South Korea’s Yoon awaits verdict as insurrection rulings mount: ‘the game is over’

By Park Chan-kyong Two recent convictions tied to Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived 2024 martial law decree have effectively sealed his fate, some legal observers say, as judges prepare to rule on the insurrection charge against the former South Korean president. On Thursday, a three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25 is set […]

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Trump’s claim of Chinese and Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

By Seong Hyeon Choi and Fan Chen A former president of Iceland has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that nearby Greenland was surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels, saying it was “not supported by facts”. In an interview on the sidelines of last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who was Iceland’s president […]

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Why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices as key party congress looms

By Park Chan-kyong North Korea appears to be recasting the human cost of its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine as a carefully staged display of loyalty and leadership, with analysts pointing in particular to the unveiling of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of fallen soldiers as a central part of that […]

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Why big power rivalry is the ‘main threat’ to Asean maritime security

By Fan Chen If there is one big threat to maritime security in Southeast Asia, it is the growing wariness between the big players in the region. That was the assessment from Kao Kim Hourn, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference. “Overall the main threat […]

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China and Central Asia Step Up Fight Against Desertification

China and Central Asian countries are intensifying efforts to combat desertification and protect fragile ecosystems. Reporting for China Daily, Hu Dongmei and Wang Songsong highlight joint initiatives to restore degraded land, implement sustainable farming practices, and curb the spread of deserts across the region, reflecting growing regional cooperation on environmental security. The China-Central Asia Cooperation […]

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China FM wants to work with Canadian counterpart to ‘eliminate interference’

MUNICH: China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand their two countries should work to “eliminate interference,” as they met on the sidelines of a security conference on Saturday. Wang, who met a slew of Western leaders during the Munich Security Conference, has been eager to paint Beijing as a more stable […]

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Why Chinese navy still trails the US in high-stakes game of underwater aircraft recovery

By Alcott Wei in Beijing China’s navy still lacks the advanced underwater equipment and operational readiness needed to effectively conduct salvage operations in the event of a carrier-based aircraft crash, a military magazine tied to the country’s largest state-owned shipbuilder has warned. According to an analysis published this month, Beijing risks exposing sensitive military technology […]

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Trump administration reaches a trade deal to lower Taiwan’s tariff barriers

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99 percent of its tariff barriers, the office of the US Trade Representative said. The agreement comes as the US remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to […]

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Why Takaichi’s Japan election victory has sparked North Korea’s ‘childish’ fury

By Julian Ryall North Korea’s claim that Japan has crossed a diplomatic “red line” by deepening its security partnerships is less about Tokyo’s defence policies than Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election victory, analysts say, as a weaker mandate may have pushed her towards negotiations with Pyongyang. With a commanding majority secured in Sunday’s poll, […]

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What is China’s Central Military Commission and how does it operate amid anti-graft drive?

By Liu Zhen The Central Military Commission, the top decision-making body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army, is set for a leadership reshuffle after the downfall of most of its members. President Xi Jinping is now in his third term as chairman of the commission. But now five of the other six members of the commission […]

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