03/11/2025

MONDAY | NOV 3, 2025

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Xi jokes about ‘backdoor’ when gifting phones

Pentagon chief urges close ties with Hanoi HANOI: The United States wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday at the start of a visit to Hanoi amid prolonged talks for the potential supply of military equipment to Washington’s former foe. Hegseth was expected to meet Vietnam Communist Party chief To Lam, President Luong Cuong and Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, said a Vietnamese official briefed on the visit. “Deeper (military) cooperation will benefit both of our countries,” said Hegseth, who arrived in the Vietnamese capital after meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts. The United States had already delivered three cutters to the Vietnamese coastguard and three T-6 trainer aircraft, from an order of 12, and intended to do more, he said. Vietnam Defence Ministry said both governments agreeed to continue promoting security cooperation, including areas such as the defence industry. Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to the official and another Vietnamese source briefed on the matter. Both mentioned Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes among the items to be discussed. A US official also confirmed C-130s would come up in the talks. One of the Vietnamese sources said the supply of US helicopters could also be discussed, specifically Lockheed Martin S-92s and Boeing Chinooks. It was not clear if any deal or announcement would be made, said the sources, who declined to be identified as the information was not public. Boeing deferred questions on the matter to the two governments. Vietnam’s government, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours. The Southeast Asian nation, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking to diversify its arsenal for years. Talks with the United States, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yielded any formal announcement. Reuters reported last year on discussions for the sale of C-130 planes to Vietnam’s defence ministry, and in July on a preliminary deal on two S-92 helicopters after years of talks on the matter with its public security forces. – Reuters

GYEONGJU: President Xi Jinping gifted South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung a pair of Xiaomi smartphones and jokingly urged him to “check if there’s a o Device choice underscores technology ambitions

active tropical cyclone regions on Earth and prone to heavy rains between June and September. Ten typhoons or tropical storms usually affect Vietnam, directly or offshore, in a given year, but it has experienced 12 this year. Natural disasters, mostly storms, floods and landslides, left 187 people dead or missing in Vietnam in the first nine months of this year. Total economic losses were estimated at more than US$610 million (RM2.6 billion). – AFP looked at it. He then asked Xi: “How is the communication security?” upon which Xi and other gathered officials erupted in laughter. Xi then pointed at the phones and responded: “You can check if there’s a backdoor.” A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls. Both leaders laughed and Lee clapped his hands as they proceeded with the presentation of gifts, which also included a traditional Korean mother-of pearl inlay lacquered tray. Xi’s comment referred to concerns expressed by China over a US proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions that prompted US chipmaker Nvidia to say its chips had no “backdoors”. China’s Foreign Ministry and Xiaomi did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the exchange. Lee’s office said it had no separate comment on Xi’s gifts. At the summit, Lee sought Xi’s help in efforts to resume talks with nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea, while Xi told Lee he was willing to widen cooperation and jointly address the challenges they face. In other recent off-the-cuff remarks by Xi, a hot mic caught the Chinese leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussing organ transplants and the possibility that humans could live to 150 years at a military parade in Beijing in September. – Reuters

underscored Xi’s technological ambitions, recently reinforced in China’s economic development plan for the next five years. After Lee presented Xi with “the finest” wooden board for ancient strategy game Go, the pair walked over to the smartphones wrapped in black boxes and an official noted the displays on the devices were made in South Korea. Lee lifted one of the boxes and

backdoor”, during a state visit on Saturday that capped the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum. Lee hosted Xi at a state summit and dinner after the Apec leaders’ meeting in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, marking Xi’s first visit to the US ally in 11 years. The choice of the gift – China made Xiaomi devices brought to the home country of smartphone giant Samsung Electronics –

Xi and Lee exchange greetings ahead of the summit on Saturday. – AFPPIC

Vietnam flood death toll rises to 35 HANOI: Record heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam this week have killed 35 people, disaster management officials said yesterday, with five more still missing in the deluge. (VDDMA) said. Hoi An’s ancient town, that is a Unesco world heritage site, has been inundated with waist-deep water, with residents navigating the city by wooden boats after a major river overflowed at a 60 year high. “Everyone is in shock after the flood.

of belongings were damaged. Everyone feels helpless due to the severe damage,” the 43-year old said as rain continued yesterday. More than 16,500 houses were flooded, VDDMA said, while more than 40,000 poultry and livestock have been swept away and more than 5,300ha of cropland submerged. The Environment Ministry said last week more than 100,000 homes had been flooded and more than 150 landslides reported. Vietnam is in one of the most

Heavy rain has pummelled Vietnam’s coastal provinces since last weekend, with a record of up to 1.7m falling over 24 hours spanning last Sunday and Monday. The 35 fatalities took place in Hue, Da Nang, Lam Dong and Quang Tri provinces, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority

“People were preparing for the flood, but they didn’t expect the water to rise so high,” said Hoi An resident Chuong Nguyen yesterday. “Many residents were not able to get ready in time, so a lot

Philippines, Canada sign visiting troops deal MANILA: The Philippines signed a visiting forces agreement with Canada yesterday, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering Beijing’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea. in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

annual Balikatan military exercises in spring. Manila signed a visiting

“(We) will be moving forward on training fronts, on exchanges with our military colleges, information sharing, understanding cyber security,” he told a joint news briefing in Manila.

allow Canadian troops to participate in joint exercises on land as well. Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty (pic) said the agreement would deepen the relationship with the Philippine military while advancing Ottawa’s Asia-Pacific strategy, which calls for “a forward presence in the region”.

forces pact with New Zealand earlier this year and already had agreements in place with the United States, Australia and Japan. A similar deal is in the works with France. – AFP

The Royal Canadian Navy last year began taking part in joint maritime patrols in the area with its US, Australian, Japanese and Philippine counterparts. The visiting forces deal would

The Philippines and China have engaged in frequent clashes in the crucial waterway, which Beijing claims

He added that Canada hoped to take part in the archipelago nation’s