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September
Australia, Philippines upgrade ties to strategic partnership
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia and the Philippines on Friday agreed to hold annual defence ministers' meetings as the two nations upgraded bilateral ties to a strategic partnership amid rising security challenges in the region, including in the South China Sea.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a strategic partnership agreement with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his trip to Manila, the first visit by an Australian leader in 20 years.
"Australia is working with our partners including the Philippines to shape a region where sovereignty is upheld," Albanese said in a joint press conference with Marcos after holding bilateral talks
Marcos said their countries' close ties were "terribly important".
The Philippines last month held military exercises near the South China Sea with Australia, its second-largest partner in defence security. It is also one of only two bilateral partners with whom the Philippines has a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows two countries to undertake joint exercises, high-level visits, dialogues and exchanges.
Australia has discussed pursuing joint navy patrols in the resource-rich waterway.
Albanese threw his support behind a 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea that invalidated China's expansive claims in the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.
"Australia supports the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award. That is final and binding. And it is important that it be upheld going forward," Albanese said.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have claims to certain areas of the South China Sea. Most of Australia's trade also goes through the South China Sea.
Albanese confirmed on Thursday he will visit China later this year, the first visit by an Australian leader since 2016. (Reuters)
September
Why is North Korea growing its navy with submarines and nuclear drones?
Written by Nur Yasmin
Over the past year North Korea has moved to boost its navy with new nuclear weapons, including an underwater drone, warships, and its first operational missile submarine, unveiled on Friday.
North Korea's navy has historically been dwarfed by the country's land forces, and overshadowed by its rapidly advancing ballistic missile program.
Now, leader Kim Jong Un has said the navy will play a key role in the country's nuclear deterrence, and analysts say it may also assure support among naval commanders and boost national pride.
"Until quite recently, Kim has largely appeared to neglect naval nuclear programmes," said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "The recent refocus on naval nuclear capabilities has likely been welcomed by the Korean People's Navy."
Here is what we know about North Korea's navy and its latest advancements.
HOW BIG IS NORTH KOREA'S NAVY?
The Korean People's Army Naval Force (KPANF) has about 470 surface vessels, including guided missile ships, torpedo boats, small patrol vessels, and fire support boats, according to the South Korean military's 2022 Defense White Paper.
Its has about 70 submarines, including Romeo-class vessels of Soviet-era design, and midget submarines.
The navy also has about 40 support craft and 250 landing craft.
The navy is divided into two fleet commands that cover the country's east and west coasts, and about 60 percent of the force is positioned south of Pyongyang, the White Paper said.
"The North Korean Naval Force possesses the capacity to carry out a surprise attack any time," the paper said. "However, its capacity for deep-sea operations is limited because its force is primarily consisted of small, high-speed vessels."
WHAT ARE THE NAVY'S NEW WEAPONS?
In March and April North Korea tested what it said was a nuclear-capable unmanned underwater attack weapon.
Dubbed "Haeil", or tsunami, the new drone system is intended to make sneak attacks in enemy waters and destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports with an underwater explosion, state media said.
Analysts said the weapon's operational concept was similar to Russia's Poseidon nuclear torpedoes, a new category of retaliatory weapon meant to create destructive, radioactive blasts in coastal areas.
However, a report by the Washington-based 38 North at the time said the weapon's slow speed and limited range made it substantially inferior to the North’s existing nuclear-armed ballistic and cruise missiles in terms of time-to-target, accuracy and lethality.
In August, Kim inspected a new Amnok-class corvette, a patrol ship that state media said was capable of firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
"Despite the fact that the majority of the weapons and sensors on board are severely obsolete in comparison with western or Asian designs, it is a major step forward for North Korea," the specialist website Naval News said in an analysis, calling its nuclear cruise missile capability a "game changer" for potential adversaries.
On Friday, North Korea said it had launched its first operational "tactical nuclear attack submarine" and assigned it to the eastern fleet.
The vessel appears to be a modified Romeo-class submarine with 10 launch tubes, most likely armed with ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
South Korean officials said it appears that the new submarine may not be fully functional, but they did not elaborate.
Like the nuclear drone, its use in a war may be limited compared with North Korea's more robust land-based missiles, analysts said.
"Their submarines just aren't going to be able to be as survivable as their land-based forces," said Vann Van Diepen, a former U.S. government weapons expert who works with 38 North. "And they'll have a hard time deploying enough missiles at sea to make a big difference." (Reuters)
September
Developers threaten Tokyo's historic Jingu baseball park, UNESCO panel says
Written by Nur Yasmin
A UNESCO panel has issued a "heritage alert" calling for the preservation of Jingu Park, the site of a historic ballpark in the Japanese capital, and of about 3,000 trees set to be cut down to make way for a skyscraper project.
The redevelopment, due to start this month, threatens a field on which baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played on a tour in 1934 that helped introduce the sport to Japan.
The U.N. cultural agency's panel, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), urged the government to review the plan.
The programme would lead to the "complete destruction of the urban forest formed and nurtured over the past 100 years", the ICOMOS said in a letter on Thursday.
ICOMOS and its national panel for Japan also called on the main developer, Mitsui Fudosan, and other partners involved in the project to withdraw from it immediately.
A spokesperson for Mitsui Fudosan said it was aware of the letter and was collecting information before it could offer a response to it.
Rallies and petition drives have also voiced opposition to the plan, which includes the demolition and replacement of the Meiji Jingu Stadium, built in 1926, and now home to the Yakult Swallows team.
Celebrated composer Ryuichi Sakamoto called for a halt to the project just before he died in March, while best-selling author Haruki Murakami has also spoken out against it.
In a letter to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials, ICOMOS criticized the plan that will relocate baseball and rugby facilities and eliminate 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres) of park area to make room for mixed-use skyscrapers.
Ruth, Gehrig and five other baseball Hall of Fame inductees were part of an All American team that played at Meiji Jingu Stadium during their barnstorming Japanese tour.
In June, the Mitsui Fudosan-led group of developers launched a website for queries from the public, aiming to build "understanding and empathy" for the project. (Reuters)
September
Australia to host ASEAN leaders in Melbourne next March
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia will host leaders from Southeast Asia's ASEAN bloc in Melbourne next March for a special summit to commemorate 50 years of relations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday as he announced a new investment strategy for the region.
Albanese told reporters in Jakarta he had written to all the bloc's leaders inviting them to the "significant event", set to run from 4 March to 6 March. The summit would also be a chance for diplomatic bilateral meetings and business forums, he added.
Albanese has travelled to Jakarta for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit at a time when Australia is strengthening relations across Asia in a bid to build economic and diplomatic alternatives to China. ASEAN was vital to Australia's future, Albanese said in a speech to the summit.
"This is where Australia's economic destiny lies, and this is where our shared prosperity can be built," he said.
"This is where, working together, the peace, stability and security of this region – and the Indo-Pacific – can be assured."
The ASEAN summit gathers with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and leaders of various partner countries including Japan, South Korea and India at a time when the bloc's members are wary of being dragged into great power disputes.
Albanese also used his speech to unveil a new economic strategy for the region, and announced an initial A$95.4 million ($60.89 million) package to fund investment deal teams, internships for young professionals and support for Australian companies looking to enter the region.
The strategy comes with 75 recommendations including using government agencies to help underwrite infrastructure investment in the region. Albanese said his government would work through the recommendations in an "orderly fashion". (Reuters)
September
South Korea should maintain current monetary, fiscal policies, IMF says
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea should maintain current, restrictive monetary and fiscal policies as it needs to take steps to return to sustainable finances and address inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
"The monetary policy rate should stay above neutral for the time being to address inflation, with the interest rate path remaining data dependent," the IMF said in a statement concluding its two-week long visit to the country.
Harald Finger, Korea Mission Chief of the IMF, said, "Moderate consolidation (of the 2024 government budget) will help limit public debt and, at the same time, will support monetary policy in efforts to contain inflation."
Instead of undermining economic growth, the prudent fiscal policy is judged to be instrumental in keeping South Korea's economic fundamentals strong in the medium term, Finger said at a press conference.
Last month, the South Korean government proposed to raise budget spending for 2024 by the lowest rate in two decades, prioritising fiscal discipline amid weakening tax revenue due to slower economic growth.
The Bank of Korea held interest rates steady for a fifth straight meeting in August, in a balance between softer inflation and heightening risks to growth.
"We do see a moderate increase in downside risk for Korea's growth, especially in 2024, with China's renewed slowdown," Finger said, also pointing out China's policy measures to mitigate economic slowdown and other positive factors such as the resumption of Chinese group tourism.
In July, the IMF forecast Asia's fourth-largest economy to grow 1.4% in 2023, a three-year low after expansion of 2.6% in 2022 and 4.3% in 2021. It expects the economy to grow 2.4% next year.
Finger told reporters the IMF decided not to evaluate South Korea's foreign exchange reserve adequacy based on its Assessing Reserve Adequacy (ARA) metrics from July.
The measure is mostly for emerging economies, and given its economic characteristics, it is more appropriate to assess South Korea's on a scenario basis, Finger said. (Reuters)
September
Indian billionaires Ambani, Adani set to attend G20 summit dinner
Written by Nur Yasmin
India's richest businessmen, led by rivals Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, will join G20 leaders at a dinner in the capital on Saturday, as the South Asian nation showcases its position as the world's fastest growing major economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to wield leadership of the G20 grouping of the world's most powerful economies to promote India as a destination for trade and investment, particularly as China's economy slows.
U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to be part of the gathering in New Delhi.
Among the 500 businessmen invited are Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla, Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS) founder-chairman Sunil Mittal, in addition to Reliance Industries' (RELI.NS) Ambani and the Adani Group chairman, two sources said.
"This dinner ... will host various state heads and makes for an opportunity to gather India's Who's Who during the leaders' summit," said one Indian official who spoke about the closed-door event on condition of anonymity.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the weekend summit, however.
Saturday's dinner will afford Modi another opportunity to highlight business and investment opportunities in India.
To be held at a brand-new $300-million venue in the shape of a conch shell, the menu will feature Indian food with a special emphasis on millets, a grain the country has been promoting.
For years, Ambani and Adani have competed across a wide range of industries from telecoms to media, and energy to finance. Both have been ranked, by turns, Asia's richest person.
Adani's companies were in the spotlight this year following two reports by short seller Hindenburg Research and an investigative outlet that accused the company of using opaque funds to invest in its own stocks.
Adani Group has denied any wrongdoing.
Reliance Industries, Adani Enterprises, Tata Sons, Bharati Airtel, Aditya Birla Group and the Indian government did not reply to emails seeking comment on the invitation. (Reuters)
September
Ahead of Biden visit, US watchdog says Vietnam backsliding on religious freedoms
Written by Nur Yasmin
Days before a visit by President Joe Biden to Vietnam in which he aims to upgrade diplomatic ties, a U.S. government commission accused the country of backsliding on commitments to ensure religious freedoms.
In a report on Tuesday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that since Washington dropped Vietnam from a list of "countries of particular concern" (CPC) over religious freedom in 2006, the Hanoi government had created "more space in some areas" for expressions of belief.
However, a "recent crackdown on civil society, increased pressure on independent religious communities, alarming reports of forced renunciations of faith, and other growing religious freedom violations add up to a clear reversal in that once-positive trajectory," it said.
The report said a May visit to Vietnam by USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick Davie and Commissioner Eric Ueland found that while religious groups experienced relatively greater freedom in urban areas, "serious challenges are pervasive in many rural areas."
Vietnam's requirement for religious groups to register contrasted with Hanoi's obligation to provide religious freedom to all its people, it said.
"Government authorities continue to closely monitor all religious activity, often harassing, detaining, or otherwise preventing unregistered faith communities from exercising their fundamental right to religious freedom," the report said.
Vietnam was on a "similar trajectory to China in terms of its regulation and control of religion," the report said.
Washington sees Vietnam as an important partner in the face of China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific region. It is looking to elevate its diplomatic relations with Hanoi to the top level when Biden is in Hanoi on Sept. 10, but analysts say human rights concerns could be an obstacle to certain cooperation.
Vietnam's constitution allows for freedom of religion and government media have rejected criticisms from groups such as USCIRF.
In its 2023 annual report, the USCIRF recommended the redesignation of Vietnam as a CPC, accusing it of "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."
Last year, the U.S. State Department added Vietnam to its Special Watch List for violations of religious freedom under the 1998 U.S. Religious Freedom Act, a lesser designation than that of a CPC, but its first since 2006.
The act provides for a range of policy responses, including sanctions or waivers, but they are not automatic. (Reuters)
September
China boosts 'political trust' with Vietnam ahead of Biden visit
Written by Nur Yasmin
China sent a senior official to Vietnam to enhance "political trust" between the two countries, ahead of a scheduled visit by U.S. President Joe Biden designed to boost diplomatic ties between Washington and Hanoi.
The Chinese Communist Party's international department head Liu Jianchao met with Vietnam's ruling Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the official Chinese Xinhua news agency reported.
During his three-day trip, which ends on Wednesday, Liu also had talks with his Vietnam counterpart and met think tanks and media in Vietnam, Xinhua said.
Both sides said they had agreed to solidify their mutual political trust and enhance cooperation in meeting challenges.
Biden is due in Vietnam on Sunday for a visit that is expected to result in an upgrade in bilateral relations, pulling Vietnam away from the orbit of its larger Asian neighbour.
China and Vietnam have long had close ties but have been at odds on maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea. The United States, already Vietnam's largest export market, is a draw due to potential access to U.S. capital and technology to bolster its economy.
Biden said his Vietnam visit aimed to elevate their relationship and make the United States a major partner.
He will meet Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during his trip. (Reuters)
September
New Vanuatu PM to 'revisit' security pact with Australia - ABC
Written by Nur Yasmin
Vanuatu's new prime minister, Sato Kilman, will "revisit" a security pact signed with Australia, he said in an interview with Australian state broadcaster ABC on Tuesday, a day after he came to power in a vote by lawmakers.
The pact was a major reason for the ouster of former leader Ishmael Kalsakau, who lost a no-confidence motion in parliament and was then defeated by Kilman in a secret ballot on Monday.
Opposition lawmakers had said the security pact with Australia compromised Vanuatu's neutral status and could jeopardise development assistance from China, its biggest external creditor.
On Tuesday, Kilman said the agreement, signed by the two countries in December, would be unlikely to be ratified by parliament in its current state.
"I think for us, at this point in time, I am not sure whether it is in the best interests of Vanuatu or not, only because we have not been consulted," Kilman said in an interview with the ABC in Port Vila.
"My view would be to revisit the agreement with both sides, the Australians, and the Vanuatu government, and see if there's any sticking points and then address that," he said, according to a transcript of the interview posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Vanuatu is one of the Pacific island countries at the centre of competition for influence in the region between the United States and China.
The United States and its allies, including Australia, are seeking to discourage Pacific countries from establishing security ties with China, after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
Vanuatu's agreement with Australia includes closer cooperation on defence, border security, policing and aviation safety.
Australia respected Vanuatu's "sovereign decision-making processes" and looked forward to discussions with the new government over its issues with the security pact, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
"Australia and Vanuatu share a deep security partnership... We will continue to work with Vanuatu to deliver mutual benefits and ensure our shared security."
A now five-time prime minister, Kilman pledged closer cooperation with China in previous stints as leader.
The ousted Kalsakau had sought to widen Vanuatu's international ties after winning a general election in November. (Reuters)
September
UN food agency cuts rations to 2 million Afghans as funds dry up
Written by Nur Yasmin
The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) had to cut rations to another 2 million Afghans this month and is warning of a "catastrophic" winter if funding runs out with little food for remote communities in place, the agency's country director said.
The cut in rations comes amidst growing alarm over shrinking aid for Afghanistan, where a U.N. humanitarian response plan is only about a quarter funded, even after the budget was downgraded in the face of funding shortfalls.
WFP funding for food and cash assistance is expected to run out by the end of October and the agency has had to steadily cut assistance through the year to 10 million Afghans.
The positioning of food to areas that will be cut off in winter has also been limited. The WFP said if no funding comes through, 90% of remote areas in need will be cut off without food and even in accessible locations, people will get no supplies during the harsh weather.
"That is the catastrophe that we have to avert," WFP Afghanistan Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters.
About three-quarters of Afghanistan's people are in need of humanitarian aid as their country emerges from decades of conflict under an internationally isolated Taliban administration that took over as U.S.-backed foreign forces withdrew in 2021.
Development assistance that for years formed the backbone of government finances has been cut and the administration is subject to sanctions and central bank assets abroad have been frozen.
Restrictions by the Taliban on women, including stopping most female Afghan humanitarian staff from working, are an obstacle to formal recognition and have also put off donors, many of whom have turned their attention to other humanitarian crises.
"What I do in my engagements with them is remind them that at the end of the day, we must focus on those who are most in need," Lee said of donors.
"The cost of inaction is ultimately borne and paid for by the most vulnerable and poor mothers and children."
'LIFELINE'
Almost 20% of the people the WFP helps are women heading households who Lee said were getting more desperate as the restrictions on women and the economic crisis meant they had fewer ways of earning.
"WFP is often the last lifeline for those who don't have other options," Lee said.
"It's extremely difficult not only for myself but for our team to have to explain to mothers that we can't help them."
Three million people are now getting food aid but after October, they might be getting nothing.
The WFP needs $1 billion in funding to provide food aid and carry out planned projects until March, Lee said.
For Kabul resident Baba Karim, 45, the cash he has got twice this year from the WFP was been a vital supplement to the less than $2 a day he earns working odd jobs at a market with a push cart.
"I'm so worried about what will happen next, now that the assistance has ended," said the father of five.
"I lie awake at night worrying about the future of my children." (Reuters)