China in Quotes
“Hungary is special among the EU. It does not oppose the bloc every time when it comes to China-related issues, but it has played a special role in China-Europe relations. Hungary is a partner China should seriously cooperate with,” -Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations
De/Cypher Data Dive📈
China’s millions of migrant workers are reaching their retirement age with no social safety net to support them. More and more migrant workers are returning to the countryside, and some are taking low-paid jobs, which is a desperate way for them to save themselves.
Other countries have tried to increase pension funding by lifting the retirement age. In China, it is among the lowest in the world at 60 for men and 50-55 for women depending on their line of work.
China De/Cypher: Vital Statistics
Quick China: Unmissable Stories 📜
China Picks Xu Feihong as New Ambassador to India, PTI Says
China appointed Xu Feihong as its new ambassador to India, filling a post vacant for over a year, according to PTI. Xu, previously China’s ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, replaces Sun Weidong. His appointment comes amid strained relations between the two nations since clashes along the Himalayan border in 2020. Read more: Bloomberg
Le Meilleur: Xi Jinping’s security officers’ Chinese food of choice in Paris
Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous dens to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online pulled up a chair at Le Meilleur, an Asian restaurant that was packed with hungry Chinese security officers during Xi Jinping’s visit to France this week. Read more: IO
PRC and Philippines Continue To Get Fuzzy over Second Thomas Shoal
We begin with a question from Bloomberg at the regular foreign ministry briefing of Lin Jian, Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.
Bloomberg: We’ve reported that Chinese officials say the nation may soon release an audio recording of a purported call with the Philippine military official that Beijing says is evidence of an agreement over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Are you going to release the tape? And when might you do that? A key name was redacted from the transcript that we saw. Would you like to fill in the blank? And who that was?
Lin Jian: During Monday’s briefing, I outlined the basic facts regarding what happened between China and the Philippines in terms of managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao. Yesterday, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines released details about the relevant communication between the two sides. The facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied. The Philippines has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community. This hurts its own credibility and puts peace and stability in the South China Sea in jeopardy. China urges the Philippines to honor its commitment, stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, and return to the right track of properly handling disputes with China through dialogue and consultation.
The recording was released, and the head of the Philippines armed forces called it China’s malign action, as reported by Reuters.
Philippine military chief accuses China of ‘malign influence effort’
The Philippines’ military chief accused China of a “malign influence effort” on Wednesday, after a local newspaper reported a Filipino vice admiral had made a deal with Beijing to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea. The Manila Times published what it said was a transcript of a phone conversation during which it said a Philippine admiral had agreed to China’s proposal of a “new model” where the Philippines would use fewer vessels in resupply missions to troops at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, and notify Beijing about missions in advance. All of this is important as a military drill is underway in and around the contested territory. Australia, the United States, and the Philippines joined together to sink a mock enemy ship, as reported by the Military Times.
US, Philippine forces sink ship during drills in South China Sea – Military Times
U.S. and Philippine forces, backed by an Australian air force surveillance aircraft, unleashed a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes Wednesday and sank a mock enemy ship as part of large-scale war drills in and near the disputed South China Sea. All of this comes as the Manila Times has reported that there was a gentleman’s agreement over the Second Thomas Shoal.
Wescom chief agreed to China’s ‘new model’ | The Manila Times
A RANKING Chinese official on Tuesday presented a recorded phone conversation purportedly between an embassy diplomat and Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, chief of the Western Command (Wescom), who said the entire chain of command of the Philippine military was on board with the “new model” for peacefully managing the situation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
There was no way to immediately confirm if it was Carlos on the recording played for The Manila Times, as the vice admiral had gone on personal leave.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said Carlos’ leave had nothing to do with the “new model” that the Chinese Embassy in Manila said he agreed to, with the approval of ranking Philippine officials. (Bloomberg, Military Times, Manila Times)
Xi in Europe is fine; it is the Serbian trip that the US must watch out for.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Serbia on the 25th anniversary of the Nato bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was “timed to increase tensions” with the West, a senior US official has said. Xi touched down in the Serbian capital on Tuesday as part of a three-stop tour of Europe, his first visit to the continent since 2019.
His arrival in Belgrade on May 7, the date a US air strike hit China’s embassy in the country in 1999, was seen as a pointed move that would ensure the trip had a geopolitical edge.
“Twenty-five years ago today, Nato flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, killing three Chinese journalists—Ms. Shao Yunhuan, Mr. Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying. This we should never forget,” Xi wrote in an article placed in the Serbian newspaper Politika on Tuesday.
In an online briefing on Wednesday to mark the end of his tenure in Belgrade, Gabriel Escobar, Washington’s outgoing special envoy for the Western Balkans, criticised the timing of Xi’s visit.
“The visit was timed to increase tensions between Serbia and the rest of the Western community, and it’s unhelpful,” he said.
“We – the United States has said that the bombing of the Chinese embassy in 1999, was an accident,” Escobar explained. “We’ve apologised. I believe we’ve actually even paid reparations to the families. But I do believe that the timing of the visit was unfortunate but deliberate.” (SCMP)
Real Estate Slump in China Continues, Mortgages Shrink As Well
China’s average daily home sales during the major May Day public holiday sank 47% from a year earlier, and were down around 30% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019 for the same holiday period, according to a private survey on Monday. Home sales fell in 19 of 22 surveyed cities during the five-day May Day compared to the same period of 2023, and were down more than 60% in mega cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai, according to data from the China Index Academy, one of the country’s largest independent real estate researchers. Chinese authorities have been ramping up measures to prop up the troubled sector, but analysts say many of the policies are piecemeal in nature or have a limited, short-term impact. The policymakers at a politburo meeting last week highlighted they would improve policies to clear housing inventory.” The new housing market is still under adjustment pressures,” said the research firm, adding “there is more room for lowering the downpayment ratio, reducing mortgage interest rates and transaction taxes and fees.” The southwestern city of Chengdu eased home purchase limits last month and Beijing last week also announced “optimised measures” to allow some residents to buy a new flat in outer districts to boost home sales. Analysts expect more easing policies and local governments to buy more housing stock from developers to turn them into subsidized housing. (Reuters)
Caixin has reported on shrinking mortgages.
China’s outstanding personal mortgages declined at a faster pace of 1.9% year-on-year at the end of March, as the protracted real estate downturn continues to weigh on demand. The rate was 0.3 percentage points faster than a quarter earlier, resulting in a balance of 38.2 trillion yuan ($5.4 trillion) at the end of March, figures from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) show. It also marked the fourth straight quarter of decline in this key indicator of housing demand. (Caixin)
China’s Largest Shipmaker Says No Impact of 301 Probe
China State Shipbuilding Corp., the world’s largest shipbuilder, responded to the United States’ probe into China’s shipbuilding industry, saying its operation is normal and has scheduled production for the next four years. The state-owned shipbuilder, known by its initials CSSC, received 353 new ship orders in the first quarter, a 10.9% increase from the same period last year, the company said Tuesday while replying to investors’ questions about the investigation at the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s investor interactive platform.
On April 17, following a petition from five national labor unions, the U.S. Trade Representative announced the ‘301 investigation’ into China’s practices in maritime equipment, logistics, and shipbuilding. This marks the first industry-specific investigation by the Biden administration under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 — a tool that allows the U.S. to enforce trade agreements and impose sanctions on nations violating trade norms. The unions’ petition calls for the imposition of a port fee on Chinese-built ships that dock at a U.S. port and the creation of a shipbuilding revitalization fund to help the domestic industry.
In the past two decades, China has emerged as the world’s largest shipbuilder. In 2023, it accounted for half of the global shipbuilding output, ahead of South Korea at 26% and Japan at 14%, according to maritime research company Clarksons Research. Several shipbuilding executives told Caixin that even punitive tariffs would have a limited impact because the main purchasers of China’s ships are not from the U.S. According to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, in 2023, China exported over half of its ships to Asia, followed by Europe at 9.1% and Latin America at 8.9%, while exports to the U.S. comprised only 5%. (Caixin)
Global Investment Banks See A Positive Spin on July Plenum
Investment banks including Goldman Sachs, UBS and BNP have become more positive on stocks in China, with foreign selling having subsided. Foreign investors were net buyers of Chinese stocks for a third straight month in April, the longest streak of foreign buying in a year. Global emerging market funds rolled back their underweight position on mainland China stocks and turned neutral, HSBC said in a report last month. Some international hedge funds have shifted their investment positions from US or Japan stocks to China stocks over the past week, Japanese investment bank Daiwa Capital Markets said in a report.
Goldman Sachs said changes are afoot in China that point to a potentially stronger risk appetite and a more conducive trading environment for A shares in the near term, after China’s State Council, or cabinet, issued a nine-point guideline last month to prop up the US$9 trillion stock market. (SCMP)
China and Hungary Are Now ‘All-Weather Friends’
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday issued a joint statement on the establishment of an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era.” The two sides agreed to actively use bilateral and multilateral occasions to hold meetings between the leaders of the two countries, and further leverage the role of the leaders’ exchanges in providing strategic guidance, according to the statement. The two countries agreed that their cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has yielded fruitful results, and that the BRI has played a positive role in promoting economic development and improving people’s livelihood in both countries. In order to enrich the China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, the two sides are committed to enhancing synergy between the BRI and Hungary’s “Eastern Opening” policy, the statement said.
Beyond The Great Wall 🧱
Exploring News About China in Depth
Internal Politics 🏛️
Former Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe emerges after months of speculation
Former Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe has reappeared after a long absence, raising questions about his political future. His tribute at the funeral of a senior Chinese legislator suggests potential political security. Wei’s inclusion in the floral tribute contrasts with the uncertain fate of his successor, Gen. Li Shangfu, who disappeared from public view and was later fired. This development suggests that Wei may have escaped purges following Li’s removal, highlighting the complex power dynamics in China’s military and political circles. In the midst of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing purges and anti-corruption campaigns, observers are still curious about the implications for the country’s future military leadership and broader political landscape. Read more: SCMP
Senior official with China’s new financial regulator targeted in corruption probe just a week into the job
Ren Chunsheng, a senior official at China’s new financial regulatory body, was detained by the anti-corruption watchdog just one week after assuming his role. Ren, who led the preparatory team for the Complaint Mediation Centre of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), is suspected of corruption. The NFRA, established last year as part of a Communist Party and state organs overhaul, aims to coordinate consumer and market complaints about financial institutions’ products and practices. Ren’s detention highlights Beijing’s intensified scrutiny of the financial sector, with over 20 senior financial officers detained in the first four months of 2024, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Read more: SCMP
China’s State Council appoints, removes officials
On May 8, 2024, the State Council of China made announcements regarding the appointment and removal of officials. Yu Jihong was appointed as the president of Beijing Normal University, ending her tenure as vice president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Jiang Lan was named as the president of Beijing Institute of Technology. Additionally, Liu Jianbo was removed from the position of deputy secretary-general of the State Council. Read more: China Daily
China launches new Long March-6C, puts 4 satellites into orbit
China successfully launched four satellites on May 7, 2024, using the new Long March-6C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), this streamlined rocket boasts a single-core, two-stage design powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene engines. With adjustable satellite payload fairings, it can accommodate different satellite sizes, making it versatile for various missions. Read more: CGTN
Two dead, 21 injured following a stabbing incident at a hospital in SW China, suspect caught
A stabbing incident at People’s Hospital in Zhenxiong county, Yunnan Province, China, resulted in two deaths and 21 injuries. The alleged perpetrator, identified as a 40-year-old villager named Li, was apprehended by local police. The suspect used a knife in the attack before fleeing to a construction site. The injured are receiving medical treatment, including doctors and children. Nearby communities were alerted, urging residents to remain indoors and report any sightings of the suspect. Read more: Global Times
Huawei breaks free from Google ecosystem with homegrown OS
Huawei aims to sever ties with Google’s Android ecosystem by launching HarmonyOS Next, a fully homegrown operating system. Set to debut on the Mate 70 smartphone, it promises three times more efficient memory usage and supports on-device AI. With an expanding ecosystem of 4,000 apps, including Alibaba’s Alipay and McDonald’s, Huawei targets 5,000 apps by year-end and eventually 500,000. The move follows U.S. export controls that hindered Huawei’s access to Google services. HarmonyOS Next extends beyond smartphones to IoT and automotive applications, aligning with Huawei’s broader strategy. Despite uncertainties, including app migration costs and Tencent’s stance on porting WeChat to the new OS, Huawei’s smartphone sales resurgence, fueled by homegrown chips, positions it to dominate China’s market once again. Read more: Nikkei
Chinese Tourists Reluctant to Spend Big Over Labor Day Break
Overall spending surged beyond pre-pandemic levels during China’s recent Labor Day holiday, but per capita spending remained lackluster as the country’s uneven economic recovery encouraged tourists to take cheaper trips to less well-known destinations.
Travelers made 295 million trips inside the Chinese mainland during the five-day national holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6% year-on-year and a 28.2% jump from the same period in 2019, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In total, they spent nearly 166.9 billion yuan ($23.5 billion), up 12.7% on the year and a 13.5% increase from 2019. Read more: Caixin
China And The World🌐
China signs 18 deals with France to expand economic cooperation, opening up wider for France, Europe
China and France deepened economic cooperation with the signing of 18 deals during President Xi Jinping’s visit to France. These agreements span various sectors, including aviation, agriculture, and green development, signaling a commitment to mutual growth and stability. President Xi emphasized China’s openness to French and European businesses and urged against politicizing economic relations. The collaboration, amid US-led decoupling efforts, highlights a rejection of such moves and underscores the potential for positive China-Europe relations. Read more: Global Times
China, Hungary elevate ties during Xi’s visit in Budapest
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Budapest, China and Hungary strengthened their bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, marking a significant step forward in their cooperation. Mutual respect and a cooperative approach without ideological constraints were identified as critical components of their relationship. This move is regarded as critical not only for China-Hungary relations, but also for general China-Europe relations. Hungary’s role as a bridge between East and West, particularly in trade and logistics, highlights its importance in connecting China and Europe. Read more: Xinhua
China Seen Using Hacks to Build Profiles of UK Defense Personnel
China is suspected of using hacked data from UK government systems to compile profiles of British military personnel and individuals in sensitive roles, potentially aiding in espionage efforts against the US and its allies. The breach, affecting up to 272,000 people, included personal details like names and bank account information. While China denies involvement, experts suggest this fits a pattern of targeting military personnel for intelligence purposes, raising concerns about cybersecurity and the protection of sensitive data. Investigations are ongoing, with attention also drawn to the role of third-party data providers in safeguarding information. Read more: Bloomberg
China’s climate envoy to visit US, expected to ‘extend positive climate exchanges’ between two countries
China’s special envoy for climate change, Liu Zhenmin, is visiting the US from May 7 to 16, engaging in talks with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Podesta. The discussions aim to build on previous positive exchanges between the two countries on addressing climate change, focusing on areas like energy transition and non-CO2 greenhouse emissions. The talks will also underscore the importance of maintaining cooperation despite potential challenges, including the upcoming US presidential election. Efforts to strengthen climate collaboration were also highlighted through both governmental and non-governmental channels, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom’s visit to China in November. Read more: Global Times
Eric Garcetti, US ambassador to India, emphasises American trust in New Delhi amid China threats
Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, reassured the trust in India amidst tensions with China, highlighting India’s actions like the early TikTok ban and its soldiers’ sacrifices along the disputed border. He emphasized the need for a more equal relationship between the US and India, acknowledging India’s continued preference for non-alignment. Garcetti underlined the importance of cooperation between the US and India in addressing threats posed by China, including intelligence sharing and countering disinformation. Read more: SCMP
Apple’s China iPhone Shipments Soar 12% in March After Discounts
Chinese iPhone shipments increased by about 12% in March, following a 37% decline in the first two months of 2024. This improvement came after Apple and its retail partners reduced their prices. Despite challenges from local competitors such as Huawei, Apple’s efforts to stabilize its Chinese business appear to be yielding early results, as evidenced by its recent quarterly revenue increase in China. Read more: Bloomberg
Banned Chinese cotton found in 19% of U.S. and global retailers’ merchandise, study shows
A study revealed that 19% of merchandise sold by U.S. and global retailers in the past year contained traces of banned Chinese cotton, despite efforts to comply with U.S. laws against importing cotton linked to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. Researchers used isotopic testing to identify the origin of cotton in garment samples, cotton swabs, and shoes. While the U.S. enacted laws to prevent such imports, challenges persist in enforcing them effectively. Read more: The Japan Times
The Sino-US Contestation of Digital Spaces – TikTok Ban
Written by Priyanka Garodia, Geopolitical Research Analyst – South Asia
The US Senate passed a bill on March 4 that banned the social media site TikTok by 2025 if it did not transfer ownership to an American company. Approximately 170 million Americans use social media for a variety of reasons, such as political debates, health-related information, travel, and entertainment. A Pew research survey indicates that people between the ages of 18 and 34 use the site actively and produce content. The site is used mostly as a creative outlet but has also found favour among small business owners who use it for marketing and promotion. The annual revenue that TikTok contributes to the US economy is estimated to be about $24 billion. The ban will affect those figures in the negative. Tiktok has sued the US government in what is predicted to be a long legal battle.
The main source of controversy surrounding TikTok is the fact that ByteDance, a Chinese company, owns the platform. Chinese businesses are required by law to provide the government with information related to national security as and when it becomes necessary. This has fueled suspiciousness about the app being used by China to spy on other countries, leading to the app being banned in India, Australia, Estonia, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Taiwan, and Afghanistan, among others.
Some of the major allegations against TikTok are as follows:
Data Collection and Espionage
The Chinese have accused the app of espionage because it profiles users by using their IP address, location, and preferences to create customized feeds. It then becomes possible to use this personal information to target them with blackmail. Officials, researchers, and government employees could easily be subject to corporate espionage with such crucial information.
Psycho-Social Implications
Studies have shown that the increased use of social media has severe psycho-social implications, the most critical of which is a reduction in attention span, an increase in cyberbullying, and the spreading of hate. The app may also be used to mould US public opinion through the active promotion of certain content and the dismissal of others. The company has already faced a fine of 345 million Euros by the European Union due to lapses in its security provisions for children data.
Shielded by its reputation as a video app for sharing music and dance videos, most people do not talk about the app’s inner workings. The app is responsible for some of the most extreme messages of hate out there. Posts inciting violent activities against particular ethnic, racial, and religious groups are rife on the site, and given the fact that their primary audience is young, impressionable adults, this sort of content has lethal consequences.
Digital platforms have emerged as gatekeepers of information that have the ability to influence social conditions through the determination of ideas and information shared across vast socio-technical spaces. These spaces hold immense strategic value for those who master their control. Controlling the economic value generated in these digital spaces, as well as having the capacity to establish standards for ideological influence and gain the political power that follows, are crucial in today’s world. US hegemony is in decline, and China not only threatens its economic prowess but also its ability to manufacture softpower. The TikTok ban is not simply an issue of national security for the Americans but rather a contest with China to master the ownership of digital platforms and their power.
Rise in Chinese Migration and Shifting U.S. Sentiments
Written By Farheen, Policy and Trust Analyst
The recent surge in Chinese migrants arriving in the United States through its southern border has garnered attention, with former President Donald Trump suggesting they could be “building an army,” echoing right-wing rhetoric about infiltration and espionage. The closure of the Darien Gap in February 2024 has highlighted the importance of this trend, especially for Chinese migrants.
Rise of Middle-Class Chinese Migrants:
Despite only about 37,000 Chinese migrants being detained at the border in 2023, a dramatic increase compared to previous years signals a notable shift. This uptick in migration arises from various factors, including China’s slowing economy, tightening political measures, and the availability of social media resources guiding these journeys. The economic downturns coupled with strict COVID-19 policies in China have significantly affected the self-employed middle class, prompting an increase in migration.
With conventional immigration routes hampered by pandemic-related travel restrictions, many Chinese migrants have turned to alternative pathways. This is often facilitated by detailed guidance found on social media and networks of smugglers known as “snakeheads.” By leveraging VPNs to circumvent Chinese censorship, migrants access global online platforms for information on visa-free travel, particularly to Ecuador, which does not require visas for Chinese citizens. From Ecuador, they undertake a harrowing journey through the perilous Darien Gap to reach preferred entry points into the United States, like Baja California. Despite the risks involved, Chinese asylum seekers have higher success rates than other migrant groups, citing political oppression and lack of religious freedom in China.
This surge in migration, while novel in its scale and methods, echoes historical patterns of Chinese migration to the U.S., often characterised by illegal means due to restrictive immigration laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This Act, which was not repealed until 1943, forced many to employ creative strategies to enter the U.S., from assuming Mexican identities to exploiting legal loopholes that allowed entry for students and merchants. Post-1943, the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 eventually shifted immigration policies to focus on vocational skills leading to increased legal immigration in subsequent decades.
Revival and Rise of ‘Yellow Peril’ Stereotype as a Political Issue:
The significant rise in Chinese immigration has the potential to revive the dated notion of “Yellow Peril,” a trope of the East as a threat to Western hegemony. Historical patterns, as noted by scholars, indicate that during times of tension, American perspectives tend to revert to viewing Asians through this “Yellow Peril” stereotype, paralleling past increases in anti-Asian sentiment during periods such as the 1890s economic depression. Scholars like Professor Yao Li have pointed out that such situations expose deep-seated racial insecurities and a tendency among certain segments of the American population to safeguard their perceived rights and societal status. Recent Pew Research reveals a surge in negative attitudes towards China, with 81% of U.S. adults viewing it unfavourably. This shift may impact middle-class Chinese immigrants, potentially subjecting them to greater prejudice and scepticism.
As election fervour mounts, such sentiments may be politically leveraged, potentially escalating immigration and race issues at the forefront of political discourse.
News From Asia 🌏
Friday
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel will “stand alone” if necessary in its war against Hamas, despite the United States’ threat to halt the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel for its planned assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. Read more: PBS
- Israeli strikes targeted facilities belonging to Iraq’s Al-Nujaba armed movement in Syria. The strikes occurred in the Sayyida Zeinab area south of Damascus and targeted a cultural center and a training facility. Three members of the Iraqi group were wounded. Read more: Arab News
- India has withdrawn around 80 soldiers from the Maldives following a request from President Mohamed Muizzu, who has been tilting the country’s alliances towards China. The soldiers were replaced with civilians, while India continues to support the archipelago with aviation platforms for various operations. Read more: The Print
- Japan’s Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling to include fin whales, a larger species than the three currently permitted. This move comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone. Read more: AP News
Thursday
- Malaysia announced plans to implement ‘orangutan diplomacy’, akin to China’s panda diplomacy, intending to gift orangutans to palm oil-importing nations like the EU and India to showcase its commitment to biodiversity conservation. This initiative aims to address the threat posed to orangutans by habitat loss primarily due to palm oil plantations. Read more: The Jakarta Post
- South Korea’s Health Ministry announced plans to allow doctors holding foreign licenses to practice medicine in the country amid a healthcare crisis intensified by a junior doctors’ strike. Revisions to the Medical Service Act will permit foreign license holders to offer medical support upon approval from the Health Minister, aiming to address the shortage of medical personnel during crises. Read more: The Korea Herald
- Vietnamese authorities have arrested Nguyen Van Binh, a senior official engaged in labor reform discussions with international organizations, citing the disclosure of classified information. Binh, as director-general of the Vietnam labor ministry’s legal affairs department, collaborated closely with the International Labour Organization (ILO) on labor law reforms. The arrest follows a series of detentions of experts and activists, raising concerns about civil society crackdown amid political leadership changes. Read more: The Strait Times
- In the first quarter of 2024, the Philippine economy expanded by 5.7%, primarily driven by household spending. However, concerns arise due to accelerating inflation and high interest rates, which could impede future growth. Factors such as lingering pandemic effects, supply chain challenges, and surging food prices contribute to economic uncertainties. Persistent inflation, reaching 3.8% for the third consecutive month in April, is exacerbated by El Nino-induced agricultural impacts, exacerbating concerns over the country’s economic outlook. Read more: Nikkei
Wednesday
- Japan will contribute $1 billion to a $3 billion project led by the United States to develop a missile interceptor capable of countering advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles. The Glide Phase Interceptor project, which was finalized by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden last year, is scheduled to be fully operational by 2032. Read more: SCMP
- Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, has requested a video meeting with Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to discuss the imprisoned civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi, who is serving a 27-year sentence, has had little contact since being detained in 2021. Read more: CNA
- North Korean official Kim Ki Nam, who served all three leaders, has died at 94. He played a crucial role in cementing their political legitimacy and leading the propaganda apparatus. Kim Jong Un paid tribute to him, noting his unwavering loyalty. Kim was influential in policy and inter-Korean relations, notably leading a funeral delegation to South Korea in 2009. Read more: The Strait Times
- Toyota achieved a record net profit of ¥4.94 trillion ($31.9 billion) for the fiscal year ending in March, with revenues hitting ¥45.1 trillion, also an all-time high. The surge was attributed to a weak yen and robust sales, particularly in hybrid vehicles, exceeding earlier forecasts. However, Toyota anticipates a 27.8% decline in net income for the current financial year due to investments. Read more: Yahoo Finance
Tuesday
- The United Nations General Assembly is considering a draft resolution that would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full member of the UN and recommend that the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably”. Read more: Arab News
- A US delegation is visiting Malaysia to discuss the issue of sanction-evading Iranian oil being shipped through a “dark fleet” in Malaysian waters. The US officials aim to emphasize the importance of a unified global response to enforce sanctions against Iran. Read more: SCMP
- Amazon.com Inc. plans to invest $8.88 billion over the next four years to expand its cloud computing infrastructure in Singapore, according to Amazon Web Services (AWS). This investment, doubling down on previous commitments, aims to support customer demand and bolster Singapore’s position as a regional innovation hub. Read more: Bloomberg
- Coffee prices, both domestically and internationally, surged due to unfavorable harvests in Vietnam and Brazil, exceeding $5.12 per kg domestically. Vietnam’s coffee exports reached over 660,000 tonnes valued at $2.23 billion by April, with prices soaring to $3,790 per tonne in early April. Read more: Viet Nam News
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