Chronologies
Regional Overview
Chronology
: Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia reject China’s latest South China Sea map with an updated 10-dash line that covers about 90% of the South China Sea.
: Russia says it will deepen ties with North Korea as “Moscow and Pyongyang maintain good, mutually respectful relations,” but doesn’t confirm Putin-Kim letter exchange.
: China holds intensive anti-submarine exercises in the South China Sea as part of efforts to hone its capabilities amid rising maritime tensions with its neighbors and their allies.
: China and former Taiwan-ally Nicaragua sign free trade agreement, deepening economic ties since the country switched its allegiance to Beijing from Taiwan in 2021.
: Biden approves military aid worth $80 million to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing program normally used for sovereign states.
: Fiji to sign a defense agreement with France, after the Cabinet of the Pacific Islands nation approved the deal. French President Emmanuel Macron toured the Pacific Islands in July, where France has overseas territories, denouncing predatory behavior by big powers in a region where China is extending trade and security ties.
: Japan makes record defense spending request amid tension with China by asking for a $52.67 billion in spending for the 2024 fiscal year. The plan, announced last year, seeks to double defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027.
: China says countries should see its national map in ‘objective’ way after countries, including the Philippines, India and Malaysia, protested Beijing’s newly released map expanding its claim over regions of the South China Sea.
: China’s Ministry of Defense states that military-to-military communication between Beijing and Washington has “not stopped,” amid high tensions between the two superpowers over the South China Sea, Taiwan, and other issues.
: US deploys B-1B bombers for separate drills with South Korea, Japan as the three allies step up responses to counter threats from North Korea. A US B-1B flew alongside South Korean FA-50 jets and US Air Force F-16 fighters as part of Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.
: State Department notifies Congress of $80 million arms deal to Taiwan through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which is usually reserved for sovereign states.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US hold a trilateral missile defense exercise in respond to North Korea’s failed satellite test.
: Taiwan warns of surge in tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity including fighter jets crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. The ministry spotted 12 Chinese military aircraft in its air defense identification zone, of which seven crossed the median line in addition to five Chinese ships which carried out “combat readiness patrols” in the region.
: In a speech to mark Navy Day, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un condemns “gang bosses” of the US, Japan, and South Korea after they announced regular joint military exercises, apparently referring to their Aug. 18 summit as a “confrontational move” forcing the waters off the Korean Peninsula to be reduced to “world’s biggest war hardware concentration spot.”
: China and Japan agree to postpone visit by head of Japan junior coalition partner “in light of current China-Japan relations.” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin remarks that the country “stands ready to work with it to make active efforts for improving and growing China-Japan relations.”
: South Korean government announces that the amount of tritium in seawater after Japan began discharging ALPS-treated wastewater is safe and well below the standard limit.
: Japan complains of harassment calls from China over Fukushima water release, with condemning the instances of stone-pelting of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.
: Three US marines killed when an Osprey aircraft crashes near Darwin, Australia during an exercise.
: US Navy official highlights the need for China’s ‘aggressive behavior’ in South China Sea to be challenged and checked after the country used the water canon of its coast guard against a Philippine vessel.
: Russian ships return after more than three weeks of joint-patrolling the Pacific Ocean with Chinese navy ships. Warships of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, together with a detachment of Chinese navy ships travelled more than 7,000 nautical miles through the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visits China to meet with counterparts, and the two sides agree to new consultations on trade and export control systems.
: Chinese police experts arrive in Vanuatu amid political crisis in which Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau lost a no-confidence vote for signing a security pact with Australia.
: Taiwan reports 20 Chinese air force planes entering the island’s air defense zone, including a combat drone that flew along Taiwan’s Pacific east coast.
: Japan’s ASDF scrambles jet fighters to monitor two Chinese H-6 bombers flying between Okinawa and Miyako islands.
: Japan scrambles jet to monitor Chinese military drone flying near the country’s westernmost Yonaguni island and Taiwan. As per the Defense Ministry, the spy drone came from the East China Sea north of Taiwan and went to the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan’s southern coast and the Philippines.
: China’s Defense Ministry urges the US to stop “arming” Taiwan, after the State Department approved a $500 million sale of infrared search, track systems for F-16 fighter jets and well as other equipment, to the island.
: Australia acknowledges its security interest in the South China Sea and vows to work more closely with the Philippines on joint patrols. More than 2,000 Australian and Philippine defense personnel, as well as US Marines, are participating in amphibious landing and air assault drills and conducting bilateral exercises with the Philippine Navy.
: Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka indicates that the Pacific Islands should remain a “zone of peace,” adding that he hopes a rivalry between the US and China does not develop into a military conflict.
: China and Australia raise climate change, security at Pacific leaders’ summit as the leaders of four nations debate declaring the strategic region “neutral” as China and the US jostle for influence. Climate change, security and trade dominate the opening day of a summit of the leaders of PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia’s ruling FLNKS party.
: Taiwan’s presidential front-runner William Lai Ching-te pledges to adopt “values-based diplomacy” to support democracies in the region, an apparent sign of a shift from President Tsai’s approach of prioritizing commerce and countries that formally recognize Taiwan.
: Japan commences releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, prompting China to announce an immediate blanket ban on all aquatic products imported from the former.
: Deputy Treasury Chief Adeyemo says the US is well-prepared to weather China’s economic headwinds and is closely monitoring economic developments in China, where growth is faltering amid a worsening property slump, weak consumer spending, and tumbling credit growth.
: Taiwan proposes $3 billion spending on new weapons.
: United States seeks a six-month extension to a science and technology agreement with China, to undergo negotiations with the latter to “amend and strengthen” the landmark deal.
: US State Department approves sale of equipment worth $500 million to Taiwan, to upgrade infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets, as well as other machinery.
: China suspends imports of Taiwanese mangoes, citing a “severe threat” to China’s agricultural and ecological security posed by citrus mealybugs in shipments of the fruit, making full use of its economic and military playbook to scare the Taiwanese electorate ahead of January’s presidential election. Imports of Taiwanese apples, pineapples, and grouper fish had previously been banned by Beijing.
: North Korea claims a failed satellite launch.
: China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and US counterpart Kerry hold video talks on climate-change cooperation.
: US Treasury expands use of sanctions in Myanmar to impose penalties on any individual or entity operating in the jet fuel section of the country’s economy, designating two individuals and three entities involved in procuring and distributing jet fuel to the its military.
: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen makes rare visit to a memorial park on Kinmen Island, less than 1.2 miles from Chinese-controlled territory, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Taiwan Strait crisis.
: Philippines completes resupply mission to grounded warship on Second Thomas Shoal despite attempts by the China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia “to block, harass, and interfere.”
: Cambodian legislature approves nomination of Hun Manet, eldest son of former prime minister Hun Sen, as prime minister, marking a generational shift in the dominant Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
: China firmly opposes the Philippines exploiting the opportunity of resupplying troops to transport “illegal” construction materials to a grounded warship Sierra Madre, in Second Thomas Shoal.
: After more than three months of political and judicial maneuvering, the Thai Parliament approves nomination of the Pheu Thai Party’s Srettha Thavisin for prime minister. On the same day, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand after a 15-year exile.
: 15th BRICS Summit is held in Johannesburg, South Africa and invites six countries (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) to join the group, from Jan. 1, 2024.
: China lodges representations with relevant parties over US, Japanese, and South Korean leaders’ criticism of China at Camp David.
: South Korea and India join the US, Japan, and European countries in supporting the Philippines in its maritime disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, as China’s recent use of water cannon against a Philippine resupply ship creates a global backlash.
: Central American parliament expels Taiwan, replacing it with China at the behest of Nicaragua, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in December 2021.
: South Korea and the US begin joint large-scale military exercise aimed at bolstering defense and preparedness against North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
: Vietnam announces plans to fortify its military presence on the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where it is locked in territorial disputes with China and the Philippines. The project, led by Vietnam’s defense ministry and navy, involves constructing and expanding military and other facilities on Pearson Reef and Pigeon Reef, over which Hanoi holds effective control.
: US tightens export controls of nuclear power items to China to ensure that items are used only for peaceful purposes rather than proliferation of atomic weapons.
: Chinese sources denounce the spirit of Camp David—the meeting of President Biden, President Yoon, and Prime Minister Kishida—as “hypocritical anti-China pantomime with a mini-NATO in the making.”
: Indonesia taps local fishers to boost Natuna Islands defense, which have transformed into the front lines of the country’s remote island protection, amid increased Chinese activity in the area.
: President Biden, President Yoon, and Prime Minister Kishida hold historic trilateral summit at Camp David, and adopt the Spirit of Camp David and the Camp David Principles. They commit to immediately consult in event of common threat.
: Associated Press reports that China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island.
: US cements “game-changing” defense ties with Australia and Japan amid growing concerns posed by China, following a new security deal between Canberra and Tokyo.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol calls for real-time nuclear and missile information sharing with Japan and the US as Seoul marks Liberation Day.
: Beijing concludes agreements with government of Guinea to build a trans-Guinean railway to carry iron ore from the nation’s inland to the coast to cut China’s reliance on Australia iron-ore.
: During US visit, Taiwan’s Vice President Lai vows that his country shall remain unafraid and never back down in the face of authoritarian threats.
: Japan and US begin discussions on joint development of an interceptor missile for hypersonic projectiles, expected to improve deterrence against China, Russia, and North Korea.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for increase in missile production to help secure “overwhelming military power” and be ready for war, as South Korea and the US prepare for annual military drills.
: China’s foreign ministry condemns brief US visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai Ching-te, saying he is “troublemaker through and through” and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty.
: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Cambodia to reaffirm his country’s commitment to the country after its incumbent prime minister handed off the job to his son, Hun Manet following an election in July.
: Malaysia holds six state elections, a contest between the government coalition (PH) led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition coalition (BN), which includes the Islamist fundamentalist party PAS. As expected, results are split evenly—each side won three states each—but the PH won their states with a smaller majority than previously, with gains by PAS.
: New Zealand acknowledges awareness of China-linked intelligence activity in country, calling it a “complex intelligence concern.” The accusations are the latest comments from the New Zealand government outlining concerns about China’s behavior and its destabilizing impact.
: India, Japan, the US, and Australia hold naval exercise off Sydney, and Japanese and Indian navy vessels make pit-stops in Solomon Islands and PNG on the way to Sydney, highlighting the strategic importance of the region. In a news conference in Sydney, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the US Seventh Fleet notes that the deterrence that the four Quad nations provide as they operate together “shall serve as a “foundation for all the other nations operating in this region. “
: Australia revamps Pacific Island foreign aid by unveiling a new international development aid policy focusing on climate change. The policy, revised for the first time in roughly a decade, will establish a fund of up to A$250 million ($163 billion) to encourage private-sector investment in Pacific Island and Southeast Asian nations.
: Secretary of Defense Austin pledges to defend Philippine vessels if attacked in the South China Sea, after the China Coast Guard ship water cannon firing incident.
: President Biden signs executive order requiring US persons to notify the Treasury Department of certain transactions and investments in China, particularly those in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other technologies with potential military applications.
: China asks Philippines to remove grounded ship from Second Thomas Shoal after blocking two Manila supply ships with water cannons, as both sides assert their claims of the area.
: US weighs deploying new military elements in Japan to better coordinate operations with the JSDF under the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as a Taiwan contingency would necessitate a swift collective response.
: Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels use water cannons and other maneuvers to obstruct a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. The State Department issues an immediate statement of support for the Philippines. The Philippine military condemns this as “excessive and offensive,” to block a Filipino supply boat from delivering
: China deepens military ties with Russia for “non-Western” front, as Russian anti-submarine ships and fighter jets join the Northern Theater Command of the PLA for joint exercises.
: China to lift tariffs on Australian barley imports that had been in place for three years affecting billions of dollars of trade, as the two nations repair strained ties.
: Xi Jinping announces that China seeks advances in artificial intelligence-powered drones and hypersonic weapons in a broader military buildup, as Xi prepares the country for “extreme” scenarios.
: US extends invite to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during meeting at the State Department between Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Yang Tao, director-general of North American and Oceanian Affairs at China’s Foreign Ministry.
: Xi appoints new chief of China’s nuclear arsenal to oversee conventional and nuclear missiles, one day before the anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army. Wang Houbin, former deputy commander of the navy, is named head of the PLA Rocket Force, and Xu Xisheng its new political commissar.
: President Xi calls “for enhancing the planning of war and combat, strengthening the command system for joint operations, and stepping up training under real combat conditions to raise the forces’ capabilities to fight and win,” during visit to PLA Eastern Theater Command headquarters.
: China announces curbs on exports of drone-related equipment including drone engines, lasers, communication equipment, and anti-drone systems; set to take effect Sept. 1 2023, amid US tech tensions.
: State Administrative Council (SAC) on Myanmar extends the state of emergency for another six months.
: Ten Chinese and Russian naval vessels pass through the Soya Strait between Cape Soya in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Russian island of Sakhalin in the first China-Russia joint naval vessel sailing near Japan since September 2022.
: US and Australia agree to upgrade two additional air bases in northern Australia and to step up cooperation on weapons production and maintenance, as China’s growing strategic ambitions solidify defense ties between Washington and Canberra.
: US bars Hong Kong leader from APEC summit, for his role in crackdowns against pro-democracy protests under a stringent national security law enacted by Beijing in 2020.
: Japanese defense ministry announces the presence of five Chinese and five Russian warships in its territorial waters, as they sailed through the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin to the Sea of Okhotsk, possibly in connection with a joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean.
: US announces $345 million in military aid for Taiwan that includes defense, education and training for the Taiwanese, in addition to supply of man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms, and missiles.
: Indonesia secures at least $13 billion in investment pledges from Chinese companies following meeting between Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and President Xi in Chengdu.
: Japan releases 2023 Defense White Paper saying that the international community is facing its greatest trial since World War II and has entered a new era of crisis. This includes China rapidly enhancing its military capability qualitatively and quantitatively, including nuclear and missile forces.
: White House announces $345 million military aid package for Taiwan—including anti-air and anti-armored munitions—through the fast-track “Presidential Drawdown Authority,” prompting China to accuse the US of turning the island into a “powder keg and ammunition depot” a day later.
: South Korea and the US stage joint air drills with F-35A and F-16 jets.
July 28-Aug. 21, 2023: Chinese and Russian navies conduct the third joint patrol of the western and northern Pacific.
: North Korea and South Korea mark 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice agreement.
: Secretary Blinken visits Tonga, dedicating a new embassy there as part of efforts to shore up the US presence in the Pacific.
: Qin Gang is replaced in as China’s foreign minister by his predecessor Wang Yi.
: Australia to buy 20 Hercules military planes worth $6.6 billion ahead of visit by Secretary Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
: China and Russia conclude four-day military exercise in the Sea of Japan to, according to the Chinese defense ministry, “enhance strategic cooperation between the two countries and strengthen their ability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.”
: Following general elections in Cambodia in which the Cambodian People’s Party won 120 out of 125 seats, the State Department said it had “taken steps” to impose visa restrictions “on individuals who undermined democracy and implemented a pause of foreign assistance programs” after determining the elections were “neither free nor fair.”
: US commissions warship in Sydney, the first time a US Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port, as the allies step up military ties in response to China’s expanding regional reach.
: China seeks to reassure multinationals over anti-spying law and pledges transparency to Western, Japanese, and South Korean business lobbies by increasing the predictability of policies via regular exchanges with foreign partner companies.
: Japan returns South Korea to its white list of preferred trading partners, four years after removing it from the list.
: Russia and China conduct joint sea and naval drill “North/Interaction-2023” in the Sea of Japan. Five Russian and five Chinese naval ships participate.
: US climate envoy Kerry urges China to separate climate from politics in a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, calling it a “universal threat” that should be handled separately from broader diplomatic issues and be treated as a “free-standing” challenge that requires the collective efforts of the world’s largest economies to resolve.
: US nuclear missile sub visits South Korea for the first time since the 1980s, as the allies launched Nuclear Consultative Group talks to coordinate responses in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.
: Officers from the JSDF and the Chinese military meet in Beijing, resuming an in-person exchange program for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry visits China where he holds meetings with top Chinese climate officials to discuss opportunities for cooperation.
: US calls for UN Security Council action against North Korea’s ICBM test, but permanent members China and Russia oppose it.
: Secretary Blinken holds “candid and constructive” talks with Wang Yi in Jakarta in interactions Washington says are aimed at managing competition between the rival superpowers.
: Solomon Islands denies suggestions by the US, New Zealand, and Australia on its policies dealing with Beijing and maintains that China will enhance the capability of its 1,500 police officers in cybersecurity and community policing.
: South Korea and the US stage air drills involving s B-52H strategic bomber in response to the North’s launch.
: Japanese government signs a new partnership agreement with NATO to enhance security coordination with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explicitly referencing concern China’s military buildup.
: Philippines launches website containing “official information” about Manila’s arbitration victory against Beijing in their South China Sea territorial dispute. The site’s launch represents the latest effort by President Marcos’ administration to firm up Manila’s position in the dispute.
: North Korea fires an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: Chinese company launches world’s first methane-liquid oxygen rocket- Zhuque-2, beating US rivals in sending what could become the next generation of launch vehicles into space.
: State-owned Bank of China (BOC) opens first representative office in Papua New Guinea, kick-starting Xi Jinping’s plans to build a comprehensive strategic partnership with PNG.
: North Korea accuses the United States of violating its airspace.
: North Korea denounces US move to introduce a nuclear missile submarine to waters near the Korean Peninsula, stating that the action brings a nuclear conflict closer to reality.
: China and the Solomon Islands announce a comprehensive strategic partnership, as they bolster relations four years after the Pacific nation switched ties from Taiwan to China.
: China and South Korea push for deep-sea mining as a United Nations body convenes a meeting in Jamaica to discuss setting guidelines for such activities.
: 10 members of South Korea’s National Assembly, civic activists, and South Korean fishermen protest Japan’s planned discharge of Fukushima water outside Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s residence in Tokyo.
: China conducts a week of naval and air exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
: Justice ministers from Japan and ASEAN pledge to cooperate in promoting the rule of law amid China’s increasing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
: Treasury Secretary Yellen visits China where she has “frank, pragmatic, in-depth and constructive” meetings with top Chinese officials in charge of economic affairs.
: Taiwan Vice President and Democratic Progressive Party Presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, publishes an opinion column in the Wall Street Journal promising to defend Taiwan’s democracy against Chinese coercion.
: Chinese media announce that a PLAN flotilla led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship recently passed through the first island chain from straits south of Japan, marking the first time that this type of large warship was reported operating in the vicinity of Japan.
: An investigative report says Russia has been importing drones from Chinese companies explicitly for use in its invasion of Ukraine, despite denials from Beijing.
: South Korea and US stage air drills involving a B-52H strategic bomber.
: Japan’s Ministry of Defense announces that engineering company IHI will begin repairing engines in F-35 fighter jets used by the SDF and the US military, in a move that will enable troops to move more quickly and act as a deterrent against aggressive neighbors.
: China signs cooperative arrangements with “friend” New Zealand, aimed at improving market access for a Western country that has long maintained a conciliatory approach toward China.
: A Chinese survey vessel is detected in the waters near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, though there is no intrusion into Japanese territorial waters.
: China issues warnings to foreign consulates, reminding them that dual-national detainees cannot receive visits from consular officers.
: Taiwan says it spots two Russian frigates sailing through waters near Taiwan, in a move that could heighten tensions in the region.
: Suspicions over Chinese intelligence collection outposts in Cuba renew concerns over its efforts to establish a global network for power projection.
: US convenes a meeting of working-level experts from China, France, Russia, and the UK to discuss nuclear weapons issues including strategic risk reduction, as a part of “a routine, continuing dialogue and ongoing exchange in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
: US Coast Guard ship Stratton sails through the Taiwan Strait, after Secretary Blinken’s high-profile visit to Beijing. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet in an official statement declares that “Stratton’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
: US and India declare themselves “among the closest partners in the world” during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington hosted by President Biden.
: G7 affirms unity and need for close coordination on China after Secretary Blinken’s meeting with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the EU on the sidelines of a conference in London.
: Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses German Parliament, vowing to reject all unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force or coercion, especially Taiwan. He reiterates concern for human rights and the state of the rule of law in China.
: In the 18th intrusion this year, four Chinese coast guard Haijing vessels sail near the contested Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands for around two hours.
: US Treasury announces new sanctions on Myanmar and designates two regime-controlled banks, Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MKN), both of which have been instrumental in facilitating the military’s use of foreign currency to procure arms and jet fuel abroad.
: Taiwan raises caution over a Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong, sailing through the Taiwan Strait amid heightened military tension.
: Taiwan on alert for Chinese-funded election interference through means of illicit funding of Beijing-friendly candidates using communications apps or group tours, according to three internal security reports released by the government.
: Annual position paper released by the European Chamber of Commerce in China notes slowdown in both the Chinese and global economies as the biggest issue affecting European firms in the country. The number of European companies reporting China-sourced revenues decreased in 2022, while the importance of China to companies’ global profits fell for a second consecutive year.
: North Korea criticizes Blinken’s China visit as “begging trip,” in what it called a policy failure to pressure China. The commentary carried by KCNA news agency, states that the US is responsible for escalating regional tensions with “anti-China complexes,” such as the Quad grouping with Japan, India, and Australia, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia.
: Japan to harmonize standards for domestically produced defense equipment with those of the US and Europe to reduce maintenance costs and increase business opportunities for Japanese defense companies, under draft guidelines issued by the government.
: Secretary Blinken voices deep concerns over Chinese military activities in Cuba, at a press conference in London.
: Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov shows confidence in Russia’s strategic partnership with China. He acknowledges that China has the sovereign right to forge ties with other countries and that Russia is not worried about US attempts to sway the former’s policy toward Moscow.
: Wall Street Journal report suggests that China and Cuba negotiating to establish a new joint military training facility on the island, sparking alarm in the US that it could lead to stationing Chinese troops and other security operations 100 miles off Florida’s coast.
: Lowy Institute Poll of Public Attitudes finds 82% of Australians support the security alliance with the US. They also favored responding to a Chinese attack on Taiwan with economic sanctions, arms supplies, or using the navy to prevent a blockade, without becoming an active combatant. The prospect of a military conflict between the US and China over Taiwan is seen as a “critical threat” by 64% of Australians, twice as many people as two years ago. The top threat cited by 68% percent of respondents, was cyber attacks from other countries.
: Secretary Blinken urges China’s vigilance on its firms providing technology to Russia that could be used against Ukraine.
: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects blanket state supervision of exports to China, noting that the country has drafted a new laws to guarantee the security of the economy.
: US Navy runs rehearsal for ballistic submarine USS Michigan visit to Busan amid tensions driven by North Korea’s weapons testing, and as Seoul and Washington are bolstering their military cooperation to deter Pyongyang.
: Secretary of State Blinken visits Beijing where he holds 12 hours of meetings with top Chinese officials including President Xi—the first visit of its kind since 2018. Blinken also holds meetings with then-Foreign Minister Qing Gang and Central Foreign Affairs Commission director Wang Yi. Xi and Blinken agree to stabilize US-China relations in Beijing talks, while failing to produce any breakthrough during Blinken’s visit to the city.
: Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, share pessimism on Myanmar, calling for continued pressure on the military junta and sustained efforts to scale-up negotiation across all stakeholders.
: National security advisers of the US, Japan and the Philippines hold trilateral meeting to discuss regional security issues and ways to strengthen relations. They deliberate contentious issues in the South and the East China Sea, North Korea and reiterate the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong condemns Hong Kong resolutions passed by the European Parliament, calling them a “despicable act” that “trampled” on principles of international law.
: National Security Advisers for the US, Japan, and South Korea discuss maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait and coordination in the East China and South China Seas. At a trilateral meeting in Tokyo, they also examined North Korea’s “illicit nuclear and missile programs and most recent provocations and identified next steps to strengthen their cooperation.”
: North Korea condemns South Korea’s live-fire drills with the United States and threatens to sternly respond to “any kind of protests or provocations by enemies” in the region.
: US targets North Korea’s missile development in new sanctions after South Korea’s military raps Pyongyang for firing two short-range missiles less than an hour after it warned of an “inevitable” response to military drills staged by South Korean and US troops.
: Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu discusses the need for maintaining the status quo in its relationship with neighboring China, encouraging European states to offer support and courage for resilience; while addressing a press conference in Prague.
: China holds military exercises in the East China Sea north of Taiwan, including live-fire exercises from warships, as the US and its allies conduct their drills in the Western Pacific.
: Biden administration adds 43 entities to an export control list, including Frontier Services Group Ltd, a security and aviation company previously run by Erik Prince, for training Chinese military pilots and other activities that threaten US national security.
: China deploys a reconnaissance aircraft over Pacific waters east of Taiwan to monitor and gather intelligence on an exercise involving the navies of the United States, Japan, France, and Canada.
: South Korea and the US stage the Combined Distribution Exercise in Pohang.
: Taiwan military releases updated civil defense handbook including a section on differentiating between Chinese and Taiwanese soldiers based on uniforms, camouflage, and insignia.
: Taiwan’s Air Force scrambles after spotting 10 Chinese warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, in its second recce in less than a week after 37 Chinese military aircraft flew into the island’s air defense zone.
: China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong summons South Korean ambassador to express “serious concern and dissatisfaction” over Seoul’s “improper reaction” to comments made by the Chinese envoy, who warned Seoul against making “wrong bets” in the Sino-US rivalry.
: Honduras opens embassy in China after cutting diplomatic relations with Taiwan earlier this year.
: With eye on China, the Five Eyes (Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the US) and Japan condemn trade practices that amount to economic coercion in a joint declaration.
: China’s largest naval training ship sails for the Philippines on a regional “friendly” tour, amid growing unease over Chinese maritime activities in the South China Sea. Training conducted by the ship, is expected to focus on navigation, anti-piracy and shooting exercises with light-weight weapons, according to Chinese state media.
: Chinese coastal patrol ship Haixun03 starts patrolling waters around Hainan Island and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea and aims to inspect ships in these waters. The patrol is expected to continue for around one month and cover 900 nautical miles.
: US Senate panel approves measure to strip China of “developing” status after passing the “Ending China’s Developing Nation Status Act” without dissent.
: ASEAN announces it will hold its first joint military exercise in the North Natuna Sea, the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, in its latest multilateral security drills.
: Japan conveys “strong concern” and lodges protest against China after the PLA Navy enters Japan’s waters near Yakushima Island. Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels also reportedly entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands, which China calls Diaoyu, and attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat.
: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar notes that India and China must find a way to step back from potential confrontation in the western Himalayas, as militarized, disputed border could lead to conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
: China, Pakistan, and Iran hold their first trilateral meeting on counter-terrorism in Beijing, involving “in-depth” exchanges on the prevailing regional counter-terrorism situation.
: Two Russian Tu-96 and two Chinese H-6K strategic bombers conduct the sixth joint patrols of the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and Western Pacific. Russian bombers landed and took off from a Chinese military airfield.
: US and India release a Roadmap for US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four-day state visit to the US.
: North Korea denounces UN Security Council for holding a meeting on its recent satellite launch upon “robbery demands” from the US, vowing to continue rejecting sanctions and taking “self-defensive” action.
: US, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines hold first quadrilateral defense chief talks in Singapore on the sidelines of the SLD to ponder challenges posed by China in the South China Sea and in waters around Taiwan.
: Japan, US, and South Korean defense chiefs agree to real-time sharing of information about North Korean missiles by the end of 2023. This system will allow the three nations to detect and track projectiles fired by the North more accurately and swiftly
: Defense Minister Andrew Little acknowledges New Zealand’s interest in cooperating with Australia, the UK, and the US under their AUKUS trilateral security framework in nonnuclear areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber-security and quantum computing.
: Japanese, US, and Philippines Coast Guards conduct joint drills, the first exercise of its kind between the three countries, in the face of China’s expansion in the South China Sea.
: 20th Asia Security Summit (Shangri-la Dialogue, SLD) is held in Singapore. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets on the sidelines with counterparts from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
: Defense Secretary Austin shakes hands with Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu at 20th SLD, but they hold no “substantive dialogue”; Beijing rejected Washington’s request for a meeting on the conference’s sidelines.
: China and Singapore defense establishments agree to set up a secure, bilateral hotline to strengthen high-level communication between their defense leaders.
: CIA announces that Director William Burns made a secret trip to China in May in an attempt to keep lines of communication open despite security and economic tensions.
: At US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework meeting, trade ministers agree to strengthen supply chains for essential materials such as chips and critical minerals to reduce dependence on China. This is the first time the 14 participating countries–the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Fiji, and seven members of ASEAN–agreed on specific measures since IPEF launched in May 2022.
: South Korea and US stage massive live-fire drills marking the 70th anniversary of their alliance.
: United States and Papua New Guinea conclude a Defense Cooperation Agreement and an Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations.
: Leaders of the Quad countries—the US, Japan, India and Australia—meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit and hold brief discussion releasing a joint statement, vision statement, and fact sheet, which includes support for quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific.
: G7 communique, released by member countries lays out common “de-risking” path on China, and calls for international standards that regulate artificial intelligence.
: US and Japan impose sanctions on hundreds of people and organizations connected to Russia’s war on Ukraine, including businesses involved in aerospace, quantum computing and finance as the G7 reiterates its determination to raise the costs of Moscow’s invasion.
: President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meet, seeking unified G7 policies on China and agree to work together to counter “coercive behavior.”
: Biden cancels visit to Papua New Guinea to return to Washington for debt ceiling negotiations.
: United States and Palau agree to renew COFA.
: US and Micronesia agree to renew a key strategic pact—the Compact of Free Association Agreement—as the US shores up support among Pacific Island states to counter competition from China.
: Thai general elections are held, with a record turnout of 75.22%. Parties cover the political spectrum from the pro-democracy Move Forward Party to two parties —Thai Union and Phalang Pracharat—headed by the organizers of the 2014 coup.
: President Yoon hosts former Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro for dinner.
: Japan and South Korea announce aim to lower blind spots on North Korean missile activity by linking radar systems through the US, a move designed to allow the sharing of launch data in real time. The US would link the radar systems used by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the South Korean military, and US troops stationed in both Japan and South Korea, to share data such as where North Korean missiles are launched, as well as the speed and distance travelled.
: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen calls on G7 democracies to build economic resilience to help developing nations counter the threat of nondemocratic states like China and Russia.
: House Rules Committee holds a hearing on “Examining China’s Coercive Economic Tactics.”
: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meets Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi in Vienna.
: Indonesia hosts the first ASEAN Summit of the year in Labun Bajo. Myanmar is not represented .
: Flotilla of Chinese vessels enters Vietnamese waters and loiter in a Russia-Vietnam offshore lease. A Chinese research vessel moves at speed appropriate for surveying,
: US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns meets China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing where they agree on the need to stabilize relations between the two countries.
: US moves a $500 million proposed arms sale package bound for Taiwan to a fast track through the “Presidential Drawdown Authority” created for streamlining aid to Ukraine.
: Philippine President Marcos expands upon his agreement to grant the US access to more military bases in his country and reassures Chinese officials by stating that the bases will not be used for “offensive action” against any country. He also clarifies that the US has not asked the Philippines to provide troops in case of war between China and the US over Taiwan.
: US and the Philippines move toward real-time sharing of military information and greater coordination to guard against any coercive behavior by China in the South China Sea.
: US says it is prepared to assist the Philippines as China interferes with Manila’s efforts to resupply a grounded naval ship in the South China Sea.
: Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., visits Washington, his first visit to the capital since his father was forced to leave office in 1986.
: China and Singapore hold a four-day joint naval exercise in regional waters.
: India chairs the annual SCO defense ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. The SCO defense chiefs pledge to boost strategic communication, focus on consensus, and expand SCO cooperation and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.
: President Yoon and President Biden adopt the Washington Declaration to strengthen the United States “extended deterrence” commitment to South Korea.
: US and South Korea pledge cooperation on potential use of nuclear arms in response to any attack from North Korea, on a guarantee that Seoul swears off from developing its own nuclear weapon. President Yoon also states that the South Korea-US alliance will not be “shaken” by leaked US documents that allegedly contained the contents of tapped conversations of top South Korean officials.
: US and Philippine armed forces unleash a volley of missiles on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea, in a show of military power and a strengthening alliance at a time of rising regional tension.
: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces Sydney as the venue and host for the 2023 Quad Leaders’ summit, the third in-person meeting of the leaders of Australia, the United States, India, and Japan.
: Government and think-tank representatives from Myanmar and its neighbors, including India and China, hold talks in New Delhi as part of a secretive effort to de-escalate a bloody crisis in the army-run Southeast Asian nation.
: Chinese foreign ministry clarifies the government’s intention to continue supporting Central Asian countries in safeguarding their independence and territorial integrity, after a senior Chinese envoy in Europe raises an uproar by questioning the sovereignty of those states.
: Taiwan’s Han Kuang exercises are expected to focus on piercing blockade, combat forces preservation and maritime interception using the “Five Eyes” intelligence link in response to China’s over riding sovereignty claims in the region.
: South Korea and the US agree to boost economic partnerships in critical technology industries such as microchips, electric vehicles and batteries, post the US-South Korea bilateral meet.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
: China and Russia sign a memorandum of understanding on strengthening maritime law enforcement cooperation to combat terrorism, illegal migration, smuggling of drugs and weapons and banning illegal fishing.
: Submarines from Russia’s Pacific Fleet destroy a mock enemy object as part of naval drills in the Sea of Japan.
: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz invites Chinese Premier Li Qiang for talks in Berlin, as the German government develops a new China strategy to reduce dependence on Asia’s economic superpower, a vital export market for German goods.
: Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei pledges his unconditional support for the “Republic of Taiwan” on a trip that comes as China steps up pressure on the handful of countries that still maintain formal ties with the island.
: United States sanctions three individuals for providing support to North Korea’s efforts to illegally generate funds for its nuclear and missile development programs.
: China’s cooperation with Europe and other nations is “endless” just as its ties with Russia are “unlimited,” China’s envoy to the European Union said, giving some reassurance of China’s neutrality over Ukraine.
: Sixth edition of Cope India-2023, an Air Exercise between the Indian and American Air Forces at Air Force Stations Kalaikunda, Panagarh and Agra concludes.
: China and Singapore plan military drills as Beijing deepens its defense and security ties with Southeast Asia, a region with strong existing US alliances.
: NASA and South Korea’s science agency are expected to sign a pact to boost outer space co-operation and expand high-tech partnerships and security ties to deter North Korea.
: Australia to prioritize long-range precision strike capability, domestic production of guided weapons, and diplomacy—key points of a review recommending the country’s biggest defense shake-up since World War II.
: China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong lodges solemn representations with the South Korean ambassador over “erroneous” remarks by the South Korean President Yoon about Taiwan.
: Japan’s Self-Defense Forces prepare to shoot down North Korea satellites to minimize damage should a ballistic missile fall on Japan.
: Philippines and China to set up more lines of communication to resolve maritime issues in the South China Sea
: At the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang states that it is right and proper for China to uphold its sovereignty as both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China.
: South Korea’s foreign ministry expresses “deep disappointment and regret” after Prime Minister Kishida sent a ritual offering of a “masakaki” tree stand to Yasukuni Shrine.
: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirms his attendance at the NATO summit, days after his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, confirmed his participation. Australia and New Zealand are not members of NATO but have a decades-long relationship with the Western alliance.
: North Korea criticizes the G7 over call for denuclearization, while it vows to continue to build up its forces until military threats from the United States and its allies are eliminated.
: Russia bans the League of Residents of Chishima and Habomai Islands from campaigning for Japanese sovereignty over four disputed islands seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, amid rising tensions between Moscow and Tokyo.
: Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announces plans to visit Taiwan, as a reciprocal gesture mirroring Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the country. The Guatemalan delegation is expected to pitch the country as a destination for investment and will tour several companies with the hopes of replicating their business model back home.
: United States to coordinate closely with South Korea on more support for Ukraine, calling its key Asian ally “a stalwart partner” in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty.
: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong urges Pacific island countries to stay united in the face of great power competition. Her visit to the French territory coincides with a push by a China-backed group for several Pacific island nations, including New Caledonia, to sign a splinter security pact.
: US Trade Representative Katherine Tai states that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework trade negotiations are progressing “at a very quick pace” and she expects results from the talks as early as by the end of the year. The IPEF marks Washington’s first major pan-Asian trade engagement effort in nearly a decade.
: Vietnam opposes China’s unilateral annual ban on fishing in a vast area of the South China Sea, calling it a violation of its sovereignty. China in its defense, says the ban, applicable from May 1 to Aug. 16, is to promote sustainable fishing and improve marine ecology.
: A US congressional war game simulating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan shows the need to arm the island “to the teeth,” after the exercise indicated the US must boost production of long-range missiles and businesses must brace for economic fallout.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un orders preparations for the planned launch of the country’s first spy satellite to counter threats from the United States and South Korea. Analysts say the military satellite is part of the reclusive, nuclear-armed state’s efforts to advance surveillance technology, including drones, to improve its ability to strike targets in the event of a conflict.
: South Korean President Yoon opens door for possible military aid to Ukraine if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack; signaling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.
: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene envoys on Afghanistan from various countries to work on a unified approach to deal with the Taliban authorities here on.
: South Korean President Yoon comments on Taiwan in an interview with Reuters, prompting China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comment on Yoon’s comments the same day, labeling them “meddling.” South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounces China’s response the following day and summons Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming.
: United States and South Korea conduct combined attack drills as part of the Korea Marine Exercise Program to strengthen capabilities and interoperability.
: United States and Thailand conduct the third bilateral energy dialogue in Washington, DC.
: Recently elected New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to attend the upcoming NATO summit.
: Rick Waters, deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, accepts Washington’s knowledge of China’s transnational law enforcement within the borders of “dozens of countries” in a US House of Representatives hearing.
: Australia and New Zealand to sign an Arms Co-operation Deal, Plan ANZAC, to improve army interoperability with more cooperation over training, capability, readiness and personnel.
: G7 industrial powers stress unity amid growing acts of coercion and sanctioning of nuclear weapons, committed by China and Russia respectively.
: Japan and South Korea hold their first security talks since 2018, centered around strategic environments surrounding the two countries. Their finance ministers also announce plans to hold a bilateral meeting for the first time in seven years, heralding closer cooperation in economic policy that has been hampered by diplomatic conflict.
: Tokyo lodges a protest against Russia over its military exercises around disputed islands near Japan’s Hokkaido.
: Russia brushes off Japanese criticism of naval exercises by its Pacific Fleet, saying it needed to be on guard against a variety of regional threats while focusing on Ukraine.
: South Korea, the United States, and Japan stage joint naval missile defense exercises to improve responses to North Korean threats, as Pyongyang accuses Washington of ramping up “nuclear blackmail” with military drills.
: Taiwan to buy 400 US land-launched Harpoon missiles in the face of rising threat from China. The Pentagon announced a $1.17 billion contract for 400 of the anti-ship missiles, saying production was expected to be completed by March 2029.
: South Korea fires warning shots after toward a North Korean vessel that breached the Northern Limit Line, the de facto sea boundary.
: China launches a weather satellite as civilian flights alter their routes to avoid a Chinese-imposed no-fly zone to the north of Taiwan which Beijing put in place because of the possibility of falling rocket debris.
: Japan’s Economy and Trade Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi urges members of the G7 nations to help emerging countries reduce emissions, including the financing of decarbonization in “hard-to-abate” industries.
: A suspect is arrested after allegedly throwing an explosive device at Prime Minister Kishida in an assassination attempt.
: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi “hopes and believes” Germany will support China’s “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock; adding that China once supported Germany’s reunification.
: South Korean Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo states that there is a possibility that Japan could join the South Korea-US intelligence alliance.
: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken express a desire to deepen their ties as Washington seeks to solidify alliances to counter an increasingly assertive China.
: US, South Korea, and Japan hold the 13th Defense Trilateral Talks, a director-general level talk in Washington, DC to discuss the North Korean threat and ways to deepen trilateral security cooperation.
: North Korean States media announces the testing of a new solid-fuel ICBM, the Hwasong-18, to “radically promote” its nuclear counterattack capability.
: Beijing’s ambassador to Manila remarks that Philippines is “stoking the fire” of regional tensions by offering expanded military base access to the United States, whose goal is to interfere in China’s affairs with Taiwan. This statement comes in the light of Philippines identifying four more bases that Washington can use under an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 2014.
: South Korea and the United States hold joint air drills following North Korea’s recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: Chair of ASEAN bloc strongly condemns a military air strike on a village in Myanmar, reported to have killed up to 100 people including civilians.
: Japan, India, and France announce a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to coordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt. This move is expected to serve as a model for solving the debt woes of middle-income economies.
: Canada and South Korea plan to launch talks on an information security agreement to facilitate intelligence-sharing and promote security ties, earlier this year.
: China’s foreign ministry sanctions US Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, for visiting Taiwan and sending “serious wrong signals” to Taiwan independence separatist forces.
: China opts out of a United Nations project to survey Asian wet markets and other facilities at high risk of spreading infectious diseases from wild animals to humans.
: Xi stresses need to deepen military training, preparation and comprehensively raise their level of modernization after inspecting his country’s Southern Theatre Command navy.
: Taiwan’s defense ministry announces the incursion of 14 Chinese air force planes across the Taiwan Strait’s median line. This demarcation serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.
: Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party nominates Vice President William Lai Ching-te as its presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
: South Korea reaches an agreement to lend the United States 500,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells. This deal would give Washington greater flexibility to supply Ukraine with ammunition while sticking to the government principle of not providing lethal weapons in conflict zones.
: French President Emmanuel Macron favors the status-quo on Taiwan, he says, after facing backlash over comments calling for caution against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction.”
: United States becomes the first major fishing nation to ratify a deal to cut subsidies contributing to overfishing. The deal aims to cut billions of dollars in harmful subsidies that empty the ocean of marine life.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup talks with Secretary of Defense Austin regarding recent news of leaked documents that the US wiretapped conversations of top South Korean national security officials. The two agree that a “great deal of disclosed information was fabricated.” Kim Tae-hyo, South Korean principal deputy national security adviser, states that South Korea and the US believe that a “large portion” of the leaked classified documents may be fake and are considering the involvement of a “third party.”
: US and the Philippines conduct the 38th iteration of the Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”) exercises.
: China ends three days of military drills around Taiwan, after testing integrated military capabilities under actual combat conditions, having practiced precision strikes and blockading the island that Beijing views as its own.
: A spokesperson for the Department of State announces that the US commitment to South Korea is “ironclad” when asked about recently leaked documents revealing (among other things) that the US may have eavesdropped on conversations at the South Korean presidential office. A South Korean presidential official states that South Korea will seek “appropriate measures” from the US if necessary after looking into the validity of the leaked documents.
: US, Japan, Australia, and India hold the Quad Cyber Challenge.
: Malaysia express firm commitment to protecting its sovereign rights and interests in the South China Sea after China expressed concern about Malaysian energy projects in a part of the South China Sea that China also claims.
: House of Representatives votes unanimously to instruct the White House to work toward changing China’s status as a “developing nation” in the World Trade Organization.
: Over 5,000 people flee into Thailand after fighting between the Myanmar military and armed ethnic rebels.
: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul visits Taiwan and meets Tsai and Vice President Lai Ching-te. On the 13th, China responds by sanctioning him personally, adding to the list of senior members of Congress on Beijing’s blacklist.
: China and Cambodia conclude “Golden Dragon 2023” joint military exercise.
: Japan sets out the new aid scheme—Overseas Security Assistance—to allow overseas defense funding by offering countries financial assistance to help them bolster their defenses, marking its first unambiguous departure from rules that forbid the use of international aid for military purposes. The OSA will be managed separately from the Overseas Development Assistance program that for decades has funded roads, dams and other civilian infrastructure.
: US House Speaker McCarthy meets with Taiwan President Tsai before a bipartisan group of US lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside Los Angeles.
: A US B-52 strategic bomber joins military exercises with South Korea in the latest demonstration of the allies’ readiness to respond to any North Korean provocation. The bomber, in the first deployment to South Korea of a US B-52 since March 6, joined US F-35B and F-16 fighters, and South Korean F-35 jets for the exercise.
: Trade ministers of the G7 countries hold their first meeting of the year via teleconference, to discuss export controls and economic security by reaffirming “that export controls are a fundamental policy tool to address the challenges posed by the diversion of technology critical to military applications as well as for other activities that threaten global, regional, and national security.”
: China urges the World Trade Organization to scrutinize US-led technology export restrictions aimed at curbing its ability to make advanced chips. Chinese representatives addressed the WTO meeting by demanding that Japan, the Netherlands and the United States to report their plans and subsequent measures to the body and urged the WTO to step up supervision on the matter.
: China and France agree to work for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict during French President Macron’s three-day visit to China.
: South Korea, the United States, and Japan hold a trilateral naval exercise featuring the USS Nimitz carrier that is focused on enhancing response capabilities against underwater threats.
: For the first time, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification publishes its annual report on North Korean human rights.
: Biden administration convenes the second Summit for Democracy, co-hosted with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, and Republic of Zambia.
: Myanmar’s State Administrative Council officially dissolves 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi and the winner of the November 2020 elections that the military set aside with the coup of Feb. 1, 2021.
: Media reports suggest the US, Japan, and Philippines plan to create a trilateral framework involving their national security advisers.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: US Treasury Department imposes sanctions on two individuals and six entities in Myanmar and advises that the provision of jet fuel to the Tatmadaw will come under US sanctions.
: US Forces Korea conducts the first training on the deployment of a remote launcher of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system stationed in South Korea.
: North Korea conducts a new underwater nuclear strategic weapon test and cruise missile exercise to “alert the enemy to an actual nuclear crisis.”
: House Select Committee on China holds a hearing entitled “The Chinese Communist Party’s Ongoing Uyghur Genocide.”
: A US Navy destroyer sails near one of the most important man-made and Chinese controlled islands in the South China Sea, in a freedom of navigation mission that Beijing denounced as illegal.
: Rick Waters, head of the State Department’s “China house” travels to Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong for meetings with Chinese officials.
: North Korea criticizes US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield for calling on the UNSC to denuclearize North Korea. North Korea states that pressure to dismantle its nukes means “a declaration of war.”
: Solomon Islands awards a multi-million-dollar contract to a Chinese state company to upgrade an international port in Honiara in a project funded by the Asian Development Bank. The Solomon Islands had struck a security pact with Beijing in 2022, prompting concern from the United States and its allies, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, over China’s ambitions to build a naval base in the region.
: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr grants the US access to four new military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.These sites will be located in various parts of the Philippines, including in a province facing the South China Sea.
: North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles off its east coast in a latest series of tests of its weapons as its rivals, South Korea and the United States, conducted joint military exercises.
: Russian President Vladimir Putin remarks that Chinese proposals tabled by Xi Jinping can be used as the basis of a peace settlement in Ukraine. In a joint statement at the end of Xi’s state visit to Moscow, the two men caution against any steps that might push the Ukraine conflict into an “uncontrollable phase,” adding that there could be no winners in a nuclear war.
: China’s President Xi Jinping invites Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, to be held in China later this year.
: Russia flies two Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bomber planes over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, as Japan’s Prime minister begins his visit to Ukraine. The planes are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and Moscow regularly flies them over international waters in the Arctic, North Atlantic and Pacific as a show of strength.
: China and Cambodia hold the first ever Golden Dragon 2023 Joint Military Naval exercises in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
: Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia to become China’s top oil supplier in the first two months of 2023, as buyers snap up sanctioned Russian oil at steep discounts. Arrivals from Russia totaled 15.68 million tons in January-February, or 1.94 million barrels per day, up 23.8% from 1.57 million bpd in the corresponding 2022 period, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.
: North Korea conducts a two-day practice simulating a tactical nuclear counterattack to South Korea-United States “war” drills.
: Prime Minister Kishida deems India “an essential partner when it comes to realizing Japan’s free and open Indo-Pacific vision,” as he announces joint maritime exercises with India and the United States, as well as goodwill exercises with ASEAN and the Pacific Islands, in addition to promising $75 billion in investment to counter China and help regional economies across all sectors.
: South Korea and the United States conduct high-tech military drills with increased “intensity and realism” to bolster deterrence against North Korean provocations.
: 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released by the US Department of State, calls out North Korea for dozens of human rights issues such as torture, total state control of media, and trafficking.
: Kishida travels to India to promote a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and invites Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in May.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi discusses global security and China’s presence in the Pacific with the leader of the Solomon Islands; in the very first visit by a Japanese foreign minister to the island state.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea.
: A US B-1B strategic bomber returns to South Korea for joint exercises and as a show of force as North Korea fires a ballistic missile into the East Sea.
: Russia, China, and Iran complete three-way naval exercises in the Arabian Sea that included artillery fire at targets on the sea and in the air.
: Taiwan vows to remain resilient and pragmatic and support its allies, not bowing before the “big bully in the neighborhood,” as the island faces the loss of long-term ally Honduras to China.
: China blocks the United States from broadcasting an informal United Nations Security Council meeting on human rights abuses in North Korea online.
: North Korea fires a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile toward the East Sea in a show of the “toughest response posture” against “aggressive” combined drills by the US and South Korea.
: China’s foreign ministry counters Japan’s territorial claims over disputed waters in the East China Sea, calling the move a “grave violation” of Chinese sovereignty.
: South Korean President Yoon travels to Tokyo to meet with Prime Minister Fumio, the first such summit between leaders of the two countries in 12 years.
: US Senate confirms President Joe Biden’s nominee Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India.
: China’s Coast Guard enters waters around disputed East China Sea islets on Wednesday to counter what it called the incursion of Japanese vessels into Chinese territorial waters.
: South Korea participates in a US-led multinational anti-submarine warfare exercise to enhance joint anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets his Fiji counterpart in Suva to alleviate concerns surrounding its $245 billion nuclear-powered submarine program. Australia is party to a nuclear-free zone treaty with 12 other South Pacific nations, including Fiji, which is gridlocked by the effects of nuclear weapons tests by the United States and France.
: China, Iran, and Russia conduct joint naval exercises titled “”Marine Security Belt” exercises “in the Gulf of Oman to “deepen practical cooperation among the navies of participating countries.”
: US Environmental Protection Agency finalizes a rule to require industrial facilities and power plants in 23 states to cut their smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, under the final “Good Neighbor” plan.
: Negotiators from 14 countries, including the US, take part in the second round of negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in Bali.
: China, Russia, and Iran hold a joint naval drill, code-named “Security Bond-2023,” in the Gulf of Oman.
: Honduras President Xiomara Castro announces the country will switch its diplomatic relations from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China.
: North Korea fires two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine in the East Sea.
: South Korea and the United States begin the 11-day Freedom Shield exercise that present “realistic” scenarios reflective of North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
: South Korean navy destroyer ROKS Choe Yeong conducts a joint field exercise with the USS Rafael Peralta.
: Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to re-establish relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria. The deal, brokered by China, was announced after four days of previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two rival Middle East powers.
: A Gallup Korea poll shows that 59% of Koreans do not approve of the Yoon government’s compensation plan because it does not involve an apology or compensation from Japanese firms.
: President of Federated States of Micronesia David Panuelo mentions the commencement of talks with Taiwan about switching diplomatic ties for $50 million in assistance after frustrations with China.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea.
: Chinese government announces a 7.2% rise, to $225 billion, in the country’s defense budget for 2023, though foreign analysts estimate that actual military spending may be 1.1 to 2 times higher than stated in the official budget.
: ASEAN and Chinese officials meet for a three-day discussion for the “China-ASEAN Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”
: South Korea announces that its companies would compensate people forced to work under Japan’s 1910-1945 occupation, seeking to end a dispute that has undercut US-led efforts to present a unified front against China and North Korea. This solution shall help resolve the colonial-era forced labor that has overshadowed political and trade relations between the two neighbors.
: South Korea and the United States stage combined air drills involving a US nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bomber.
: China announces the contribution of 200,000 euros ($217,000) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for technical assistance to Ukraine for the safety and security of nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
: Negotiators from more than 100 countries complete a UN treaty to protect the high seas, to reverse marine biodiversity losses and ensure sustainable development; after five rounds of protracted UN-led negotiations.
: China’s National Budget 2023 allocates 1.55 trillion Yuan ($224 billion) to military spending and the state is expected to boost defense expenditure by 7.2%, slightly outpacing 2022’s economic growth forecast.
: As the chair of the G7 in 2023, the Japanese government pledges financial and technological support to help ASEAN countries decarbonize their economies, combat global climate change and promote “realistic energy transition.”
: Philippines spots a Chinese navy ship and dozens of militia vessels around a contested Philippine-occupied Thitu island in the South China Sea, as territorial tensions mount in the area.
: South Korea and Japan create a new channel of bilateral communication to negotiate a resolution of the wartime forced labor issue.
: US State Department announces $6 billion in funding commitments around the world to protect oceans and fight climate change. The announcement includes 77 different commitments, with $3 billion allocated for climate resilience and climate research, more than $665 million for sustainable fisheries and $200 million tackling marine pollution.
: A Cambodian court convicts former leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha of treason and sentenced him to 27 years of house arrest. Under detention since 2017, his sentencing is a clear warning to the remnants of the Cambodian political opposition ahead of general elections on July 23.
: United States and South Korea announce that they will conduct more than 10 days
: A Russian submarine launches the Kalibr cruise missile from Sea of Japan in a drill. These missiles have been previously used by Kremlin to attack multiple targets in Ukraine, including power stations, by launching them from ships and submarines in the Black Sea.
: United States adds 37 Chinese and Russian entities to its trade blacklist for activities including contributing to Russia’s army, supporting China’s military and facilitating or engaging in human rights abuses in Myanmar and China.
: Vietnam’s National Assembly elects Vo Van Thuong as the country’s new president, in a reshuffle of the country’s top leadership amid a sweeping anti-graft campaign.
: Quad foreign ministers meet to reaffirm support for an inclusive, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific.
: In his first speech addressing the March First Independence Movement Day, President Yoon calls Japan a “partner” to work together to face global challenges.
March 2, 2023: White House announces a new Cyber-Security strategy in the latest effort to bolster its cyber defenses amid a steady increase in hacking and digital crimes targeting the country. The strategy urges tighter regulation of existing cyber-security practices across industries and improved collaboration between the government and private sector.
March 2, 2023: White House announces a new Cyber-Security strategy in the latest effort to bolster its cyber defenses amid a steady increase in hacking and digital crimes targeting the country. The strategy urges tighter regulation of existing cyber-security practices across industries and improved collaboration between the government and private sector.
: Thailand and the United States kick off military exercises involving more than 7,000 personnel and forces from 30 countries, with the annual “Cobra Gold” drills; one of the world’s longest-running multilateral military exercises and the biggest in Southeast Asia, to shore up alliances in Asia at a time of increasing competition with China. The latest edition of this drill will include a new component focused on space exercises.
: South Korean and US special commandos conduct Exercise Teak Knife, combined drills set to strengthen the “ironclad” security commitment between the allies.
: South Korea, the United States, and Japan hold their first economic security dialogue, amid efforts to strengthen the resilience of supply chains and develop technology. With an intent to expand bilateral economic security cooperation with the United States to the trilateral level, the countries discussed cooperation to protect technology and data and vulnerabilities arising from economic interdependence.
: China accuses the US of “endangering” peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait after a US P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance military plane flies through the sensitive waterway; citing Beijing’s “sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction” over the strait.
: International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s investment arm, will provide Sri Lanka a $400 million cross-currency swap facility to help fund essential imports; as the Indo-Pacific island nation grapples with its worst financial crisis in over seven decades.
: JPMorgan proposes a new Asia credit index with slashed China weighting in parallel to its existing $85 billion Asia credit index, amid growing geopolitical tensions and dimming appetite for Chinese property bonds.
: G20 finance chiefs fail to reach a consensus on describing the war in Ukraine and end the meeting by issuing a “Chair’s summary and an Outcome document” in which it simply summed up the two days of talks and noted disagreements.
: USS Springfield, a US nuclear-powered submarine, arrives in South Korea, in an apparent warning to North Korea’s repeated missile provocations.
: North Korea fires four Hwasal-2 strategic cruise missiles to demonstrate the “war posture” of the country’s nuclear combat forces.
: Canada pledges four more Leopard 2 battle tanks, an armored recovery vehicle, over 5,000 rounds of 155 mm and a new legion of sanctions targeting 129 individuals and 63 entities including Russian deputy prime ministers and other officials to Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
: US State Department marks the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by sanctioning more than 60 top Russian officials, including cabinet ministers and regional leaders, and three nuclear weapons institutes.
: Pacific Islands Forum agrees to pass on the diplomatic post to Taiwan ally Nauru in 2024; as it resolves to face climate change and superpower rivalry as a united “family.”
: North Korea test-fires four strategic cruise missiles during a drill designed to demonstrate its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack against hostile forces; in response to the US-South Korea simulated exercises held earlier.
: China issues a 12-point “Position Paper on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.”
: US and South Korean Deterrence Strategy Committee conducts its 1st Table-Top/Simulated Exercise, known as DSC TTX, in response to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent aggressive nuclear policy and advancements in nuclear capabilities.
: United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
: G7 nations raise $39 billion worth of economic support for Ukraine and urge an IMF program for the country by the end of March. The decision comes after a meeting of the bloc’s finance ministers and central bank governors on the eve of the war’s first anniversary.
: Philippines and Australia discuss pursuing joint patrols in the South China Sea, days after the Southeast Asian country held similar talks with the United States on the need to counter China’s assertiveness in the strategic waterway.
: China and Japan square off at their 1st Formal Security Talk in over four years. The talks, aimed at easing tensions between the world’s second- and third-largest economies, come as Tokyo worries that Beijing will resort to force to take control of Taiwan in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, sparking a conflict that could embroil Japan and disrupt global trade.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, following the joint air drills staged by South Korea and the United States.
: US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield urges the UN Security Council to condemn North Korea’s ballistic missile launches and encourage Pyongyang to engage in diplomacy.
: Philippines and the United States discuss conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea, in a response to overlapping sovereign claims in the strategic waterway and China’s “aggressive activities” in the region; which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and US tensions around naval operation.
: Russia, China, and South Africa hold second joint naval drill, Mosi-2, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa.
Feb. 22, 2023: Following North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conduct a trilateral missile defense exercise to strengthen security cooperation.
Feb. 22, 2023: Following North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conduct a trilateral missile defense exercise to strengthen security cooperation.
: North Korea launches a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan’s west coast, after warning of a strong response to upcoming military drills by South Korea and the United States. Japanese authorities declare that the missile plunged into waters inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone more than an hour after it was launched, suggesting the weapon was one of Pyongyang’s largest missiles.
: Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers meet on sidelines of Munich Security Conference reiterating the need for “close communications between the two countries on each diplomatic level to resolve issues of concern.”
: In an effort to maintain lines of communication, Secretary Blinken meets Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 59th Munich Security Conference, the first high-level meeting between Chinese and US officials since the balloon incident.
: China imposes sanctions on US defense manufacturers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as a “countermeasure” for their fulfillment of arms sales contracts for Taiwan.
: US Vice President Kamala Harris discusses challenges posed by China with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and agrees to remain closely aligned in meetings with the European leaders, held alongside the Munich Security Conference.
: Taiwan finds crashed weather balloon on a remote island, after it had found the remains of a probable crashed weather balloon likely from China on a remote and strategically located island near the Chinese coast, amid a dispute between China and the United States over spy balloons.
: Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government asks the US for more sanctions against the Tatmadaw and increased funding for anti-junta forces.
: Japan says it will start a pilot program in April to test the use of a digital yen, its central bank, joining a growing number of countries seeking to catch up with front-runner China in launching a central bank digital currency.
: South Korea releases its latest defense white paper describing North Korea as its “enemy” for the first time in six years and reporting an increase in Pyongyang’s stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium up to 70 kg.
: US, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan hold first meeting of the “Chip4” or “Fab 4” initiative to build a resilient semiconductor supply chain, involving senior government officials.
: China’s President Xi Jinping and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, call for the lifting of sanctions on Iran as an integral part of a stalled international agreement on its nuclear program.
: Over 60 countries including the US and China sign a modest “call to action” endorsing the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military at the first international summit on military AI, co-hosted by the Netherlands and South Korea this week at The Hague.
: Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology releases a study suggesting the negligible impact of the release of waste water from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power into South Korean water bodies.
: China puts Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon Technologies on an “unreliable entities list” over arms sales to Taiwan, banning them from imports and exports related to China in its latest sanctions against the US companies.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi announces that Japan will invite his Ukrainian counterpart to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting to be held in Germany.
: Manila’s Army Chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner announces that the Philippines and the United States will carry out their biggest joint military drills in 2023, against a backdrop of growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
: Japan condemns China’s violations of its airspace by uncrewed surveillance balloons and “strongly suspects” that Chinese surveillance balloons entered Japanese territory at least three times since 2019.
: China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA), the country’s top chip industry trade group, opposes reported export controls from the United States, Japan and the Netherlands.
: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr summons China’s ambassador to express his “serious concern” over China’s actions in the South China Sea, where a Chinese coast guard ship directed a “military-grade laser” at one of its ships supporting a resupply mission to troops in the disputed waterway, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge.
: Prime Minister Modi and President Biden meet to review ongoing and new initiatives to deepen the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership and welcome the Air India–Boeing agreement.
: Officials from China, India, Saudi Arabia, and G7 nations will participate in a first virtual meeting of a new sovereign debt roundtable.
: US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet will lead a delegation to Pakistan and Bangladesh, as Washington and Islamabad seek to repair ties strained under former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
: United States and Papua New Guinea make substantial progress on the text of a defense cooperation agreement that lays the groundwork for closer military ties between the two nations. The agreement is expected to improve the capacity of Papua New Guinea’s Defense Force and increase stability and security in the region.
: Top Communist Party official Wang Huning meets with Taiwan’s senior opposition leader Andrew Hsia to discuss the need for maintaining the “peace and stability of cross-strait relations.”
: Department of Commerce adds six Chinese companies to the Entity List over their involvement in Beijing’s balloon surveillance program.
: US signs a memorandum of understanding with the Federated States of Micronesia.
: Australian government will examine surveillance technology used in offices of its defense department amid reports citing security risks from Chinese-made cameras installed there posed a security risk.
: Japan and the Philippines pledge closer security ties amid China tensions by penning a deal, allowing their armed forces to work together during disaster relief operations. The two sides also agree to establish a framework that would “strengthen and smooth the process of holding joint exercises.”
: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vows to facilitate peace talks to a long-simmering insurgency in restive southern Thailand during an official visit to the country.
: First Australian coal cargoes arrive in China, after the easing of an unofficial ban on imports introduced by Beijing more than two years ago.
: North Korea showcases its missile production muscle during a night-time parade, displaying more intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hinting at a new solid-fuel weapon; despite United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions.
: United States, Britain, and Australia carry out joint air drills over the Nevada desert and beyond, as part of an effort to simulate high-end combat operations against Chinese fighter aircraft and air defenses.
: Opposition gains majority in key Solomon Islands province after anti-China leader ousted. Daniel Suidani, a vocal critic of the country’s relationship with China, vocally opposed the Solomon Island switching recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019.
: Philippine President Marcos visits Japan seeking closer security ties, as Manila increasingly sides with the United States in its regional tussle with China.
: Australia and New Zealand talk up their relationships with China at a joint prime ministerial news conference in the latest sign of strengthening ties with their biggest trading partner.
: Canada and Taiwan agree to commence formal talks to start formal negotiations for a deal to encourage two-way foreign investments and deepen their Indo-Pacific partnership.
: Philippine Coast Guard steps up its presence in the disputed South China Sea by deploying additional vessels and conducting more sorties and over-flights to protect maritime territory and the country’s fishermen.
: China protests the downing of the balloon with the US Embassy in Beijing.
: South Korea and Australia’s central banks renew a currency swap agreement valued at 9.6 trillion won or A$12 billion, for five years until early 2028. The agreement, first signed in 2014, allows either party to exchange funds in their own currency for the other currency under pre-set terms.
: ASEAN chair Indonesia says it will intensify talks on code for South China Sea, amid escalating tensions in the strategic waterway.
: A US military fighter jet shoots down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, a week after it first entered US airspace.
: South Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin reaffirms commitment to strengthening “extended deterrence” in relation to North Korea in a meeting with US top diplomat Antony Blinken amid concerns over Pyongyang’s increasing missile and nuclear capabilities.
: China objects to further cooperation between Britain, the US, and Australia on nuclear submarines in a statement made by the foreign ministry during a formal briefing.
: Micronesia will sign an extension of its economic and security pact with the United States; a deal seen as important in Washington’s efforts to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.
: World Bank allows two separate proceedings to resolve a long-running disagreement over water between India and Pakistan to run in parallel, fearing the stalemate endangered the historic Indus Water Treaty.
: United States and South Korea conduct joint air exercises for the second time in a week with some of their latest warplanes, despite North Korean complaints that the exercises increase tensions on the peninsula.
: Philippines grants the US greater access to bases amid mounting concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan. The United States would be given access to four more locations under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
: South Korea and the US stage combined air drills over the Yellow Sea.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi discuss concerns over disputed East China Sea islands. The disputed East China Sea islets claimed by both China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations. China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku.
: US reopens its embassy in the Solomon Islands with Secretary Blinken hailing it as an important signal of Washington’s commitment to democracy in the Pacific region.
: US launches a partnership with India to compete against China on military equipment, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.
: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stresses the importance of NATO working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific. He notes that Europe cannot not ignore what happens in East Asia, as global security is interconnected.
: US and allies mark anniversary of Myanmar coup with more curbs on energy officials and junta members, among others.
: To hold onto power under the current constitution, the State Administrative Council in Myanmar extends the State of Emergency imposed during the coup on Feb. 1, 2021 for another six months.
: US Customs and Border Protection begins to issue detention notices against aluminum shipments originating in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region over concerns of forced labor.
: NATO and Japan pledge to strengthen ties in face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing military cooperation with China. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Kishida note that these developments have created the most tense security environment since World War II.
: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen holds a telephone call with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel in a diplomatic coup for Taipei.
: Defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea vow to expand military drills and boost nuclear deterrence planning to counter North Korea’s weapons development and prevent the possibility of a war.
: Myanmar’s military, which has been is invited to take part in a regional military meeting co-chaired by the United States and Thailand.
: A Chinese surveillance balloon floats across the continental United States after first being spotted over Alaska on Jan. 28.
: Kiribati announces that it will rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum, ending a split that had threatened unity at a time of increased superpower tensions in the strategically located region.
: France and Australia unveil plans to jointly manufacture ammunition for Ukraine to shore up defense cooperation and move past a row over Canberra’s decision to ditch plans to buy French submarines two years ago.
: South Korea’s Coast Guard arrests an unnamed oil dealer. He is accused of supplying 19,000 tons of diesel fuel, worth 18 billion won ($14.65 million), to North Korea in 35 ship-to-ship transfers during October 2021-January 2022, using a Chinese firm as intermediary for transport and payment.
: China’s coast guard drives away Japanese vessels from disputed waters in the East China Sea.
: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrives in Seoul in a move to intensify ties with Asia. The trip, intended to reach out to US allies like South Korea and Japan is band-wagoning with like-minded partners in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China.
: Russia rules out talks with Japan on renewing a pact that allows Japanese fishermen to operate near disputed islands off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories. They have been at the core of decades of tension between the neighbors.
: Australia’s defense and foreign ministers aim to deepen security ties with France and Britain, as noted in their visits to Europe this week, flagging the Indo-Pacific as a key area of focus.
: Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reports that Japan is considering lifting export controls to South Korea as they continue to work on a resolution to the wartime forced labor issue.
: Myanmar’s ruling junta announces tough requirements for parties to contest elections in 2023, including a huge increase in their membership. This move is expected to sideline the military’s opponents and cement its grip on politics.
: Thailand’s ruling pro-military Palang Pracharat Party picks political veteran and former army chief Prawit Wongsuwon as its prime ministerial candidate. Prawit, who serves as the current deputy prime minister, is expected to face-off with the incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
: United States Marine Corps opens a new base on Guam to counter China’s presence in the Western Pacific.
: A security assessment by the Indian Police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh reports there could be more clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their contested frontier there as Beijing ramps up military infrastructure in the region.
: International Criminal Court will reopen its investigation into possible “crimes against humanity” committed in the Philippines during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, which led to the deaths of over a thousand civilians.
: Japan tightens sanctions against Russia following its latest wave of missile attacks in Ukraine, adding goods to an export ban list and freezing the assets of Russian officials and entities.
: US Trade Representative appeals two WTO dispute panel rulings brought by China on Section 232 tariffs and on “made in China” designations for Hong Kong to a defunct WTO Appellate Body.
: Central bank estimates show that South Korea’s economy shrank in the 4th quarter of 2022 for the first time in two and a half years.
: Human Rights Watch researchers report that several demonstrators, apprehended for publicly protesting China’s then-ongoing zero-COVID policy in 2021, continue to remain in detention.
: President Biden extends a program that allows for Hong Kong residents to remain in the US, citing the erosion of human rights and freedoms.
: A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime suggests a 33% jump in opium cultivation in military-ruled Myanmar. This growth is directly connected to the political and economic turmoil since the 2021 coup and has reversed a six-year downward trend in the strife-torn country.
: Chris Hipkins is confirmed as New Zealand’s next prime minister, with Carmel Sepuloni, as his deputy, marking the first time a person with Pacific Island heritage has risen to that rank. Hipkins succeeds Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s first female prime minister, who announced her resignation on Jan. 19.
: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seeks foreign ministerial-level talks with China to resolve any new conflicts in the South China Sea by proposing that their top diplomats lead the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (established in 2017), to allow a more rapid response to future conflicts in the disputed sea.
: US President Joe Biden appoints long-time State Department official Julie Turner as North Korea human rights envoy, a position unfilled since 2017.
: US hits its debt ceiling and begins resorting to “extraordinary measures” to avoid default.
: Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigns ahead of the near certainty that he would be pushed out in Vietnamese Communist Party Secretary-General Nguyen Phu Trong’s “Burning Furnace” anti-corruption campaign.
: Indonesia deploys a warship to its North Natuna Sea to monitor a Chinese Coast Guard vessel that had been active in the resource-rich area in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone.
: South Korea’s advanced Army unit stages a joint field exercise with a US Stryker Brigade Combat Team near the inter-Korean border.
: Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio meets with President Biden at the US-Japan Summit 2023. The two leaders exchange views on regional issues, establish consensus on the need to uphold the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, and concur on continuing to work closely in addressing issues related to China.
: China inducts the “Zhu Hai Yun,” the world’s first seaborne drone carrier with autonomous navigation and remote-control functions. It has been constructed under the supervision of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory and has been awarded the first intelligent ship certificate by the China Classification Society.
: In the South Korean foreign ministry’s report to President Yoon Suk Yeol on major policy tasks for 2023, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong says Korea will continue to mend ties with Japan through “reasonable solutions” to pending issues, and also hope to resume shuttle diplomacy.
: US House of Representatives votes to establish China Select Committee, which will focus on the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological and security progress and the strategic competition between Beijing and Washington.
: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) is elected speaker of the House of Representatives on the 15th ballot, the longest such process for a House speaker in a century and a half. Rumors circulate that concessions made to Republican hardliners include demands for spending cuts in return for lifting the US’ debt ceiling.
: Chinese Embassy in South Korea releases a statement protesting the visit of several South Korean lawmakers to Taiwan.
: US 7th Fleet Destroyer USS Chung-Hoon transits the Taiwan Strait.
: China’s National Development and Reform Commission holds talks on proposals to allow four major importers—China Baowu Steel Group, China Datang, China Huaneng Group, and China Energy Investment—to make new purchases from Australia in 2023 after a more than two-year ban as relations between the nations improve.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in Beijing. They sign 14 agreements stepping up bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure development, and maritime security cooperation. They also agree to set up direct communication channels to manage maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter inspect dozens of intermediate-range and short-range ballistic missiles, emphasizing Kim’s declaration to “exponentially increase” missile production in the new year. North Korea also tests a nuclear-capable “super-large multiple launch rocket system,” which Kim states can strike anywhere in South Korea.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping says during his televised New Year speech that he sincerely hopes that “our compatriots on both sides of the Strait will work together with a unity of purpose to jointly foster the lasting prosperity of the Chinese nation.”
: President Biden signs into law the $1.65 trillion Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act covering funding for the US government for fiscal year 2023 that includes provisions to authorize $2 billion in loans to Taiwan to buy weapons from the US.
: US authorizes the sale to Taiwan of Volcano (vehicle-launched) antitank mine-laying systems, valued at $180 million.
: President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan announces that conscription for all young men born after 2005 will be extended from 4 to 12 months beginning in 2024.
: Five North Korea drones cross the inter-Korean border, with one flying over northern Seoul. South Korea fails to shoot down the five drones but sends its own drones to the border, with some crossing the border to carry out surveillance and other operations.
: Japan announces a defense spending hike of more than 26% for the following year—its biggest increase since World War II—in response to concerns over a potential invasion of Taiwan. The amount includes $1.6 billion to purchase US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, following the combined South Korea-United States air drills the day before.
: World Trade Organization rejects US efforts to attach “Made in China” label to products manufactured in Hong Kong.
: North Korea reportedly conducts first static ground test of a large solid-propellant rocket motor, the first indication that the regime is developing a propulsion system usable in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or ICBM-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrives in China to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties, potentially offering an opportunity to mend relations that have soured over trade and security tensions.
: South Korea, the United States, and 13 other member nations participate in US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ministerial meeting.
: Operator of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange opens its first US office in New York to attract foreign companies interested in listing in the Asian financial hub, even as US-China tensions weigh on the bourse’s profits.
: North Korea conducts an “important final-stage” test that evaluates the capabilities of putting a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
: Local government in China’s Xinjiang region scrubs detailed data on monthly exports from its customs website after the US slapped a ban on shipments over forced labor concerns.
: North Korea fires two ballistic missiles toward the sea off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast, days after the country tested a high-thrust solid-fuel engine that experts said would allow quicker and more mobile launch of ballistic missiles.
: Japan issues the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy (NDS), and the Defense Buildup program. South South Korea issues strong protest against Japan’s territorial claim over disputed islands made in a national security strategy released on Friday while cautiously responding to Tokyo’s plans for an unprecedented military buildup.
: UN General Assembly passes a resolution calling for international efforts to improve human rights conditions in North Korea, making this the 18th consecutive year the General Assembly has adopted such a resolution.
Dec. 16, 2022: Malaysian political parties supporting PM Anwar Ibrahim sign a cooperation pact promising to ensure stability, ahead of a confidence vote on the premier next week.
Dec. 16, 2022: Malaysian political parties supporting PM Anwar Ibrahim sign a cooperation pact promising to ensure stability, ahead of a confidence vote on the premier next week.
: Australia signs new security deal with Vanuatu. It comes amid intensified competition with China in the Pacific, after Beijing’s own security deal with the Solomon Islands.
: US Forces Korea launch a new space forces unit as the allies ramp up efforts to better counter North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
: Leaders from ASEAN and the EU resolve to cooperate more on everything from clean energy to security, as they gathered in Brussels for the first-ever summit between the blocs.
: India’s defense minister says that Indian troops prevented Chinese soldiers from entering Indian territory during a border scuffle that led to injuries on both sides in the first such clash since 2020 between the Asian giants.
: Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US, and Japan hold trilateral meeting in Jakarta amid speculation that North Korea may carry out another nuclear test.
: South Korea’s foreign minister tells his Chinese counterpart that the country expects China to actively support South Korea’s efforts for dialogue with North Korea.
: Indonesia summons a United Nations official after the organization expressed concerns over threats to civil liberties posed by the newly-ratified revisions to its criminal code.
: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) storms to power in Gujarat with a historic mandate, winning a record-breaking 156 of 182 seats, a seventh consecutive victory for the party in the native state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
: China and Saudi Arabia sign 34 energy and investment deals as President Xi vows to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Riyadh during his first visit to the Middle East since 2016.
: US downgrades diplomatic relations with Myanmar, with the incumbent US ambassador returning home later this month and Washington deciding not to send a successor.
: Indonesian Parliament votes to revise the country’s Criminal Code to criminalize adultery, sex outside marriage, and insults to the president or other state authorities.
: China moves one step closer to reopening by relaxing COVID-19 control measures and allowing some who test positive to isolate at home.
: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announces two arms sales approvals for Taiwan, with a total value of $428 billion, which includes spare parts for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Indigenous Defense Fighter, and C-130 military transport aircraft.
: “Tool-in” ceremony celebrating installation of the first equipment at TSMC’s factory in Arizona marks the start of a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the US and for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, with Biden flying in for the ceremony.
: North Korea fires 130 artillery shells into inter-Korean maritime buffer zones.
: Canada will increase its role in the Indo-Pacific and challenge China when it disrupts the international order, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly says, stating that “international norms have kept us safe since the Second World War and therefore need to be respected.”
: South Korea imposes sanctions targeting eight persons and seven agencies seen as complicit in the DPRK’s WMD programs.
: Korean government asks the US to include car-sharing EVs such as Uber and Lyft in the EV tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.
: President Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron reiterate the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed concerns over the challenges posed by China.
: India takes over as president of the G20 for next year’s summit that is scheduled to be held in New Delhi. India’s FM Jaishankar says the presidency is a “crucial responsibility that is being assumed by India at a very challenging time in world politics.”
: Delhi responds to criticism from Beijing regarding India-US military exercises, with India’s External affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi saying China “needs to reflect and think about its own breach of these agreements of 1993 and 1996.”
: India assumes the G20 presidency.
: Jiang Zemin, China’s paramount leader during the 1997 Hong Kong handover and 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization, dies at age 96.
: India-Australia bilateral training exercise “AUSTRA HIND 22” between contingents of the Indian Army and the Australian Army takes place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges (Rajasthan).
: India-Malaysia joint military annual training exercise “Harimau Shakti -2022” is conducted at Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia.
: Congressional and other sources claim that weapons deliveries to Taiwan amount to $18.7 billion, up from more than $14 billion a year earlier.
: Malaysia’s new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, says he will continue to maintain stable ties with China as he seeks to emphasize economic engagement, while avoiding confrontation on contentious issues.
: Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist (Kuomintang or KMT) Party scores a major victory over President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in island-wide local elections.
: South Korean President Yoon warns that the government might step in to break up a nationwide strike by truckers, describing it as an illegal and unacceptable move to take the national supply chain “hostage” during an economic crisis.
: 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) convenes in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where regional defense chiefs adopt a joint declaration to promote peace and security in the region.
: Malaysia’s King Abdullah calls special meeting of hereditary sultans to discuss who should be prime minister as an unprecedented post-election crisis enters its fourth day.
: US VP Kamala Harris wraps up a three-day visit to the Philippines by flying to an island that faces the disputed South China Sea, making her the highest-ranking US official to visit Palawan, which has been at the front-line of the maritime feud between China and several Southeast Asian countries.
: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim seeks backing from the graft-tainted incumbent coalition and his longtime rival to form a government, in a bid to gain an edge over opponent Muhyiddin Yassin, after a tumultuous election delivered a hung Parliament.
: Japanese PM Kishida sacks internal affairs minister Terada Minoru over a funds-related scandal amid falling support ratings for his Cabinet. Terada is the third Cabinet minister to go in under one month.
: Myanmar’s ruling military says that it did not engage in bargaining with other countries before releasing four foreign prisoners among nearly 6,000 in an amnesty this week.
: North Korea fires one short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea.
: South Korea and the United States co-host the Symposium on Countering DPRK Cyber-Exploitation of Cryptocurrency Exchanges. Officials from more than a dozen countries discuss ways to counter cryptocurrency theft and other illegal cyber activities of North Korea.
: Myanmar junta releases 5,800 prisoners, 400 of whom are estimated to be political detainees including Australian economist Sean Turnell and US citizen Kyaw Htay Oo.
: Japan and China hold their first summit in about three years as Japanese companies struggle to find a balance between maintaining a presence in the world’s No. 2 economy and responding to US calls to diversify. The meeting between PM Kishida and President Xi comes ahead of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting.
: President Xi criticizes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in person over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting at the G20 summit, a rare public display of annoyance by the Chinese leader.
: ROK President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida agree to seek a quick settlement of the issue of compensation for Korean victims of wartime forced labor, a key point of contention between the two neighbors, during their summit in Cambodia.
: Thailand hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting and brokers a consensus statement that calls Russia out for the war in Ukraine.
: G20 Summit takes place Nov. 15-16.
: President Biden and President Xi hold a three-hour meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, their first in-person meeting as presidents. President Biden warns President Xi that the US would enhance its security position in Asia if Beijing cannot rein in North Korea’s weapons programs. During a three-hour meeting the two leaders also had strong words about Taiwan.
: President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo, discussing potential areas of cooperation between the two economies in high-tech and clean energy sectors.
: Japanese PM Kishida criticizes Beijing for stepping up actions that infringe on Japan’s sovereignty in the East China Sea at an annual summit of ASEAN and its partners.
: US upgrades ties with ASEAN, elevating their relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” vowing to deliver more aid as President Biden steps up efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the regional bloc.
: President Biden participates in the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and the adjacent US-ASEAN Summit. Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia do not attend the EAS
: Southeast Asian heads of government issue a “warning” to Myanmar to make measurable progress on a peace plan or risk being barred from ASEAN meetings, as social and political chaos escalates in the country.
: After meeting his Russian counterpart for the fifth time this year, India’s foreign minister says that India will continue buying Russian oil because it benefits the country, adding that the two countries were expanding trade ties.
: President Biden extends for an additional year the national emergency declared in 2020 related to the threat from securities investments that finance certain Chinese companies.
: North Korea launches one short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea. The missile is assumed to be one of North Korea’s new SRBMs.
: US midterm election take place, with Republicans capturing a majority in the House of Representatives but Democrats retaining control of the Senate.
: North Korean state media reports that it has never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so, after the US said North Korea appears to be supplying Russia with artillery shells for its war in Ukraine.
: Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces hold international naval fleet review, with South Korea’s navy participating amid efforts by the two countries to thaw their icy relations.
: North Korea fires four short-range ballistic missiles toward the Yellow Sea on the last day of the Vigilant Storm drill of South Korea and the United States.
: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: Foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the US include Taiwan in their G7 meeting statement, saying they “reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.”
: North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missile and two short-range missiles toward the East Sea.
: North Korea launches a barrage of missiles and artillery shells, with one short-range ballistic missile flying across its de facto maritime border with South Korea.
: North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, including one that triggered an alert for residents in parts of central and northern Japan to seek shelter.
: Rights group Amnesty International claims that aviation fuel supply chains connect foreign companies to the Myanmar junta’s airstrikes on civilians.
: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chairs the 21st SCO Prime Ministerial meeting.
: Chinese President Xi tells visiting leader of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party that both countries and parties should “never let anyone interfere” with their progress, state broadcaster CCTV reports.
: South Korea and Poland sign agreement to jointly push for a plan to build a nuclear power plant in the European nation, raising hopes for Seoul’s first nuclear power plant export in more than a decade.
: South Korea and the United States conduct the five-day Vigilant Storm exercise involving stealth jets and more than 240 aircraft.
: Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council head states that China should stop sabre-rattling against Taiwan and maintain peace and stability, as Beijing ramped up political and military pressure on the island.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: Secretary of Defense Austin releases 2022 National Defense Strategy, which codifies China as the US military’s pacing challenge and seeks to prevent the PRC’s dominance of key regions. He also releases the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review.
: Cambodia, current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, says the bloc is gravely concerned about escalating violence in Myanmar.
: India’s navy hosts the 29th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) at Visakhapatnam.
: Goto Shigeyuki, a former health minister, is chosen to replace Yamagiwa Daishiro as Japan’s economic revitalization minister, who resigned due to controversy surrounding his ties with the Unification Church.
: Department of Justice charges individuals for alleged participation on malign schemes in the US on behalf of the Chinese government, including conspiracy to forcibly repatriate Chinese nationals, obstruction of judge, and acting as illegal agents of a foreign country.
: Chinese President Xi seals his bid for a third term while his deputy and several other top officials got the boot as the country’s top leadership meeting wrapped up.
: Sri Lanka’s Parliament passes a constitutional amendment aimed at trimming presidential powers, beefing up anti-corruption safeguards, and helping to find a way out of the country’s worst financial crisis since independence.
: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., announces that Manila will drop a $215 million helicopter deal with Russia and instead purchase military helicopters from the United States.
: Indian National Congress elects its first president outside the Gandhi family in over 20 years, party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge.
: North Korea fires around 100 artillery rounds into the Yellow Sea and another 150 rounds into the East Sea, into the eastern and western buffer zones north of the Northern Limit Line.
: Japan announces additional sanctions on North Korea and freezes the assets of five organizations for their involvement with the nuclear and missile programs.
: Maritime forces from the US, Canada, and Japan conduct exercises in the South China Sea in support of Royal Australian Navy forces.
: Singapore and Vietnam ink new agreements to deepen collaboration in trading renewable energy and working on carbon credit projects.
: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio sends a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine, but does not visit the shrine.
: Xi Jinping opens the Chinese Communist Party’s twice-a-decade National Congress by pledging to never renounce using force to take control of Taiwan while championing a clampdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Congress continues until Oct. 22.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile into the sea and hundreds of artillery rounds near the border with the South.
: South Korea announces new unilateral sanctions against North Korea, the first in five years, designating 15 individuals and 16 organizations for their involvement with the nuclear and missile programs.
: Around 10 North Korean military aircraft fly close to the border with South Korea, prompting the South Korean Air Force to scramble F-35A stealth fighters and other assets.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises the testfiring of long-range strategic cruise missiles involving units operating “tactical nukes” to send a “clear warning to the enemies” and a demonstration of the country’s deterrence capabilities.
: Philippines seeks to revive its upstream oil industry with redevelopment of an oil field that last produced in the early 1990s, as it hopes to wean itself off fuel imports, according to energy officials.
: Indonesian President Jokowi orders a stress test for the economy amid global uncertainty. His comments follow IMF cuts to its global growth forecast for 2023 amid pressures from the war in Ukraine, high energy and food prices, inflation, and sharply higher interest rates.
: White House releases its National Security Strategy.
: Japan lifts border restrictions after almost 2 years and 7 months.
: Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob announces dissolution of Parliament, paving the way for the country’s 15th general election despite protests by most political parties over holding polls during the monsoon flood season.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises an exercise of tactical nuclear operation units to check and assess the “war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability” in response to recent joint US-South Korea military exercises. Kim states that North Korea has “no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so.”
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, its seventh missile provocation in two weeks.
: US Commerce Department imposes sweeping export controls against China’s semiconductor industry, affecting both US chip design firms and Taiwan suppliers using American technology like TSMC.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command in Seoul to discuss North Korea’s provocations and the Seoul-Washington alliance.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, its sixth missile test in under two weeks.
: US Treasure Department announces sanctions on three individuals for procurement of Russian-made arms from Belarus for the military regime in Myanmar.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US conduct a joint naval exercise in the East Sea focusing on countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
: US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan redeploys near the Korean Peninsula in a show of might aimed at deterring further North Korean activity after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan.
: Taiwan vows to safeguard interests amid US-led Chip4 talks, as a senior Taiwanese official says full decoupling from China, Taiwan’s largest trading partner, is “not realistic.”
: North Korea fires intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, its first launch of an IRBM in eight months and the fifth missile test in just over a week. In response, a South Korean F-15K fighter fires two JADAM precision bombs at a firing range on a Yellow Sea island and air drills with the US in a combined strike package.
: South Korean activists clash with police while launching balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda materials across the North Korean border, ignoring their government’s plea to stop since the North has threatened to respond with “deadly” retaliation.
: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) and fleet replenishment-oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204), in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces, conducts exercises in the South China Sea.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, a day a day after South Korea, the US, and Japan staged an anti-submarine warfare exercise. This marks North Korea’s fourth missile launch within a week.
: In Taipei, the US government convenes a preliminary meeting of “Chips 4,” a new working group of the US, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan intended to strengthen semiconductor supply chain resiliency and cooperation.
: China withdraws draft resolution against the AUKUS alliance at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna after apprehending that the measure would not receive majority support.
: Court in military-ruled Myanmar jails deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her former economic adviser, Australian Sean Turnell, for three years for violating a secrets law.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, a day before US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Seoul.
: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio kicks off three days of meetings with nearly 40 global leaders in Tokyo to attend state funeral for Abe Shinzo, using the opportunity to renew the ex-leader’s push for a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
: US Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group conducts series of exercises with ROK Navy.
Sept. 27, 2022: State funeral for Abe Shinzo takes place.
Sept. 27, 2022: State funeral for Abe Shinzo takes place.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea, the North’s fifth missile firing since the Yoon administration took office.
: Top diplomats from the US, Japan, and South Korea meet in New York to coordinate joint response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
: Nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea to conduct its first combined drills with the South Korean Navy.
: Senior diplomats from the United States and China meet with tensions high after an explicit pledge by Biden to defend Taiwan.
: Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the 77th UNGA. Quad countries promised “to deepen Quad multilateral cooperation in support of advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient” and agreed their “vision is for a region where the rules-based international order is upheld, and where the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are respected.”
: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations meeting takes place.
: Taiwanese government says that it will never allow China to “meddle” in its future after a Chinese government spokesperson said Beijing was willing to make the utmost effort to strive for a peaceful “reunification” with the island.
: Japan abandons controversial training program for Myanmar cadets, with a Defense Ministry spokesperson saying that the decision was a response to the military junta’s shocking execution of four political prisoners in July.
: US President Joe Biden says US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement on the issue, drawing an angry response from China that said it sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan.
: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76), in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331), conducts exercises in the South China Sea.
: US President Joseph, when asked “Would US forces defend the island (of Taiwan)?” responds “Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.”
: Two Chinese military drones, the CH-4 and the WZ-7, are reported to have flown near Taiwan for the first time.
: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells Russian President Vladimir Putin that now is not the time for war, publicly assailing the Kremlin chief over the conflict in Ukraine.
: Seoul Central District Court dismisses its case for Japan to disclose its state assets in South Korea to pay compensation to comfort women because of its refusal to comply.
: President Biden signs executive order directing the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CIFUS) to concentrate on specific types of transactions that would give a foreign power access to key technologies that are critical to US economic growth.
: Four Russian naval ships and three Chinese vessels launch their 2nd joint Pacific patrol.
: US Senate committee approves legislation that would significantly enhance US military support for Taiwan, including provisions for billions of dollars in additional security assistance, amid increased pressure from China toward the democratically governed island.
: UN General Assembly convenes in New York.
: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, is suspended while the court deliberates on the case filed by the opposition.
: Head of a UN team of investigators on Myanmar states that Facebook has handed over millions of items that could support allegations of war crimes and genocide.
: Indonesia and Norway sign bilateral climate and forest partnership to support Jakarta’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even as it reduced deforestation to a 20-year low.
: Member nations of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework agree to start official negotiations to boost regional economic cooperation.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly expresses determination not to give up the country’s nuclear weapons, accusing the United States of seeking the collapse of his regime, not just denuclearization.
: North Korea celebrates 74th anniversary of its founding. At the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea announces five conditions for a nuclear preemptive strike, states that it will not share nuclear weapons and technology with other countries, and reaffirms that the country will resist all sanctions and pressures to give up its nuclear weapons.
: Japan and India agree to bolster bilateral cooperation on maritime security, including expanding joint drills and setting up a high-level defense dialogue.
: Third ministerial (and first in-person meeting) of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is held in Los Angeles. The 14 members declare which pillars that they will negotiate in and agree upon the main issue areas for each pillar.
: State Department approves the potential sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at up to $450 million.
: Russia purchases millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to re-energize its offensive in Ukraine, as Western sanctions cut Moscow’s supply of weapons.
: Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez states that the Philippines may allow the US military access in the event of a Taiwan conflict, “for our own security.”
: Biden administration says it will keep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese imports while it continues statutory review of duties imposed by former President Donald Trump.
: US State Department approves potential $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles.
: Office of the US Trade Representative confirms that domestic industry representatives requested continuation of Section 301 tariffs on China and the tariffs accordingly did not expire on their four-year anniversary.
: Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled and left the country in crisis back in July, returns from Bangkok in an apparent end to his self-imposed exile.
: Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo quietly launches US site, aiming to crack a market dominated by Amazon and where China’s Shein is also making inroads.
: South Korea and the US wrap up Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.
: A long-awaited UN report states that the actions of the Chinese government in Xinjiang, including the detention and persecution of Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslim groups, “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.”
: State media announces that ruling Communist Party of China will hold a twice-in-a decade congress beginning Oct 16. Chinese President Xi is widely expected to seek an unprecedented third term during the meeting.
: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey arrives in Taipei, with the aim of boosting collaborations in semiconductors and other technology and security.
: Mikhail Gorbachev dies in Moscow.
: Russia conducted its “Vostok” (East)-2022“ exercises involving 50,000 military personnel, more than 5,000 pieces of military equipment, including 140 aircraft, 60 warships, boats and support vessels. China, Algeria, India, Belarus, Tajikistan and Mongolia participated.
: Authorities in Shenzhen temporarily close the world’s largest electronics market and suspended service at 24 subway stations in a bid to curb an outbreak of Covid-19.
: Prime Minister Kishida pledges $30 billion over the next three years for African development, with a focus on investing in human capital and fostering quality growth in a continent where China and Russia are exerting their influence.
: Japan will spend $1.83 million on a state funeral for slain former leader Abe, the government announces, despite growing opposition from a public angered by revelations of the ruling party’s ties to the Unification Church.
: Japan’s National Police Agency Chief Itaru Nakamura announces his resignation over Abe’s death following release of a report blaming flaws in police protection—from planning to guarding at the scene—that led to Abe’s assassination.
: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, arrives in Taiwan for a three-day visit.
: Thailand’s constitutional court orders Prime Minister Chan-o-cha to halt official duties pending the result of a legal review of his eight-year term limit, local media reported.
: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Razak Najib fails to win appeal in his criminal case and begins 12-year prison sentence for involvement in the 1MDB scandal.
: Opposition parties in Thai Parliament submit petition to the Constitutional Court of Thailand requesting that it remove PM Chan-ocha from office because he has exhausted his 8-year term limit. On Aug. 24 the Court accepts the petition and suspends him from his responsibilities as prime minister until a decision on the petition is reached.
: South Korea and the US launch Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS): their first large field-training military exercises for four years.
: Taiwan wants to ensure partners have reliable supplies of semiconductors, or “democracy chips,” President Tsai tells the governor of Indiana, also stating that China’s threats mean fellow democracies have to cooperate.
: Japanese FM Hayashi states in an interview that Japan will look into holding a summit meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and Chinese President Xi.
: Myanmar’s junta states it will import Russian gasoline and fuel oil to ease supply concerns and rising prices, the latest developing country to do so amid a global energy crisis.
: Talks with North Korea should not be for political show but contribute to establishing peace, South Korean President Yoon said, hours after the North test fired two cruise missiles into the sea.
: A senior UN official meets with Myanmar’s military leadership, in a rare, high-profile visit that comes amid growing political chaos and violence in the country.
: Poll by the Pew Research Center finds that nine out of 10 South Koreans hold a favorable view of the US and that 89% of South Koreans think the US is a “reliable partner.”
: Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi is sentenced to six more years in prison.
: China’s military carries out more exercises near Taiwan on Monday as a group of US lawmakers visited the Chinese-claimed island and met President Tsai Ing-wen, who said her government was committed to maintaining stability.
: Japan joins US-Indonesian military drill for first time, alongside Australia. Garuda Shield is a joint drill between the US and Indonesia started in 2007 that aimed to build partnerships and deter Chinese aggression.
: China participates in 8th annual International Army Games in Russia (main site) with 11 other countries.
: China and South Korea clash over a US missile defense shield, threatening to undermine efforts by the new government in Seoul to overcome security differences.
: Former Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa arrives in Thailand, according to Reuters, seeking temporary shelter after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests.
: China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issues China’s third White Paper on Taiwan, titled “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era.”
: Senior Indian army officer confirms “Yudh Abhyas” joint exercise with the US, first held in 2002, will take place in Himalayas in October near the disputed border with China.
: President Biden signs the CHIPS Act into law, including a spending package that allocates $52 billion to bolstering domestic chip manufacturing, finalizing what is seen as the nation’s boldest industrial legislation in decades.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin departs for China to hold talks with his counterpart on issues related to supply chains, North Korea and regional security.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US participate in a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise during the multinational Pacific Dragon exercise in Hawaii. This was the first trilateral drill since 2017.
: Japan and the US vow to enhance ties with Solomon Islands amid increasing Chinese influence.
: Lithuania’s Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Agne Vaiciukeviciute leads a delegation to Taiwan to exchange views on 5G communications and electric buses.
: Secretary of Antony Blinken assures the Philippines that the US would come to its defense if attacked in the South China Sea, seeking to allay concerns about the extent of the US commitment to a mutual defense treaty.
: Asian carriers halt and reroute flights in and around Taiwan because of Chinese drills near the island, raising fears that Beijing’s military exercise could disrupt regional supply chains.
: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces cancellation of several planned US-China military dialogues as well as cooperation with the US on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal matters, transnational crimes, and counternarcotics, and talks on climate change.
: China imposes sanctions on Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family members.
: Japan and the United States agree to work together on maintaining peace in the increasingly tense Taiwan Strait, amid unprecedented military drills by China including five missiles that landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
: President Yoon calls Speaker Pelosi to reaffirm his efforts to deepen the bilateral alliance and states that Pelosi’s visit is a sign of deterrence against North Korea.
: Japan’s government protests after five Chinese missiles shot in retaliation against Taiwan hosting US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi land in Japan’s EEZ.
: Cambodian PM Hun Sen says that ASEAN will be forced to reconsider a peace plan agreed with Myanmar if its military rulers execute more prisoners.
: House Speaker Pelosi and several members of Congress land in Taipei for a much-anticipated visit that prompted China’s military to announce “targeted” military operations in the seas and airspace surrounding the island. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summons US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns for an emergency meeting and lodges “stern representations and strong protests with the US side” against Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
: White House says it expects China to escalate its response to a potential visit by Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan and said the United States would not be intimidated.
: A Japanese man is detained by authorities in Myanmar after filming a protest in the country’s biggest city of Yangon.
: Korean President Yoon stresses the strategic importance of Southeast Asia to Korea at a summit with Indonesian President Widodo in Seoul.
: Cabinet officials from Japan and the US agree to pursue free trade and stronger, more transparent supply chains during first “two-plus-two” meeting focused on economic policy.
: Korean President Yoon and Indonesian President Joko Widodo hold summit in Seoul and agree to work together to stabilize supply chains of key minerals and strengthen cooperation on economic security issues.
: Shanghai Cooperation Organization holds annual foreign ministerial meeting in Uzbekistan.
: Defense chiefs from across the Indo-Pacific gathered to bolster connections against a backdrop of China’s campaign to expand its influence and military presence in the region.
: In a speech on what the DPRK celebrates as “the 69th anniversary of the great victory in the [Korean] War,” otherwise known as the 1953 Armistice, Kim Jong Un for the first time mentions his ROK counterpart by name: “We can no longer sit around seeing Yoon Suk Yeol and his military gangsters’ misdemeanors.”
: China and Indonesia pledge to scale up trade and expand cooperation in areas such as agriculture and food security, following a rare visit to China by a foreign head of state.
: Chinese President Xi meets visiting Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo in Beijing.
: US and Australia co-host 2022 Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense conference in Sydney.
: Military regime in Myanmar executes four pro-democracy activists it had convicted on charges of “terrorism” because of their political activities in secret trials.
: China launches the second of three modules to its permanent space station, in one of the final missions needed to complete the orbiting outpost by year’s end.
: Thai PM Chan-ocha survives the 4th no-confidence vote against him.
: Chinese President Jinping offers Sri Lanka’s new president his support, CCTV reported, as the Indian Ocean island grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades.
: President Biden states the US military thinks that Speaker of the House of Representatives Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan is “not a good idea” as China promises to take “strong measures” in response.
: A Chinese navy ship sails through Japanese territorial waters, the sixth such intrusion of the year and the first since April.
: President Biden plans to speak with Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, by the end of the month at a moment of simmering tensions between the countries over Taiwan and trade.
: Asian Development Bank says that developing Asia is expected to grow more slowly than predicted this year, as the war in Ukraine pushes commodity prices higher and triggers monetary tightening.
: China agrees to coordinate economic policies with the EU, liberalize trade and investment, and further open its financial sector but was silent on an investment deal frozen by disputes over human rights, geopolitics, and the war in Ukraine.
: Japan and South Korea foreign ministers agree to improve ties, with Park Jin becoming the first South Korean foreign minister to visit Tokyo since 2019.
: EU and China hold high-level economic and trade dialogue amidst tensions over issues including the war in Ukraine, Xinjiang and an as yet unratified investment agreement.
: Finance ministers and central bankers of the G20 nations fail to find common ground regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine and its repercussions on global inflation, casting uncertainty over the forum’s prospects.
: Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa submits letter of resignation, says a spokesperson for the parliament speaker, hours after fleeing the country following protests over economic meltdown.
: 13-members of IPEF hold first senior officials meeting in Singapore.
: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees to the Maldives, hours before he was due to submit his resignation.
: G20 finance leaders meet in Bali for talks to include issues like global food security and soaring inflation, as host Indonesia tries to ensure frictions over the war in Ukraine do not blow discussions off course.
: Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Center shows the 5 MWe Reactor continues to produce plutonium for the country’s nuclear weapons program.
: South Korea’s MOU publishes hitherto unseen photographs of the repatriation of two DPRK fishermen at Panmunjom in Nov. 2019. Though heavily pixelated, the graphic images show the men bound and blindfolded; one tries to resist as they are handed over. Video footage is released on July 18. A day later, Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidential office condemns its predecessor’s repatriation of the fishermen as a potential “crime against humanity,” and vows a full investigation.
: Attendance by four Asia-Pacific leaders at the NATO summit reflects a “consequential shift” in the US transatlantic security partnership which Washington seeks to expand to better counter China, a senior US diplomat tells Reuters.
: South Korea and the US conduct their first combined air drills, officials say, in an apparent show of force against North Korea’s growing military threats.
: Secretary of State Blinken offers his government’s condolences to Prime Minister Kishida in Tokyo over former Prime Minister Abe’s death.
: According to South Korea’s military, North Korea fires artillery shots from multiple rocket launchers.
: Japan holds Upper House election. The ruling LDP-Komeito coalition increase their majority from 57 % of the seats to 60%.
: Sri Lanka’s PM summons party leaders after protesters stormed the president’s house in Colombo amid growing anger over the government’s handling of an economic crisis.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urges Australian counterpart Penny Wong to treat China as a partner, not an opponent, and to accumulate “positive energy” to improve ties.
: Japan’s former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is fatally shot by a lone gunman, prompting an outpouring of condolences from around the world.
: Paying his respects to Abe while speaking at a memorial lecture, India’s PM Modi states that it is a day of great loss and unbearable pain for him as he had lost a close friend.
: Japan PM Kishida has a telephone conversation with President Biden, with Biden expressing his condolences after former Prime Minister Abe’s death.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Secretary of State Blinken, and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa hold tripartite meeting to bolster cooperation on North Korea and pursue “future-oriented cooperation” to promote regional prosperity.
: China’s President Xi Jinping expresses condolences over the death of former Prime Minister Abe, whom Xi said had worked hard to improve relations between the neighbors.
: Foreign ministers of G20 states kick off a two-day meeting in Bali. looming over the gathering: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, including global inflation.
: US expands export bans on China over security and human rights, to try to limit China’s military and technological advances.
: Philippine President Marcos says Manila’s relationship with Beijing is “not only one dimension” and should be about more than just their South China Sea row.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives in Myanmar and becomes the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit the country since the coup in February 2021.
: North Korea criticizes the US, South Korea, and Japan’s recent agreement on strengthening military cooperation as a means to create a US plan for a NATO in the region.
: Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates sign a free trade agreement, strengthening economic ties between Southeast Asia’s largest economy and the major oil producing Gulf state.
: Pew Research Center releases new global public opinion poll showing that concerns about China’s human rights record has grown, with increasing unfavorable views of China among survey respondents in North America and Europe.
: Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., inaugurated as president of the Philippines and Sara Duterte as vice president.
: Commerce Department’s BIS adds 23 entities to the Entity List under the destination of China on the basis that they are determined to be acting against US national security or foreign policy interests.
: President Biden, South Korean President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida hold a trilateral summit on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid.
: Nikkei investigation finds North Korea is likely shipping coal directly to Chinese ports, activity that is banned from international trade under UNSC sanctions.
: NATO releases “NATO Strategic Concept 2022” which mentions China for the first time. China is described as presenting “systemic challenges” to Euro-Atlantic security.
: Biden administration adds five companies in China to a trade blacklist on Tuesday for allegedly supporting Russia’s military and defense industrial base, flexing its muscle to enforce sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
: India Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds first in-person bilateral meeting with Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in over four years on sidelines of G7 summit in Germany.
: India and the European Union formally relaunch negotiations toward a free trade agreement, hoping to overcome sticking points as they aim to reduce their reliance on China.
: Indonesian President Joko Widodo visits Ukraine and Russia, the first Asian leader to do so since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
: US, Japan, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand launch the Partners in the Blue Pacific Initiative to step up engagement with Pacific Island countries, as China seeks to boost economic and defense cooperation with them.
: President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte orders an end to talks with China over joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.
: Xi Jinping chairs the BRICS 14th summit in Beijing via video. The summit’s Beijing Declaration was adopted and released at the event. Both Xi and Putin joined the event via video. Membership expansion was a key issue for the summit.
: South Korea will establish a mission to NATO in Brussels, officials say.
: Indonesian President Joko Widodo will fly to Ukraine and Russia to meet with each country’s respective leader later this month, Indonesia’s foreign minister confirms.
: ASEAN defense ministers express concern over an escalating US-China confrontation involving the South China Sea, calling on all parties involved to cooperate constructively and peacefully.
: State Department announces that US Customs and Border Protection will begin to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s provisions to ban imports of products made by forced labor in Xinjiang into the US.
: A US law broadly banning imports from China’s Xinjiang region goes into effect—a move aimed at adding pressure over Beijing’s alleged use of forced labor among the Uyghur minority, and which could pose supply chain challenges.
: Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, is sworn in as the country’s 15th vice president, calling for national unity following a divisive election campaign.
: Protests intensify over India’s new military recruitment policy. Demonstrators say the plan will cut opportunities for permanent defense force jobs and demand the government reverse course.
: State Department releases a statement in support of the Philippines, calling on the PRC to end its provocative actions, to uphold freedom of navigation and to respect international law in the South China Sea.
: Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare assures Australia that there will be no regular Chinese military presence in the country, following the signing of a controversial security pact between China and the South Pacific island nation.
: Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) introduce the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which they billed as the “most comprehensive restructuring of US policy towards Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act.”
: Justice Department charges former University of Arkansas professor with making a false statement to the FBI about the existence of patents for his inventions in the People’s Republic of China.
: Australia updates its commitment to the United Nations convention on climate change, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, putting Australia on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
: Japan and Australia pledge to expand defense ties, citing concerns about regional order. Both countries also pledged to work more closely with each other in the Southeast Asia region and the Pacific Islands.
: Taiwan admits to paying US lobbyists to help establish closer US ties amid rising pressure from Beijing.
: PM Kishida that he will attend the NATO summit, becoming the first Japanese leader to do so.
: Opposition parties in the Thai Parliament enter a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and several of his Cabinet members.
: Dozens of countries call out China at UN over Xinjiang abuse allegations. A joint statement from 47 nations also calls for the release of a long-delayed report by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet.
: United States backs Taiwan’s assertion that the strait dividing the island from the Chinese mainland is an international waterway, a rebuff to Beijing’s claim to exercise sovereignty over the strategic passage.
: UN ambassadors from the Quad meet in New York to discuss ways to strengthen the rules-based international order and reinforce efforts at the UN.
: Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs team announces the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, a new exchange program in partnership with the University of Alabama to inspire young leaders in the US and India to advance civil rights and inclusion.
: North Korea fires artillery shots, presumably from multiple rocket launchers, according to the South Korea’s military, in another show of force by the reclusive regime.
: Japan and Singapore launch talks on a defense equipment transfer pact.
: Secretary of Defense Austin, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo hold trilateral ministerial meeting at the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The three nations also resume joint exercises as North Korea picks up the pace of its missile tests.
: Beijing continues to “harden its position” along the border that it shares with India, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin said.
: Chinese military officials hit back at US attempts to draw parallels between cross-strait tensions and the war in Ukraine, describing the comparison as very aggressive.
: Indonesia shifts G20 focus to energy security, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed on Russia exacerbated an increase in global energy prices.
: US approves a possible $120 million sale of parts to help Taiwan maintain its warships, which the island’s defense ministry said would help ensure combat readiness in the face of China’s “frequent activities” near the island.
: South Korea and the United States fire eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea in response to North Korea’s missile launches the previous day, according to the South’s military.
: Sri Lanka’s prime minister states that the country will need $5 billion over the next six months to ensure basic living standards, and that the state intended to renegotiate the terms of a yuan-denominated swap worth $1.5 billion with China so as to fund essential imports.
: US and South Korea fire eight missiles in response to launches by North Korea, demonstrating “the capability and readiness to carry out [a] precision strike” against the source of North Korea’s missile launches or the command and support centers, according to the South Korean military.
: Canada and Australia accuse Chinese military planes of nearly causing collisions during separate aerial encounters, with China rejecting said charges.
: North Korea fires eight short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, a day after South Korea and the US wrapped up joint drills near the peninsula involving a US aircraft carrier, according to the South’s military.
: Japan announces that for the first time it will send an active-duty military officer to serve as Japan’s defense attaché in Taipei.
: In response to strong concerns from the LDP, Japan’s government revises a draft document with a timeline of five years for comprehensive strengthening of Japan’s defense.
: Australia’s recently elected PM Albanese meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss the AUKUS pact, making good on a pledge to make relations with his country’s largest neighbor a foreign policy priority.
: Philip Goldberg is sworn in as US ambassador to South Korea.
: Japan announces plans to develop drones to support fighter aircraft, and is considering equipping drones with missiles that would intercept enemy-launched missiles.
: US Department of State releases the “2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: China,” which concludes that the Chinese government “continued to assert control over religion and to restrict the activities and personal freedom of religious adherents.”
: US launches trade talks with Taiwan, days after the Biden administration excluded the island from its Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China’s growing influence.
: China urges UN rights chief to look into school shootings in US.
: Taiwan jets scramble as China air force enters air defense zone.
: South Korea approves a 750 billion won ($605 million) project to upgrade its Patriot missile defense system by 2027, according to the state arms procurement agency, in the wake of North Korea’s recent missile provocations.
: Kiribati focuses on trade and tourism opportunities with China and not security during China’s visit to remote Pacific islands.
: China and Russia veto a US-drafted UNSC resolution to strengthen sanctions on North Korea over a spate of missile launches, the first time that the five permanent members of the Council have been divided on the issue since they began punishing Pyongyang in 2006.
: Singapore and Japan ink agreements on promoting start-ups and digital transformation for governments.
: Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reports three separate incidents in the last two months in which Chinese law enforcement vessels challenge Philippine marine research and hydrocarbon exploration ships in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
: China announces it will seek a region-wide deal with almost a dozen Pacific island countries covering policing, security and data communication cooperation.
: North Korea fires three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, including an apparent ICBM, just a day after Biden wrapped up an Asia trip highlighting the US security commitment to Seoul and Tokyo.
: Russian and Chinese bombers fly joint patrols near Japanese and South Korea air defense zones.
: Quad summit in Tokyo involving the leaders of Australia, Japan, India, and the US takes place. The leaders launch the Quad Fellowship to encourage research and innovation among young minds in the four countries.
: On a visit to Tokyo, Biden launches the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) with a dozen initial partners: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
: At a press conference in Tokyo, Biden says that the US is willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China attacked Taiwan by force while insisting that the US abides by the “one China” policy.
: South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group says it will invest an additional $5 billion in the United States for robotics and autonomous driving software development, just a day after announcing a similar size investment to build an electric vehicle plant in the US.
: Labor Party wins Australia’s general election, making Anthony Albanese the nation’s 31st prime minister.
: Labor Party wins Australia’s national election, ending nine years of rule by the Liberal-National coalition government. Labor leader Anthony Albanese becomes the new prime minister.
: President Joe Biden and South Korean counterpart Yoon agree to hold bigger military drills and deploy more US weapons if necessary to deter North Korea.
: North Korea says it is achieving “good results” in its fight against its first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak.
: Biden visits South Korea and Japan to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances amid China’s rise and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
: BRICS holds annual foreign ministerial meeting via video. A joint statement is released calling for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. It did not use the term “invasion.” Chinese FM Wang Yi criticizes the West’s “absolute” and “unilateral” security policies, as well as arms supply to Ukraine. He also proposed to explore the potential and procedure for BRICS expansion, including mechanism such as BRICS-plus.
: Philippines President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr says his country’s ties with China will expand and “shift to a higher gear” when he takes power.
: Justice Department charges US citizen and four officials from China’s Ministry of State Security with spying on prominent dissidents, human rights leaders, and pro-democracy activists.
: Myanmar’s shadow government defense chief calls for international help to arm its resistance forces fighting the ruling military.
: China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian rejects G7 Foreign Ministers’ Communiqué issued May 14, which urged China to not support Russia in the war, not undermine sanctions imposed on Russia, and “desist from engaging in information manipulation, disinformation and other means to legitimize Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
: Malaysia Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah meets his counterpart from Myanmar’s National Unity Government, the opposition government opposing the military junta.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the spread of COVID-19 has thrust his country into “great turmoil” and calls for an all-out battle to overcome the outbreak.
: President Biden signs a law directing the US government to develop a strategy to help Taiwan regain observer status in the World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly.
: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, its first missile launch since the inauguration of the Yoon administration.
: ASEAN leaders and the White House have a key summit amid increasing rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. During the meeting, US President Biden promises Southeast Asian leaders $150 million in spending on their infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness, and other efforts aimed at countering the influence of China.
: UNSC convenes an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea’s recent missile provocations but fails to produce a tangible outcome due to opposition from China and Russia.
: Spurred by concerns over China and Russia, Japan passes a law strengthening supply chains to procure semiconductors and other vital products and facilitate development of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies through public-private partnerships.
: Yoon Suk Yeol takes office as the 20th president of the Republic of Korea.
: Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob and South Korea’s President Yoon agree to strengthen cooperation following inauguration.
: USS Port Royal (CG 73) of the 7th Fleet conducts a Taiwan Strait transit.
: General elections are held in the Philippines, with victories for Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos, Jr., as president and Sara Duterte as vice president, both by sizable margins.
: Laos reopens to tourists and other visitors from abroad.
: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio underscores need to resolve his country’s longstanding diplomatic standoffs with South Korea as his foreign minister arrived in Seoul for the inauguration of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
: Wall Street Journal reports that a Department of Defense study found China is exploiting the Small Business Innovation Research program that funds innovation among small US companies.
: North Korea fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile four days after conducting a ballistic missile test.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile into Sea of Japan.
: New York Times reports that the Biden administration is rebuffing some of Taiwan’s requests for larger and more expensive weapons, instead urging Taiwan to buy other equipment that it believes will better deter and defend against China.
: China’s foreign ministry accuses Japan of exaggerating a perceived threat from Beijing as an excuse to boost its own military might.
: India’s central bank raises its benchmark interest rate for the first time in two years in an effort to rein in high consumer prices.
: US Senate votes unanimously to approve the nomination of Philip Goldberg, a career diplomat, as new US ambassador to South Korea.
: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, meeting with Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo, reiterates the US commitment to defend the contested Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.
: State Department updates “US Relations With Taiwan” page, removing phrases such as the United States “does not support Taiwan independence” and “opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either side” and replaces them with the United States’ “longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three US-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.”
: South Korea and Japan hold their first working-level diplomatic consultations in six months, a week ahead of the launch of the Yoon administration.
: North Korea launches ballistic missile into the East Sea. Some experts say it could have been a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a completely new missile.
: Myanmar’s junta vows to defend China-backed copper mine after threats from the opposition People’s Defense Force (PDF). The PDF says the income from the project will support the junta’s repression of the people.
: US Trade Representative commences statutory four-year review of actions taken under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 in the investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation.
: South Korea’s foreign minister nominee stresses the need for “in-depth” deliberations on whether to deploy addition US made THAAD missile defense systems.
: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Japan, not China, on his first Asian trip.
: China and Iran agree to step up military cooperation in a range of areas including exercises.
: USTR releases the 2022 Special 301 Report on intellectual property protection and enforcement, which places China on its Priority Watch List, indicating that “particular problems exist in that country with respect to IP protection, enforcement, or market access for U.S. persons relying on IP.”
: Court in military-ruled Myanmar sentences deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases.
: US official says Washington wants to expand security cooperation with Papua New Guinea.
: European Union and India agree to set up a trade and technology council to step up cooperation.
: South Korea’s President-elect Yoon says he would “positively review” joining the Quad.
: Australia’s defense minister accuses China of paying bribes for international deals, but refuses to say whether corruption played a role in Beijing’s defense pact with the Solomon Islands.
: Guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen arrives in Goa, India, for a scheduled port visit. The Momsen is deployed to the US 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
: Japan’s foreign minister promises his country will bolster its military to help the United States maintain regional security.
: Indian and UK prime ministers issue a joint statement expressing “in strongest terms their concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.”
: Biden administration “Indo-Pacific czar” Kurt Campbell visits Solomon Islands after it signs a security pact with China.
: Quad representatives hold handover ceremony for COVID-19 vaccine donation to Thailand.
: South Korea successfully test-fires two submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) consecutively earlier this week, in a sign the missile is nearing operational deployment.
: Chinese President Xi proposes a “global security initiative” that upholds the principle of “indivisible security,” though he gives no details on how it will be implemented.
: US and partner countries walk out of a G20 plenary session when Russia’s delegates speak.
: US shows concerns after China says it signs security pact with Solomon Islands.
: US envoy vows “strongest possible deterrent” over North Korea weapons tests.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes the test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities.
: South Korean government officially approves plan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
: Russian submarines in the Sea of Japan, also known as East Sea, fired cruise missiles during exercises.
: Sen. Lindsey Graham leads congressional delegation to Taiwan during which they discuss US-Taiwan relations, regional security, and other issues of mutual interest with senior Taiwan leaders.
: Australia’s international development minister asks Solomon Islands not to sign China security pact.
: US aircraft carrier deploys off Korean Peninsula amid tensions following North Korean missile launches.
: Quad countries hold handover ceremony for COVID-19 vaccine donation to Cambodia.
: US secretaries of state and defense and India’s external affairs and defense ministers take part in 2+2 meeting, affirming their “common strategic interests” and “abiding commitment to the rules-based international order.”
: President Biden meets virtually with Modi to discuss deepening ties between both governments, economies, and people.
: China’s foreign ministry expresses “strong dissatisfaction” with the United States after it raised concerns over Beijing’s coronavirus control measures
: White House Press Secretary Psaki says that President Biden believes that the US-India partnership is the most important relationship the US has in the world.
: Peng Ming-min, a Taiwanese democracy activist and the DPP candidate for president in Taiwan’s first freely contested popular election in 1996, dies.
: China warns that it will take strong measures if Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan. The trip is called off when Pelosi tests positive for COVID-19.
: South Korea’s president-elect says he wants nuclear bombers and submarines to return to the Korean Peninsula.
: Department of State notifies Congress that it has agreed to sell Taiwan equipment, training, and other services totaling $95 million to support the island’s Patriot Air Defense System.
: China warns Philippines to avoid “improper measures” for stability in South China Sea.
: Bucha massacre is first reported.
: China extends lockdown in Shanghai after surge in COVID infections.
: China proposes revising confidentiality rules involving offshore listings, removing a legal hurdle to China-US cooperation on audit oversight while putting the onus on Chinese companies to protect state secrets.
: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits India from March 31-April 1, 2022 and meets with FM Jaishankar. Lavrov expresses appreciation for India’s neutral stand on Ukraine.
: EU leaders call on China to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
: Japan provides emergency grant aid for humanitarian assistance to populations affected by the coup in Myanmar.
: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits India from March 31-April 1, 2022 and meets with FM Jaishankar. Lavrov expresses appreciation for India’s neutral stand on Ukraine.
: Department of Defense releases its annual Freedom of Navigation Report for Fiscal Year 2021, which lists excessive maritime claims by 26 claimants, including China.
: In response to US visa restrictions on Chinese officials who are believed to have violated human rights, China imposes reciprocal visa restrictions on US officials “who concocted lies about China’s human rights issues, pushed for sanctions against China and undermined China’s interests.”
: State Department releases the 2022 Hong Kong Policy Act Report, which documents actions by leaders in Hong Kong and China from March 2021 through March 2022 that have further eroded both democratic institutions and human rights.
: US Securities and Exchange Commission places 11 Chinese entities on its provisional or conclusive list of issuers under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
: Secretary Blinken meets Indian FM Jaishankar to discuss bilateral cooperation to address the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, shared efforts in the Indo-Pacific, and the global economy.
: Biden meets Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong to discuss Asian relations.
: Classified versions of US National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review are released. The 2022 National Defense Strategy identifies China as the “most consequential strategic competitor and the pacing challenge for the Department.”
: Kim Jong Un says North Korea will continue to develop “formidable striking capabilities” that cannot be bartered or sold for anything.
: India and Maldives sign a memorandum of understanding to upgrade police infrastructure in archipelago.
: Beijing announces it will host the third regional meeting between foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan at the end of the month.
: North Korea says that it successfully test-fired a new ICBM, the Hwasong-17, the previous day on the direct order of leader Kim Jong Un. US and South Korean intelligence later say the ICBM launched by North Korea was actually a Hwasong-15 missile disguised to look like the newer, larger Hwasong-17, according to South Korean military sources.
: Solomon Islands confirms it is drafting a security deal with China.
: South Korean and Japanese authorities say that North Korea has conducted what is likely its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
: North Korea fires an apparent long-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea, says South Korea’s military.
: North Korea fires four suspected projectiles from its multiple rocket launchers into the Yellow Sea, says South Korean military officials.
: PLA spokesperson says the USS Ralph Johnson‘s sail-through of the Taiwan Strait on March 17 is a “provocative” act by the US and sends the wrong signals to pro-Taiwan independence forces.
: South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor opens Indonesia factory, where the company plans to roll out electric vehicles.
: North Korea fires an apparent ballistic missile, but the launch ended in failure, says South Korea’s military.
: USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier leads military exercises in the Yellow Sea, and air defense artillery at Osan air base intensified drills.
: US tells allies in NATO and several Asian countries that China has signaled willingness to provide military and economic aid to Russia, at Moscow’s request, to support its war in Ukraine.
: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meets Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi in Rome and discusses issues in US-China relations, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the “importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China.”
: Australia reports that it has stopped an “incursion” by Beijing into the Pacific islands by talking with leaders there weekly and offering vaccine aid.
: Vietnam bans Sony’s action movie Uncharted from domestic distribution over a scene featuring a map that shows a disputed line declared by China to stake its claim to large parts of the South China Sea.
: India claims that it has accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.
: North Korea appears to be working to restore underground tunnels of its purportedly demolished Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
: Prime Minister Kishida and President-elect Yoon speak on the phone for the first time since Yoon’s victory. They agreed on the importance of improving ties and resolving pending issues. Kishida is the second leader to speak with Yoon, after President Joe Biden.
: Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez says Manila is ready to assist Washington should the war between Russia and Ukraine reach Asia.
: Members of US Congressional Hispanic Caucus urge President Biden to champion vaccine collaboration with India to end the COVID-19 pandemic
: Summitry between President Biden and ASEAN leaders to be held later this month is postponed.
: Vietnam lodges a complaint and urges China to respect its exclusive economic zone and sovereignty after China had earlier announced military drills in the vicinity of China’s Hainan Islands in South China Sea from March 4-15.
: South Korea’s military seizes a North Korean boat that crossed into its waters and fires a warning shot to see off a North Korean patrol vessel that tries to intervene.
: China’s foreign minister announces that it is a “naked double standard” to seek to conflate the issues of Taiwan and Ukraine, claiming the island has always been part of China.
: Analysts say recent photos taken from space show new buildings and other signs of work at North Korea’s nuclear testing facility.
: Three-day 23rd Executive Steering Group Meeting begins in New Delhi between the Indian and US Navies. The meeting discusses bolstering defense relations
: Over 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar arrive by boat on the shores of Indonesia’s Aceh province.
: North Korea says it has conducted “another important” test for reconnaissance satellite systems.
: North Korea appears to continue producing fissile materials for nuclear weapons at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility, says a US monitoring website, citing recent satellite imagery of Yongbyon.
: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank announces that it has put all activities relating to Russia and Belarus on hold and under review in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.
: Top diplomats of Southeast Asian nations call for an “immediate cease-fire” or “armistice” between Russia and Ukraine, urging continuation of dialogue between the two warring parties.
: Modi participates in a call with Putin to review the situation in Ukraine and emphasize India’s need to evacuate its citizens from Kharkiv amid an assault by Russian forces.
: Cambodia rejects the use or threats of force and does not side with any of the parties in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
: USTR releases its 2021 Annual Report and its Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, in which one of its objectives is to “pursue strengthened enforcement to ensure that China lives up to its existing trade obligations.”
: A delegation of former senior US defense and security officials sent by President Joe Biden arrive in Taipei.
: South Korea and Singapore unveil sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, rare pushback against Moscow in a region that largely avoided taking sides in the conflict.
: Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo suggests the US renounce “strategic ambiguity” toward a cross-Strait conflict, saying in unusually direct language that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency.
: South Korea and Japan say that North Korea fired a ballistic missile.
: Modi participates in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
: US warship sails through the strait separating Taiwan and China.
: United Nations Security Council fails to adopt a draft resolution, submitted by the United States and Albania, intended to end Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine
: Japan strengthens sanctions against Russia to include financial institutions and military equipment exports.
: Based on Biden administration leaks, The New York Times reports that the US shared intelligence with China on Russia’s troop buildup around Ukraine over a three-month period and urged Beijing to tell Putin not to invade. The Chinese dismissed the intelligence and allegedly shared it with Moscow.
: President Biden speaks with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the crisis in Ukraine and the importance of a strong collective response to Russian aggression.
: Indian Prime Minister Modi participates in a call with Russian President Putin, and the prime minister urges an end to the violence in Ukraine.
: Taiwan’s air force scrambles to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine.
: South Korea test-fires a long-range surface-to-air missile.
: China’s foreign ministry asserts that Taiwan is “not Ukraine” and has always been an inalienable part of China.
: India asks for restraint and greater diplomatic effort to prevent military escalation in Ukraine as it prepares to evacuate its citizens.
: China’s foreign ministry denies a US report that a spent rocket booster forecast to crash on the far side of the moon next month was debris from a Chinese lunar mission in 2014.
: China imposes sanctions on US defense firms Raytheon Technology Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation in response to their arms sales to Taiwan.
: Australia brands a Chinese navy vessel pointing a laser at one of his nation’s surveillance aircraft off the northern coast an “act of intimidation.”
: Philippines follows New Zealand’s decision to reject inclusion of Myanmar in RCEP.
: Russia and China alter communique being drafted by the G20 to remove a reference to “current” geopolitical tensions clouding the global economic outlook.
: New Zealand says it will not allow Myanmar into RCEP.
: Vietnam announces that it will lift most restrictions on international tourists arriving in the country beginning March 15.
: Secretary of State Blinken and foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan, meeting in Honolulu to discuss North Korea and issues between Japan and South Korea, present a unified front against Pyongyang’s recent missile tests.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi hold bilateral talks in Hawaii to discuss North Korea, shared history, and other bilateral issues.
: Hong Kong extends a ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including the United States and Britain, and imposed one on Nepal until March 4.
: President Joe Biden nominates Philip Goldberg a senior member of the foreign service, as ambassador to South Korea.
: White House releases its Indo-Pacific Strategy, which notes the challenges that China poses for the United States.
: Secretary of State Blinken and foreign ministers of Japan, Australia, and India release a joint statement on their fight against COVID-19 and their cooperation “to address regional challenges, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), maritime security, counter-terrorism, countering disinformation, and cyber security” as part of the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting.
: Indonesia urges G20 to establish a global body that can dispense emergency funds during a health crisis.
: Taiwan’s foreign ministry expresses support for US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and says it will continue to exchange views with Washington on it.
: Japan offers Europe part of its liquefied natural gas imports over fears supplies will be disrupted following a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
: China suspends imports of beef from Lithuania. No reason is provided, but the move is the latest in a series of retaliatory measures Beijing has taken against the Baltic state since it allowed a de facto Taiwan embassy to open in its capital.
: Taiwan says that it will relax a ban on Japanese food imports put in place following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
: CSIS reports that North Korea harbors an undisclosed missile base built specifically for a unit equipped with intermediate-range and potentially intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) announces that it has conducted a four-day exercise with the US Navy in the East China Sea to boost joint deterrence capabilities.
: State Department approves a possible arms sale to Taiwan of equipment and services to support the Patriot Air Defense System for an estimated cost of $100 million.
: Singapore President Halimah Yacob meets China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing and congratulates him on the successful hosting of the Olympic Winter Games.
: Russia agrees to a 30-year contract to supply gas to China via a new pipeline and will settle the new gas sales in euros.
: United States asks Japan if it could divert some LNG to Europe if the Ukraine crisis leads to a disruption of supplies.
: US House of Representatives advances a multibillion-dollar bill aimed at increasing US competitiveness with China and boosting US semiconductor manufacturing.
: RCEP takes effect for South Korea. This 15-member free trade agreement is the first to have both South Korea and Japan as members.
: Japan’s Parliament adopts resolution on the “serious human rights situation” in China and calls on Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s government to take steps to relieve the situation.
: United States, Britain, and Canada impose sanctions against additional officials in Myanmar.
: Taiwan Vice President William Lai concludes visit to the United States and Honduras with a virtual meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry “lodges solemn representation” with the US over meetings between Taiwan’s Vice President Lai and several US officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris in Honduras and a virtual meeting with House Speaker Pelosi.
: North Korea fires ballistic missile toward the East Sea said South Korea’s military. It conducted four other launches earlier this month, including those of what it claimed to be hypersonic missiles.
: United States customs agency has banned imports from Malaysian disposable glove maker YTY Industry Holdings (YTY Group) over suspected forced labor practices.
: China agreed to allow UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Michelle Bachelet to visit Xinjiang in the first half of 2022 after the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
: China’s ambassador to US warns of conflict over Taiwan.
: North Korea sets off another volley of suspected short-range ballistic or tactical guided missiles.
: US announces it will join the UK, the EU, Australia, and Taiwan at the WTO to challenge China’s trade curbs on Lithuania.
: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format.
: In an anti-dumping dispute that dates back to 2012, the World Trade Organization rules in China’s favor, permitting it to slap duties on $645 million worth of US imports per year.
: Secretary Blinken holds call with China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the Russia-Ukraine situation, health security and climate change. The MFA readout says Wang called on the US to “stop interfering with the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, stop playing with fire on the Taiwan issue, and stop creating various anti-China ‘small cliques.’”
: US Navy makes arrangements to recover F-35C fighter jet that fell into the South China Sea after the pilot attempted a landing on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
: White House announces the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, chaired by the Department of Homeland Security, will work to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and prohibit the importation of goods made by forced labor from China.
: North Korea fires two suspected cruise missiles from an inland area, its fifth such test this year.
: Two US aircraft carrier groups enter South China Sea for training as Taiwan reported a Chinese air force incursion at the top of the waterway including a new electronic warfare jet.
: Taiwan reports largest incursion since October by China’s air force into its air defense zone.
: State Department imposes sanctions on three Chinese entities for engaging in missile-technology proliferation activities.
: US Transportation Department issues order to suspend 44 China-bound flights from the US by four Chinese carriers in response to the Chinese government’s decision to suspend some US carrier flights over COVID-19 concerns.
: Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry officials reject reports from Chinese media that Vietnam has been supporting and arming militia fishing vessels in the maritime dispute.
: China and Russia delay a US effort at the United Nations to impose sanctions on five North Koreans in response to recent missile launches by Pyongyang.
: Russia, China, and Iran hold second joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman. They practice sea-lane protection, anti-pirate, and hostage-rescue operations.
: US Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim, South Korea’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk, and Director-General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Funakoshi Takehiro hold phone talks to discuss North Korea’s missile launch.
: UN envoy calls on Thailand’s support to prevent a deterioration in the crisis in neighboring Myanmar and welcome assurances that refugees fleeing military operations will be protected by the Thai government.
: Singapore’s prime minister says ASEAN should continue excluding Myanmar’s junta from its meetings until it cooperates on an agreed peace plans.
: Myanmar’s ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and deposed President Win Myint face five additional charges of corruption, each carrying a maximum of 15 years in prison.
: North Korea fires two suspected ballistic missiles eastward, South Korea’s military said, after Pyongyang publicly warned earlier in the day of a “stronger and certain” response to the United States’ imposition of new sanctions.
: Japan donates approximately 2.72 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Indonesia.
: Inter-governmental Mekong River Commission (MRC) urges China and mainland Southeast Asian countries to better coordinate management of Mekong hydropower dams and reservoirs.
: After nearly two years of border closures to protect North Korea against the pandemic, some humanitarian aid trickles into the country.
: China orders the suspension of six more US flights in the coming weeks after a surge in passengers testing positive for COVID-19.
: Cambodia postpones meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers scheduled for next week because some ministers expressed “difficulties” in attending.
: North Korea fires a suspected ballistic missile toward the East Sea, less than a week after it launched what it claimed to be a hypersonic missile.
: Supreme Court of South Korea dismisses second appeal filed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries against the forced sale of two of its patents to compensate forced labor victims.
: Taiwan suspends F-16 training missions after jet crashes into the sea.
: Aung San Suu Kyi faces six years in jail after new sentences from a Myanmar court.
: Secretary of State Blinken says China’s sanctions in December on four US Commission on International Religious Freedom commissioners “constitute yet another PRC affront against universal rights.”
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Sri Lanka as the island nation searches for funds to rebuild foreign exchange reserves and repay debt amid ballooning import bills.
: US agrees to impose stricter COVID-19 measures at US military bases in Japan.
: North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, in its first such launch since October.
: Australia and Japan sign a treaty to beef up defense and security cooperation at a virtual summit.
: US Navy joins India, Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force to begin multinational exercise Sea Dragon 22.
: Taiwan announces launch of All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency to boost capabilities of Taiwan’s reservists.
: Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss bilateral issues, the Indo-Pacific region, and other global matters.
: Okinawa’s governor criticizes US military over spread of Omicron variant of COVID-19.
: Vietnam urges China to urgently reopen border gates as trade stalls.
: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement enters into force.
: Chinese defense spokesman urges the United States to cease hostile naval and air force maneuvers against China.
: Taiwanese President Tsai-Ing-wen condemns China for police raids on the Hong Kong offices of pro-democracy media outlet.
: Philippines orders two new warships from South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opens the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
: President Biden signs 2022 National Defense Authorization Bill into law, which stipulates that the US will “support and legitimize” the National Unity Government in Myanmar.
: New UN special envoy on Myanmar Dr Noeleen Heyzer, expresses concern about escalating violence in Myanmar and calls for a new year’s ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid.
: Xinjiang’s newly appointed leader pledges to maintain focus on social stability in the far western region, where human rights practices have fed international criticism and boycotts.
: Taiwan looks to create a semiconductor task force for Lithuania as the two broaden ties in the face of China’s economic and political coercion.
: More than 10,000 Russian troops return to permanent bases after month-long drills near Ukraine.
: China’s regulatory body unveils a draft of new rules for domestic firms to raise funds overseas, allowing them to do so after registering with the regulator.
: Myanmar military attacks village of Mo So in Kayah State, killing 25 civilians. Among the burned bodies were several women and children and two international aid workers.
: Japanese Cabinet approves a 1% increase in the FY 2022 defense budget to $291 billion.
: Solomon Islands says China will send police officers to help train its police force.
: Germany dispatches warship to the South China Sea in an attempt to expand military deployments in Asia.
: President Biden signs into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans all imports from China’s Xinjiang region and imposes sanctions on foreign individuals responsible for force labor in the region.
: Senior South Korean diplomats hold talks with Chinese counterparts after a diplomatic spat with Taiwan.
: Beijing announces sanctions against four members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in response to Washington’s latest sanctions targeting China’s Xinjiang policies on Dec. 10.
: Taiwan lodged a protest with South Korea after a conference invitation to one of its ministers was rescinded over “cross-Strait issues.”
: A Myanmar junta court postpones its verdict in Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial for illegally importing and possessing walkie talkies.
: State Department releases the Hong Kong Autonomy Act Report to Congress, which underscores US concerns about the PRC’s continued efforts to undermine the democratic institutions in Hong Kong and erode Hong Kong’s autonomy in its judiciary, civil service, press, and academic institutions.
: China blocks a US draft resolution in the UN Security Council that provides a system for humanitarian exceptions to economic sanctions imposed on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
: Japanese PM Kishida announces that he is extending the ban on foreign visitors to Japan until at least early 2022.
: China vows o take all necessary measures to safeguard its institutions and enterprises after the US Senate passed a new law barring imports from the Xinjiang region.
: Hundreds of Myanmar villagers fled to Thailand after junta troops clashed with an ethnic rebel group.
: US Commerce Department hits several Chinese companies with export restrictions due to national security reasons.
: Treasury Department adds eight Chinese companies—including DJI, the world’s largest commercial drone manufacturer—to an investment blacklist for actively supporting the “surveillance and tracking” of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China.
: Secretary Blinken cuts short his trip to Southeast Asia due to a COVID-19 case among his traveling party.
: Indonesia cites strong US commitment as Secretary of State Blinken starts ASEAN tour.
: South Korean Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki says his government will begin the process to join the CPTPP, joining a growing list of applicants that includes China and Taiwan.
: At the G7 meeting, the UK Foreign Secretary stresses the importance of working with ASEAN countries and aims to forge closer tech, economic and security ties.
: On Human Rights Day, the US Treasury Department imposes investment restrictions on the Chinese company SenseTime, and sanctions two Chinese individuals over alleged oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. State Department designates four current and former senior PRC officials in Xinjiang for their involvement in arbitrary detention of Uyghurs. The US designates a number of entities in China and Russia for violating UNSC resolutions that prohibit UN member states from employing or hosting North Korean workers.
: Thirteen Chinese air force planes enter Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
: Department of State issues a statement on the announcement by Nicaragua that it is breaking ties with Taiwan and establishing diplomatic relations with the PRC.
: US imposes an arms embargo and new export restrictions on Cambodia over the growing influence of China’s military in the country.
: New Zealand’s Defence Force warns of the increasing security threat posed by China to the country and its neighbors.
: Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds hearing on “The Future of U.S. Policy on Taiwan,” with witnesses Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner.
: Nearly 100 Japanese lawmakers from several political parties visit Yasukuni Shrine, prompting the South Korean government to express “deep concern and regret.”
: Biden administration announces US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
: A court in military-ruled Myanmar finds deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of charges of incitement and breaching coronavirus restrictions.
: Russia and India sign a flurry of trade and arms deals during President Putin’s visit to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Modi.
: Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index projects that the next century will be dominated by the US and China.
: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers a speech titled “The China Challenge” at the 2021 Reagan National Defense Forum.
: Russia and ASEAN conclude their first joint naval exercise as the region faces rising tensions with China.
: US says it is keeping South Korea on its list of countries to be monitored for currency practices.
: India-Russia ties deepen amid mutual concerns including Afghanistan.
: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen offers support for his eldest son as his potential successor.
: Top diplomats of South Korea and five Central Asian nations gather at a regional forum in Tajikistan to explore ways to expand cooperation and promote economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
: China tells Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long standoff in the South China Sea.
: Myanmar’s military government files a new corruption charge against deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint.
: Myanmar’s navy seizes a boat carrying 228 Rohingya and arrests all on board, after members of the persecuted Muslim minority group try to leave the country.
: Taiwan’s air force scrambles to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone.
: Japanese government approves a supplementary budget increase defense spending for FY 2021 to $52,8 billion, or 1.09% of GDP, the highest percentage in a decade.
: Five members of US House of Representatives arrive in Taiwan for a short trip expected to focus on security matters, the second time in a month US lawmakers have visited.
: India and China win two posts as delegates for Asia to the Executive Committee of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
: Biden administration invites Taiwan to its “Summit for Democracy” in December, infuriating China.
: China’s birthrate plummets to lowest level seen in official annual data going back to 1978, as the government struggles to stave off a looming demographic crisis.
: During the fifth edition of the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Maritime Security Cooperation, India expresses its commitment toward the vision of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets regional counterparts in a virtual summit marking the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations.
: Chinese leader Xi Jinping says his country will not seek dominance over Southeast Asia or bully its smaller neighbors amid ongoing friction over the South China Sea.
: “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania” officially opens. This is the first representative office in Europe that uses the name “Taiwanese.”
: Chinese envoy lobbies Southeast Asian nations to let Myanmar’s military ruler attend a regional summit being hosted by China’s president next week.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa stresses the importance of peace and stability between China and Taiwan and expresses “serious concern” about the situation in Hong Kong and China’s Xinjiang region.
: US designates North Korea as a state violator of religious freedom.
: Thailand’s legislature shoots down a draft bill aimed at strengthening democracy and at weakening military’s political role.
: Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire, Biden says Taiwan “makes its own decisions,” and is “independent.” Hours later Biden amends his statement, saying “we are not encouraging independence.”
: Richardson returns to Myanmar to meet with Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and to negotiate the release of Danny Fenster, a US journalist who had been detained following the February coup.
: US and China simultaneously release detained citizens from each country. Daniel Hsu is allowed to leave China and seven Chinese nationals convicted of crimes in the US are sent back to China.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a new city being built near the border with China and a sacred mountain revered by his family in his first public appearance in more than a month.
: Thousands of Thais take to the streets of Bangkok demanding reform of the monarchy, defying a court ruling that such demands are a veiled attempt to overthrow the institution.
: Biden, Xi, and leaders of APEC member economies conclude their virtual APEC Leaders’ Meeting, agreeing on a series of commitments regarding the coronavirus pandemic, economic recovery, and climate change mitigation.
: South Korea’s main opposition presidential candidate says he will strengthen military cooperation with the United States and Japan if elected to better cope with North Korea’s nuclear threat and strive to make the North a leading foreign policy priority for the U.S.
: Senior US and South Korean diplomats discuss how to restart stalled talks with North Korea, days after the North conducted artillery firing drills in its latest weapons tests.
: US national security advisor Jake Sullivan says the “stiff competition” between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific does not have to turn into a new Cold War, describing the United States as “doubling down” on its presence in the region.
: UN Security Council expresses deep concern over increased violence across Myanmar and calls for an immediate end to fighting and for the military to exercise utmost restraint.
: Secretary Blinken says the US and its allies would “take action” if China uses force to alter the status quo over Taiwan.
: Pacific Rim senior officials agree to make coronavirus vaccines more accessible and reduce carbon emissions at the APEC forum.
: Australia pledges more than 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Cambodia.
: Leaders of APEC focus on economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, emphasizing supply chain support and decarbonizing economies, at virtual talks this week.
: In an interview with CNN, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan says that US is seeking coexistence with China rather than containment or a new cold war.
: North Korean mechanized troops hold artillery fire competition as part of efforts to boost defense capabilities.
: China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) says it will continue to finance developing countries to acquire COVID-19 vaccines.
: ASEAN Secretariat announced that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement will enter into force on Jan. 1, 2022.
: Bill Richardson, former US ambassador to the United Nations, visits Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission to encourage the regime to allow the distribution of aid and to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, he secures the release from prison of Aye Moe, a former employee of the Richardson Center for Human Rights.
: ADB launches a plan to speed the closure of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia and the Philippines to lower the biggest source of carbon emissions.
: ADB wins commitments of $665 million to support climate-related projects in Southeast Asia.
: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida signals that he will pursue policies aimed at deterring China, addressing climate change, and accelerating recovery from the pandemic.
: US expresses concern about increased military operations in parts of Myanmar, including Chin state, where it said more than 100 homes and churches had been destroyed.
: Secretary Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Rome, on the margins of the G20, where Blinken reaffirms US’ one-China stand on Taiwan and both sides reaffirm the need to keep communication lines open.
: China submits renewed emissions cutting plan that promises to peak carbon pollution before 2030.
: Australia rejects a push by the US and the European Union to join a global pact to cut methane emissions, expected to be announced at the crucial COP26 summit.
: Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen confirms the presence of US military trainers in Taiwan during a CNN interview.
: Speaking at a virtual East Asia Summit, President Biden calls China’s actions toward Taiwan a threat to peace and stability and reiterates that US support for Taiwan is “rock-solid.” He reaffirms US support for human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and for the rights of the people of Hong Kong.
: Secretary of State Blinken urges United Nations member states to support Taiwan’s “robust, meaningful participation throughout the UN system.”
: Japan and China extend a currency swap arrangement, signed in 2018, for three years to October 2024.
: Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will continue to push Myanmar’s military junta to allow the group’s special envoy to visit the country.
: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) finance ministers agree to step up efforts to expand COVID-19 vaccine manufacture and supply and work together to ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery.
: Speaking at a CNN town hall event, Biden answers the question if the US “would come to Taiwan’s defense if China attacked” with “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki later walks back Biden’s statement that the US is committed to defending Taiwan should it come under Chinese attack, sayingUS policy “has not changed.”
: South Korea launches first homemade rocket, which officials call an important step toward placing domestically made satellites in orbit to better monitor growing threats from North Korea.
: United States offers to meet North Korea without preconditions and says Washington has no hostile intent toward Pyongyang.
: Philippines issues a diplomatic protest over Chinese vessels challenging its ships patrolling the South China Sea with sirens, horns, and radio communications.
: North Korea fires a suspected submarine-launched missile into waters off Japan.
: Myanmar will release a total of 5,636 prisoners jailed for protesting the coup that ousted the civilian government.
: Malaysia and Indonesia share strong reservations over Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, even though nuclear weapons were not part of the plan.
: Prime Minister Kishida sends ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine.
: China’s military condemns the United States and Canada for each sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait.
: Russian and Chinese warships conduct the first ever joint patrol in the western part of the Pacific Ocean.
: Myanmar’s junta says it is “extremely disappointed” with ASEAN’s decision to exclude its leader Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit.
: Southeast Asia’s foreign ministers decide not to invite Myanmar’s military leader to an ASEAN annual summit.
: Biden condemns the “oppression and use of forced labor of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang” in a speech at the dedication ceremony for the University of Connecticut’s new Dodd Center for Human Rights.
: Satellite pictures surface showing China upgrading military air sites near Taiwan.
: Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) conducts Taiwan Strait transit in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Winnipeg.
: ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar Erywan Yusof cancels his planned trip to Myanmar after the junta refuses access to Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy under detention.
: Myanmar’s ruling military allows a special Southeast Asian envoy to visit the country but does not allow him to meet detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
: Britain reaffirms an Asia “tilt” as a new warship makes a stop at Singapore.
: Spokespersons for the two militaries say talks between Indian and Chinese army commanders to disengage troops from key friction areas along their border have failed.
: China and Taiwan trade barbed comments over the future of the island territory.
: Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida agrees in his first talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office on the need to work together on issues of shared concern.
: Senior French senator says Taiwan should be called a country, doubling down on earlier comments that have angered Beijing.
: Asian Development Bank announces plans to create funds to facilitate early closures of coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visits India to exchange views on regional issues pertaining to the Indo-Pacific region.
: Biden announces that he has spoken to President Xi about Taiwan and they agreed to abide by the “Taiwan agreement.”
: Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says he will call a general election on Oct 31.
: Southeast Asian countries voice disappointment about army-ruled Myanmar’s commitment to an agreed peace plan.
: Taiwanese Foreign Minister warns his country is preparing for war with China and asks Australia for help.
: US voices concern regarding China’s increasing military activity near Taiwan and adds that China’s military pressure against Taiwan undermines regional peace and stability.
: President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines says that he would retire rather than pursue the vice presidency next year.
: North Korea announces it testfired a new type of anti-aircraft missile. The latest launch marks North Korea’s seventh major weapons test this year.
: Taiwan says 25 Chinese fighter jets, including nuclear-capable bombers, entered its defense zone on a day Beijing marked its national day.
: Report from the Lowy Institute shows China’s aid to the Pacific Island countries has declined in recent years.
: North Korea test-fires a newly developed hypersonic missile, joining a race headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.
: Kishida Fumio is elected president of Japan’s majority Liberal Democratic Party, and by extension its new prime minister.
: World Bank downgrades growth forecasts for most countries in East Asia and the Pacific region as economies slowed on the back of COVID-19.
: White House says a near-simultaneous release of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and two Canadians, detained shortly after her arrest, is not a prisoner swap.
: North Korea fires unidentified projectile into the East Sea, days after Pyongyang held out the prospect of an inter-Korean summit if the South drops “double standards.”
: Xi Jinping congratulates Eric Chu on his election as KMT chairman and welcoming the KMT’s commitment to the 1992 Consensus.
: Taiwan Strait situation is “complex and grim,” Chinese President Xi Jinping writes in a congratulatory letter to the newly elected leader of the KMT.
: North Korea says it will consider a summit with South Korea if mutual respect between the neighbors can be assured.
: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs releases a fact sheet on US interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces.
: China releases Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after nearly three years of detention, lending weight to suspicions that their arrests were retaliation for Meng’s arrest.
: Leaders of the Quad release a statement outlining their cooperation in areas including pandemic response, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.
: Taiwan’s air force scrambles to warn off 19 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone.
: US Vice President Kamala Harris meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stresses the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
: US prosecutors announce that they are dropping their extradition request against Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and that she will be released, almost three years after Canadian authorities arrested her on bank and wire fraud charges at the US’ behest. Meng is officially released the following day.
: Taiwan formally applies to join the CPTPP.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggests in his UN speech that the two Koreas and the US, probably joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
: Russia says, in reaction to AUKUS, that the US is ready to jeopardize the entire security architecture of Asia in a bid to strengthen its control over the region.
: Xi Jinping reiterates his nation’s longtime policy of multilateralism, telling world leaders at the United Nations that disputes among countries “need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation.”
: North Korea criticizes a US decision to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and threatens unspecified countermeasures if it finds the deal affects its security.
: Key US senators overseeing trade say that Washington needs to step up efforts to assert itself in the Indo-Pacific region after Beijing applies to join the CPTPP.
: Recent satellite images show North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex.
: North Korean state media accuses the United States of double standards over military activities and pursuing a hostile policy towards Pyongyang.
: China formally applies to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, says South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
: Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom (AUKUS) announce a new trilateral security arrangement.
: North Korea successfully test-fires a new type of long-range cruise missile, a low-level provocation amid stalled talks with the United States.
: China gifts Cambodia a $150 million stadium in Phnom Penh as a part of Beijing’s biggest infrastructure grant to the country.
: Japan’s Defense Ministry says a suspected Chinese submarine has been seen near its southern islands.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells a top Vietnamese official the two countries should refrain from unilateral actions regarding the South China Sea.
: Three members of the Hong Kong Alliance, a pro-democracy group in Hong Kong, are charged with subversion under the national security law and the group is hit with financial penalties.
: China pledges 200 million yuan ($31 million) worth of aid to Afghanistan, including food supplies and COVID-19 vaccines.
: President Biden speaks with President Xi Jinping of China, expressing concern over China’s cyber activities while arguing that the two leaders could set aside their differences to work together on climate change.
: Hong Kong police arrest four members of a pro-democracy group known for its yearly vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
: Seoul Central District Court issues ruling in lawsuit stating that Nippon Steel is not required to pay compensation to children of a World War II-era forced laborer.
: In a statement issued on its website, the International Olympic Committee announces suspension of North Korea Olympic Committee until the end of 2022 due to non-participation in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
: Myanmar’s military leaders agree to an ASEAN call for a ceasefire until the end of the year to ensure safe distribution of humanitarian aid.
: Thai protesters return to the streets, demonstrating against authorities due to its fumbles on COVID-19 containment and policies.
: HMS Queen Elizabeth docks at the Yokosuka naval base, the first first port call in Japan by a British aircraft carrier.
: Signaling increased concern with Chinese assertiveness in the waters around Japan, British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth makes its first port call in Japan.
: Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide announces that he will not seek re-election, meaning his one-year tenure as PM will end after the next general election in October.
: Vietnam’s COVID-19 epicenter Ho Chi Minh City considers reopening economic activity, shifting from a “zero COVID-19” strategy to a policy of living with the virus.
: Seoul Central District Court orders Japan to disclose all assets in South Korea by March 21, 2022 in connection with asset seizure ruling for “comfort women” compensation.
: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry meets in Tianjin with PRC Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua and has virtual talks with Vice Premier Han Zheng, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
: Japan’s total number of COVID-19 cases tops 1.5 million due to a surge in new cases during the current fifth wave of infections.
: China’s special envoy for Asian affairs wraps up week-long, unannounced visit to Myanmar.
: US finishes withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, concluding the two-decade war.
: India holds first formal meeting with Taliban political representatives in Qatar.
: China says it opposes politicization of origins-tracing efforts or shifting blame of the COVID-19 pandemic.
: UN nuclear watchdog says it has detected “deeply troubling” indications of Yongbyon nuclear reactor operating since July, including the release of cooling water. The White House reacts to the news by stressing the “urgent need” for dialogue and diplomacy, while 38 North publishes additional evidence of the Yongbyon 5 MWe reactor’s activation, namely “a discharge of cooling water into a new outflow channel.”
: Taiwan’s government launches English-language content platform called TaiwanPlus for the world to discover Taiwan.
: North Korea appears to resume nuclear activities that are linked to the production of nuclear weapons.
: Lawmakers from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party pledge to support Taiwan’s addition to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership during first-of-their-kind security talks with parliamentarians from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
: Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd and Coast Guard National Security Cutter USCG Munro pass through the Taiwan Strait, marking the eighth transit of the waters this year by a US warship.
: China protests the passage of a US Navy warship and Coast Guard cutter through the Strait of Taiwan.
: The first-ever Taiwan-Japan security talks take place, largely focusing on Taiwanese chip makers’ potential investment in Japan.
: Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, and India begin annual Malabar maritime exercises.
: China decries the US politicization of efforts to trace the origin of the virus ahead of the release of a US intelligence report.
: While meeting with President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in Vietnam, VP Harris urges countries in the region to apply more pressure on China.
: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Y-20 transport plane arrives in Vietnam to deliver 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
: While in Singapore Harris sharply criticizes China’s actions in the South China Sea and insists the Indo-Pacific Strategy is “not against any one country.”
: VP Harris’ reaffirms “the United States’ commitment to working with our allies and partners around the Indo-Pacific to uphold the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation, including in the South China Sea” during a joint press conference with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
: VP Harris arrives in Singapore, at the start of a short trip to Southeast Asia.
: US Vice President Kamala Harris’s begins trip to Singapore and Vietnam to show that the United States is in the region “to stay.”
: China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that Afghanistan should not be used as a geopolitical battleground by the international community.
: Four student union leaders at the University of Hong Kong are arrested on suspicion of “advocating terrorism.”
: Japan’s defense ministry announces that it will seek a fiscal 2022 budget of more than ¥5.4 trillion ($49.3 billion) that could surpass the longstanding cap of 1%.
: Taiwan would not collapse like Afghanistan in the event of an attack, Premier Su Tseng-chang says on Tuesday.
: South Korea and the US start annual joint military training amid North Korea’s strong protest and threats of a serious security crisis.
: 400,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine that the US agreed to provide arrive in South Korea on Sunday, according to the US Embassy in Seoul.
: US evacuates embassy in Kabul as Taliban seizes control of the Afghani capital.
: South Korean navy commissioned its first domestically built submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles to hunt North Korean boats.
: Senior diplomats from the US, Japan, India and Australia hold another round of talks, as the Quad continues to grow closer in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.
: Chinese court in Dandong sentences a Canadian citizen to 11 years on a charge of espionage.
: China and Myanmar announce that they will continue to deepen bilateral economic relations. China announces that it will transfer over $6 million to Myanmar to support nearly two dozen development projects in the country.
: China’s Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong meets Nepalese Ambassador to China Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.
: China said the United States is not qualified to make irresponsible remarks on the issue of the South China Sea during a UN Security Council meeting on maritime security.
: China and Russia conduct strategic exercise “West·Coordination-2021” in northwestern China.
: Nagasaki commemorates the 76th anniversary of its destruction by a US atomic bomb, with the mayor advocating to build on a new global nuclear ban treaty.
: Secretary Blinken says the US is willing to consider different “options” and “possibilities” with North Korea and calls for Pyongyang’s return to dialogue, even as a State Department official confirms that no contact between US and North Korean representatives took place as the ASEAN Regional Forum.
: South Korea decides to conduct military exercise with the US as planned despite North Korea’s warning not to proceed.
: President Biden offers temporary ‘safe haven’ to Hong Kong residents in the US.
: ASEAN appoints Erywan Yusof, one of Brunei’s top diplomats, as special envoy to Myanmar.
: Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces that the State Department has approved the sale of a new arms package to Taiwan. The package features 40 155mm M109A6 Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer Systems, among other equipment.
: India deploys a naval task force to the South China Sea this month to expand security ties with friendly countries, signaling its intent to play a bigger role in the region.
: Foreign ministers of Japan and ASEAN agree on the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
: Secretary Blinken initiates “strategic dialogue” between the US and Indonesia at talks in Washington with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting via video link.
: US, Japan, Australia, and UK begin US-led Large Scale Global Exercise 21.
: Germany dispatches a warship for a six-month deployment that will include a transit of the South China Sea for the first time in two decades.
: Secretary Blinken participates virtually in five virtual ASEAN-related ministerial meetings: U.S.-ASEAN, East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Mekong-U.S. Partnership, and Friends of the Mekong ministerial meetings.
: Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, warns that US-South Korea joint military exercise will damage the resolve of the two Koreas to rebuild relations.
: Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing promises new multi-party elections and says his government is ready to work with any special envoy from the ASEAN.
: New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issues a somber state apology to the Pacific Islander community for racially targeted immigration raids in the 1970s.
: Philippines President Duterte announces decision to restore the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US. The agreement would continue to allow the rotation of thousands of US troops in and out of the Philippines for military exercises. The decision is announced during US Secretary of Defense Austin’s visit to Manila.
: Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense ministers hold their annual meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
: US destroyer USS Benfold, transits the Taiwan Strait.
: China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee takes first steps toward imposing an anti-sanctions law on Hong Kong.
: Taiwan authorities announce they are investigating a former deputy defense minister and several other serving and retired military officers over contacts with China.
: Secretary of Defense Austin says during a speech in Singapore that China’s claims over the Taiwan Strait have no basis in international law, and that the US will enhance its capabilities to deter China, consistent with its commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and the US one-China policy.
: Secretary of Defense Austin says that the US seeks no confrontation with China but “will not flinch” during his visit in Singapore.
: Samoa’s 1st female prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa takes office after her predecessor Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi had been reluctant to relinquish his power.
: President Biden warns that the US could end up in a “real shooting war” with a “major power” as the result of a significant cyber-attack on the country.
: China hands the US a list of grievances and a list of red line issues but agreed to maintain communication with Washington.
: Opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics are held in Tokyo.
: China retaliates against the July 16 US imposition of financial sanctions on officials in the Liaison Office of the Hong Kong government, imposing sanctions on seven US individuals and an entity, including former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
: Chinese government offers indirect thank you to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen for her message of concern over devastating floods in the Chinese province of Henan.
: Deputy Secretary of State Sherman meets Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo and Republic of Korea First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong Kun today in Tokyo.
: Russian tanks are deployed near the Afghan-Tajik border ahead of military exercises next month and Moscow announced more drills in neighboring Uzbekistan.
: China’s President Xi tells Mongolian president that the neighbors should “support each other’s core interests and major concerns” ahead of a US official’s visit.
: Department of Justice charges four Chinese nationals who allegedly work for the Hainan State Security Department, a provincial arm of the Ministry of State Security, with hacking the computer systems of dozens of companies, universities, and government entities in the US and abroad between 2011 and 2018.
: South Korea summons the Japanese ambassador over “undiplomatic” remarks about President Moon Jae-in and the possibility of a summit during the Tokyo Olympics.
: Treasury Department adds seven people from China’s Hong Kong Liaison office to its “specially designated nationals list.”
: APEC leaders issue a statement that extensive COVID-19 immunization is a global public good and accelerating access to vaccines is essential to overcoming the pandemic.
: Chinese President Xi’s remarks at the APEC Informal Economic Leaders’ Retreat highlight China’s vaccine diplomacy and contributions to the Global South, as well as China’s commitment to strengthening regional and global trade and economic recovery through such trade initiatives as RCEP.
: Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security issue a business advisory to warn US businesses of risks to their activities in Hong Kong and encourage due diligence to mitigate such risks.
: India and China agree to seek mutually acceptable solution to Western Himalayas border problem.
: Manila accuses Chinese fishing boats and trawlers of dumping raw sewage on coral reefs in the South China Sea.
: Japan’s 2021 defense white paper is released, devoting three times as much coverage to China than to the United States in outlining the defense programs of various nations.
: Secretary Blinken meets with ASEAN counterparts and reiterated Washington’s position that it will not accept China’s claims in the South China Sea.
: New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern chairs an informal meeting of leaders from countries in the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC to discuss COVID-19 pandemic.
: Taiwan’s Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co say they have reached deals to purchase 10 million doses of Germany’s BioNTech’s SE’s COVID-19 vaccine.
: China’s military says it “drove away” a US warship that illegally entered Chinese waters near the Paracel Islands.
: Vietnam receives 2 million COVID-19 vaccines donated by the US government as it battles its worst outbreak of the pandemic.
: Bangladesh has secured deals for 17.5 million more COVID-19 vaccines from the Covax international alliance and China.
: The US government adds 14 Chinese companies and other entities to its economic black list over alleged human rights abuse and high-tech surveillance in Xinjiang.
: North Korea rejects planned shipments of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine that were being organized under the Covax distribution scheme due to concerns over side effects.
: Amid growing suspicions that the COVID-19 pandemic began with a lab leak in China, a group of renowned international scientists say that coronavirus most likely came from animals rather than a laboratory leak.
: Taiwan asks the US not to cause “unnecessary speculation or misunderstanding” after the White House deleted a social media post on COVID-19 vaccine donations that included the ROC flag.
: //www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/us-envoy-for-north-korea-speaks-with-chinese-counterpart">rejection of efforts to establish a dialogue with the Biden administration.
: Russian FM Lavrov says ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus should be the basis to end the political crisis in Myanmar.
: Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro states that if China were to invade Taiwan, the move could be interpreted as a threat to Japan’s survival, enabling the SDF to be deployed for collective self-defense under security laws enacted in 2015.
: US shortlists North Korea as a nation complicit in human trafficking and forced labor again.
: At Tiananmen Square, on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding, Xi Jinping warns that Beijing will not tolerate foreign obstruction on the country’s path to becoming a superpower.
: Financial Times reports that the US and Japan have been conducting war games and joint military exercises in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan.
: Taiwan and the United States hold bilateral trade talks on issues related to supply chains, market access for US pork producers, and vaccine production.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reprimands top ruling party officials for failures in anti-epidemic work.
: US State Department appoints Atul Keshap as Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) ad interim to replace Daniel Smith in New Delhi.
: Seoul approves plans to pursue a $2.6-billion “Korean Iron Dome” air defense artillery system to counter North Korea’s long range guns and missiles.
: President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin hold video conference for 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.
: India deploys 50,000 soldiers to the Chinese border amid a stalemate in the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh.
: Pentagon announces that the State Department approved the sale of F-15 fighter jets and two types of missiles to the Philippines.
: Japan ratifies Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
: A senior US diplomat says that Washington no longer sees Taiwan as a problem in its relations with Beijing but as an opportunity to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
: Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs publishes a Federal Register Notice updating its “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor” to include polysilicon produced in China.
: Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force joins the US and Sri Lanka for the first time in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises.
: China convenes virtual conference on the Belt and Road Initiative with representatives from more than 30 countries and regional and international organizations.
: Russia commits to strengthening military ties with Myanmar’s junta through bilateral visits and arms deals.
: Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily announces it will print its last edition June 24.
: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairs the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation via video link in Beijing.
: Singapore and Vietnam sign agreements to accelerate development of the digital economy.
: Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Curtis Wilbur, sails through the Taiwan Strait.
: Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing arrives in Moscow to attend a security conference.
: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen says he is in quarantine for 14 days and cancels scheduled talks with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
: Australia takes China’s anti-dumping duties on its wine imports to the World Trade Organization.
: Chinese Coast Guard 2301 fleet conducts a patrol in the territorial waters off the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, the sixth time since the beginning of 2021 such patrols have been publicly announced.
: Hong Kong police arrest pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper’s five editors and executives under Hong Kong’s national security law.
: At the ADMM Plus meeting, China’s defense minister refers to the South China Sea as a “core interest,” saying “On issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea, China is determined to safeguard the country’s core interests.”
: Draft of Japan’s Defense 2021 white paper states, for the first time, the strategic importance of Taiwan for Japan’s national security and stabilization of the international community.
: US and European leaders say they will “closely consult and cooperate on the full range of issues” as they deal with China, addressing “ongoing human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet; the erosion of autonomy and democratic processes in Hong Kong; economic coercion; disinformation campaigns; and regional security issues.”
: Myanmar’s opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi goes on trial for corruption charges.
: China flies 28 warplanes into Taiwan-controlled airspace, the biggest sortie of its kind since the Taiwanese government began publishing information about incursions last year.
: Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin announces that Manila will further delay its decision to suspend the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, citing tension in disputed waters in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China.
: Heads of state and government at the NATO summit release a statement noting that “China’s growing influence and international policies can present challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance” and promised to “engage China in constructive dialogue … with a view to defending the security interests of the Alliance.”
: G7 leaders pledge to donate more than 1 billion doses of COVID vaccines to help developing nations overcome the pandemic. G7 nations also issue a joint statement calling for the complete denuclearization of North Korea, welcoming the commitment of Washington to engage with Pyongyang through diplomacy, as well as a criticisms of China’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, calls for Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy, and emphasis on the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China denounces the statement.
: At G7 summit, leaders commit to creating an infrastructure financing mechanism to serve as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
: China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, passes Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law to provide a legal foundation to counter US and EU sanctions over trade, technology, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang.
: Samoa’s leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi promises to build a port at Vaiusu, west of the capital Apia, with $100 million in Chinese aid.
: President Biden revokes executive orders targeting Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat apps initiated by President Trump and signs a new order directing the Commerce Department to evaluate all software applications with potential ties to foreign adversaries including China and take action to protect data on US citizens gathered by the apps.
: Secretary of Defense Austin issues a directive to reorient the US military to better compete with Beijing. Few details are known, but its said to contribute to whole-of-government efforts to address challenges from China.
: US and Australian authorities arrest suspected organized crime figures in 18 countries as a result of the two countries’ joint operation.
: US Senate Committee on Armed Services holds a hearing entitled “The United States’ Strategic Competition with China.”
: US and Japan begin their annual Orient Shield military exercise.
: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends and co-chairs meetings with foreign ministers of ASEAN countries.
: As three US senators visit Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen expresses gratitude for the US plan to donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan.
: Ministers from APEC commit to work to facilitate movement of essential goods and COVID-19 vaccines.
: Hong Kong police bans vigil commemorating the crackdown of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
: Japanese Coast Guard confirms presence of four China Coast Guard vessels in the contiguous zone off the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands; they mark a record 112 consecutive days of such intrusions.
: Suga, speaking at Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, urges the 18 nations to unite against authoritarianism and in favor of freedom navigation in the high seas and respect for international law.
: Biden issues order banning US investment in Chinese firms that aid surveillance and repression both inside and outside China. It expands on EO13959 of Nov. 12, 2020.
: Indonesian government ends the salvage efforts to retrieve a sunken submarine that claimed 53 lives.
: Secretary Blinken has called on NATO members to deepen their cooperation with South Korea amid US efforts to reinforce cooperation between US allies.
: Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh announces that China will help expand and modernize Ream port, Cambodia’s largest naval base.
: Taiwan cuts water supply for chip-making hub Taichung because of drought.
: Malaysia’s foreign ministry accuses China of violating its airspace and emphasizes that national security is uncompromising.
: North Korea slams US lifting of missile restrictions on South Korea as a “stark reminder” of Washington’s hostile approach to Pyongyang, saying the recently unveiled US policy on North Korea is “just trickery.”
: Philippines lifts ban in Filipino workers traveling to Saudi Arabia for jobs.
: South Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, turn to China for vaccines for COVID-19 after India’s suspension of vaccine exports.
: Japanese and EU leaders release joint statement that “underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” and calls for “enhanced cooperation for a free and open Pacific.”
: 38 North says that North Korea appears to be continuing activities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex but no clear evidence has been detected to determine if spent fuel rods have been transferred from the storage facility to produce plutonium.
: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam propose to Liechtenstein to drop the Myanmar arms embargo.
: US and Japanese interagency representatives hold first US-Japan Global Digital Connectivity Partnership meeting.
: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation holds an online meeting of experts to prepare for the first meeting of Security Council Secretaries in Tashkent.
: US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim begins work as a special representative for North Korea, speaking with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi.
: Meeting between Secretary Blinken and Southeast Asian foreign ministers is rescheduled for next week due to a technical glitch on the US end.
: 16th China-Russia strategic security consultation is held in Moscow.
: Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announces that state-owned Indonesia Battery Corporation and South Korea’s LG will build a new $1.2 billion battery plant in Bekasi, Indonesia.
: President Biden meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the second foreign leader Biden hosts in Washington. During a joint press conference, Biden announces appointment of Sung Kim as special envoy for North Korea. Moon announces a joint decision with the US to end guidelines that restricted Seoul’s development of missiles, and an agreement to work together to build stable supply chains for semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries, and medical supplies.
: China and the Philippines hold talks on the South China Sea under a bilateral consultation mechanism set up in 2016 to address tensions in the maritime dispute. Senior officials from both sides confirm that the talks are “friendly and candid.”
: Japanese apparel companies World and Mizuno announce they will stop using Xinjiang cotton in response to allegations of human rights abuses by the Chinese government.
: Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command says USS Curtis Wilbur illegally entered waters near the Paracel islands without permission, which violates its sovereignty and undermines regional peace and stability.
: Secretary Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet in Reykjavik on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin join the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of four nuclear reactors made with Russion technology via video conference.
: Prime Minister Suga and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte agree to cooperate in maintaining regional peace and stability during phone talks.
: President Joe Biden says that the United States will provide up to 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by the end of next month, reiterating his pledge to turn the US into an “arsenal” of vaccines for the entire world.
: US Senate passes the Endless Frontier Act 86-11. It would provide $120 billion to expand research into cutting-edge technologies to make the US more competitive with China.
: Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have phone talks discussing China’s maritime actions and cooperation.
: For the first time, the Japanese government publicly identifies China as responsible for a cyberattack.
: Hong Kong police freeze the assets of media mogul Jimmy Lai, citing the National Security Law.
: State Department transmits its 2020 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom to Congress and announces sanctions against Chinese citizen Yu Hui, former Office Director of the “Central Leading Group on Preventing and Dealing with Heretical Religions” for his involvement in human rights violations such as the detention of Falun Gong practitioners.
: Biden reportedly picks Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor and chief of staff to President Obama, as ambassador to Japan.
: US, Japan, France, and Australia conduct joint training exercise Jeanne D’Arc 21 in Japan.
: China and Indonesia conduct a joint naval exercise off the coast of Jakarta.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-young meet in London on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ summit.
: China suspends its Strategic Economic Dialogue with Australia.
: G7 foreign ministers, including those from Japan and the US, issue a joint statement warning China not to escalate cross-strait tensions with Taiwan.
: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggests a new concept of integrated deterrence that calls for Japan to assume a role in the numerous chokepoints of the Nansei Islands group.
: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls for coordinated efforts to denuclearize North Korea at the G7 summit.
: Japanese government lodges diplomatic protest against the presence of a Chinese marine research vessel conducting unauthorized research within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the first confirmed incursion around the Okinawa area since July 2019.
: State Department calls for Taiwan to be allowed to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly.
: United Nations Development Program issues a report warning that turmoil and violence in Myanmar has doubled the number of people in poverty, and could force half the population into poverty by early 2022, if the situation continues unchecked. Since the coup, 11% of the population has been pushed into poverty.
: Reports of the Biden administration’s completed policy review on North Korea circulate, indicating a new path on addressing North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Few details are revealed, however.
: At the Indo-Pacific Command Change of Command, Secretary of Defense Austin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley and both the incoming and outgoing commanders cite the Indo-Pacific as “the priority region” for US national security interests.
: Taiwan commissions the first of a fleet of coast guard ships that can be converted into warships to bolster the defense of Taipei-controlled islands in the South China Sea.
: In a speech to a joint session of Congress, Biden states that the US is in competition with China “to win the 21st century.”
: Britain’s Royal Navy announces it will send a strike group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, to the Indo-Pacific next week, as it seeks to expand its presence in the region.
: A Morning Consult poll shows the US’ favorability ratings to be up in 13 out of 14 countries since Biden’s inauguration, with China the lone exception.
: Japan’s 2021 edition of its annual Diplomatic Bluebook highlights ‘strong concerns’ regarding China’s military expansion.
: Myanmar’s junta releases a statement that it will consider ASEAN’s “suggestions” in Jakarta after “stabilizing the country.”
: Following Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s remark that conflict with China over Taiwan could not be “discounted,” Beijing releases a statement imploring Australia to recognize the “one-China principle.”
: At a defense and security consultation, Chinese and Vietnamese officials agree to work together to improve trust amid regional tensions regarding their territorial claims in the South China Sea.
: ASEAN leaders gather in Jakarta in the first physical summit to try to bring an end to the violence and instability in Myanmar following the Feb. 1 military coup. The Chairman’s Statement include a “Five-Point Consensus” to resolve the conflict, including “immediate cessation” of violence.
: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says that Min Aung Hlaing, commander of Myanmar’s armed forces, told ASEAN leaders that he agreed that violence in his country must stop.
: Suga declares a third state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
: Chinese embassy in London condemns the British parliament for passing a motion declaring that Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region “are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide.”
: A North Korean defector group plans to send thousands of leaflets to North Korea, despite a recently enacted ban on leafleting.
: Xi Jinping delivers remarks at the US-led Leaders Summit on Climate.
: Beijing says that it will “respond firmly and forcefully” if Canberra refuses to reverse its decision to cancel two deals agreed between China and the Australian state of Victoria.
: Biden nominates Ely Ratner for Assistant Secretary of Defense, Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passes the Strategic Competition Act.
: President Moon urges the United States to restart dialogue with North Korea at an early date during an interview with The New York Times.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry confirms that President Xi will attend the US-hosted Earth Day climate change summit.
: Seoul Central District Court rejects a compensation claim against the Japanese government by 20 individuals including survivors of wartime sex slavery, citing sovereign immunity.
: Philippine President Rodrigo Duturte says that he is prepared to send military ships in the South China Sea to stake a claim over oil and mineral resources in the disputed section of the strategic waterway.
: China’s People’s Liberation Army reportedly deploys an advanced long-range rocket launcher to the Himalayas, in a move to reinforce China’s border defense and act as a deterrent to India.
: In a joint statement following Special Envoy Kerry’s visit to Shanghai, Washington and Beijing express their commitment to working together to uphold the Paris Agreement on climate change.
: In a joint statement after a meeting, President Biden and Prime Minister Suga call for “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reaffirm their commitment to countering China’s “intimidation” in the East and South China seas.
: US Climate Envoy John Kerry and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua issue a joint statement addressing the Climate Crisis.
: US Treasury Department determines that Vietnam has tripped the threshold for currency manipulation but does not formally declare Hanoi a currency manipulator.
: Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Wu Jianghao, summons Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi over Tokyo’s controversial decision to release more than 1 million tons of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
: General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Army says that China tried to wage an “undeclared war” against India through cyberattacks.
: Former US Senator Chris Dodd and Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg travel to Taiwan at Joe Biden’s request, in a “personal signal” of the president’s commitment to the Chinese-claimed island.
: An annual report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence lists China at the top of its national security threats, warning of Beijing’s efforts to realize “an epochal geopolitical shift.”
: According to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, China’s People’s Liberation Army flew 25 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), its largest incursion yet as tension in the Taiwan Strait continues to escalate.
: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang holds virtual dialogue with board chairmen and CEOs from the US-China Business Council and over 20 US multinational companies.
: Philippines armed forces begin two week joint exercises with hundreds of US soldiers amid growing tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.
: Blinken blames China’s failure to provide access to global health experts for making the COVID-19 pandemic worse than it had to be.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian expresses Beijing’s “deep concerns” with Japan over its planned disposal of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry likewise expresses “grave concerns” over Japan’s decision.
: Local media reports in Myanmar state that at least 82 people were killed in one day in a crackdown by Myanmar security forces on pro-democracy protesters.
: Myanmar’s ruling military junta announce that 19 people have been sentenced to death for killing an associate of an army captain and that anti-coup protests are dwindling.
: Indo-Pacific Command moves the US carrier strike group USS Theodore Roosevelt and the amphibious ready group USS Makin Island into the South China Sea, partly in response to the presence of Chinese vessels off Whitsun Reef, a perceived threat against the maritime security of the Philippines.
: Iran releases a South Korean-flagged tanker that it seized amid a dispute over billions in frozen oil funds.
: US issues new contact guidance for US government interactions with Taiwan counterparts, though the details remain classified.
: US sends the USS Makin Island amphibious-ready group (ARG) to the disputed water of the South China Sea, bolstering Washington’s presence amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing regarding the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in Whitsun Reef.
: State Department spokesman Ned Price acknowledges that the Biden administration is considering a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
: China’s Foreign Ministry requests Manila to “stop hyping up” the fleet of Chinese vessels moored in Whitsun Reef in the disputed South China Sea.
: A report on North Korean Sports Ministry website DPRK Korea states that the North Korean Olympic Committee “decided not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games in order to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by COVID-19,” dealing a blow to both South Korean and Japanese hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough with the North at the Games.
: South Korea’s Defense Ministry rejects Japan’s renewed territorial claims over the country’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, saying Seoul does not even have to repeat explanations on the matter.
: Japan sends its naval destroyer JS Suzutsuki to “gather information and monitor the movements” of China’s carrier group, which was spotted passing the waterway between Okinawa and Miyako Island.
: Australia’s newly appointed Defense Minister Peter Dutton expresses his intention to work closely with the US and other allies in maintaining peace in the region.
: In a joint statement after a day of talks, representatives from the United States, South Korea, and Japan agree to work together to maintain pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
: Ten of Myanmar’s major rebel groups express their support for the country’s anti-coup activists.
: Myanmar anti-coup protests hold candle-lit protests and urge “guerilla strike” tactics, as internet blackout widens.
: Philippine military says that it has documented illegal man-made structures on Union Banks in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, near areas where hundreds of Chinese vessels massed last month.
: US Department of State releases 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights, within which China’s humanitarian practices in Xinjiang are classified as “[g]enocide and crimes against humanity.”
: US Acting Assistant Secretary of State Lisa Peterson says the US will hold North Korea accountable for its “egregious” human rights violations.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu announces that Tokyo will halt any new aid in Myanmar in response to the coup orchestrated by the military junta.
: sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticizes South Korean President Moon Jae-in for his speech, mocking him as a “parrot” that repeats the United States’ “gangster-like logic.”
: Xi urges Sri Lanka to continue work with Beijing to develop the controversial Hambantota port, which sits along the main waterways of Asia and Europe.
: In her first week in office, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai says that a trade meeting between China and the United States will take place “when the time is right.”
: United States suspends its trade pact with Myanmar in response to the military junta’s killing of over 100 democracy protesters over the weekend.
: Blinken says China’s retaliatory sanctions in the growing dispute of Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs are “baseless” and would only draw further attention to the “genocide” in Xinjiang.
: China announces sanctions on US and Canadian individuals and entities in retaliation for imposing sanctions on Chinese persons and entities in Xinjiang.
: Iran and China sign a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement addressing a wide variety of economic issues, including oil and mining, the promotion of industrial activity in Iran, as well as transportation and agricultural collaborations.
: Biden nominates Daniel J. Kritenbrink as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
: World Bank announces that the economy of Myanmar has contracted by 10% since the Feb. 1 coup. Food prices have doubled, and the cost of fuel has risen by 15%.
: United States and Taiwan further strengthen maritime security ties, signing a coastguard agreement suggested to counter growing “gray zone” threats from mainland China.
: United States condemns North Korea’s ballistic missile launches as “destabilizing” actions violating UN Security Council resolutions.
: Two suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist militant group detonate an explosive device outside a Catholic church, killing themselves and wounding 19 others.
: North Korea fires at least one unidentified projectile into the East Sea, according to the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
: South Korea convenes an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting on North Korea’s latest projectile launch.
: Addressing NATO headquarters in Brussels, Blinken says “nine in 10 Americans believe that maintaining our alliances is the most effective way to achieve our foreign policy goals.”
: President Biden’s nominee to lead USINDOPACOM, Admiral John Aquilino, says that Beijing’s ability to invade Taiwan is “much closer than most think.”
: Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana calls upon the 220 Chinese vessels surrounding Whitsun Reef to withdraw, claiming they are violating the Philippines’ rights under international maritime law.
: North Korea fires off multiple short-range missiles after denouncing Washington for the joint military exercises with South Korea.
: Myanmar’s ruling military council spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, says that the junta is cooperating with five neighboring countries and vows to stamp out “anarchy.”
: US Climate Envoy John Kerry attends the Ministerial on Climate Action, and meets with China’s Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Xie Zhenhua.
: 55-year-old businessman Mun Chol Myong, who faces money laundering charges, becomes the first North Korean citizen ever extradited to the United States.
: State Department issues a joint statement with Canada and the United Kingdom opposing China’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
: South Korea’s Defense Minister Suh Wook signals closer military cooperation with Tokyo in a TV interview.
: Suga lifts the state of emergency in the four remaining prefectures (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba).
: Philippine troops kill a leader of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group, Majan Sahidjuan, and rescue four Indonesian hostages.
: Australian Foreign Minister Payne states that Australia will not trade away important principles and values simply to restart diplomatic talks with China.
: North Korea says that it will sever diplomatic relations with Malaysia for extraditing its businessman living in Malaysia to the United States.
: North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui says North Korea will continue to ignore any contact from the United States unless the US withdraws its hostile policies toward North Korea.
: President Moon says South Korea will improve strained ties with Japan to bolster trilateral security cooperation involving the United States during talks with Blinken and Austin.
: During a trip to Seoul, Secretary Blinken calls on China to use its influence in Pyongyang to help pressure it into abandoning its nuclear program.
: Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold meetings with Secretary Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Anchorage, Alaska. In a fiery round of opening statements, Blinken says China is contributing to a “far more violent world” and Chinese officials call the US hypocritical for complaining about human rights abuses given its history of racism.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijan criticizes Washington and Tokyo for attempting “anti-China encirclement” after officials raised concerns about its “destabilizing behavior” in the region.
: Asked by a reporter while traveling in Tokyo if the US is considering boycotting the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Secretary Blinken says President Biden is “listening to the concerns” of many countries and will decide what to do at the appropriate time.
: Blinken and Austin attend a US-ROK Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) in Seoul. The meeting is hosted by the ROK’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Minister of Defense Suh Wook.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo meet Secretaries Blinken and Austin, hold a Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (“2+2”) meeting in Tokyo.
: US Treasury Department sanctions 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials over Beijing’s changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system that took place on March 11.
: Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong condemns South Korea for military exercises with the United States.
: NSC Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell says that the Biden administration will not offer any improvements in the relationship with China until its economic coercion of Australia ceases.
: Myanmar’s military extends “full martial law” to all parts of Yangon following violent protests over the weekend that left 50 people dead.
: Chinese Ambassador to US Cui Tiankai argues that fears regarding an erosion of democracy in Hong Kong are “unnecessary.”
: Ahead of Indo-Pacific tour, Secretary of Defense Austin calls China “our pacing threat” and vows to strengthen alliances which, he says, give the US “a lot more capability.”
: A Biden administration official says North Korea has not responded to the behind-the-scenes Biden administration’s diplomatic outreach since mid-February.
: At a virtual summit of the Quad, the United States, Japan, Australia and India announce they will provide 1 billion doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, to be produced in India, to countries of the Indo-Pacific by the end of 2022. The Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement is also released, reaffirming a shared vision for “a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion.”
: Quad leaders’ Washington Post op-ed is published, highlighting the history of the four nations’ cooperation and new challenges for the region that require coordination. China is not mentioned.
: Washington says it will not ease its sanctions on Iran, including Iranian funds in South Korea, until Iran returns to compliance with the JCPOA.
: US Navy sends warship USS John Finn on voyage through the Taiwan Strait, drawing the ire of Beijing. This is the third such voyage under the Biden administration.
: China’s national legislature approves resolution drastically altering Hong Kong’s electoral system, expanding the Electoral Committee with 3oo Beijing loyalists who will comprise the fifth sector of the 1,500 member body.
: State Department condemns the Beijing legislature’s tightening the central government’s control over Hong Kong’s electoral system, deeming the move to be a “direct attack” on the city’s autonomy. A day later, Secretary Blinken also joins other G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union in a joint-statement condemning the changes made to Hong Kong’s electoral laws by China’s National People’s Congress.
: Secretary Blinken refers to South Korea and Japan as “two of our most important allies” during testimony before Congress ahead of his Indo-Pacific tour.
: Prime Minister Suga and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi hold a phone call ahead of the upcoming Quad meeting with the US and Australia, pledging to realize a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
: Official news outlet of the Communist Party of China’s Xinjiang region says unidentified companies have filed a domestic civil lawsuit seeking compensation from Adrian Zenz, a US-based human rights researcher, whose reports have alleged the region’s cotton industry utilizes forced labor.
: OECD says a global economic recovery is “in sight” thanks partly to fiscal stimulus in the US and increasing vaccine deployment, despite “uneven” vaccine distribution.
: Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne announces Australia’s suspension of its defense cooperation program with Myanmar amid an intensified crackdown on protesters and media by the country’s military.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delineates Hong Kong and Taiwan “red lines” in its relations with the United States, but says there is room for cooperation in the areas of pandemic control, economic recovery, and climate change.
: US Senate unanimously approves bill to tighten controls on Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes accused by lawmakers of being propaganda tools.
: Secretary Austin includes North Korea on the list of threats to the United States and its allies.
: US unveils new measures to punish Myanmar’s army for its coup, blocking the ministries of defense and home affairs and top military conglomerates from certain types of trade.
: China and South Korea establish two additional military hotlines as an effort to avoid any military miscalculation.
: ASEAN foreign ministers urge the Myanmar military to desist from violence during an informal online meeting.
: Following China’s import ban on Taiwanese pineapples, the de facto US and Canadian embassies in Taiwan praise Taiwan’s pineapples on social media.
: Philippine Defense Undersecretary Raymund Elefante and Indian Ambassador Shambu Kumaran sign an implementing agreement involving the procurement of defense material and equipment by the Philippines from India including BrahMos cruise missiles.
: Biden administration releases the “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance,” which warns of an “increasingly assertive” China, “the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to mount a sustained challenge to a stable and open international system.”
: President Moon Jae-in says South Korea is ready to talk with Japan anytime, stating that it would also be helpful to the trilateral partnership with the United States.
: Suga lifts the state of emergency in six prefectures (Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Fukuoka).
: South Korea’s National Assembly passes a parliamentary resolution denouncing the military coup in Myanmar.
: US Defense Department spokesman says North Korea’s continued development of weapons poses a threat to the United States and its allies.
: Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Aiboshi meets South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and they agree to maintain close communication.
: G7 foreign ministers issue a statement condemning the violence committed in Myanmar against protestors and calling upon the security forces to exercise “utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law.”
: Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and nine ministers survive a no-confidence motion in parliament following a four-day censure debate. Protests calling for his resignation resume.
: Biden addresses the 2021 Virtual Munich Security Conference, says the US would be working closely with allies and partners “to meet the range of shared challenges we face.”
: South Korean Nuclear Envoy Noh Kyu-duk, acting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Sung Kim, and Japanese Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi meet virtually to discuss North Korean-related issues.
: South Korean Minister of Unification Lee In-young says that North Korea faces a food shortage of over 1.2 million to 1.3 million tons this year due to damage from heavy downpours that happened last year.
: In a CNN town hall meeting, Biden says that he told Xi that there would be “repercussions” for China’s human rights abuses.
: Satellite images provided by the Indian Army show China dismantling dozens of structures and moving vehicles from camps along parts of the disputed Himalayan border.
: Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, the Philippines Ambassador to China, states that China has sought to ease tensions with Manila over its controversial new coastguard law.
: Japan announces that it will build three transport ships for the Ground Self-Defense Forces designed to supply ammunition, fuel, and provisions to troops stationed on its outlying islands, as part of its efforts to deal with China’s military buildup in the region.
: TikTok’s Chinese owner, Bytedance, walks away from a deal to sell the video-sharing application’s US operations to a group led by Oracle following Donald Trump’s departure from the White House.
: CGTN loses permission to air in Germany, just days after its broadcasting license was revoked in Britain.
: US military begins its delayed two-week-long annual Yudh Abhuas exercise with India, which has been reported to be the Biden administration’s first move to use its Quad partners to exert pressure on Beijing.
: South Korea’s new Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stress close cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during their first phone talks.
: China bans the BBC’s World News in retaliation to the UK banning the Chinese state-backed broadcaster CGTN’s license the previous week.
: Kyodo reports that the Japanese government is hesitant to impose sanctions on Myanmar following the military coup there, fearing that doing so would drive the military closer to China.
: President Biden signs Executive Order 14014, which authorizes an initial round of sanctions on top military leaders in Myanmar who were involved in the Feb. 1 coup, among other possible actions.
: Official negotiations open on renewal of the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), triggering a 180-day countdown in which the agreement must be renewed or terminated.
: A confidential UN report states that North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2021 in violation of international sanctions. According to the report, these were partially funded with some $300 million stolen through cyber hacks.
: Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian states that PLA and Indian troops have “simultaneously” begun disengagement in the disputed border of Pangong Lake in a “planned, orderly manner.”
: Presidents Biden and Xi engage in their first phone call since Biden’s inauguration. Issues pertaining to trade, human rights, the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang feature throughout the dialogue.
: French nuclear attack submarine Émeraude and its naval support ship Seine carry out freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea as part of Paris’ efforts to challenge Beijing’s sweeping claims in the region.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping says that China and Vietnam must manage their own maritime disputes and resist outside instigation during a phone call with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong.
: Tens of thousands of people in Myanmar march in protest against the military coup for the second straight day, as a partial restoration of Internet connection flooded Myanmar social media with images and videos of the demonstrations.
: In a CBS interview broadcast, President Biden describes the US-China rivalry as “extreme competition” rather than conflict, and acknowledges that he is yet to speak to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
: China protests US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain’s freedom of navigation exercise in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, the first such operation under the Biden administration.
: Vice-Admiral Aan Kurnia, head of Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency, warns that China’s new coastguard law heightens risk of “spillover conflict” into Indonesia’s territorial waters around the Natuna Islands, where two countries have had skirmishes before.
: Biden declares “America is back” during first visit to State Department as president: “American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy.”
: US announces an extension of the New Strategic Arms Treaty, the last remaining treaty with Russia capping their nuclear arsenals, until 2026, vowing to pursue similar arms agreements with Beijing.
: Aircraft carrier group USS Nimitz departs its extended period in the Middle East for the Indo-Pacific region.
: Suga extends the state of emergency to March 7 for 10 prefectures.
: President Biden calls on Myanmar’s military to relinquish power immediately.
: Taiwan’s Defense Ministry states that Seven People’s Liberation Army warplanes and a US reconnaissance aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, as tensions across the strait continue to escalate.
: Myanmar’s military launches a coup, detaining leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a number of other high profile elected officials.
: A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visits a Wuhan seafood market linked to the earliest COVID-19 cases.
: US states that Chinese military flights in the past week in the South China Sea fit a pattern of destabilization and aggressive behavior by Beijing, but pose no threat to a US Navy carrier strike group in the region.
: A Pentagon spokesperson calls Chinese remarks equating Taiwanese independence as “war” as “unfortunate,” and reaffirms Washington’s commitment to improving the self-ruled island’s defense capacity.
: President Biden assures Japanese Prime Minister Suga that the US-Japan mutual treaty applies to the disputed Senkaku Islands.
: Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian warns the Biden administration and Taiwan, stating that the pursuit of independence for the self-ruled island “means war.”
: US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry says at a press conference that the US must deal with China on climate change as a “critical standalone issue,” adding that the Biden administration will not trade concessions on human rights and trade for climate cooperation.
: Head of the Philippine fishers’ association describes China’s new law permitting China’s coastguard to fire on foreign vessels in disputed waters as a “virtual declaration of war.”
: China and New Zealand complete a review and expansion of their free trade agreement, eliminating almost all trade tariffs.
: South Korea’s Bank of Korea announces that South Korea’s real gross domestic product fell by 1% in 2020, marking the lowest growth rate in 22 years.
: US Senate confirms Antony Blinken as secretary of state.
: Secretary Austin calls on key Asian allies to work with the US in the Indo-Pacific, signaling his intention to boost defense ties in the region amid US regional competition with China.
: Washington urges Beijing to end its military pressure against Taiwan, hours after Taipei reported a large incursion into its airspace by the mainland Chinese air force.
: In the first US-Japanese ministerial-level talk since President Biden took office, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirms to Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo that the Senkaku Islands fall within the scope of the Japan-US Mutual Security Treaty.
: China’s top legislative body passes a law permitting its coastguards to fire on foreign vessels and demolish structures built in disputed waters.
: State Department urges Beijing to cease military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan in a press release.
: Lloyd Austin is confirmed by the Senate to be secretary of Defense.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying calls for the “better angels in US-China relations” to emerge following the inauguration of President Biden.
: 13th National Party Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam opens to select the top leadership of the party as well as choosing members of the Politburo, and to set policy goals for the next five years.
: Japan characterizes China’s “drawing of territorial sea baselines” as incongruent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
: President Biden is inaugurated in Washington.
: Beijing pledges to use its political and economic strengths to contain pro-independence forces in Taiwan, identifying it as a key talk for the Communist Party’s centenary year.
: Secretary Pompeo declares that China’s treatment of Uygurs in Xinjian constitutes genocide.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in urges President-elect Joe Biden to hold talks with North Korea to build on the progress that President Trump made with leader Kim Jong Un.
: United States imposes sanctions on six pro-Beijing Hong Hong officials over mass arrests of pro-democracy activists.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concludes his Southeast Asian tour in the Philippines, promising its “closest neighbour” half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, $1.34 billion in loan pledges for infrastructure projects, and$77 million in grants.
: North Korea holds a military parade in Pyongyang, displaying its new Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).
: Pompeo announces that the US is sanctioning six PRC and Hong Kong officials after pro-democracy arrests in Hong Kong.
: Trump administration announces sanctions on officials of Chinese state-owned enterprises and military and adds Chinese oil giant CNOOC to an economic blacklist, accusing them of using coercion against states with rival claims in the South China Sea.
: US Department of Defense releases names of additional companies added to the list of “Communist Chinese military companies” operating in the US.
: China’s new armed reconnaissance drone, the WJ-700, completes its maiden flight at an undisclosed location.
: US bans all imports of cotton and tomato products from China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, citing growing concerns over widespread use of forced labor.
: Biden selects Kurt Campbell to serve as National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific.
: India returns a People’s Liberation Army soldier who strayed across the disputed Himalayas region.
: US State Department says that Mike Pompeo has no plans to travel to Taiwan amid Chinese commentary that a visit to Taiwan from the US secretary of state would provoke an “overwhelming” response from Beijing.
: Social media images of the People’s Liberation Army reveal the first public display of its upgraded PCL-191 long-range multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), capable of firing 370mm rockets 217 miles, or 750mm ballistic missiles 311 miles.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un examines ties with Seoul, determining to expand foreign relations on the third day of his second Party Congress since ascending to power in 2012.
: Secretary Pompeo approves the creation of a new cyber-security and emerging technologies bureau to fight against cyber-security threats, citing threats from North Korea.
: South Korean court orders Japan to compensate 12 women who were forced to work as so-called “comfort women” in wartime brothels, drawing ire from Tokyo.
: Outgoing US President Donald Trump signs an executive order arguing that “aggressive action” must be taken against eight notable Chinese applications, including Alipay and WeChat Pay.
: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issues a statement condemning China’s arrest of more than 50 pro-democracy politicians and activists in Hong Kong.
: New York Stock Exchange reverses plans to delist three Chinese state-run telecoms groups to comply with a Trump administration executive order that bars US investors from holding stakes in companies with alleged ties to the Chinese military.
: Eighth Congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party opens in Pyongyang, unannounced; this is not reported until Jan. 6.
: US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster describes the Indo-Pacific as “significant” for US-India relations in a press conference in New Delhi.
: China Securities Regulatory Commission describes the US government’s order to delist three Chinese telcos from the New York Stock Exchange as politically motivated and in breach of market rules.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi extends an olive branch to the incoming Biden administration, stating that a “new window of hope” is opening.
: Commenting on Japanese interest in becoming the sixth eye of the Five Eyes alliance, a research associate at Fudan University’s Center for Japanese Studies opines that Japan is “strong in will but weak in capability,” but will continue to move closer to the alliance.
: Bipartisan Congressional provision condemning China’s aggression towards India becomes law, as the US Congress overrides Donald Trump’s veto on the $740 billion defense policy bill.
: Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post describes China’s strategy to wear down Japanese resistance to its claim over the Senkaku Islands through repeated air and sea incursions.
: In a New Year’s Day speech, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen expresses the need for cross-strait stability and offers talks with Beijing to end confrontation.
: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin issue a joint announcement that the agreement between the two countries to construct a high-speed rail between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is officially terminated.
: Pompeo denounces Chinese court’s jailing of Hong Kong activists trying to flee to Taiwan. In a statement, Pompeo said, “A regime that prevents its own people from leaving can lay no claim to greatness or global leadership. It is simply a fragile dictatorship, afraid of its own people.”
: In response to signing of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 and Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China was “resolutely opposed” to both acts.
: Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of the International Department of the CCP Guo Yezhou meets Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Kharga Prasad Oli, and other NCP leaders.
: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. They call for a peaceful, “open and rules-based” Indo Pacific, agree to increase military-to-military exchanges, and to intensify defense industry collaboration.
: South Korea scrambles fighter jets in response to intrusion in its air defense zone by Russian and Chinese military aircraft.
: Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020 is passed by Congress as an amendment to the $1.4 trillion government spending bill.
: US Department of Commerce publishes list of Chinese and Russian firms with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US goods and technology. Elsewhere, Pompeo announces additional restrictions for issuing visas to Chinese officials believed to be complicit in human rights abuses.
: China’s People’s Liberation Army accuses Washington of “jeopardizing stability” in the region by sending the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin through Taiwan Strait.
: Washington adds Chinese companies Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and DJI, the drone maker, to the US export blacklist.
: Wang urges Biden to have the “right perception” of China and cooperate with Beijing to “restart dialogue, return bilateral relations to the right track, and rebuild mutual trust.”
: Document outlining objectives for the US Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard for 2021 warns the US will be “more assertive” against Beijing and US naval forces are expected to be more visible in the Pacific.
: USS Mustin transits Taiwan Strait, conducting Freedom-of-Navigation operation.
: China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe carrying rocks and soil from the moon returns safely to earth.
: Quad Senior Officials Consultations take place via video conference.
: US imposes sanctions on members of the Chinese Communist Party engaged in “malign activities,” including actions related to mass surveillance, military modernization, human rights abuses, and coercion in the South China Sea.
: Canberra refers China to the WTO over Beijing’s imposition of punitive tariffs on Australian barley imports, in the newest escalation in a bitter diplomatic and trade dispute.
: Canberra reaches out to Beijing to clarify whether it has formally banned Australian coal, warning that such an action would contravene WTO rules and be harmful to both countries.
: Wei and Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo discuss tensions in the disputed East China Sea over a phone call.
: South Korea’s National Assembly passes a revision to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act to ban sending leaflets into North Korea.
: Xi announces that political security will be a top priority in the next five years, and the Communist Party must proactively maintain the safety of the Chinese political system.
: President-elect Biden states that his nominee for trade chief, Katherine Tai, will target abusive trade practices by China, a sign that the Trump administration’s trade war with Beijing will continue.
: Bloomberg News employee Haze Fan is detained in Beijing on suspicion of “participating in activities endangering national security.”
: Taiwan commissions first vessel in a new fleet of coast guard ships, an advanced catamaran armed with missile capacity, as the island faces a growing threat from Beijing.
: In telephone call, Xi tells French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that he hopes Europe approaches China with a positive attitude; they agree to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and pursue joint space exploration.
: Beijing revokes visa-free visits to Hong Kong and Macau for holders of US diplomatic passports in retaliation for US restrictions on the movement of 14 members of China’s National People’s Congress.
: Indian FM S Jaishankar announces that Australia and India are in discussions for a bilateral free trade agreement.
: Indian FM S. Jaishankar describes China-India relationship as at its worst in decades, and says relations can’t improve unless the ongoing border dispute is settled peacefully.
: Treasury Department announces new sanctions on six entities and four vessels related to North Korea.
: Suga launches Japan’s third fiscal stimulus of the year, ¥30.6 trillion ($294 billion) package, aimed to boost Japan’s coronavirus recovery.
: Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, warns the US that Beijing will retaliate with “the necessary countermeasures” if Washington imposes sanctions on Hong Kong officials responsible for the disqualification of opposition legislators.
: Wang calls for Beijing and Washington to resume dialogue to reset ties after months of increasing hostility during an address to the board of the US-China Business Council (USCBC).
: Treasury Department imposes financial sanctions and a travel ban on 14 members of China’s National People’s Congress over their role in Beijing’s disqualification of pro-democracy legislators in Hong Kong.
: Indian officials accuse China of assisting rebel groups in Myanmar that have stepped up their attacks on the India-Myanmar border.
: Beijing reorganizes ministerial and provincial rankings, promoting a new generation of Chinese officials from various backgrounds to fill an array of positions, including top roles at the commerce and agriculture ministries.
: Japan, France, and the United States hold joint military drills on one of Japan’s uninhabited outlying islands in the East China Sea for the first time in May next year.
: North Korea announces that its Supreme People’s Assembly will hold its next session in January, after Biden takes office.
: State Department scraps five China-funded exchange programs, with Pompeo dismissing them as “propaganda tools” disguised as cultural exchanges.
: State Department terminates five cultural exchange programs with China after calling them “soft power propaganda tools.”
: US customs authorities begin to detain shipments of products connected to Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps’ cotton over their use of forced labor.
: State Department announces new visa restrictions on Chinese government officials belonging to, or affiliated with, the United Front Work Department, a CCP organ operating with a broad mandate to strengthen adherence to the party within and outside China.
: Chinese social media app WeChat censors a post by Morrison containing a conciliatory message to Australia’s Chinese community.
: Department of Homeland Security announces a ban on cotton products made in whole or in part by the Xinjiang Production and Constructions Corps, alleging that its products are made using slave labor.
: China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft moon lander and ascender vehicle land on the moon to drill for lunar samples.
: Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Korea Alex Wong accuses China of a “flagrant violation” of its obligation to enforce international sanctions on North Korea, offering rewards of up to $5 million for information regarding sanctions evasions.
: Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds announces that Australia will jointly develop hypersonic cruise missiles with the US to counter Chinese and Russian efforts to develop similar weapons.
: Canberra accuses Beijing of sharing a “deeply offensive” fake image on Twitter of an Australian soldier murdering an Afghan child amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
: Chinese Defense Minister Wei pledges military support for Nepal during talks in Kathmandu amid Chinese defense disputes with India in the contested Himalayas region.
: China announces sanctions against National Democratic Institute (NDI) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) personnel in a tit-for-tat measure against US sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
: China powers up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor, the Hualong One, which is expected to go into commercial use by the end of the year.
: Taiwan commences construction of first indigenous submarine its fleet, when complete, will consist of eight vessels.
: In TV interview, Hong Kong’s chief executive says she has no bank account after the US imposed sanctions on her, along with 14 other senior security officials, in response to Hong Kong’s national security law.
: Beijing announces anti-dumping duties on Australian wine imports in the latest wave of sanctions that have already targeted barley, beef, seafood, and coal.
: Taiwan Finance Minister Su Jain-rong promotes informal alliance with the US to finance infrastructure and energy projects in Asia and Latin America with capital from the private sector.
: Wang meets senior government officials in South Korea, stressing the importance of bilateral relations amid growing concern that Seoul is being squeezed between China and the United States.
: Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam vows to deepen ties with Beijing at an annual policy address, pledging to rescue the city from “chaos.”
: Xi congratulates Biden on his election as president of the United States 12 days after China’s initial congratulations.
: India’s Electronics and Information Technology ministry announces a ban on an additional 43 Chinese apps, including AliExpress, bringing the total of blacklisted apps to over 200.
: China launches Chang’e 5 space mission, an unmanned expedition aiming to probe, drill, and retrieve minerals from an unexplored volcanic mound on the moon.
: Taiwan commences construction of first domestically developed submarine, armed with a US combat system.
: In letter read at the opening ceremony of the 7th World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Xi says China ready to work with other countries to build a shared cyberspace community and “create an even better future for mankind.”
: Wang tells French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian that Beijing supports Europe’s push for “strategic autonomy” amid calls for the EU to work with the new Biden administration to counter China.
: Controversial 43 billion renminbi (about $6.6 billion) port project to be built off the coast of Melaka, Malaysia, slated to be the largest in the region, is scrapped by the state government.
: Xi tells an online APEC summit that China will consider joining the CPTPP.
: US and Taiwan sign a memorandum of understanding during inaugural US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, laying a foundation for stronger economic ties.
: USS Barry transits Taiwan Strait in a Freedom of Navigation Operation.
: Suga states Tokyo’s intention to expand the CPTPP to include China and Britain.
: China criticizes a statement by the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance urging Beijing to reverse the disqualification of pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
: Morrison responds to Beijing’s list of 14 grievances, accusing Canberra of “poisoning bilateral relations,” by stating he would not compromise Australia’s national security and sovereignty.
: US sends two long-range bombers into China’s air defense identification zone.
: Governments of the US Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK release a joint statement expressing “serious concern regarding China’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong.”
: At least 10,000 Thai democracy activists surround police headquarters in Bangkok during one of the largest demonstrations since protests began almost five months ago.
: Australia and Japan agree “in principle” to a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which provides the legal framework for Australian forces in Japan, and vice versa.
: China’s foreign ministry expresses unease at the joint defense pact signed by Japan and Australia, noting that their military cooperation should not threaten third-part interests.
: China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian states that China bears “no responsibility” for the collapse of bilateral trade with Canberra as a result of a rising number of restrictions on Australian exports to China.
: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrives in Tokyo to meet counterpart Suga.
: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s biggest free trade pact, is signed by 15 Asia-Pacific nations.
: Research paper in the Chinese Journal of Aeronautics reveals US software is being used in Chinese military research, despite US ban and efforts to restrict Beijing’s access to these tools.
: Defense chiefs of Japan and the US confirm that the Senkaku Islands fall under the scope of a security treaty between Tokyo and Washington.
: Taiwan representative to the US Bi-Khim Hsiao speaks with Biden foreign policy advisor Tony Blinken by phone to congratulate Biden on his election victory.
: China’s MFA spokesman congratulates Biden on his election as president after staying silent for 10 days following the election on Nov. 3.
: Christopher Langman, Australian deputy foreign affairs and trade secretary, expresses confidence that “technical” issues disrupting trade between Beijing and Canberra will be resolved as soon as possible.
: China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong describes the ousting of four pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong’s legislature as the “right medicine” and tells foreign governments that the issue is none of their business.
: Trump administration extends deadline for ByteDance to restructure ownership of its video app TikTok in the US, giving the Chinese company time to resolve national security concerns raised by Washington.
: Trump signs an executive order prohibiting Americans from investing in Chinese firms the administration says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military.
: Biden declares that Article 5 of US-Japan security treaty applies to Japan’s administration of the disputed Senkaku Islands.
: North Korea labels the IAEA a “marionette dancing to the tune of the tune of hostile forces.”
: Pompeo announces that Undersecretary of State Keith Krach will lead economic talks with Taiwan this month.
: Center for Strategic and International Studies publishes pictures allegedly showing the destruction of a US-built facility at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.
: Hong Kong pro-democracy legislators resign en masse amid reports of Beijing planning to disqualify four opposition lawmakers accused of potential unlawful filibustering in the legislature.
: US imposes sanctions on four additional PRC and Hong Kong officials over the Hong Kong national security law.
: Japan welcomes the visit of ROK intelligence chief Park Jie-won as an opportunity to thaw frosty relations between Tokyo and Seoul.
: China’s PLA releases a video on Weibo showing armed personnel carriers driving through the streets of Hong Kong before conducting a live-fire exercise.
: BHP Group signs a memorandum of understanding focused on decarbonizing steelmaking with Baowu, China’s biggest steelmaker.
: Indian Chief of Defense Staff Bipin Rawat warns that tense border standoff with Chinese forces in the western Himalayas could spark a larger conflict.
: German defense chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer labels China a “systemic challenge” and calls for greater military cooperation with “like-minded” countries in the Indo-Pacific.
: China drafts a coast guard law authorizing maritime law enforcers to demolish foreign constructions on Chinese-claimed reefs and use weapons against foreign ships.
: Duong Di Sanh, deputy chairman of the Museum of Chinese Australian History, becomes the first person charged under a new foreign interference law by Australian Federal Police.
: US removes the designation of the Uyghur-founded group the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a terrorist organization.
: China suspends the $37 billion listing of Ant Group, which was set to become the world’s largest IPO, two days before trading was due to start.
: State Department approves a $600 million sale of four Weapons-Ready MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft to Taiwan.
: Indonesian President Joko Widodo endorses controversial omnibus law, which has sparked protests from those who say it erodes labor rights and weakens environmental protections.
: Indian, Japanese, Australia, and the US begin joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean as part of the Malabar exercise.
: US approves sale of four sophisticated drones to Taiwan, in the final component of a weapons package to Taipei worth almost $4.8 billion.
: Former Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming says China should “carefully consider” whether Beijing should join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CRTPP).
: Pompeo condemns Hong Kong authorities for “clear abuse of law enforcement” in arresting eight opposition ministers.
: Telecoms giant Huawei works on plans for a dedicated chip plant in Shanghai, which would enable it to secure essential supplies for its telecom infrastructure business despite US sanctions.
: Pompeo concludes a visit to Asia in Vietnam, a tour marked by repeated calls for assistance to the US in confronting security threats posed by China.
: Australia criticizes China’s anti-dumping duties on its barley exports in a statement at the WTO.
: Chinese and US defense officials comprising the Crisis Communications Working Group meet to discuss crisis prevention amid rumors that the Trump administration plans to attack Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea.
: US authorities charge eight people with conducting an illegal operation intended to target, intimidate, and kidnap individuals perceived by Beijing to be dissident threats.
: Pompeo issues a statement condemning the arrest and detention of three student activists in Hong Kong under the National Security Law.
: Pompeo adds a two-day visit to Hanoi to his Asian tour designed to promote US foreign policy. Earlier destinations included India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia.
: Pompeo calls China’s communist government a “predator” during a meeting with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo.
: US Department of Defense hosts a crisis communications working group with the PLA to discuss concepts of crisis communications, crisis prevention, and crisis management.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in pledges to make his country carbon-neutral by 2050 during a budget speech.
: In a trip to New Delhi with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Pompeo vows to work closely with India to counter an increasingly aggressive China.
: Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry announces Beijing’s intention to impose sanctions on US firms Boeing Defense, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon Technologies, as well as “anyone who played a bad role” in Washington’s $1.8 billion Taiwan arms deal.
: Three prodemocracy activists are arrested by the Hong Kong Police Force after briefly entering the US consulate in the city in an apparent bid to seek asylum.
: State Department approves sale of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) to Taiwan in a package worth $2.37 billion.
: Media reports claim the United States and India are preparing to sign an agreement to share satellite intelligence, as the two sides seek to increase security cooperation.
: US lodges an appeal against the WTO ruling that some of its tariffs on China are unlawful.
: Beijing cautiously welcomes Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that a military alliance between China and Russia is possible.
: Suga pledges Japan will become carbon neutral by 2050 in his first policy speech to a new session of the Diet.
: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he could meet Kim Jong Un if North Korea reduces the country’s nuclear capabilities.
: Justice Department official John Demers accuses China of helping North Korea launder money from massive cyber thefts carried out to raise capital in the face of international sanctions.
: In a speech marking the anniversary of the Korean War, Xi warns that China is not afraid of war and will not allow its sovereignty, security, and development interests to be undermined.
: Protesters in Bangkok reject PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s olive branch and submit a letter calling on him to resign within three days.
: China issues a draft version of its national defense law, detailing enhanced security in cyberspace and improved communication between the government and military.
: Beijing’s describes US labelling of six Chinese media outlets as “substantially or effectively controlled” by Beijing as “political oppression” and threatened to retaliate.
: Thai royalists and anti-government protesters confront each other over demands for reform to the monarch and departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
: Indian authorities hand back a Chinese soldier who was apprehended in the Demchock area of Ladakh after crossing a contested border in the Himalayan region.
: Australia agrees to take part in large-scale Malabar naval exercise with other members of the Quad in the Bay of Bengal.
: Indonesian DM Prabowo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper agree to boost defense and security cooperation.
: Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou urges Tokyo to use its unique position as US ally and major Chinese neighbor to help stabilize Washington–Beijing relations.
: Suga and Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc meet in Hanoi and agree to cooperate on regional issues, including the disputed South China.
: Wang tells ASEAN that the “Quad” aims to “stir up confrontation among different groups … to maintain the dominance and hegemonic system of the US.”
: Philippines announces that oil and gas exploration will resume in the South China Sea, signaling an end to a six-year moratorium on resource exploration in the disputed waters.
: Chinese government warns Washington that it may detain Americans in China in response to the prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars.
: Cotton Australia and the Australian Cotton Shippers Association confirm reports of a verbal directive for Chinese mills to stop using Australian cotton. This adds cotton to a growing list of targeted Australian exports, including coal, barley, wine, and beef.
: China’s ambassador to Canada blasts Ottawa for granting refugee status to Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, calling it “interference” encouraging “violent criminals.”
: UN condemns North Korea’s unlawful killing of ROK official in waters.
: Thailand’s government declares a state of emergency in Bangkok following anti-government protests by around 10,00 people in Bangkok.
: China calls on Taiwanese spies to switch sides after claiming to have uncovered hundreds of cases of spying by Taipei on the Chinese mainland.
: US State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs releases its list of Hong Kong, Macau, and PRC officials it says have contributed to undermining of autonomy in Hong Kong.
: As part of China’s regional charm offensive, Wang visits Thailand, casting Beijing as Bangkok’s “big friend.”
: China’s PLA holds a large-scale island invasion drill during Taiwan’s “Double Ten” holiday.
: China signs a free-trade deal with Cambodia and pledges $140 million for national “top priority projects.”
: Japan’s Coast Guard claims that two Chinese vessels entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea.
: India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla and the country’s army chief make a joint visit to Naypyidaw, fueling talk that Myanmar is stepping up efforts to balance Chinese influence.
: China joins 156 countries in WHO-led Covax initiative for fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
: US government appeals court ruling that suspended government ban of video-sharing app TikTok.
: Police in Indonesia arrest hundreds of protesters across the country as thousands rally against the omnibus labor law.
: Japanese fishing industry representatives urge the government not to allow the release of tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
: US lifts the 20-year ban on Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a move analysts claim is aimed at balancing China’s power in Southeast Asia.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne meet to discuss the Australian-Japanese strategic partnership and cooperation.
: Pew poll shows a rise in unfavorable views of China in 14 countries, including Australia, South Korea, and Japan.
: Taiwan’s deputy defense minister, Chang Guan-chung, appeals to the United States to help boost the island’s defenses at the annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference.
: Foreign ministers from the Quad—the US, Japan, India, and Australia—gather in Tokyo to discuss the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” initiative. Oct. 7, 2020: Pompeo criticizes Chinese military maneuvers in the Pacific, reiterating US assurances to help Taiwan defend itself.
: Chinese People’s Liberation Army propagandists are ordered to steer clear of US election coverage and avoid remarks that might cause more disturbance to US-China relations.
: Indonesia passes the so-called omnibus law, overhauling several dozen tax and labor market laws as Jakarta looks to boost foreign investment and mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19.
: Interpol issues a “red notice” for Vorayuth Yoovidhya, Thai heir to Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya’s fortune estimated at $20.2 billion, for his role in an alleged hit-and-run.
: President of Singapore Halimah Yacob and Xi exchange congratulatory messages to mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations.
: Cambodia reportedly destroys a US-built facility at one of its largest naval facilities amid concerns of a secret Phnom Penh-Beijing deal to host PLA soldiers at Ream Naval Base.
: Trump announces that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19.
: Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives approve legislation requiring publicly listed companies in the US to disclose commercial links to China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Uygur Region.
: H.R.6270 – Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 passes in the US House of Representatives.
: Bangladesh officials accuse the Myanmar government of conducting a “disinformation campaign” to hamper Rohingya repatriation in a speech before the UN General Assembly.
: Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong suggests to his Chinese counterpart Xi that the two countries “work together” to address concerns, particularly maritime issues.
: China describes India’s designation of the fast-militarizing Ladakh region as a union territory “illegal” and objects to Indian infrastructure construction in the area.
: Thailand’s new army chief Gen. Narongpan Jittkaewtae, pledges support to the Thai monarchy.