Philippines, US conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea, China imposes retaliatory tariffs on the US, Panama does not renew agreement with China

The US reached a "historic" migration agreement with El Salvador, Russia accused the West of imposing a unipolar world order, the US suspected Iran of accelerating the production of nuclear bombs, Moscow deployed the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

The Philippine and US air forces are conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea. (Source: Reuters)

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

Asia-Pacific

*Philippines, US conduct joint patrols in the East Sea: Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Maria Consuelo Castillo announced on February 4 that the Philippine and US air forces are conducting joint patrols in the East Sea, in the context that Manila said they were monitoring 3 Chinese ships in their waters.

Ms. Castillo said two Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and two US B1-B bombers were participating in patrols, including over Scarborough Shoal, a disputed maritime feature in the South China Sea controlled by China.

On the same day, a spokesman for the Chinese Air Force criticized the Philippines for conducting "joint patrols" with the US as aimed at "undermining peace and stability" in the East Sea. (Anadolu)

*Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol Requests Cancellation of Arrest Warrant: Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has formally filed a petition with the Seoul Central District Court to cancel the arrest warrant against him. The move comes as he faces serious charges of leading a rebellion by imposing martial law in early December last year.

Yoon’s defense team filed the request ahead of the first pre-trial hearing, scheduled for February 20. Under the Korean Criminal Procedure Act, the court is required to consider canceling the arrest warrant when the grounds for arrest are no longer valid, and must respond within seven days of receiving the request.

Yoon Suk Yeol is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of the capital. He was indicted on January 26 on charges of leading a rebellion by declaring martial law briefly on December 3. (Yonhap)

* China imposes tariffs in response to the US: The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on February 4 that it will impose tariffs on a series of US imports in response to the recent tariff measures introduced by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported from the US, effective February 10. China will also impose a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-capacity vehicles and pickup trucks imported from the US.

The move comes after Washington announced a 10% tariff on Chinese imports. China's Ministry of Commerce said the move "seriously violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules." (AFP)

*China controls exports of key minerals: China's Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs announced on February 4 that the country will impose export controls on tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, molybdenum and ruthenium-related products to "safeguard national security interests".

The decision came after China imposed tariffs on a range of US imports, including coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil, in retaliation for Washington's 10% tariff on Chinese imports. (Reuters)

*US President invites Indian Prime Minister to visit White House: A White House official said US President Donald Trump has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the White House next week, hours after a US military plane departed to bring back deported migrants.

Mr. Trump had a phone call with Mr. Modi on January 27, in which he raised the issue of immigration and stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and fair bilateral trade relations.

India, a strategic partner of the US, is keen to strengthen trade ties and make it easier for its citizens to apply for skilled work visas. The US is currently India’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade exceeding $118 billion in 2023-24, with India recording a trade surplus of $32 billion. (Reuters)

*Russia-North Korea promote joint road bridge project: A joint road bridge project connecting North Korea and Russia across the Tumen River is underway, with the goal of completion by the end of 2026.

The Russian government has tasked the TonnelYuzhStroi construction company with designing and building a road bridge across the river on the border with North Korea, Interfax reported on February 3. The contract is due to be completed by December 31, 2026.

The contract was signed after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement in Pyongyang in June 2024 on the construction of a bridge across the Tumen River, in addition to an expanded joint defense agreement.

The construction of the road bridge is expected to facilitate the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, as Pyongyang and Moscow have stepped up cooperation in the economy, military and other fields.

According to the information, the bridge will include two lanes, be 800 meters long, 10 meters wide, and will be built about 400 meters downstream from another railway bridge across the river. (Yonhap)

Europe

*Russia accuses the West of imposing a unipolar world order: On February 4, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council (Senate) of Russia Konstantin Kosachev made serious accusations about the West's hegemonic ambitions, saying that they only accept a unipolar world model under the domination of Europe and the United States.

Speaking on the Telegram channel on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Yalta Conference, Mr. Kosachev emphasized that this Western policy was the root cause of the Cold War in the 20th century and Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

Kosachev accused the EU and NATO of being “shameful” partners who had repeatedly broken agreements and deceived the Soviet Union and Russia. While expressing hope for peace talks in the near future, the veteran diplomat urged Russians to look at the West with a sober mind, rather than being seduced by “beautiful photos and culinary tours.” (TASS)

*Italian Coast Guard rescues 130 migrants at sea: According to Ansa news agency on February 4, the Italian Coast Guard rescued 130 migrants on a small fishing boat, trapped in a fierce storm 177 km south of Crotone, in the Calabria region.

The ship set sail from Türkiye on January 30 and the rescue operation was complicated by harsh weather conditions, with 45-knot winds and 6-metre waves. Eventually, all 130 migrants were safely transferred to a patrol boat, which took seven hours to reach the stormy port of Crotone.

The rescued migrants were mainly Afghans and Iranians, along with nine Iraqis and six Pakistanis, including 27 women and 30 minors, including six unaccompanied children. After medical checks and immigration processing, the migrants were transferred to the Isola Capo Rizzuto reception center. (Ansa/AFP)

*Russia says US no longer provides free aid to Ukraine: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 4 that US President Donald Trump's comments suggesting he wanted Ukraine to provide Washington with rare earth minerals showed the US leader wanted Kiev to pay for Washington's assistance instead of receiving it for free.

Earlier, on February 3, President Trump told the media that Ukraine was ready to participate in the exchange, and said he wanted "equality" from Ukraine for Washington's nearly $300 billion in aid.

Mr. Peskov said Mr. Trump's comments showed that the US was no longer ready to provide free aid to Kiev. (TASS)

*Russia convenes UNSC to discuss Ukraine crisis: The Russian delegation to the United Nations (UN) has just announced plans to convene a special session of the Security Council (UNSC) on the crisis in Ukraine, scheduled to take place in mid-February.

The information was confirmed by Dmitry Polyanskiy, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, in an interview with the press on February 3. This move came after Russia held a meeting under the Arria formula in January to discuss the alleged crimes committed by the Ukrainian military.

Asked about the possibility of including the issue of alleged crimes by Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region on the agenda, Polyanskiy said the Russian delegation would prefer to focus on the overall discussion of the Ukrainian crisis. (RIA Novosti)

*Russia deploys Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system in Belarus: Director of the Department for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Polishchuk said on February 3 that the Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range missile system will be deployed in Belarus according to a previous agreement between the leaders of the two countries.

“In accordance with the allied obligations enshrined in the Federal Security Concept and the Interstate Bilateral Agreement on Security Assurances 2024, Russia is ready to provide Minsk with the necessary assistance and take steps to protect the common defense space,” Polishchuk said.

In late January 2025, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic system would be deployed in the country "in the coming days." According to Lukashenko, it could be located near the city of Smolensk. (TASS)

Middle East-Africa

*Iran cooperates with Russia to build domestic railway: Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali announced on February 4 that Tehran and Moscow have agreed to sign an agreement to build a railway connecting the Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara as part of the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC) project.

"You know that within the framework of the ITC, the main issue is the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line. The Russian and Iranian transport ministers have held consultations on this project several times over the past three months. They have reached very good agreements. Our ministers agreed to sign an agreement on the implementation of this project in March this year," Jalali said.

In addition, Mr. Jalali also said that consultations on the transportation of Russian gas through Iranian territory are still continuing, with important agreements having been reached but there are still some issues that need to be agreed upon. (Sputniknews)

* The US suspects Iran is speeding up the production of nuclear bombs: The New York Times recently quoted sources from US officials saying that Iran is trying to build nuclear bombs as quickly as possible.

According to the article, Iranian scientists and weapons designers want to shorten the time to convert the country's growing stockpile of nuclear materials into weapons to a matter of months instead of a year or more as the Iranian government wants to adjust its current strategy.

According to the New York Times , the above intelligence assessment was collected by President Joe Biden's administration in the final stages of his term and handed over to President Donald Trump's administration.

This information is likely to be raised by the US side in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4. (The NYT)

*Israel continues negotiations on Gaza ceasefire agreement: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced on February 4 that Israel will send a delegation to Qatar's capital Doha this week to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Following meetings in Washington between Prime Minister Netanyahu and advisers to US President Donald Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying: "Israel is preparing to send a working-level delegation to Doha this weekend to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement." (AFP)

*Somalia arrests senior IS commander: A senior commander of the Islamic State (IS) branch in Somalia has been arrested, Somali officials said on February 3. The arrest comes two days after the IS leader was targeted in US airstrikes and as local security forces continue a weeks-long offensive against the group.

In recent years, the Somali branch of IS has become increasingly important in the group's global network, growing thanks to an influx of foreign fighters and improved revenue from illicit activities.

Somalia's Puntland region announced a major offensive against Islamic State and a rival Islamist group, Al-Shabaab, which is linked to Al Qaeda, in December and claimed to have captured several IS bases. (Al Jazeera)

America - Latin America

*US and Japan strengthen ties in the face of regional security challenges: On February 4, the Japanese government announced plans for Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's three-day visit to the US, starting February 6.

This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the Japanese leader and US President Donald Trump.

During the summit, the two leaders are expected to focus on strengthening and further enhancing the bilateral alliance. Key issues include dealing with challenges from North Korea and China, as well as joint efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (Kyodo)

*US reaches 'historic' migration deal with El Salvador: On February 3, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had reached a migration deal with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, under which El Salvador agreed to accept migrants of any nationality who were deported from the US and hold them in its prisons. There is no precedent for a democratic country sending its citizens to foreign prisons.

"He has offered to detain in El Salvador prisons dangerous American criminals who are being held in our country, including those who have US citizenship and legal permanent residence. No other country has made such a friendly offer. We are extremely grateful. I have spoken to President Donald Trump about this issue," Rubio told reporters.

Mr Rubio appeared to suggest that the prison transfers would focus on members of Latin American gangs such as El Salvador's MS-13 and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua who have become US citizens. (AFP)

*Panama does not renew cooperation agreement with China: New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on February 3 welcomed Panama's decision not to renew the agreement related to the "Belt and Road" initiative with China, considering it a "significant step forward" in relations between the US and Panama, as well as in efforts to "liberalize the operations of the Panama Canal".

On his social media account X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio - who recently visited Panama - affirmed that the Panamanian President's February 2 statement about not renewing the agreement with China is a testament to President Donald Trump's leadership ability when he always prioritizes policies to protect US interests and national security.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the capital of Panama, President José Raúl Mulino announced that Panama would not renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the "Belt and Road" initiative that the country signed with China in 2017 under President Juan Carlos Varela. (AFP)

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