Category: Asia & Pacific

China Perfecting Techno-Totalitarianism for Export Around the World: Rep. Gallagher

WASHINGTON—The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is perfecting a techno-totalitarian regime for export to the rest of the world, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) has warned. The regime’s worsening repression of faith was in the spotlight at a roundtable hearing that the lawmaker hosted on July 12. One key takeaway, the chairman and other panelists of the House…


US Condemns North Korea’s Missile Test, Urges Diplomatic Engagement

The National Security Council (NSC) released a statement condemning North Korea’s missile testing, saying the Biden administration is “assessing” the situation, along with United States allies. “The United States strongly condemns the DPRK for its test of a long-range ballistic missile,” NSC spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement released by the White House on July…


Ukraine Leaves NATO With Security Assurances, but No Clear Path to Membership

A day after he called NATO leaders “absurd” for failing to clarify a timeline for Ukraine’s long-deliberated entry into the 32-nation alliance, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was far more upbeat on July 12 as NATO’s two-day summit in Lithuania neared its conclusion. He may not have secured the big win—advancing Ukraine’s stalled 2008 request to…


Ukraine Leaves NATO Summit With Security Assurances, but No Clear Path to Membership

A day after he called NATO leaders “absurd” for failing to clarify a timeline for Ukraine’s long-deliberated entry into the 32-nation alliance, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was far more upbeat on July 12 as NATO’s two-day summit in Lithuania neared its conclusion. He may not have secured the big win—advancing Ukraine’s stalled 2008 request to…


House Fire Kills 4 Adults and 6 Children in Pakistan, Rescuers and Police Say

LAHORE, Pakistan—A fire swept through a house in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore before dawn Wednesday, killing six children and four adults mostly of the same family, police and rescue officials said. Two women, two men, and six children between 6 and 16 years old lost their lives, deputy inspector-general of police in Lahore, Ali…


US Urges China to End ‘Routine Harassment’ in South China Sea

The United States on Tuesday urged China to stop interfering with the freedoms in the South China Sea and end its “routine harassment” of claimant state vessels operating in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ). State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal that…


Thai Police Arrest 2 German Suspects in the Abduction and Killing of a German Businessman

BANGKOK—Thai police have arrested two Germans in connection with the abduction and slaying of another German, whose dismembered body was found in a freezer in a southern Thailand home, authorities said Wednesday. A 52-year-old German man was apprehended Tuesday evening in Bangkok, and a 47-year-old German woman turned herself in to police earlier in the…


Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Retires From Politics, 9 Years After His Coup

BANGKOK—Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced on Tuesday his retirement from politics, nine years after he took power in a military coup, and promised to stay in charge only temporarily. His announcement was widely expected after his military-backed United Thai Nation party was thumped in a May 14 election, in which it won just 36…


North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile After Making Allegations on US Spy Planes

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese military said, just two days after it warned of “counteraction” against alleged intrusions by U.S. spy planes and drones. Both South Korea and Japan reported spotting the launch but have not yet released further details. This occurred after…


France, Germany Back Philippines’ Claim After Chinese Ship Incursions

France and Germany have voiced concern over the recent incidents in the South China Sea and affirmed support for a 2016 arbitrary ruling on the sea dispute, which upheld the Philippines’ territorial claims. The French embassy called for respect for international law and resolving disputes through dialogue after reports of Philippine coast guard ships being…