US President Donald Trump began his second term by signaling that talks with China to stop a deadly flow of fentanyl were fruitless and instead slapped 20% tariffs on Chinese goods to try to push Beijing to tackle trafficking of the synthetic opioid. But last week, after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, […]
Read MoreChina’s President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sought to expand mutual investment with Russia and affirmed Beijing’s commitment to advance ties despite “turbulent” external conditions, Chinese state media reported. Xi met Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People, a day after Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a meeting with […]
Read MoreTAIPEI: Taiwan’s new opposition leader took office on Saturday, warning of the risk of war with China and pledging to open a new era of peace with Beijing. Former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun takes the reins of the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), at a time of rising military and political tension with Beijing, which […]
Read MoreChinese President Xi Jinping will wrap up his three-day visit to South Korea on Saturday with a state dinner and summit hosted by President Lee Jae Myung, the newly elected US ally who has pledged to balance Seoul’s ties with Beijing. The stakes are high for Lee, who assumed office in June following the ouster […]
Read MorePESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistan on Saturday partially reopened the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan to allow thousands of stranded Afghan refugees to return home, officials said. Restrictions remain on all other cross-border movement, including trade. Pakistan closed all border crossings with Afghanistan on Oct. 12 following deadly clashes in which both sides claimed to have killed […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran With East Timor’s entry into Asean as its 11th member, the youngest country in the region may become a key partner and new ally for the Philippines as Manila gears up to lead the bloc as chair in 2026. Before Sunday’s accession ceremony at the 47th summit of the Association of Southeast […]
Read MoreBy Ralph Jennings in Kuala Lumpur The United States has ramped up efforts to hedge against rare earth export controls by China – the world’s dominant supplier – through agreements signed on Sunday with two Southeast Asian countries, including one that experts believe could deliver results relatively quickly. Memoranda of understanding with Malaysia and Thailand […]
Read MoreA new United Nations Secretary-General will be elected next year for a five-year term starting on 1 January, 2027. Here are the potential candidates so far and how the successor to current UN chief Antonio Guterres will be chosen: WHEN DOES THE PROCESS START? The race will formally start when the 15-member Security Council and […]
Read MoreUS President Donald Trump signed a flurry of deals on trade and critical minerals with three Southeast Asian partners today (26 October), as Washington looked to address trade imbalances and diversify supply chains amid tighter export curbs on rare earths by China. Trump, who is in Kuala Lumpur to attend a summit of the Association […]
Read MoreBy Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof and Aidan Jones A triumphant Donald Trump on Sunday presided over a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia on the first trip to Southeast Asia in his second presidency, applauding his own peacemaking skills while warning that American trade was contingent on the durability of the truce between the two […]
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