ASEAN News

China’s two largest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, were inching closer to living with the COVID-19 virus on Monday, December 16. Millions have been infected with the virus around the country. After years of draconian anti-coronavirus restrictions, President Xi Jinping abandoned the country’s zero-COVID policy in response to protests and an escalating outbreak. After the first shock of the policy reversal …

Authorities in Shanghai advised locals to stay at home this weekend, aiming for a subdued Christmas in the nation’s most populated metropolis as COVID-19 rages nationally following the removal of strict restrictions. Saturday, December 24, a branch of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission encouraged young people to avoid crowded gatherings owing to the ease of coronavirus transmission and cold temperatures. …

Since their announcement, the inaugural China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, which ushered in a new era in Chinese-Arab ties, have attracted global interest, and their successful convening has brought China-Arab and China-GCC relations to new heights. As the globe grapples with increased uncertainty and a potentially protracted economic slowdown, the partnership between China and Arab …

On Thursday, December 22, Thailand convened regional consultations to discuss the situation in army-controlled Myanmar, including rare overseas appearances by junta ministers. However, despite invites, several prominent members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) did not participate. Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia’s foreign ministries, as well as Vietnam’s deputy foreign minister, participated in the meetings hosted by Thailand’s foreign …

On Friday, December 23, the Department of Health (DOH) revealed the Philippines’ first four cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7, which is responsible for the recent increase in illnesses in China. “As of now, only four instances of BF.7 have been found in the country, and these cases are being recorded under Omicron BA.5” the Department of Health informed reporters through …

The island’s defense ministry announced on Thursday, December 22 that Taiwan scrambled fighter planes to warn away 39 Chinese aircraft that had entered its southern air defense zone. Taiwan has complained about recurrent Chinese air force flights in the south of its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) during the past two years. The intrusion on Thursday included 21 fighters, four …

A hospital in Shanghai has informed its employees to prepare for a “tragic struggle” with COVID-19, as it anticipates that half of the city’s 25 million residents would be infected by the end of the year as the virus sweeps through China mostly uncontrolled. China has begun dismantling its “zero-COVID” policy, which has taken a significant financial and psychological toll …

The latest picture by James Cameron, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” not only placed second in Japan’s box office, but also caused its cinema projectors to malfunction. In the Avatar sequel, the famed filmmaker utilized High Frame Rate (HFR) technology to create jaw-dropping graphics. Unfortunately, its film projectors were incapable of handling it, resulting in technical difficulties. At the time …

Female university students in Afghanistan were barred from campus after the Taliban-led government announced a ban on tertiary education for women. In a Tuesday evening letter to colleges, the minister of higher education revealed the decision to exclude women, bringing censure from international countries and the United Nations. Shaista, a business studies student at a private institution in Kabul, remarked, …

The United States joined the Philippines in urging Beijing to stay out of the West Philippine Sea and abide by international maritime law, less than a week after the defense department blew the whistle on Chinese warships loitering near the Spratly Islands. “The United States supports the Philippines’ continued calls on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to respect the …