Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6893)
May
ASEAN-US summit shows US 'values partnership' with Southeast Asia: PM Lee
Written by nuke
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking to journalists in Washington on May 13, 2022. (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information) -
The ASEAN-US Special Summit shows that US values its partnership with Southeast Asia amid a “very significant moment” in world affairs, said Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (May 13).
"We have the war in Ukraine, Russia has invaded, we’re post-COVID, coming out from COVID. We also have issues in the region. US-China relations are complicated and difficult.
"And in the midst of all this, for the US to focus on ASEAN and to bring the ASEAN leaders here and cultivate that relationship and develop it further, I think it shows that the US values its partnership with ASEAN, Southeast Asia, and that they would like to do more with us ... That's good for the region and good for us.
"Singapore's view has been for a long time that the US plays a constructive impact, indispensable role in our region. Nobody else can replace them in that role and the regional balance is shifting, but all the more we appreciate the US continuing to remain engaged."
Mr Lee was speaking to Singapore journalists at the end of his visit to Washington DC to attend the ASEAN-US Special Summit.
In a joint statement released after the summit, ASEAN member states and the US committed to establishing an ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November.
The countries also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region.
At a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday, Mr Lee said Singapore welcomes the upgrade of the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
"We look forward to a meaningful, substantive and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, one that allows us to explore further cooperation in important areas such as public health goods and infrastructure, and renewable energy infrastructure," he said.
The joint statement also addressed the situation in Myanmar, over which ASEAN member states and the US said they remain "deeply concerned".
Urging Myanmar to implement the Five-Point Consensus in a "timely and complete" manner, the leaders committed to support ASEAN's efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution.
"We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the region and continue to call for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and for the release of all political detainees, including foreigners," the statement read.
In the meetings, Singapore discussed bilateral cooperation with the US, and the US "put some new ideas on the table", said Mr Lee, noting Mr Biden's announcement to commit US$150 million to the region.
"And of course, talking about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which is not strictly US-ASEAN, but US with many countries in the region and quite a number of ASEAN countries, are interested in this," he said.
Some ASEAN countries are likely to pick up interest and will participate in the launch of the economic framework, he added.
While Singapore had hoped that the US would join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Mr Lee noted that former US president Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the partnership when he came into office.
"But we know and we hope, and the US also knows, that US participation in the Asia Pacific cannot be only limited to security and defence. It must also consist of economic cooperation, and also include other areas such as on environmental issues," said Mr Lee, speaking in Mandarin in response to a question from a Lianhe Zaobao journalist.
"The ideal situation is for the US to rejoin the TPP, but US' domestic politics does not allow them to do so. So the US has come up with an alternative construct, which is the IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework)."
While there is "not much substance yet" in the framework in terms of investment and trade, "it has its own value" from "another angle", said the Prime Minister.
"It is after all a new start. Although the US is not ready to participate in trade or investment cooperation, hopefully with the IPEF, we will be able to work from there and eventually restore economic cooperation fully."
Mr Biden also announced on Friday that he would nominate his chief of staff and executive secretary at the National Security Council Yohannes Abraham to serve as ambassador to ASEAN.
ASEAN has not had a US ambassador since January 2017.
On Friday, Mr Lee also met Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry for a bilateral meeting, and attended a working lunch hosted by Ms Harris focused on maritime cooperation and pandemic recovery.
Mr Lee responded to questions from journalists about the ASEAN leaders' engagement with Mr Biden on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
While ASEAN has taken a stand and issued a statement "as a whole", the statement is "not as strong as it could be" because different countries have different views, he said.
For example, when the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, Vietnam and Laos abstained, while the other countries voted for it, Mr Lee noted. Singapore also abstained from the vote.
"If you look at the national statements and the national actions, I think Singapore's is the most forthright statement, which we issued and we also had some targeted sanctions on Russia," he said, adding that Cambodia also took a strong stance on the issue.
"I think Prime Minister Hun Sen was quite unambiguous and emphatic in his explanation of his position that there must be absolute rules against violating territorial integrity and sovereignty and independence of other countries. Otherwise, where do small countries stand?" said Mr Lee.
The Prime Minister also told journalists he may make changes to the Cabinet in early June.
Mr Lee was responding to a question on whether there were any updates on Cabinet movements and succession plans, about a month after Finance Minister Lawrence Wong was chosen as the leader of the People's Action Party's (PAP) fourth-generation, or 4G, leadership team.
The announcement, made on Apr 14 in Singapore, paves the way for Mr Wong to become Singapore's next Prime Minister. He was the first choice by an "overwhelming majority", said retired minister Khaw Boon Wan at the time.
"I've had to focus on this trip and I have another trip coming up in two weeks' time going to the Nikkei conference (in Japan)," Mr Lee said. "But I'm working at it. I hope I shall be able to do it once I'm done with my trips, which means early June."
At a press conference after Mr Wong was named as the 4G leader in April, Mr Lee had said that whether he or Mr Wong would lead the PAP in the next election was a decision that would be made later.
"I will discuss with Lawrence, and we will decide later what the best strategy is for us to fight the next general election,” the Prime Minister told reporters at the time, adding that it will depend on “how things evolve”.
The next General Election must be held by 2025//CNA
May
North Korea reports 21 new deaths as it battles COVID-19 outbreak
Written by nuke
North Korea held its second Politburo meeting this week, overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, who said that the outbreak was causing "great turmoil" in the country, KCNA reported. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace) -
North Korea announced 21 new "fever" deaths on Saturday (May 14) and said more than half a million people had been sickened nationwide, two days after confirming its first cases of COVID-19.
Despite activating its "maximum emergency quarantine system" to slow the spread of disease through its unvaccinated population, North Korea is now reporting tens of thousands of new cases daily.
On Friday alone, "over 174,440 persons had fever, at least 81,430 were fully recovered and 21 died in the country", the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
North Korea confirmed on Thursday that the highly contagious Omicron variant had been detected in the capital Pyongyang, with leader Kim Jong Un ordering nationwide lockdowns.
It was the North's first official admission of COVID-19 cases and marked the failure of a two-year coronavirus blockade maintained at great economic cost since the start of the pandemic.
From late April to May 13, more than 524,440 people have fallen sick with fever, KCNA said, with 27 deaths in total.
The report did not specify whether the new cases and deaths had tested positive for COVID-19, but experts say the country will be struggling to test and diagnose on this scale.
North Korea has said only that one of the first six deaths it announced Friday had tested positive for COVID-19.
"It's not a stretch to consider these 'fever' cases to all be COVID-19, given the North's lack of testing capacity," said Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute.
"The actual number of COVID-19 cases could be higher than the fever figures due to many asymptomatic cases," he said, adding that the pace of infection was growing "very fast".
Kim said the outbreak was causing "great upheaval" in North Korea, as he oversaw a second Politburo meeting in three days to discuss the situation.
Kim is putting himself "front and centre" of the country's COVID-19 response, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
"The language he's used suggests the situation in North Korea is going to get worse before it gets better," he told AFP.
"Engagers see this rhetoric preparing the way for international assistance, but Kim may be rallying a population on the verge of further sacrifice," he added.
The meeting of the nation's top officials discussed medicine distribution and other ways of "minimising the losses in human lives", KCNA said.
North Korea has a crumbling health system - one of the worst in the world - and no COVID-19 vaccines, antiviral treatment drugs or mass testing capacity, experts say.
But the country will "actively learn" from China's pandemic management strategy, Kim said, according to KCNA.
China, the world's only major economy to still maintain a zero-COVID policy, is battling multiple Omicron outbreaks - with some major cities, including financial hub Shanghai, under stay-at-home orders.
North Korea has previously turned down offers of COVID-19 vaccines from China and the World Health Organization's Covax scheme, but both Beijing and Seoul issued fresh offers of aid and vaccines this week.
Kim's comments indicate North Korea "will try getting supplies from China", said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
It also looks likely Pyongyang "will adopt a Chinese-style anti-virus response of regional lockdowns", Yang added.
So far, Kim said Saturday, North Korea's outbreak was not "an uncontrollable spread among regions" but transmission within areas that had been locked down, KCNA said.
Despite its COVID-19 outbreak, new satellite imagery indicates that North Korea has resumed construction at a long-dormant nuclear reactor.
"I can't tell you when the reactor will be ready to go, but it is about 10x larger than the existing reactor at Yongbyon," Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies wrote in a Twitter thread on Saturday.
It would produce 10 times more plutonium for nuclear weapons, he said, adding: "This would make good on Kim's pledge to increase the number of nuclear weapons."
The United States and South Korea have warned that Kim is preparing to conduct another nuclear test - which would be the regime's seventh - and that it could come any day now.
Analysts have warned Kim could speed up his nuclear test plans in a bid to "distract" North Korea's population from a disastrous COVID-19 outbreak//CNA
May
Harris tells ASEAN leaders US committed 'for generations'
Written by nuke
US Vice President Kamala Harris (center) welcomes Southeast Asian leaders to a lunch at the State Department (Photo: AFP/OLIVIER DOULIERY) -
Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday (May 13) that the United States was committed to Southeast Asia for the long haul as the region's leaders held a first summit in Washington.
"Our administration recognises the vital strategic importance of your region, a role that will only grow with time," Harris told leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations over a working lunch at the State Department.
"As an Indo-Pacific nation, the United States will be present and continue to be engaged in Southeast Asia for generations to come," she said.
President Joe Biden will address the leaders later Friday after inviting them Thursday night to the White House for a dinner of poached chicken, ravioli and vanilla ice cream.
The Biden administration is hoping to demonstrate a sustained interest in Southeast Asia after months focused on repelling Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Biden took office saying that his top foreign policy priority would be the global competition with China, which has surpassed the United States as Southeast Asia's top trading partner and has been increasingly assertive on territorial disputes in the region.
The Biden administration promised US$150 million in new initiatives during the summit including support for maritime security, with the US Coast Guard to deploy a cutter in Southeast Asia to help fight illegal fishing and other crime.
Biden is expected to announce a broader package, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, when he travels next week to Japan and South Korea.
The Biden administration has made some headway in Southeast Asia in opposing Russia's invasion, with all 10 ASEAN nations either supporting or abstaining in a UN General Assembly vote of condemnation.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, meeting Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said ASEAN's largest nation believed in "respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of a country to another country".
"Our hope is to see the war in Ukraine stop as soon as possible, and we give the peaceful resolution of a conflict a chance to succeed," she said.
"Because we know that if the war continues, all of us will suffer."
Indonesia is the host of the Group of 20 summit in November and has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite US calls to isolate him, but in a compromise said it would also welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy//CNA
May
Japan to offer up to US$100 million in aid to help Indo-Pacific nations fight COVID-19
Written by nuke
FILE PHOTO: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks at a news conference in Warsaw, Poland April 4, 2022. Dawid Zuchowic/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS -
Japan plans to extend up to US$100 million in aid to developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region to help them better battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Friday (May 13).
Hayashi made the comment to reporters on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Germany, where discussion focused mostly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"We will also discuss COVID-19 response at working dinner tonight. I will unveil a plan to offer up to US$100 million in aid mainly to the Indo-Pacific, with focus on vaccination data management, border control and disposal of infectious waste," he said.
At the meeting, G7 foreign ministers have reaffirmed their resolve to crank up pressure on Russia through measures including further sanctions to have Moscow halt its aggression and withdraw troops from Ukraine immediately, Hayashi also said.
Russia calls its action in Ukraine a "special military operation"//CNA
May
Tuvalu, sinking in the Pacific, fears becoming a superpower 'pawn'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Tuvalu fears that climate change, an existential threat to the Pacific nation, is being forgotten and it worries that fellow island nations could become "pawns" in a global competition between China and the United States, its foreign minister said.
Simon Kofe told Reuters the superpower competition was a concern, distracting attention from climate change, the priority for Pacific islands endangered by rising sea levels.
"It is important that the Pacific handles these issues carefully," he said in an interview on Thursday. "The last thing we want is that countries in the Pacific are used against each other or used as pawns."
Kofe grabbed global attention for his nation of 12,000 people last year when he addressed a global climate conference standing ankle deep in the sea to illustrate Tuvalu was "sinking". Forty percent of the capital district is underwater at high tide, and the tiny country is forecast to be submerged by the end of the century.
Pacific Island leaders will discuss a controversial new security pact between the Solomon Islands and China at a meeting next month, Kofe said. He said he had been briefed on the issue by his Solomon Islands counterpart and that, although Honiara said it was an internal matter, it had regional implications.
"In the Pacific, the way we handle issues, the Pacific way, is by consensus, is by sitting down and face to face," he said. COVID-19 has prevented in-person meetings for two years, and "some of these critical issues can only be resolved when you meet face to face and really have a frank discussion."
The United States has warned the Solomon Islands it would have "significant concerns and respond accordingly" to any steps to establish a permanent Chinese military presence, after it struck the security pact, which has also alarmed allies Australia, New Zealand and Japan. read more
Beijing says the deal covers internal security, not a base, and criticism by western countries was interfering in the Solomon Island's sovereign decision-making. read more
Another key issue for Tuvalu is fishing, where China is seeking more agreements with Pacific islands for its fleet. Washington says it will soon announce plans to battle illegal fishing in the region, as part of increased U.S. engagement to counter China's growing influence. read more
"The Pacific is the richest fishing ground in the world and is said to be the last healthy fish stock of tuna," Kofe said. "That is really a tribute to the conservation and management measures applied by the Pacific island countries."
Tiny Pacific islands, feeding the world from their economic exclusion zones, carry a disproportionate burden, he said.
"Tuna is supporting the economies of Japan, China, many countries around the world," he said. "Bigger players that are coming into the region need to listen and look at what the Pacific is doing right now and use that as lessons for collaboration on issues other than fisheries."
Seeking an international platform on climate change, Tuvalu has proposed its former governor-general, Iakoba Taeia Italeli, become secretary general of the Commonwealth – the first time a Pacific nation has sought the role in the grouping.
"It’s time for the Pacific to have a chance to lead and unite the Commonwealth," Italeli told Reuters in the same interview, conducted remotely.
Commonwealth heads of government, meeting in Rwanda in June, will select the next public face of the 54-member group of countries with ties to the former British empire. The incumbent, British peer Patricia Scotland, is running for another term in the hotly contested race.
The Commonwealth had "failed to speak with one voice" at COP26, Italeli said, despite including 32 of the world's 42 smallest states, which are heavily affected by climate change.
At the next global climate change conference, in Egypt in November, Tuvalu will continue its push for easier financing for small islands states to build the physical infrastructure they need to "save themselves", Italeli said. (Reuters)
May
China voices discontent with EU-Japan position on Senkaku islands
Written by Nur Yasmin
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that a joint EU-Japan statement that mentioned a territorial dispute between China and Japan was an attempt to smear China and interfere in its internal affairs.
The statement, issued following a joint EU-China summit in Tokyo, expressed concern over the situation surrounding the disputed East China Sea islets known as the Senkaku islands in Japan. China also claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu. read more
"Japan and the European Union have been speculating on China-related issues at the conference, smearing and discrediting China, interfering in China's internal affairs and provoking regional confrontation," Zhao told a regular briefing in Beijing.
"China is firmly opposed to this and has already made solemn representations to the relevant parties."
European Union leaders also said on Thursday in Tokyo that the EU wanted to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a "theatre of tensions," warning of an increasingly assertive China even as they called on Beijing to defend the multilateral global order.
The EU-Japan summit featured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Both European leaders also warned of China's close relationship with Russia and condemned unilateral moves to change the status quo in any region of the world.
Their summit's statement added that the EU and Japan would deepen their exchanges on China, including over the situation in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. (Reuters)
May
Japan says Russia should be held accountable for atrocities-Japan official quoting foreign minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told his Ukrainian counterpart on Friday Russian atrocities in Ukraine were totally unacceptable and Moscow should be held accountable for its action, a Japanese government official told a media briefing.
Hayashi held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Germany.
Russia has denied carrying out abuses in what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. (Reuters)
May
Australia says Chinese spy ship's presence off west coast 'concerning'
Written by Nur Yasmin
A Chinese intelligence ship was tracked off Australia's west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defence facility, Australia said on Friday, raising concern amid an election campaign about China's assertive behaviour in the region.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Chinese navy vessel was not in Australian territorial waters but its presence was "concerning".
"It is clearly an intelligence ship and they are looking at us and we're keeping a close eye on them," he told reporters.
Australia had tracked the spy ship over the past week as it sailed past the Harold E Holt naval communications station at Exmouth, which is used by Australian, U.S. and allied submarines.
China's embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Australia holds a general election on May 21 and the question of a national security threat posed by China has been a major campaign theme. read more
"I think it is an act of aggression. I think particularly because it has come so far south," Defence Minister Peter Dutton told a news conference.
"It has been in close proximity to military and intelligence installations on the west coast of Australia."
Relations between the two major trading partners have been strained in recent years over various issues including Chinese influence in Australia and the Pacific region.
Dutton questioned the "strange timing" of the vessel's appearance although Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews declined link it to the election campaign and Morrison said Chinese navy vessels had been off the Australian coast previously.
The opposition Labor Party said it was seeking a briefing from the government.
Chinese navy vessels have been tracked off Australia's north and eastern coasts several times in recent years, and the same Chinese vessel monitored Australian navy exercises with the U.S. military off the east coast last year.
In February, China and Australia exchanged accusations over an incident in which Australia said one of its maritime patrol aircraft detected a laser directed at it from a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel. read more
On the latest incident, Australia's defence department said in a statement the Dongdiao Class Auxiliary Intelligence ship named Haiwangxing travelled down the west coast, crossing into Australia's Economic Exclusion Zone on May 6, and coming within 50 nautical miles of the communications station on May 11.
"I certainly don't believe that when you take it together with the many other coercive acts and the many statements that have been made which have been attacking Australia's national interests, you could describe it as an act of bridge building or friendship," Morrison said. (Reuters)
May
North Korea appears ready for nuclear test, South Korea presidency says
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korea appears ready for its seventh nuclear test, South Korea's presidential office said on Friday, the Yonhap news agency reported. (Reuters)
May
With China in focus, Biden makes $150 million commitment to ASEAN leaders
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden opened a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders with a promise to spend $150 million on their infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness and other efforts aimed at countering the influence of rival China.
On Thursday, Biden started a two-day summit with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington with a dinner for the leaders at the White House ahead of talks at the State Department on Friday.
Biden smiled broadly as he took a group photo on the South Lawn of the White House before the dinner with representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
While Russia's invasion of Ukraine is on the agenda, Biden's administration hopes the efforts will show the countries that Washington remains focused on the Indo-Pacific and the long-term challenge of China, which it views at the country's main competitor.
Responding to Biden's latest move, Chinese foreign ministry said it welcomes any cooperation that promotes sustainable development and prosperity in the region.
"China and ASEAN do not engage in zero-sum games and do not promote bloc confrontation," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing on Friday.
In November alone, China pledged $1.5 billion in development assistance to ASEAN countries over three years to fight COVID and fuel economic recovery.
"We need to step up our game in Southeast Asia," a senior U.S. administration official told reporters. "We are not asking countries to make a choice between the United States and China. We want to make clear, though, that the United States seeks stronger relationships."
The new financial commitment includes a $40 million investment in infrastructure intended to help decarbonize the region's power supply and $60 million in maritime security, as well as some $15 million in health funding to aid in early detection of COVID-19 and other respiratory pandemics, an official said. Additional funding will help the countries develop digital economy and artificial intelligence laws.
The U.S. Coast Guard will also deploy a ship to the region to help local fleets counter what Washington and countries in the region have described as China's illegal fishing.
Still, the commitments pale in comparison to China's deep ties and influence.
Biden is working on more initiatives, including "Build Back Better World" infrastructure investment and an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). But neither are finalized.
The summit marks the first time that ASEAN's leaders gather as a group at the White House and their first meeting hosted by a U.S. president since 2016.
Eight ASEAN leaders are expected to take part in the talks. Myanmar's leader was excluded over a coup last year and the Philippines is in transition after an election, though Biden spoke to the country's president-elect, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Wednesday. The country was represented by its foreign affairs secretary at the White House.
ASEAN leaders also visited Capitol Hill on Thursday for a lunch with congressional leaders.
CONCERN OVER CHINA
The countries share many of Washington's concerns about China.
China's assertion of sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea has set it against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.
Yet countries in the region have also been frustrated by a U.S. delay in detailing plans for economic engagement since former President Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact in 2017.
"The U.S. should adopt a more active trade and investment agenda with ASEAN, which will benefit the U.S. economically and strategically," said Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Thursday. read more
The IPEF is set to be launched on Biden's trip to Japan and South Korea next week. But it does not currently offer the expanded market access Asian countries crave, given Biden's concern for American jobs.
Analysts say that even though ASEAN countries share U.S. concerns about China, they remain cautious about siding more firmly with Washington, given their predominant economic ties with Beijing and limited U.S. economic incentives.
Kao Kim Hourn, an adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, told Reuters that the country would not "choose sides" between Washington and Beijing although U.S. investment in his country is growing. read more
On Wednesday, Hun Sen was the target of a shoe-throwing protester prior to his first visit to the White House over a tenure that began in 1985. The Cambodian leader has faced criticism from activists for suppressing dissent. (Reuters)