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In today's bulletin: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defends President Donald Trump's foreign policy record at Republican National Convention, Hong Kong arrests 16 including two lawmakers over clashes last year; Manila to continue patrolling Spratlys despite objections from China, and more.
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MIKE POMPEO TOUTS TRUMP'S FOREIGN POLICY RECORD AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took to the stage to defend President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy and his hardline stance on China in an unusual speech at the Republican National Convention.
He became the first sitting US Secretary of State to address a national party convention in at least 75 years, breaking with a longstanding tradition of secretaries of state staying out of domestic politics, US Correspondent Charissa Yong reports.
China figured a few times in the four-minute video address aired on the second day of the convention, with Mr Pompeo also mentioning the withdrawal from a nuclear deal with Iran and the sealing of a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates two weeks ago.
"In China, he's pulled back the curtain on the predatory aggression of the Chinese Communist Party. The President has held China accountable for covering up the China virus and allowing it to spread death and economic destruction in America and around the world, and he will not rest until justice is done," he said.
Also read:
Nirmal Ghosh, US Bureau Chief: Trump, Biden and the stakes for Asia
HONG KONG POLICE ARRESTS 16 INCLUDING TWO OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS
Hong Kong police arrested two opposition lawmakers who are vocal critics of Beijing and the Hong Kong government today. The two - Democratic Party members Ted Hui and Lam Cheuk Ting who were picked up from their homes - were among 16 people arrested for suspected involvement in last year's unrest.
At least thirteen of the arrests, including that of a vice-president of a bank, receptionist and driver, are linked to the high-profile Yuen Long clashes on July 21 last year, Hong Kong Correspondent Claire Huang reports.
The incident marked a turning point in the demonstrations as protesters started to direct their anger at the police, and trust in the city's officers, billed as Asia's top in the past, nose dived.
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Hong Kong's new security law inhibits anxious artists
MANILA TO CONTINUE PATROLLING SPRATLYS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
The Philippines said it would continue patrolling the Spratlys in the South China Sea, despite objections from China, in yet another indication from government officials in recent weeks that the country is serious about protecting its waters.
The statement was made by Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin in an interview, reports Philippine Correspondent Raul Dancel.
It came as China refuted claims by the Philippines and accused the country of "illegal provocations" through its routine patrols around the Spratlys.
Read more:
Philippine minister accuses China of fabricating South China Sea claims
US shift on South China Sea matters most for Manila (Premium content)
ST ASIAN INSIDER VIDEO: SILVER LININGS IN S'PORE?
Silver linings are emerging in Singapore as the economy is seen to have probably bottomed out and on the back of the government's announcement this month of a US$5.8 billion (about S$8 billion) package of measures to support it.
"The bad news is that the economy did have a very sharp recession in the second quarter of this year… a record contraction that was far worse than the period during SARs or during the global financial crisis," Ms Selena Ling, Head of Treasury Research and Strategy, Global Treasury, at OCBC Bank, told ST's Asian Insider.
"But we've also seen since the reopening of the economy in June, that gradually economic activity is beginning to normalise," she told Asian Insider video host and ST's US Bureau Chief Nirmal Ghosh.
Associate Editor Vikram Khanna, who also features on the show, says Asia will probably come out of Covid-19 faster than other regions.
TENSIONS BREWING BETWEEN FACEBOOK AND THAILAND OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Tensions seem to be building up between Thailand's Digital Minister Puttipong Punnakanta and Facebook over posting of social media content deemed illegal in the country, after the social media giant said it would legally challenge the government's demand to block the group responsible for the posts. This comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government.
Read also:
Thai protest boycotts force businesses to pick sides
IN OTHER NEWS
ABE TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY: Concerns about the health of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were mounting as reports emerged that he would talk about his health at a press conference on Friday, after he consults with his doctors. The country's longest serving prime minister, he has been to the hospital twice in the past couple of weeks.
CHINA TO BUY RECORD AMOUNT OF AMERICAN SOYBEANS IN 2020: China is set to buy a record amount of American soybeans this year as lower prices help the Asian nation boost purchases pledged under the phase one trade deal with the United States, according to people familiar with the matter. The total from the US will probably reach about 40 million tonnes in 2020, which would be around 25 per cent more than in 2017, the baseline year for the trade deal.
MEGA IPO BY ALIBABA'S ANT GROUP: Ant Group, the hottest fintech in the world is poised to go public in the coming months. The online payment provider backed by Alibaba Group filed the prospectus for its initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday. One of the people who stand to benefit is Jack Ma, whose stake in Ant will be worth US$25 billion (S$34 billion) if it achieves the US$225 billion valuation people familiar with the matter have said it's targeting. That could catapult him to among the world's 10 richest people.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading. We'll be back with you tomorrow.
Shefali
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