ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - July 10, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - July 10, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Japan and the Philippines Sign Defense Pact to Counter China
• North Korea Switches State TV Broadcasts from Chinese to Russian Satellite
• Following French Election Upset RN Joins nationalist EU Alliance

Japan and the Philippines Sign Defense Pact to Counter China

Japan and the Philippines have signed a defense pact that permits each other's forces to participate in joint-defense drills and likely paves the way for a mutual defense pact. The agreement is significant because Japan and the Philippines are traditional geopolitical adversaries dating back to Japan's occupation of the Philippines. However, they have likely agreed to mend ties because of their mutual distrust of China, which has territorial disputes with both nations. Japan, under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has taken significant steps to increase the defense budget and has sided with several other countries in the region that have similar territorial disputes with China. With this alliance, China faces an unbroken link of Western-backed countries from Japan to Australia. These countries have all increased their defense spending based on a mutual distrust of China. The closer military ties could lead to retaliation from China, which has clashed repeatedly with Filipino ships in recent months. China could also suspend trade agreements with its neighbors who side with Japan or the U.S., hoping to pressure them economically.

North Korea Switches State TV Broadcasts from Chinese to Russian Satellite

North Korea has started broadcasting state television from a Russian satellite after years of using a Chinese one. This could signify a new stage of bilateral cooperation where Russia becomes North Korea's primary ally instead of China. The reason for the switch is otherwise unclear, with the ChinaSat-12 satellite North Korea has been using since 2020 remaining operational and covering a wider area than the Russian satellite.

Following French Election Upset RN Joins nationalist EU Alliance

On July 9, France’s Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Matteo Salvini agreed to join the nationalist EU parliament grouping of Hungary's Viktor Orban called the Patriots of Europe. With their membership, Patriots of Europe will now have representation from at least seven EU members, a requirement to become a political grouping in the EU parliament. It will be the third largest in the parliament with 84 members. Other members include the Spanish far-right party Vox, which left Giorgia Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and far-right parties in Austria, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Meloni's group will now be only the fourth biggest, and the emergence of the Patriots of Europe could see further defections from her block while reducing her influence in the EU parliament. On the other hand, her grouping shares many policy positions with the Patriots of Europe, and they could come together to vote on EU policies, especially the EU migration policy.