Chronologies
Regional Overview
Chronology from May 2022 to Aug 2022
: 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.