ASEAN IN FOCUS

Storm Trami lands in Vietnam posing flood risks, toll rises in Philippines

HANOI (Reuters) -Storm Trami hit central Vietnam on Sunday, threatening to trigger heavy rains and dangerous floods after leaving a path of destruction in the Philippines. The Southeast Asian country, with its extended coastline, is prone to storms and floods that often cause significant casualties and property damage. Rainfall in several parts of provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam is forecast to reach 60 cm (23.6 inches) on Sunday and Monday, according to the […]

PM Chinh says Vietnam to work with BRICS as he meets with China, Russia leaders

By Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam is ready to work with BRICS, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said as he attended the group’s summit for the first time this week and held meetings with Chinese and Russian leaders. Chinh fell short of stating Vietnam’s explicit interest in joining the club, a move that could bring the Communist-run southeast Asian nation closer to China and Russia but might impact relations with the […]

Chinese premier hopes Japan, China can meet halfway, keep relations on right track

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he hopes Japan can meet China halfway and keep bilateral relations on the right track, state media reported, as the two countries try to ease escalating tensions in the region. In talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday on the sidelines of a conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Li also said he hoped China and Japan can continuously strengthen dialogue and cooperation, […]

Philippines calls for urgency from China, ASEAN in negotiating South China Sea code

By Panu Wongcha-um VIENTIANE, Laos (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pressed Southeast Asian leaders and China at a regional summit on Thursday to urgently speed up negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, while accusing Beijing of harassment and intimidation. Speaking in Laos to leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Marcos said substantive progress was necessary and all parties must “be earnestly […]

Philippines launches naval drills with allies as regional tensions simmer

By Mikhail Flores SUBIC, Philippines (Reuters) – The armed forces of the Philippines, the United States and four other countries began joint naval exercises off the coast of the Philippines’ northern Luzon island facing Taiwan in a display of naval strength amid rising tensions with China. Called “Sama Sama,” which means togetherness, this year’s drills, which involve almost a thousand sailors and personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United States and the Philippines, are […]

South Korea, Singapore aim to become strategic partners next year

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -South Korea and Singapore have agreed to embark on a strategic partnership next year, marking the 50th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations, the city state’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday. The two nations signed an extradition treaty and will look to deepen co-operation in fields such as artificial intelligence, defence and climate change, as well as upgrade their free trade pact. “The upgrade is not just a change in […]

Philippines’ Marcos signs law to revitalise country’s defense industry

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed into law a bill on Tuesday that aims to develop the country’s defence industry to reduce its reliance on imported sources and create equipment tailored to its security challenges. “It’s a logical move forward for a country that finds itself at the fulcrum of geopolitical shifts and volatilities. At its core this act is about cultivating a robust and sustainable national defence industry,” Marcos said after […]

School bus fire in Thailand kills at least 23

By Napat Wesshasartar and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -At least 23 people died in Thailand when a school bus carrying more than 40 students and teachers on a field trip caught fire in the outskirts of the capital Bangkok, police said on Tuesday. Twenty three bodies have been identified, Trairong Phiwpan, forensic science commissioner told reporters, with an investigation on the causes underway. Sixteen students and three teachers were sent to a hospital for treatment, […]

Intrigue in Singapore as ex-minister prepares for rare corruption trial

By Xinghui Kok SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The highly anticipated corruption trial of Singapore’s former transport minister is due to start on Tuesday, in a rare graft case involving a state official in an Asian financial hub that prides itself on a clean governance. S. Iswaran faces 35 charges in a case that has gripped Singapore, a wealthy city-state where allegations of graft and political scandal are almost unheard of. Iswaran, 62, has rejected the allegations. […]

Philippines eyes future missile launchers purchase, to retain US Typhon system

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines hopes to procure mid-range capability missiles in future and wants to utilise a U.S.-deployed Typhon system for its military training, with no immediate plan for it to be returned, a top security official said on Friday. Confirming an earlier report by Reuters, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said there was no set timeline for the withdrawal of the United States’ mid-range missile system from the country, which China has […]

Biden, ‘Quad’ leaders to talk maritime security as China tensions grow

By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Tensions brewing in Asia’s trade-rich waters top the agenda as U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes leaders from Australia, India and Japan to his Delaware hometown for a diplomatic push to counter China in the waning months of his presidency. Biden headed to Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday ahead of the Quad Leaders Summit, where the leaders are expected to speak about conflict between Beijing and its neighbors in the South China […]

Exclusive-US keeps missile system in Philippines as China tensions rise, tests wartime deployment

By Karen Lema and Poppy McPherson MANILA (Reuters) – The United States has no immediate plans to withdraw a mid-range missile system deployed in the Philippines, despite Chinese demands, and is testing the feasibility of its use in a regional conflict, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Typhon system, which can be equipped with cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets, was brought in for joint exercises earlier this year, both countries said […]