US will continue to act to protect national security, Yellen tells China - South China Morning Post

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1. US will continue to act to protect national security, Yellen tells China  South China Morning Post
2. Yellen sees 'progress' in rocky US-China ties, expects more communication  CNA
3. China's Plastic Flood, Yellen's Beijing Trip, Chartering a Yacht: Asia Briefing  Bloomberg
4. Yellen says China visit made 'progress,' vows more communication  Nikkei Asia
5. US-China cooperation in climate finance 'critical': Yellen  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-07-09 04:20:08Z
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MACC: 'Probe into KLIA case far from over' - New Straits Times

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1. MACC: 'Probe into KLIA case far from over'  New Straits Times
2. KLIA incident: No bribery, just misunderstanding, says MACC  Malaysiakini
3. No conclusions in KLIA probe yet, says MACC chief  Free Malaysia Today
4. COMMENT | We need a maverick like Tiong to rock the boat  Malaysiakini
5. KL airport incident: Malaysia introduces measures to prevent immigration abuses at entry points  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-07-08 23:00:52Z
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South Koreans protest Japan's plans to release treated wastewater from damaged Fukushima plant - CNA

SEOUL: Hundreds of people marched in South Korea’s capital on Saturday (Jul 8) demanding Japan scrap its plans to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, as the head of the UN nuclear agency met with senior officials to discuss public concerns over food safety.

The protests came a day after South Korea’s government formally endorsed the safety of the Japanese plans, saying that the contamination levels of water pumped out from the plant would be within acceptable standards and would not meaningfully affect South Korean seas as long as the plant's treatment systems work as designed.

The announcement aligned with the views of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which greenlit the Japanese discharge plans this week, saying the treated wastewater would meet international safety standards and pose negligible environmental and health impacts.

Braving blistering summer heat and closely watched by police, the protesters walked in long lines through a commercial district in downtown Seoul, holding signs reading “We denounce the sea disposal of Fukushima’s nuclear wastewater!” and “We oppose with our lives the sea discharge.” The marches proceeded peacefully and there were no immediate reports of major clashes or injuries.

“Other than discharging the water into the sea, there is an option to store the water on their land, and there are other options being suggested," said Han Sang-jin, spokesperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, whose members accounted for many of the marchers.

He said that allowing Japan to discharge the water "is like an international crime”.

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2023-07-08 15:23:01Z
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Yellen stresses 'fair' rules, communication in Beijing meetings - CNA

BEIJING: The United States and China, the world's two biggest economies, must compete fairly and communicate closely to avoid misunderstandings, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in Beijing on Saturday (Jul 8).

Yellen, continuing her meetings with top Chinese officials, told Vice Premier He Lifeng that a bilateral record for trade set last year despite recent tensions showed there is "ample room for our firms to engage in trade and investment".

But it was critical to keep talking about areas of common interest as well as disagreements, she said.

Meeting her at the Diaoyutai state guest house, where foreign dignitaries are often received in Beijing, he said he stood ready to work with Yellen.

She said: "Amid a complicated global economic outlook, there is a pressing need for the two largest economies to closely communicate and exchange views on our responses to various challenges."

Doing so could "help both sides more fully understand the global economic outlook and make better decisions to strengthen our economies", she said.

Despite talk of US-China economic decoupling, recent data show a trade relationship that is fundamentally solid, with two-way trade hitting US$690 billion last year.

Yellen repeated her mantra that Washington is not seeking a winner-take-all approach or economic advantage in its relations with China but wanted to ensure healthy competition with a "fair set of rules" that would benefit both countries over time.

The United States would continue to communicate directly its concerns about specific economic practices, and would take targeted actions to protect its national security, Yellen said.

She urged China not to allow any disagreements to "lead to misunderstandings, particularly those stemming from a lack of communication, which can unnecessarily worsen our bilateral economic and financial relationship".

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2023-07-08 08:24:00Z
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US-China cooperation in climate finance 'critical': Yellen - CNA

BEIJING: It is "critical" for Washington and Beijing to keep working together on climate finance, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Saturday (Jul 7), urging deeper cooperation in addressing the "existential threat" of global warming.

Yellen is on a four-day trip to Beijing, as the United States seeks to cool tensions and stress areas of collaboration between the world's two largest economies.

"As the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, we have both a joint responsibility - and ability - to lead the way," Yellen told a roundtable of experts in China, underlining a key area of cooperation despite tense bilateral relations.

"Climate change is at the top of the list of global challenges, and the United States and China must work together to address this existential threat," she added.

Saying that "climate finance should be targeted efficiently and effectively", she pressed China to support existing multilateral institutions like the Green Climate Fund, while urging for the inclusion of the private sector in transitioning towards net zero.

"Both our economies seek to support partners in emerging markets and developing countries as they strive to meet their climate goals, and I believe continued US-China cooperation on climate finance is critical."

China last year briefly said it was suspending talks on the climate after Nancy Pelosi, then-speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan - the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing.

But there are signs talks could restart soon, with US envoy John Kerry due to travel to China to discuss cooperation on climate change, a US official said Friday.

Besides working together on climate, Yellen said in a Friday meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang it was also key that Washington and Beijing closely communicate on global economic and financial affairs - while making joint efforts on international challenges such as debt distress.

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2023-07-08 04:12:51Z
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Fury among aid groups as US approves cluster bombs for Ukraine - CNA

PARIS: Humanitarian organisations on Friday (Jul 7) condemned plans by the United States to supply controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine, citing the long-lasting danger posed by the weapons which leave behind unexploded bomblets.

"This is a death sentence to civilians over the long term. There are people who have not yet been born who will fall victim" to cluster bombs, said Baptiste Chapuis of Handicap International - Humanity and Inclusion (HI).

Days ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week, the American move comes as allies cast around for further assistance to offer Kyiv as its counteroffensive against Russian invaders has been slow to make major advances.

When they detonate, cluster bombs spread dozens of tiny bomblets over an area the size of several football pitches, with a large number burying themselves in the ground rather than exploding.

The weapons therefore effectively leave a large field of antipersonnel mines in their wake - prompting a wave of condemnations even before the American delivery was confirmed.

"The USA's plan to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is a retrograde step, which undermines the considerable advances made by the international community in its attempts to protect civilians from such dangers," Amnesty International researcher Patrick Wilcken said in a statement, saying the aid group "urges the USA to reconsider".

In military terms, cluster bombs allow a belligerent to strike a large enemy formation at a single blow, to deny the use of an airfield's runway or halt an enemy's advance with widespread mines.

But they make no distinction between civilians and military personnel, with experts suggesting between 5 and 40 per cent of bomblets do not explode on impact, remaining present on the battlefield for decades.

Beyond the immediate physical danger posed to civilians, "there is also the question of physical access to affected areas for humanitarian organisations", HI's Chapuis told AFP.

The bombs' use can "prevent a lifeline reaching affected populations", he said.

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2023-07-07 23:18:00Z
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China imposes de facto ban on Japanese seafood amid anger over Fukushima - South China Morning Post

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1. China imposes de facto ban on Japanese seafood amid anger over Fukushima  South China Morning Post
2. China tightens scrutiny of some Japanese food imports over Fukushima water release  CNA
3. China to keep ban on food imports from parts of Japan over 'safety'  Nikkei Asia
4. Fragile oceans should not be dumping ground for Fukushima waste water  South China Morning Post
5. South Korea says Japan's water release plan meets standards  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-07-07 11:59:20Z
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