ASIANOMICS

🇷🇺🇰🇵 Russia's Lavrov meets North Korea's Kim, praises ties as 'invincible brotherhood' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coastal city of Wonsan on Saturday, where he described the two nations' relations as "an invincible fighting brotherhood", Russia's foreign ministry said. In a message passed on by Lavrov, Putin said that he hoped for more direct contacts in future. Lavrov also thanked North Korea for the troops it had sent to Russia. "We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis ... Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces," Russian media quoted Lavrov as saying. #Russia#NorthKorea @asianomics

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yihold talks on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting 🔴@DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising

🇹🇼🇨🇳Taiwan deploys advanced US HIMARS rockets in annual drills Taiwan's military began deploying one of its newest strike weapons on Saturday as part of intensifying drills meant to showcase the island's determination to resist any Chinese invasion. Two armored trucks with HIMARS - High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems - were seen maneuvering around the city of Taichung near Taiwan's central coast on the fourth of 10 days of its most comprehensive annual Han Kuang exercises yet. Fire simulation and some live-fire drills are expected next week as more air force planes and naval ships become involved. #Taiwan#China @asianomics

🇺🇸🇹🇼🇯🇵🇦🇺 US demands clarity from allies on their role in potential war over Taiwan The Pentagon is urging Japan and Australia to clarify what role they would play if the US and China went to war over Taiwan. Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defense for policy, has been pushing the matter during recent talks with defense officials of both countries, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. According to the newspaper, the reported request caught both Tokyo and Canberra off guard, as the U.S. itself does not offer a blank cheque guarantee to defend Taiwan. #USA#Taiwan#Japan#Australia @asianomics

🇨🇳🇯🇵 China says to complete steps soon toward resuming Japan beef imports Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng told a senior Japanese ruling party lawmaker on Friday that Beijing will soon complete domestic procedures to pave the way for the restart of Japanese beef imports following a 24-year hiatus, according to diplomatic sources. The procedures are aimed at bringing into effect a quarantine pact that the two countries signed in 2019, a prerequisite for the resumption of beef shipments that were halted following the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan in 2001. The positive moves in bilateral relations reflect China's desire to strengthen ties with Japan as Beijing's rivalry with Washington intensifies. #China#Japan @asianomics

🇲🇾🇺🇸 Malaysia, US sign MOU on civil nuclear cooperation US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan on civil nuclear cooperation, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday. "The signing of this... marks an important step toward establishing a robust civil nuclear partnership between the United States and Malaysia," the State Department said. Hasan described the agreement as a “significant milestone” that marks a new chapter in bilateral relations, particularly in the field of energy security and sustainable development. #Malaysia#USA @asianomics

🇨🇳🇹🇭🇰🇭 China offers to help resolve Thailand, Cambodia border dispute China urged Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their border dispute through friendly dialogue, offering to play a constructive role by upholding an "objective and fair" position, its foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged peaceful coexistence between the neighbors during a meeting on Thursday with Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Wang reiterated China's impartiality on the border issue in a meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn the same day. #China#Thailand#Cambodia @asianomics

🇺🇸🇨🇳 Rubio to meet China's Wang Yi in Malaysia amid trade tension US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, the State Department said, in what will be the first in-person meeting of the two counterparts. Washington's top diplomat arrived in Malaysia on Thursday in his first trip to Asia since taking office, where he joined foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur and met with senior Malaysian officials and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. His meeting with Wang comes amid escalating trade tensions, with China this week warning the United States against reinstating hefty tariffs on its goods next month. #USA#China @asianomics

🇰🇷🇯🇵🇺🇸 South Korea, Japan and US conduct air drill as defence chiefs meet South Korea, Japan and the United States conducted a joint air drill on Friday involving a US B-52 strategic bomber and fighter jets of the two US allies over international waters, the South's defense ministry said. It was the first time this year that a US B-52H strategic bomber was deployed to the Korean Peninsula for a drill, conducted to improve deterrence against North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats, it said. The three countries' defense chiefs also held an annual meeting in Seoul on Friday, where they recognized the importance of close trilateral cooperation in addressing security challenges posed by North Korea, in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the defense ministry said in a statement. #SouthKorea#Japan#USA @asianomics

🇨🇳🇺🇸China decries ‘discriminatory’ ban on Chinese purchases of US farmland Beijing condemned new restrictions by Washington on Chinese purchases of US farmland as “discriminatory” and violating international trade rules. The Trump administration said this week that the US would begin restricting purchases of farmland by Chinese nationals and other “foreign adversaries”. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, condemned the restrictions as “a typical discriminatory practice that violates the principles of a market economy and international economic and trade rules and will ultimately harm the US’ own interests”. #China#USA @asianomics

🇰🇷🇺🇸 South Korea cites agreed terms with US on sharing defense costs South Korea will follow terms previously agreed with the United States on defense cost sharing, its foreign ministry said on July 8, following a call by US President Donald Trump for Seoul to pay more for the US troop presence in the country. Just before Trump won the presidential election in November, the countries struck a new five-year plan on sharing the cost of keeping US troops in South Korea. Trump has accused Seoul of "free-riding" on US military might, with some 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea as part of efforts to deter nuclear-armed North Korea. #SouthKorea#USA @asianomics

🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan shows off new US tanks amid annual war games Taiwan's army on Thursday displayed the fire power of its first US-sourced M1A2T Abrams tanks - a traditional weapon that analysts say will need to be increasingly protected against drones in any future battle. Four Abrams tanks were shown maneuvering across a mud-choked army training ground in Hsinchu county, firing at moving and static targets, on the second day of Taiwan's annual military exercises that are designed to test the island's resilience in a conflict with China. The tanks are among the first batch of 38 Abrams main battle tanks delivered in December, with the rest of the 108 ordered by Taiwan due to be delivered later this year and next year. #Taiwan#China @asianomics