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International News (6893)
October
Pacific Islands defence ministers meet in Tonga to boost 'interoperability'
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Pacific defence ministers will meet in Tonga on Tuesday, with Australia seeking a closer military relationship with the three island nations that have defence forces to counter China's security push in the region.
Australia's defence minister Richard Marles was due to arrive in Tonga on Monday ahead of the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting this week, held annually to discuss regional security challenges.
Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga - the only Pacific Island nations with militaries - are members, as are New Zealand, France, Australia and Chile.
Last week Marles said Australia was negotiating a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea that would see the two nation's navies and armies work alongside each other more often, and Canberra also wanted to "evolve our relationships" with other Pacific islands.
In a statement on Monday, Marles said the region was facing more threats to shared security.
"The Pacific family is stronger when we respond together, by enhancing coordination, sharing information and improving interoperability between our countries and our defence forces," he said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing: "We hope that the military cooperation of the countries concerned will contribute to the stability of regional peace and will not be directed against third parties."
The United States and allies including Australia have been alarmed at China's growing influence in the strategically important region after Beijing struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April and sought a wider trade and security pact with 10 nations in May.
Although the Solomon Islands does not have a military, a leaked draft of the agreement showed it would allow Chinese naval vessels to replenish there.
China has been a significant donor of equipment to Fiji and Papua New Guinea's militaries, while Tonga, with heavy debts to Chinese banks, has received some Chinese military funding.
Marles will also travel to Fiji for defence talks and visit the Blackrock military camp, funded by Australia as a regional disaster relief centre, his statement said.
In January, Tonga was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that saw Australia and New Zealand coordinate a humanitarian response from defence forces that included those of Japan, France and Britain. China also deployed navy vessels to provide humanitarian assistance.
Papua New Guinea said this month it would sign an agreement with the United States to put its military officers on U.S. coast guard and navy ships to patrol for illegal fishing, local media reported. (Reuters)
October
South Korea to scrap taxes for foreigners' income from bonds
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's finance minister said the government will scrap taxes on foreigners' income from investments in treasury bonds and monetary stabilization bonds from Monday.
Speaking to reporters late on Saturday in the United States after a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers, Choo Kyung-ho said the government decided to bring forward the timing of the planned tax removal from 2023 to next week to boost capital inflows into the local bond market.
FTSE Russell, a global index provider, said on Sept. 30 it had added South Korea to a list for possible inclusion in its World Government Bond Index (WGBI).
"We were included in the WGBI watchlist at the end of September but were thinking there is a need to make a quick move to attract more foreign investment into our treasury bond market," Choo said. (Reuters)
October
Taiwan says it will not back down on its sovereignty
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan will not back down on its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy, and its people clearly oppose Beijing's idea of "one country, two systems" management for Taiwan, the self-ruled island's presidential office said on Sunday.
The statement came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the opening of a the Communist Party Congress in Beijing that it is up to the Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan issue and China will never renounce the use of force over Taiwan.
Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region is the common responsibility of both sides and meeting on the battlefield is not an option, Taiwan's presidential office said in the statement. (Reuters)
October
South Korea kicks off military drills amid talk of North Korean nuclear test
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's troops kicked off their annual Hoguk defence drills on Monday, designed to boost their ability to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats amid simmering tension over both sides' military activities.
The drills, due to end on Saturday, are the latest in a series of military exercises by South Korea in recent weeks, including joint activities with the United States and Japan.
The latest field training came as North Korea has been carrying out weapons tests at an unprecedented pace this year, firing a short-range ballistic missile and hundreds of artillery rounds near the heavily armed inter-Korean border on Friday.
Pyongyang has angrily reacted to the South Korean and joint military activities, calling them provocations and threatening countermeasures. Seoul says its exercises are regular and defence-oriented.
Joined by some U.S. forces, the South Korean troops will focus on maintaining readiness and improving the troops' ability to execute joint operations during the Hoguk drills, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
"The forces will conduct real-world day and night manoeuvres simulated to counter North Korea's nuclear, missile and other various threats, so that they can master wartime and peacetime mission performance capabilities and enhance interoperability with some U.S. forces," it said in a statement.
Last week, tensions flared after the North fired a missile, shot more than 500 artillery shells and flew a multitude of warplanes near the skirmish-prone sea border.
Seoul condemned Pyongyang and imposed its first unilateral sanctions in nearly five years, describing the moves as a violation of a 2018 bilateral military pact banning "hostile acts" in the border area.
But the North accused the South's military of escalating tension with its own artillery firing.
South Korean lawmakers have said the North has completed preparations for what would be its first nuclear test since 2017, and might conduct it between China's key ruling Communist Party congress, which began on Sunday, and the Nov. 7 U.S. midterm elections. But some analysts do not expect any tests before the Chinese congress ends. (Reuters)
October
In letter to North Korea's Kim, China's Xi calls for communication, unity and cooperation
Written by Nur Yasmin
In a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a historic congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, Chinese President Xi Jinping said it was more important than ever that Beijing and Pyongyang enhance communication, unity and cooperation, North Korea's state media reported on Sunday.
The letter was in response to congratulations Kim sent for the congress, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday. Xi is poised to win a third five-year term as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party, the most powerful job in the country, at the congress.
Xi expressed willingness to strengthen the relationship between China and North Korea, and "make a great contribution to providing two countries and their people with greater happiness and defending peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world," North Korea state news agency KCNA said.
The reported expression of support comes as North Korea has tested a record number of ballistic missiles and has made preparations to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017.
North Korea says its latest military activities, which have also included artillery drills and flights by warplanes, are in response to displays of force by South Korea and the United States, which have staged their own military drills to protest the North's tests.
When asked on Friday about the latest North Korean moves and South Korea's reactions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called on all parties to prevent the situation from escalating and work towards creating the conditions for resuming dialogue. (reuters)
October
Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador over Biden's nuclear remarks
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan's foreign minister said on Saturday he had summoned the U.S. ambassador after President Joe Biden questioned the safety of Pakistan's nuclear programme.
In a speech on Thursday, Biden said Pakistan is "maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world" as it has "nuclear weapons without any cohesion".
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was surprised by the comments. "As far as the question of the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear assets are concerned, we meet all – each and every – international standard in accordance with the IAEA," he said at a press conference on Saturday.
A transcript of Biden's speech was published by the White House on its website.
Bhutto-Zardari said he didn't think the decision to summon the U.S. ambassador would negatively affect relations with the United States, and said officials could address any specific concerns Washington had on the nuclear programme.
"The United States regularly meets with Pakistani officials." A U.S. State Department spokesperson in Washington told Reuters in a statement, adding: "As standard practice, we do not comment on the specifics of private diplomatic conversations."
Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have just started to warm after some years of frosty relations, mostly due to concerns about Pakistan's alleged support of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies this support.
The foreign minister said worries about Pakistan's nuclear programme were not raised on his recent trip to Washington, where he held extensive meetings, including at the State Department. (reuters)
October
China's Xi says full control over Hong Kong achieved, determined on Taiwan
Written by Nur Yasmin
China has achieved comprehensive control over Hong Kong, turning it from chaos to governance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party congress in Beijing.
China has also waged a major struggle against Taiwan separatism and is determined and able to oppose territorial integrity, Xi said. (reuters)
October
Taiwan says it will not back down on its sovereignty
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan will not back down on its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy, and its people clearly oppose Beijing's idea of "one country, two systems" management for Taiwan, the self-ruled island's presidential office said on Sunday.
The statement came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the opening of a the Communist Party Congress in Beijing that it is up to the Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan issue and China will never renounce the use of force over Taiwan.
Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region is the common responsibility of both sides and meeting on the battlefield is not an option, Taiwan's presidential office said in the statement. (reuters)
October
South Korea to scrap taxes for foreigners' income from bonds
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's finance minister said the government will scrap taxes on foreigners' income from investments in treasury bonds and monetary stabilization bonds from Monday.
Speaking to reporters late on Saturday in the United States after a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers, Choo Kyung-ho said the government decided to bring forward the timing of the planned tax removal from 2023 to next week to boost capital inflows into the local bond market.
FTSE Russell, a global index provider, said on Sept. 30 it had added South Korea to a list for possible inclusion in its World Government Bond Index (WGBI).
"We were included in the WGBI watchlist at the end of September but were thinking there is a need to make a quick move to attract more foreign investment into our treasury bond market," Choo said. (reuters)
October
Egypt's Suez Canal to offer ships fuelling and catering services -state media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone will offer new services to ships including fuelling and catering from the first quarter of 2023, state media quoted a Suez Canal official as saying on Friday.
The new services will be offered at Port Said and Suez in the northern and southern regions of the canal respectively, the official was quoted as saying, while as many as 20 to 25 services will be available for ships transiting Sokhna Port, including medical evacuation and marine supplies. (Reuters)