Southern China Morning Post - ASEAN Diplomacy

Myanmar coup: military rebuffs UN warnings, says it is ‘used to sanctions’ and isolation

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 03:30:25 GMT

After at least 38 people died on Wednesday in the “bloodiest” day of Myanmar’s crisis, the United Nations warned the situation could threaten regional stability and turn into a “real war”.Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 1 when the military ousted and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ending the nation’s decade-long experiment with democracy and sparking daily mass protests. The fresh violence also comes after the junta told security forces to avoid using live bullets…

Pakistan’s belt and road offer to Sri Lanka stokes India’s China concerns

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 04:30:05 GMT

Pakistan’s offer to Sri Lanka to join its multibillion-dollar trade and infrastructure scheme with China under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative has raised concerns in Indian policy circles, as New Delhi seeks to secure its influence in a region where China’s presence is growing. On a two-day visit to Colombo last week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Colombo to participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which comprises railways, power plants and the deepwater Indian Ocean…

Australian media made ‘panda hugging’ a sin: Chinese diplomat Wang Xining

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 10:31:08 GMT

China’s No 2 diplomat in Australia has blamed “fabricated arguments” about threats to Australian sovereignty and security for making it “really difficult to be China’s friend”.Speaking at an event hosted by the Australia China Business Council, Wang Xining said Australia and China had over the years developed a “multilayered, multi-sector” model of collaboration that had benefited both sides. But a “small number of people” had fuelled suspicions of the relationship, he said, singling out the…

Myanmar military urged not to ‘invite’ foreign intervention, as Asean foreign ministers meet

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 08:44:17 GMT

Asean foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon during which the bloc called on Myanmar’s military rulers to stop violence against demonstrators and immediately release civilian leaders as a first step towards quelling the unrest that has followed last month’s coup.Ahead of the talks, police in Myanmar continued to use violence – including the firing of live bullets – to disperse crowds as protests continued in Yangon and across the country, Reuters reported, citing…

Is China behind mystery Kashmir ceasefire between India and Pakistan?

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:30:08 GMT

Practically two years to the day after Indian and Pakistan warplanes clashed in the skies over Kashmir, a ceasefire suddenly reinstated on Thursday is holding along the Line of Control (LoC) which divides the hotly disputed state.In the absence of any explanation from either Islamabad or New Delhi, mystery surrounds the circumstances in which the South Asian foes agreed to call a halt to the thousands of skirmishes that have taken place along the LoC since their air forces clashed in February…

China-India border dispute: Delhi security officials fear DMZ favours Beijing

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 09:00:09 GMT

After the deadliest fighting in decades, India and China are setting up demilitarised areas along their Himalayan border – a move that has rankled some members of India’s security establishment.Soldiers from both countries for now will no longer patrol a 9km (6 mile) stretch on the north bank of Pangong Tso, a glacial lake where troops clashed last year, according to two Indian officials aware of the developments.The agreement would result in India pulling back from strategic high ground…

Japan’s territorial disputes: China, South Korea, Russia and more

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 04:40:16 GMT

Japan is in disputes with all its immediate neighbours over territory, with those competing claims largely dating back to its imperial past of a century ago. Tokyo insists that it has no ambitions to obtain new territory and is merely claiming sovereignty over islands and their surrounding waters that have long been recognised as Japanese. But that position is disputed by the governments of China, Russia, Taiwan and both North and South Korea. WHAT DO THESE DISPUTES INVOLVE? China: Beijing…

Japan tells China it ‘can’t tolerate mass arrests’ under Hong Kong’s national security law

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 11:00:14 GMT

The Japanese government has criticised China’s tightening grip on Hong Kong, saying in a written reply to a politician’s question in its parliament, the Diet, that it “cannot tolerate mass arrests”.The government statement, issued on Wednesday, reiterated the importance of economic and personal ties between Japan and Hong Kong, adding that Tokyo had “grave concerns” at the situation in the city. In 2019, Japan was Hong Kong’s fourth largest trading partner with total trade between them that…

What is the Quad, and how will it impact US-China relations under the Biden administration?

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 08:29:58 GMT

The United States, India, Australia and Japan have held their first meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “Quad”, since President Joe Biden’s inauguration – showing the new US administration’s support for a grouping China has criticised as a “clique” that could start a new Cold War, despite expectations Washington would ease some pressure on Beijing to improve US-China relations.The virtual talks were hosted by new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke with his three…

India has a history of involvement in its neighbours’ affairs. ...

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 03:30:06 GMT

India is faced with a conundrum in its relations with neighbouring Myanmar, following the February 1 military coup that ousted the fledgling civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. New Delhi’s policymakers have long maintained that they do not believe in commenting on, let alone interfering in, the internal affairs of other states. To that end, for example, New Delhi refrained from criticising the brutal Tiananmen Square events in 1989, and it has also maintained a studious silence on the…

India to clear 45 investments from China worth billions amid sour ties: sources

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:22:13 GMT

India is set to clear 45 investment proposals from China, government and industry sources told Reuters, as military tensions between the two countries ease at the disputed border.The proposals, which are likely to include those from Great Wall Motor and SAIC Motor Corp, have been held up since last year after India tightened controls on Chinese investment in the country in retaliation against alleged Chinese troop incursions in the western Himalayan region. China blamed Indian troops for the…

Myanmar coup: as the military’s patience wears thin, a call to prevent further bloodshed

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:53:27 GMT

Authorities in Myanmar used water cannons and chased after anti-coup protesters on Monday, as tens of thousands swarmed the streets across the Southeast Asian country, despite warnings from the junta that its patience for compliance was wearing.Late on Sunday, state-run broadcaster MRTV broadcast a statement in Burmese, with English subtitles on the screen, saying that “protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will…

Seoul slams Tokyo for ‘futile provocations’ as Japan renews claim on contested island

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:09:28 GMT

Japan on Monday renewed its claim on a contested island in the Sea of Japan held by South Korea at an annual event, escalating tensions between the neighbours whose ties were already strained over Seoul’s demands for compensation for Japanese actions in World War II.Monday is the anniversary of the day Japan placed the island under the jurisdiction of the western Japanese prefecture of Shimane in 1905. Japan has held the annual “Takeshima Day” ceremony since 2006 in a bid to step up its claim…

Most people in Britain see China’s rise as a top threat to security in next decade, survey finds

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:12:44 GMT

China is second to Russia on the list of nations that Britons least trust to act responsibly in global affairs, and more now see its rise as a “critical threat”, according to a new survey by a British think tank.Just 22 per cent of respondents supported London to pursue economic relations with Beijing, and approval was even lower, at 13 per cent, for Chinese involvement in building infrastructure in Britain like energy and telecoms projects.Meanwhile, support for the British government’s tilt…

China’s rare earth export curbs push Australian miner to fast track Africa project as nations ...

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 20:30:11 GMT

Amid geopolitical concerns over China’s plans to curb exports, Australian rare earth miner Ionic Rare Earths, which has previously fielded interest from governments, has secured commitments to raise A$12 million (US$9.3 million) in new funding to fast track its Makuutu project in Uganda.The concerns over China’s intentions were heightened on Monday when Chinese sources indicated that Beijing could restrict the export of rare earth metals to the United States, a move that could hurt its weapons…

Myanmar coup: Singapore’s foreign minister says ‘widespread’ sanctions won’t work

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 08:30:37 GMT

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday that the international community should rule out “widespread” sanctions against Myanmar following the military coup there, arguing that such punitive measures would hurt ordinary citizens the most.Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Balakrishnan said he underscored his message in recent phone calls with counterparts from the United States, Germany and other nations.Balakrishnan’s remarks came amid intensive behind-the-scenes…

Japanese anime star Ai Kayano sparks anger on China’s social media after visit to ...

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 07:46:19 GMT

Japanese voice actress Ai Kayano has triggered a fierce online debate with her social media posts about visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, the controversial memorial in Tokyo that commemorates millions of Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals.Kayano, a 33-year-old Tokyo native, has performed leading roles in dozens of animated films, television programmes and video games, many of which have also proved popular in China. Her credits include Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Saekano:…

China-backed RCEP trade deal unlikely to benefit developing members in short term, analysts say

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:15:16 GMT

The Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership (RCEP) is unlikely to bring immediate significant benefits for its developing member countries in terms of flow of goods and services or major infrastructure investments, analysts and economists said.The pact needs to be ratified by all countries, which may take time, and has different levels of tariff reductions for each country and product, experts told the Reuters Global Markets Forum.That means labour-intensive countries may get more imports…

US and Japan agree to extend troops deal, Blinken concerned by China’s conduct in disputed waters

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:27:00 GMT

Japan and the US have also broadly agreed to extend by one year the current deal on Tokyo’s costs for hosting American troops. The agreement coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voicing concern over China’s incursions into Japanese territorial waters.Under the agreement, Japan will shoulder roughly 200 billion yen (US$1.9 billion), about the same as last year, for the so-called host nation support, they said. The current five-year deal will expire next month. Talks for cost…

China-Australia relations: allowing coal ships to dock on humanitarian grounds not seen as ...

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 05:30:15 GMT

China will move to allow eight vessels carrying Australian coal to dock on humanitarian grounds, although doing so does not signal a lifting of its unofficial ban on imports of the commodity which began in October, according to commodities analysts.While the vessels will be allowed to offload their shipments – mostly coking coal used in steel production – there is also no indication yet that the cargoes have received clearance from Chinese customs to enter the country.Throughout the past week,…