Kyodo Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu Back decided on Friday to step up personnel exchanges between their forces amid mounting regional security challenges. At the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) base in Koizumi’s hometown of Yokosuka, near Tokyo, the two agreed to hold annual reciprocal visits, as ties between […]
Read MoreBy Aidan Jones Thailand’s slump in visitors from China has become so acute that Chinese tourism workers in Phuket are learning English for the first time to attract new customers, according to a boat tour organiser. Chanchanat Boonlon said her catamaran business was once a cash cow, fully booked each day during high season by […]
Read MoreBy Alyssa Chen China ramped up its South China Sea patrols in 2025, maintaining an “unprecedented” nearly year-round presence at contested sites like Scarborough Shoal to assert maritime claims, according to a new US-based think tank report. An analysis published on Thursday by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) – a research programme affiliated with […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall A record share of the Japanese public now supports strengthening the country’s Self-Defence Forces, a new government survey shows, highlighting how sharply attitudes on national security have shifted amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s expanding military activities and rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said the shift reflects a growing sense […]
Read MoreBEIJING: China executed 11 people linked telecom scam operations, on Thursday, state media reported, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Fraud compounds where scammers lure Internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in the lawless borderlands of Myanmar. Initially largely targeting Chinese speakers, […]
Read MoreThe Korea Times At the training centre for KD Transport Group, South Korea’s largest bus operator, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, boyish-looking men stood out among about 100 drivers gathered for safety training on January 20. According to the company, 47 of the 460 drivers at its Pangyo branch are in their 20s or 30s, accounting […]
Read MoreBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he wants to build a “sophisticated relationship” with Beijing to boost economic growth and security today (29 January), signalling a reset after years of strained ties between the two countries. On the most important day of his four-day visit to China—the first by a […]
Read MoreSEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers’ Party will unveil next-stage plans for further strengthening the country’s nuclear war deterrent, KCNA state news agency reported on Wednesday. Kim directed a successful test of a large-caliber multiple-rocket launch system on Tuesday, KCNA said. The drill demonstrated significant upgrades […]
Read MoreWhen US President Donald Trump took office a year ago with an “America First” agenda, many saw trouble for China’s sluggish economy, but Beijing has thawed frosty relationships with other trade partners to post a record trade surplus. While Trump’s policies have strained ties with traditional US allies, China has turned its focus to fostering […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Washington’s latest defence strategy of providing “more limited US support” to its allies is expected to damage domestic backing for leaders in Japan and South Korea and spur greater momentum among regional countries towards military self-reliance. Analysts also warn that such a realignment could lead to a “radical swing” in regional security […]
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