Livestream
Special Interview
Video Streaming
International News (6785)
June
Proposed changes to S.Korea citizenship law face anti-China headwinds
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea is trying to increase its future working population by making it easier for children of foreign residents to become citizens, but its plans have run into trouble in the face of rising anti-China sentiment.
A measure proposed by the Ministry of Justice - first made public in April - called for easing the pathway to citizenship for children born to long-term foreign residents, by simply notifying the ministry.
A presidential petition opposing the revision has gathered over 300,000 signatures. The chatroom of an online hearing held to discuss the proposal in May was overwhelmed with expletive-laced complaints by the tens of thousands of viewers.
The justice ministry has said it is still taking into account public opinion and the advice of experts before submitting the proposal to the Ministry of Government Legislation.
"Given the strong backlash, I would say the ministry has already lost much of the momentum to push ahead with the proposal," said Jang Yun-mi, an attorney who specializes in issues related to children.
The controversy highlights the challenges South Korea faces as it seeks to ensure a robust future population in the face of declining birthrates and rapidly aging workers, and the potential policy implications of increasingly negative views of China, its biggest trading partner.
Data from last year suggests only about 3,930 people would be eligible under the rule change, but the fact that 3,725 of them were of Chinese heritage prompted much of the criticism.
South Korean views have been coloured by what some see as economic bullying by Beijing, its poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis, and the assertion by some Chinese that dearly held aspects of Korean food and culture, such as kimchi and the traditional hanbok dress, have roots in China.
Among immigrant communities, the proposed measures are not seen as worth the backlash, said Kim Yong-phil, editor-in-chief of E Korea World, a local newspaper for Chinese-Koreans.
"Anti-Chinese people could use this issue as a pretext to attack Chinese-Koreans," he said.
POPULATION DECLINE
Naturalization was rare in South Korea until the early 2000s - just 33 foreigners gained South Korean citizenship in 2000, for example – but rose to nearly 14,000 last year, immigration data show.
Of them, nearly 58% were from China, and 30% from Vietnam. The rest included people from Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Japan, Korea Immigration Service data showed.
The latest proposal is needed to encourage future workers to stay by allowing them to foster a South Korean identity from an early age and stably get assimilated into society, the justice ministry told Reuters in a statement.
Kim Yong-seon, who came from China in 2004 to study and was naturalized in 2014, said the amendment is useful as it provides more options for immigrants, but that the more pressing matter is making it easier for adults to become citizens.
"Over the past few years, the requirements for permanent residency and citizenship have only gotten harder," he said, citing changes that require high amounts of income or assets.
Like the majority of Chinese nationals residing in South Korea, Kim is ethnic Korean - his grandfather migrated to China a century ago.
More than 70% of the 865,000 Chinese nationals residing in South Korea are of Korean descent, according to immigration data.
Negative views of China among South Koreans have hit historic highs recently, with as much as 75% having an unfavourable opinion of them late last year, compared to around 37% in 2015, according to Pew Research.
"Some Chinese people are already committing a 'cultural fraud' against the whole world by making unreasonable claims that kimchi and hanbok are also Chinese," opposition People's Party chairman Ahn Cheol-soo said.
"If left as is, it will lead to a 'cultural invasion' in which they claim that even Korea's priceless culture is theirs." (Reuters)
June
Japan vows 'safe and secure' Olympics in economic blueprint - draft
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's government will include a pledge to achieve a "safe and secure" Tokyo Olympic Games in its economic blueprint due out on Friday, according to a final draft seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
An earlier draft blueprint only called for making the Olympics leave "various legacies" behind, while the final version appeared to stress the government's resolve to go ahead with the Games.
The final draft came days after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he had won support at a G7 summit meeting in Britain for holding the Olympics despite public concern that the sports extravaganza could worsen the spread of coronavirus infections.
"(We) will realise the safe and secure Games while creating various legacies," the draft said.
The government will also clarify its resolve to complete its vaccination programme by the end of November, according to the draft which is due to be approved by the cabinet on Friday.
It said the government would do the utmost to curb infections, while firmly backing businesses, jobs and people's livelihood by conducting flexible macroeconomic policy.
"We will ensure economic recovery by deploying all policy tools while tapping external demand, with the resolve never to push Japan back into deflation," the draft read, citing green, digital, local regions and childcare as key areas of investment.
It called for doubling outstanding foreign direct investment in Japan to 80 trillion yen ($727.80 billion) by 2030.
"We will strive to make the size of the economy 600 trillion yen and achieve the aim of fiscal reform."
To achieve fiscal reform, the draft kept the government's pledge to achieve a primary budget surplus by fiscal year-end in March 2026 while reassessing the target by the end of this fiscal year taking into account coronavirus fallouts. (Reuters)
June
Japan denies reports of S. Korean president visit, summit during Olympics
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan on Tuesday denied a media report that South Korean President Moon Jae-In is arranging a visit to Japan timed with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as talks with Japanese Prime Minister Suga.
The relationship between Asian neighbours South Korea and Japan has soured in recent years due to disputes over trade and war-time history, most recently over lawsuits by South Korean victims of wartime forced labour seeking compensation from Japanese firms. read more
The Yomiuri daily on Tuesday reported that, in addition to a visit to Japan timed to the Olympics set to run from July 23 to Aug 8, South Korea's Blue House is hoping Moon will hold his first ever talks with Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga during his stay. No sources were cited.
"There is no truth to that report," chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference, declining to comment further.
A South Korean government official said: "We wish a successful Olympics but have no comment on whether President Moon will visit Tokyo."
Friction between the two nations over a decades-long territorial row involving islets known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea flared anew recently after South Korea lodged a protest over a map on the Tokyo Olympics website marking the islands as Japanese territory. (Reuters)
June
Pakistan allows AstraZeneca shot for under 40s to help its expatriates
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan has lifted a rule barring the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for people below 40 years old, in a bid to help inoculate people who need to travel for education or jobs abroad, particularly Saudi Arabia, a health official said.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on remittances from its expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia, has primarily used Chinese vaccines - Sinopharm, CanSinoBio and Sinovac - in its inoculation drive and, till now, only used AstraZeneca for those above 40.
The Saudi authorities have not approved the Chinese shots, so people with only those vaccinations still need to quarantine, which is unaffordable for many, Faisal Sultan, a health adviser to the prime minister, said.
"From today, we have lifted the restriction for use of AstraZeneca for below 40 years," Sultan told private news channel Geo television on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia has approved four COVID-19 vaccines for arrivals wanting to avoid quarantine, namely AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.
Pakistan has received 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca under the COVAX facility.
Sultan said the government was using diplomatic channels to see if Saudi Arabia would approve Chinese vaccines in future.
As of June 11, 1.3% of Pakistan's 220 million people had been fully vaccinated and 3.8% had received at least one dose, mostly Sinopharm or Sinovac, official figures show.
Saudi Arabia is the largest source of foreign remittances to Pakistan, which depends on these funds to support its current account given the country's yawning trade deficit.
In the current financial year, Pakistan received $7 billion in remittances from Saudi Arabia, making up more than a quarter of overall remittances. (Reuters)
June
U.N. readies for more displaced Afghans after troop withdrawal
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United Nations is preparing for a likely further displacement of civilians in Afghanistan after U.S. and international troops leave the country in September, U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi told Reuters on Monday.
Violence has been rising as foreign forces begin withdrawing and efforts to broker a peace settlement between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban have slowed.
Grandi pointed to a deadly attack last week on an international demining organization in northern Afghanistan, which killed 10 people.
"This is a tragic indicator of the type of violence that may be resurfacing in Afghanistan and with the withdrawal of the international troops this is possibly or likely going to become worse," Grandi said.
"Therefore we are doing contingency planning inside the country for further displacement, in the neighboring countries in case people might cross borders," he said, without offering details of those plans.
There are currently some 2.5 million registered refugees from Afghanistan globally, while another 4.8 million have been displaced within the country, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, which Grandi heads.
After 20 years, the United States has started a withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and aims to be completely out of the country by Sept. 11. Around 7,000 non-U.S. forces from mainly NATO countries - along with Australia, New Zealand and Georgia - are also planning to leave by Sept. 11.
Grandi said strong international support was needed for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
"It's political action that should substitute conflict but, of course, the risk (of further displacement) is there and we need to be prepared," he added.
U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001 for refusing to hand over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
"What's needed is a high level of economic support for Afghanistan humanitarian assistance to maximize the chance the Afghan authorities have to stabilize the situation," U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock told Reuters on Monday.
"There's been very good and constructive outreach from the Biden administration, from the White House down, and we have actually had very productive discussions with them on that," added Lowcock, who steps down from his role this month.
Earlier this month, the United States announced more than $266 million in new humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, bringing to nearly $3.9 billion the total amount of such aid it has provided since 2002.
Some 18.4 million people, almost half the country's population, need humanitarian help, according to the United, Nations, which has appealed for $1.3 billion in funding for 2021. So far it has only received about 23% of that.
Lowcock said that until a few years ago there had been a lot of international attention in Afghanistan. That has “dissipated and weakened and that is a sort of problem when it comes to drawing attention to the needs of Afghanistan and getting support for them.” (Reuters)
June
China reports 20 new coronavirus cases on June 14 vs 23 previous day
Written by Nur Yasmin
China reported 20 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for June 14, compared with 23 a day earlier, the country's health authority said on Tuesday.
Of the new cases, two were local transmissions, down from four a day earlier, the National Health Commission said. All the new local cases were in southern Guangdong province.
China also reported 25 new asymptomatic infections, compared with 24 a day earlier. China does not classify symptomless infections as confirmed cases.
As of Monday, China had a total of 91,471 confirmed infections. Its death toll stood unchanged at 4,636. (Reuters)
June
Philippines’ Duterte will not cooperate with ICC probe into killings
Written by Nur Yasmin
Rights groups and critics of the drug killings have welcomed the step by the ICC, saying a full-scale investigation will bring justice closer for the thousands of people killed in Duterte's bloody war on drugs.
"We will not cooperate because we are no longer a member," Harry Roque told a news conference. Duterte canceled the Philippines' membership of the ICC's founding treaty in March 2018.
"We do not need foreigners to investigate killings in the drug war because the legal system is working in the Philippines," Roque said, adding he believed launching a formal probe was "legally erroneous and politically motivated."
An ICC prosecutor sought authorisation on Monday to open a full investigation into the killings, saying crimes against humanity could have been committed.
"The long arm of the law will soon catch up with Duterte and his accomplices," former opposition senator Antonio Trillanes said in a statement.
Since Duterte took office in 2016 until the end of April this year, police have killed more than 6,100 suspected drug dealers in sting operations, government data show.
Rights group say police were summarily executing suspects, but authorities say they were killed after violently resisting arrest. (Reuters)
June
U.S. Navy says carrier group operating in S.China Sea
Written by Nur Yasmin
A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan has entered the South China Sea as part of a routine mission, the U.S. Navy said on Tuesday, at a time of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims most the disputed waterway.
China frequently objects to U.S. military missions in the South China Sea saying they do not help promote peace or stability, and the announcement follows China blasting the Group of Seven nations for a statement scolding Beijing over a range of issues.
"While in the South China Sea, the strike group is conducting maritime security operations, which include flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft, maritime strike exercises, and coordinated tactical training between surface and air units," the U.S. Navy said.
"Carrier operations in the South China Sea are part of the U.S. Navy's routine presence in the Indo-Pacific."
The carrier is being accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh and the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey, it added.
China has ramped up its military presence in the South China Sea in recent years, including building artificial islands and air bases.
The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters.
U.S. warships have passed through the South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, in a show of force against the Chinese claims. (Reuters)
June
China urges NATO to stop exaggerating 'China threat theory'
Written by Nur Yasmin
China's mission to the European Union urged NATO on Tuesday to stop exaggerating the "China threat theory" after the group's leaders warned that the country presents "systemic challenges".
NATO leaders on Monday had taken a forceful stance towards Beijing in a communique at United States President Joe Biden's first summit with the alliance.
"China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security," NATO leaders had said.
The new U.S. president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The NATO statement "slandered" China's peaceful development, misjudged the international situation, and indicated a "Cold War mentality," said China's response, posted on the mission's website.
China is always committed to peaceful development, it said.
"We will not pose a 'systemic challenge' to anyone, but if anyone wants to pose a 'systemic challenge' to us, we will not remain indifferent."
G7 nations meeting in Britain over the weekend scolded China over human rights in its Xinjiang region, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full investigation of the origins of the coronavirus in China.
China's embassy in London said it was resolutely opposed to mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which it said distorted the facts and exposed the "sinister intentions of a few countries such as the United States." (Reuters)
June
S.Korea eases COVID-19 restrictions on concerts, sports games
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea began easing restrictions on large concerts and sports events on Monday after announcing last week it would loosen a series of coronavirus curbs as the country pushes ahead with its vaccination drive.
Up to 4,000 people will be allowed to attend K-Pop concerts and other cultural shows from Monday, up massively from a capacity limit of below 100 people since late last year, according to measures announced by health officials on Friday.
Sports stadiums will be able to operate at a 30% to 50% capacity, depending on the districts, up from 10% previously.
While South Korea has fought small clusters of coronavirus infections in recent months, the daily infection number hit a two-month low on Sunday while the government has pushed through with its vaccination drive.
The government has also said it would loosen some quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated overseas visitors.
From July 1, some of those travellers can apply for exemptions from having to observe South Korea's mandatory two-week quarantine if they are visiting family or travelling for the purpose of business, academics or public interest, health authorities said on Sunday. read more
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout gains momentum, many countries are planning a gradual return to normal, opening borders and letting people back into restaurants, shops and sports venues after more than a year of on-off lockdowns. read more
South Korean tour agencies were also preparing new travel packages after the government's announcement last week that it is accelerating talks aimed at securing "travel bubbles" with a few countries, including Singapore and Thailand, the Korea Association of Travel Agents told Reuters.
South Korea has given a first dose to over 11.8 million people or 23% of the country's population, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a briefing.
That is below the vaccination rate seen in many advanced countries, such as 61% in the UK, but higher than 12% in Japan, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources. Japan started vaccinating its population in February like South Korea.
While there has been a significant drop in new cases at nursing homes as many elderly have received vaccines, South Korea will only see a full-scale reduction in the number of local transmissions in September when over 70% will have been inoculated, said Jeong. (Reuters)