Dear ST reader,
We hope you’ve been keeping well.
Our offerings for the Asian Insider newsletter this week revolve around summits and their outcomes.
While leaders of the world’s wealthy economies gathered in Hiroshima for the Group of Seven (G-7) summit to discuss the Ukraine war and “de-risking” from China, President Xi Jinping hosted an alternative meeting of Central Asian states in Xi’an that our global affairs correspondent Jonathan Eyal says displays Beijing’s ambitions to forge a different world order.
The week was also notable for missed meetings and fresh engagements. A looming debt crisis at home forced US President Joe Biden to cancel his trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG), a no-show which could damage Washington’s push for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands, reports Jonathan Pearlman from Sydney. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi however made his groundbreaking visit to PNG, following it up with a successful outing to Australia that included a rock star welcome from thousands of Indian diaspora Down Under.
Summit encounters of a different kind were also in the news, with a Singaporean climber missing and 11 deaths recorded so far in this climbing season for Mount Everest. Associate editor Ravi Velloor discusses how conquering the world’s highest peak exacts its toll, yet people still persevere through it.
You can also watch our video on what happens at high altitudes, and listen to the latest edition of our True Crimes in Asia podcast, in which we revisit the horrific find in a Bangkok temple that led Thailand to overhaul its abortion laws.
G-7 takes aim at China, but denies thwarting its progress
Fishing in troubled waters
Conquering Everest: When each breath is a work of labour
India’s diamond hub hit by sanctions on Russia
True Crimes of Asia: How a grisly find sparked change in Thai abortion laws
Skirt and tie: Genderless uniforms gain ground in Japan
