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June
Japan's growing military strength not a threat, minister says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan will not use its growing military strength to threaten other countries, its defence minister said on Saturday, while affirming its aim to prioritise diplomatic efforts and dialogue to avert misunderstandings.
"We do not seek rivalry or conflict," Yasukazu Hamada said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference in Singapore with 600 delegates from 49 countries.
Japanese aggression before and during World War Two is still a cause of tension in relations with some countries, especially South Korea and China.
The United States in 1947 imposed a constitution on Japan that renounces war but in recent years governments have been boosting defence capacities and in December, Japan unveiled its biggest military build-up since the war.
Hamada said Japan did not aim to establish military power to pose a threat to others.
The defence ministry would pursue diplomatic efforts first, he said.
"As a nation that generally desire peace, we aim to enhance our own and original deterrent capabilities and promote the resolution to differences in interest and opinions through dialogue," he said.
Under a five-year defence, which will double defence spending, Japan will acquire longer-range missiles that it hopes will deter China from resorting to force in East Asia.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government worries that Russia's attack on Ukraine could embolden China to attack neighbouring Taiwan. (reuters)
June
China and Russia ignore US call at UN to condemn North Korea launch
Written by Nur Yasmin
China and Russia on Friday ignored a U.S. call for the U.N. Security Council to unite in condemning North Korea for its attempted satellite launch this week and instead blamed Washington for raising tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Robert Wood, a diplomat from Washington's U.N. mission, made the call at a U.N. Security Council meeting called by the United States and allies to discuss Wednesday's failed launch, which the U.S. said violated multiple U.N. resolutions because it used ballistic missile technology.
"We call on all council members to uphold the credibility of the council, join us in condemning this unlawful behavior and urge the DPRK to not follow through on its stated plan to conduct another launch that will further pose a threat to international peace and security," Wood said.
DPRK are the initials of North Korea's official name.
Following the launch, North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said her country would soon put a military spy satellite into orbit and vowed that Pyongyang would increase its military surveillance capabilities.
Chinese deputy permanant representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, told the U.N. meeting North Korea had "legitimate security concerns" and the Security Council should promote deescalation and not point the finger at one party.
Geng and Russia's permanent U.N. representative, Anna Evstigneeva, criticized the United States for raising tensions with joint miiltary execises with South Korea.
After Geng spoke, Wood took the floor again to note that "the representative the Chinese delegation did not at any point condemn this DPRK space launch."
Geng responded to this by saying there was a need for real dialogue that took North Korea's concerns into account.
"The U.S. has been saying that door of diplomacy is open, but at the same time, they have been consistently doing military activities in the peninsula and surrounding areas," he said.
Lana Nusseibeh, ambassador of current Security Council chair the United Arab Emirates, noted that North Korea had given some advance warning of the launch, but added that "such warnings neither legitimize, nor minimize, the illegality of the DPRK's launch."
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this week that any launch by Pyongyang using ballistic missile technology breaches Security Council resolutions.
Kim Yo Jong called criticisms of the launch a "self-contradiction" as the U.S. and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites." (Reuters)
June
Southeast Asian defence pact helps 'balance' region, members say
Written by Nur Yasmin
Top officials from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Britain said on Saturday that their 52-year-old Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) pact helped keep things in balance amid regional tensions.
"The longstanding FPDA... always been an important part of ensuring signalling collective defence in this region," New Zealand defence minister Andrew Little said at a media briefing on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
As the tensions between the United States and China persist, the longstanding relationships among smaller nations are "what keep things in balance", Little said.
"I'm comfortable continuing to keep things in balance as different countries including the major powers work out how the relationships are working," he added.
Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Malaysian Defence Minister Seri Mohamad Hasan, Little, and British defence minister Ben Wallace discussed the importance of the FPDA as a constructive and peaceful arrangement.
The ministers also talked about collaborating in unconventional ways in the face of contemporary security challenges.
"We are five countries who are deeply committed to a rules based order and promoting peace within our region," Marles said.
Increased regional involvement by nations in and outside Asia has been a recurring theme at the security meetings, with comments on the subject from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday night, and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin echoing the sentiments in a speech the next morning. (Reuters)
June
EU's top diplomat discusses Ukraine's ammunition needs with South Korea
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said he met South Korea's defence minister on Saturday to discuss Ukraine's needs for ammunition.
The meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security summit, came amid pressure from the United States and NATO countries for South Korea to provide weapons and ammunition for Ukraine.
"Good meeting with Korean Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup at #SLD23. Shared alarm at continued DPRK provocations and discussed Ukraine’s needs for ammunition," Borrell said in a tweet.
A U.S. ally and major producer of artillery ammunition, South Korea had so far ruled out sending lethal aid to Ukraine, citing business ties with Russia and Moscow's influence over North Korea, despite mounting pressure from Washington and Europe to supply weapons.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in an interview with Reuters in April, signalled the prospect of a change, saying it might be difficult for Seoul to adhere to only providing humanitarian and financial support if Ukraine faced a large-scale attack on civilians or a "situation the international community cannot condone".
Hundreds of thousands of South Korean artillery rounds are on their way to Ukraine via the United States, after Seoul's initial resistance toward arming Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. (Reuters)
June
South Korea says some countries ignore North Korea's unlawful behaviour
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's defence minister said on Saturday that some countries were "ignoring North Korea's unlawful behaviour", which he said threatens to weaken U.N. sanctions against its missile and nuclear programmes.
China and Russia on Friday ignored a U.S. call for the U.N. Security Council to condemn North Korea for a recent attempt to launch a satellite and instead blamed the United States for increasing tension on the Korean peninsula.
"This creates holes in sanctions against North Korea passed at the U.N. Security Council," Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's top security summit.
On Wednesday, North Korea launched its first spy satellite into space, although it ended in failure with the booster and payload plunging into the sea. It has vowed to conduct another satellite launch soon. read more
"Choosing inactivity to North Korea's unlawful behaviour will worsen the security of not only the Korean peninsula, in the Pacific region but also the entire world," Lee said.
The South Korean minister reiterated that coordination with the United States and Japan to deter North Korea was important.
The three countries have agreed to begin sharing North Korean missile warning data in real time "within this year", South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement after a meeting between the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese defence chiefs.
That is part of a pact agreed in November to speed up information-sharing.
The defence ministers "strongly condemned North Korea's recent long-range ballistic missile launch, under the guise of a so-called satellite", the statement said.
North Korea argues it has a sovereign right to space development. (Reuters)
May
Pakistan's Khan gets bail on new charge of abetting violence - lawyer
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistani former prime minister Imran Khan was on Tuesday granted bail on a new charge of abetting violence against the military by his protesting supporters after he was arrested and detained on May 9 in a corruption case, his lawyer said.
The embattled Khan, who says the corruption charges have been concocted, is embroiled in a confrontation with the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan directly or overseen civilian governments throughout its history.
His May 9 arrest sparked widespread protests by his supporters who ransacked various military facilities, raising new worries about the stability of the nuclear-armed country as it struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades.
Khan, 70, was later freed on the orders of a court.
His lawyer, Intezar Hussain Punjotha, said an anti-terrorism court confirmed the bail on the new charge after the former premier appeared before it and submitted surety bonds.
Khan has denied the charge saying he was in detention when the violence took place.
The bail until June 2 on the new charge means he will not be detained on that charge.
The former international cricket star became prime minister in 2018 with the tacit support of the military, though both sides denied it at the time.
He later fell out with generals and was ousted as prime minister after losing a confidence vote in 2022.
Khan has since then been campaigning for a snap election, with rallies with his supporters across the country, but the prime minister who replaced him, Shahbaz Sharif, has rejected the call for an election before it is due late this year.
The turmoil has exacerbated Pakistan's economic crisis with inflation at record highs, growth is anaemic amid fears of a sovereign default on external debts unless the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unlocks delayed disbursements.
Dozens of Khan's supporters have been handed over to army authorities for trial in military courts.
A team of investigators looking into the May 9 violence summoned Khan on Tuesday for questioning but Punjotha said a member of his legal team would go instead.
Khan has appealed for talks to end the crisis. The government has rejected his call. (Reuters)
May
China declines US request for a meeting between defense chiefs
Written by Nur Yasmin
China has declined a request from the United States for a meeting between their defense chiefs at an annual security forum in Singapore this weekend, media reported on Monday, a new sign of strain between the powers.
"Overnight, the PRC informed the U.S. that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary (Lloyd) Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore," the Pentagon said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, referring to China by the initials of its official name, the People's Republic of China.
Li has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018 over the purchase of combat aircraft and equipment from Russia's main arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.
The Pentagon said it believed in open communication "to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict."
Last week, White House spokesman John Kirby said there were discussions by the Defense Department to get talks going between Austin and his Chinese counterpart, who was named defense minister in March.
The prospect of a meeting was being closely watched given regional security tensions and trade disputes that have derailed plans for re-engagement by the world's two largest economies.
China's foreign ministry on Tuesday blamed the United States for its decision, claiming that Washington was "well aware" of the reasons behind the lack of military communication.
"The U.S. side should ... immediately correct its wrong practices, show sincerity, and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a briefing.
Last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao traded barbs on trade, investment and export policies in a meeting in Washington that marked the first U.S.-China cabinet-level exchange in months.
Singapore-based security analyst Ian Storey said China's decision to shun Austin did not bode well.
"At a time of rising U.S.-China tensions, General Li's refusal to meet his American counterpart will fray regional nerves even further," Storey said.
Austin and Li will be in Singapore to attend the annual Shangri-la Dialogue that opens on Friday, an informal gathering of defense officials and analysts that also plays host to a string of side meetings.
Both are expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from around the region.
Li, who security scholars say is a veteran of the People's Liberation Army modernisation effort, is a member of the Central Military Commission, China's top defense body that is commanded by President Xi Jinping. (reuters)
May
S.Korea April factory output falls, retail sales drop most in 5 months
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's factory production and retail sales fell in April, underscoring another tough quarter after the economy narrowly averted a recession in the first three months of the year.
Factory production in April fell 1.2% from March, on a seasonally adjusted basis, official data showed on Wednesday, slightly softer than a 1.6% loss tipped in a Reuters survey.
In March, output rose by 5.3% month-on-month, which was the fastest gain since June 2020, according to Statistics Korea.
Output in April was down 8.9% from the same month a year earlier, compared with a decline of 7.6% in March and a year-on-year drop of 7.9% expected by economists. It was the biggest annual loss in three months.
The all-industry output index, which includes the manufacturing as well as services sectors, fell 1.4% in April over a month, marking the first monthly decline since November and the biggest drop in 14 months.
On the consumption side, retail sales dropped 2.3% from a month earlier, after a 0.1% gain in the previous month, marking the first monthly fall since January and the biggest in five months.
"The latest data show that producers are on a roller coaster ride that will probably last for a few more months," said economist Heron Lim at Moody's Analytics.
"A recovery in industrial production is contingent on a stronger export market," Lim said, adding that "easing inflation and the pause on monetary tightening will offer limited support to domestic demand."
The finance ministry said data showed the economy went through a "moderate correction from the recovery in the first quarter".
The ministry said both upside and downside factors are likely to affect the economic trend, such as spill-over effects from China's reopening and high inventory levels in the semiconductor industry, respectively.
The weak economic activity in April follows the country's slim growth in the first quarter of this year, which was just enough to prevent Asia's fourth-largest economy from falling into a recession. (Reuters)
May
New Zealand-UK free trade agreement to start benefiting exporters -NZ PM
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand companies will start to benefit from the country’s new free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom with the pact now in force, the government said on Wednesday.
“The benefits which begin flowing from the FTA today, provide a further big boost to our economy,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins a statement.
New Zealand forecasts the deal with its seventh-largest trading partner will add NZ$1 billion ($634.40 million) to GDP each year and save NZ$37 million in tariffs annually. The UK estimates the deal will add 800 million pounds to its GDP.
The agreement comes as London seeks to pivot towards the Indo-Pacific in light of its departure from the European Union. It has also signed a FTA with Australia.
“This is a major delivery milestone and sits alongside the seven new or upgraded FTAs secured since 2017, which is helping to contribute to record earnings for our exporters,” said Trade Minister Damien O'Connor.
Britain has also agreed with New Zealand to increase the age of eligibility for working holiday visas to 35 from 30, letting people stay for up to three years at a time. (Reuters)
May
Pakistan says to share budget details with IMF to unlock funds
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan will share its upcoming budget details with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to unlock stalled funds, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday.
Hopes for a resumption of an IMF deal are diminishing, analysts say, with a bailout programme agreed in 2019 due to expire on June 30 at the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Dar said he would like the IMF to clear its 9th review before the budget, which is due to be presented in early June, as all the conditions for that had already been met.
The IMF funding is crucial for the $350 billion South Asian country, which faces an acute balance of payments crisis. This has raised concerns of a sovereign default, something which the minister dismissed.
The central bank's foreign reserves have fallen as low as to cover barely a month of controlled imports. Pakistan's economy has slowed, with an estimated 0.29% GDP growth for 2022-2023.
"They have asked for some more things again, we are ready to give that too, they say that give us budget details, we will give it to them," Dar said in an interview with local Geo TV.
He said it would not work for Pakistan if the IMF combined the 9th and 10th review of the bailout, adding, "We will not do it, (we) see this is (as) unfair."
The IMF's $1.1 billion funding to Pakistan, which is part of the $6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019, has been held up since November.
Islamabad hosted the IMF mission in February to negotiate a series of fiscal policy measures to clear the 9th review.
Pakistan had to complete a series of prior actions demanded by the IMF, which included reversing subsidies, a hike in energy and fuel prices, jacking up its key policy rate, a market-based exchange rate, arranging for external financing and raising over 170 billion rupees ($613 million) in new taxation.
The fiscal adjustments have already fuelled Pakistan's highest ever inflation, which hit 36.5% year-on-year in April. (Reuters)