Day: December 17, 2024
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China Says Hopes to Stabilize India Ties ‘at an Early Date’
China said on Tuesday it was willing to work with India to stabilize bilateral relations "at an early date" ahead of rare high-level talks this week on a decades-long border dispute. The world's two most populous nations are intense geopolitical rivals ...
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Philippines Ratifies Key Defense Pact With Japan
The Philippines ratified on Monday a key defense pact with Japan, which allows them to deploy troops on each other's soil as they boost ties to bolster against China's growing pressure. Both countries are longtime allies of the United States, which has ...
China, India to Hold High-Level Talks Over Contested Border
China announced on Monday that it would hold high-level talks later this week with India on their border disputes- the first such discussions in five years, signaling a possible thaw in frosty ties. Relations had been tense since a deadly military ...
Debt-Saddled Laos Struggles to Tame Rampant Inflation
By Thanaporn Promyamyai and Damon Wake Suffocating under a mountain of debt to China, Laos is struggling to tame rampant inflation, with food prices rising so sharply that a growing number of households are resorting to foraging.
Australia, U.S. and Japan Strengthen Military Cooperation
Australia, Japan and the U.S. on Sunday committed to closer military cooperation in training their forces as the countries deepened their ties in a bid to counter China's military strength. Australia's Minister of Defense Richard Marles hosted the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd ...
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Decries Sanctions and Tariffs
China, Russia, and Iran’s ongoing disagreements with Western power provided the frame for this year’s heads of government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The ten-state Eurasian security grouping met in Islamabad, Pakistan, this week. The joint statement released at the end ...
Myanmar and China Have Lowest Internet Freedom, Says Study
Myanmar and China have the world's worst internet freedom, with declines reported in a number of other countries led by Kyrgyzstan, a study said Wednesday. The further deterioration in Myanmar, a Beijing ally where the military seized power in 2021, marks ...
Myanmar Junta Chief to Travel to China Next Month: Sources Close to Military
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will travel to close ally China next month, two sources close to the military told AFP Wednesday, in what would be his first known trip there since he led a coup in 2021. Min Aung ...
“We Cannot Let Them Get Away With What They’re Doing,” Says Philippine Defense Secretary in Response to Beijing’s Actions in South China Sea
The escalating conflict between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea splashed on the screens of tens of millions of homes across the United States on Sunday when it was the focus of a segment on the popular TV news magazine program ...
Kenya’s William Ruto Once Again Pressed by Western Journalists: Do You Like Us or the Chinese Better?
It's now routine for Kenyan President William Ruto to get the "us or them" question from Western journalists when he's in the U.S. or Europe. In May, CNN's Richard Quest bluntly asked the president point blank if he had to make ...
Peruvian Police Seize 1.3 Tons of Shark Fins
Peruvian authorities said Monday they had seized about 1.3 U.S. tons of illegally harvested shark fins, a delicacy in some Asian countries that has placed the predatory creatures at grave risk. The discovery was made at the warehouse of an export ...
U.S. Backs Philippines Over China Despite Reef Pullout
The United States said Monday it backed Manila's freedom of navigation in the South China Sea after a Philippine ship left a flashpoint reef, leading Beijing to declare "indisputable sovereignty." "There's no legal basis for the PRC's maritime claims in the ...
Philippines, China to Boost Communication Lines on Sea Disputes
The Philippines and China have agreed to raise the number of communication channels that can be used to resolve maritime spats, a diplomatic source told AFP on Wednesday. Manila and Beijing have a long history of territorial disputes in the South ...
Chinese Phone Brands Benefit From Reduced Inflation in Global South, Shipments Jump 12%
Shipments of mobile phones around the world increased by 12% in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2023, according to new data by the market research firm Canalys. While Samsung and Apple held on to ...
Chinese Shift in Battery Manufacturing Could Have a Major Impact on Nickel, Cobalt Exporting Countries
China’s nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery output in June fell 6.8% year-on-year, marking the straight month of declining production. NCM batteries are widely used in electric vehicles in the U.S. and Europe, but less so in China where lithium phosphate (LFP) batteries are ...
Letter From Washington: The Narrowing Space for Democracy
Greetings from Washington, D.C., Over the last two and a half months, I’ve spent time in Washington, D.C. and several European capitals meeting with folks from think tanks, civil society, and policy circles to talk about critical minerals and the West’s ...
China Props up Solomon Islands’ Budget With $20 Million Injection
The Solomon Islands will prop up its government budget with a $20 million injection from China, the developing Pacific state said Tuesday, as Beijing looks to strengthen its strategic foothold in the region. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele announced the funding after ...
Philippine Ship, Chinese Vessel Collide in South China Sea: Beijing
Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday, the Chinese Coast Guard said, as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims over the disputed area. Known in Chinese as the Ren'ai ...
PLA Navy at the Ready to Enforce Beijing’s New “No Trespass” Rule in the South China Sea
A Chinese Navy amphibious assault ship shadowed by its support vessels appeared near the disputed Spratly Islands on Friday in an apparent signal that the PLA Navy plans to actively enforce Beijing's new "no trespass" rule in the South China Sea. ...
Philippines Submits UN Claim to Extended Continental Shelf
The Philippines has sought recognition from the United Nations for its claim to an extended continental shelf off the island that is closest to a hotly disputed region of the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire waterway through which ...
Philippines, Sinovac React to U.S. Vaccine Disinformation Campaign
Both the Philippines government and Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac reacted angrily to news that the United States military engaged in a prolonged disinformation campaign to discourage the use of Chinese vaccines in the Southeast Asian country at the height of the pandemic.
South Korea Looks to Central Asia to Reduce Reliance on China for Critical Minerals
President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up on Sunday a weeklong trip to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that focused on introducing Korea's new strategy toward Central Asia and strengthening cooperation in critical minerals, energy and infrastructure. Yoon and first lady Kim Keon ...
Report: China’s Overseas Basing Strategy Focused on Protecting Sea Lanes, Not Confronting U.S.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) does not have the expertise or capabilities to build military bases around the world that could be used to confront the United States in the event of a war between the two countries, according to a new report by the RAND ...
Philippine Ship, Chinese Vessel Collide in South China Sea: Beijing
A Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel collided near the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, Beijing's Coast Guard said. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast ...
China Says G7 Statement ‘Full of Arrogance, Prejudice and Lies’
China hit back on Monday after G7 leaders warned Beijing to stop sending weapons components to Russia, saying their end-of-summit statement was "full of arrogance, prejudice and lies". When Group of Seven leaders met last week in Italy, souring trade relations ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: India Signed a Ten-Year Contract to Run Chabahar Port in Iran
India signed a ten-year contract to run Chabahar port in Iran. The deal follows a 2016 refurbishment agreement and will be the first time an Indian entity runs an overseas port. Chabahar will give India access to nearby Afghanistan and the Gulf of Oman and is aimed at ...
A Tale of Two Ports: A Potential Shift in Indian Ocean Maritime Politics?
By Saniya Kulkarni India recently signed an agreement with Iran to jointly develop and operate Chabahar Port, located on the southeastern Iranian coast on the Gulf of Oman. The new arrangement, which entails India committing to investing $370 million into the infrastructure of ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China in the Sahel | ChatGPT’s take on China-Africa
China somehow managed to get the oil flowing between Niger and Benin this week amid a bitter dispute between the two West African countries that had briefly shut down the pipeline. Eric, Cobus, and Geraud ...
UPDATE: Paraguay, Pacific Island Leaders to Attend Taiwan Inauguration
Eight heads of state will be among the 51 international delegations attending the inauguration of Taiwan's new leader next week, Taipei said Friday. Incoming president Lai Ching-te will be sworn in on Monday against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic and military ...
Philippines to Buy 5 Japanese-Made Coast Guard Ships in $400 Million Deal
The Philippines has agreed to buy five coast guard patrol ships from Japan in a deal worth more than $400 million, Manila said Friday, as the Southeast Asian country faces growing Chinese pressure in the South China Sea. Japan will loan ...
Paraguay Leader to Attend Taiwan Inauguration
Paraguay's President Santiago Pena will attend the inauguration of Taiwan's new leader, a high-ranking government official said Thursday. This makes him the first head of state to confirm his presence at the ceremony. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP ...
Singapore FM Warns of ‘Bleak’ Future if Conflict Erupts in South China Sea
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan issued a sober warning in Manila Tuesday about the devastating consequences that a war in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China would have on Southeast Asia and across Asia. “The moment you have ...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Shifts Beijing’s Diplomatic Focus From Mideast Back to Asia-Pacific
After dedicating much of the first part of the week to the escalating crisis in the Middle East following Iran's missile strike against Israel, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is now shifting his attention back to the Asia-Pacific region with a three-nation, six-day tour. ...
Fearful of Further Roiling Ties With China, Biden Expected to Resist Congressional Pressure to Crack Down on Iranian Oil
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation this week that aims to limit China's purchases of Iranian oil to sanction Tehran for last weekend's missile attack against Israel. The Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act of 2023 calls for secondary sanctions against Iran ...
China Imported a Record Amount of Oil Last Year
China broke its all-time record for oil imports last year, averaging 11.3 million barrels a day — 10% more than in 2022, according to new Chinese Customs data. Almost 20% of that volume came from Russia alone, which displaced Saudi Arabia ...
China +1: Apple CEO Meets Indonesia Leader to Talk Investments
Apple chief executive Tim Cook met Indonesia's president on Wednesday, as the tech giant explores ways to invest in Southeast Asia's biggest economy and diversify supply chains away from China. The visit comes as US President Joe Biden's administration seeks to ...
Cheap Chinese Steel Threatens Jobs in Latin America
By Paulina Abramovich Latin American metal workers are clamoring for higher import tariffs as cheap Chinese steel floods the region, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs linked to the industry. Last year, the region imported ...
Solomon Islands Voters Go to Polls With China’s Influence in Focus
Solomon Islanders began voting Wednesday in an election that could reshape regional security, with citizens effectively choosing if their Pacific nation will deepen ties with China. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has pledged to further bolster relations with Beijing if he is ...
China Warns Philippines Not to “Play With Fire” In Response to Marcos’ Remarks Over Taiwan
China summoned the Philippines ambassador to Beijing to issue a forceful protest against a congratulatory post on X by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to Taiwan's newly-elected leader, Lai Ching-te. Marcos posted on X: "On behalf of the Filipino people, I ...
China Will Not Tolerate The Philippines Building on Disputed Islands in the South China Sea, Says Spokesperson
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning made it clear on Tuesday that Beijing will actively oppose any effort by the Philippines to upgrade any of its outposts on disputed islands in the South China Sea. Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner ...
“Strong Indication” Safety Violation Led to Massive Fire at Chinese-Owned Nickel Factory, Says Indonesia
Indonesian authorities suggested that safety violations and negligence may be responsible for a fire at a Chinese-owned nickel smelter last month that killed 21 workers. The massive blaze erupted at a furnace in a smelter operated by Tsingshan Stainless Steel Indonesia, ...
Nearly a Third of All Brazilian Exports Went to China Last Year
Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Brazil next week at a time when China's trade with the South American country is booming. New data reveals that Chinese demand for Brazilian oil, food, and other commodities has surged over the past two ...
Guarding West Africa’s Forests: Exploring Ways to Put an End to Illegal Chinese Timber Trade
Together, the United States and China import $40 billion worth of timber products each year, quite a bit of which is harvested illegally from West Africa's rapidly shrinking forests. But cracking down on this illicit trade is extremely difficult given that ...
Sino-Turkish Competition and Cooperation in the EV Sector
By Ahmet Faruk Işık and Leonardo Bruni Türkiye’s foray into the electric vehicle (EV) industry, especially with the establishment of national electric car manufacturer Togg, has given rise to both collaboration and contrast with China. ...
A Taliban security personnel operating an anti-aircraft gun keeps watch for Pakistani airstrikes near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Nangarhar province on February 27, 2026 following overnight cross-border fighting between the two countries. Photo by AIMAL ZAHIR / AFP
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared "open war" against Afghanistan on Friday amid a surge of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistan said it's retaliating against Afghanistan for a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing in early February that killed at least 36 people ...
China Says Hopes to Stabilize India Ties ‘at an Early Date’
China said on Tuesday it was willing to work with India to stabilize bilateral relations "at an early date" ahead of rare high-level talks this week on a decades-long border dispute. The world's two most populous nations are intense geopolitical rivals ...
Philippines Ratifies Key Defense Pact With Japan
The Philippines ratified on Monday a key defense pact with Japan, which allows them to deploy troops on each other's soil as they boost ties to bolster against China's growing pressure. Both countries are longtime allies of the United States, which has ...
China, India to Hold High-Level Talks Over Contested Border
China announced on Monday that it would hold high-level talks later this week with India on their border disputes- the first such discussions in five years, signaling a possible thaw in frosty ties. Relations had been tense since a deadly military ...