ASIANOMICS

🇨🇳🇺🇸China calls CIA videos ‘absurd’ attempt to recruit spies Beijing accused the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on June 25 of making an “absurd” attempt to recruit Chinese citizens via videos posted on social media. China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) said the placement of what amounted to job advertisements on social media platform X was an “amateurish gambit” to convince people to spy for the Americans. CIA director John Ratcliffe said that the videos, posted in May 2025 and implored the sharing of state secrets – were aimed at “recruiting Chinese officials to help the US”. #China#USA @asianomics

🇯🇵 Japan conducts first domestic surface-to-ship missile test Japan on June 25 called its first surface-to-ship missile test within its territory necessary training given the current “severe security environment”, as it boosts military capacity to counter China. The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) fired a single Type-88 missile towards Pacific coastal waters from a training ground in the northern island of Hokkaido on June 24. The Japanese military usually conducts its surface-to-ship missile drills at bases in the United States, but those training sessions are costly, with the number of personnel who can participate often limited. #Japan @asianomics

🇨🇳🇯🇵 Japan protests against new Chinese structure in East China Sea China has initiated the installation of a new structure on the west side of the geographical equidistance between Japan and China in the East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said, adding it has lodged a protest with China. The ministry said in a statement "It is extremely regrettable" that China is pressing ahead with unilateral development when the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf in the East China Sea have not yet been delimited. Japan requests that China cease its unilateral development and to resume talks on the implementation of a 2008 agreement, in which the two countries agreed to cooperate on natural resources development in the East China Sea, it also said. #China#Japan @asianomics

🇯🇵 Japan PM to face tough Upper House election on July 20 Japan will hold an Upper House election on July 20, the government said on June 24, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba battling low approval ratings driven partly by public frustration over inflation. Half of the 248 Upper House seats are up for grabs in July’s election, with the winners expected to serve a six-year term. The Liberal Democratic Party coalition, which currently holds 141 Upper House seats, needs to win at least 50 to achieve Ishiba’s goal of maintaining a simple majority. Japanese elections often have low turnout rates – which can work in the LDP’s favour – and the July 20 vote will be held during a three-day holiday weekend. #Japan @asianomics

🇨🇳🇯🇵 Chinese ships seen near Senkakus for record-tying 215th straight day Chinese coast guard ships were spotted near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for the 215th consecutive day, the Japan Coast Guard said Saturday, matching the longest streak since Japan put the islets under state control in 2012. The group of uninhabited islets, which China claims and calls Diaoyu, has long been a source of friction between the Asian neighbors. The previous 215-day streak of Chinese ships sailing near the Senkakus ended on July 23, 2024, likely due to the approach of a typhoon. #China#Japan @asianomics

🇰🇷 South Korea's Lee names first civilian defense minister in decades South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung named veteran lawmaker Ahn Gyu-back as the country's first civilian defence minister in 64 years on Monday, making good on a campaign promise made after December's martial law shook faith in the military. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called when former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over the martial law attempt, also named 10 other cabinet ministers. Yoon's defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, played a leading role in recommending and planning the martial law, and is in jail amid an ongoing trial on insurrection charges. #SouthKorea @asianomics

🇨🇳🇹🇼China says Taiwan president spreading 'heresy' with sovereignty speech China accused Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te of "heresy", hostility and provocation, after a speech in which he said the island is "of course" a country and there is historical evidence and legal proof to back this up. Beijing says Taiwan is "sacred" Chinese territory that has belonged to China since ancient times, and that the island is one of its provinces with no right to be called a state. Responding, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said Lai was simply stating historical facts and Beijing's belief the island has been Chinese since ancient times and is not a country is "just a fabricated lie without any basis". #China#Taiwan @asianomics

🇹🇭🇰🇭 Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia as dispute deepens Thailand's military has closed border crossings into Cambodia to almost all travellers, including tourists and traders, citing security concerns as tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbours remain escalated over a simmering border dispute. The deterioration in ties was sparked by brief armed clashes in a border area that left one Cambodian soldier dead late last month. Both governments have since announced measures designed to punish the other, including Cambodia's recent suspension of all Thai fuel and gas imports. Thailand will now restrict all vehicles, tourists and traders from crossing at all land border checkpoints in seven provinces bordering Cambodia, the military said. According to them, the measures would also assist in a crackdown on illegal scam centres in Cambodia flagged by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. #Thailand#Cambodia @asianomics

🇵🇭🇨🇳 Philippines accuses China coast guard of aggressive maneuvers The Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard ships on Friday of carrying out aggressive maneuvers and targeting its fisheries vessels with water canons while they were delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. One of the four Philippine fisheries vessels involved in the mission was briefly struck by a water cannon, while another evaded being hit, the Philippine Coast Guard said. #ThePhilippines#China @asianomics

🇯🇵🇺🇸 Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defense spending Japan has canceled an annual high-level meeting with key ally the United States after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defense, the Financial Times reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had been expected to meet Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Washington on July 1 for the yearly 2+2 security talks. But Tokyo scrapped the meeting after the US asked Japan to boost defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product, higher than an earlier request of 3%, the newspaper said. #Japan#USA @asianomics

🇰🇷🇺🇸 South Korea to raise concerns to US over potential curbs on chipmakers' China operations South Korea's top trade negotiator said on Sunday he would raise concerns about potential US restrictions on chipmakers in China when he meets US officials in Washington this week for the third round of technical discussions in tariff talks. "I will pass on the concerns among those in the industry and take utmost care," South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told reporters. Yeo also said Seoul may not stick to the July deadline, suggesting talks may continue beyond July 8 amid political and economic uncertainties in the US. #SouthKorea#USA @asianomics

🇨🇳🇵🇭 China Coast Guard uses water cannon to expel Philippines from disputed shoal China says its coastguard used a water cannon in an effort to expel a Philippine government vessel that entered waters of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in Beijing’s latest confrontation with Manila in the disputed South China Sea. China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said in a statement on Friday afternoon that Philippine vessel 3006 had “ignored repeated warnings and insistently intruded” into Chinese waters near the strategic shoal. Manila has not commented on any incident at Scarborough Shoal or China’s statement. #China#ThePhilippines @asianomics