🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan tracks 7 Chinese naval ships around nation

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (March 31) and 6 a.m. on Monday (April 1).

In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and deployed coastal missile systems to monitor the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activity, according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or entered the southwest corner of the country’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) during that time.

#Taiwan #China

@asianomics

🇰🇵 North Korea reaffirms plan to launch multiple spy satellites this year

North Korea vowed Monday to push for space development and reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year after putting its first spy satellite into orbit in November.

Following the launch of the Malligyong-1 last year after two failed attempts in May and August, respectively, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced during a year-end meeting the country plans to place three more spy satellites into orbit this year.

A South Korean military source said last week that the North has set up a screen to prevent outsiders from observing its Tongchang-ri satellite launch site, a possible indication that preparations are under way for a satellite launch.

#NorthKorea

@asianomics

🇨🇳 China Coast Guard maintains its role in the South China Sea

The China Coast Guard (CCG) remains the dominant state actor in disputed waters of the South China Sea, according to CSIS analysts.

Analysis of AIS data from commercial providers MarineTraffic and Starboard Maritime Analytics show that the CCG continued to maintain daily patrols at key features across the South China Sea in 2023.

CSIS examined data from the year 2023 across five features most frequented by Chinese patrols: Second Thomas Shoal, Luconia Shoals, Scarborough Shoal, Vanguard Bank, and Thitu Island. Comparison with 2022’s data shows that the CCG maintained a similar degree of presence, with a slight shift in attention away from Vanguard Bank and toward Luconia Shoals and Second Thomas Shoal.

#China

@asianomics

🇰🇵 North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile

North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea's military said.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it detected the launch of what appeared to be a ballistic missile of an intermediate-range class from the area of the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Tuesday.

It flew about 600 kms before falling into sea, South Korea said, while Japan's defense ministry estimated it covered a distance of 650 km and hit a maximum altitude of 100 km.

#NorthKorea

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🇵🇭🇺🇸 Philippines says China's 'coercive, aggressive' actions discussed with top US security adviser

The Philippines on Tuesday said its national security adviser and his US counterpart discussed "coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions" by Beijing in the South China Sea, as a diplomatic row intensifies between the two Asian neighbors.

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano "expressed his appreciation for the United States' continued assurances and reaffirmation of its ironclad commitment" to their alliance, the Philippine National Security Council said in a statement.

The phone call on Monday was on the heels of a series of maritime run-ins and heated verbal exchanges between China and the Philippines that has triggered concern about an escalation at sea.

#ThePhilippines #USA

@asianomics

🇮🇩🇨🇳 New Indonesia leader visits China, promises close ties

Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto visited Beijing on his first foreign trip since his election, and was quoted by Chinese state media as telling President Xi Jinping he aimed to continue the close ties under predecessor Joko Widodo.

Prabowo "fully supports the development of closer Indonesia-China relations and wishes to continue President Joko's policy of friendship with China," China's CCTV quoted Prabowo as saying.

The new Indonesian government will promote the alignment of development strategies between the two countries and push for more results in cooperation in fields such as the economy, trade and poverty alleviation, he said.

#Indonesia #China

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🇨🇳🌏 More Southeast Asians align with China over US for the first time, survey finds

For the first time, more people in Southeast Asia favour alignment with China over the United States, according to a new survey – driven by disillusionment with Washington’s foreign-policy actions and the economic benefits of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, among other factors.

The sixth edition of “The State of Southeast Asia” study was led by researchers from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and surveyed close to 2,000 Southeast Asians from January to February on key issues facing the region.

China saw a significant surge in popularity among respondents, with 50.5% indicating that the Asian giant is their preferred choice of alignment compared with the US, up from 38.9% a year earlier. Conversely, the US saw a drop in popularity from 61.1% last year to 49.5% in the latest study.

The shift towards China was “particularly evident” in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei and Laos, the study said, as these states had benefited from Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

#China #SouthEastAsia

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🇲🇲🇨🇳 More than 800 suspected scammers arrested in Myanmar-China joint operation

More than 800 people suspected of being cross-border scammers were arrested in a joint police operation by Myanmar and China, Beijing’s embassy in Yangon said.

Scam compounds have flourished in Myanmar, staffed by citizens from China and other countries who are often forced to work swindling their compatriots in an industry analysts say is worth billions.

Among those arrested were 352 Chinese citizens, who were transferred to China on March 31, the statement said.

#Myanmar #China

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🇫🇷🇨🇳🇷🇺🇺🇦 France wants China to send ‘clear message’ to Russia over Ukraine war

France’s top diplomat said on April 1 that Paris expects China to send “clear messages” to its close partner Russia over the war in Ukraine, after meetings with his counterpart in Beijing.

“We are convinced that there will be no lasting peace if it is not negotiated with the Ukrainians,” Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne told a press conference in Beijing, speaking alongside his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

“There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law,” he continued. And Beijing, Stephane Sejourne added, could play a “key role” in ensuring that respect for international law is maintained.

#France #China #Russia #Ukraine

@asianomics

🇰🇵 North Korea says Kim Jong Un led test of new ‘Hwasong-16B’ hypersonic missile

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a successful test of the new “Hwasong-16B” hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday, according to state media.

The Rodong Sinmun reported that the inaugural test of the solid-fuel missile, equipped with a “newly-developed hypersonic gliding flight warhead,” demonstrated technology that can improve survivability of all the country’s nuclear missiles.

State media reported Wednesday that the new Hwasong-16B flew 1,000 km and reached a maximum altitude of 101.1 km first before dipping and flying at an altitude of 72.3 km.

#NorthKorea

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🇵🇭🇨🇳 Philippines prepared to respond to China's attempts to interfere with resupply missions

The Philippines is prepared to respond to China's attempts to foil its supply missions in the South China Sea, a top security official said on Wednesday, adding that the operations will be adjusted to counter Beijing's conduct in the waterway.

Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson of the National Security Council, said the Philippines is committed to maintaining its position at the Second Thomas Shoal and there will be no let up in re-supply missions to Filipino soldiers stationed on a grounded warship there.

"Our commitment to maintain BRP Sierra Madre will always be there, so any attempt by China to interfere with re-supply missions will be met by the Philippines in a fashion that protects our troops," Malaya told a maritime forum.

#ThePhilippines #China

@asianomics

🇮🇩🇯🇵 Indonesia's Prabowo pledges cooperation with Japan, closer China ties

Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto told Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday he wanted deeper security and economic cooperation just two days after telling Chinese President Xi Jinping he wished for close ties.

"We have built a cooperative relationship and going forward I would like to strengthen that," Prabowo told Kishida at a meeting in Tokyo.

Kishida told the Prabowo that Japan attached great importance on cooperating with Indonesia to strengthen international rules and said Japan, which agreed in 2023 to supply it with patrol ships, wanted to expand security cooperation, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after the meeting.

#Indonesia #China

@asianomics

🇺🇸🇮🇳🇨🇳 US ‘strongly opposes’ China’s renaming of areas along disputed Indian border

Washington has criticized Beijing’s list of 30 new names for places along the 3,000km disputed Himalayan border between China and India, formally known as the Line of Actual Control, as yet another “unilateral attempt” to reassert its territorial claims.

“The United States strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control,” a US State Department representative said.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs made a fourth list of “standardized” names for places, including mountains, rivers, residential areas in the Indian-administered Arunachal Pradesh state, which China calls Zangnan and claims as part of the Tibetan autonomous region.

#USA #India #China

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🇯🇵🇺🇸🇦🇺🇵🇭 US, Philippines, Japan, Australia to hold South China Sea drill amid China actions

Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines are set to hold a joint naval exercise on Sunday off the Southeast Asian country’s Palawan Island in the South China Sea, multiple government sources told Kyodo.

It would be the first full-scale exercise involving the four countries aimed at enhancing interoperability among their forces, the sources said. The exercise will include anti-submarine warfare training, communication drills and sailing ships in formation.

In August, the same countries conducted joint training on offshore replenishment off the northwest Philippines. Their crews simply exchanged salutes and assembled for a photo exercise.

#Japan #USA #Australia #ThePhilippines

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🇰🇷🇰🇵🇺🇸 South Korea seizes ship suspected of violating sanctions on North

South Korea seized a ship suspected of violating sanctions against North Korea last Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The 3,000-ton cargo ship departed from Nampo Port in North Korea late last month and was headed to Vladivostok, Russia, after stopping in Shandong, China. The exact nature of the ship’s suspected sanctions violations is under investigation by South Korean authorities and is still unclear as the ship’s captain has refused to open the cargo hold.

The ship's seizure reportedly occurred on March 30 in territorial waters near Yeosu in South Jeolla. The United States is believed to have provided the South Korean government with circumstantial evidence of suspected sanctions violations.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea #USA

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🇺🇸🇨🇳 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to visit China

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen would be viewed in China as an “effective emissary” to manage trade tensions, but analysts are watching for any meaningful results from her week-long trip, which starts on Thursday.

The planned visit follows Tuesday’s “candid” and “constructive” phone call between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Joe Biden, and is seen as another bellwether of relations between Beijing and Washington ahead of November’s presidential election.

The US Treasury confirmed that Yellen’s itinerary in the southern city of Guangzhou and capital city of Beijing would include meetings with economists, American businesses, Guangdong governor Wang Weizhong and Beijing mayor Yin Yong.

#USA #China

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🇹🇼 Taiwan earthquake injuries top 1,000, missing hotel workers found

The number of people injured in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Taiwan climbed past 1,000 on Thursday, the death toll increased to nine.

The temblor, the strongest in 25 years, hit on Wednesday morning just as people were readying to go to work and school, centred on the largely rural and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien.

In Hualien city, where people who had been trapped in buildings have all been rescued, some people slept outdoors overnight as more than 300 aftershocks rocked the region, unnerving residents.

#Taiwan

@asianomics