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January
In Diplomatic Coup, Taiwan President Speaks to Czech President-Elect
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen held a telephone call with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel on Monday, a highly unusual move given the lack of formal ties between their countries and a diplomatic coup for Taipei that is sure to infuriate China.
The two leaders stressed their countries' shared values of freedom, democracy and human rights during their 15-minute call, their offices said, and Pavel said he hoped to meet Tsai in the future.
Most countries avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy.
Beijing views Taiwan as being part of "one China" and demands other countries recognise its sovereignty claims, which Taiwan's democratically-elected government rejects.
In 2016, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Tsai shortly after winning the election, setting off a storm of protest from Beijing.
Tsai said she hoped that under Pavel's leadership the Czech Republic would continue to cooperate with Taiwan to promote a close partnership, and that she hoped to stay in touch with him.
"Bilateral interaction between Taiwan and the Czech Republic is close and good," her office summarised Tsai as having said.
Pavel, a former army chief and high NATO official who won the Czech presidential election on Saturday, said on Twitter that the two countries "share the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights".
'ONE-CHINA' PRINCIPLE
Earlier, China's foreign ministry had said it was "seeking verification with the Czech side" on media reports that the call was to take place.
"The Chinese side is opposed to countries with which it has diplomatic ties engaging in any form of official exchange with the Taiwan authorities. Czech President-elect Pavel during the election period openly said that the 'one-China' principle should be respected," the ministry said.
Pavel will take office in early March, replacing President Milos Zeman, who is known for his pro-Beijing stance.
Zeman spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping this month and they reaffirmed their "personal friendly" relationship, according to a readout of their call from Zeman's office.
The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the two sides have moved closer as Beijing ratchets up military threats against the island and Taipei seeks new friends in Eastern and Central Europe.
The centre-right Czech government has said it wants to deepen cooperation with democratic countries in the India-Pacific region, including Taiwan, and has also been seeking a "revision" of ties with China.
In 2020, the head of the Czech Senate visited Taiwan and declared himself to be Taiwanese in a speech at Taiwan's parliament, channelling the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy's defiance of communism in Berlin in 1963. (Reuters)
January
NATO, Japan Pledge to Strengthen Ties in Face of 'Historic' Security Threat
Written by Nur Yasmin
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Tuesday to strengthen ties, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its growing military cooperation with China had created the most tense security environment since World War Two.
The comments came in a statement issued during Stoltenberg's trip to Japan following a visit to South Korea on which he urged Seoul to increase military support to Ukraine and gave similar warnings about rising tension with China.
"The world is at a historical inflection point in the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II," the two leaders said in the statement.
It also raised concerns about Russia's nuclear threats, joint military drills between Russia and China near Japan, and North Korea's development of nuclear weapons.
Stoltenberg told reporters a Russian victory in Ukraine would embolden China at a time when it is building up its military, "bullying its neighbours and threatening Taiwan".
He added, "This war is not just a European crisis, but the challenge to the world order.
"Beijing is watching closely, and learning lessons that may influence its future decisions. What is happening in Europe today could happen in East Asia tomorrow."
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Stoltenberg's latest remarks.
Responding to similar comments Stoltenberg made during his Seoul visit, China on Monday said it was a partner to countries, not a challenge, and that it did not threaten any nation's interests or security.
While the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation groups 30 countries in Europe and North America, Stoltenberg has said its members are affected by global threats.
Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol became the first leaders from their countries to attend a NATO summit last year, joining as observers.
China has previously criticised NATO's efforts to expand its alliances in Asia. Russia, which calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special operation", has repeatedly cast NATO's expansion as a threat to its security.
In December, Japan unveiled sweeping plans to beef up its defence capabilities, changes once unthinkable for a pacifist country that will make it the third-biggest military spender after the United States and China.
Bolstering its cooperation with NATO in areas from maritime security and arms control to cyberspace and disinformation will further help to respond to the changing strategic environment, the statement added.
The meeting comes as Japan prepares to host the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit in May, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine is expected to be a major topic of discussion.
Kishida is considering visiting Kyiv in February to reinforce his support for Ukraine in the conflict, domestic media have said. (Reuters)
January
Families Search for Loved Ones After Pakistan Mosque Blast Kills 100
Written by Nur Yasmin
Distraught relatives thronged hospitals in Pakistan's Peshawar on Tuesday to look for their kin a day after a suicide bombing ripped through a crowded mosque in a heavily fortified area of the city, killing 100 people, mostly policemen.
The attack, in the Police Lines district, was the deadliest in a decade to hit this restive, northwestern city near the Afghan border and comes amid a surge in violence against the police. No group has claimed responsibility.
"My son, my child," cried an elderly woman walking alongside an ambulance carrying coffins, as rescue workers stretchered wounded people to a hospital emergency unit.
At least 170 people were wounded in the blast, which demolished the upper storey of the mosque as hundreds of worshippers performed noon prayers.
Riaz Mahsud, a senior local government official, said the casualty toll was likely to rise as workers searched through the debris just over 24 hours later.
"So far, 100 bodies have been brought to Lady Reading Hospital," spokesman for the largest medical facility in the city, Mohammad Asim, said in a statement.
Authorities say they do not know how the bomber managed to breach the military and police checkpoints leading into the Police Lines district, a colonial-era, self-contained encampment in the city centre that is home to middle- and lower-ranking police personnel and their families.
Given the security concerns in Peshawar, the mosque was recently built to allow police to pray without leaving the area. Defence minister Khawaja Asif said the bomber was in the first row in the prayer hall when he struck.
The attack is the deadliest in Peshawar since twin suicide bombings at All Saints Church killed scores of worshippers in September 2013, in what is the deadliest attack on Pakistan's Christian minority.
Peshawar sits on the edge of the Pashtun tribal lands, a region mired in violence for the past two decades. The most active militant group in the area is the Pakistani Taliban, also called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group for Sunni and sectarian Islamist factions opposed to the government in Islamabad.
The TTP denied responsibility for Monday's bombing, though it has stepped up attacks since withdrawing from a peace deal with the government last year.
The bombing took place a day before an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission arrives in Islamabad for talks on a stalled $7 billion bailout. (Reuters)
January
China's Sichuan Frees Unmarried people to legally have children
Written by Nur Yasmin
Health authorities in China's southwestern province of Sichuan will allow unmarried individuals to raise a family and enjoy benefits reserved for married couples, in the latest effort to bolster a falling birth rate.
The government dictates that only married women are legally allowed to give birth, but with marriage and birth rates having fallen to record lows in recent years, provincial authorities revamped a 2019 rule to cover singles who want to have children.
From Feb. 15, married couples and any individuals who want offspring will be allowed to register with the government in China's fifth most populous province, with no ceiling on the number of children they can register for.
The measure aims to "promote long-term and balanced population development," Sichuan's health commission said in a statement on its website.
Until now, the commission had allowed only married couples who wanted to have up to two children to register with local authorities.
China's population shrank last year for the first time in six decades, a historic turn expected to usher in a period of decline. That prospect is pushing authorities to roll out incentives and measures to boost the population.
A nationwide registry system for couples to register with local authorities ensures maternity insurance to cover medical bills, while letting married women keep their salary during maternity leave.
These benefits will now be extended to single women and men in Sichuan, which ranks seventh in the nation in terms of those older than 60, or more than 21% of its population, government figures show.
Much of China's demographic downturn stems from its one-child policy imposed between 1980 and 2015. (Reuters)
January
Russian Business Offers Cash Bounties to Destroy Western Tanks in Ukraine
Written by Nur Yasmin
A Russian company said it will offer five million roubles ($72,000) in cash to the first soldiers who destroy or capture western-made tanks in Ukraine, after the Kremlin vowed Russian forces would wipe out any Western tanks shipped to Ukraine.
The United States, Germany and several other European countries are lining up to send Kyiv dozens of advanced combat tanks over the next few months to help boost Ukraine's military capacity as the war approaches the 12-month mark.
The decision has been criticised by the Kremlin as a dangerous escalation, and spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the tanks would "burn" on the frontlines.
Now a Russian company - Fores, a Urals-based firm which makes proppants for the energy industry - is offering cash payments to Russian servicemen who "capture or destroy" German-made Leopard 2 or U.S.-made Abrams tanks.
The company said it will pay five million roubles to the first Russian soldier to destroy one of the tanks, and 500,000 roubles ($7,200) for all subsequent attacks.
Echoing language used by Russian officials and pro-war state TV hosts, Fores said NATO was pumping Ukraine with an "unlimited" amount of arms and escalating the conflict. It also said it would pay a 15-million rouble ($215,000) bounty on Western-made fighter jets, should they ever be delivered to Ukraine.
The tanks have not yet been dispatched to Kyiv, and it could take several months before the bulk of the promised deliveries are sent.
Since the start of the conflict, Russia's defence ministry has claimed to have destroyed hundreds of pieces of Western weaponry.
Kyiv has previously dismissed those statements, highlighting for instance that Russia has claimed to have destroyed more U.S.-made HIMARS rocket launcher pads than were ever delivered to the country.
Previous deliveries of advanced Western arms, particularly HIMARS, have been credited with turning the tide of the 11-month war, helping Kyiv to secure a series of surprise victories and pushing back Russian forces from territory captured at the start of the invasion. (Reuters)
January
U.S. Issues Another Warning of Possible Terrorist Attacks in Turkey
Written by Nur Yasmin
The U.S. embassy in Turkey warned Americans on Monday of possible attacks against churches, synagogues, and diplomatic missions in Istanbul, marking its second such notice in four days, following Koran-burning incidents in Europe.
In an updated security alert, the U.S. embassy said "possible imminent retaliatory attacks by terrorists" could take place in areas frequented by Westerners, especially the city's Beyoglu, Galata, Taksim, and Istiklal neighbourhoods.
Turkish authorities are investigating the matter, it added.
On Friday, several embassies in Ankara including those of the United States, Germany, France and Italy issued security alerts over possible retaliatory attacks against places of worship, following separate incidents in which the Muslim holy book, the Koran, was burned in Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark.
On Saturday, Turkey warned its citizens against "possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks" in the United States and Europe. (Reuters)
January
Australia Prepares for Thousands of Chinese Students to Return as Relations Improve
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia is preparing for the arrival of thousands of Chinese students, the education minister said on Monday, days after China's education ministry warned students enrolled overseas that online learning would no longer be recognised.
Australia's education sector, which generated A$39 billion ($27.66 billion) in export earnings before the pandemic, has strong ties to China, with roughly 150,000 nationals enrolled in Australian universities. Tens of thousands remain offshore after pandemic restrictions and strained diplomatic relations led many to return home.
But with three weeks to go before Australian universities start, the Chinese Ministry of Education's Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) said on Saturday it would no longer recognise overseas degrees obtained via online learning and urged students to return to overseas campuses as soon as possible.
"At present, the borders of major destinations for international study have reopened, and foreign (overseas) colleges and universities have fully resumed offline teaching," it said in a statement.
China dropped nearly all of its COVID curbs in December, leading to a surge in COVID cases and deaths as Beijing shifted focus to salvage a faltering economy.
The normalising of educational ties comes weeks after Chinese officials relaxed import bans on Australian coal as both countries work to improve diplomatic relations after more than two years of Chinese trade sanctions that have frozen trade in barley, coal and wine and other goods and services.
Minister for Education Jason Clare on Monday welcomed the move and said he would work with his counterpart in the home (interior) ministry to help universities resolve any short term logistical issues.
Phil Honeywood, chief executive officer at International Education Association of Australia, an advocacy body for international education in Australia, said there were currently about 40,000 Chinese students still offshore.
"We anticipate a lot of Chinese students will be scrambling as we speak to get on flights to Australia. However, we imagine there will be a number of deferral applications where students just won't be able to get back in time," said Honeywood.
The University of Sydney expects the "vast majority" of students to be on campus when classes start in late February. It plans to phase out on-campus remote learning later this year.
The move by China's Ministry of Education has been met with anger from Chinese students.
"There are only 15 days left before the school starts - I have no visa, no flight, nowhere to live. With such a short notice, do you want us all sleeping on the streets?" said one comment on social media platform Weibo. (Reuters)
January
Japan Will Continue to Monitor COVID Situation in China, Govt Says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in China and deal "flexibly" with border control measures, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday.
The comment came a day after the Chinese embassy in Japan said it had resumed the issuance of ordinary visas for Japanese citizens travelling to the country.
China had stopped issuing visas for Japanese nationals earlier this month after Japan toughened COVID-19 border control rules for travellers coming directly from China. (Reuters)
January
South Korea Drops Indoor Anti-COVID Mask Mandate, Infection Fears Linger
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea on Monday scrapped a face mask mandate for most indoor public places in a major step to loosen COVID-19 rules, but many residents opted to keep wearing coverings due to lingering concerns over infections.
The lifting of the face-covering rules in the majority of indoor locations is South Korea's latest step in easing COVID rules as new cases show signs of a slowdown. People are still required to wear the masks in public transport settings and in medical facilities.
Most restaurant owners and visitors in Seoul's bustling Gwanghwamun district, where government and corporate buildings are located, welcomed the new policy. But many citizens also said they will still wear masks with the pandemic not fully over.
"I'd thought it was kind of meaningless we had to put the masks on just to enter and leave a restaurant, so it's nice that has changed now," said Yoon Seok-jun, a 30-year-old office worker at Gwanghwamun.
Kim Jae-jin, 28, also said he was glad he could now work out at a gym without wearing a face mask. Still, he said he will continue putting on the coverings in most public facilities.
"It would be much more comfortable to run on treadmill but I am still concerned about a new respiratory disease after COVID," said Kim, an office worker.
South Korean health authorities have warned the easing of mask rules could result in a temporary surge in new cases, urging people to stay vigilant when in high-risk areas, especially for those more vulnerable to infections.
"COVID-19 isn't over yet and it looks like masks do protect me from getting cold and other diseases, so I think I'll wear them for the time being," Jeong Hye-won, a 28-year-old Seoul office worker said.
The easing of rules come about three years after South Korea reported its first outbreak of COVID infection on Jan. 20, 2020.
The country has since scrapped most of its pandemic-related precautions, but it maintains a seven-day isolation rule for those testing positive for COVID. (reuters)
January
Kiribati to Return to Pacific Islands Regional Group, Ending Rift
Written by Nur Yasmin
The remote atoll nation of Kiribati said on Monday it would rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum, ending a split that had threatened unity at a time of increased superpower tensions in the strategically-located region.
The decision followed the "fruitful, positive, and successful bilateral meeting" with Fiji's new Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, who travelled to Kiribati on Jan. 20, said a statement posted to the Facebook account of President Taneti Maamau.
The statement said the Kiribati government had formally stated its "positive endorsement to rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum this year 2023".
Kiribati, which is 3,000 kms (1,860 miles) southwest of the U.S. state of Hawaii, switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019.
In July, Kiribati abruptly withdrew from the first in-person meeting of Pacific Island Forum leaders to be held since the pandemic closed borders, and where United States vice president Kamala Harris pledged to triple aid to the region and sought closer maritime surveillance cooperation.
Fiji, the forum's chair, has been pivotal to the region's response to competition between China and the United States, and Rabuka made his first international visit to Kiribati.
Rabuka's coalition government narrowly won a general election in December, the first transition of power in Fiji in 16 years, but has since been warned by Fiji's military against making "sweeping changes".
Fiji's President Wiliame Katonivere on Monday evening announced that Fiji's Chief Justice Kamal Kumar had been suspended on Rabuka's advice.
The suspension followed complaints of alleged misbehaviour, and was in accordance with the constitution, the statement said.
Fiji's police commissioner and its supervisor of elections were suspended on Friday.
Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Major General Jone Kalouniwai earlier this month warned Rabuka's government to abide by a 2013 constitution which gives the military a key role. (Reuters)