ASEAN leaders call for restraint at sea and in U.S.-China trade war
Southeast Asian leaders pressed their call for self-restraint in the disputed south China Sea Sunday after a new incident and renewed their alarm over the U.S.-China trade war, with one warning it may spiral out of control. The long-raging territorial conflicts and the protracted dispute ...
Once dubbed "garbage island" for its overflowing landfills and filthy streets, Taiwan now has Asia's highest rate of recycling and is a role model for the region, analysts said on Thursday. With untreated waste causing marine pollution and clogged drains triggering fatal floods from Bangkok ...
How Japan's clout is rising in age of U.S.-China tensions
As the West's concerns about China's dominance on the global stage continue to grow, Japan is increasingly regarded as a balancing force in the region. Perhaps reflecting this geopolitical shift, London-based think tank The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), known for hosting the annual ...
With future economic payout in mind, ASEAN appears unwilling to get tough on North Korea
In the year that has passed since the historic first U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit in Singapore, ASEAN countries have become unwilling to get tough on the hermit state, with some eyeing economic benefits from Pyongyang in the future. The 10 members of the Association of ...
Outcry as ASEAN predicts 'smooth' Rohingya return to Myanmar
An ASEAN report predicting half a million Rohingya refugees will return to Myanmar in two years has left observers incredulous for glossing over army atrocities, ignoring an ongoing civil war in Rakhine state and failing to mention the persecuted Muslim minority by name. The leaked ...
RCEP trade pact likely to be concluded in November: ASEAN chief Lim Jock Hoi
An Asiawide free trade deal involving 16 countries will likely be concluded in November at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Thailand, ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi has said. "I am quite hopeful the RCEP will conclude as ...
Japan is being leapfrogged by innovations from all quarters across Asia.
Southeast Asia wary of China's Belt and Road project, skeptical of U.S. commitment: survey
Southeast Asian countries should be cautious in negotiating with China on its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to avoid being trapped in unsustainable debt, 70 percent of respondents said in a policy survey released on Monday. Southeast Asia is increasingly skeptical of U.S. commitment ...
Trump's summit no-show at ASEAN draws Asian nations closer together
U.S. President Donald Trump didn't make it to this week's summit of Asian nations in Singapore, but his influence was still keenly felt among the leaders who gathered in the city. One prime minister warned that the trade war between Washington and Beijing could trigger ...
Tokyo joins ASEAN action plan to take on plastic waste in world's oceans
Japan on Thursday offered to cooperate with other Asian countries to address ocean pollution by reducing plastic debris. The country, together with China and South Korea, will assist the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in enhancing their monitoring of plastic waste and assessing the impact ...
16 Asia-Pacific nations eye 2019 conclusion of RCEP trade deal after delay
Leaders from 16 Asia-Pacific nations, including Japan, China and India, have said they will now seek a free trade agreement next year, missing a year-end deadline amid disagreements over tariffs and other politically sensitive issues. The delay underscores the difficulty posed by the diversity of ...
Pence tells Suu Kyi violence against Rohingya 'is without excuse'
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence criticized Myanmar's military over the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in a meeting with national leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday and said those responsible should be held accountable. "The violence and persecution by military and vigilantes that resulted in ...
