MANILA — A Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States has been captured, officials said Sunday. 

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos announced the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy in a brief statement on his Facebook account but did not provide other details. Philippine police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil confirmed Quiboloy’s arrest without elaborating. 

Quiboloy went into hiding after a Philippine court ordered his arrest and several others on suspicion of child and sexual abuse. The Philippine Senate has separately ordered Quiboloy’s arrest for refusing to appear in committee hearings that were looking into criminal allegations against him. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged Quiboloy to surrender and assured him of fair treatment by authorities. 

The preacher and his lawyer have denied the allegations against him, saying they were fabricated by critics and former members who were removed from the religious group. 

In 2021, United States federal prosecutors announced the indictment of Quiboloy for allegedly having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of abuse and  “eternal damnation” unless they catered to the self-proclaimed “son of God.” 

Quiboloy and two of his top administrators were among nine people named in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury and unsealed in November 2021. It contained a raft of charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud. 

The U.S. Embassy in Manila referred requests for comments to Philippine authorities. 

In August, about 2,000 police backed by riot squads raided a vast religious compound of Quiboloy’s group, called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, in southern Davao city. The police brought equipment that could detect people hiding in underground tunnels but did not find him in the 30-hectare (75-acre) compound that includes a cathedral, a stadium, a school, a residential area, a hangar and a taxiway leading to Davao International Airport. 

In 2019, Quiboloy claimed he stopped a major earthquake from hitting the southern Philippines. 

He was also a close supporter and spiritual adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is being investigated by the International Criminal Court in connection with the extrajudicial killings by police of thousands of drug suspects. 
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VANIMO, Papua New Guinea — Pope Francis flew deep into the jungle of the Southwestern Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Sunday to visit Catholics living in one of the most remote areas of the world and deliver medical supplies and other aid.

Traveling 1,000 kilometers in a C-130 cargo aircraft provided by the Royal Australian Air Force, Francis arrived with a small entourage in Vanimo, a township of some 12,000 people in the northwestern corner of country’s main island, with no running water and scarce electricity.

The 87-year-old pope brought hundreds of kilograms of items to help support the local population, said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. They included various medicines and clothing, as well said toys and musical instruments for school children, Bruni said.

The pope is visiting the nation of 600 islands as part of his ambitious 12-day, four-country tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, the longest of his 11-year-old papacy.

He came to Vanimo at the invitation of local missionaries with the Catholic Institute of the Incarnate Word. They, like Francis, the first pope from the Americas, are from Argentina.

“You are doing something beautiful, and it is important that you are not left alone,” Francis told the crowd, which the Vatican estimated at 20,000, of missionaries and Catholic faithful from Vanimo in a meeting outside the town’s one-story, wood-paneled cathedral parish.

“You live in a magnificent land, enriched by a great variety of plants and birds,” said the pope. “The beauty of the landscape is matched by the beauty of a community where people love one another.”

The Rev. Tomas Ravaioli, one of the missionaries, said he could not believe the pope had actually come to Vanimo. “He is keeping his promise to come,” said the priest. “We cannot believe it. At his age he is making an enormous effort.”

A sprawling country of mountains, jungle and rivers, Papua New Guinea is home to more than 800 languages and hundreds of tribes, including dozens of uncontacted peoples.

As with other events throughout his stay in the country, Francis was greeted in a field outside the cathedral with a traditional dance from a group wearing feathered headdresses and straw skirts. Some of the men wore koteka, a traditional gourd covering over the penis.

The pope also heard four testimonies from local Catholics. Steven Abala, a lay teacher, described how some rural communities, cut off from roads, must wait weeks or months between visits by priests.

Abala presented Francis with a headdress with yellow and brown feathers, which the pope tried on.

The Vatican says there are around 2.5 million Catholics in Papua New Guinea, which has a population estimated at anywhere from 9 million to 17 million.

The country has become a major target of international companies for its gas, gold and other reserves. In a speech to its political authorities on Saturday, Francis called for better treatment of its workers and appealed for an end to a spate of ethnic violence that has killed dozens in recent months.

In Vanimo, the pope asked local Catholics to work “to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, evils which imprison and take away the happiness of so many of our brothers and sisters.”

Before heading to Vanimo, Francis celebrated a Mass on Sunday with about 35,000 people at a sports venue in Port Moresby, the nation’s capital. He told the local populace that while they may think they live in “a far away and distant land,” God is near to them.

The pope will return to Port Moresby on Sunday evening after spending 2½ hours in Vanimo. Round trip, the pontiff will fly some 2,000 kilometers over about four hours.

Francis is visiting Papua New Guinea until Monday as part of a tour that first included a stop in Indonesia. He travels next to East Timor, then Singapore before heading back to Rome on Sept. 13.
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Six years after Jifeng Bookstore was forced to close its doors in Shanghai, the shop has reopened in Washington to bring debate and literature to a new audience. Liam Scott has the story for VOA News. Videographer: Yi Ruokun
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washington — A South Korean senior official has rekindled debate over the U.S. commitment to that nation’s defense, bringing up the possibility of the U.S. rolling back its nuclear umbrella if former President Donald Trump is reelected.

Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security director, said in a Seoul forum Tuesday the reelection of Trump could “weaken a U.S. nuclear umbrella” designed to protect South Korea from North Korean aggression.

“Trump as candidate can be seen as pursuing transactional benefits in terms of the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” Kim said, according to news reports. “It is not unlikely that he would suggest negotiating defense cost-sharing or the deployment of U.S. strategic assets from a cost perspective.”

Skepticism about America’s willingness and capability to protect South Korea from a North Korean nuclear attack has grown among South Koreans as North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs become increasingly sophisticated. A recent poll by South Korea’s Institute of National Unification revealed that 66% of respondents supported the country having its own nuclear weapons.

Concern over commitment

Gary Samore, former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said Kim’s remarks reflect widespread concern among U.S. allies.

There is a concern that “Trump, if reelected, would pursue policies that will weaken U.S. alliances around the world, including in Europe and East Asia,” Samore told VOA Korean Wednesday via email.

“In the case of Korea, Trump might seek to resume summit diplomacy with Kim Jong Un and make concessions that weaken the U.S.-ROK alliance, as he did at the Singapore summit in June 2018,” Samore said. ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name for South Korea.

According to the joint statement released after the 2018 summit, Trump “committed to provide security guarantees” to North Korea, while the North Korean leader reaffirmed “commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

“However, I think it’s premature to predict exactly what policies President Trump will adopt toward Korea if he is reelected,” Samore added. “There are too many uncertainties, including, for example, who President Trump appoints for his top foreign policy and defense positions.”

Michael O’Hanlon, director of foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution in Washington, told VOA Korean Tuesday via email the South Korean official’s assessment of Trump is justifiable.

“I think the official is correct,” O’Hanlon said, adding Trump could take steps to address this concern. “I do not know if he will.”

‘Treat us properly,’ says Trump

Trump has often complained that U.S. allies do not pay the U.S. enough for bases and troops used in their defense. In an April interview with Time magazine, Trump said, “I want South Korea to treat us properly,” suggesting he would demand that South Korea pay more for the American troops stationed there.

But Frederick Fleitz, who served as chief of staff of the National Security Council in the Trump White House, told VOA Korean by phone Tuesday that Trump’s reelection is not likely to affect the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Making clear that he was speaking for himself, not for Trump, Fleitz said the former president “was a strong friend of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan when he was in office last time and he’ll be a strong friend again.”

“Why would there be such a big change in a second Trump term when he didn’t do that in the first term?” Fleitz asked. “The second Trump administration, concerning South Korea, will be countering the threat from North Korea and this new axis relationship between China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.”

Fleitz stressed there is no evidence to suggest Trump would link the defense cost-sharing with offering a nuclear umbrella, adding discussions on how much South Korea pays for U.S. troops in South Korea will not be a “deal breaker” for the second Trump administration.

“It is an issue that will be resolved among friends,” he said. “The security threats in the region are so severe — I think that’s what the U.S. will focus on.”

Redeployment of nukes

Robert Peters, a fellow for nuclear deterrence and missile defense at the Heritage Foundation, told VOA Korean Tuesday via email it is “far more likely” that America’s extended deterrence commitment to South Korea would strengthen during a second Trump term.

Peters said a second Trump administration could consider redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula, due to the threats coming from North Korea and China.

“I think a second Trump administration would field SLCM-N [nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles] in the near term and potentially reintroduce American nuclear weapons to South Korea as a means to assure the ROK, deter North Korea and strengthen regional stability,” said Peters.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is widely expected to inherit incumbent President Joe Biden’s Asia policies should she win the election.

The Biden administration is not considering the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. In 1991, the U.S. withdrew from South Korea all its nuclear weapons, roughly 100 in number, according to some studies.

“The United States does not assess returning nuclear weapons to the Indo-Pacific as necessary at this time,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement on May 31 in response to a VOA Korean inquiry. “The United States has no plans to forward deploy nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula.”

In April 2023, Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol adopted the Washington Declaration, in which the U.S. declared that its commitment to the defense of South Korea will be backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear.

During this week’s high-level security talks between the U.S. and South Korea, the Biden administration reiterated its commitment to defend South Korea with nuclear weapons if necessary to deter attacks from North Korea.

“We reaffirm the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the ROK using the full range of U.S. defense capabilities, and that any DPRK [North Korea] nuclear attack on the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime,” Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security,  told reporters after Wednesday’s talks.

VOA Korean contacted the Trump campaign and asked what Trump’s stance is on the U.S. nuclear umbrella offered to South Korea, but did not receive a reply by the time this article was published.
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beijing — The Chinese government is ending its intercountry adoption program, and the United States is seeking clarification on how the decision will affect hundreds of American families with pending applications to adopt children from China.

In a phone call with U.S. diplomats in China, Beijing said it “will not continue to process cases at any stage” other than those cases covered by an exception clause. The embassy is seeking clarification in writing from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, the U.S. State Department said Thursday. 

“We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoption, and we sympathize with their situation,” the State Department said. 

At a daily briefing Thursday, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said China is no longer allowing foreign adoptions of the country’s children, with the only exception for blood relatives to adopt a child or a stepchild. 

She didn’t explain the decision other than to say that it was in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions. 

Many foreigners have adopted children from China over the decades, visiting the country to pick them up and then bringing them to new homes overseas. 

U.S. families have adopted 82,674 children from China, the most from any foreign country. 

China suspended international adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government later resumed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the U.S. State Department said in its latest annual report on adoptions. 

A U.S. consulate issued 16 visas for adoptions from China from October 2022 through September 2023, the first in more than two years, the State Department report said. It wasn’t clear if any more visas had been issued since then. 

In January, Denmark’s only overseas adoption agency said it was winding down operations after concerns were raised about fabricated documents and procedures, and Norway’s top regulatory body recommended stopping overseas adoptions for two years pending an investigation into several cases. 

Beijing’s announcement also follows falling birth rates in the country. The number of newborn babies fell to 9.02 million in 2023, and the overall population declined for the second consecutive year. 
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BANGKOK — Northern Thailand’s worst floods in years are causing significant damage, and experts say this could be the first real test for the country’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The floods, caused by seasonal monsoon rain in August, have killed at least 22 people, injured others and damaged upwards of 30,000 homes across more than a dozen provinces, authorities said on August 26.

The bad weather in Thailand continues, with Typhoon Yagi forecast to cause more heavy rainfall over the weekend. Nine provinces are particularly at risk — Chiang Rai, Phayao, Sukhothai, Lampang, Phetchabun, Phrae, Nan, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan.

Arisara Lekkham, a lecturer at the School of Law at the Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, said the floods are more severe than in previous years. “The current flooding in northern Thailand is both an annual occurrence and an extraordinary event this year,” she told VOA.

“Key factors include exceptionally heavy and prolonged rainfall, urban expansion blocking natural drainage paths, deforestation and conversion to monoculture agriculture reducing soil water retention, topography of mountainous regions leading to flash floods [and] high-water levels in the Mekong River and its tributaries slowing drainage,” she said.

“These factors have resulted in more frequent, intense and long-lasting floods, affecting areas that rarely flood and causing significant damage across multiple provinces. While flooding is expected annually in certain regions, the scale and impact of this year’s floods are notably more severe than in typical years,” said Lekkham, who has published papers on the legal principles of the Mekong River.

Thai politics have endured a storm of their own recently, with Paetongtarn having become prime minister after a court removed her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Analysts say the heavy floods will be Paetongtarn’s first test.

“If we get this kind of rain at this pace, continuously for the month of September, it could be a big crisis for her. But if the rain dissipates and the drier season comes in by the second half of September or early October, then the pressure will be off a bit. It’s a matter of nature,” political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told VOA.

In 2011, Thailand suffered some of its worst flooding in recent history because of rain from monsoon season triggered by a tropical storm. The flooding lasted from July to January 2012, killing at least 815 people and affecting over 13 million. Sixty-five of Thailand’s 76 provinces were declared disaster zones. The World Bank estimated that the five-month-long floods caused economic damages and losses of over $46.5 billion.

At the time, Thailand was governed by another Shinawatra, then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Yingluck was heavily criticized for the vast damage done by the disaster, but she was not prosecuted following allegations of dereliction of duty in water management by Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Committee.

Thitinan called the current situation reminiscent of the massive flooding that occurred soon after Yingluck took office.

“On Paetongtarn, it’s a test of her personal character and personal leadership. We don’t know how bad the floods will get. But if it’s a lot less [than 2011] … the floods will incur some damage, but it will not be critical to her premiership,” he said.

Lekkham said Paetongtarn and her new Cabinet — announced this week — must manage the current flood problem, providing flood relief assistance and urgent aid, and monitor and warn of the risks nationwide, including in Bangkok.

Long-term measures also must be implemented, she said. “What Paetongtarn and the new government need to do [is] manage the flood problem long-term, support innovation and technology for flood assistance, such as drones for supply delivery or equipment to rescue people stranded in floodwaters, develop systematic, seasonal monitoring and warning plans, ensuring central agencies have a unified view that can be disseminated to local levels, establish flood management as a routine practice, not just a seasonal activity.

“Flood management should become a regular, year-round effort rather than a reactive, seasonal approach,” she said.

There have been added concerns that China has been releasing water from its Jinghong Dam in Yunnan into the Mekong River.

“Increased water levels in the Mekong River, partly due to dam releases, are pushing water back into tributaries, worsening flooding in agricultural areas. The dams affect the natural flow of the Mekong, impacting downstream countries like Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia,” Lekkham said.

But a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok denied the dam was the reason for Thailand’s worsened flooding, asserting it had not released any water lately.

The Mekong Dam Monitor, an online platform monitoring reservoir levels in the Mekong River, says its satellite data shows no evidence that China’s recent water releases were the reason for the Thailand’s heavy floods.

But China is still “partly” to blame,” Thitinan said.

“I saw the statistics that [show] the Chinese have released less water than last year, but only a little bit less than last year. But that’s irrelevant, because the water that has been released is still making the floods worse in Thailand. So, in practical terms, the Chinese are partly responsible for how bad the floods are,” he said.

Lekkham said more communication and trust is needed between six riparian countries that are part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, a framework focusing on joint usage of the Mekong River.

“There is a need to further promote communication on data exchange, particularly regarding water levels behind dams, daily water releases, and advance warnings during wet seasons. Implementing publicly accessible CCTV systems could foster mutual trust between China and lower Mekong countries,” she said.

Economically, the floods could cost Thailand up to $176 million in damages, Thailand’s Chamber of Commerce has warned. Thailand’s agricultural, industrial and services sectors have been the most affected, while the kingdom is already suffering from a sluggish economy.
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Taipei, Taiwan — China is defending itself against accusations that it is flooding the Thai market with cheap goods and hurting local businesses. 

In a post on its official Facebook account on September 4, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand called the trade between the two countries “mutually beneficial and win-win.” 

“Almost 80% of the goods that Thailand imports from China are capital goods and intermediate goods that are used for production and added value before being exported,” the statement said. 

Most of the so-called cheap goods “are products used in daily life, food, health products, clothing and accessories, etc., which account for less than 10% of the total value of goods imported from China,” it added.  

The statement came after Thailand announced new measures to combat the influx of cheap Chinese imports threatening its manufacturing sector. The Bangkok Post reported on August 28 that Thailand’s deputy prime minister and minister of commerce, Phumtham Wechayachai, said the government would set up a task force comprising 28 agencies that would meet every two weeks to review and revise regulations to curb the threat of cheap Chinese imports to the already weak economy. 

The Federation of Thailand Industry previously warned that cheap Chinese goods could cause a “tsunami” in Thailand and in the region, and that in 2023 the low-cost imported products had contributed to the closure of nearly 2,000 factories. 

Pavida Pananond, professor of international business at Thammasat Business School at Thammasat University in Thailand, said low-priced Chinese goods or Chinese capital are often concentrated in Thailand’s e-commerce and electric vehicle industries. While Chinese investment has increased foreign direct investment in Thailand, it has also made it difficult for many smaller local enterprises to survive. 

“Right now, the Chinese are facing restrictions on their products in many markets,’’ Pavida told VOA in a Zoom interview. ‘’So, it is natural that we are seeing the Chinese products targeting more emerging markets, particularly in Southeast Asia. So, those sectors would be at risk of having direct competition from the Chinese, cheaper products. And I think in the longer term, there also is more impact on the Thai economy.” 

The Chinese Embassy quoted preliminary statistics in its statement and said more than 1,000 Chinese companies have invested in Thailand. In the past two years, 588 investment projects by Chinese have been submitted to the Thai government, with an investment value of nearly $7 billion, according to the Chinese Embassy. Most investments are in the electric vehicle industry, the digital economy, new energy, and modern manufacturing. 

The Thailand Economic and Business Research Center forecasts that the Thai economy will grow by 2.6% this year due to tourism and exports, but it will also be dragged down by manufacturing. In the first half of 2024, Thailand’s industrial output decreased by 2% compared to the same period last year. 

Chinese e-commerce platform Temu entered Thailand on July 31. Observers are worried that cheap Chinese goods flooding Thailand’s market through Temu will lead to unfair competition, supply chain disruptions, and rising unemployment. Srettha Thavisin, Thailand’s former prime minister, previously asked authorities to investigate whether Temu has complied with the relevant regulations and paid the tax due. 

Nisit Panthamit, director of ASEAN Studies and an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, said, “If you buy it from China, you have to wait for so long to get that item. But the local [products] are easy to find in the market. Now, after more goods are coming in from the new [Chinese] companies, that’s why the SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] might get heavily impacted.’’  

Nisit said if the Thai government cannot introduce more effective policies to alleviate the problem soon, sales of Thai-made goods may decline significantly. Also, he said, some basic Thai products may be replaced in local markets by inferior Chinese-made replacements.  

He said that indications are that, by the end of 2024, there will be a 10% to 20% drop in the sales and consumption of local Thai products, because of competition from more Chinese-made goods.    

The New York Times reported at the end of July that Thailand’s auto industry, which often is referred to as the “Asian Detroit” because of its manufacturing capacity, had been dominated by Japanese cars. In recent years, however, Chinese electric vehicle companies have made inroads, resulting in local auto factories closing and some land prices soaring, economists in Thailand say. 

“When the Thai government welcomes the EV cars from China without much long-term planning for Thai suppliers in automotive industry, vehicles and parts, that could be something that could negatively affect the Thai economy,” Pavida said.  

In July, Thailand’s Ministry of Industry required Chinese EV manufacturers to use at least 40% local components when assembling EVs to support Thailand’s automotive supply chain. In response, China’s Changan Automobile pledged to invest $282 million, in Thailand, and the proportion of local parts will reach 60% and then increase to 90%; Shanghai-based Neta Auto also said it would increase the proportion of Thai car parts from 60% to 85%. 

There are also increasing concerns that Chinese companies may exploit Thailand as an “illicit transshipment hub” to evade U.S. and European tariffs and sanctions. Illicit transshipment refers to exporting products through a third country to circumvent higher tariffs. 

Bloomberg reported on August 22 that since many Chinese solar companies have set up factories in Southeast Asia in an attempt to circumvent U.S. import tariffs, Washington seems to be preparing to impose high tariffs on ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. 

“We should also be concerned about Thai companies that import Chinese supplies for their intermediate products, and then re-export these [finished products] to other countries like the U.S. or the EU,” Pavida said. “This could end up being against the regulations that the EU and the U.S. are tightening.” 

Pavida added that further study of the many layers and elements of Chinese imports are needed as well, so policies can clearly and specifically address different kinds of Chinese products.  

VOA’s Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
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Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — A magnitude 6.2 earthquake rattled Papua New Guinea on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, striking off the country’s northern coast.

A USGS map showed the tremor centered in a patch of ocean some 300 kilometers east of the town of Vanimo, which is preparing to host Pope Francis over the weekend.

A photographer based in the provincial capital of Wewak told AFP there did not appear to be major damage in the immediate aftermath of the quake.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on top of the seismic “Ring of Fire” — an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Although they seldom cause widespread damage in sparsely populated areas, they can trigger destructive landslides.

Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia earlier this week on the first leg of his 12-day tour.

On Friday he heads to Christian-majority Papua New Guinea for a three-night visit that will see him briefly stop in Vanimo, a remote coastal town close to the country’s border with Indonesia.
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WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling an openness to blocking the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel, as a government review of the proposed takeover by the Japanese company is wrapping up. 

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that President Joe Biden plans to stop the deal from going forward. A White House official, insisting on anonymity to discuss the matter, did not deny the report and said Biden still needs to receive the official recommendation from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). That review could end as soon as this month. 

Biden had voiced his objections to the merger, backing his supporters in the United Steelworkers union who oppose the deal. The objection carries weight as U.S. Steel is headquartered in the swing state of Pennsylvania and is a symbol of Pittsburgh’s industrial might in an election year when Republicans and Democrats alike are promising more domestic manufacturing jobs. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, came out against the deal this week. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has said he would block the merger if he were still in the White House. 

Stock in U.S. Steel fell roughly 17% on the news that Biden would stop the merger. 

The CFIUS review process generally pertains to business issues with national security implications. U.S. Steel spokesperson Amanda Malkowski said in an email that the company had not received any update on the process and that the company sees “no national security issues associated with this transaction, as Japan is one of our most staunch allies.” 

“We fully expect to pursue all possible options under the law to ensure this transaction, which is best future for Pennsylvania, American steelmaking, and all of our stakeholders, closes,” Malkowski said. 

A spokesman representing Nippon Steel said the company had not received any updates from the federal government on the review process. 

U.S. Steel on Wednesday hosted a rally in support of the acquisition. It said in a statement that without the Nippon Steel deal the company would “largely pivot away from its blast furnace facilities, putting thousands of good-paying union jobs at risk, negatively impacting numerous communities across the locations where its facilities exist, and depriving the American steel industry of an opportunity to better compete on the global stage.” 
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ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA / WASHINGTON   — China has been establishing closer cooperation with Africa, a relationship some view as fraught with debt burden while others hail as Africa leveraging its strategic importance globally.

This week’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing carries benefits for both Africa and China, officials and African affairs experts say.

Countries like Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya have been on the receiving end of a huge amount of investment from Beijing. And China has been relentless in seeking to secure partnerships for dependable sources of raw materials as well as creating alliances to gain geopolitical influence and counterbalance Western powers. That is the assessment of former Ugandan diplomat Simon Mulongo.

“What is in it for Africa is basically four things: infrastructure development where China has invested heavily in Africa infrastructure, building roads, railways, ports and other essential facilities,” Mulongo said.

“The second is economic growth. The Chinese investments have actually created jobs and stimulated economic activities in various sectors, which includes manufacturing, mining and agriculture. There is also financial aid and loans where China offers financial assistance, often with fewer conditions compared to the Western countries. And the fourth is trade opportunities [in] which Africa benefits from access to the Chinese markets, which can boost export revenues, especially raw materials and agricultural products.”

Mulongo, who is the managing partner of EMANS Frontiers, a governance and security consultant, said China also is benefiting from the partnership with Africa, including through trade opportunities and the rich mineral resources, oil and other natural resources that China needs to fuel its industrial growth and sustain its population.

Djibouti is one of the countries where China investment is visible. China not only has a major military base there but also has developed, together with the Djibouti government, large infrastructure projects, including electrical rail, a deep-sea port and a free-trade zone.

Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti’s minister of economy and finance, said the forum has become the “cornerstone for enduring collaboration” between the two counties.

Financing challenges

“Everybody knows in Africa we are facing financing challenges when it comes to the key infrastructure development,” said Dawaleh, who spoke to VOA’s Horn of Africa Service from Beijing.

“The infrastructure financing gap in Africa is estimated to billions per year. Therefore, we very much value the support of China when it comes to narrow or reduce that gap in infrastructure financing,” he said.

Asked if Chinese loans were a “ticking time bomb” for Africa, Dawaleh said they weren’t.

He said the debt crisis Africa is facing is driven by global challenges, including the impact of two years of COVID-19; droughts and climate change in the Horn of Africa; the Red Sea and Middle East crisis; and “inflation imported due to the crisis in Ukraine and Russia.”

“We need the understanding of the partners, and China again confirmed, standing with Africa in order to look at means and ways to deal more softly in the debt crisis,” he said.

Kibur Gena, an economist and the executive director of Initiative Africa, said African countries should exercise a strategic and disciplined approach in managing large loans so that they contribute to sustainable economic development rather than leading to debt distress.

The loans, he said, should be “transparent with clear terms and conditions.”

“They should be definitely used to finance projects that have the potential to generate significant economic returns,” he said. Countries should “strengthen their debt management offices to monitor and manage the loans portfolio effectively. I think these are some of the basic points that I would like to raise in terms of managing loans with China, or any other country, for that matter.”

Kibur said balanced partnership is key to China-Africa relations.

“All that requires is a balanced and strategic partnership that prioritizes mutual interest, that prioritizes transparency and scores long-term development,” he said.

Open markets

Kibur said China should also open its markets to a broader range of African products, particularly those with higher value added to support industrialization effort.

Mulongo highlighted the difference between the relations Africa has with China as opposed to Western countries.

“The Western countries often engage and involve aid with conditions related to governance, human rights and economic reforms — a number of African leaders can see these conditions as intrusive,” the former Africa Union deputy special envoy to Somalia said.

“The other one is security-focused. The West usually focuses on security, particularly counterterrorism, peacekeeping and military cooperation,” he added.

Africa should not be forced to choose between China and the West, Mulongo said. Instead, African countries should aim to balance relations with both, leveraging the unique strengths and opportunities that each power presents, he said.

This story originated in VOA’s Horn of Africa Service.
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JAKARTA — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health.

Despite the grueling itinerary, an energetic Francis joked and laughed his way through a packed first full day in Indonesia, meeting with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials at the presidential palace and then greeting Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral in the afternoon.

Cannons boomed as Francis joined Widodo on the veranda of the palace along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. A marching band, stiff-legged troops and children in traditional Indonesian dress welcomed the first pope to visit in 35 years.

In his remarks to officials, Francis compared Indonesia’s human diversity to the archipelago’s 17,000 islands. He said each one contributes something specific to form “a magnificent mosaic, in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.”

And yet, Francis warned that such diversity in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population can also become a source of conflict — an apparent reference to episodes of intolerance that have flared in recent years in Indonesia as well as a broader concern about conflicts raging around the world.

“This wise and delicate balance, between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances,” Francis said. Political leaders, he said, had a particular role to play but he also assured Widodo of the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interreligious dialogue.

“This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence,” he said.

Regionally, the internal conflict in Myanmar has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where thousands have fled overcrowded, violent camps to countries including Indonesia. Farther afield, Indonesia has regularly condemned Israel’s war with the militant Hamas group in Gaza and Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican’s support for Palestinian civilians.

“War will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the common people,” Widodo said. “Therefore let us celebrate the differences that we have. Let us accept each other and strengthen tolerance to realize peace, to realize a better world for all humanity.”

Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to kick off the longest, farthest and most difficult trip of his pontificate, given his myriad health problems. At 87, he uses a wheelchair, has regular bouts of bronchitis and has had multiple surgeries for intestinal problems.

By the trip’s end on Sept. 13, Francis will have flown 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) and visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore — one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.

Francis appeared in good form Wednesday, showing his trademark sense of humor even as he had to stand for long periods and had multiple transfers from his wheelchair to chairs and the car.

His dry wit never let up: To Widodo and Indonesian dignitaries, he praised Indonesia’s relatively high birthrate while lamenting that in the West, “some prefer a cat or a little dog.” To a private meeting with his fellow Jesuits he quipped at the end that “The police have come to take me away.” To priests and nuns he warned against greed, saying “the devil enters through your pockets.”

That said, Francis’ prepared remarks were shorter than usual in a possible bid to spare him the strain of speaking for long periods.

In the afternoon, Francis met with Indonesian clergy and nuns in Jakarta’s Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral for his traditional pep talk to the local church.

Catholics make up just 3% of Indonesia’s population of 275 million, but the country is home to the world’s largest Catholic seminary and has long been a top source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church.

Addressing the priests, nuns and lay church leaders, Francis continued the theme of encouraging greater fraternity among people of different faiths and cultures.

“This is important, because proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” he said.

Sister Rina Rosalina was chosen to address the pope, and offered some constructive criticism of the inordinate amount of time it takes for the Vatican to approve Indonesian-language translations of his official texts.

“Holy Father, we are always trying to learn from you. Unfortunately, due to distance and language barriers, sometimes we have difficulties studying the documents issued from Rome,” she said, drawing knowing nods from the pope.

Outside the cathedral, several hundred well-wishers gathered to greet the pope, including at least one boy dressed as a tiny pope. They waved Indonesian and Holy See flags and children played traditional bamboo instruments.

The location of the cathedral is symbolically important for Indonesia’s push for interfaith and intercultural harmony — it is located across from the country’s main Istiqlal mosque and connected to it by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship,” which Francis is to visit on Thursday with the mosque’s grand imam.

While Francis wants to highlight Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, the country’s image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people.

Amnesty International said it hoped Francis’ visit would encourage an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and truly promote a respect for religious freedom that is enshrined in the country’s constitution.

In a statement, Amnesty noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks.

“The pope’s visit has an important role to play in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

 
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