China firmly supports establishing a Southeast Asia nuclear weapon free zone and has made clear its willingness to take the lead in signing the treaty, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. “We stand ready to stay in communication with ASEAN countries on this matter,” Mao Ning told a regular press conference. Malaysia said […]
Read MoreBy Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is banking on its rich reserves of critical minerals to persuade the United States to pull back steep looming tariffs – an offer that could appeal to American strategic interests even as concerns remain about regulatory risks and China’s entrenched role in the country’s mineral supply chains. Coordinating Minister for […]
Read MoreBy Biman Mukherji India has signalled its growing maritime and shipbuilding ambitions in the Indo-Pacific with the country’s biggest warship builder, state-run Mazagon Dock, set to acquire a controlling stake in Sri Lanka’s Colombo Dockyard. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders said last week it would buy a 51 per cent stake in Colombo Dockyard for US$52.96 million. […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran The Philippines is adopting a Japan-led strategy to treat the East and South China seas as a unified theatre of operations – a shift that is seen to reflect growing alignment among regional allies in the face of China’s expanding maritime footprint. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the “one-theatre” concept would promote […]
Read MoreBy Sylvia Ma Issuing a stablecoin pegged to the offshore yuan in Hong Kong may be more feasible than in mainland China due to the latter’s capital controls, a central bank adviser has said. The comments from Huang Yiping, also dean of Peking University’s National School of Development, came as worries arise in Beijing’s policy […]
Read MoreThe Quad grouping of the United States, India, Japan and Australia called on Tuesday for the perpetrators of an Islamist militant attack that killed 26 in India-administered Kashmir to be brought to justice without delay. The April 22 attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry […]
Read MoreFiji is opposed to China setting up a military base in the Pacific Islands, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday, adding that it did not need such a base to project power, as shown by an intercontinental ballistic missile test. Strategically placed between the United States and Asia, the Pacific Islands are a focus […]
Read MoreIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Iranian state media reported. Iran has threatened to halt cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel’s air strikes, which […]
Read MoreThe Dalai Lama said on Wednesday that a non-profit that he has founded will have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, countering China’s insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan spiritual leader. The remarks by the leader, who turns 90 on Sunday, came during a week of celebrations to mark […]
Read MoreUS President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States has struck a trade deal with Vietnam, after months of negotiations, that imposes a 20% tariff rate on many imports from the Southeast Asian country. The rate is lower than an initial 46% levy Trump announced in April on goods from Vietnam, largely as […]
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