Asia

South Africa asks Taiwan to move its de facto embassy from Pretoria

By Nellie Peyton JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s government said on Friday that it had asked Taiwan to relocate its de facto embassy out of the capital Pretoria, while Taiwan accused it of bowing to pressure from China. South Africa rejected this characterization and said the move was standard diplomatic practice, given that it severed political and diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997. The Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria will be rebranded as a Trade […]

Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to “go into Taiwan,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “I would say: If you go into Taiwan, I’m sorry to do this, I’m going to tax you, at 150% to 200%,” the former U.S. president was quoted as saying in an interview with the WSJ published on Friday evening. Trump, asked if he would […]

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls South Korea a foreign, hostile country

By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has described South Korea is a foreign and hostile nation, state media KCNA reported on Friday with photos showing Kim and high-ranking military personnel at a command post poring over a map labelled “Seoul”. The report comes a day after KCNA said North Korea amended its constitution to designate South Korea a “hostile state” and dropped unification of the two countries as a goal. […]

Bangladesh crimes tribunal issues arrest warrant for exiled former prime minister

DHAKA (Reuters) -Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, citing her alleged involvement in mass killings during violent protests that erupted earlier this year. The protests, which began as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas, escalated into some of the deadliest unrest since the country’s independence in 1971, resulting in over 700 deaths and numerous injuries. The violence ultimately forced Hasina […]

China starts new round of war games near Taiwan, offers no end date

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) -China’s military started a new round of war games near Taiwan on Monday, saying it was a warning to the “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces”, and offered no date for when they may conclude, drawing condemnation from Taipei’s government. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, had been on alert for more war games since last week’s national day speech by President Lai […]

China threatens Taiwan with more trade measures after denouncing president’s speech

BEIJING (Reuters) -China is studying further trade measures against Taiwan, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday, two days after Beijing denounced a speech by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. The Chinese ministry said in a statement on its website that the Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s ruling party, had not taken any practical measures to lift “trade restrictions” on China. “At present, relevant (Chinese government) departments are studying further measures based on the conclusions of 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 […]

Ratan Tata, who put India’s Tata Group on the global map, dies at 86

By Abhirup Roy (Reuters) – Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group chairman who put a staid and sprawling Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, has died, the Tata Group said in a statement late on Wednesday. He was 86. Tata, who ran the conglomerate for more than 20 years as chairman, had been undergoing intensive care in a Mumbai hospital, two sources with direct knowledge of his medical situation […]

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 […]