Under the deal, Washington will maintain 15 per cent tariffs on South Korean goods while Seoul will invest US$350 billion in the US

South Korea and the United States reached a comprehensive trade deal on Wednesday, ranging from tariffs and investment to shipbuilding, at the summit in Gyeongju between President Lee Jae-myung and his American counterpart, Donald Trump.

“We reached a deal. We did a lot of different things. Great session,” Trump said.

The two countries agreed to maintain tariffs at 15 per cent following a preliminary deal reached earlier this year, Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Yong-beom told reporters.

They agreed on “cutting tariffs on automobiles and auto parts to 15 per cent”, down from 25 per cent, Kim said, adding that “South Korea’s financial investment package for the United States, worth US$350 billion, consists of US$200 billion in cash investment and US$150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation”.

Kim said the investments would be “made in accordance with progress in projects and within an annual limit of US$20 billion, minimising any impact on the market”.

The US$20 billion would be mostly raised through interest payments and dividends on the country’s foreign exchange reserves to avoid affecting the capital market, he added.

Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Trump’s use of tariffs for negotiating leverage had shaken the US-South Korea free-trade agreement, added costs and uncertainty for businesses, and consumed much bandwidth of diplomats who would otherwise be coordinating Indo-Pacific strategies.

“Even if the two sides reached an investment deal, the real challenges will be in implementation,” he told This Week in Asia.

Given the rise of Chinese competitors and economic security concerns, Easley said South Korea’s national interests were tied to cooperating with the US in strategic industries such as artificial intelligence, energy and shipbuilding.

“But Seoul and Washington still have much to do in coordinating policies towards China.”

During their discussions on security and trade issues on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Gyeongju on Wednesday, Lee had urged Trump to approve the transfer of fissile material to fuel nuclear-powered submarines that it wanted to build, citing difficulties in tracking North Korean and Chinese submarines.

“I would appreciate it if you would decide to allow us to get fuel for nuclear-powered submarines,” Lee told Trump.

He stressed that the country was not seeking to build submarines armed with nuclear weapons, but nuclear-powered submarines.

Such vessels use nuclear reactors for propulsion and can stay submerged for extended periods. By contrast, conventional diesel-powered submarines have to surface frequently to recharge their batteries.

A submarine using a nuclear reactor as its power source is also far quieter than a conventional submarine, making it much harder to detect by enemy forces.

“The limited underwater endurance of conventional submarines restricts our ability to track North Korean and Chinese submarines,” Lee said.

He also mentioned in his request the country’s maritime defence in the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, referred to as the East Sea and the West Sea, respectively, by South Korea.

“So, if possible, please allow us to receive nuclear fuel. With that, we can build several submarines armed with conventional weapons using our own technology and conduct defensive operations in the East Sea and the West Sea of the Korean peninsula, thereby reducing the US military’s burden.”

South Korea already boasts cutting-edge shipbuilding technology to build vessels such as advanced conventional submarines. However, its long-held ambition to develop nuclear-powered submarines has faced hurdles due to Washington’s refusal to supply enriched uranium needed to fuel the reactors to its ally.

Presidential National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said after the summit that Trump “expressed understanding” of South Korea’s need for nuclear-powered submarines in light of the situation on the Korean peninsula.

“The key outcome of the 87-minute luncheon summit was confirming Washington’s strong willingness to cooperate in modernising the alliance.”

When asked whether Lee’s request was intended as part of South Korea’s participation in US efforts to contain China, Wi said: “I believe it was not about referring to submarines of a specific country, but rather about the need to respond to submarines operating in waters near North Korea and China.”

Analysts say despite Trump’s willingness to help modernise the alliance, Washington remains wary due to its concerns over nuclear proliferation.

Lee Il-woo, who was previously involved in planning for the development of nuclear-powered submarines, said Seoul had told Washington in 2017 and 2018 about its plans for developing such submarines and expressed its wish to import enriched uranium from the US for that purpose.

Currently, only the US, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and India operate nuclear-powered submarines.

Australia is developing them under the Aukus security alliance with the US and the UK. Japan is also reportedly exploring introducing nuclear-powered submarines to its naval fleet.

“South Korea needs at least three nuclear-powered submarines to monitor North Korean submarines around the clock, but because of the US reluctance to supply fuel for nuclear reactors, this project remains in doubt,” Lee Il-woo told This Week in Asia.

Easley warned that North Korea was testing missiles and expanding its sanctions-violating transactions with Russia while ignoring diplomatic overtures from both Trump and Lee.

“The Lee administration is calling for Trump to support South Korean nuclear enrichment and reprocessing, submarines with nuclear propulsion, and operational control of military forces during wartime,” he said.

“But such deals might not be timely from the perspectives of the global non-proliferation regime, defence resource allocation, and alliance management.”

Doo Jin-ho, a senior analyst at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said South Korea and the US were scheduled to hold a meeting next week to discuss key security issues, including a possible amendment to their bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, which governs the supply and use of nuclear fuel.

The current agreement does not allow the use of nuclear materials for military purposes, but Seoul has argued that nuclear-powered submarines do not fall under the restriction.

President Lee also discussed with Trump about increasing South Korea’s defence budget, which has been one of Washington’s key demands for Seoul to take on more responsibility for the alliance.

“We will ensure sufficient support and an increase in defence spending to reduce America’s defence burden. Through expanded defence spending and a stronger defence industry, we plan to significantly enhance our self-defence capabilities.”

South Korea’s current defence budget was already at 1.4 times North Korea’s annual gross domestic product, making it the fifth largest in the world, he added.

Meanwhile, Trump suggested a meeting between him and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un during his two-day visit to South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday was not likely to materialise, as Pyongyang had yet to publicly respond to his overtures.

The US president has repeatedly expressed interest in meeting Kim to rekindle what he once called their “bromance”.

The pair met three times during Trump’s first term – in Singapore in June 2018, at the Hanoi summit in February 2019, when both of them failed to reach an agreement over the North’s denuclearisation, and in Panmunjom at the inter-Korean border in June 2019.

“I know Kim Jong-un very well. We get along very well,” Trump said on Wednesday. “We really weren’t able to work out timing.”

In what analysts have described as a sign of Kim’s disinterest in meeting Trump, North Korea test-fired its nuclear-capable cruise missiles on Tuesday.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse

Letters from soldiers en route to France, over a century old, offer a poignant glimpse into their journey, and help unite their families

Messages in a bottle written by two Australian soldiers a few days into their voyage to the battlefields of France during World War I have been found more than a century later on Australia’s coast.

The Brown family found the bottle just above the waterline at Wharton Beach near Esperance in Western Australia state on October 9, Deb Brown said on Tuesday.

Her husband Peter and daughter Felicity made the find during one of the family’s regular quad bike expeditions to clear the beach of rubbish.

“We do a lot of cleaning up on our beaches and so would never go past a piece of rubbish. So this little bottle was lying there waiting to be picked up,” Deb Brown said.

Inside the clear, thick glass were cheerful letters written in pencil by Privates Malcolm Neville, 27, and William Harley, 37, dated August 15, 1916.

Their troop ship HMAT A70 Ballarat had left the South Australia state capital Adelaide to the east on August 12 of that year on the long journey to the other side of the world, where its soldiers would reinforce the 48th Australian Infantry Battalion on Europe’s Western Front.

Neville was killed in action a year later. Harley was wounded twice but survived the war, dying in Adelaide in 1934 of a cancer his family say was caused by him being gassed by the Germans in the trenches.

Neville requested the bottle’s finder deliver his letter to his mother, Robertina Neville, at Wilkawatt, now a virtual ghost town in South Australia. Harley, whose mother was dead by 1916, was happy for the finder to keep his note.

Harley wrote, “may the finder be as well as we are at present”.

Neville wrote to his mother he was “having a real good time, food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal which we buried at sea”.

The ship was “heaving and rolling, but we are as happy as Larry”, Neville wrote, using a now faded Australian colloquialism meaning very happy.

Neville wrote that he and his comrades were, “Somewhere at Sea”.

Harley wrote that they were, “Somewhere in the Bight”, referring to the Great Australian Bight. That’s an enormous open bay that begins east of Adelaide and extends to Esperance on the western edge.

Deb Brown suspects the bottle did not travel far. It likely spent more than a century ashore, buried in the sand dunes. Extensive erosion of the dunes caused by huge swells along Wharton Beach in recent months probably dislodged it.

The paper was wet, but the writing remained legible. Because of that, Deb Brown was able to notify both soldiers’ relatives of the find.

The bottle “is in pristine condition. It doesn’t have any growth of any barnacles on it. I believe that if it had been at sea or if it had been exposed for that long, the paper would’ve disintegrated from the sun. We wouldn’t have been able to read it,” she said.

It really does feel like a miracle, and we do very much feel like our grandfather has reached out for us from the graveAnn Turner, granddaughter of William Harley

Harley’s granddaughter Ann Turner said her family was “absolutely stunned” by the find.

“We just can’t believe it. It really does feel like a miracle, and we do very much feel like our grandfather has reached out for us from the grave,” Turner told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Neville’s great-nephew Herbie Neville said his family had been brought together by the “unbelievable” discovery.

“It sounds as though he was pretty happy to go to the war. It’s just so sad what happened. It’s so sad that he lost his life,” Herbie Neville said.

“Wow. What a man he was,” the great-nephew added with pride.

To move forward, negotiations must be conducted on the basis of security guarantees that reflect today’s geopolitical realities

The now-delayed meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, could have been a turning point towards peace in Ukraine. Instead, it has revealed a deeper fault line.

However, it is one that can be overcome. Even the Kremlin’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, believes that the parties are close to an end to the war.

The global community should offer an off-ramp and seek a middle ground amenable to both sides. No ceasefire, however well-meaning, will work unless it factors in the deeper struggles around Europe’s security posture and Russia’s anxieties about the West. In short, what is needed is credible enforcement and balanced security guarantees.

In this regard, Kyiv rightly demands protection from future aggression. Meanwhile, Moscow insists on assurances that Nato, the transatlantic security alliance, will not creep closer to its border. The fact that the Budapest summit was even on the table indicates that both sides are, at least ostensibly, open to “freezing” the conflict. However, trust is running thin.

I have previously argued for the creation of a formal seven-party talks framework, reminiscent of the Korean six-party talks, comprising the UN Security Council’s five permanent members – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Ukraine and representatives of the European Union. But now, an older precedent can offer guidance: the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953 did not end the war, but it greatly reduced the violence.

Such an approach, if enacted with the help of neutral third-party oversight, could offer a viable path outside maximalist goals. If Ukraine and Russia are serious about halting the fighting, they will need to embrace a peacekeeping framework strong enough to deter violations but neutral enough to be accepted by both.

Such a force cannot come solely from Nato or Russia. It must draw legitimacy from a broader international coalition that reflects today’s multipolar reality. The UN is an indispensable vessel for establishing such a presence, but any peacebuilding efforts must be strengthened by the involvement of Brics countries that have maintained dialogue with Russia and Ukraine.

Troops or observers from China, India, Brazil or South Africa deployed alongside European partners such as Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Poland could support the balanced mission the situation calls for. Their presence would show that the world’s major regions share responsibility for security issues and would allay concerns that peacekeepers would not honour their mission.

China can play a constructive role. It is both Russia and Ukraine’s largest trading partner and has maintained communication with all sides since the beginning of the war. Beijing’s 12-point peace proposal emphasised sovereignty, humanitarian access and the avoidance of nuclear escalation, principles that remain valid.

More recently, China has expanded its cooperation with Brics and called for inclusive diplomacy to address conflict. Acting through the UN and in coordination with Brics, China can serve as a guarantor of peace and peacekeeper, helping design a neutral framework that bridges the security fears of each camp.

The delayed Budapest talks should not be read as the end of diplomacy, but as a chance to begin a more realistic process. Should talks proceed, a wider table might be found at the coming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, this week. President Xi Jinping, Trump and a Russian delegation are expected to be there, as are leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, a region known for both conflict and reconciliation.

On the sidelines, an informal trilateral meeting could be convened to explore the outlines of a “Gyeongju Ceasefire Initiative”, paving the way for a formal peace conference under UN auspices that includes the organisation’s Security Council, Ukraine and the EU.

For Washington and Moscow, this would provide a dignified exit from confrontation. For Kyiv, it would offer concrete protection and a pathway to reconstruction. For Europe, it would reduce the strain of endless crisis management. And for the Global South, it would mark a long-overdue moment when emerging powers help shoulder the burdens of peace.

A carefully crafted freeze in hostilities could unlock humanitarian corridors, stabilise food and energy supplies, and help kick-start Ukraine’s recovery, a task that will require the industrial and financial capacities of both the West and Asia.

Some may dismiss this lofty proposal as idealistic, but the same might have been said of Germany and France being in the same political union or the Korean Armistice Agreement being mostly maintained over the years. Peace doesn’t have to come from mutual affection. It can grow from managed coexistence.

The delay of the Trump-Putin summit was not rooted in personal mistrust but rather the absence of the right frameworks to monitor and support badly needed security guarantees. That gap can and must be filled by the wider international community.

The war in Ukraine has reshaped global politics and strained institutions that were designed for another era. If the UN and Brics can forge a credible peacekeeping framework that freezes violence while enabling negotiations, the outcome would not only save Ukrainian lives but also show that global cooperation can triumph over great-power competition.

A truce enforced by shared responsibility is better than a victory won with exhaustion and needlessly filled graves. Diplomacy without design cannot endure. The world should seize the moment before it slips away. In Gyeongju, the US, Russia, China and other partners have a chance to chart a path away from attrition and towards stability.

Rebels abandon key areas Mogok and Momeik after Beijing-led talks, signalling a shift in the civil war’s dynamics

One of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed opposition factions has agreed to a China-brokered withdrawal from a lucrative ruby mining hub, the group said on Wednesday.

Myanmar has been mired in a civil war since the military grabbed power in a 2021 coup, with the junta fighting an array of pro-democracy guerrillas and powerful ethnic minority armed groups.

The ragtag opposition initially struggled to make headway before organising a combined offensive in late 2023 that seized huge swathes of territory.

The northern ruby-mining town of Mogok was captured by rebels last summer, but the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) – the most powerful group driving that offensive – said it will now pull out.

The TNLA said in a statement on Telegram it had made a deal with the junta after two days of talks that ended on Tuesday, overseen by a Chinese special envoy in the city of Kunming in southern China.

According to the deal, the group will pull out of the townships of Mogok and neighbouring Momeik.

The statement did not specify a time frame but said the military had agreed to halt air strikes, while “troops from both sides will stop advancing” from midnight on Wednesday.

A Myanmar junta spokesman could not be reached for comment.

China is a key power broker in Myanmar’s civil war, analysts say, supporting both opposition groups and the junta on a sliding scale according to its economic and security interests.

Some conflict monitors say the offensive during which Mogok was captured had at least Beijing’s tacit backing, as China grew weary of the junta’s inaction over internet scam centres that seed chaos along their border.

However, China has more openly backed the junta this year as it battles to regain ground ahead of an election scheduled to start in December, which it is touting as a path to stability.

The polls are set to be blocked from vast rebel-held enclaves, and numerous international monitors have dismissed them as a ploy to disguise continuing military rule.

However, Beijing has given its backing in diplomatic rhetoric and on the ground.

The northern city of Lashio – the junta’s most significant territorial loss since the start of the civil war – was handed back to the military in April after Chinese mediation.

Duterte’s lawyers are challenging The Hague’s jurisdiction and claim the 80-year-old is unfit for trial

Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has appealed last week’s decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue its case against him and is seeking his release, court documents showed on Wednesday.

Last week, ICC judges ruled that the court had jurisdiction over Duterte’s case, despite his team’s contention that the court did not open a full-fledged investigation into alleged crimes in the Philippines until after the country had withdrawn from the ICC in 2019.

Duterte, president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March on an arrest warrant that linked him to murders committed during his war on drugs in the Philippines.

During that campaign, thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users were killed. Duterte and his lawyers maintain his arrest was unlawful.

In their notice of appeal, Duterte’s lawyers asked the court to reverse a lower panel’s decision to continue the case and find there is no legal basis for it.

They also want the court to order Duterte’s immediate and unconditional release.

The defence team has also filed another motion to stop the Duterte case because they said the 80-year-old is unfit to stand trial due to a cognitive decline.

A decision on how Duterte’s health will affect the proceedings is not expected until mid-November.

From Tokyo to Bangkok, Washington is forging new partnerships to counter China’s dominance

US President Donald Trump has signed a series of critical mineral agreements during his visit to Asia, in a bid to secure rare earth supplies and reduce dependence on China.

Here, the Post examines how these deals differ in scale, scope and potential impact.

What does the US-Japan framework cover?

On Tuesday, the two countries signed an agreement to “support the supply of raw and processed critical minerals and rare earths crucial to the domestic industries of the United States and Japan”.

While short on details, the framework outlined broad areas for potential cooperation – including joint mapping of mineral sources, investment opportunities and stockpiling.

Both countries plan to act within six months to provide financial backing for selected projects, the document showed – though it did not disclose specific initiatives under consideration.

To address supply chain vulnerabilities, the two sides will also establish a “rapid response group” led by senior energy officials from both countries.

Japan has spent more than a decade trying to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths, first investing in Australia-based Lynas Rare Earths in 2011 and in France’s Caremag in March this year.

In July, Japan also announced plans for early 2026 to begin test mining rare-earth-rich seabed mud at depths of 5,000 to 6,000 metres (16,404 to 19,685 feet) off an island southeast of Tokyo – the first project of its kind in the world.

What does the agreement with Malaysia include?

Before heading to Japan, Trump signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Malaysia and Thailand to secure rare earth supplies and explore potential investment opportunities.

“Malaysia has committed to ensuring no restrictions are imposed on the sale of rare earth magnets to US companies, including by refraining from banning or imposing quotas on exports to the United States of critical minerals or rare earth elements,” according to the White House.

Malaysia sits on about 16.1 million tonnes of rare earth deposits but lacks mining and processing technology. To protect its resources, it prohibits the export of raw rare earths.

On Monday, Malaysia’s energy minister said the ban would remain in place, apply universally and not target any specific country – including the US or China. Foreign investors have instead been invited to participate in downstream processing and value-added activities.

How about the agreement with Thailand?

The MOU with Thailand encourages business partnerships between the two countries in the exploration, development, processing and use of critical minerals. It also commits both sides to sharing information on potential tenders and projects as early as possible.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stressed that the agreement is a gesture of goodwill and poses no concern for relations with China.

He said the deal serves as a preparatory framework in case commercially viable rare earth deposits are found in Thailand, and that it does not grant the US exclusive rights or special privileges.

What additional partnerships has the US pursued?

The US also announced a deal with Australia on October 20 valued at US$8.5 billion.

The agreement focuses on building processing capacity in Australia, with both countries pledging to defend their markets against unfair trade practices.

Each side will invest over US$1 billion in initial projects over the next six months.

Washington has also turned its attention to Greenland since Trump’s re-election – in part because of its mineral resources.

In July, the US Export-Import Bank announced plans to provide up to US$120 million in non-dilutive financing for Critical Metals’ Tanbreez rare earth project in southern Greenland.

Trump says he used the trade penalty to de-escalate the conflict, calling Indian PM Narendra Modi ‘the nicest-looking guy’ but also a ‘killer’

US President Donald Trump said he threatened India and Pakistan with 250 per cent tariffs to help spur the resolution of their conflict earlier this year, describing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the nicest-looking guy” who was also a “killer” eager to fight.

Trump made the comments on Wednesday while addressing a meeting of corporate leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.

Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for solving the four-day armed conflict, angering officials in India who have rejected his claims of mediation.

Modi skipped a regional leaders summit in Malaysia this week as Indian officials were apprehensive that Trump would repeat his claim that he mediated the ceasefire, people familiar with the matter said.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Back in May, Vice-President J.D. Vance spoke with Modi in a bid to find an off-ramp to the fighting, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio also speaking to his counterpart.

Top generals from both India and Pakistan then spoke for hours to work out a ceasefire and agreed to halt the fighting. Trump then revealed the ceasefire in a social media post before it was announced by either country, infuriating officials in New Delhi.

Trump has repeatedly referenced his role in the conflict during his three-nation tour of Asia, adding additional flourishes with each retelling.

“I called Prime Minister Modi, I said, ‘We can’t make a trade deal with you,’” Trump said. “‘You’re starting a war with Pakistan. We’re not going to do it.’”

Trump said he made a similar phone call to Pakistan, and that both sides told him that “you should let us fight”.

Ultimately, the president said, he threatened “250 per cent tariffs on each country, which means that you’ll never do business”.

The US president went on to describe India and Pakistan as “tough people”.

“I’ll tell you what, Prime Minister Modi is the nicest-looking guy,” Trump said, adding that the Indian leader looked like someone “you’d like to have as your father”.

But, Trump said, “he’s a killer.”

“He’s tough as hell,” Trump said, quoting the Indian prime minister as telling him: “No, we will fight!”

“I said, ‘Whoa, is that the same man that I know?’” Trump said.

While Trump went on to describe the leaders of India and Pakistan as “good people” – and is regularly prone to exaggeration – the aside came as Modi campaigned for his party in a crucial state election that kicks off next week and risks giving the prime minister’s rivals political ammunition.

The flap has soured what has previously been a close bond between Modi and Trump. India has also been unable to convince Trump to reduce a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports, which includes a penalty over its purchases of Russian oil.

While Trump has said India has committed to reducing those buys, the US has not yet announced a tariff rollback.

Weak taxation policies and governance gaps reinforce wealth imbalances and divert resources from public spending, the Oxfam report says

Economic growth across Southeast Asia is increasingly being overshadowed by widening inequality and entrenched corruption, with discontent now spilling onto the streets, according to a new Oxfam report released just a day after Asean leaders concluded their annual summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The study, titled “An Unequal Future: Asia’s Struggle for Justice in a Warming, Wired World” and released on Wednesday, found that the richest 10 per cent of Asians took between 60 and 77 per cent of national income, while the poorest half received only 12 to 15 per cent.

In 2023, the top 10 per cent captured 58 per cent of income in India, 52 per cent in Thailand, 46 per cent in Indonesia, and 43 per cent in both Vietnam and China.

The report notes that the richest 1 per cent hold 40.1 per cent of national wealth in India and 31.4 per cent in China.

In Indonesia, the bottom 50 per cent’s income share fell from 20.0 per cent in 2000 to 13.7 per cent in 2023, while in Malaysia the top 10 per cent took 39.4 per cent last year. Cambodia and Myanmar showed modest gains, with the poorest half’s income share rising from 9.1 to 14.2 per cent and 14.0 to 17.7 per cent, respectively.

Oxfam, a global non-profit that campaigns against poverty and inequality, said these imbalances were reinforced by “weak progressive taxation, high debt-service burdens, and governance transparency gaps”, which diverted resources away from social spending and deepened inequality.

“Young people are fed up with leaders rigging the economy for the ultra-wealthy while they’re locked out of decent jobs,” Amitabh Behar, Oxfam executive director, told This Week in Asia. “From Manila to Jakarta, people aren’t protesting by accident.”

‘Crony capitalism’ and public anger

The report also highlighted a pattern of what it called crony capitalism across the region – from Indonesia’s politically connected conglomerates to the Philippines’ oligarchic families – where public contracts, land concessions and subsidies were frequently captured by elites.

In several Asean states, Oxfam said corruption had “eroded the redistributive capacity of governments”, with public resources diverted to projects that benefited the politically powerful rather than ordinary citizens.

The report pointed to consequences in the streets. In Indonesia, thousands of workers and students clashed with police in August during protests against lawmakers’ perks and rising cost of living. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in the largest demonstrations in Jakarta.

In the Philippines, public anger over a corruption scandal involving flood control projects triggered renewed demonstrations in the capital Manila last month.

Oxfam found that in six South and Southeast Asian countries, debt servicing consumed about 20 per cent of government spending. Across 25 of 28 Asian economies, governments face average spending cuts of 3 per cent of GDP by 2027, and in these countries home to a total of more than 2.1 billion people, net interest payments already exceed education or health budgets.

The report says most Asian governments collect too little from the richest individuals and corporations while relying heavily on indirect taxes such as VAT, which fall more heavily on the poor.

Across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the richest 1 per cent hold about 25 to 33 per cent of total wealth, while the poorest half own only about 3 to 4 per cent, it noted.

Billionaires’ combined wealth in Asia has risen more than 120 per cent to between US$3.4 trillion and US$4 trillion over the past decade – roughly seven times Thailand’s gross domestic product.

Asean leaders, meeting in Kuala Lumpur from Sunday to Tuesday, focused on supply chains and regional stability but made little mention of corruption or inequality in their final communique.

The statement pledged “inclusive and sustainable growth” but contained no concrete commitments to tackle patronage networks or adopt fairer tax systems.

The bloc, with a combined GDP of almost US$4 trillion and a population exceeding 670 million, is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.

“Regardless of whether Asean leaders do or do not have the political courage to act, the consequences of inaction are unsustainable,” Oxfam’s Behar said. “Unless governments start taxing the rich fairly to invest in public service, inequality will keep fuelling unrest and driving climate disasters across the region.”

The individual deals signed by Trump with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam may lead to long-term economic costs, analysts say

The deals that US President Donald Trump sealed with several Asean partners in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week have been called a “mixed blessing” by critics, with the long-term economic costs potentially outweighing the short-term trade benefits.

Trump finalised agreements on trade and critical minerals with four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Sunday, including pacts with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam to address trade barriers.

Washington maintained the 19 to 20 per cent tariffs it had imposed on all four countries, but allowed for certain concessions, such as zero per cent tariffs on specific products and more commercial deals in exchange for wider market access for American goods.

Malaysia managed to secure zero tariffs on products including aerospace equipment, pharmaceuticals and key commodities such as palm oil, cocoa and rubber. Details on lower or zero levies for Thailand and Cambodia have yet to be released.

Trump did not address his previous threat of imposing a 100 per cent tariff on semiconductors, as well as 40 per cent on transshipments, with the latter aimed at curbing US goods from being exported to China via Asean.

Analysts said the concessions that the US made at the Asean summit, including limited tariff relief, were largely incremental.

For Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the deals offered greater short-term market access to the US, but they did not significantly alter a global trade landscape dominated by tariffs and non-tariff barriers.

The four countries “now face increased imports of US agricultural and industrial products and commitments that favour American exporters”, Vu Lam, a policy analyst and Asean observer, told This Week in Asia.

Lam called the agreements with Trump “more a tactical respite than a transformative shift, providing some immediate gains but falling short of a deeper, long-term economic reset for the region”.

Joanne Lin, a senior fellow and coordinator at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Asean Studies Centre, said that the tariff concessions “may look like good news on the surface, especially for export-driven economies like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand that rely heavily on access to the US market, but they do come with strings attached”.

Lin added that the reciprocal trade deals were narrow in scope, benefited specific product lines such as semiconductors and apparel, and required Asean partners to open their markets more widely to US exports and reduce non-tariff barriers.

In effect, Washington gets both the political optics of tariff relief and commercial advantages for US industriesJoanne Lin, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Asean Studies Centre

“In effect, Washington gets both the political optics of tariff relief and commercial advantages for US industries,” she said.

Kevin Chen, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that while the deals contained “some good news … the costs are far more prominent than the benefits that these Southeast Asian countries gain”.

Chen referred to estimates by British bank Barclays that the tariff exemptions for Malaysia “would only cover a modest fraction of their exports to the US, in exchange for commitments to purchase hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of US goods”.

While Barclays estimates tariff exemptions apply to more than US$12 billion of Malaysia’s US-bound exports, the country is likely to only see zero tariffs on US$1 billion worth of those exports.

“This appears to be the cost of doing business with the current administration in the United States,” Chen said.

Calling the deals “a mixed blessing”, Lin said: “They provide short-term relief and certainty for some sectors, but the commitments could also expose domestic industries to competitive pressures and complicate Asean’s collective trade approach.”

On Sunday, deals to diversify supply chains for critical minerals were high on Trump’s agenda after China expanded export controls on rare earths earlier this month. He signed deals with Thailand and Malaysia, with Kuala Lumpur committing “to refrain from banning, or imposing quotas on, exports to the United States of critical minerals or rare earth elements”.

Lin said the deals on critical minerals were targeted at securing supplies for key tech products, including electric vehicles, batteries and semiconductors.

“Given China’s dominant position in controlling global rare earth supplies, the US-led efforts to diversify and secure alternative supply chains with Asean partners signal a strategic push to reduce dependency on China,” Lam said.

‘State-by-state approach’

Trump’s deal-making at the summit signalled that he did not view Asean as a collective bloc, given his preference for bilateral pacts in line with his “America First” agenda, according to analysts.

Lin said: “His preference for bilateral, transactional agreements, rather than engaging Asean as a collective, reflects how he views Southeast Asia primarily through an economic and political optics lens, not an institutional one.”

The US president’s approach could contribute to deeper fragmentation within Asean’s trade landscape “if not managed carefully”, she added.

Lam agreed and said the deals Trump signed revealed a “transactional, state-by-state approach aligning with his ‘America First’ agenda”.

Nonetheless, Chen said Trump’s first regional visit in years aimed to redefine Washington’s trade ties with its partners. He last attended an Asean summit in 2017, skipping all of the bloc’s other meetings during his first term.

“While the deals struck with Southeast Asian countries might disproportionately favour the US, at the very least they give a shred of clarity as to Mr Trump’s intentions for the region,” he said.

“Trump’s coercive approach might make for a less-than-desired narrative for the region’s economies, but it is better than the uncertainty of an absent narrative.”

Lin said Trump’s participation indicated that the US remained “100 per cent committed” to Asean.

“For many in the region, it offered reassurance that Washington is not retreating from Southeast Asia altogether. Trump may not be strengthening institutions, but his presence and outreach signal that he sees value in Asean as a platform for visibility and influence.”

Singaporeans surpassed Hong Kong investors to be top buyers of Japanese properties, accounting for half of transactions at one investment firm

A combination of favourable conditions – a weak yen, tourism growth and attractive rental yields – is driving unprecedented Singaporean interest in Japan’s property market.

Just a few years ago, FM Investment held sales events in Singapore for Japanese real estate once every couple of months. This year alone, the investment firm has organised at least 15 events for 12 boutique developments across Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kyoto.

Even more striking is that Singaporeans have displaced Hong Kong investors as the firm’s largest buyer group, now accounting for half of all transactions – up from 30 per cent last year.

The numbers tell the story across the industry. Property seminar attendance has risen, with flats taken up on the spot.

A two-bedroom unit in Tokyo’s Asakusa district was sold for under S$500,000 (US$386,000) at OrangeTee’s first official Japanese property event last month.

Savills Singapore sold out all 60 units of a boutique Osaka development in July, with half going to Singapore-based buyers.

The yen’s sustained weakness has significantly enhanced purchasing power for foreign buyers. At current exchange rates, one Singapore dollar is worth 117.6 yen – about 12 per cent more than three years ago, when Japan reopened its borders to international travellers.

For investors, this translates directly into lower acquisition costs and better value per square foot.

Borrowing costs in the country have also stayed low, with its current benchmark rate of 0.5 per cent comparatively lower than most Asian markets.

With new Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi – a proponent of big spending and loose monetary policy – market expectations have further shifted towards a prolonged low interest rate policy, said Hideaki Suzuki, executive director of research consulting at Cushman and Wakefield.

These advantages align with Japan’s surging tourism momentum. Visitor numbers continue to break records, driving demand for short-term rental accommodation.

Osaka alone welcomed 14.6 million visitors last year, with the government targeting more than 16 million arrivals for this year. The recent World Expo, which concluded in October, brought a massive influx of 27 million domestic and international visitors to the city over six months.

Crucially, Japan continues to be seen as a safe haven for international capital and a place that Singaporeans are familiar with, property analysts said.

All these have burnished the appeal of Japan versus other property markets, such as Australia and the United Kingdom. Yields in these markets, long favoured by Singaporeans, may no longer be attractive given higher domestic interest rates, said Realion’s deputy group chief executive Justin Quek.

On top of the confluence of pull factors, there is also a push factor – the additional buyer’s stamp duty in Singapore, which makes ownership of multiple properties prohibitively expensive.

Japan has no restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate, making it attractive to Singaporean investors, said Realion’s group chief executive Desmond Sim.

Beyond Tokyo

Most Singaporean buyers are hunting for investment properties, particularly short-term rentals catering to tourists, though some are purchasing retirement or holiday homes.

Centrally located flats are preferred over stand-alone houses, as they are easier to rent out and manage remotely, according to Chua Shir Yee, head of international sales at PropNex.

While Tokyo remains the dominant destination – particularly prime districts like Roppongi and Shibuya – Osaka is rapidly gaining ground.

The nation’s third-largest city in population offers a compelling value proposition: property prices roughly 30 per cent lower than Tokyo, higher rental yields and fewer restrictions on short-term rental operations.

Amous Lee, chief executive of FM Investment, estimates rental yields in Osaka to be around 5 per cent, compared with Tokyo’s 3 per cent.

“Ginza, Roppongi, Shibuya and Shinjuku will always be trophy assets for investors, especially high net worth individuals, but Singaporeans also look at numbers,” he said. “With 3 per cent rental yield in Tokyo, they will turn to somewhere else.”

Major infrastructure projects are sweetening the deal. A multibillion-dollar casino resort opening in 2029 is expected to drive tourism numbers even higher. Demand for short-stay accommodation in Osaka has reached “an all-time high”, according to Savills Singapore.

Beyond the top-tier cities, investors familiar with Japan are venturing into Nagoya, Fukuoka and Yokohama, seeking even lower entry points into the market, Chua said.

Property firms are meeting the demand through partnerships, seminars and curated offerings.

Once interest rates in Singapore started plummeting, investors started to look elsewhere for better yieldsRuben Koh, head of international sales at Savills Singapore

Savills Singapore shifted its focus in Japan from resort investment opportunities to residential properties this year, conducting multiple five-week campaigns that each received around 200 inquiries.

Ruben Koh, head and senior director for international residential sales at Savills Singapore, said that sales were slow initially but began to pick up around June. He attributes this partly to concerns about US tariffs and declining returns on low-risk investments such as fixed deposits.

“Once the fears subsided and interest rates in Singapore started plummeting, investors started to look elsewhere for better yields,” he said.

Realion’s real estate agency arm OrangeTee recently announced a partnership with Tokyu Livable, one of Japan’s largest real estate agencies and a shareholder of OrangeTee since 2014.

The collaboration aims to provide a curated portfolio of Japanese residential and investment-grade properties and what Realion called “premium” renovated flats – resale units bought, renovated and offered with 10-year warranties by Tokyu Livable.

“In a lot of very good areas, there’s no more land left for sale,” said Quek, who is also chief executive of OrangeTee. “So the only access is to get well-located units off the secondary market.”

Navigating the risks

Despite the enthusiasm, industry professionals caution that investors must navigate several complexities.

Rules governing short-stay accommodation – known as minpaku – differ across cities and are subject to change. In certain Tokyo districts, private lodgings can only operate on weekends and holidays.

Designated special zones like Osaka allow year-round operation, but authorities in September announced plans to suspend applications for year-round private lodgings following resident complaints about rule violations, noise and litter.

The availability of mortgage financing varies by location and may require higher capital outlay. In Nagoya, for example, bank mortgages are only extended for properties in key central districts, with loan-to-value ratios of 50 to 60 per cent compared to 70 per cent in Tokyo and Osaka, said FM Investment’s Lee.

Investors should also take into account that while yen weakness enhances purchasing power, it cuts both ways. Continued Singapore dollar strength could mean smaller returns when gains are eventually converted back.

On top of that, investors have to consider their exit strategy, as Japan’s resale market operates differently from Singapore’s.

Realion’s Sim described it as “relatively tepid”, given balanced supply and demand dynamics, though he said investors should not face difficulties exiting given the lack of restrictions on property sales to foreigners and a sizeable buyer pool from mainland China and Taiwan.

Koh from Savills Singapore said that Japanese properties were “very illiquid” before the pandemic, as people preferred renting during the deflationary era.

“Things have changed a lot due to inflation globally and Japan seems to have pulled itself out of deflation and into inflation,” he added, noting that the resale market has become active for both owner-occupation and investment properties since 2024.

“I would say it is healthy in the big cities and will tend to change hands pretty fast for the smaller ticket properties.”

This article was first published by CNA

Malaysia says its licensing rules are aimed at curbing scams, online gambling and child pornography

Meta, the tech firm behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it will refuse to sign onto Malaysia’s social media licensing framework despite criticisms that its platforms carry content damaging to children and young people and wants to hold talks with the government on the matter.

Malaysia imposed the framework for all social media and online messaging platforms in January that have at least 8 million local users each to curtail surging scam cases, online gambling and the spread of child sexual abuse material.

The country is also mulling a ban on smartphone use for children aged 16 and below, a proposal rejected as state overreach by tech giants, which make billions of dollars from advertising and data collection.

Under Malaysia’s rules, the three platforms in Meta’s stable have to secure licensing approval, given their estimated combined base of 50 million local accounts and that they each have more than 8 million users.

Failure to do so could result in Meta facing fines of 500,000 ringgit (US$118,500) and jail of up to five years for its officers.

Meta has pushed back, saying it had been driving improvements to its own internal youth safety regulations and anti-scam protocols even before Malaysia’s licensing regime was made law.

“All of that is ongoing and regardless of the social media licensing regime,” Rafael Frankel, Meta’s director of public policy, told This Week in Asia in an interview.

“We don’t need any licence to continue that work.”

Only micro-video platform TikTok and instant messaging services WeChat and Telegram have secured licences since the rules came into force this year.

Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has been particularly critical of Meta for failing to secure a social media licence despite an earlier pledge to do so.

Last month, Fahmi said Malaysians lost more than 248 million ringgit (US$59 million) between 2023 and August this year through e-commerce scams across Meta’s three platforms.

The minister added that the government sent over 168,000 requests so far this year to take down illegal content on Facebook alone, which accounted for 59 per cent of its total requests across all social media platforms.

“These figures show Meta has not fully cooperated in combating cybercrime, leaving room for offences to continue,” Fahmi said.

Malaysia, however, has not taken punitive measures against Meta or other platforms that it deemed to have failed to clamp down on scams and harmful content.

Ahead of implementation of the social media licence regime, Fahmi said last November that there were no plans to ban platforms that did not follow the rules.

Frankel argued Meta’s data showed that its platforms had been “very responsive” in taking down scam content, and that they had been publishing their performance in a transparency report released publicly every six months.

Meta has been accused of refusing to crack down on alleged fraud cases to avoid losing advertising revenue, with thousands of scam complaints tied to impersonation of banks and major retailers in the US, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal in May.

Frankel said Meta agreed with Malaysia and other governments in the region that social media regulations were necessary to protect children and people from online harm.

But he warned that increasingly prescriptive actions, like Malaysia’s social media licensing regime, would only shackle social media firms to specific regulations that could lag behind sophisticated and well-funded criminal enterprises.

“There are all sorts of ways that criminals can pass ID checks if they are really well motivated, sophisticated and well financed. And they are,” Frankel said.

Frankel said Meta was also concerned by the tendency of governments in the Asia-Pacific to ban social media access, particularly for children.

Australia will enforce one of the strictest social media laws in the world from December 10, banning children aged 16 and younger from having social media accounts.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament earlier this month that Malaysia was considering going a step further by barring teenagers from using smartphones.

Indonesia said earlier this year that it needed stronger laws to protect minors from “physical, mental or moral perils”.

But that would only address one part of the entire online ecosystem occupied by teenagers and push them to platforms with far less oversight, Frankel said.

“When we talk about online youth regulation, you’ve got to talk about the whole online environment. If you just focus on social media and you do social media bans… you’re going to drive them to less safe spaces. That’s the practical result.”

Frankel said the conversation on social media safety should move from outright bans to more collaborative efforts involving governments, civil society and social media firms.

He added that he was optimistic all stakeholders could “get to the right place” in Southeast Asia, following constructive discussions with Indonesia and Singapore.

“These are hard conversations, but they need to be had. The Malaysian government wants to have a conversation, let’s have a conversation.”

Hegseth hailed Tokyo’s intention to accelerate the timing of a planned increase in defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Japan’s new resolve to bolster its military a day after President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to deepen US-Japan defence ties.

“It’s wonderful,” Hegseth said on Wednesday of Tokyo’s intention to accelerate the timing of a planned increase in defence spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product, and to come up with additional plans for military investment.

Following a meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo, Hegseth said in a press conference the US was also making progress on creating a new headquarters for its military in Japan. He said all initial personnel were now in place for the headquarters, which will be the counterpart for a new Japanese combined military command.

Koizumi, meanwhile, confirmed there were no demands over defence spending in the meeting with Hegseth and added that all options were on the table to increase Japan’s defence capabilities.

“We will consider what is needed to protect the independence and peace of the Japanese people, without ruling anything out,” Koizumi said.

On Tuesday, Trump and Takaichi played up the role of the alliance in remarks on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Around 53,000 active duty American service members are based in Japan, the largest permanent US overseas military presence.

“The cherished alliance between the United States and Japan is one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world, really,” Trump said on board the carrier at the Yokosuka naval base, the home of the US Seventh Fleet.

Trump added that he had expedited the delivery of missiles for Japan’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets.

Takaichi, for her part, called the alliance the “greatest in the world”. Soon after becoming prime minister this month, Takaichi said she would lift Japan’s defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP this financial year, two years ahead of schedule.

Takaichi has also said she would accelerate plans to come up with a new defence spending plan for the following years, as well as an updated national security strategy and national defence strategy. Those moves appear to have relieved immediate pressure from the US for Japan to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, in line with a target set by Nato countries.

In a speech in Singapore earlier this year, Hegseth said the US’ Asian allies should emulate that target, but he did not press the issue in Tokyo.

“I have nothing but respect” for Japan’s investment in the military “and the pace at which they undertake it”, Hegseth said.

Kenneth Weinstein, Japan Chair at the Hudson Institute, said there would be a continued US expectation that Japan will raise spending, but the issue was no longer an “urgent” matter. He noted that the Nato goal of reaching 5 per cent had a target of 2035.

“That gives Japan a long time, and it’s making all the right moves,” he said.

While there were warm words between the two countries’ leaders and defence ministers during this trip, in the past Trump has frequently complained about the security relationship between the US and Japan.

Their mutual security treaty gives the US use of military bases around Japan – key assets in Washington’s ability to project power throughout the Asia-Pacific region. However, Trump has said the agreement is unfair because it obliges the US to defend Japan without a reciprocal commitment from Japan to help protect the US.

Trump has also sought for Japan to pay more to support the upkeep of the US bases. Japan makes a commitment every five years to help cover those costs. Under the current deal, which runs through March 2027, Japan pledged to pay the US an average of 211 billion yen (US$1.4 billion) each year. Talks over a new deal are expected to begin next year.

Seoul will welcome the US president with a replica gold crown and award him the country’s highest medal

US President Donald Trump landed in South Korea on Wednesday for the final leg of his Asia trip, optimistic about striking a trade war truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping after summit talks with South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung.

Arriving from Tokyo hours after North Korea test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile, Trump is due to address a summit of CEOs and meet Lee in Gyeongju, a sleepy South Korean town filled with historic tombs and palaces.

The main item on Wednesday’s agenda will be the unresolved trade agreement between the US and South Korea, before an expected meeting with Xi on Thursday, the prospect of which has already buoyed global markets.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Gyeongju, Trump dismissed the North Korea missile test and said he was squarely focused on his meeting with the leader of the world’s second-largest economy.

After arriving in the southern city of Busan, Trump strolled down a red carpet, shaking hands with officials as the band struck up a rendition of Village People’s “YMCA”, a favourite of the US president’s often played at his political rallies. He then boarded his helicopter, heading for Gyeongju.

Trump made no mention of trade talks with South Korea on Wednesday, with both sides playing down the prospect of a breakthrough in leader talks.

The two allies announced a deal in late July under which South Korea would avoid the worst of the tariffs by agreeing to pump US$350 billion of new investments into the United States. But talks over the structure of those investments have been deadlocked.

Trump has also pressed allies like South Korea to pay more for defence, and South Korea has sought reforms to US immigration laws to allow for more workers to build factories after a raid on a Hyundai Motor battery plant in Georgia.

The leaders will discuss trade, investment and peace on the Korean peninsula at talks on Wednesday, Lee’s office said, a reference to engagement with North Korea.

The presidential office said that in recognition of Trump’s role as a “peacemaker” on the Korean peninsula, he will be awarded the “Grand Order of Mugunghwa”, South Korea’s highest decoration.

Trump will be gifted a replica of the golden Cheonmachong crown. The delicate original, which was found in a tomb in Gyeongju, features towering gold prongs and dangling leaf shapes.

Lee and Trump will also tour a museum in Gyeongju.

Trump has made repeated calls for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including during this trip, but there has been no public comment from Pyongyang. Kim has previously said he could be open to talking if Washington stops pressing him to give up nuclear weapons.

Christopher Padilla, senior adviser at advisory firm Brunswick Group in Washington, said Trump, who will skip the Apec leaders’ summit, dislikes large international gatherings and prefers one-on-one meetings with leaders.

“But while the US steps back, most of the world has continued to work through such institutions, finding them a useful source of cooperation on international problems,” Padilla said.

Instead, Trump will address the Apec CEO summit, have dinner with Lee and hold bilateral meetings with several countries’ leaders, including China’s Xi.

Trump is arriving in Gyeongju after a whirlwind swing through the region, among the hardest hit by his tariff policies and increased US-China competition.

In Malaysia, he announced a slew of trade agreements and oversaw the signing of an expanded truce between Thailand and Cambodia after a border conflict.

In Tokyo on Tuesday, Trump lavished praise on Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, welcoming her pledge to accelerate a military build-up and signing deals on trade and rare earths.

The US and Japan also released a list of projects in which Japanese companies are eyeing US investments, related to Tokyo’s pledge earlier this year of US$550 billion in strategic US investments, loans and guarantees in exchange for tariff reprieve.

Washington has pressed South Korea to make a similar arrangement, but Seoul says it cannot afford to pay the US$350 billion it pledged upfront. Instead, South Korea has offered a mix of phased investments, loans and other measures. On Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said a last-minute concession by the US could lead to a deal.

Analysts view the ‘Fire Arrow’ missile launch, timed just before Apec, as a calculated bid to strengthen Pyongyang’s negotiating position

Mere hours before US President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea for this week’s Apec summit, Pyongyang launched a salvo of ship-based cruise missiles in an act analysts viewed as a calculated bid to reinforce its nuclear credentials.

The missiles, described by North Korean state media as enhanced models optimised for ship-based launches, were fired vertically on Tuesday, reportedly soaring for about 7,800 seconds – more than two hours – before striking their land-based target. Pyongyang claims its arsenal is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Notably absent from the test was supreme leader Kim Jong-un and the launch went unreported by the official Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Instead, senior military officials including Pak Jong-chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, oversaw proceedings.

Trump was due to arrive in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Wednesday to join other heads of state and business leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Asked on Wednesday about the launch, Trump brushed off concerns, reportedly saying of Kim: “He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?”

He told reporters aboard Air Force One that he expected to hold a meeting with the North Korean leader “at some point in the not too distant future”, reiterating that the pair “had a really good understanding of each other”.

Speculation about a fourth Trump-Kim summit taking place while the US president is in the region has so far proved unfounded.

‘Nuclear combat posture’

Days earlier, North Korea claimed to have successfully tested two hypersonic projectiles, touting them as “cutting-edge” weapons intended to strengthen its deterrence capabilities.

These recent tests, alongside the development of underwater nuclear-capable drones and new satellite systems, form part of what observers describe as a meticulous campaign to strengthen Pyongyang’s negotiating position in any future talks with the US and reinforce the message that denuclearisation is a non-starter.

Tuesday’s launch aimed to “test the reliability of different strategic offensive means and impress their abilities upon the enemies” as part of Pyongyang’s push to “ceaselessly toughen the nuclear combat posture”, said defence official Pak, as cited by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Pak also reviewed training exercises aboard the regime’s new 5,000-tonne destroyers, the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, state media reported.

North Korea’s military has been reacting sensitively to regional eventsYang Moo-jin, University of North Korean Studies

The timing of the launch “shows the North’s intent to assert its presence as a nuclear power”, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told This Week in Asia.

It came as Trump hosted Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the sort Pyongyang could have been showing its ability to target with Tuesday’s launch, Yang said.

He added that the launch might have been designed to compel the US to reconsider its joint drills with South Korea and acknowledge Pyongyang’s de facto nuclear status. “North Korea’s military has been reacting sensitively to regional events, maintaining high alert to project its presence,” Yang said.

On Tuesday, Trump appeared to dangle the prospect of sanctions relief as an incentive for further talks with Kim. “Well, we have sanctions,” he told reporters when asked about possible discussion points.

“That’s pretty big to start off with. I’d say that’s about as big as you get,” Trump added. “I’d love to meet him.”

Yang suggested that Kim might agree to a symbolic, high-profile encounter akin to the two leaders’ last impromptu meeting in 2019 at the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas.

But Tuesday’s launch made any such summit unlikely, according to Cho Han-bum, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

The decision to test fire a cruise missile, which is not explicitly banned under UN sanctions, and the choice of a ship-to-land trajectory appeared intended to avoid excessively provoking the US or China, he added.

Kim Yeol-soo, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, identified the missiles as likely being the Bulhwasal-3-31 (“Fire Arrow 3-31”), which North Korea claims can deliver a 10-kiloton nuclear warhead.

“The North may believe this test could make Trump even more eager to meet Kim, even by paying a higher price,” he said.

A senior US defence official, speaking anonymously, told Yonhap news agency there was no evidence Pyongyang had mastered hypersonic weapons technology.

However, he acknowledged that the regime was making progress in developing intercontinental ballistic missile re-entry technology, which is essential for ensuring a warhead survives the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry.

Additional reporting by Associated Press, Reuters

Paolo Duterte’s claims of the military ‘showing off for America’ are aimed at undermining the current administration, analysts say

Officials in the Philippines have hit back at the tirades of lawmaker Paolo Duterte, who accused the country’s armed forces of “gambling with Filipino lives” and called the military chief a “puppet of the CIA”.

Observers say the allegations from the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte are aimed at resuscitating old narratives and pro-Beijing talking points to undermine the current administration.

On Saturday, the younger Duterte published a statement on social media directed at Armed Forces of the Philippines’ General Romeo Brawner Jnr. In it, he accused the military of “showing off for America, even if it’s clear that Filipinos will be the first to burn from another nation’s retaliation”.

The congressman, who represents Davao City, the hometown and stronghold of the Duterte clan, further accused Brawner of boasting about missiles that could reach China, in reference to the United States’ Typhon system deployed in the country as part of the annual joint military exercises with Washington.

He accused Brawner further of colluding with the US Central Intelligence Agency, asking: “Who are you really serving?”

The armed forces swiftly refuted Duterte’s statements, saying it “firmly denounces any misleading interpretations” of the statements, stressing that Brawner “merely stated a technical fact about the Typhon system’s range”.

It also pointed out that the military chief had clarified the presence of the weapon was for training and capability-building purposes as part of a modernisation drive.

“Any insinuation that the [military] or its leadership serves foreign interests is false and undermines the integrity, professionalism and patriotism of the institution and its members who continue to defend our sovereignty.”

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela also fired back, accusing Duterte of stoking “unnecessary paranoia about our vital defence partnerships” and “cosying up to Beijing”.

On the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, presidential press officer Claire Castro echoed Tarriela’s statements. “The president has long said: ‘What can we expect from the Dutertes? They are pro-China.’”

Manila and Beijing have been locked in a years-long territorial row in the South China Sea, often culminating in vessel confrontations and clashes, with both sides accusing each other of dangerous manoeuvres.

Coordinated response?

Analysts say Duterte’s fiery statements are likely to be a coordinated response to survey findings that continue to show high trust in Washington, while trust ratings for Beijing continue to flounder.

About 83 per cent of Filipinos recognise the importance of defending what Manila considers its exclusive economic zone in the contested waters, while 69 per cent view the US as the country most capable of helping the Philippines address Chinese maritime aggression.

The findings were from research group OCTA, which conducted the survey of 1,200 Filipinos from September 15 to 21 and released its results on October 22.

Meanwhile, a Social Weather Stations survey, also of 1,200 people, carried out in June found that Filipinos continued to place “very high” trust in the US, while that for China was “poor”.

“The Dutertes’ longue duree support to China’s narrative since day one of their presidency in 2016 is a very obvious quid pro quo relationship to China’s interest in our country in exchange for their longevity in national politics,” Gary Ador Dionisio, dean of the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance, told This Week in Asia.

“It’s safe to assume that is an obvious coordinated move from the Dutertes … especially now that the US still enjoys a high trust rating among Filipinos,” Arjan Aguirre, assistant professor at the Ateneo de Manila University’s political science department, told This Week in Asia.

“I think this statement is also meant to use Duterte’s popularity, through his son, to try to influence the general perception about China by hitting the image of its rival, the US.”

Aguirre pointed out that Duterte was rehashing “old narratives about the CIA controlling weak governments in exchange for funding and US support for their governments”. This was a popular concept between the 1960s and 1980s given the “CIA’s active presence in Latin America and Asia with the intention to control the spread of communism worldwide”.

“Reviving this narrative not just affects the Philippine or US government, it also benefits other players who also have interests with the tarnished image of these two states,” he said, adding that such statements were likely geared towards Duterte’s strong supporter base.

Although trust ratings for the Philippines’ top leaders have dropped in recent surveys, support for the Dutertes remains strong, particularly in their home region of Mindanao in southern Philippines.

Research firm Pulse Asia’s survey in September found that 97 per cent in the region said they trusted Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio compared to the national average of 54 per cent.

Even at 54 per cent, Duterte-Carpio’s rating was just a slight dip from 56 per cent in June, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s fell from 39 per cent in June to 34 per cent in September.

Marcos fared better in the Social Weather Stations poll, which saw his numbers slip from 48 per cent in June to 43 per cent in September. In comparison, Duterte-Carpio’s figures fell from 61 per cent to 53 per cent.

Nippon Travel Agency and its partner said the service via outer space will begin in the 2030s

A Japanese travel agency said on Tuesday it will launch a point-to-point transport service in the 2030s that would connect Tokyo and US cities like New York in 60 minutes via outer space.

The service, which Nippon Travel Agency plans to offer in partnership with a reusable rocket development start-up, would cost a customer 100 million yen (US$657,000) for a round trip.

The transport vehicle would be launched from an offshore spot and could connect any two points on Earth within 60 minutes, according to the companies. They hope to link Tokyo and the United States.

“We hope this business will be a new starting point to connect space travel and tourism,” Nippon Travel president Keigo Yoshida said at a news conference in Tokyo.

Advance applications will be accepted starting in the 2026 financial year.

The project is expected to proceed in stages, with space-food tasting and tours of ground facilities related to space beginning in the 2026 financial year and a service launched in the 2040s to offer stays in orbit.

Under the partnership, Nippon Travel will design and market related products. Kojiro Hatada, president of the Tokyo-based start-up Innovative Space Carrier, said his company will seek to lower the travel cost by boosting the number of flights possible in each vehicle’s lifespan.

Uneven security safeguards leave the region vulnerable to quantum disruptions that could destabilise trust in digital finance, experts warn

Swathes of Asia’s financial systems are vulnerable to potential disruption from quantum computing technology, including those hosting secure transactions, industry executives have warned.

Only a handful of major economies in the region, such as China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, have embarked on strategies to safeguard their systems, but most financial institutions across the region are vulnerable to quantum attacks because they are ill prepared, experts say.

The threat looms even as digital wallets and real-time payment systems are widely being used and deeply integrated into the financial systems. Quantum computing is a new branch of processing which can solve complex problems within minutes or hours that might take a classical computer thousands of years to crack.

While it will allow scientists to test and discover new medicines speedily, build climate modelling systems and accelerate scientific research, the system also has the ability to break public-key cryptography or security systems of digital tokens such as bitcoin.

“Asia’s financial systems face an existential threat from quantum computing’s ability to break widely used public-key cryptographic protocols” which underpin digital signatures and enable secure communications, according to Anndy Lian, a Singapore-based intergovernmental blockchain adviser.

Once sufficiently powerful quantum computers emerge – expected within five to 10 years – they could attack stored financial data, forge digital identities and compromise interbank settlements, experts warn.

Such disruptions “could destabilise trust in digital finance”, Lian said.

“In Asean alone, where digital payment adoption is accelerating, the absence of quantum-safe infrastructure leaves trillions of transactions exposed,” he said. “Moreover, the interconnectedness of Asian financial markets means a breach in one jurisdiction could cascade regionally.”

The Asia-Pacific region is poised to become the fastest-growing market for quantum computing, driven by strong government support, significant investments and rapid digital transformation across key countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India.

Yet regulatory frameworks lagged behind technological developments, with nations in the region lacking a coordinated strategy, Lian said.

Banks in Asia including HSBC, DBS Bank, OCBC and UOB had launched quantum computing initiatives addressing cybersecurity threats and exploring applications in areas such as trading, risk management and fraud detection, industry executives said.

The use of quantum computing across businesses and other applications is expected to become prevalent from the 2030s, according to Alexandra Beckstein, CEO of QAI Ventures, a global venture capital firm focused on quantum technology, which recently established its presence in Singapore.

Banks in the region were worried because passwords might not be safe any more, she said. “Everyone can enter the system, and this will, of course, tremendously damage the capital markets.”

Beckstein predicted that it would be possible to decrypt all the data currently stored in the early 2030s. “So every data you produce right now is potentially prone to threat, so we are not secure now, just because quantum is not happening yet,” she said.

A lot of the banks were currently implementing classical algorithms that would make it harder for a quantum computer to break encryption, she added.

Uneven safeguards

Other industry executives noted, however, that the implementation of security systems across Asia was uneven.

“Asia has bright spots where supervisors and industry are already experimenting with quantum-safe measures, yet region-wide readiness remains nascent,” said Raj Kapoor, founder and chairman of India Blockchain Alliance, noting that most institutions in Asia were only at the stage of building awareness.

According to Kapoor, Singapore is among the most well-prepared countries for the transition to quantum computing in the Asian region, while mainland China has also made significant progress in developing infrastructure. In India and Hong Kong, the momentum is building, but the preparedness is mixed.

But each major Asian market needed to set a clear timetable for developing a common framework to prevent a messy “big-bang switchover”, Kapoor said.

Experts have repeatedly urged the need for greater coordination of cyber policies in Asia, one of the fastest-growing internet markets which has also emerged as a global hotspot for cybercrime.

“Quantum computing will not immediately equip cybercriminals in Southeast Asia with quantum machines, as those remain years away from practical, widespread use. However, it fundamentally alters the threat landscape,” Lian said.

He warned that large-scale quantum computers would expose “vast troves of currently encrypted data”.

“Cybercriminals operating from the region may not wield quantum computers directly, but they will certainly exploit the fallout” by manipulating data decrypted by others, Lian said.

The 145-year-old company is receiving ‘an overwhelming number of orders’ after images of Takaichi with the bag went viral online

The bag that Japan’s first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi carries has gone viral, catapulting a 145-year-old local leather goods maker into the spotlight.

Social media users identified the handbag Takaichi often carries when walking into the prime minister’s residence as the “Grace Delight Tote” made by Hamano, a 145-year-old Japanese leather goods maker, whose products have long been favoured by members of Japan’s imperial family.

Priced at 136,000 yen (US$895), the bag has gone viral, sparking a flood of orders to the manufacturer based in Nagano in central Japan. Despite being made entirely of leather, it weighs only 700 grams (1.5lbs), and is designed to “balance elegance with practicality”, according to the website.

Hamano is receiving “an overwhelming number of orders” after pictures of the prime minister with the bag were featured on social media and news, both in Japan and overseas, the company said on the site. Shipments are delayed until the end of April, and the company apologised for a delay in responding to inquiries, its website said.

Takaichi is not the first female politician whose fashion choices have bolstered sales of relatively unknown brands. Female policymakers tend to stick to traditional luxury labels, but the occasional unorthodox choice – like US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez touting her tote bag from Telfar in 2020 – can be transformative for smaller retailers.

The 64-year-old Takaichi is famously an admirer of former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who was also known for her structured handbags by British label Launer. Their interests diverge in other areas – Takaichi has spoken of her love for heavy metal music, cars and motorbikes.

While polls show Takaichi is particularly popular with the younger generation, it’s unclear what age groups are imitating her choice of accessory.

The Hamano tote appeals to a wide range of professional women who are looking for a sensible choice of bag that holds a laptop and daily essentials, without drawing unnecessary attention, said Kaori Nakano, a luxury and culture specialist and a visiting professor at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo.

“It’s a solid, dependable choice for women in managerial positions,” Nakano said. “It’s relatively affordable compared to overseas brands of similar quality.”

Besides the bag, Takaichi frequently wears clothing designed by Japanese designer Jun Ashida, Nakano said.

“By prominently wearing Japanese designer clothes and carrying a bag made in Japan, she’s making a statement of her patriotism and support for Japanese industry,” Nakano added. “It’s already working.”

The troops will provide logistical support, such as setting up box traps and transporting bears that have been euthanised

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces (SDF) will deploy units to the northern region of the country to help protect locals from bears, amid rising cases of attacks and a growing sense of “crisis”, according to authorities.

There have already been a record 10 fatalities across the nation this year.

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Monday said he was looking into the possibility of sending troops to Akita prefecture in response to requests from the prefectural government, with officials in Tokyo confirming later in the day that the decision had been approved.

The ministry said the troops would provide logistical support, such as setting up box traps and transporting bears that had been euthanised. It emphasised that military personnel would not be permitted to use their firearms to shoot bears and that task would continue to fall to professional hunters.

On Monday, police summoned by anxious relatives to a house in Iwate prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, found a body that had sustained extensive claw and bite wounds.

The same day, the body of a woman in her 80s was discovered in a drainage ditch on the outskirts of Akita City. The woman had suffered severe injuries across her entire body, police told local media, and authorities are searching for a large bear that had previously been seen in the area.

Elsewhere in the prefecture, four residents of the village of Higashinaruse were attacked by bears in the garden of a home of an elderly couple on Friday. A woman who had been picking fruit was killed and the three other people sustained bites and scratches.

At least 78 people have been injured or killed in bear incidents so far this month, significantly higher than the previous record of 73 clashes reported in October 2023. Akita had the highest number of incidents at 35, followed by 10 in Iwate and eight in Fukushima.

On Sunday, Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki issued a plea for assistance from the national government and for the military to be deployed to counter the unprecedented spike in attacks.

“Exhaustion on the ground is reaching its limits,” the governor said in a social media post.

The prefecture is also providing updates on incidents and prevention measures on its website, blaming the increase in incidents this year on a poor harvest of beech nuts in the bears’ mountain habitats. This has encouraged bears to expand the areas where they search for food before they go into hibernation, bringing them closer to areas of human habitation.

A study conducted by the Asahi newspaper and published on Monday showed that while the most common image of a bear attack involved an encounter between hikers or people gathering forest vegetables, most of the attacks this year had been in suburban areas.

Of the 172 people injured or killed in bear attacks between the start of the financial year on April 1 and October 22, 66 per cent took place in “residential areas”.

Akita prefecture is calling on local residents to take precautions, such as making a noise to scare bears away, informing authorities as soon as a bear is sighted and not leaving food in accessible places.

The surge in incidents is, however, causing concern across parts of northern and central Japan that are home to bears.

“I live in an area where there are bears and I’m scared,” said one message linked to an online story by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

“I try to be as careful as possible every day, but I do feel a sense of relief when I hear that one has been shot. But I also know that rising temperatures and a lack of rain are causing the bears to run out of food,” the post added.

“I hope that ways to separate the bears’ habitats from residential areas can be found.”

The Nature Conservation Society of Japan said it had no objections to the government’s plan to deploy troops to Akita prefecture to help protect residents.

“We have been told that the SDF will not be using its weapons so they will not be killing bears themselves. We think this is the right course of action as they are not trained in hunting or killing bears,” an official told This Week in Asia.

“The SDF will be providing backup assistance by moving equipment and personnel around in the area and so far we see no reason to oppose this,” said the official, who declined to be named.

The official also declined to comment on possible longer-term solutions to the problem of bears encroaching into areas inhabited by human populations.

Experts say bear numbers have increased dramatically in recent years as there are fewer hunters in rural areas to keep populations down. The downside to more bears, however, is greater demand for food and, when that is not available, the bears expanding their territories into more inhabited districts.

Alarm over bears has claimed another casualty, with the makers of the film Higuma! (“Brown Bear!”) postponing its release until January. The film tells the tale of a group of young people stuck in the wilderness of Hokkaido being confronted by a bear. In one scene, the bear rips one of the victims’ arms off.

A preview screening was held on October 7, but three people were found dead just days later in Iwate prefecture, all apparently the victims of bears.

The latest milestone in the construction of a small modular reactor in China raises interesting prospects for collaboration in the region

Earlier this month, China National Nuclear Corporation quietly marked a groundbreaking achievement. It announced that Linglong One – which it has billed as the world’s first commercial land-based small modular reactor – had successfully completed its “cold functional test”. This is the first comprehensive assessment of a reactor, done before fuel loading, checking how the system functions under high pressure.

Linglong One, which has been much cheaper to construct than the larger Hualong One reactor, could be a game-changer in the nuclear energy landscape. It was the world’s first commercial small reactor to begin construction, having passed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s safety review in 2016. When it becomes operational, the reactor is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a whopping 880,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to planting 7.5 million trees.

Across Asia, the growth of nuclear energy has been explosive. According to the World Nuclear Association, Asia currently has around 145 operable nuclear power reactors, with 45 under construction and concrete plans to build 60 more. Of the operable reactors, 58 are in China, 33 in Japan, though many have been temporarily shut down, 26 in South Korea and 24 in India.

Given the urgency of meeting clean energy goals, it is easy to see the appeal of nuclear energy. Some experts say it is key to achieving the world’s decarbonisation goals. Unlike solar and wind, nuclear energy can produce electricity consistently, day or night, regardless of the weather.

Nuclear power plants produce virtually no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases during operation. Their life-cycle emissions, which include mining and construction, are also relatively low. And they don’t require a lot of land to set up. A 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant needs significantly less land than a solar or wind farm of the same capacity.

It’s little wonder then that nuclear power is, according to the US Department of Energy, already the largest source of clean power in the country with 94 operable reactors. It generates nearly 775 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and produces almost half the nation’s emissions-free electricity, avoiding over 471 million metric tonnes of carbon each year, equivalent to taking 100 million cars off the road.

Though the US has the world’s largest commercial nuclear power generation fleet, these are ageing. In the past decade, the US has built only two new reactors, both of which faced significant delays and budget overruns.

In comparison, China has made rapid strides in nuclear energy, enabled by its state-backed technology, extensive financing and streamlined regulatory processes. Its achievements in the past decade have outstripped those of the United States.

According to a June 2024 report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the US is an estimated 10 to 15 years behind China in the deployment of fourth-generation nuclear reactors, with Chinese reactors being completed significantly faster – in about seven years on average – than other nations’.

In a rapidly developing Asia, hungry for industrial growth but battling rising pollution, embracing nuclear energy seems to be the only practical way to meet climate goals. However, challenges abound.

A major stumbling block is the high capital costs of these projects. Nuclear power generation requires multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects with lead times that run into a decade or more. This makes them less attractive to private investors than cheaper, faster-to-deploy renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

Government resolve – along with the resources to invest in nuclear power – has always been critical to building such infrastructure. With the emergence of small modular reactors, which can be more easily constructed on compact sites and serve multiple functions, Asian governments have an interesting opportunity for collaboration.

A Wood Mackenzie report in September noted that Southeast Asian nations – Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore – will need to collectively invest US$208 billion to realise their nuclear power ambitions by 2050, with the focus being on small modular reactors. However, a May 2024 Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report warned that small modular reactors are still too expensive and take too long to build, with projected construction and running costs being drastically understated.

Safety concerns have long been a red flag – both in terms of operations and in the disposal of radioactive waste. The negative stereotypes surrounding nuclear energy persist, making it challenging for governments to gain public acceptance. The protests that erupted over Japan’s plan to release treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean are a case in point.

In July 2022, China opened its first specialised large disposal site, the Longhe near-surface repository, in the Gobi Desert in Gansu province, which is capable of storing up to 1 million cubic metres of low-level solid waste that can decay to harmless levels of radiation over hundreds of years. The Chinese authorities say the site can accommodate the waste of 100 reactors for over a century of operations. However, not every country has ready access to such a solution.

As the global energy crisis comes to a significant crossroads, there is no pathway to achieving net-zero goals without a major expansion of nuclear power. It remains to be seen whether Asia will step up to the myriad challenges this poses.

Tourists were evacuated by boat from Hoi An while in Hue, houses were submerged and major streets cut off

Heavy rains have caused major flooding in central Vietnam, with rivers swelling and submerging homes, farmland and tourist destinations including the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An.

Rainfall in the central city of Hue reached 1,085mm (42 inches) in 24 hours by late Monday, the highest volume ever recorded in Vietnam, according to the country’s meteorological department.

By Tuesday morning, water levels in Hue’s iconic Perfume River had risen to 4.62 meters (15 feet) and were waist-deep in the Unesco-listed former imperial capital and the ancient town of Hoi An.

Tourists were evacuated by boat from Hoi An after persistent rains and releases from hydroelectric dams caused water in the Hoai River to rise nearly 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches). State media said around 40,000 tourists were moved to other hotels.

“The flood was rising so fast and we had to quickly relocate our guests to other hotels outside the flooding area for their safety,” said Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a hotelier near the Thu Bon river in Hoi An. He said they could only secure the doors of the hotels and evacuate the flooded premises.

The floods in Hue submerged homes and cut off major streets, state media reported, adding that residents used boats to move around.

The train route between Hanoi in the north and the southern financial capital of Ho Chi Minh city was suspended, impacting thousands of passengers, state media said.

On Monday evening, Vietnam’s railways positioned 19 carriages laden with heavy stones weighing 980 tonnes (1,080 tons) on a bridge to prevent it from being swept away by floodwaters, state media said.

About 1,000 people in rural pockets of the Thua Thien Hue province were isolated by flooding and landslides, said Australian non-profit Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. The number includes 200 children under its care.

Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and wetter, according to experts, because warmer oceans provide them with more fuel, driving more intense winds, heavier rainfall and shifting precipitation patterns across East Asia.

Vietnam is among the most flood-prone countries worldwide, with nearly half its population living in areas of risk.

Anwar and Trump’s personal chemistry paid dividends for an Asean summit often criticised as flat and lacking urgency, observers say

Few were ready for the zinger that followed when Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim leaned into the microphone and said, with a suitably dramatic pause for effect, that he and US President Donald Trump were alike in many ways.

“President Trump and I share a lot in common,” he said, as ears craned towards the lectern for the punchline. One of the overlapping experiences was “that I was in prison”, Anwar added, “and you almost got there”.

The joke landed well, drawing laughter in the room, including from Trump, who appeared to find humour in the reference to his unconditional discharge by a US court after being found guilty of falsifying business records, allowing him to avoid jail time.

Anwar was jailed for a total of 11 years, for convictions he says were politically motivated.

His speech was just before the signing of the so-called Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, an extended ceasefire deal with Thailand and Cambodia, which officials said Trump had made a condition of his stop in the Malaysian capital.

It was part of a whirlwind day trip by Trump, characterised by back-slapping and jocular asides, in a visit widely seen as a resounding diplomatic success for Anwar, who danced, joked and signed a trade deal with the mercurial American leader.

The dividend from Anwar and Trump’s personal chemistry was all the more significant given that the US president showed little intrigue in Southeast Asia during his first term.

That handed the Asean summit a moment in the spotlight for an annual meeting that was often criticised as flat and lacking urgency, diplomats said.

“Trump was in a very good mood and he was quite happy with the reception, especially at the airport,” a Malaysian government source said, referring to viral clips of the US president dancing along with Anwar and a cultural troupe that welcomed him on the airport tarmac on Sunday morning.

“I think that really helped bring down the temperature and allowed for good discussions,” added the source, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to issue media statements.

For weeks, diplomats from Malaysia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were braced for the impact of the president’s visit.

It was a trip brimming with the potential pitfalls, with Trump in Asia to take on China and Asean over trade imbalances and secure access to critical minerals that America fears being beaten to by Chinese rivals.

But as a guest, Trump was at his charming best, telling Asean during their talks that the entire world “looks up to you” and that it was a “magnificent region”.

He even kept his attention on China to the minimum in his speeches, although he could not resist a swipe at the United Nations for the teleprompter and escalator snafus at the UN General Assembly last month.

On Tuesday, Anwar said the bloc was able to finalise its upgraded trade deal with China because “Malaysia’s name now carries weight”.

“If we were afraid of the United States, how could we have signed with China?” Anwar told a news conference at the end of the summit.

“Signing it after meeting President Trump? Impossible right? But that’s what I call wisdom and diplomacy.”

It was a far cry from the confrontational tone that Trump had struck in April when he unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs, which left governments and businesses across Southeast Asia scrambling to negotiate preferential deals with Washington and find new markets for their vital exports.

In the span of just a few hours, Trump was joined by Anwar to oversee the ceremonial peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand, saw to the signing of trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam and held informal talks with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Observers say this was possible in large part due to Anwar’s deft diplomacy in placating Trump’s pugilistic tendencies.

Besides Trump, this summit saw the largest gathering of leaders of major powers in its history which included Australia, Brazil, China, the European Union, Japan, South Africa and South Korea.

At the Asean-China Summit on Tuesday, Anwar said the fact that they welcomed Trump over the weekend did not mean that the bloc was neglecting its principles of centrality and maintaining friendly ties with all countries.

“The day before we were with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, and today we are back with China. And that reflects Asean centrality,” Anwar said.

In the last seven months, Anwar has hosted both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump.

Devil in the details

But the summit was not entirely smooth sailing.

On the opening day on Sunday, Malaysian state broadcaster RTM had to issue public apologies after an announcer read out the wrong names when announcing the arrival of the leaders of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

Protesters also converged on Kuala Lumpur, albeit outside the security cordon surrounding the central business district where the summit was held, to accuse Anwar’s administration of being a “traitor” to the Palestinian cause by welcoming Trump on Malaysian soil.

“Anwar has faced huge criticism for welcoming Trump in such a lavish manner,” political analyst Azmi Hassan said. “Even the newly inked trade deal between Malaysia and the United States faced criticism that we were ‘forced’ to sign by the United States.”

He cited the trade deal signed on Sunday, which formalises Malaysia’s pledge to spend US$240 billion to buy US goods such as commercial aircraft, cars and energy and invest in America’s giant economy.

In the run-up to Trump’s arrival, Anwar also faced growing pressure to retract his invitation to the US leader, who has been accused by the opposition in a Muslim-majority country of being the prime backer of Israel’s war on Gaza which has killed more than 68,000 people.

Still, experts said Anwar’s efforts had helped build up Asean’s credentials as a neutral venue for global negotiations in a time of global uncertainty.

“If anything, Asean has gained more agency, more importance to be able to be seen as a bloc,” said Mohd Faiz Abdullah, chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) Malaysia. “It goes to show how important Asean is.”

As he handed over on Tuesday to next year’s Asean chair the Philippines, Anwar turned to Shakespeare for inspiration, saying the English bard “warns us against being passion’s slave” and instead the bloc should be governed “by reason to be steadfast amid the stirrings and frenzies of the hour … that must be the Asean way if we are to endure”.

Many countries in the region want to continue doing business while managing ties with China, the ex-prime minister says

The security situations in Asia and Europe are very different because of each region’s respective dynamics with China and Russia, Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

While many European nations would consider Moscow a security threat and want to boost their collective defence, China is not an existential issue for most countries in Asia, and many want to continue doing business while managing ties with Beijing, according to Lee.

Speaking at a forum at British think-tank Chatham House in London on Monday, the senior minister said there were exceptions to the rule. He cited Japan, which had disputes with Beijing over the Diaoyu Islands and a troubled World War II history, and Australia because of its alliance with the US and the way it viewed the actions of the Chinese in the South China Sea.

Lee termed Taiwan a “special case” in the group since it was not a country, and also mentioned South Korea, which had concerns over China’s stance on North Korea.

“But most other countries do not take such a stance. Because we see China as a big power in the region – present, a geographical reality. They are here; we do a lot of business with them; we have prospered because they have prospered, and we want to prosper more,” said Lee, who stepped down as prime minister of Singapore in May 2024 after a tenure of almost 20 years.

He noted there were bilateral issues, including between several Asean countries and Beijing over the South China Sea.

“But even while you have the bilateral issues, you do not frame it as an existential thing – you want to do business and you want to be able to manage the relationship. Because overall, you have many, many different tongs in the fire,” he said.

Lee argued that even US allies in the region wanted to “maintain their equities with China”, citing Japan with its considerable trade and investments with Beijing and Australia, whose biggest export market is China.

“From time to time, those get caught up in great geopolitical disputes and get held up, but they want to maintain that relationship.”

This relationship with China gave the strategic situation in Asia a very different colouration and tone from the strategic situation in Europe, he stressed, pointing out that it did not mean countries eschewed ties with the US and had always benefitted from “Pax Americana”, a term describing the relative peace in the world after the end of World War II as a result of America’s global clout.

“But I think for all the countries in the region – all the smaller countries in the region – we believe that it is better to be pushed from both sides and yet have manoeuvring room and freedom of action and autonomy in a region which is open, where you have choices, where there is a balance of power and multiple players are here.”

Lee noted that while this was not ideal and meant that nations could not get everything they wanted, they would still be able to prosper together. Ultimately, this was better than having a world carved up into spheres of influence where small countries were only allowed one choice for their “best and biggest friend”, he added.

On Singapore’s immigration policy and its impact on security in the densely populated city state of about 735 sq km, Lee conceded it was not an easy balance to strike.

They have to know that if you are in Singapore, please keep the bling downLee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s senior minister on the country’s foreign workforce

About one-third of workers in Singapore are foreigners amid a declining birth rate.

Lee noted that foreign workers were necessary and that Singapore had to manage them and get them to understand what the rules were, since it was not just about the manpower needs of its economy but also about maintaining its identity and cohesion.

“They have to know that if you are in Singapore, please keep the bling down. Do not go around popping champagne, which is US$20,000 a bottle with sparklers, and do not zoom your Ferrari or Lotus or whatever down the middle of the road in the middle of the night just to let everybody know that you have arrived,” Lee said.

Observers expect the bloc to be sandwiched between two superpowers, especially in the race for critical minerals

Southeast Asia’s economic future remains entwined with China despite the attention lavished on the region this week by United States President Donald Trump, experts say, as Asean upgraded trade ties with Asia’s superpower and its largest commercial partner.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday agreed to expand its existing trade deal with Beijing to include future industries such as the digital economy and green technology, as well as boost integration of supply chains.

The upgraded deal comes just days after Trump saw to the signing of trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam – and agreements on critical mineral access with Malaysia and Thailand.

During his headline-grabbing one-day visit to Malaysia for the Asean summit over the weekend, Trump pledged to “forge richer partnerships” and create “incredible prosperity for the nations on both sides of the Pacific Ocean”.

The US is currently Asean’s largest export destination.

But China has been the region’s largest trading partner for 16 years running – making the Asian giant indispensable to Asean’s economic health, experts say.

“It is about future-proofing the trade relations with China,” said Adib Zalkapli, managing director at geopolitical and public affairs firm Viewfinder Global Affairs.

“The upgraded FTA [free-trade agreement] is not only to expand the coverage to include new emerging technologies but also improving resilience in trade relations.”

Much of the Asean summit that commenced on Sunday was focused on the bloc’s efforts to placate a mercurial Trump and secure preferential access for the region’s vital exports into the world’s largest consumer market.

But Asean, under Malaysia’s chairmanship this year, has also bucked its usual placid diplomacy to grow trade linkages with other partners such as Australia, the European Union and East Asia.

It also sought to break into largely untapped markets in Africa and Latin America through South Africa and Brazil, as well as energise the dormant Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal – the world’s largest commercial partnership, seen to be loaded with promise but which is yet to fully take off.

Asean’s aim is to trim down dependence on both the giant markets of the US and China while it continues to keep the title of the world’s fastest-growing region, according to experts.

With a combined economic size of about US$4.1 trillion, the bloc is on track to becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, which would give it clout to dictate its own terms, according to Mohd Faiz Abdullah, chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) Malaysia.

“It could not be possibly so if it were to play second fiddle to the big powers. [Asean] could determine its own terms in terms of what is good for them,” Faiz told This Week in Asia.

The grouping’s intended rise in global prominence, however, is not without peril.

Driving the new industries that are the focus of Asean’s upgraded trade deal with China are critical minerals – a resource that the US is keen to secure from the region to wean itself off China’s near-monopoly of global supply.

Beijing accounts for about 90 per cent of the world’s processed rare earths supply but depends heavily on imported raw materials from Myanmar, and is actively seeking new sources globally, including in Asean. That puts it in a race with Washington, which is seeking to develop its own rare earths processing capabilities.

The rush to tie down access to critical minerals, key to producing everything from smartphones to solar panels, could trigger a renewed tussle between the world’s two biggest economies – and leave Asean squeezed in the middle.

This was where the trade agreements with the US and China played an important role in mitigating the fallout, Adib of Viewfinder Global Affairs said.

“The most important takeaway from the events over the last few days is that Asean has successfully balanced relations between the two major powers and hopefully hard-wired the institutional capacity to respond to similar challenges in the coming years,” he added.

“The signing of the various agreements is just the first part of the story. The balancing act continues.”

Prosecutors say Tetsuya Yamagami wanted to draw attention to the Unification Church by killing the influential former prime minister

The gunman accused of killing Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe pleaded guilty on Tuesday, three years after the assassination in broad daylight shocked the world.

The slaying forced a reckoning in a country with little experience of gun violence, and ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and a secretive sect, the Unification Church.

“Everything is true,” Tetsuya Yamagami said at a court in the western city of Nara, admitting to the murder of the country’s longest-serving leader in July 2022.

The 45-year-old was led handcuffed into the room with a rope around his waist.

When the judge asked him to state his name, Yamagami, who was wearing a black T-shirt and had his long hair tied back, replied in a barely audible voice.

His lawyer said they would contest certain charges, including violations of arms control laws for allegedly using a handmade weapon.

Yamagami’s trial had been a long time coming after the discovery of a suspicious item – later found to be harmless – caused its last-minute cancellation and the evacuation of the Nara court building in 2023.

One issue central to the case was whether extenuating circumstances applied due to “religious abuse” in Yamagami’s childhood stemming from his mother’s extreme devotion to the Unification Church, according to Japanese media reports.

Prosecutors told the court that Yamagami started building up resentment towards the church, which he thinks derailed his life.

“He began to think he needed a gun” to attack church executives, but having failed to procure one “he decided that he had to make one himself”, a prosecutor said.

Yamagami “thought he could draw public attention to the church … if he killed someone as influential as Abe”, the prosecutor said.

The former prime minister had spoken at events organised by some of the church groups and received some criticism for doing so.

Yamagami reportedly resented Abe for his perceived ties to the church, which was established in South Korea in 1954 and whose members are nicknamed “Moonies” after its founder Sun Myung-moon.

The church has been accused of fomenting child neglect among its members and financially exploiting them, claims it denies.

‘Ruined by church’

Yamagami’s lawyers on Tuesday said his life collapsed because of the sect, with his mother convinced “throwing all her money and assets into the church will salvage her family” after the suicide of her husband and the illness of one of her sons.

In the end, she donated around 100 million yen (US$1 million at the time) to the sect, the lawyer said.

Yamagami gave up on advancing to higher education and joined the military instead, while his mother declared bankruptcy, according to the lawyer.

He also attempted suicide in 2005.

“He began to think his whole life was ruined by the church,” the lawyer said.

Investigations after Abe’s murder led to cascading revelations about close ties between the church and many conservative lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, prompting four ministers to resign.

Earlier this year, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order for the church’s Japanese arm, saying it caused “unprecedented damage” to society.

The assassination was also a wake-up call for a nation with some of the world’s strictest gun controls.

Gun violence is so rare in Japan that security officials at the scene failed to immediately identify the sound made by the first shot, and came to Abe’s rescue too late, according to a police report after the attack.

The debacle prompted lawmakers to pass a bill last year further strengthening arms controls to prevent people from making home-made guns.

Under the new rules, uploading tutorial videos on making firearms and propagating information about gun sales on social media can result in a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.

The bloc has expanded its free-trade agreement with China, a boon for Beijing as it seeks stronger partnerships amid US trade war

China and a bloc of 11 Southeast Asian countries signed an upgrade to their free-trade agreement on Tuesday, expanding its terms to cover product quality, environmental protection and help for small businesses, in a sought-after strengthening of multilateral economic ties for Beijing amid its ongoing trade war with the US.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a group with a combined population of 680 million and a total gross domestic product of US$3.8 trillion in 2023, signed the China-Asean Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade protocol at this week’s Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the upgraded agreement creates new opportunities to expand and enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation, while strengthening both sides’ capacity to withstand risks – particularly at a time “when many countries are facing greater development challenges after being unfairly subjected to steep tariffs.”

Li made the comments at the 28th China-Asean Summit, held on Tuesday morning in the Malaysian capital as part of the larger summit.

“As the rules-based international trading system is facing severe challenges, the signing of the protocol to upgrade the China-Asean Free Trade Area to version 3.0 carries great significance,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website.

The ministry added that the signing of the protocol “fully demonstrates China and Asean’s shared commitment to multilateralism and free trade,” and will “inject greater confidence and momentum into regional and global economic growth, serving as an important example for countries to jointly resist protectionism and unilateralism and to tackle global trade challenges together.”

As its protracted trade dispute with the United States continues, China has taken steps to diversify its exports and deepen its economic ties with Asean - its largest trading partner by bloc and an increasingly wealthy manufacturing hub - as global supply chains shift.

The commerce ministry said the upgrade means China and Asean will consider each other’s “standards” when developing technical regulations, and prioritise “standards cooperation” for electronic appliances and new-energy vehicles.

The upgrade also includes support for the least developed countries in the agreement via “technical assistance”, per the ministry statement. The expansion encourages the promotion of e-commerce and greater awareness of intellectual property rights among smaller businesses.

The deal also adds a host of environmental protection commitments on product financing, research, development and consumption of goods.

Analysts said the upgrade helps China, the world’s second-largest economy, strengthen its position in Southeast Asia relative to the US after Washington reached deals with several Southeast Asian countries at the summit.

Unified standards would ease any differences over the quality of imports or exports, said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

For instance, provisions in the augmented deal related to rules on food and agriculture, Menon said, may be aimed at Southeast Asian fruits such as durians that occasionally fail Chinese import standards.

Signatories to the agreement rejected the use of environmental standards as a “disguised form of trade protectionism” and consented to removing trade barriers related to environmental products and services, the ministry said.

Previous versions of the agreement had eliminated most import tariffs on both sides. Analysts said the latest update was widely anticipated after the conclusion of China-Asean talks in May.

“The Chinese government wants to be seen taking a stance in favour of multilateralism and free trade, in contrast to a unilateral and protectionist US,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director with Gavekal Dragonomics. “Chinese officials have been fairly blunt about that message.”

Washington announced deals this week on import tariffs and critical minerals with four Asean nations, including summit host Malaysia.

“I think China would like to balance or respond to that,” said Siwage Dharma Negara, also a senior fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Some Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia had floated the idea of adding export dumping guidelines to the new agreement in case Chinese manufacturers turn to other Asian markets to ease excess capacity, Menon said. The ministry readout did not mention the issue of dumping as part of the updated deal.

Manufacturers in Vietnam, meanwhile, are waiting to see whether the deal allows a freer flow of labour between their country and China, with which they share a land border, said Adam McCarty, chief economist with Mekong Economics in Hanoi.

“Overall trade between Vietnam and China is very easy already,” McCarty said.

For years, residents living in estates such as Punggol have voiced concern over smoke and chemical smells from Pasir Gudang

When Christine Li first moved into her flat in Singapore’s northeastern estate of Punggol in 2021, she noticed a strong acrid odour in the air.

“Sometimes the smell lingers for weeks and months, it actually made me feel nauseous when we first moved in,” said Li, 42. “At times it smells acidic, and sometimes it smells like something is burning.

“We subsequently installed an air conditioner and fan in our living room for ventilation because our windows are always shut to keep the bad air out,” she said.

Residents in coastal estates such as Punggol told This Week in Asia that they had been experiencing smoke and chemical smells from an industrial estate across the Johor Strait for years.

Earlier this month, smoke and an orange flare from a chemical plant at Pasir Gudang in eastern Johor Bahru were visible from different parts of Singapore.

Upon noticing the flare, Punggol resident Emerson Chua shut all of the windows in his house, a response that has become a reflex ever since 2019, when he moved into his flat.

“Within weeks of moving in, my family knew that the air quality would not be great,” said the 27-year-old scuba diving instructor. “We have a view of Pasir Gudang, and every time there’s a breeze from that direction, we’d notice unnatural smells of chemicals or burning.”

It feels like we have made a mistake buying this propertyChristine Li, a resident in Singapore’s Punggol

Petrochemical company Lotte Chemical Titan subsequently said the flare was a result of an emergency shutdown due to an electrical supply outage at its site in Pasir Gudang. In response to the incident, Singapore’s National Environment Agency said on social media that the air quality at estates near Johor was within normal variations.

But residents are concerned that exposure to emissions, even at low concentrations, could lead to adverse health effects in the long run.

Li said her family worried that the emissions might be carcinogenic. “It feels like we have made a mistake buying this property, and we can’t do much about it,” she said.

Edmund Lin, a 52-year-old consultant, told This Week in Asia that his mother moved into a flat in Northshore, a waterfront district in Punggol, less than five years ago and had since been troubled by the smell of chemicals.

“The smell is one issue in the short term, but if it comes with toxic effects, we shouldn’t neglect it any more. Even if the concentration is small, there might be cumulative effects in the long term,” he said.

“There should be something done to minimise the pollution so that it’s not so harmful for our people,” said Lin, noting that the district would soon be more populated with the opening of more facilities, such as a university campus and a business park.

Lin has raised his concerns to his estate’s MPs in a social media post, but has yet to receive a response. This Week in Asia has contacted the Punggol Town Council for comment.

His mother has since moved out of Punggol to a central location in Singapore.

The industrial estate in Pasir Gudang is reportedly home to over 2,000 factories, with 250 of them being chemical factories. The rest are from other industries, including shipbuilding, manufacturing, logistics and transport.

Petrochemical plants produce volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene, which may cause health concerns if inhaled at high levels, according to environmental epidemiologist Joel Aik.

Short-term effects at heightened exposure levels include sensory irritation, headaches, respiratory illnesses and eye inflammation, while long-term effects include cancer, according to Aik.

The acrid odour might be nitrogen oxide, often emitted during metal production, said Aik, an adjunct assistant professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School.

He said high levels of the gas had been detected in Pasir Gudang, referring to a 2025 study published in the science journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. “Given the right weather conditions, nitrogen oxide could be dispersed well beyond the industrial area.”

Pasir Gudang has faced scrutiny after being at the centre of multiple pollution incidents. In September, three factory workers were taken to a hospital following a chemical leak at one of the plants in the industrial estate. In 2019, illegal dumping of toxic waste at a river near the estate, Sungai Kim Kim, resulted in toxic fumes affecting thousands of residents and forcing around 100 schools to close.

Last February, Johor’s Department of Environment found that four rivers around the industrial estate, including Sungai Kim Kim, were polluted. A few months later, the Johor government amended its Environmental Quality Act, increasing the penalties for polluters to a fine of up to 10 million ringgit (US$2.4 million) and a jail term. Offences under the Act include water pollution, oil pollution and illegal waste disposal.

Johor authorities were facing community and institutional pressure to keep the state’s rivers unpolluted due to the importance of the waters for the livelihoods of their residents, said environmentalist Tan-Soo Jie-Sheng, who noted residents living near the coastline and fishing for their sustenance.

As a result, the possibility of a significant level of pollution affecting Singapore’s waters would be low, said the assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. In the unlikely situation that pollutants were to reach the Johor Strait, they would be diluted by tidal mixing, he added.

“In extreme cases, the main impact would likely be local [to Johor], such as reduced fish stocks and unsafe contact waters near the discharge point, rather than widespread effects on Singapore,” he said.

But the lack of data on emission levels makes it difficult to discern whether they pose a threat to the health of Singaporeans, according to environmental experts.

The National Environment Agency has said it regularly monitors levels of volatile organic compounds in the air and water quality along the Johor Straits and Straits of Singapore, but the data is not publicly available.

Tan-Soo, the incoming director at the Institute of Environment and Sustainability, said that the agency might want to consider releasing the data to reassure the public.

“In all, transparent reporting helps reassure nearby communities in Johor and Singapore,” he said.

“For industries, maintaining strict maintenance and leak-detection protocols is critical,” he added. “In the unlikely event that substantial transboundary pollution is detected, cooperative mitigation would be the effective path forward.”

The man is one of many errant fathers tracked by a South Korean activist who pressures them to provide child support

A South Korean man who deceived his Filipino partner by claiming to live in Pyongyang is one of several fathers recently exposed for refusing or failing to pay child maintenance after escaping to their home country.

The identities of these defaulters were revealed by Koo Bon-chang, an activist and founder of “Bad Fathers”, a website that publishes personal details of parents who dodge child support, in a bid to trace them.

“We are looking for fathers who each left for Korea after having a daughter born in 2010, a son born in 2014, and a daughter born in 2018,” Koo said in a social media post last week.

According to him, a child of Korean and Filipino heritage born in 2018 could not afford medical care due to financial hardship.

Koo formerly headed a civic organisation in the Philippines providing legal aid to mothers in child support litigation, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

One of the men reportedly told the child’s mother that he lived in the North Korean capital, Koo added. He became a father while pursuing a course in the Philippines before bolting to South Korea.

The activist, who renamed his website “Rights of Child” in 2021, shared a message from the mother appealing for help.

More than 200 couples have settled their child support disputes after their personal details were disclosed online, according to the website.

Last year, South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a lower court verdict that suspended a 1 million won (US$695) fine against Koo for defaming five people by divulging their faces and other data.

Under South Korean law, anyone who deliberately tarnishes the reputation of another person by leaking information about them online can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fined up to 30 million won.

While Koo’s “actions also amounted to a private sanction that seriously violated the victims’ rights”, he “played a role in shaping public opinion on the social issue of unpaid child support”, the court said.

His advocacy has prompted the ministry of gender equality and family to offer similar help, but without releasing photos of deadbeat parents.

The Philippines is also home to tens of thousands of “Amerasians” fathered by US soldiers who served in the Southeast Asian nation. The country hosted the American military’s biggest overseas bases until they closed down in 1992.

Bars and massage parlours were typically the meeting places for the servicemen and the women who would give birth to unknown children and often abandon them.

Experts say Jakarta should wait for a clear UN mandate amid questions over the international stabilisation force’s mandate and financing

Indonesia has been urged to exercise caution before sending troops to join an international stabilisation force (ISF) in war-torn Gaza, part of a US-led ceasefire plan, as questions swirl around the force’s mandate, financing, duration and leadership.

President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly said publicly that the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation is willing to deploy up to 20,000 Indonesian soldiers to Gaza to provide security amid a ceasefire and when reconstruction starts.

Speaking in front of United States President Donald Trump at the US-Asean summit on Sunday, Prabowo reiterated his commitment to send troops to Gaza, as it would bring Indonesia to “the right side of history” and help build “lasting peace” in the region.

“Indonesia appreciates the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit and your leadership in advancing a credible road map to lasting peace. Our task now is to implement it, turning words into concrete actions,” Prabowo said.

Alongside Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Azerbaijan reportedly are also willing to contribute to the force, whose members can reach up to 5,000.

Freddy Ardianzah, a spokesman with Indonesia’s armed forces TNI, on Monday said Indonesian soldiers were “always ready” to be deployed overseas, though the military still waited for “mandate and the state political decision”.

“In principle, the TNI is ready to adapt to needs in the field and to official requests from the United Nations, taking into account security aspects, capabilities, and operational mandates,” Freddy said in a statement.

TNI had units specifically prepared and trained for operations abroad, who routinely “undergo training in interoperability, logistics preparedness, and operational capabilities in various fields”, he added.

Unclear mechanism

Experts, however, say Indonesia is better off waiting for a clear UN-approved mandate before sending boots to Gaza’s ground, as contributing to the ISF without one would risk the security and safety of the soldiers.

“When we act as peacekeepers and send contingents under the UN flag, the contingent is not offensive, and its purpose is to safeguard the transition process from a conflict zone to a peace-building zone. The UN mandate is to ensure, under international law, that the peacekeeping forces we send are legal,” Ahmad Umar, an international politics fellow at Aberystwyth University, told This Week in Asia.

Without a mandate from the UN Security Council, the ISF would find it “difficult to exert pressure” on all warring sides to follow the ceasefire blueprint set by the US, Ahmad said.

The ISF could also get entangled in the conflict, especially by militias in Gaza who could assume that the foreign forces were not neutral, he added.

Alman Helvas Ali, defence industry expert at Jakarta-based political and security consultancy firm Marapi Consulting and Advisory, said it was “very rare” for Indonesia to send troops overseas without a UN Security Council mandate.

In 2012, for example, Indonesia sent a contingent to join the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team to oversee the ceasefire between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

France, Britain and the US were preparing a draft resolution to the Security Council to “provide stronger international legal backing” to the force, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told reporters on October 22.

“We need to determine to what extent we can obtain a mandate that will then define the framework, the mechanisms, and the contributions required. Things need to be put in place step by step,” Confavreux said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said a UN mandate was not the only solution for the establishment of an international force in Gaza.

“The problem is that some of these countries can’t participate in this unless they have a mandate from the UN, as an example. So maybe it’ll be a UN resolution; that’s one route. We could have an international agreement as well. We’re working through that,” Rubio said in a news briefing on October 24.

Financing the ISF would also be an issue, Alman pointed out.

“If we have the UN mandate, the operation costs will be reimbursed by the UN. If not, who will reimburse us? If this is a regular operation, that means we will use our own money, which raises concerns about our financial strength to support the operation,” Alman said.

Another aspect to be determined is which rules of engagement would be used by the force. According to Alman, the UN’s traditional blue-helmet missions are typically a “Chapter Six and a Half” operation, which sees lightly armed troops resolve disputes peacefully but may also use more force, as authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, if necessary.

“The stabilisation force in Gaza might use the US rules of engagement, which use coercive force, or Chapter VII. Anyone who violates the ceasefire agreement will be subject to military action. If the force uses coercive force, they could be [prone to] attacks by Hamas or Israel,” Alman said.

The ISF will coordinate with the newly inaugurated US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre, whose missions include monitoring implementation of the ceasefire agreement and helping facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical and security assistance from foreign donors into Gaza, according to a statement from the US Central Command on October 21.

The prime minister’s Joy Division T-shirt struck a wrong note with the Liberal leader because of the Nazi origins of the band’s name

Australian opposition leader Sussan Ley on Tuesday condemned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for wearing a Joy Division T-shirt despite the origin of the UK post-punk band’s name.

Ley said Australians “expect their prime minister to show judgment, respect and leadership” but have “got the opposite” from Albanese.

“Arriving back in Australia from his overseas trip, the prime minister stepped off the plane proudly wearing a T-shirt with the name of a band, Joy Division, whose origins are steeped in antisemitism,” Ley told the Australian Parliament.

“The name was taken from the wing of a Nazi concentration camp where Jewish women were forced into sexual slavery,” she continued.

The Liberal leader went on to note that Albanese was aware of the origin of the band’s name, which was described by Holocaust survivor Ka-Tsetnik, or Yehiel De-Nur, in the 1955 novel The House of Dolls.

Ley pointed to an April 2022 podcast in which host Nigel Marsh pointed out the history of the name to Albanese, then the opposition leader on the campaign trail, who responded: “Oh my god … I wish I didn’t [know]. It’s very dark, but everything about the band is very dark.”

Albanese, an avid music fan and part-time DJ in his youth, added: “You should edit that out of the podcast just for the sake of the listeners, so that they can continue to enjoy it.”

“He understood and still, he wore the T-shirt,” Ley said.

“So to wear that name across your chest is not just a statement of musical taste and it is more than bad taste, it raises questions about values – the wrong values.”

She accused Albanese of knowingly choosing “to parade an image derived from hatred and suffering” at a time “when Jewish Australians are facing a rise in antisemitism”, calling it “a profound failure of judgment.”

Joy Division, who changed their name from Warsaw in 1978, were active until 1980.

Additional reporting by The Australian

Sanae Takaichi’s intention to recommend Trump for the accolade has even drawn criticisms within her Liberal Democratic Party

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been accused of “taking flattery to the extreme” after she informed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday about her plan to nominate him for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Takaichi told Trump that she would recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been complaining about the Nobel Committee for not picking him to win the accolade despite what he says are his efforts to end multiple conflicts around the world.

Japan’s government has cited Trump’s “significant contribution to peace and towards resolving regional conflicts” as a reason for the nomination. This was after Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement at the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday in Trump’s presence, after a series of border clashes between the two countries.

Speaking to the media on Saturday after a phone conversation with the president, Takaichi said she had “praised his leadership” in efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East.

Some of Takaichi’s staunchest supporters, however, have raised their eyebrows over her administration’s decision.

“It’s purely diplomacy,” said Ken Kato, a member of Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party who supported her in the party leadership election earlier this month.

“Everyone knows that Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize and nominating him is designed to win him over,” he told This Week in Asia.

“I do not think he deserves a Nobel as the fighting is continuing in Gaza, and the clashes between Cambodia and Thailand were only minor tussles, and they were not a war. Trump has not achieved any real or historic peace.”

He also dismissed Trump’s claim that he was the only person in 1,000 years who brought peace to the Middle East.

Nevertheless, if Trump could convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear weapons and return Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang to train its spies, he would have made a meaningful contribution to peace, according to Kato, who said he would then support the president for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor of politics at Tokyo’s Waseda University, said Takaichi had been “polishing apples” with Trump.

“We all know that Trump dislikes any sort of criticism and that he is happy when he is being praised, so this is Takaichi’s way of winning his support for what she needs,” he said, adding that Japanese people understood that the Nobel nomination was “a gesture”.

The approach appears to have paid off immediately, with Trump telling Takaichi on Tuesday: “Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there.”

The Japanese prime minister has been the target of criticism for her proposal on social media, with one message linked to a Nippon Television story asking: “I understand that lip service is important in diplomacy, but is this not a bit too forward?

“The American president, who has caused the massacre in Gaza and the chaos in Ukraine, does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, and Japan nominating him would be like Japan approving the massacres in Gaza.”

Another added: “It has become clear that this administration is humiliating the nation and putting on a show to curry favour with the United States. A Japanese prime minister should not be a servant of the US.”

At their summit in Tokyo on Tuesday, Takaichi and Trump signed agreements on trade and critical minerals, and discussed efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Takaichi took the opportunity at the meeting to emphasise her closeness to the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was a close ally of Trump during the president’s first term. She presented Trump with one of Abe’s golf clubs as a reminder of the bond between the two men, formed during their rounds on courses in Japan and the US.

“Takaichi just wants to curry favour with Trump,” said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo. “She has praised his efforts in Gaza in the past and has been one of the few people around the world to have agreed with the idea that he has halted eight wars,” he added.

“It should come as no surprise that she has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is taking flattery to the extreme, and there will never be a situation in which she or anyone else can provide too much flattery for Donald Trump.”

From Indonesia’s mounting debt over China-backed railway to Japan’s overtourism, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Earthquake mania grips Philippines as fears mount

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness.

2. Indonesian high-speed railway’s debts spark debate over who should pay the bill

Indonesia is pushing back against calls to tap the state budget to cover mounting debt from its China-backed high-speed railway, while Beijing has signalled it is open to repayment restructuring talks to ensure the line remains operational.

3. Is Japan making tourism more expensive to deter unruly visitors?

Japan’s proposed increase in visa fees and departure tax is an attempt to balance between dealing with overtourism and deterring misbehaving visitors at “the bottom of the pyramid”, according to industry observers.

4. ‘Dreaming of being a queen’: South Korean ex-first lady’s throne gaffe mocked

South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee has again made headlines after revelations that she sat on a royal throne during a private palace visit – triggering ridicule that she must have fancied herself a queen, given her oversized influence over her husband.

5. Gotta sell ‘em all: Malaysian offers Pokemon cards for US$441,993 or a Porsche

A collector has offered Malaysia’s growing trading-card community a chance to own a piece of Pokemon “history,” putting part of his rare trove up for sale for 1.87 million ringgit (US$441,993) with an alternative deal: he is willing to trade it for a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S plus additional cash.

6. US-North Korea flash summit remains long shot despite Trump’s open offer

A US-North Korea flash summit remains a long shot despite Donald Trump signalling he was open to such talks and describing Pyongyang as “sort of a nuclear power” as he embarked on his Asia trip last week.

7. The long goodbye: Southeast Asia adjusts to a post-America trade future

Trump’s tariffs are squeezing margins, re-routing supply chains and forcing companies to wean themselves off the US market.

Analysts are sceptical over the new deal, citing the ‘shaky’ truce agreement in July, when sporadic clashes erupted hours after its signing

The latest peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand will be difficult to uphold, according to analysts, who point to previous ceasefire breaches, as they call for a regional observer team to be enlarged to include more military officials.

Analysts also note the “conspicuous absence” of China from the arrangement despite its aspirations to be a major regional player.

On Sunday, United States President Donald Trump presided over the deal between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia’s capital, as part of his first trip to the region under his second term to attend the Asean summit.

Known as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, the agreement calls for a demilitarisation of the tense Thai-Cambodia border, expanding on a ceasefire deal reached in July.

It also pledged to end a long-standing border dispute, which erupted again over five days in late July, killing scores on both sides.

At a ceremony with the Thai and Cambodian leaders by his side, Trump, who has touted himself as a global truce-broker, said the agreement showed his administration’s pursuit of peace “in every region where we can do it”.

Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a researcher at the Australian National University, voiced scepticism over the deal, citing the “shaky” previous ceasefire, when there were tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border and Cambodian villagers clashed with Thai security forces.

In July, Malaysia, as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, helped halt five days of deadly fighting. That ceasefire was mediated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, under pressure from Trump, who threatened to end separate trade talks with Thailand and Cambodia unless the conflict ceased.

However, within hours of the “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire, sporadic clashes continued, with the Thai army accusing Cambodia of violating the truce.

Rahman said it was difficult for the Asean interim observation team to operate along the long border, given the small number of the bloc’s defence attaches in Thailand and even fewer in Cambodia.

A few Asean defence attaches accredited to Cambodia are based in Hanoi, according to Rahman, adding that the observation team should be expanded to include more military officials to enforce the latest truce deal.

“The Thai-Cambodian border is porous and long, and a large number of observers will be needed to monitor the situation and facilitate the peace effort and border dispute resolution,” Rahman said.

He added that Trump’s threat of tariffs was a “major driver” in bringing the two countries to the negotiating table because the US was their primary export market.

“This demonstrates the US still exercises a large degree of influence in this part of the world,” Rahman said.

As for China, its inability to pressure its two neighbours to a ceasefire reflects the limits of its influence, according to Rahman.

“Beijing is the largest arms supplier to Thailand and Cambodia, yet it could not influence the two Southeast Asian states to halt the fighting,” he said, noting that this was something the Cambodians also found difficult to understand.

“They were hoping that China could have applied pressure on Thailand to cease the fighting.”

Despite its lengthy alliance with the US, Thailand has increased its military purchases from China in recent years.

The Lowy Institute reported in January that China accounted for about 44 per cent of Thailand’s military imports, including tanks, submarines and air defence systems.

Cambodia is almost entirely reliant on China for its arms, with imports comprising Chinese-made artillery, armoured vehicles, and naval systems, making up around 95 per cent of the total.

Pointing out that “the devil is in the details”, Sok Udom Deth, an international relations professor at the Paragon International University in Phnom Penh, said the joint declaration carried more diplomatic weight and offered more “laudable” provisions.

These include the withdrawal of heavy weaponry and the deployment of an Asean observation team.

Deth said the deal would help de-escalate the situation in the short and medium terms and gradually restore relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

“[However], it remains a ‘declaration’ and is not a legal treaty that contains enforcement clauses or ramifications in case of future violations.”

While “well-received” in Cambodia, the declaration is not a long-term solution, according to Deth, as it does not address two major causes of the border problem – disagreement over maps to demarcate their boundaries and the venue for dispute resolution.

“Thailand has repeatedly declared that it does not recognise the ICJ’s jurisdiction,” Deth said, referring to the International Court of Justice.

The border conflict stems from ambiguous colonial-era maps that have led to a decades-long territorial dispute, with both sides having different interpretations on which maps to use to settle their differences.

Cambodia is seeking a resolution through the ICJ, but Thailand prefers bilateral talks through a Joint Boundary Commission established in 2000, citing previous rulings that have gone against it.

Deth said true peace could only occur with liberal democratic governments in both countries that “adhere to international laws and do not politicise history”.

“[They must also] embrace a regional identity as fellow Asean nations who can mutually benefit from each other’s interdependence,” he said.

Despite Trump presiding at the event, Deth said the deal was facilitated by the Asean chair and signed at the Asean summit. “[This] reinforces Asean’s relevance and centrality.”

Talk of Washington abandoning Asean was sparked by inconsistent US diplomatic engagement with the region in recent years, including Trump’s repeated absence from the bloc’s summits during his previous term.

Recent US moves towards unilateral trade policies and the return of an “America First” mindset have also eroded regional trust, with many viewing Washington as an unreliable partner.

As the region’s dominant economic partner, China’s substantial investments and its status as a leading export market have helped improve local infrastructure and created economic opportunities. In contrast with Washington’s rising protectionist stance, China has presented itself as a defender of free trade.

Nonetheless, pointing to “China’s conspicuous absence” from the peace deal despite its regional aspirations, Deth said that Washington’s political clout would still play a major role in Asean’s affairs.

“[It] signals that China’s dominance or US abandonment of the region is not a foregone conclusion.”

Trump called Takaichi’s role as Japan’s first female prime minister a ‘big deal’ as the two sides deepen trade and security ties

US President Donald Trump met Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on Tuesday for talks on trade and security, praising her elevation as the country’s first female leader and her pledge to accelerate a military build-up.

Takaichi is expected to offer a package of US investments in a US$550 billion deal agreed this year, including shipbuilding and increased purchases of US soybeans, gas and pickup trucks, sources familiar with the matter said.

She also plans to tell him she is preparing to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, following other world leaders that have recommended Trump for the accolade he has long sought, broadcaster NTV reported on Tuesday, citing government sources.

Those gestures may temper any Trump demands for Tokyo to spend more on defending islands from an increasingly assertive China, which Takaichi sought to head off by pledging last week to fast track plans to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product.

“It’s a very strong handshake,” Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo before Trump was guided into the ballroom for an honour guard.

Trump called Takaichi’s role as Japan’s first female prime minister a “big deal”, putting an emphasis on the US commitment to Japan. While the president in the past has publicly scolded his foreign counterparts, he had nothing but praise for Takaichi.

“Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there,” Trump said. “We are an ally at the strongest level.”

They were earlier heard chatting about late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, a close political ally of Takaichi who struck up a bond with Trump in his first term during hours spent golfing together.

“He was a great friend of mine and a great friend of yours,” Trump said to Takaichi as he entered the palace.

He also praised Japan’s efforts to increase its military capacity and buy more US defence equipment, while Takaichi said Trump’s role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Palestinian militants, were “unprecedented” achievements.

Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.

He received a royal welcome shortly after his arrival on Monday, meeting Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.

During their meeting, Takaichi will present Trump with one of Abe’s golf clubs in a gesture meant to rekindle the close bond the two leaders had formed on golf courses in Japan and the United States, a source familiar with the plan said.

The source sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.

A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan’s major security and trade partner could help Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.

Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming prime minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump and Takaichi will visit the US naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the US military’s powerful presence in the region.

Trump will meet business leaders in Tokyo before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies.

Moscow is seeking to improve trade and connectivity, and says it can offer its experience in key areas including nuclear technology

Russia is looking to Southeast Asia for an economic boost after fresh sanctions from the United States hit its energy sector, with a senior minister saying Moscow sees “mutually beneficial” opportunities with Asean in nuclear technology, logistics and trade.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia summits in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said Russia was deepening cooperation with countries such as Malaysia amid what he described as “constant” Western restrictions on its economy.

“Our country has been under sanctions probably for the last 125 years,” he told This Week in Asia after talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“Sanctions are like the climate – they’ve always existed. [But] we maintain and improve trade and economic relations, [and] we work to strengthen connectivity between regions and organisations like the Eurasian Economic Union and Asean.”

The Eurasian Economic Union is a Russia-led trade bloc that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, aimed at creating a single market across parts of the former Soviet Union.

Russia’s push into Southeast Asia comes just days after Washington under President Donald Trump announced a new wave of sanctions on energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil for refusing to scale back operations in Ukraine.

The move has forced Moscow to look for new markets and buyers across the Global South, analysts say, particularly in Asia, where demand for energy and infrastructure remains strong.

Russia’s so-called dark fleet – vessels that conceal their flag origins to skirt sanctions and transport cheap oil – has made use of Southeast Asian waters since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine spurred the US and European Union to try to choke off its oil-reliant economy.

But it is a vast and opaque business, with tankers changing status and transshipment of oil in waters far from prying eyes into legitimate cargoes.

Bloomberg reported on October 19 that a Russian liquefied natural gas tanker under US sanctions was spotted preparing for a rare open-water fuel transfer off the coast of Malaysia.

Overchuk would not be drawn on the allegations of illegal oil transfers.

But he said nuclear technology was among the key areas Moscow could offer the region, calling it a “clean, reliable and sustainable” energy source.

Russia had “a wealth of experience in nuclear power generation. We work in a lot of countries implementing nuclear power stations … and Asean is part of those initiatives”, he said, citing growing interest in small modular reactors, which Russia was already operating domestically.

According to Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news agency, Moscow has offered to assist Malaysia in building large-scale nuclear power plants and modular units, part of an expanded energy partnership discussed during the 20th East Asia Summit.

Asean data showed trade with Russia rose 13.2 per cent to US$18.1 billion in 2024, while Russian foreign direct investment into the bloc increased 20.8 per cent to US$474 million.

“[Moscow] wants to prove to the West that attempts to isolate [it] on the international stage have failed, and that it still has friends around the world,” Ian Storey, author of Putin’s Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin’s Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War, published by Singapore’s ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, told This Week in Asia.

“[While] its arms sales have dropped off, Russia continues to market military equipment … [and] nuclear-power expertise in the region.”

The Seongdong district mayor said he would intervene over the establishment’s ‘no Chinese customers’ rule amid growing backlash

A cafe near Seoul Forest has come under fire after posting a “No Chinese customers” notice on its social media page, sparking accusations of racial discrimination. The district’s mayor has pledged to intervene and convince the owner to remove the message.

Seongdong district Mayor Chong Won-o said on Monday on social media that he was aware of the issue and would “make every effort to persuade the establishment”.

His post was in response to a citizen’s question asking whether the district could take action against such “racist behaviour”.

Chong wrote: “I deeply share your concern. As Seongsu-dong has become one of Korea’s representative tourist destinations for both locals and foreigners, we will do our best to convince the cafe to reconsider.”

The controversy began when a cafe in Seongsu-dong updated its social media account’s bio in English to say, “Sorry, we do not accept Chinese customers.” Soon after, several Chinese visitors posted accounts on social media saying they were turned away.

The issue went viral after Henry, a Chinese influencer living in South Korea with 190,000 Instagram followers, shared the story on October 22, calling it “the most racist cafe I’ve seen in Korea”.

Henry wrote, “A Chinese customer made the effort to visit this cafe only to be rejected for being Chinese. I can’t understand this level of hatred towards my country.” His post received nearly 1,000 comments, with opinions sharply divided.

Some defended the cafe owner, saying “Chinese tourists should behave more politely; there must have been a reason”, while others criticised the action as “hypocritical for a country that has suffered from discrimination to now do the same”.

A few commenters expressed regret, saying “As a Korean, I apologise, but I understand the owner’s frustration after bad experiences with certain Chinese tourists.”

The cafe stopped accepting Chinese customers on October 21. The owner told a local media outlet, “There’s a strong anti-China sentiment in society, and when Chinese customers come in, the atmosphere among Korean patrons changes. I didn’t want to create that reaction.”

The owner added that they might reconsider “once anti-China sentiment dies down”.

The incident comes amid growing anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea following the government’s recent decision to allow visa-free group travel from China.

The far-right and conservative groups have fuelled such rhetoric, recently proposing a “three-stop” bill to curb Chinese investment in real estate, medical services and elections – a move critics say deepens social division by exploiting xenophobic sentiment.

This story was first published by The Korea Times

The high-profile security cordon is appropriate given Trump has been the target of assassination attempts back home, analysts say

Japan dramatically ramped up security as US President Donald Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, with 18,000 police officers on duty and a specialist emergency response team on constant alert for the American leader’s three-day visit.

An incident on Friday suggested that elevated levels of security for the occasion are warranted, with a police officer stationed outside the US embassy in central Tokyo attacked by a man with a knife.

The man, who has been arrested, was stopped after police believed he was acting suspiciously, with the officer sustaining minor injuries.

Analysts suggest the high-profile security cordon is appropriate given Trump has been the target of at least two recent assassination attempts back home, while Japan is still haunted by the death of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, killed by a “lone wolf” gunman in July 2022.

“It is absolutely right that the authorities here are taking this very seriously,” said James Brown, a professor of international relations at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.

“This would be the case in any circumstances, but this is the US president, who has already been targeted twice. And even though Japan is a very safe country, they have to take that into account.”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has set up a dedicated security headquarters to manage the president’s visit until his departure on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.

Given that a gunman attempted to shoot Trump in July 2024, while he was campaigning for the presidential election, from the roof of a building overlooking a podium set up in the town of Butler, Pennsylvania, Japanese police are devoting a great deal of attention to buildings and elevated locations close to where the president will be.

Equipment is also being deployed that will be able to neutralise drones that might be used in an attack.

According to police, an armed rapid-response unit will be tasked with dealing with assailants who have guns, while authorities are also on alert at potential “soft targets” where large numbers of the public may be present, such as train stations.

Of particular concern are “lone wolf” assailants who provide authorities with little warning of their intentions because they do not communicate with others.

“I was in central Tokyo earlier today and there are a lot of police, but I wonder if they are being effective. A lot of them seemed to be loitering in bushes, but we know that the most effective way of stopping these sorts of attacks comes from intelligence,” Brown said.

“The big concern has to be a ‘lone wolf’-style attack, because these people are not on the radar of the security services because they are radicalised on their own, they are not part of organised groups, and they are very hard to predict and therefore prevent.”

Abe died at the hands of just such an assailant, Brown pointed out. By coincidence, Tetsuya Yamagami goes on trial on Tuesday, accused of shooting the former prime minister dead with a handmade firearm as he campaigned on a street corner in Nara in 2022.

Yamagami is expected to plead guilty to the charges, although his defence team could request leniency on the grounds that he had been the victim of “religious abuse”. The 45-year-old has said he acted out of frustration after his mother bankrupted the family by giving about 100 million yen (US$653,000) to the Unification Church.

Yamagami claimed that Japanese political parties supported the Unification Church because the organisation made generous donations to them in return for political influence.

Then prime minister Fumio Kishida was also fortunate to escape unharmed when another lone assailant threw a pipe bomb at him as he campaigned in Wakayama prefecture in April 2023.

In response to those incidents, as well as increasing threats posted on social media against political leaders and celebrities, the police agency set up a specialist unit to identify and track potential solo attackers.

It is also seeking funding in next year’s budget for a pilot project that will employ artificial intelligence to identify anyone who appears likely to be planning to carry out an attack, based on their social media posts.

Brown cautions, however, that no plan is completely foolproof and that an attack in which Trump is wounded or worse would be “disastrous” for bilateral relations.

“I cannot begin to imagine how damaging it would be for Japan’s relationship with its most important security ally,” he said. “Some of the blame would of course fall on the president’s security service, but most would fall on the host nation. That would be disastrous.”

Choe Son-hui, hosted by Vladimir Putin, passed on ‘warm wishes’ from her boss and praised the ‘spiritual closeness’ of Moscow and Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that his country’s ties with North Korea were developing “as planned”, as he hosted North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in the Kremlin.

Choe passed on “warm wishes” from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after she had earlier hailed the “spiritual closeness” between Moscow and Pyongyang during a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The visit is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic exchanges between the two countries and comes just days after Kim pledged to advance military ties with Moscow.

Here’s what we know about relations between the two countries.

Military ties

North Korea, one of the world’s most diplomatically isolated nations, has deepened cooperation with Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024 that obliges either side to provide “military and other assistance” should the other be attacked.

In late 2024, North Korea sent thousands of soldiers and container loads of weapons to help Russia push Ukrainian forces out of its western Kursk region.

At least 600 North Korean soldiers died during that offensive and thousands more sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates.

Moscow and Pyongyang spent months denying and ignoring Western reports of the deployment.

Only in April, when Russia declared it had expelled Kyiv’s forces, did Putin publicly acknowledge the role of the “heroic” North Koreans who fought alongside his army.

North Korea also acknowledged the deployment and, for the first time since its founding in 1948, acknowledged it had lost soldiers on foreign soil.

Earlier this month, North Korean state media reported that the country had started construction of a memorial for soldiers killed in the fighting.

The United States says there is evidence Russia is stepping up its support for North Korea, including providing help on advanced space and satellite technology.

Ukraine says it has found fragments of North Korean weapons including missiles on the battlefield.

‘Closest comrade’

Russia and North Korea have enjoyed historically close ties since the Soviet era.

The USSR was the first country to recognise North Korea in 1948 and provided military support to Pyongyang during the Korean war.

North Korea was one of only five UN countries to vote against condemning Russia’s offensive on Ukraine in 2022 and has since expressed support for Moscow’s territorial claims over five southern and eastern Ukrainian regions.

Kim and Putin have also repeatedly exchanged warm words.

In birthday messages, Kim has referred to Putin as his “closest comrade”.

Trade and tourism

In April, the two countries began constructing the first road bridge between them.

And in July, Russia launched direct commercial flights between Moscow and Pyongyang amid increasing numbers of officials and delegations shuttling between the two capitals.

Earlier this year, North Korea opened a massive tourist zone on its east coast that has welcomed Russian visitors.

North Korea is one of the world’s most closed nations, regularly criticised by rights groups for its repressive policies and outlawing of dissent.

The United Nations said last month that the past decade inside the country had been marked by “increased suffering, repression and fear”.

Antonio Guterres has also called on all parties to support Asean’s push for an immediate end to the conflict in Myanmar

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar’s junta to focus on increasing aid to its struggling people instead of holding an election, which he said would be neither free nor fair.

Myanmar’s junta has been widely pilloried for pressing on with the election starting this December, while it continues to bomb civilians in a civil war that has killed thousands and displaced more than 3.5 million people.

Guterres, who was in Kuala Lumpur for a summit between the UN and Asean – of which Myanmar is a member – said the focus should be on an immediate end to the four-year civil war.

“I don’t think anybody believes that those elections will be free and fair,” he told reporters. “I don’t think anybody believes those elections will contribute to the solution of the problems of Myanmar.”

The junta, led by Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, sees an election as a chance to reset after four years of grinding war and an opportunity to reclaim some legitimacy in the eyes of the international community for a government that comes from polls – even if it is inevitably stacked with military figures and proxies.

Myanmar’s civil war stems from a 2021 coup by a military which was unhappy with being routed in an election a few months earlier.

It has seen the country’s economy collapse as the junta struggles to regain control over most of its borderlands from pro-democracy rebels and ethnic militias.

The coup also led to an unprecedented ban on Myanmar’s top leadership from attending any official meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including this week’s summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The regional bloc, which is normally allergic to confrontation on matters involving each other’s domestic affairs, acted after the junta failed to implement five measures it agreed to in order to stop the conflict. Those include an immediate end to the violence, allowing aid in, the appointment of an Asean special envoy and a pathway to peace talks.

Critics have piled pressure on Asean to stop what they call a “sham” election, given the junta’s lack of territorial control and the exclusion of tens of millions of people from voting as the military continues to bomb civilian areas.

In a joint statement on Sunday, Asean’s leaders said any plan by the junta to hold a national election must make sure that it would be “free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible”.

“We emphasise that the cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue must precede elections,” the statement read, adding that Asean reaffirmed that a resolution of Myanmar’s civil war must continue to be guided by the five-point consensus.

Guterres said he was “appalled” by what was happening in Myanmar, and urged all parties to support Asean’s push for an immediate end to the conflict.

“The people of Myanmar are counting on our collective support. Let’s deliver it,” he said.

The vortex of problems caused by Myanmar’s instability extends to surging drug production, illegal mining and forest burning with consequences for Laos and Thailand, and crucially, the explosion of scam centres inside lawless parts of Myanmar.

There are also glaring practical problems with holding elections in a country lacerated by war.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had admitted earlier this month that polls could not be held in the whole country “due to various reasons” despite a pledge to make the contest “strong and competitive”.

The Union Election Commission, appointed by the junta, in August said the first phase of the election would be held in 102 out of 330 townships – mostly in Yangon, Naypyidaw and other central military heartlands.

But key allies China and, to a lesser degree, Russia have voiced support for the election, banking on the junta to regain its footing after four years of war that has seen the strategically crucial nation pitched into violence and chaos.

The peninsula is characterised by three overlapping triangles whose interaction will shape Northeast Asia’s future and broader strategic stability

The Korean peninsula has snapped back into global focus. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Seoul is expected to bring the leaders of the US and China together for their first in-person meeting since US President Donald Trump’s second term began. Meanwhile, Russia-allied North Korea seeks US recognition of its status as a nuclear state and direct talks with Trump.

This points to a structural shift in Northeast Asia’s security architecture. Rather than a simple US-China binary or a rigid two-camp confrontation, there are three overlapping triangles: the US-Japan-South Korea deterrence partnership, China-Japan-South Korea functional cooperation and a tightening China-Russia-North Korea counter-alignment. Their interaction makes the peninsula both a friction point and potential stabiliser.

The last inclusive regional security framework, the Six-Party Talks, collapsed in the late 2000s, leaving a vacuum that flexible trilaterals have increasingly filled. “Triple trilateralism” has since emerged as a more adaptive structure that maps onto interlocked security, economic and ideological concerns.

First is the US-Japan-South Korea cooperation, which gained momentum under former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol and is still robust operationally. This trilateral centres on extended nuclear deterrence and a coordinated military posture. It is driven by the urgency of North Korea’s advancing nuclear and conventional capabilities and its tightening ties with Russia and China.

Since June 2024, the US, Japan and South Korea have conducted three iterations of the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise, alongside multiple bilateral drills. Missile-defence cooperation and real-time data-sharing complement this posture.

Yet the alliance has internal strains. US talks with Tokyo and Seoul revealed friction over defence cost-sharing and trade practices. The election of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s prime minister implies a rightward tilt on security – tougher on North Korea and China, tighter with Washington and Seoul – but her stances on history and territory could backfire with Seoul.

Parallel to this is the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral, anchored in economic pragmatism rather than military calculus. Launched in 1999 on the sidelines of Asean+3, it has grown into a dense web of cooperation sustained by a leaders’ summit, a secretariat in Seoul and 21 minister-level mechanisms. Revived in May 2024 after a five-year hiatus, the ninth trilateral summit in Seoul recommitted the three countries to a regular summit and ministerial meetings and to functional, non-security cooperation.

While this trilateral avoids hard security issues, it indirectly stabilises the region by deepening economic interdependence. With Japan holding the rotating chair, the test is whether the Takaichi government can turn this machinery into ballast – or whether domestic politics will clip its wings.

The most geopolitically charged triangle is the China-Russia-North Korea alignment. Although it is not institutionalised, its tightening is visible in high-profile optics, notably at the September 3 military parade in Beijing, North Korea’s troop deployments supporting Russia in Ukraine, and the June 2024 North Korea-Russia mutual defence treaty.

Beijing’s stance is nuanced. While it neither endorses North Korean deployments nor recognises its nuclear status, Beijing – Pyongyang’s economic lifeline, accounting for roughly 98 per cent of its foreign trade – has offered tacit tolerance, allowing Russia-North Korea cooperation as long as it does not destabilise the region or escalate to nuclear conflict.

The peninsula is thus the physical and diplomatic convergence point of these dynamics. North Korea’s new satellite reconnaissance capabilities, upgraded missile platforms, deployment of Choe Hyon-class destroyers and covert nuclear-missile base near the Chinese border underscore a sustained military build-up. South Korea’s participation in US-led exercises and reliance on extended nuclear deterrence reflect deepening integration into allied strategy.

North Korea’s diplomacy mirrors this geometry. It has rejected dialogue with Seoul, abandoned the goal of reunification and severed economic ties – partly in reaction to former president Yoon’s hostile policies. Yet Pyongyang remains conditionally open to talks with the United States, betting that tacit recognition as a nuclear state – akin to India or Israel – might one day open a path to normalisation. Cooperation with Russia delivers military and technological dividends and signals resilience to the international community.

For South Korea, the strategic equation is complex. The Lee Jae-myung administration seeks a more conciliatory tone towards Pyongyang but remains constrained by security obligations inherited from the Yoon era. Seoul’s cautious approach to economic cooperation with Beijing and Tokyo reflects an effort to balance deep trade ties with China against security dependence on Washington.

Triple trilateralism can have both stabilising and fragmenting effects. On the stabilising side, multiple communication channels and institutional mechanisms reduce the risk of miscalculation and provide platforms for crisis management.

On the fragmenting side, divergent interests and asymmetries within and between groupings can produce diplomatic entrapment. US efforts to strengthen extended deterrence may heighten Russian and Chinese security concerns, prompting countermeasures.

The geometry also sharpens questions about strategic autonomy. Japan and South Korea are pulled between deeper military integration with the US and continued economic interdependence with China. In its pivot to the Asia-Pacific, Russia must navigate reliance on Chinese infrastructure, logistics and diplomatic cover. North Korea, meanwhile, leverages its position to extract benefits from both Russia and China.

The Korean peninsula is no longer merely a flashpoint; it is the axis around which the region’s trilateral geometries rotate. How these three triangles reinforce, offset or complicate one another will shape Northeast Asia’s future and broader strategic stability.

The road ahead requires careful diplomacy, creative institutional design and recognition that no single triangle can monopolise outcomes. Managed with foresight, the convergence of interests and frictions on the peninsula could yield new multilateral avenues for managing tension; mishandled, it could again become a global fault line.

Crucial state elections in Bihar and avoiding an ‘awkward situation’ with Trump among likely factors for Modi’s decision, analysts say

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the Asean summit in Malaysia was probably made with an eye on coming crucial state polls in Bihar and to avoid meeting US President Donald Trump amid sensitive trade negotiations, analysts have said.

During a special event at the White House last week, Trump had reiterated claims that India would stop buying Russian oil. The US president then attended the Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur before departing for Japan on Monday.

Modi addressed the summit virtually, touching on a host of issues such as the need for a review of an India-Asean Free Trade Agreement, boosting tourism and maritime cooperation as well as pledging to support the humanitarian efforts of East Timor, the newest member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who led a government delegation, met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the Asean summit on Monday.

Jaishankar said in a post on social media: “Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.”

The meeting occurred at a time when India and the US are trying to negotiate a bilateral trade deal, which according to Indian media reports is in the final stages.

“If he [Modi] was there and ended up in a meeting with Trump, I think with Trump’s proclivity to say all kinds of things publicly and the expectation that Modi would also reciprocate publicly, [it] would have created an awkward situation,” said Harsh Pant, an international relations professor at King’s College London.

“Wariness about Trump would also have been a factor” for Modi not to take part in person, given that the trade deal was still being negotiated, Pant added.

Last week, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasised that India would not rush into any trade agreements or accept terms that would restrict its trading choices.

India already faces 50 per cent US tariffs, of which 25 per cent are on account of its crude imports from Russia. Trump has been piling pressure on both China and India to stop their purchases of discounted Russian oil supplies amid Washington’s efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war.

Analysts say India has been pushing for a trade deal with the US to bring down import tariffs below 20 per cent, the benchmark level most countries in Southeast Asia are facing.

Uday Chandra, an assistant professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, said Modi tended to prioritise forums such as the G20, the Quad and bilateral summits with major powers where India could project itself as an equal rather than as a secondary participant.

“In contrast, Asean-centred meetings, while important regionally, often operate via consensus decision-making and hence, dilute India’s voice amid a crowded field of middle powers,” he said.

Pant noted that Modi not attending the Asean summit in person would not have made much of a difference to India’s trade ties with the bloc, including individual member states, since he had regularly attended previous meetings.

Modi’s decision to stay at home is also because he is spearheading the electoral campaign of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state of Bihar where it is facing a strong challenge from Tejashwi Yadav, an Indian politician who is the son of former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi of the Rashtriya Janata Dal party.

Bihar state polls are due to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.

The elections in Bihar are critical for the future of the BJP-led federal coalition as it could set the stage for a string of other state polls in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Last year, the BJP lost its absolute majority in parliamentary elections for the lower house, though it has since recovered political ground by scoring important wins in state polls in Delhi and Maharashtra.

“This is an intense electoral season in India. Modi is the key in the hotly contested Bihar elections, which has significant implications for the stability of the [federal government],” Chandra said.

The BJP-led federal coalition government is reliant on crucial support from Nitish Kumar Yadav’s Janata Dal United party, which is influential in Bihar. Kumar has often switched political sides, an issue which makes the federal coalition vulnerable, analysts say.

A BJP triumph in Bihar would diminish any chance of Kumar exiting the ruling coalition, they said.

Modi had also in the past delegated multilateral diplomacy to Foreign Minister Jaishankar, Chandra said.

“The message is that India’s engagement with Southeast Asia is steady but no longer reliant on leader-level appearances,” he added.

The ‘strategic importance’ of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is ‘clearer than ever’, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim says

The world’s largest trade agreement was given a jump-start on Monday, as leaders met in Kuala Lumpur at a “pivotal” time for the global economy, desperate to turn the pact into tangible gains as sweeping US tariffs threaten to slow growth across Asia-Pacific.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) covers 30 per cent of the global economy, with Asean members at its core alongside East Asian giants China, Japan, South Korea, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The pact was signed in 2020 as an antidote to US protectionism.

But RCEP has struggled to become a relevant collective force, with its members clinging to restrictions and quotas to protect their key domestic industries.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said “the strategic importance” of the partnership “is clearer than ever”.

“It is the first gathering of RCEP leaders since the signing of the agreement in 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic,” said Anwar, who is chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. “And again, we meet at a pivotal moment.”

Formed from the wreckage of the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, the RCEP aims to streamline trade and investments between its members and grow a regional economy already worth as much as US$30 trillion annually, according to some estimates.

Experts have long urged the RCEP to take on the mantle in trade initiatives instead of Asean, a grouping known for its timid diplomacy and slow enactment of its agreements, and make the bigger bloc a real engine of Asia’s growth instead.

RCEP leaders in Kuala Lumpur – including China’s Premier Li Qiang, South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – agreed to the “full and effective implementation” of the deal, without giving a timeline.

In their statement after the meeting, they agreed to ensure that “markets remain open, free and rules-based” and urged signatories to enact “domestic reforms in ensuring a level playing field” across the RCEP economies, which vary from the world’s second largest in China to minnow Laos.

Malaysia was using the RCEP leaders’ summit to reaffirm the bloc’s “key role in shaping the regional trade order”, said Kamles Kumar, Malaysia lead at advisory firm Asia Group Advisors.

The emphasis was on “transforming RCEP from a symbolic pact into a platform for real economic cooperation in supply-chain integration, digital trade, and standards alignment”, he added.

Trump’s summit spectacle

RCEP’s focus on regional trade followed a one-day visit to Kuala Lumpur for the Asean summit by US President Donald Trump, who dominated the spotlight on Sunday.

Instead of picking up fights, Trump appeared pleased when he presided over a “peace treaty” between Thailand and Cambodia, saying the ceasefire between both sides would save “millions of lives”. He also announced deals with Malaysia to secure US access to rare earths and for Kuala Lumpur to lower tariffs for more American goods to flow into the Southeast Asian country.

Trump left the export-reliant region in no doubt that the rules of global trade have changed, as he did not offer to trim tariffs for Asean’s economies.

He also only offered vague words instead of security guarantees to a region increasingly anxious over China’s claims in the South China Sea.

At a separate Asean+3 summit, leaders from the 11-strong bloc, including new member East Timor, China, Japan and South Korea committed to deepen their collaboration in trade and other areas.

China’s Premier Li Qiang said the three East Asian countries’ rapid growth over the past 70 years was only possible through “openness and cooperation”, regardless of their different social and political systems.

Analysts, however, are sceptical that Asean – a bloc whose byword has been cautious diplomacy for decades – could lead the charge in charting Asia’s economic future.

“Sustaining this will require sustained political will that goes beyond PM Anwar’s chairmanship,” said Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, a director with government risk consultancy Vriens & Partners.

“Without a follow-through beyond Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship in the form of institutionalisation, there is a concern that the momentum gained may be lost and it will be business as usual.”

Deals with Malaysia and Thailand may one day give Washington leverage in negotiations with Beijing, according to analysts

The United States has ramped up efforts to hedge against rare earth export controls by China – the world’s dominant supplier – through agreements signed on Sunday with two Southeast Asian countries, including one that experts believe could deliver results relatively quickly.

Memoranda of understanding with Malaysia and Thailand pave the way for increased critical mineral exports to US automotive, defence and hi-tech hardware manufacturers – following a US$8.5 billion US-Australia framework deal earlier this month.

Both agreements, however, will require industry support and time to develop processing capacity before raw materials reach US buyers in significant volumes, said Charles Chang, a finance professor at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Still, analysts said the two accords could eventually help reduce US dependence on China in the event of a prolonged trade dispute, which has already seen Beijing restrict exports of the critical minerals.

China accounts for about 70 per cent of global mining for rare earth metals – a subcategory of critical minerals – and 90 per cent of processing output, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a prominent US think tank.

US electric vehicle makers, for instance, rely heavily on certain rare earth metals. “If they can get those materials from Malaysia and Thailand, which means that the US puts concrete plans in place to actually buy those materials on long-term contracts, and they put the downstream processing in place, then an agreement will help,” said Jon Hykawy, president of the Toronto-based industry advisory Stormcrow Capital.

“This is always a good hedging strategy for the US,” said Chen Zhiwu, chair professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong. “It’s the simple reality that other countries won’t want to be subject to other actions to be taken by future Chinese officials.”

Earlier in October, Beijing expanded export controls on rare earth materials, technologies and dual-use items as part of its trade war with the US. But implementation could be eased after talks with Washington in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend and an expected meeting between the two presidents this week, as hinted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Agreements between the US and other countries, even if the benefits only pay off in the long term, might increase US bargaining power with China, Chang of Fudan University said.

“The Australia, Malaysia and Thailand announcements are aimed at reducing China’s negotiation leverage,” he added.

Beijing, however, need not worry for now as it still has “the most stable and the cheapest supply chain”.

US President Donald Trump and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a memorandum of understanding to “secure and diversify” critical mineral supplies, the White House said in a statement. They also agreed to promote partnerships between US and Thai companies while enhancing “global supply chain resilience”.

Malaysia and the US also reached an agreement to promote trade and investment in the exploration, extraction, processing and refining of critical minerals, the White House said in a separate statement on Sunday.

The Malaysia agreement will support the transition to “efficient and secure critical mineral and rare earths markets”, the White House added.

While many countries have reserves, analysts said in August that Malaysia’s industry, unlike many others, could scale up quickly because of its existing processing capacity. A Malaysian government business model has called for “fast-tracking” the sector’s supply chain.

The two US agreements were announced during Trump’s participation at the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The US president’s visit comes amid reports Washington and Tokyo will announce a shipbuilding deal

US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, telling reporters he was excited for his meeting with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the prospect of completing a joint deal to promote shipbuilding capacity.

“I look forward to meeting the new prime minister. I hear phenomenal things,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Malaysia, where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

Trump sidestepped questions about what corporate leaders he planned to meet while in Tokyo or the details of any economic deals, saying simply he planned to announce “great friendship”.

Asked about reports the US and Japan would announce a shipbuilding accord, Trump said the US wanted “more ships”.

“We lost that industry, but we’ll get that industry back,” he said.

The meeting is a high-stakes test for Takaichi, who was selected by lawmakers to become Japan’s first woman prime minister earlier this month.

Her Liberal Democratic Party is recovering from a slush-fund scandal that prompted the resignation of two prime ministers, and she is navigating the implementation of a trade deal brokered under her predecessor that includes a nebulous pledge for Japan to fund US$550 billion in US projects.

Trump’s trip will begin with a meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

“Looking forward to seeing the Emperor!” Trump wrote on social media shortly before landing. Trump in 2019 became the first foreign leader to meet Naruhito as emperor after his father, Akihito, stepped down, in the first abdication by a Japanese sovereign in centuries.

Trump will meet Takaichi on Tuesday, and the pair are expected to tour the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, later in the day at the Yokosuka naval base south of Tokyo.

On Tuesday night, Trump will hold a dinner with corporate leaders.

About 2,000 South Koreans are estimated to have been ensnared in online scam operations in Cambodia

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed on Monday to form a joint task force to combat scams targeting South Koreans, in response to growing public concern over recent abductions and detentions of Lee’s compatriots in Cambodia.

The task force, which begins operations next month, will include South Korean police officers, according to presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung. The size and operational details of the force will be determined as soon as possible.

Lee, who is attending the Asean Summit in Malaysia, held a bilateral meeting with the Cambodian prime minister on the sidelines of the multilateral event.

“President Lee expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Hun Manet for the Cambodian government’s cooperation in repatriating South Korean nationals and assisting victims in scam-related cases,” Kang said at a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur.

“The two leaders agreed to actively coordinate efforts for an effective joint response to these crimes.”

The agreement came after it was made public earlier this month that as many as 2,000 South Koreans had been ensnared in online scam operations in Cambodia after being lured to the country with fake job ads.

They are allegedly forced to participate in the scams, making them both victims and perpetrators within these criminal organisations.

According to Kang, the Cambodian prime minister said his country had already begun close consultations with a South Korean government response team dispatched about 10 days ago and emphasised that the security situation had significantly improved following recent crackdowns on scam compounds and other transnational criminal networks.

In response, Lee said Seoul would consider lowering travel advisories for Phnom Penh and other regions “in light of the improving security situation and the launch of the joint task force”.

Hun Manet also offered condolences over the recent death of a South Korean university student who had been abducted in Cambodia, describing it as “a tragic incident” and said that Phnom Penh was “working closely with Seoul to track down those involved in scam-related crimes”.

“This is not an issue that any single country can resolve,” he said. “While I do not wish to assign blame, regional countries must work together to address it.”

He added that Cambodia placed “the highest priority” on combating transnational crimes and was “listening carefully to the concerns” of foreign residents, including South Koreans in Cambodia.

Lee, for his part, said “the Korean public is extremely sensitive to scam crimes at the moment”. He expressed gratitude to the Cambodian authorities for their “special consideration towards South Korean nationals” in responding to the issue.

The two leaders also agreed to continue expanding bilateral exchanges in trade, investment and people-to-people cooperation, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership established after the two countries formed diplomatic ties in 1997.

Highlighting that South Korean companies had made meaningful contributions to Cambodia’s economic development, Lee asked for continued support in resolving operational difficulties faced by these investors.

Hun Manet pledged to instruct relevant ministries to address those concerns.

Later in the day, the South Korean president told Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders that eliminating organised criminal networks and cross-border scam centres had to be a shared regional priority.

This story was first published by The Korea Times

A Frenchman was hit by falling ice and a South Korean collapsed while attempting the technically difficult Ama Dablam peak

Two mountaineers, one French and one South Korean, have died in Nepal after separate expeditions to the Ama Dablam mountain in the Himalayas, hiking officials said on Monday.

Hugo Lucio Colonia Lazaro, 65, from France, was hit on the head by a falling piece of ice and was evacuated to Kathmandu by helicopter last week, said Subash Shrestha of the Himalayan Vision Treks and Expedition company.

Lazaro then died in hospital on Friday.

South Korean Park Hong-khy, 66, died on Sunday while climbing the mountain. He was climbing with five others when he collapsed, said Homnath Bhattarai of the J’Vill Nepal Treks company.

The 6,814 metre (22,360 foot) high Ama Dablam mountain in the Solukhumbu area is a small but technically difficult peak to climb.

Popular among hikers to Mount Everest Base Camp, it is also known as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas” because of its soaring ridges and steep face.

Nepal issued 400 permits to climb Ama Dablam for the current autumn climbing season that ends next month. The country has issued a total of 1,323 climbing permits for the season.

Trekking and mountain climbing are a key source of employment and income for the impoverished country tucked between China and India.

In August, Nepal waived climbing fees for 97 mountains to promote lesser-known peaks.

“We are seeing more interest in mountains below 8,000 metres (26,200 feet),” said Himal Gautam, chief of the mountaineering section at Nepal’s tourism department.

“Gradually, we’re promoting new regions, so that as interest increases, the infrastructure and manpower needed to support them can develop.”

A South Korean hiker died early this month after climbing Mera Peak, a trekking mountain in the same region.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse

A Thai woman bought the egg sushi from a well-known brand recently when she spotted the ‘blue light’

A Thai social media user has posted photos of a sushi piece glowing blue in the dark after she bought it from a store, raising health concerns about possible radioactive or poisonous contamination.

Sharing her discovery on a consumer interest group’s social media page on Sunday, Mild Burusskorn said she noticed the blue glow emitting from the egg sushi that she had bought from a well-known brand, which she did not name.

“I was about to get out of the car to turn off the lights and I saw that there was a glow. I wonder what the blue light is,” she posted, according to the Khasod newspaper. “The blue light was only around that piece of sushi, which I ordered from the staff as the tray [of egg sushi pieces] was sold out.”

She said she was worried about consuming the egg sushi. “I didn’t dare to eat it when I saw this. I’m so shocked. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Mild’s post alarmed other social media users, with most advising her: “Don’t eat it”.

One user said: “It’s very scary. I like to buy sushi that is sold in the mall or supermarket that they put on a tray for us to pick up. I will stop eating in Japanese restaurants.”

Sushi that glows is likely contaminated with microorganismsJessada Denduangboripant, Chulalongkorn University academic

The response prompted Jessada Denduangboripant, an associate professor from Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Biology, to address the issue on his social media page on the same day, attributing it to bioluminescence.

“Sushi that glows is likely contaminated with microorganisms,” he said, explaining that seafood can exhibit luminescence without exposure to black or ultraviolet light.

He said food authorities had identified three possible causes: bioluminescent bacteria such as Photobacterium phosphoreum; the fish used might have eaten bioluminescent plankton or bacteria like Vibrio harveyi; or phosphorus-containing chemicals such as phosphates used for moisture retention or hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent.

“It’s possible that the sweet egg pieces got contaminated with raw seafood,” he added, saying that microbial contamination was more likely the cause, rather than chemical additives.

He warned that the only way to be sure was to have the sushi examined by relevant authorities, such as the Department of Medical Sciences.

Whether the cause was bacterial or chemical, he cautioned against eating any glowing sushi piece as it could lead to health issues like diarrhoea or food poisoning. “It should be discarded.”

The post stirred up memories of news reports in 2023 of highly venomous blue-ringed octopuses being found in local dishes.

Estimated to be 20 times more venomous than a cobra, the sea creature was discovered in a sushi restaurant while a popular hotpot restaurant was selling it at 99 baht (US$3) per kilogram, the Pattaya Mail reported.

In a follow up to her post, Mild later wrote that she had contacted the sushi brand. “The brand has informed me that there was bacteria from seafood that may have transferred to the sushi piece when it was cut. It will go to the store to check and look into its cleanliness.”

The US’ pivot towards Pakistan under Donald Trump has irked India, which has been hit with 50 per cent tariffs

The US is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but those ties do not come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

Just like India had ties with countries that the US did not, the vice versa applies, Rubio told reporters on board a flight to Doha.

“It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic and important.”

The US’ pivot towards Pakistan under President Donald Trump has irked New Delhi and coincided with a fraying in ties between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan and India, nuclear-armed neighbours with a contentious history, came close to a full-blown war in May.

Trump said he used trade as a bargaining chip to secure a peace deal between the two sides, a claim rejected by India. Pakistan, instead, hailed Trump’s intervention and nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize at the time.

“Look, we’re fully aware of the challenges with regards to India and everything else, but our job is to try to create opportunities for partnerships with countries where it’s possible,” Rubio said.

“And we’ve had a long history of partnering with Pakistan on counterterror and things of that nature. We’d like to expand it beyond that, if possible.”

Rubio said he had reached out to Pakistan even before the conflict with India began, saying the US was “interested in rebuilding an alliance, a strategic partnership”, he said.

Trump hit India with 50 per cent tariffs on its exports to the US, far higher than Pakistan’s 19 per cent rate. The US has also signed deals with Pakistan on mining of critical minerals and oil.

Meeting on the sidelines

Rubio arrived in Malaysia on Sunday to attend the Asean summit along with Trump. Modi skipped the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, missing out on a possible meeting with the US president.

Trump on Sunday oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, using the event to highlight his track record in mediating conflicts. He made reference to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir as “great people”.

Rubio met India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Asean summit on Monday, giving the two officials an opportunity to discuss trade negotiations and India’s purchases of Russian oil.

Few details were released, but the meeting is the highest-level contact since the United States imposed sanctions last week on Russian oil companies, a key source of India’s crude supplies.

Jaishankar posted a photograph on social media showing him smiling and shaking hands with Rubio, saying he “appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues”.

Trump has demanded India halt its purchases of Russian energy, which he says is helping finance President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. India is among the largest buyers of Russian crude, which makes up about a third of the nation’s total oil imports.

The US’ move last week to sanction two major Russian oil suppliers has sent Indian buyers scrambling for alternate sources.

Rubio said Delhi had already informed Washington about its intention to diversify oil supplies and buy more energy from the US.

“The more we sell them, the less they’ll buy from someone else,” he said.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse

At old forts and buildings in the Indian state of Rajasthan, installations are creating a ‘dialogue’ between contemporary art and history

Known for its azure-hued buildings, Jodhpur, India’s “Blue City”, is dotted with hidden stepwells. Among them is Mahila Baag Jhalra, an 18th-century structure with elaborate staircases surrounding a central pool. Once a vital water source and gathering space for women, it had fallen into disrepair.

“When I first saw it, there was a lot of garbage in the space: cigarette butts, chip packets and plastic bags,” Delhi-based artist Ayesha Singh says, adding that many locals she met did not know it existed.

Earlier this month, however, Singh collaborated with local metal specialists Mayank, Anshul and Kuldeep Kularia to transform the space into an immersive installation filled with glistening steel sculptures.

The installation, called Subterranean Inversion: Structures of Forgetting, featured sculptures draped across the historic stepwell. Some looked like liquid mercury flowing freely. Others were more angular.

The sun’s blinding reflection off the metal sculptures could at times conceal parts of the stepwell, Singh says, which symbolises how historic structures and the lives of remarkable women such as Gulab Rai – the concubine of Maharaja Vijay Singh of Marwar who commissioned the stepwell in 1753 – are often forgotten.

The project was part of Jodhpur Arts Week, held in the city, in the state of Rajasthan, in the first week of October. Launched by Public Arts Trust of India (PATI), a non-profit organisation founded by philanthropist Sana Rezwan, it is part of a wave of public art initiatives across India.

Titled “Hath Ro Hunar” (“skill of the hand”), the arts week featured various collaborations between contemporary artists and local craftspeople. Together they created site-specific works in historic venues across Jodhpur, including a former school, a clock tower and a 20th-century mansion.

Another highlight of the event was Through Me Runs the Ancient Water (2025), a meditative installation in a temple by Bengaluru-based artist Abishek Ganesh Jayashree, also known as Kaimurai.

A collaboration with sandstone carver Kishore Sankhla and indigo dyeing expert Sabeer Muhammad, the piece featured a shrine-like structure made using indigo-stained red sandstone and khadi fabric. The gentle sound of Carnatic music also filled the space.

In a country where history is omnipresent, public art tends to bring together old and new.

The Sculpture Park in Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, around 300km (190 miles) from Jodhpur, opened in the 19th-century Madhavendra Palace in Nahargarh Fort in 2017.

Aparajita Jain, founder of the non-profit organisation Saat Saath Arts Foundation, and curator and gallerist Peter Nagy, worked in cooperation with the Rajasthani government to launch the project.

Nagy says he always dreamed of placing monumental sculptures in Rajasthani forts: “I wanted to bring sculpture to new [locations] where we don’t usually see it and create a dialogue between contemporary art and historical sites.”

The Sculpture Park engages a broad audience through year-round exhibitions featuring Indian and international contemporary artists.

In 2024, Berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade filled Madhavendra Palace’s central courtyard with a playful installation of bronze chairs, stone spheres and interlocking steel frames.

Meanwhile, Indian artist Martand Khosla installed tempestuous sculptures evoking elements of domestic interiors, rolled into balls that appeared to explode inside the palace.

That same year, The Sculpture Park began collaborating with the Jaipur Centre for Art, co-founded by Padmanabh Singh – head of the Kachhwaha clan, the former royal family of Jaipur – and contemporary art specialist Noelle Kadar.

Through this partnership, the park moved to a new home in Vijay Garhi, a former arms warehouse, in the Jaigarh Fort.

Over the years, the public has had mixed reactions to the park. Despite placing wall text beside the works, Nagy admits many people do not quite understand the art.

“Some see it as playground equipment. It’s shocking to see how they treat the work,” he says. “But it’s also gratifying to see young people reading the Hindi signs and looking at the work. In the winter, 5,000 to 6,000 people go through these forts a day. If we can just get 1 per cent of them interested in art, I think we’re doing a good job.”

The next exhibition in this space opens in November. Among the largest works will be a site-specific installation by Delhi-based artist Vibha Galhotra, who will create a monumental maze made of concrete rubble to reflect on relentless urbanisation and war.

“It’s really important to have public interaction because people aren’t expecting to see contemporary art in these settings,” Galhotra says. “It’s a different kind of audience, so there had to be an element of play.”

Outside Rajasthan, other contemporary art events are cropping up at unexpected venues. One of these is the Sa Ladakh land art biennale, which takes place in Disko Valley, a vast plot of land encircled by the steep slopes of the Himalayan city of Leh. Launched in 2023, the event showcases site-specific sustainable art by local and international names.

India’s growing public art movement builds on foundations laid by veteran institutions such as Goa’s Serendipity Arts Festival – a multidisciplinary event that has been running for a decade – and the pioneering not-for-profit space Khoj, which has shown public installations since the early 2000s.

Also, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale has been running since 2012 with impressive works scattered across the historic southern Indian port city of Kochi.

Public art is “not something new”, Galhotra says. “In the past, it just fell under religious ceremonies.”

She cites the major Hindu festival of Durga Puja, which is celebrated from late September to early October, saying that “it may be the biggest public art project held anywhere in the world”.

During the 10-day event, monumental temporary structures called pandals are filled with installations and artworks tackling topics from acid attacks on women to farmers’ rights.

“There is power in this art to communicate with the masses,” Galhotra says of the event, which attracts tens of thousands of people every year.

Although recent public art initiatives have had a smaller reach, they play a vital role in India’s cultural landscape. Whether reviving ancient stepwells in Rajasthan or creating zero-waste land art in the Himalayas, these festivals raise questions about heritage, ecology and social justice shaping the subcontinent today.

A recent air show featured the multirole KF-21 Boramae fighter jets manufactured by a South Korean firm that sold FA-50 aircraft to Manila

South Korea’s leading aircraft manufacturer has said it is in talks with the Philippines for more deals following an aerial show featuring the prowess of one of its newest multirole fighter jets near Seoul.

Spectators filled the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province for the Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition 2025, with the Republic of Korea Air Force showcasing the capabilities of the KF-21 Boramae, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), over the skies of the event area on October 19. A Philippine delegation was among the attendees at the five-day event.

The 4.5-generation fighter Boramae, meaning “hawk” in Korean, is expected to rival China’s J10 and FC31 fighters in markets such as Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and is set to enter service by the end of next year.

KAI also brought out its Light Armed Helicopter, the FA-50 light combat jets and the KUH-1 Surion helicopter.

During the event, Park Seonhee, KAI’s senior manager for international business development (Asia), confirmed to This Week in Asia that the company was in talks with the Philippines on further potential acquisitions.

“We value the Philippine Air Force – they already operate the FA-50 and recently ordered additional units. We are committed to supporting them in strengthening their capabilities. Their actual combat experience also serves as a strong reference that can be promoted to other countries,” Park said.

This Week in Asia has reached out to the Philippine Air Force for comment.

KAI has been the primary supplier of the Philippine Air Force’s aircraft fleet, with 12 FA-50 fighter jets in service since 2014 after a purchase by Manila.

Earlier this year, the Philippines also signed a deal for 12 more upgraded FA-50 fighter jets.

KAI’s performance record is exceptional, according to Daeseo Park, a retired South Korean Air Force colonel who now serves as an expert adviser for KAI’s global business division.

“Our strong point is that we can keep the operational rate anytime more than 85 per cent. That means if something happens, then your FA-50 is ready to fight anytime, anywhere,” Park said.

Regional arms demand

Vincent Kyle Parada, Emerging Leaders Fellow at FACTS Asia and a former defence analyst for the Philippine Navy, said arms demand spurred by ongoing military modernisation programmes in the region had opened up opportunities for South Korea’s export-oriented defence industry, especially among middle-power states.

In Southeast Asia, for example, he said regional acquisition trends saw countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines become leading customers of South Korean air and naval equipment.

“This is largely due to several reasons. They’re generally seen as reliable despite their lower cost relative to Western manufacturers. Because they’re nearer, South Korean manufacturers can provide significant after-sales service support to regional clients, including tech transfers,” Parada told This Week in Asia.

“They’re already interoperable with a lot of clients’ legacy systems as well as their allies. And compared to other major exporters [from the West or China], there’s simply less political and geostrategic risk in dealing with them.”

Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said volatile geopolitics meant Asian countries prioritised national security and deterrence building.

“The sale of hardware like fighter jets is a practical way of strengthening political alignment between Asian countries that share the same military threats and are part of a network of allies,” he said.

In June, Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Major Consuelo Castillo told reporters a proposed acquisition of multi-role jet fighters was still pending despite the need for an expansion of the country’s squadron.

Castillo clarified that the FA-50s and multirole fighters served distinct yet complementary roles in strengthening the Air Force’s overall capabilities, stressing that acquiring multirole fighter jets remained one of the military’s top priorities.

“In spite of these 12 additional FA-50s, we would still need more fighter aircraft because we have a very wide archipelagic area to protect and monitor. So far, there are no changes regarding the proposal for multi-role jet fighters,” Castillo said.

Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, pointed out that Manila elevated its bilateral ties with Seoul in October last year to a strategic partnership, which extended to technology transfer and arms sales.

He said the purchase of additional FA-50s would strengthen the reliability and capability of the partnership. They are also a source of pride for Filipino military pilots, as South Korea has commended their combat proficiency in operating the multirole fighter jets – a key asset for the Philippines given its expanded focus on external defence missions, according to Cabalza.

“There are various factors in the preference for the purchase of the FA-50. The PAF is looking for the affordability and durability of the jets. Although the FA-50 is also expensive, Manila is committed to a wider perspective to achieve military modernisation on a full scale.”

Separately, in March, the US State Department approved Manila’s request to buy 20 F-16 multi-role fighter jets for US$5.5 billion.

Last month, Manila said its plan to acquire 20 F-16 fighter jets from the US was on hold due to funding constraints, but efforts were in progress to secure the budget for them.

Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said then that there was “good indication” that Manila would get the funding allotted by the US Congress to pursue its defence capacity building.

“We will continue to pursue that – we’re just waiting in Washington [to see] what the next steps are that we’ll be taking as far as that is concerned.”