Asian Insider: Cui Tiankai on Taiwan | ST correspondent’s Covid-19 ordeal in Shanghai
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China and the United States sparred over Taiwan, as expected, at Asia’s top security summit this past weekend. Veteran diplomat Cui Tiankai shares his views on the touchy topic. In Malaysia, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has started seriously preparing for election by the end of the year. The Thai durian industry is in a prickly spot, and the causes of more than three in every four deaths in India are not properly accounted for.
Cui Tiankai speaks up as China, US spar over Taiwan
The United States is moving away from its political commitments on Taiwan, veteran Chinese diplomat Cui Tiankai tells foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar, expressing his deep concern that the Biden administration appears to be straying from America’s policy of strategic ambiguity on the self-ruled island. Read excerpts from the interview with Mr Cui here.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue this past weekend, Beijing warned that ties with the US would not improve unless Washington stops trying to contain China, while the US criticised China for its “coercive” approach in the Indo-Pacific. Japan vowed to expand its security role in Asia as it works to promote an open, free and peaceful region. Catch up on all our stories at Asia’s top security summit here.
Malaysia’s ruling party prepares for polls
Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is gearing up for a national election before the year ends, Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh reports. BN secretary-general Zambry Kadir said a convention held by the Umno-led coalition this month informally marked the start of serious discussions with its component parties and allies.
To gain voters’ confidence, the government should put in place plans to address cost of living issues and signal to the public that these plans will continue if BN wins the polls, Umno’s information chief Shahril Hamdan tells deputy foreign editor Lim Ai Leen. Follow all the latest news developments in Malaysia here.
The high price of ‘Covid Zero’ in China
More than two years into the pandemic, China still insists its “zero Covid” policy is the only way to go. China correspondents Elizabeth Law and Danson Cheong count the true cost of the strategy in our latest Asian Insider Special. Testing in the major Chinese cities alone could cost an annual 1.7 trillion yuan (S$350 billion), 1.5 per cent of China’s GDP. These procedures have also generated a mountain of medical waste.
Elizabeth tells of her harrowing ordeal after testing positive for Covid-19 at the Shanghai airport. Despite mild symptoms, she spent 11 days in a hospital where she was given CT scans, an ECG and 14 blood draws, and subsequently another seven days in a quarantine hotel. Read on for more.
Prickly spot for Thailand’s durian industry
Thailand is the world’s top durian exporter, with demand spiking even throughout the pandemic. Nine out of every 10 Thai durians are exported to China, and some 80 per cent of farmers in north-eastern Chanthaburi province have switched from planting rubber to durian trees. But some are warning of a potential “durian bubble”, Thailand correspondent Tan Tam Mei reports.
Fuji, feasts and fortunes in Japan’s Shizuoka
Can’t wait for Japan to reopen to individual travellers? Neither can we. In the latest instalment of the First Flight Out series, Japan correspondent Walter Sim introduces you to Shizuoka. In the prefecture situated between Tokyo and Nagoya, you can catch breathtaking sights of the sacred Mount Fuji, admire the untouched scenery as you travel by train through winding mountain roads, pick your own organic vegetables for lunch, learn about the ancient tea culture, visit a gold mine for fortune, and a whole lot more. Check out this ongoing travel series here.
From elsewhere across Asia…
In India, an overlooked but important health statistic has been getting public attention lately - the causes of more than three-quarters of deaths in the country are not ascertained.
In South Korea, thousands of cargo truck drivers have been on strike for over a week, causing at least 1.6 trillion won (S$1.7 billion) of losses in major industries.
Chinese citizens are calling for severe action against a group of men for their vicious assault on four women in Hebei after one of the victims rejected advances from one of the attackers.
Japan has toughened its punishment for insult after relentless social media abuse led to the suicide of a 22-year-old reality television star.
