https://www.scmp.com/rss/519151/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Philippines said on Tuesday it will rename more than 100 island features in a bid to reinforce its “sovereignty” in the disputed South China Sea, including areas claimed by China. The features to be renamed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s executive order belong to the Spratly archipelago, site of repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:40:11 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Philippine lawmakers have implored President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to postpone this year’s Asean summit, as the country grapples with soaring fuel prices amid a global energy crisis. Analysts warn, however, that such a move would undermine Manila’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Leaders in the Philippine Senate have backed calls to study the postponement option, originally proposed by ex-finance secretary Gary Teves to cut government spending and redirect funds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348048/philippines-battles-fuel-crisis-will-marcos-postpone-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348048/philippines-battles-fuel-crisis-will-marcos-postpone-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Philippines has allowed the temporary and ⁠limited use of ⁠a cheaper but dirtier type ⁠of fuel to ensure supply as it finds ways to cope with the impact of the Middle East crisis. The Department of Energy (DOE) said only vehicles from model year 2015 and earlier, traditional ‌jeepneys, power plants and generators, and the marine and shipping sectors would be allowed to use Euro-II compliant petroleum products. “The measure is intended to help maintain a continuous, adequate and accessible... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347484/philippines-will-allow-use-dirtier-cheaper-fuel-amid-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347484/philippines-will-allow-use-dirtier-cheaper-fuel-amid-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 11:13:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Vietnamese authorities have warned the country’s aviation industry to prepare for potential flight reductions from April after China and Thailand halted exports of jet fuel due to the Iran war, increasing the likelihood of shortages. Vietnam imports more than two-thirds of its jet fuel needs, with 60 per cent coming from China and Thailand, according to documents from the ‌aviation regulator and importers seen by Reuters. “There are risks of jet fuel shortages for Vietnamese airlines from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346810/vietnam-warns-april-flight-reductions-jet-fuel-shortage-fears-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346810/vietnam-warns-april-flight-reductions-jet-fuel-shortage-fears-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:37:55 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China announced visa-free entry for Canadian and British nationals on February 17, allowing citizens of the two countries to cross the border and stay for up to 30 days with no more than a passport. The move was just the latest expansion of China’s visa-free policies, which have eased entry rules for citizens of dozens of nations over the past few years as part of an effort to boost tourism. Immigration officials now allow travellers from dozens of countries to stay without a visa for up to 10... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China has signalled strong optimism for finalising negotiations with neighbouring Asian countries to seal a new institutional framework on contested South China Sea waterways. At China’s annual foreign policy press conference on Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the negotiations as having entered a “critical phase” for talks on the South China Sea Code of Conduct – a proposed set of rules between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) aimed at easing tensions. “All... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345879/china-signals-high-hopes-south-china-sea-golden-rules-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345879/china-signals-high-hopes-south-china-sea-golden-rules-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:41:37 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim In Singapore’s famous Takashimaya shopping centre, those looking for a quick caffeine fix are spoiled for choice. There is, of course, the ubiquitous Starbucks, as well as an outlet of China’s rapidly expanding Luckin Coffee franchise. But it’s a third option, Kenangan Coffee – an upstart brand from Indonesia that opened its first branch in Singapore in 2023 – that most appeals to 27-year-old shopper Sarah Shah. “I really like Kenangan’s range of drinks, especially how they balance classic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345469/how-southeast-asias-coffee-chains-are-brewing-cross-border-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345469/how-southeast-asias-coffee-chains-are-brewing-cross-border-success?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Though a Hong Kong operator has lost control of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most pivotal waterways for merchant ships, researchers said this week that Chinese state institutions have funded hundreds of other seaports around the world. Specifically, they have invested a total of US$23.9 billion over the past quarter century in 363 ports and related activities abroad, according to AidData, a research lab at US university William & Mary. The lab called the investments a safeguard against... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Sharon Seah Sharon Seah Derided by most international observers and the Myanmar diaspora as a sham, the recently concluded three-phase elections in Myanmar have entrenched military rule under a new constitutional government. For Asean, the outcome throws into sharp relief an increasingly uncomfortable question: should it continue to marginalise the intransigent junta until it complies with the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), or find a way to re-engage without betraying the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ own... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343518/how-asean-can-resolve-its-myanmar-dilemma-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343518/how-asean-can-resolve-its-myanmar-dilemma-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 04:30:18 +0000 Fan Chen,Laura Zhou Fan Chen,Laura Zhou The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the second of a three-part series, Fan Chen and Laura Zhou examine how frayed China-Philippines relations might create a ‘challenging context’ for Manila’s aims to finalise an effective and legally binding code. Read the first part of the series here. The Philippine push to seal a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea is more symbolic than achievable because of the deep-seated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343036/philippines-wants-seal-south-china-sea-code-conduct-can-it-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343036/philippines-wants-seal-south-china-sea-code-conduct-can-it-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Despite intensifying geopolitical tensions and shifting diplomacy, no place can stay isolated as organised crime continues to transcend borders in new ways. The need for concerted global cooperation to fight it has grown as technology enables increasingly sophisticated and complex plots that make enforcement difficult. In this regard, Hong Kong has rightly stepped forward to host Interpol’s top annual meeting in November for the first time. The 94th general assembly will draw attendees from 196... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339153/interpol-event-will-enable-hong-kong-bolster-global-crime-fighting-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339153/interpol-event-will-enable-hong-kong-bolster-global-crime-fighting-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu When ships from China and the Philippines encounter each other near the Second Thomas Shoal, most incidents are resolved without diplomatic intervention. No shots fired, no ministerial calls, no carrier deployments. Within days, encounters are logged, reviewed and absorbed into routine reporting channels. That administrative resolution reveals how stability is maintained in the South China Sea. Debate over these waters still defaults to navies, deterrence and great power rivalry. However, most... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338781/why-coastguards-not-warships-are-shaping-future-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338781/why-coastguards-not-warships-are-shaping-future-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s police chief has pledged to ramp up collaboration with Asean countries to fortify the force’s role as a “superconnector” in law enforcement, as the city gears up to host Interpol’s top annual meeting in November for the first time. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming, who worked at Interpol’s Lyon headquarters as a criminal intelligence officer between 2012 and 2013, said the high international standing of the force could help foster ties. “Hong Kong’s position hasn’t changed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338667/police-deepen-asean-ties-hong-kong-set-host-first-top-interpol-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338667/police-deepen-asean-ties-hong-kong-set-host-first-top-interpol-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:30:29 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Sheila Lim, 25, travels from Singapore to the United States every year to spend Christmas with her boyfriend and his family in California, usually staying for nearly a month. She has never had trouble entering the country, but on her most recent trip she noticed immigration queues moving more slowly than before. “This November, I waited two hours in line,” Lim told This Week in Asia. That experience has left her uneasy about a new US proposal that would require visa-exempt travellers to submit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3338343/asian-travellers-braced-chilling-us-social-media-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3338343/asian-travellers-braced-chilling-us-social-media-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong At last month’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, China and the bloc upgraded their free trade pact in the areas of environmental protection, product quality and support for small businesses. Premier Li Qiang contextualised the agreement in light of “greater development challenges” facing Asean nations, as they are “unfairly subjected to steep tariffs”, an indirect criticism of the erratic measures unleashed across the region by US President Donald Trump. Another noteworthy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3331415/how-china-and-asean-can-ensure-their-upgraded-pact-truly-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3331415/how-china-and-asean-can-ensure-their-upgraded-pact-truly-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones To stand out among the dizzying array of sweet treats that pack supermarket freezers from the likes of Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream brand needs more than just flavour, says Thai entrepreneur Danupon Umnouypreechakul. It needs a story that sings. His company, Lamoon Group, is a boutique made-in-Thailand contender in an industry of global heavyweights. Its unique approach connects each flavour to the farmers who grow the ingredients, offering increasingly discerning – and higher... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331264/how-thailand-melted-tariff-barriers-become-asias-top-ice-cream-exporter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331264/how-thailand-melted-tariff-barriers-become-asias-top-ice-cream-exporter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:20:21 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US does not seek conflict, Hegseth says in meeting with Chinese defence minister US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in person for the first time on Friday, with both sides saying they are pushing for peace a day after a summit between their presidents brought tensions down. 2. In an international win for China’s C919,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331106/us-china-defence-talks-c919s-win-brunei-more-xi-trump-summits-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331106/us-china-defence-talks-c919s-win-brunei-more-xi-trump-summits-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:15:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Experts and officials at a major cybersecurity summit in Singapore have called for deeper collaboration between governments and tech giants, warning that fragmented efforts are no match for increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Speaking at the Singapore International Cyber Week, policymakers and industry leaders said closer partnerships were essential to sharing threat intelligence, innovating jointly and mounting coordinated responses to cyberattacks. These partnerships were crucial as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329974/singapore-cyber-summit-stresses-need-unified-front-amid-rising-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329974/singapore-cyber-summit-stresses-need-unified-front-amid-rising-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:26:06 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting is just over a month away. Hosted in the ancient Korean capital of Gyeongju, the summit will bring together leaders from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. With both the US and Chinese presidents expected to attend, the gathering is poised to serve as a significant diplomatic stage against the backdrop of mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula and growing uncertainty in global affairs. After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326567/apec-offers-stage-china-us-and-two-koreas-make-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326567/apec-offers-stage-china-us-and-two-koreas-make-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun A trade fair in the southern Chinese city of Nanning has become a testing ground for exporters shifting their focus to Southeast Asia. Attracted by the region’s fast-growing economies and young consumers – and facing slowing demand in the West – many Chinese companies see the annual event as a potential gateway to court buyers and expand their overseas footprints. Li Wenqi, a manager at an electric scooter and battery manufacturer in Jiangxi province, is among the exporters seeking new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326167/chinese-firms-treat-trade-fair-testing-ground-southeast-asian-market-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326167/chinese-firms-treat-trade-fair-testing-ground-southeast-asian-market-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:15 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies? Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3324325/how-chinese-people-see-us-rivalry-beijing-flexes-deterrence-muscle-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3324325/how-chinese-people-see-us-rivalry-beijing-flexes-deterrence-muscle-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:15:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is pushing forward with several projects designed to boost its trade ties with Southeast Asia – including a major port upgrade in Brunei – as the region emerges as a pivotal front in the US-China trade war. Work has already begun on a major expansion of the port in Muara – Brunei’s largest port, which is jointly operated by a state-owned Chinese company – that will see the facility’s capacity more than double to 500,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), according to the Brunei Economic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321453/china-presses-ahead-southeast-asia-port-expansion-us-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321453/china-presses-ahead-southeast-asia-port-expansion-us-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Mallie Prytherch Mallie Prytherch The Wat Xieng Thong Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, Laos, stands both as a spiritual sanctuary and a historical artefact. From 2011 to 2014, the US State Department helped fund the temple’s restoration. When then US president Barack Obama visited the site in 2016, he framed such efforts as part of America’s “profound moral and humanitarian obligation” to address the devastation still plaguing Laos from the US’ largest per capita bombing campaign in history. Nine years later, US engagement in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3319085/us-lone-wolf-diplomacy-helps-china-win-asean-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3319085/us-lone-wolf-diplomacy-helps-china-win-asean-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain When Gulf leaders touched down in Kuala Lumpur for a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this May, the ink was barely dry on their massive investment pledges of some US$2 trillion in the United States to placate President Donald Trump. But as the summit doors closed, the senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) turned their attention eastward, towards forging a pan-Asian economic zone reminiscent of Brics that could shield them and Asean from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3318799/asean-gcc-economic-axis-global-souths-answer-us-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3318799/asean-gcc-economic-axis-global-souths-answer-us-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system has reportedly drawn interest from at least 15 countries spanning from Asia to South America after its use in cross-border strikes against Pakistan enhanced the global profile of the Indian weapons industry. While security experts acknowledge the growing clout of the industry, they say sustaining this momentum would require broader expertise, less reliance on foreign technology and more supportive policies to realise India’s potential as a global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318809/india-gets-global-buyer-interest-brahmos-missile-asia-south-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318809/india-gets-global-buyer-interest-brahmos-missile-asia-south-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 08:30:14 +0000 Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Adapting his “flood the zone” tactic to foreign trade, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday another flurry of take-it-or-leave-it letters imposing tariffs on Brazil and six smaller economies that have resisted him or are too small to merit individual negotiating attention. Late Wednesday, the US president threatened to slap a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil in part as retaliation for its ongoing prosecution of his ally, the country’s former president Jair Bolsonaro. This represented a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:57:45 +0000 Asma Khalid Asma Khalid On June 14, the Chinese military conducted sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, even as the Philippines and Japan held a joint drill in the waters. Earlier in the month, the US and the Philippines had held joint exercises in the sea. Tian Junli, spokesperson of the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, criticised the Philippines for “courting non-regional countries and organisations” – likely alluding to the US and Japan – to conduct such drills, saying they “raised security... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3315228/south-china-sea-digital-commons-could-help-calm-troubled-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3315228/south-china-sea-digital-commons-could-help-calm-troubled-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been discharged from hospital and will remain in the Malaysian capital for a few more days to rest, his office has said. Sultan Hassanal was admitted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday due to fatigue, though his office had insisted the world’s longest-serving monarch was in “good health”. “His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah … praise be to God, is back at the Grand Hyatt Hotel after resting a few days at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur,” his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312609/sultan-brunei-hassanal-bolkiah-discharged-hospital-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312609/sultan-brunei-hassanal-bolkiah-discharged-hospital-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 14:05:49 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was hospitalised in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday due to fatigue, according to an official statement. The sultan “has been feeling tired”, the Prime Minister’s Office in Bandar Seri Begawan said in a statement late on Tuesday. He “is in good health”. Malaysia’s doctors have advised the 78-year-old ruler to rest at the National Heart Institute for several days, according to the statement. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday said the sultan was “stable... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312047/sultan-brunei-hassanal-bolkiah-78-hospitalised-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312047/sultan-brunei-hassanal-bolkiah-78-hospitalised-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 01:30:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The number of people with cardiovascular disease surged by 148 per cent in Southeast Asia over the past three decades, with the condition becoming the region’s leading cause of mortality and morbidity, according to new research. A total of 37 million people in the region suffered from cardiovascular disease in 2021 and 1.7 million died from it. The findings by researchers at Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the National University of Singapore are based on analysis... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312044/heart-disease-southeast-asias-biggest-killer-after-30-year-surge-new-research-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312044/heart-disease-southeast-asias-biggest-killer-after-30-year-surge-new-research-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 00:53:23 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Southeast Asian leaders have said they are “deeply concerned” about the violence and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Myanmar, in a statement at the end of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, but significantly held back from further action against a junta that continues to kill civilians four years after it seized power. The junta has continued deadly air strikes against civilian areas held by ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces in the weeks following a devastating earthquake in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312024/concerned-asean-leaders-fail-issue-fresh-condemnation-myanmars-junta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312024/concerned-asean-leaders-fail-issue-fresh-condemnation-myanmars-junta?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 14:00:37 +0000 Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife Jillian Lauren has been shot by police in Los Angeles, then arrested for attempted murder, according to TMZ. On Tuesday afternoon, police were responding to a hit-and-run in the city when three unidentified suspects fled the scene on foot. One of the suspects was discovered in the back garden of a home next to Shriner’s house, and Lauren came out with a gun in her hand. When officers told her to drop her weapon she reportedly ignored multiple commands. She was... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3306149/who-weezer-bassist-scott-shriners-wife-jillian-lauren-and-why-was-she-arrested-nyt-bestselling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3306149/who-weezer-bassist-scott-shriners-wife-jillian-lauren-and-why-was-she-arrested-nyt-bestselling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:00:23 +0000 China and Brunei have pledged to work together on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, though a Chinese analyst noted that more negotiations were needed for energy cooperation to move forward. In a joint statement on Thursday, China and Brunei agreed to support commercial cooperation in maritime oil and gas resources. The statement was released following a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Brunei’s monarch, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is on a three-day visit to China. The two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297849/maritime-rivals-china-and-brunei-vow-work-together-oil-and-gas-disputed-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297849/maritime-rivals-china-and-brunei-vow-work-together-oil-and-gas-disputed-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:57:41 +0000 The risk of a China-US conflict in the South China Sea is set to rise in 2025, fuelled by incoming president Donald Trump’s expected assertive and confrontational approach, a prominent Chinese scholar has warned. Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and a former policy adviser to Beijing, said the new Trump administration “will be more impulsive and aggressive” than its predecessor on issues relating to the disputed waterway. In an article published on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3293586/south-china-sea-conflict-risks-rise-trumps-second-term-academic-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3293586/south-china-sea-conflict-risks-rise-trumps-second-term-academic-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2025 14:00:09 +0000 The Asia-Pacific region will see slowing economic growth over the next several years amid rising trade tensions, greater policy uncertainty and an ageing population that reduces its labour force and adds fiscal pressure, according to a report released by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group on Tuesday. “Protectionism, including increases in tariff lines, threatens trade growth and harms economic relations among Apec members,” said Rhea C. Hernando, co-author of the report. “A renewed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3286302/asia-pacific-see-slowing-economic-growth-amid-trade-tensions-policy-uncertainty-apec?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3286302/asia-pacific-see-slowing-economic-growth-amid-trade-tensions-policy-uncertainty-apec?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:40:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng International discount-shopping platform Temu, operated by Pinduoduo owner PDD Holdings, is expanding into Vietnam and Brunei to boost its Southeast Asia operations, following Indonesia’s recent move to ban the popular e-commerce app. Temu’s website in Vietnam, however, showed that the company’s foray into one of the fastest-growing economies in the region was apparently rushed. It currently supports only English as well as transactions made via credit card and Google Pay, while excluding... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282059/discount-shopping-giant-temu-enters-vietnam-and-brunei-app-faces-ban-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282059/discount-shopping-giant-temu-enters-vietnam-and-brunei-app-faces-ban-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:00:20 +0000 Malaysia will work with China to keep peace in the South China Sea, Malaysia’s king told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to mainland state media on Friday. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar made the pledge during his visit to Beijing in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, the first trip to China by a Malaysian monarch in 10 years. Sultan Ibrahim was received by Xi at a welcome ceremony before the meeting on Friday at the Great Hall of the People. “Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3279402/malaysian-king-tells-xi-jinping-it-will-work-china-keep-peace-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3279402/malaysian-king-tells-xi-jinping-it-will-work-china-keep-peace-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:50:38 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Hong Kong’s Secretary of Justice, will lead a delegation of legal professionals to visit Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia later this month to promote the city’s legal and dispute-resolution services. The visit aims to promote the city’s role as an intermediary between mainland China and countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, following heightened geopolitical tensions with the West. Lam earlier led a 30-person team in May to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “It... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278131/hong-kong-promote-strengths-dispute-resolution-services-southeast-asia-roadshows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278131/hong-kong-promote-strengths-dispute-resolution-services-southeast-asia-roadshows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:01:26 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Standard Chartered will continue to tap opportunities arising from the growth in cross border transactions and trade for its clients in Hong Kong, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to the head of the lender’s Hong Kong office. Among its latest moves, Standard Chartered’s Hong Kong CEO Mary Huen Wai-yi signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with three corporate customers during her visit to Vietnam last week. Two of the MOUs were with Hong Kong companies that want help in setting up... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3273127/standard-chartered-eyes-cross-border-trade-between-hong-kong-asia-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3273127/standard-chartered-eyes-cross-border-trade-between-hong-kong-asia-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 00:30:12 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the sixth time since last year on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday. The frequency of meetings is notable, given a communications drought in the months after former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to Taiwan in 2022, angering Beijing. Following are some of the topics covered by Wang and Blinken and some of the other issues of concern to China that... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3272257/china-us-vie-influence-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3272257/china-us-vie-influence-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:13:21 +0000