in California, 40km south of San Francisco.

Here, he affirmed that China is always committed to a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States. President Xi Jinping hopes that the two countries can be partners who respect each other and coexist peacefully. He called on China and the United States to work together to effectively resolve differences and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

The leader pointed out that the two countries have common interests in many areas, including traditional areas such as economy, trade and agriculture, as well as emerging areas such as climate change and artificial intelligence (AI). According to him, it is important to make full use of mechanisms in foreign policy, economy, finance, trade, agriculture and other areas, and carry out cooperation in drug crime prevention, justice and law enforcement, AI, science and technology.

For its part, the same day, the White House affirmed that the two leaders had a "substantive and constructive meeting on a range of bilateral and global issues, as well as exchanged views on areas of difference."

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Joe Biden stressed that the two countries need to ensure that current competition “does not lead to conflict” and manage the relationship “responsibly.” At the same time, the US leader emphasized that issues such as climate change, counter-narcotics and AI require the two countries’ common attention.

At the meeting, the two leaders agreed to establish a government-level dialogue on AI and restart high-level military talks. The two leaders agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges, expand cooperation in tourism and education, and significantly increase the number of direct flights between the US and China early next year. (VNA)

Southeast Asia

* The 10th ADMM+ Conference opens in Indonesia : On November 16, the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) opened in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In his opening speech at the conference, host Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto stated: "Indonesia believes that many regional security issues, from traditional and non-traditional threats, can only be resolved with open and comprehensive global cooperation." However, he did not mention any specific issues.

Earlier, speaking at the ADMM on November 15, he mentioned the East Sea, the Korean Peninsula and Myanmar as “hotspots that could destabilize the region.” Here, defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called for a ceasefire in Gaza and a sustainable solution in Myanmar, amid increasingly fierce conflicts. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* South Korea : North Korea may test solid-fuel IRBM : On November 16, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesman Colonel Lee Sung Jun said that North Korea may test-launch a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). He said that the solid-fuel IRBM being developed by Pyongyang has a range that can reach US military bases in Japan and Guam, as well as the United Nations Command's rear bases in Japan.

North Korea is “likely to conduct an actual test (of an IRBM) in the future,” the official said. A solid-fuel test would be harder to detect due to the shorter preparation time, and is part of Pyongyang’s plan to pursue solid-fuel missiles with different ranges, in addition to its new short-range ballistic missiles and the Hwasong-18, an intercontinental ballistic missile that was test-fired in April and July this year.

“South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring North Korea’s technological developments, activities and capabilities to carry out various actions,” he said. A day earlier, North Korea announced it had successfully tested a new engine using high-thrust fuel for a new type of IRBM last week. (Yonhap)

* Russia warns of retaliation against Czechs over asset freeze : On November 16, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “All facilities that could be our property there, except those with diplomatic status, are currently under threat. The situation is currently being assessed to somehow reduce the risks. Of course, the Czechs’ deeply anti-Russian stance is aimed at creating confusion. We categorically reject this position. This is unacceptable.”

Earlier, on November 15, the Czech government announced that it had frozen Russian state-owned assets on Czech territory, thereby increasing sanctions imposed on Moscow related to the conflict in Ukraine. (Reuters)

* Russia completes repairs to Baltic Sea submarine communications cable : On November 16, the Finnish Coast Guard said that Russia has completed repairs to a submarine communications cable under the Baltic Sea that was damaged six weeks ago. The cable runs from Kingisepp to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad through Finland's exclusive economic zone, connecting the Kaliningrad enclave to the Russian Federation's digital system.

Earlier, the Russian digital solutions and services provider Rostelecom had informed Finland about the telecommunications cable incident that passed through the country's exclusive economic zone and planned to arrive at the scene to carry out repairs on October 12. However, the Finnish authorities requested that the repair process be postponed due to the ongoing investigation into the Balticconector gas pipeline incident. The repair site is located 28 km from the Balticconector gas pipeline.

Rostelecom began repairs on November 5. However, during the repairs, communications in Kaliningrad were operating normally, with data being transmitted via ground lines as well as backup communication channels. (TTXVN)

* Turkish parliament debates Sweden's NATO membership : The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee debated Sweden's bid to join NATO on November 16. The discussions mark a crucial moment for European security, as well as Ankara's relations with the West.

Previously, in 2022, Sweden and Finland promoted the procedures to join NATO. To officially become a member of NATO, the application of these two countries must be approved by all member states of the alliance. Last April, Finland officially joined NATO, becoming the 31st member of this military alliance. However, Turkey and Hungary are two member states that have not yet ratified the protocol on Sweden's accession to NATO. (AFP)

* APEC 2023: CPTPP countries declare readiness to accept new members : On November 15, trade ministers of 12 countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) met on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week in San Francisco, USA. This is the first ministerial meeting with the participation of the UK, a new member country that joined this trade bloc last July.

According to a joint statement posted on the UK Department of Trade website, at this meeting, ministers reaffirmed that “the CPTPP is open to economies that are willing to meet the high standards of the agreement and have a demonstrated pattern of compliance with its trade commitments.” The document also stated that the admission of new members requires consensus across the bloc. Since July, the bloc has been “gathering information on whether aspirant economies can meet the high standards of the CPTPP.” In addition, the bloc will also apply the lessons learned from the process of admitting the UK.

CPTPP currently includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. (VNA)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1611-lanh-dao-my-trung-trao-doi-thuc-chat-idf-co-dong-thai-o-al-shifa-250300.html