VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

China deployed a reconnaissance aircraft over Pacific waters east of Taiwan last week that Chinese media said monitored and gathered intelligence on an exercise involving the navies of the United States, Japan, France and Canada.

A Y-9 cargo plane variant fitted with intelligence-gathering equipment most likely monitored and collected intelligence on the exercise, China's state-backed Global Times newspaper reported on Sunday, citing analysts.

Two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, had been operating around the geopolitically important Ryukyu Islands in the Philippine Sea since Thursday, the Global Times cited a Beijing-based think tank as saying.

The islands separate the East China Sea from the Philippine Sea, and dot the West Pacific between Japan and Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

On Friday, the U.S. began the exercise in the Philippine Sea with two carrier strike groups jointly operating for the first time since June 2020, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement.

The Japanese defence ministry reported a sighting of a Y-9 reconnaissance variant in the Pacific on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Japanese ministry said on Monday it was analysing a piece of equipment attached to the undercarriage of the Y-9 variant that had not been seen before.

Military encounters between China and the United States and its allies in the Western Pacific have risen in recent years as China has grown increasingly assertive in the East and South China Seas, as well as around Taiwan.

Days before the quadrilateral exercise, the coast guards of the Philippines, United States and Japan held their first trilateral exercise off the coast of a western Philippine province. (Reuters)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said the first cargo of discounted Russian crude oil arranged under a new deal struck between Islamabad and Moscow had arrived in Karachi.

"Glad to announce that the first Russian discounted crude oil cargo has arrived in Karachi and will begin oil discharge tomorrow," Sharif tweeted.

"This is the first ever Russian oil cargo to Pakistan and the beginning of a new relationship between Pakistan and Russian Federation," he added.

A port official said on Sunday evening that the oil was in the process of being unloaded.

Reuters first reported on the deal in April. The discounted crude offers a relief to Pakistan, which is facing a payments crisis and is at risk of defaulting on its debt.

Pakistan's purchase gives Russia a new outlet, adding to Moscow's growing sales to India and China, as it redirects oil from western markets because of the Ukraine conflict.

Energy imports make up the majority of Pakistan's external payments. The country's imports of crude are expected to reach 100,000 barrels per day after the first cargo arrives on Monday.

There has been no confirmation of how payment would be made, but Pakistan recently announced a plan to allow barter trade with Russia, Afghanistan and Iran, which analysts said could reduce the need for dollars and the risk of cross-border smuggling of energy products. (reuters)

China will "firmly" support the economic development of Honduras, Chinese state media reported on Monday, as the central American country's president made her first visit to the Asian giant after establishing diplomatic relations in March.

President Xiomara Castro launched diplomatic relations with Beijing after cutting ties with its rival, Taiwan, in a bid for more investment and jobs.

"China will unswervingly develop the friendly relations between the two nations and firmly support Honduras' economic and social development," Xi told Castro, broadcaster CCTV reported.

Castro is on a six-day official visit to China.

Honduras is looking to boost trade and investment and is also seeking support from China to mitigate its debt burden.

Xi said China was willing to work with Honduras to promote the in-depth development of bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.

When Honduras ended its decades-long relationship with Taiwan, the island's foreign minister accused it of demanding exorbitant sums before being lured away by Beijing.

China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. China demands that countries with which it has ties to recognise its position.

The Honduran foreign ministry said at the time it recognised the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government that represents all of China and that Taiwan was an "inseparable part of Chinese territory".

The United States is watching with concern as China expands its footprint in its backyard by taking away Taiwan's Central American allies, and has repeatedly warned countries not to believe China's promises of aid. (reuters)

Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi said on Monday he could think of no reason why the cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida deserved a vote of no-confidence that could trigger a snap election.

An election for parliament's more powerful lower house is not due until 2025, but Kishida is looking to solidify his strength in the LDP ahead of a leadership race next fall, so as to ensure his re-election and retain the premiership.

Public support for Kishida was 43% in the latest poll, released on Monday by public broadcaster NHK, down 3 points from last month, though the disapproval rating rose 6 points to 37%. (Reuters)