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September
Philippines supports Australia nuclear sub pact to counter China
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Philippines is backing a new defence partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia, hoping it can maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, a view that contrasts sharply with some of its neighbours.
Known as AUKUS, the alliance will see Australia get technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power.
"The enhancement of a near-abroad ally's ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilise it," Philippines foreign minister, Teodoro Locsin, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Locsin's remarks, dated Sept. 19, differ to the stance of Indonesia and Malaysia, which sounded the alarm about the nuclear power submarines amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia.
Locsin said that without an actual presence of nuclear weapons, the AUKUS move would not violate a 1995 treaty to keep nuclear arms out of Southeast Asia.
The South China Sea continues to be a source of tension, with the United States - a defence treaty partner of the Philippines - and Western allies regularly conducting "freedom of navigation" operations that China has reacted angrily to.
China sees those as outside interference in waters it claims as its own, in conflict with other coastal states, like the Philippines and Vietnam, which have accused China of harassing fishermen and energy activities.
A brief period of rapprochement is all but over this year, with the Philippines furious about the "threatening" presence of hundreds of Chinese "maritime militia" vessels inside its exclusive economic zone.
"Proximity breeds brevity in response time; thereby enhancing an ASEAN near friend and ally's military capacity to respond to a threat to the region or challenge the status quo," Locsin added, without specifying the threat.
"This requires enhancing Australia's ability, added to that of its main military ally, to achieve that calibration." (Reuters)
September
Australia PM says no opportunity for meeting with French president in New York
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he will not speak with the French president at the United Nations this week even though French anger over cancellation of a $40 billion defence contract could threaten an Australian-EU trade deal.
Australia last week scrapped a deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and will instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership with those two countries.
The cancellation of the deal has angered France, which accused both Australia and the United States of stabbing it in the back, and it recalled its ambassadors from both Canberra and Washington.
While U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron to ease tensions, Morrison said he would not hold a separate bilateral meeting with the French leader.
"There is not an opportunity for that at this time. I'm sure that opportunity will come in time," Morrison told reporters in New York when asked if he would speak to Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
European Union countries expressed solidarity with France on Monday in a show of unity seen as threatening Australia's bid for a free trade deal with the bloc.
Australia and the EU are set to hold the next round of talks on a trade deal on Oct 12.
Australian Minister for Trade Dan Tehan on Monday said he expected those talks to go ahead as scheduled despite the French disappointment.
But Morrison sought to temper expectations that a deal will materialise. "It's not an easy thing to do, to get an agreement with the European Union on trade, I think everyone understands that," he said.
While Australia struggles to mend ties with Europe, the nuclear-powered submarines issue has also divided Canberra's Asian allies and angered China and North Korea.
Indonesia and Malaysia have said Australia risks igniting an arms race, though the Philippines on Tuesday said it supported Canberra's nuclear submarine deal as it would help bring stability to the region.
"The enhancement of a near-abroad ally's ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilise it," Philippines Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said in a statement.
Morrison will meet Biden and European leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York before travelling to Washington for a meeting of the quadrilateral security dialogue, made up of India, Japan, the United States and Australia - which convenes later this week. (Reuters)
September
'Western bloc' has let Pakistan down, board chief says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan have been let down by the "Western bloc" and the back-to-back pullouts by New Zealand and England could have a "domino effect" for cricket in the South Asian country, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said.
England on Monday cancelled their men's and women's teams tour of Pakistan next month citing "mental and physical well-being" of the players.
It followed New Zealand's abrupt abandonment of their tour minutes before the opening fixture in Rawalpindi on Friday following a security alert from their government.
"I am very disappointed by England's withdrawal but it was expected because this Western bloc gets united unfortunately and tries to back each other," Raja, who took over as PCB chief earlier this month, said in a video shared by the PCB.
"You can take any decision on the basis of security threat and perception.
"But there's a lesson for us. We go out of our way to accommodate and pamper these sides when they visit...from now on, we'll tour only when it serves our interest."
The former Pakistan captain said there was a sense of anger in his country as New Zealand refused to share the exact threat, which necessitated a step that has far-reaching consequences for the hosts.
"It can have a domino effect. It can hit the tour by West Indies, and Australia are already reconsidering their tour next year," Raja said.
"England, Australia, New Zealand - they are part of one bloc. Who can we complain to? We thought they were our own but they haven't accepted us as theirs."
According to media reports, the PCB is facing a loss that could be anything between $15-25 million after the twin pullouts but Raja said he was determined to claim compensation from New Zealand Cricket.
Pakistan could have hosted Zimbabwe and a second-string Bangladesh team to fill the void but the PCB would not resort to such "desperation", he said.
Pakistan would have been treated better had PCB had more financial clout, the 59-year-old said.
"We have to improve and expand our cricket economy so that these countries remain interested in playing us," he said.
"They come to the Pakistan Super League where they don't get spooked or fatigued but collectively they have a different mindset together toward Pakistan." (Reuters)
September
Australia PM Morrison says trade talks with EU will take time
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said any trade talks with the European Union will be worked through in "the weeks and months ahead" as he deals with fallout of the decision to cancel a $40 billion submarine deal with France.
"It's not an easy thing to do, to get an agreement with the European Union on trade, I think everyone understands that," Morrison told reporters in New York, after reaching the United States for a meeting of the leaders of the Quad group.
Australia last week cancelled its order of a fleet of conventional submarines from France, and said it would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology, prompting a recall by France of its envoys in the U.S. and Australia. (Reuters)
September
Pacquiao faces toughest fight yet in run for Philippines presidency
Written by Nur Yasmin
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao may have signed up for his toughest fight yet in running for president of the Philippines, facing doubts about his leadership and commitment as a lawmaker that could dent his appeal and deal a big blow to his ambitions.
The 42-year-old announced his candidacy on Sunday, declaring his readiness to "rise to the challenge of leadership" and battle poverty and corruption.
As an eight-division world champion, Pacquiao is a national treasure, but analysts say he faces a huge challenge to convince the electorate he can lead a nation beset by problems ranging from crime, graft and natural disasters to Islamist extremism, outdated infrastructure and bloated bureaucracy.
"Can he really govern? He said he would surround himself with knowledgeable people, but at the end of the day, it is still the president who decides," said political analyst Earl Parreño.
To win the May 2022 election, Parreño said, Pacquiao must show how he can steer the country and its struggling economy out of one of Asia's worst coronavirus epidemics.
"The problem is how to govern after winning," he added.
Pacquiao is no political neophyte having served as both congressman and senator, winning elections with ease due to his mass appeal as one of world boxing's all-time greats, and his rags-to-riches life story.
The presidency, however, could be too soon for Pacquiao in the eyes of some ordinary Filipinos.
"He is not yet ready and there are many more deserving who have been there longer ... and have more experience," said tricycle taxi driver Edwin Loza, 65.
"If ever he wins, he will have to face many problems."
His commitment to public service has also been questioned, with a poor attendance in congress and lengthy disappearances as senator while training for big-money fights abroad.
"We all know Pacquiao, though he is a very good man and his heart is in the right place, did not also perform well as a senator," said Victor Andres Manhit, managing director of think tank Stratbase ADRi.
"He was not attentive in the Senate so people might find that lacking."
That may partly explain why he trails in opinion polls on preferred presidential candidates.
He was at fifth in the June 7-16 survey by Pulse Asia, backed by 8% of the 2,400 participants.
With the constitution only allowing a single term as president, Pacquiao will not have to take on popular incumbent Rodrigo Duterte, but he could face a formidable opponent in his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, who looks to have inherited her father's cult-like following.
Despite repeatedly saying she will not run, Duterte-Carpio, 43, has topped every opinion poll this year on preferred candidates.
The polls also show Pacquiao's appeal to be weak across all classes, though he appears to enjoy support in several regions considered bailiwicks of the Dutertes. He could, therefore, make a dent in their support base.
As senator, Pacquiao allied himself with Duterte, backing his bloody war on drugs and push to reintroduce the death penalty, but has sought to distance himself lately, complaining of government graft and criticising Duterte's inaction against perceived Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
"It was his first step to be more independent," said Stratbase's Manhit.
"I would have wanted Senator Pacquiao to be more assertive in his true position." (Reuters)
September
Hong Kong's patriots-only government to tackle housing woes, Lam says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Solving Hong Kong's shortage of housing and increasing land supply will be key priorities for authorities under the new, "patriots only" political system imposed by Beijing, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday.
Lam's remarks come after Reuters reported last week that Chinese officials have told Hong Kong's powerful tycoons in several private meetings this year that they should pour resources and influence into backing Beijing's interests and helping solve the city's housing shortage.
On Sunday, Hong Kong held its first vote since China overhauled the former British colony's electoral system to ensure that only those loyal to Beijing run the city.
The changes dramatically reduced the tycoons' influence in the 1,500-strong committee that selects Hong Kong's China-backed chief executive, although groups close to their business interests retain a presence.
Asked about the Reuters report at her weekly news conference, Lam told reporters she could not confirm or comment on "rumours."
"I can only say the central government cares about social issues very much," Lam said.
"After improving the election system, government efficiency can increase. Once efficiency is raised, of course it will want to solve people's problems," she said, namely border reopening in the near future and housing issues longer term.
Shares of Hong Kong's four major developers, CK Asset (1113.HK), Henderson Land Development (0012.HK), Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) (0016.HK) and New World Development (0017.HK), dropped between 9% and 12% on Monday, with analysts citing market worries about potential regulation curbing their growth. The market was more stable on Tuesday.
In a statement late on Monday, SHKP said it did not receive pressure from the central government in Beijing and that it has been cooperating with the Hong Kong government and fulfilling its "commitments" to society, including on housing.
"SKHP has never supported the act of market monopoly," its statement said.
Henderson Land declined to comment. CK Asset and New World Development did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
'WILLING TO COOPERATE'
Raymond Cheng, head of Hong Kong research at CGS-CIMB Securities, said investors were concerned that Beijing would ask Hong Kong to impose measures such as price caps or home purchase restrictions akin to recent rules introduced in mainland China.
But "adopting those China housing policies in Hong Kong is unlikely," Cheng said.
Citi analysts said that developers' shares were oversold on the back of the report but that "without any near-term actions to remove policy risk concerns ... the sector may not see any sustainable rebounds."
The Reuters report made no mention of any potential regulatory intervention emerging from several meetings this year between Chinese officials and developers.
Big property firms have long exerted outsized power in Hong Kong, helping choose its leaders, shaping government policies, and reaping the benefits of a land auction system that kept supply tight and property prices among the world's highest.
Beijing has partly blamed the conglomerates' "monopolistic behaviour" for the city's housing woes, which it believes have played a big role in stirring discontent with the government and fuel mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Lam said the main factor behind the housing shortage was land supply and that the government could use existing legislation to take back land for public housing.
"I feel today (the developers) are very willing to cooperate with the Hong Kong government's policies," Lam said. "I hope this kind of public-private-partnership to solve social issues, after perfecting the electoral system, will yield more results." (Reuters)
September
Biden supports full investigation into Afghanistan drone strike
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden supports a thorough investigation of the U.S. drone strike that killed up to ten Afghanistan civilians last month, the White House said on Monday.
Biden was briefed Friday morning about the August drone strike, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. "This was done in error," Psaki said of the strike. "Every loss is a tragedy," she said. (Reuters)
September
Thailand to try alternative COVID-19 vaccination method to stretch supplies
Written by Nur Yasmin
Doctors in Thailand have been given the go-ahead to start giving COVID-19 booster shots under the skin, rather than injecting them into muscles, officials said on Monday, in an effort to strengthen immunity and stretch vaccine supplies.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the method, which doctors began exploring last month, could be used at the discretion of medical professionals, providing it was supported by evidence.
Chalermpong Sukonthaphon, director of the Vachira Hospital in Phuket, said his hospital had been given the green light to use the technique from Friday, as trials had showed it triggered a similar immune response to the regular method.
"One vaccine dose can be used for five intradermal injections," Chalermpong told Reuters.
Phuket's population was among the first to be inoculated in Thailand, as a pre-requisite for the island to reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists in July.
Starting in April they received two doses of the vaccine of Sinovac (SVA.O), for which booster shots of other vaccines have been issued in several countries after concerns about its resistance to the Delta COVID-19 variant.
Thailand has turned to unconventional approaches due to problems in supplies, despite manufacturing the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccine locally.
So far, only 21% of the estimated 72 million people living in the country have been fully vaccinated.
Authorities have also decided to administer separate shots of Sinovac's vaccine followed by that of AstraZeneca, a technique yet to be adopted elsewhere.
Thailand has reported more than 1.4 million infections and 15,000 deaths, the majority since April this year. (Reuters)
September
Biden speech at U.N. to stress U.S. focus on 'intensive diplomacy,' official says
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden will use his speech at the United Nations on Tuesday to stress that ending the military engagement in Afghanistan will open a new chapter of "intensive diplomacy," a senior administration official said.
Biden was to leave the White House on Monday afternoon to travel to New York to kick off a week that will be dominated by foreign policy, amid questions about his handling of the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan and a submarine deal with Australia that has angered France.
Biden is to meet U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres late on Monday afternoon, give his first speech as president to the U.N. General Assembly at mid-morning on Tuesday, meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison afterward in New York, then return to Washington to meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The senior official told reporters that Biden wants to speak on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Macron's anger at a deal reached between the United States, Australia and Britain last week in which Washington will supply advanced technology to Australia for nuclear-powered submarines.
The deal is aimed at helping Australia counter the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region, but it undermined a French deal to supply Australia with a dozen diesel-powered submarines. France has complained it felt stabbed in the back by the agreement.
Biden understands the French position but does not agree with it, the official said. U.S. officials say Australia had sought the U.S. technology.
The speech gives Biden his biggest opportunity to date to talk about the direction of U.S. foreign policy following criticism at home and abroad that the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in August was chaotic and poorly planned, leaving behind some U.S. citizens and Afghan allies who could face reprisals from the Taliban now in power.
The official said the pullout allows the United States to focus on other priorities.
"The president will essentially drive home the message that ending the war in Afghanistan closed a chapter focused on war and opens a chapter focused on ... purposeful, effective, intensive American diplomacy," the official said.
Biden's meetings and remarks would be aimed at sending the message that this is an era of "vigorous competition with great powers, but not a new Cold War," the official said.
Biden will also up the U.S. commitments on climate change and COVID-19 vaccine donations, the official said, without providing specifics.
"President Biden will communicate tomorrow that he does not believe in the notion of a new Cold War with the world divided into blocs. He believes in vigorous, intensive, principled competition that does not tip over into conflict," the official said. Biden stressed the same message in a Sept. 9 call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the official said. (Reuters)
September
Sydney COVID-19 cases fall as curbs ease in virus hotspots
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state on Monday reported its lowest rise in daily COVID-19 cases in more than three weeks as some lockdown restrictions were eased in Sydney, the state capital, amid higher vaccination levels.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 935 new cases had been detected in the state, the lowest daily tally since Aug. 27, and down from 1,083 on Sunday. The state reported four more deaths.
"We're feeling more positive than we have in a couple of weeks ... but I don't want any of us to sit back and think the worst is behind us," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, warning of more deaths in the days ahead.
"Because we have seen the accumulation of so many cases, we know that October is going to be very challenging for our hospital system."
Nearly half of Australia's 25 million people is in lockdown after the Delta variant spread rapidly in Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, forcing officials there to abandon a COVID-zero target and shift to rapid vaccinations to ease curbs.
As the vaccine rollout gathers speed, with 53% of NSW's adult population fully vaccinated, some restrictions were relaxed on Monday in 12 of the worst-hit suburbs in Sydney's west. Time limits for outdoor exercise were lifted, while fully vaccinated people can gather outside in groups of five.
Neighbouring Victoria state, which includes Melbourne, logged one new death and 567 new infections, its biggest daily rise this year, a day after revealing its roadmap back to freedom when vaccinations reach 70%, expected around Oct. 26. read more
So far, 44% of people in the state have been fully vaccinated, below the national average of 47%.
Meanwhile, several workers protested outside a union office in Melbourne against Victoria's mandatory vaccination rule in the construction sector, local media reported.
The New Zealand Breakers basketball team, which play in Australia's National Basketball League, released guard Tai Webster on Monday after he decided not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Australia has largely lived in COVID-zero for much of the pandemic, recording 1,167 deaths and some 87,000 cases. About 56,000 cases have been registered since mid-June when the first Delta infection was detected in Sydney.
While NSW and Victoria bear the brunt of the Delta outbreak, most other states with little or no community transmission fear opening up too soon could overwhelm their hospital systems. (Reuters)