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China Backs ASEAN-Mediated Cambodia and Thailand Ceasefire

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on Monday following a special meeting hosted by Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The meeting was attended by leaders from both countries, as well as ...

U.S. Promises Philippine President to Ramp up Deterrence on China

Top U.S. officials promised President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines on Monday that Washington will defend its longtime ally and ramp up military resources aimed at deterring an assertive China. Marcos will meet Tuesday with President Donald Trump, who has rattled ...

Berlin Says China Targeted German Plane With Laser Over Red Sea

Berlin on Tuesday said the Chinese military had targeted a laser at a German aircraft participating in an EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea. "Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable," the foreign ministry ...

Chinese Aircraft Carrier Shandong Arrives in Hong Kong

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong on Thursday, just days after the city marked 28 years under Chinese rule. Commissioned in 2019, the more than 300-metre (1,000-foot) Shandong is China's second carrier and key to the country's ...

China Courts Indonesia With Historic 2+2 Meeting, but Jakarta Holds the Line on Sovereignty

China’s first-ever 2+2 ministerial dialogue with any foreign country took place yesterday — and it wasn’t with Russia or Pakistan. It was with Indonesia. The meeting, held in Beijing, brought together Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Defense Minister ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Plugging into African Agency

After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...

U.S., Philippines to Launch Balikatan 2025, Their Largest War Drills Near South China Sea

The United States and the Philippines will launch their largest-ever joint military exercises next week near the South China Sea and Taiwan, deploying live-fire drills, anti-ship missile systems, and more than 14,000 troops. This move comes amid repeated ...

Xi Jinping and China’s Defense Chief Set to Visit Vietnam to Seek Strategic Gains Amid U.S. Tariffs Fallout

Xi Jinping and China’s Defense Minister are ramping up diplomatic and military engagements in Vietnam as the fallout from Trump’s tariffs continues to ripple across Southeast Asia. Their aim? to strengthen ties with one of the region’s most influential neighbors, seeking ...

Cambodia Opens China-Backed Ream Naval Base to All, Amid Western Scrutiny

Cambodia officially reopened its China-backed Ream Naval Base on Saturday, positioning itself at the heart of Southeast Asia's escalating maritime power contest. While upgraded with Chinese military support, Phnom Penh insists the base is open to warships from ...

Philippines Assures China on U.S. F-16 Fighter Jet Deal Amid South China Sea Tensions

The Philippines is assuring China that its planned purchase of 20 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, part of a $5.58 billion arms package, is not directed at any nation, even as Beijing warns that such military deals should not harm third-party interests. ...

China Conducts Live-Fire Drills at the Gulf of Tonkin After Vietnam Declares New Maritime Baseline

China’s live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin come just days after Vietnam reinforced its territorial claims with a new baseline declaration, adding fresh friction to an already tense regional maritime landscape. The drills, which Beijing says will run through ...

Singapore’s Defense Chief: To Asia, the U.S. Has Shifted from Liberator to ‘Landlord Seeking Rent‘

Singapore’s defense chief, Ng Eng Hen, highlighted Asia’s shifting view of the U.S. during a roundtable at the Munich Security Conference. Eng Hen said that once seen as a force of “moral legitimacy” following World War II, Asia now views the ...

South China Sea Tensions Escalate: U.S.-Philippines Expand Naval Drills, China Warns of Destabilization

A surge in joint naval exercises in waters near the Philippines has drawn sharp complaints from Beijing, which accuses Manila of destabilizing the region by working with external powers. On Wednesday, forces from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United ...
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