Geo Politics

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replaced four of his cabinet ministers on Thursday, in a bid to contain the fallout from a kickbacks scandal that has rocked his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The scandal involves dozens of LDP lawmakers, mostly from the faction of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who allegedly received unreported funds from party fundraising events. The …

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Japan on Saturday, December 18, 2023, for his second visit to the country this year, to join the Commemorative Summit on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. The summit, which will be held in Tokyo on Sunday, December 19, will celebrate the five decades of partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian …

China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, has described the recent virtual meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden as a “milestone” for bilateral relations, and stressed the need to revive the spirit of “ping-pong diplomacy” that helped break the ice between the two countries 50 years ago. Speaking at a webinar hosted by the …

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a two-day visit, just days after US President Joe Biden wrapped up his historic trip to the Southeast Asian nation. Xi’s visit, his first to Vietnam since 2017, is seen as a bid to reassure Hanoi of Beijing’s commitment to their “comprehensive strategic partnership” amid rising tensions in the South …

The White House has expressed its willingness to resume military-to-military communications with China, as part of its efforts to ease the rising tensions between the two superpowers. In a statement issued after President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco on Wednesday, the White House said …

China is willing to address its trade disputes with the European Union in a constructive way and seek to build “strategic trust” with the bloc, analysts said ahead of the 24th China-EU summit in Beijing on Thursday. The summit, which comes after a five-year hiatus, will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, European Council President Charles …

The recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a space launch center in the Russian Far East has raised concerns among the US and its allies about the growing cooperation between the two countries.  The summit, which took place on September 13, 2023, was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders …

In a revelation that rings alarm bells, the Asia Observatory (AO), an astute regional think tank specializing in security issues, has unveiled a report unveiling China’s alleged covert maneuvers employing information operations to sow seeds of discord among Filipinos.  The report, intriguingly titled “China’s Information Warfare in the Philippines: A Strategic Analysis,” navigates through a complex web of tactics orchestrated …

In the heart of escalating tensions, Japan faces a delicate conundrum, with its neighbors, China and North Korea, posing intricate security challenges. The test of Japan’s enduring commitment to pacifism and the intricate dance with its alliance with the United States become increasingly pronounced. China’s bold strides in both military and economic domains reverberate across Japan. Asserting sovereignty over disputed …

In a significant development, the Philippines has officially entered into negotiations for a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan, ushering in a new chapter in regional dynamics.  Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. confirmed the deployment of a formal negotiating team led by Department of National Defense Undersecretary Pablo Lorenzo, which set off for Japan on Monday. While the exact timeline …