Category: Asia & Pacific

Vietnam Bans New Barbie Movie for Featuring Chinese Regime’s South China Sea Map

Moviegoers may be surprised to learn that the forthcoming “Barbie”—a movie based on the popular children’s doll toy franchise—has been banned in Vietnam over its depiction of an international maritime dispute with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC—a single-party state controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—has asserted maritime rights to much of…


Trump Shows Tough Stance on Chinese Spy Base in Cuba: ‘I’d Give Them 48 Hours to Get Out’

Former U.S. president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump showed his tough attitude toward China in an interview, saying that if he were reelected, he would give Beijing 48 hours to shut down its spy base in Cuba, threatening severe tariffs on Chinese goods. However, when asked whether the United States would support Taiwan militarily…


Yoon Urges Unification Ministry to Stop Functioning Like North Korea’s ‘Support Agency’

South Korea’s president has urged the Unification Ministry to change its approach toward North Korea and stop functioning like a “support department” for Pyongyang amid the rising tensions between the two countries. President Yoon Suk-yeol observed that the ministry had focused on supporting North Korea and called for a shift in its approach, Yonhap News…


Pentagon Cuts Off Filmmakers Who Kowtow to China

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently updated a media production document, declaring that it will not work with film studios that tailor their movies to meet China’s demands. “The DoD will not provide production assistance when there is demonstrable evidence that the production has complied or is likely to comply with a demand from the…


Pentagon to Cut Off Filmmakers Who Kowtow to China

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently updated a media production document, declaring that it will not work with film studios that tailor their movies to meet China’s demands. “The DoD will not provide production assistance when there is demonstrable evidence that the production has complied or is likely to comply with a demand from the…


Taiwan Diver Reports Sighting ‘Earthquake Fish’ in Western Pacific

A Taiwanese diving instructor reported a rare sighting of an “earthquake fish” in the shallow waters off the coast of Taiwan last week. The diver, Wang Cheng-Ru, shared footage of the usually deepsea oarfish, sightings of which at the ocean surface have been associated with earthquakes. His footage, taken off the coast of New Taipei’s…


Explosion Rips Through Tokyo Building; 4 Injured

TOKYO—An explosion tore through a building in downtown Tokyo on Monday, scattering debris across a busy intersection and sending smoke into the air, but the fire was soon contained, Japanese media said. Four people were injured, three seriously, but all were conscious, said public broadcaster NHK, which aired video images of flames through the windows…


Quake Shakes Part of Indonesia’s Papua, No Immediate Reports of Casualties

JAKARTA, Indonesia—An earthquake shook Indonesia’s easternmost province Monday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.4 quake was centered 135 kilometers (83 miles) southwest of Abepura, a subdistrict in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province. It occurred at a depth of 13 kilometers (8…


Japan Spots Chinese Amphibious Assault Ship in Western Pacific

China’s People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) reportedly sent its amphibious assault ship to the straits between the islands of Japan on June 29, the first known instance of the warship being spotted in the Western Pacific. Japan’s Ministry of Defense said that two PLAN ships—the Type 075 amphibious assault ship Guangxi and the Type 052…


ANALYSIS: China’s Economy Stuck in Deeper Crisis Due to More State Interventions

News Analysis The devaluation of China’s currency, the yuan, has plummeted to its lowest point this year due to failed government interventions amid the economic depression. More money issued by the Communist Party’s financial institutions will be used as a government hedge against the collapse of the banking and financial system, shifting the country’s debt…