BANGKOK and WASHINGTON – Press freedom is at its lowest ebb globally in more than two decades, Reporters Without Borders said Friday, as economic pressures shake the foundations of journalism. The advocacy group, also known as Reporters sans frontières or RSF, said it classified the global state of press freedom as “difficult” for the first time since it began compiling its media index in 2002. “Without economic independence, there can be no free press,” RSF said in a statement announcing the 2025 iteration of the press freedom index. “When news…
Tag: Asia
Faithful in Asia hope region will provide next Pope
Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Several prominent cardinals in Asia are regarded by the region’s faithful as worthy candidates to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Pope Francis, who headed the Catholic Church for 12 years, died on Monday aged 88. A papal conclave is expected at the Vatican within the next 15 to 20 days to elect his successor. Numerous countries have prominent candidates including cardinals who oversee dioceses in Asia – from Sri Lanka, South Korea, the Philippines and civil-war riven Myanmar. An Asian pope…
Despite tariff reprieve, Southeast Asian nations still on an economic knife edge
BANGKOK – Vietnam’s economic growth will halve if sharply higher U.S. tariffs are implemented, an expert warned, highlighting the precarious situation for Southeast Asian countries despite a surprise 90-day reprieve from President Donald Trump’s tariff sledgehammer. Southeast Asian nations face some of the highest tariffs threatened by Trump, which would burden even the region’s relatively wealthier countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. With limited options, many are offering concessions to the U.S. and avoiding retaliatory measures. Vietnam, which sends about 30% of its exports to the U.S., is in a…
Taiwan Holds Military Drills to Defend Against Threat of Chinese Invasion
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Almost every day, Chinese warships sail in waters around Taiwan and warplanes fly toward the island before turning back. What if they suddenly attacked? Taiwan’s military conducted a two-day exercise at sea, on land and in the air this week to practice defending against such a surprise attack. As journalists looked on from fast escort boats, a mine layer released at least a half dozen dummy mines from a chute in its stern. Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang, the chief defense ministry spokesperson, told reporters at Zuoying Naval…
South Korea, Japan and China Agree to Resume Trilateral Leaders’ Summit, but Without Specific Date
Seoul — Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders’ trilateral summit — but without a specific timing. Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japan’s wartime aggression and the strategic…
Activists Protest China’s Xi Even Before he Arrives at APEC
San Francisco and Washington — Before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in San Francisco on Wednesday for the APEC summit, protesters and pro-democracy activists voiced concerns about China and Xi that are rarely expressed in China or the region. The summit is expected to bring U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi together for their first face-to-face meeting since they spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022. Xi last visited the United States in April 2017, when then-President Donald Trump served him a…
Australia Hopeful China Will End Trade Sanctions
Australia is hoping its trade dispute with China, which has affected billions of dollars in commodity exports, could be coming to an end after Beijing lifted tariffs on barley. Trade restrictions imposed by China on a range of Australian goods, including coal, wine and beef, have been part of broader disputes between the two nations. There has been diplomatic friction in recent years over democracy in Hong Kong, human rights, and Beijing’s ambitions in the South China Sea and the Pacific. Last week, China’s commerce ministry said it would scrap…
China, Russia to Start Joint Air, Sea Drill in Sea of Japan
Codenamed “Northern/Interaction-2023,” the drill marks enhanced military cooperation between China and Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and is taking place as Beijing continues to rebuff U.S. calls to resume military communication. The Chinese flotilla comprised of five warships and four ship-borne helicopters, left the eastern port of Qingdao and will rendezvous with Russian forces in a “predetermined area.” the ministry said on its official WeChat account on Sunday. On Saturday, the ministry said Russian naval and air forces would participate in the drill taking place in the Sea of…
India Opens Myanmar Port with Wary Eye on China
BANGKOK — India helped inaugurate a long-awaited seaport in western Myanmar this month amid New Delhi’s efforts to cope with rival China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia and across the Indo-Pacific. A maiden delivery of 1,000 metric tons of cement from the Indian metropolis of Kolkata docked May 9 in Sittwe, Myanmar, at a new port funded by New Delhi. The Sittwe port is the first node in the $484 million Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, aimed at connecting greater India with its landlocked northeast through western Myanmar’s Rakhine and…
China, South Korea Agree to Strengthen Talks on Chip Industry
BEIJING — China and South Korea have agreed to strengthen dialog and cooperation on semiconductor industry supply chains, amid broader global concerns over chip supplies, sanctions and national security, China’s commerce minister said. Wang Wentao met with South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Detroit, which ended Friday. FILE – Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao speaks during a State Council Information Office news conference in Beijing, China, Feb. 24, 2021. They exchanged views on maintaining the stability of the industrial…