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News, analysis, graphs and maps from all across the Asia-Pacific
🇨🇳🇺🇸 US military airfields in Indo-Pacific too easily taken out of action, report says
Chinese strikes on airfields will stymie US military aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region if there is a conflict, a new study from Stimson Center says, recommending that the United States invest in cheap, uncrewed aircraft and runway repair capabilities.
The central problem, the researchers say, is that bases inside the first island chain - a collection of archipelagos running roughly from Indonesia in an arc northeast to Japan, encompassing the South China Sea and East China Sea - are in range of thousands of Chinese missiles.
If those weapons are dedicated to destroying or disabling runways, they could close airfields in Japan for a minimum of 11.7 days. Those farther away, in Guam and the Pacific Islands, could be closed for a minimum of 1.7 days.
#China #USA
@asianomics
🇨🇳🇹🇼 China says it takes 'necessary measures' to defend sovereignty over Taiwan
China said on Wednesday it takes "necessary measures" to defend the country's sovereignty and will not tolerate "separatist" activities, as Taiwan reported another rise in Chinese warplanes around the island and called on Beijing to halt provocations.
Beijing's military has yet to comment on the military activity and has not confirmed it is carrying out exercises.
A security diplomat in the region briefed on the matter told Reuters the scale and size of the ongoing Chinese operations, including the manpower being dispatched, was "unheard of" in recent years.
#China #Taiwan
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea police raid Yoon's office over martial law as ousted minister attempts suicide
South Korean police raided President Yoon Suk-yeol's office on Wednesday and one of his top lieutenants has tried to take his own life, officials said, amid a widening investigation into the decision to declare martial law last week.
The raid marks a dramatic escalation of the probe against Yoon and top police and military officers over the surprise Dec. 3 martial law declaration that plunged Asia's fourth-largest economy into a constitutional crisis.
The defense minister at the time, Kim Yong-hyun, a close confidant of Yoon, attempted suicide using a shirt and underwear at a detention center where he is being held following his arrest on Sunday, a Justice Ministry official told parliament.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇵🇭🇨🇳 Philippines to continue resupply missions in S.China Sea, won't escalate situation
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Tuesday that the country will continue its resupply missions in the South China Sea without the need to deploy the navy, despite a recent incident with Chinese vessels.
"We will never be part of an escalation in the West Philippine Sea," Marcos told reporters, adding that the country will continue supporting fishermen.
On Dec. 4, Chinese coastguard vessels fired a water cannon and side-swiped a Manila fisheries bureau boat transporting supplies to Filipino fishermen operating in the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch, according to Philippine officials.
#ThePhilippines #China
@asianomics
🇹🇼🇨🇳 China sends largest naval fleet in decades to region, threat level severe, Taiwan says
China is deploying its largest navy fleet in regional waters in nearly three decades, posing a threat to Taiwan that is more pronounced than previous Chinese war games, the Taiwanese defense ministry said.
Speaking in Taipei, defense ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said the scale of the current Chinese naval deployment in an area running from the southern Japanese islands down into the South China Sea was the largest since China held war games around Taiwan ahead of 1996 Taiwanese presidential elections.
China's deployment in the First Island Chain - which runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas - is aimed at area denial to prevent foreign forces from interfering, senior ministry intelligence officer Hsieh Jih-sheng said.
#Taiwan #China
@asianomics
🇵🇭🇨🇳 Chinese vessel hits Philippines' ship with laser six times
An unidentified Chinese vessel struck a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship with a “high-intensity laser” in the South China Sea last week.
The incident happened past 8 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the vicinity of Half Moon Shoal, a feature located just about 111 kilometers off Palawan, while the BRP Datu Tamblot was en route to Thitu Island, according to a government report.
The Chinese ship used the laser at BRP Datu Tamblot from the shoal’s east direction six times at an interval of five minutes.
#ThePhilippines #China
@asianomics
🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan raises alert as China deploys 90 ships in likely drills
Taiwan raised its alert level on Monday saying China has set up seven zones of reserved airspace and deployed naval fleets and coast guard boats in what a security source described as the first military drills across a broad swathe of the region's waters.
The senior Taiwan security official said that China currently has nearly 90 navy and coast guard ships in waters near Taiwan, the southern Japanese islands and the East and South China Seas, of which around two-thirds were navy vessels.
The Taiwan security official said the scale of China's navy and coast guard deployment was larger than the previous two major drills around Taiwan this year, which were dubbed "Joint Sword 2024-A" and "Joint Sword 2024-B".
#Taiwan #China
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea ex-defence minister arrested over President Yoon's martial law
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's former defence minister was arrested on Sunday over his alleged role in Yoon's declaration of martial law last week, prosecutors said.
Ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who stepped down on Wednesday after Yoon rescinded martial law, was seen as a central figure in the debacle. He had proposed martial law to the president, according to a senior military official and the impeachment filings.
The prosecution's special investigative team arrested Kim on Sunday and seized his mobile phone, it said in a brief statement to reporters. Before the arrest, investigators questioned Kim, who voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Sunday.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇰🇷 The South Korean parliament failed to impeach the country's president following his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law.
The ruling party boycotted the vote, and the opposition was unable to secure the 200 votes needed to initiate impeachment proceedings.
The standoff between the opposition, which controls the parliament, and the president appears likely to continue.
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🇹🇼🇨🇳🇺🇸 Taiwan’s Lai suits US with low-key stops but may draw ire from mainland China
Arrangements for Lai Ching-te’s first overseas visit as Taiwanese leader, with stopovers in Hawaii and Guam, seemed to underline a shared caution with Washington against provoking Beijing – which may well respond with ire anyway, analysts said.
Lai, who returned on Friday from a weeklong visit to three of Taipei’s Pacific allies, maintained a relatively low profile during his layovers in the US territories, meeting only local leaders and politicians.
According to analysts, Lai’s US stopovers – the first since he took office in May – were meant to dispel the “Lai sceptic” argument that he is not as trusted in Washington as his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, also from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
The low-profile nature of Lai’s transits was likely to be a strategic move aligned with Washington’s preference to avoid any sharp provocation of Beijing.
#Taiwan #China #USA
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea’s Yoon apologizes hours before impeachment vote
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol apologized on Saturday for plunging the country into political crisis with a martial law decree, saying he would leave it up to the ruling party to decide his fate.
“I sincerely apologize to the public,” Yoon said in a televised address, as opposition parties prepare to vote on an impeachment motion later in the day. Yoon declared martial law late on Tuesday but the order was retracted hours after the National Assembly voted unanimously to nullify it.
The vote on the impeachment motion is set to take place at 5 p.m. local time at the National Assembly. The outcome hinges on whether the opposition can muster at least eight votes from members of Yoon’s party to obtain the two-thirds majority needed to carry the motion.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇷🇺🇯🇵 Russian diplomats dodge Tokyo parking fines, citing Vienna Convention loophole
Russian diplomats in Japan are increasingly ignoring parking fines, with their latest excuse being that they are exempt under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The Fuji News Network, citing the National Police Agency, reported that Russian vehicles made up 63% of unpaid parking tickets issued to diplomatic vehicles last year, up from 59% the previous year.
The Japanese government insists the Vienna Convention does not apply to parking fines and that they are “communicating” with the embassy in Tokyo to collect them. However, an official of the Diplomatic Protocol Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs admitted there is limited means to compel the embassy to pay.
#Russia #Japan
@asianomics
🇻🇳🇺🇸 US to donate small boats to Vietnam to boost maritime law enforcement
The United States will provide $12.5 million to Vietnam to enhance its maritime law enforcement capabilities and combat illegal fishing, the US embassy in Hanoi said on Thursday.
The assistance package includes support for Vietnamese maritime law enforcement agencies, the donation of small boats and the development of training facilities, it said.
Vietnam's neighbors and trade partners have urged it for years to take greater action against illegal fishing practices, including by Vietnamese vessels in the waters of neighboring countries.
#Vietnam #USA
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea's President Yoon must be suspended, ruling party leader says
South Korea's ruling party leader on Friday said President Yoon Suk-yeol needs to be removed from power for trying to impose martial law.
Speaking after a People Power Party meeting at the parliament on Friday, leader Han Dong-hoon said Yoon had ordered the arrest of prominent politicians on the grounds they were among the "anti-state forces" during the martial law.
On Thursday, the ruling party said it was against impeachment, but Han suggested that stance may be shifting in light of "credible evidence" that Yoon had intended to arrest and detain political leaders at Gwacheon, just south of Seoul.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇰🇷 Prosecutors open investigation into South Korean president over martial law
South Korean prosecutors have opened an investigation into President Yoon Suk-yeol, his interior minister, and the now-former defense minister over their roles in an attempt to impose martial law.
Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned as South Korean defense minister over his involvement in Tuesday's martial law order, also faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate. The other two do not face such bans.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇨🇳🇹🇼🇺🇸 China says it takes 'necessary measures' to defend sovereignty over Taiwan
China's naval deployments in the East China Sea and South China Sea are elevated but consistent with other large exercises in the past, a US military official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The assessment contrasted with statements from Taiwan that described the deployments as the largest in nearly three decades.
A senior Taiwanese official also said they believed the surge in activity was meant to send a political message to the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
#China #Taiwan #USA
@asianomics
🇰🇵🇰🇷 North Korea reports South Korea's martial law crisis for first time
North Korean state media KCNA on Wednesday reported for the first time on South Korea's ongoing political turmoil since President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law attempt.
After a week-long silence, KCNA published an article on what it described as growing "social unrest" in the South due to the martial law crisis.
"The puppet Yoon Suk-yeol, who had already faced a serious crisis of governance and impeachment, declared martial law unexpectedly and unleashed the guns of the fascist dictatorship on the people," KCNA said.
#NorthKorea #SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇺🇸🇯🇵 US temporarily halts Osprey flights again due to safety concerns
US forces said Monday they are again temporarily pausing all flights of their V-22 Osprey variants due to safety issues.
The Naval Air Systems Command said it recommended Friday an operational pause for Osprey aircraft flights as there was recently a precautionary landing of a CV-22. It said the proposal was made "out of an abundance of caution," although there were no injuries to the crew.
The command also said the Defense Department has notified Japan of its recommendation. The suspension comes after the US military grounded all its Ospreys worldwide for months following a crash in November last year that killed eight US service members in Japan.
#USA #Japan
@asianomics
🇺🇸🇹🇼 First agreement under Taiwan-US trade initiative to come into force
The first agreement signed under a trade initiative between Taiwan and the United States will come into force on Tuesday, both governments announced, as Taipei hopes a raft of ongoing talks will eventually lead to a free trade deal.
In a statement, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the first agreement under the 21st Century Trade initiative that will come into force covers areas including anti-corruption, customs administration and trade facilitation, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Taiwan's Office of Trade Negotiations said in a separate statement the agreement showed the "rock solid partnership" between Taiwan and the United States.
#USA #Taiwan
@asianomics
🇦🇺🇳🇷🇨🇳 Australia signs security treaty with China-friendly Nauru
Australia and Pacific nation Nauru announced a landmark security treaty on Monday, advancing Canberra’s aim of blunting China’s growing regional influence.
A new treaty hammered out between Australia and Nauru could stymie China’s efforts to further consolidate its toehold in the Pacific microstate.
Under the deal, Nauru will seek Australia’s agreement before it signs any bilateral accords on maritime security, defense and policing. In return, Nauru will receive US$64 million in direct budget support and a further $25 million to bolster its stretched police force.
#Australia #Nauru #China
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea President Yoon banned from foreign travel as leadership crisis deepens
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been banned from leaving the country over a failed attempt at imposing martial law, a justice ministry official said on Monday, amid growing calls for him to step down and a deepening leadership crisis.
Yoon has apologised for the botched attempt and said he was leaving his political and legal fate to his ruling People Power Party but has not resigned. He has become a subject of criminal investigation, according to local media reports.
On Monday, the defense ministry said Yoon was still legally commander in chief, but his grip on power has come into question with dissent growing among senior military officers against the president, and his own party saying it would establish a task force to handle his eventual resignation.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇰🇷 Yoon will not direct South Korea gov't before resignation
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will not engage in the work of government ahead of his impending resignation, the ruling party leader said Sunday, a day after an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his declaration of martial law failed.
"Even before his resignation, the president will not be involved in state affairs, including diplomacy," People Power Party leader Han Dong Hoon said in a statement, without elaborating on when Yoon is expected to step down.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo emphasized in a statement that maintaining a strong alliance with the United States, and reinforcing trilateral ties also involving Japan, are "important" tasks.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan reports near doubling of Chinese warships nearby
Taiwan's defense ministry said on Sunday that China had nearly doubled the number of its warships operating around the island in the previous 24 hours, ahead of what security sources expect will be a new round of war games.
In its daily morning report on Chinese military activities, Taiwan's defense ministry said there were 14 Chinese warships operating nearby, up from the eight it reported the previous day.
The ministry said it had detected four Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait, one of which had brushed the top of the island.
#China #Taiwan
@asianomics
🇨🇳🇺🇸 US appeal court upholds law banning TikTok if it is not sold
In a major blow to TikTok, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the popular short-video app – used by over 170 million Americans daily – can be banned in the US as soon as January 19 unless it secures a non-Chinese buyer.
The three-judge panel unanimously sided with a law signed by President Joe Biden in April, which mandates that TikTok – owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance – must find an American purchaser by the deadline or be removed from US app stores and web-hosting services.
TikTok said shortly after the ruling was announced that the decision was “flawed” and would “silence” voices globally, vowing to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court.
#China #USA
@asianomics
🇨🇳 Rattled by China, West scrambles to rejig critical minerals supply chains
China's trade restrictions on strategic minerals are starting to hit Western companies where it hurts.
Blaming Beijing's curbs on antimony exports announced in August, German chemicals and consumer goods heavyweight Henkel told customers through a letter last month it had declared force majeure and suspended deliveries of four types of adhesives and lubricants widely used by automakers
The letter from Henkel and statements from some traders, miners, processors, end-users, and industry experts in North America, Europe and China underscore the severe disruption caused by Beijing's trade restrictions and highlight how Western players' struggle to replace China-based supply chains.
#China
@asianomics
🇺🇸🇯🇵 Donald Trump names David Perdue as pick for US ambassador to China
US president-elect Donald Trump has picked former senator David Perdue as his ambassador to China, he announced on social media. Perdue, 74, served as Republican senator of Georgia between 2015 and 2021.
Trump emphasized Perdue’s “valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China”, citing his “40-year international business career” and work as a US lawmaker.
“He has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong, and worked in Asia and China for much of his career. In the US Senate, he served on the Armed Services Committee, where he was chair of the powerful sea power subcommittee”.
#USA #China
@asianomics
🇰🇷 South Korea commander says he will refuse to implement any new martial law order
South Korea's special warfare commander said he will refuse to implement any new order for martial law, media reports quoted him as saying.
Kwak Jong-geun, the special warfare commander, also said the then defense minister had issued an order to "drag out lawmakers" who came to parliament to vote to lift the martial law declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol earlier this week.
#SouthKorea
@asianomics
🇵🇭🇺🇸🇯🇵 United States, Japan, Philippine conduct maritime exercises in South China Sea
The armed forces of the Philippines, United States and Japan on Friday conducted a "maritime cooperative activity" within the Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, the US Indo-Pacific Command said.
The exercises aim to strengthen the interoperability of defense tactics, techniques, and procedures, the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
#ThePhilippines #USA #Japan
@asianomics
🇹🇼🇺🇸 Taiwan president spoke with US House Speaker Johnson
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te spoke by telephone with US House Speaker Mike Johnson during Lai's visit to the Pacific, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.
One of the sources said the call on Wednesday afternoon US time should not be a reason for China to increase its military intimidation of Taiwan.
While in Hawaii, Lai also had a 20-minute call with former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during which they discussed China's military threats.
#Taiwan #USA
@asianomics
🇰🇵🇷🇺 North Korea-Russia treaty comes into force, KCNA says
The "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" agreed by the leaders of North Korea and Russia came into force on Wednesday with the exchange of "ratification instruments" in Moscow, the North's KCNA news agency reported.
It "will serve as a strong driving force accelerating the establishment of independent and just multi-polarized world order without domination, subjugation and hegemony," KCNA said.
The treaty was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June and a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, and includes a mutual defense pact for immediate military assistance if either faces armed aggression.
#NorthKorea #Russia
@asianomics