Tuesday morning news - May 24, 2022

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Biden launches Indo-Pacific trade deal » President Biden, addressing reporters in Japan, announced a new trade pact Monday with a dozen countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

BIDEN: The nations represented here today and those who will join the framework in the future are signing up to work toward an economic vision that will deliver for all our people.

The president heard there after meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Joining the United States in the pact are Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and several other nations. The group represents 40 percent of the world’s gross domestic product.

Member countries have yet to work out the details. But the White House said the basic framework will help all members work more closely on big issues like supply chains, digital trade, and clean energy.

Biden administration walks back president’s Taiwan remark » But the Biden administration is walking back something else the president said in Japan on Monday.

At a press conference, Biden answered the following question about how far the United States would go to defend Taiwan against an invasion from mainland China.

REPORTER: Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?
BIDEN: Yes.
REPORTER: You are?
BIDEN: That’s the commitment we made.

He said the U.S. commitment to protect the island is “even stronger” after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China expressed outrage over the comment. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a rogue Chinese province.

But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later said:

AUSTIN: Our One China policy has not changed. He reiterated that policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

But he added that under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act the United States is committed to providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself. That agreement does not obligate the U.S. military to step in.

Russian soldier sentenced in war crimes trial » A court in Ukraine sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison on Monday. That after the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia’s invasion began.

The Kremlin has hinted that it may, in turn, put on trial some of the Ukrainian fighters who recently surrendered in Mariupol.

Ukraine says it is probing 13,000 alleged war crimes.

Russian diplomat resigns in protest of war in Ukraine » Meantime, a veteran Russian diplomat resigned Monday over the war.

BONDAREV: It is about my disagreement and disapproval of the current policy by the Russian government.

Boris Bondarev was a diplomat to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

It is a rare public expression of dissent over the war from the ranks of the Russian elite.

Bondarev penned a scathing letter of resignation, stating, “For 20 years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country.”

Pfizer says 3 COVID shots protect children under 5 » Pfizer says three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5. The company announced the findings of the new data on Monday. It plans to pass along the information to regulators soon.

Dr. William Moss is a vaccine expert with Johns Hopkins. He said the data showed the vaccine to be safe …

MOSS: Induced high levels of antibodies and provided 80 percent protection against symptomatic illness.

But that 80 protection is based on just 10 cases diagnosed among study participants by the end of April. The study rules state that at least 21 cases are needed to formally determine effectiveness.

Pfizer aims to give tots a dose just one-tenth of the amount that adults receive in a series of three shots. The company said that approach worked well with test subjects from the ages of 6 months to 4 years old.

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis visit us at wng.org. 

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