POLITICS

US Army chief seeks closer security ties with Indonesia amid tensions in South China Sea

May 12, 2023, 7:52 AM

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, left, shakes hands with Indonesian Defense Minister...

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, left, shakes hands with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto as they exchange souvenirs during their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville met with Indonesia’s top defense official on Friday to push for stronger security ties amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region.

McConville said he and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto discussed ways to deepen cooperation, including enhanced military exercises between the countries.

“We have many friends in the region, and we work closely together. We all share the same interests for the region: peace, security, stability,” McConville said. “That’s why we work together on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific for everyone.”

Subianto said the promotion and maintenance of peace and stability in the region “is our common concern,” but stressed Indonesia’s neutral stance, saying it wants to maintain relationships with all nations, “especially all the major powers.”

McConville arrived in Jakarta late Thursday from the Philippines, which is locked in an ongoing dispute with China over territory in the South China Sea. His visit there followed joint U.S.-Philippine war drills last month that antagonized Beijing.

On Thursday, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in Indonesia for a summit at which territorial disputes in the South China Sea were high on the agenda. China claims virtually all of the sea, which is also claimed in part by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The South China Sea is home to vital shipping lanes, plentiful fish stocks and undersea mineral resources. China and ASEAN have made little headway in finalizing a code of conduct to avoid conflicts in the area.

The ASEAN leaders renewed a call for self-restraint in the disputes to avoid miscalculations and confrontations, repeating language used in previous ASEAN statements.

While China’s influence and military strength in the region are growing rapidly, the U.S. remains the dominant military power. Washington has a security alliance with the Philippines and strong relations with several other ASEAN members.

Politics

Associated Press

Michigan GOP lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — A right-wing Michigan state lawmaker who has been tied to former President Donald Trump and his election denials is being widely criticized after making claims that buses carrying college athletes to Detroit for March Madness were immigrant “invaders” being shuttled into the city illegally. Michigan state House Rep. Matt Maddock […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Truck driver convicted of vehicular homicide for 2022 crash that killed 5 in Colorado

DENVER (AP) — A Denver truck driver has been convicted of five counts of vehicular homicide for crashing a semi tractor-trailer into a sport utility vehicle carrying a Wyoming family in June 2022, killing all five of them. A Weld County jury also convicted Jesus Puebla of five other counts on Wednesday, including reckless driving […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Russian veto brings end to UN panel monitoring enforcement of North Korea nuclear sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution Thursday in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by United Nations experts of U.N. sanctions against North Korea aimed at reining in its nuclear program, though the sanctions themselves remain in place. Russia’s vote sparked Western accusations that Moscow was acting to shield its weapons […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

U.S. congressional delegation pledges continued defense support for Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation pledged continued support for Taiwan on Thursday, days after Congress approved $300 million in military aid for the self-governed island that’s claimed by China. Congress also approved $400 million on Saturday to counter the Chinese government’s influence in the region, as part of its Defense Appropriations […]

14 hours ago

Associated Press

Trump attends wake of slain New York officer, calls for ‘law and order,’ to show contrast with Biden

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Donald Trump attended Thursday’s wake of a New York City police officer gunned down in the line of duty and called for “law and order,” as part of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s attempt to show a contrast with President Joe Biden and focus on crime as part of his […]

17 hours ago

Associated Press

Biden’s fundraiser with Obama and Clinton nets a record $25 million, his campaign says

NEW YORK (AP) — A fundraiser for President Joe Biden on Thursday in New York City that also stars Barack Obama and Bill Clinton is raising a whopping $25 million, setting a record for the biggest haul for a political event, his campaign said. The eye-popping amount was a major show of Democratic support for […]

17 hours ago

US Army chief seeks closer security ties with Indonesia amid tensions in South China Sea