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☆ Thailand could be 'prime beneficiary' of rate cuts in developed markets: CIMB Group CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThailand could be 'prime beneficiary' of rate cuts in developed markets: CIMB Group CEONovan Amirudin, CIMB's Group CEO, talks about the banking environment across Southeast Asia, and why he's positive about Thailand's position relative to global & developed markets.

Persons: Novan Amirudin Organizations: CIMB, CIMB's Locations: Thailand, Southeast Asia

☆ Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Some expat Indians are moving back home to launch companies of their own. But the chaos, where even established startups are trying and failing, makes India a fair playing field for new entrants, Hassan said. Programs like Startup India, which provides founders benefits like tax exemption, easier compliance, and funding support, have made creating a company smoother. Bhide returned to India in January, leaving behind about $580,000 in total compensation at ticketing platform StubHub. Bhide said the general sentiment among local founders is shifting from "Build from India" to "Build for India."

Persons: —, Nithin Hassan, — Hassan, Hassan, he's, Binod Khadria, Khadia, That's, Ben Mathias, VCs, Mathias said, Devyani Parameshwar, It's, Rohan Bhide, Bhide, Dhruv Anand, Dhruv Anand Dhruv Anand, Anand, Ruchit Garg, Garg, Niranjan Vemulkar, Vemulkar Organizations: Service, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Global Research, Diaspora, Business, Vertex Ventures, Indian, Startup, Reliance, Tech, Google Locations: India, Bengaluru, Oyo, Byju's, Asia, Africa, Delhi, Gurugram, Silicon Valley, It's, Mumbai, Bangalore

Outbound travel from China is set to receive a much-anticipated jolt as "Golden Week" bookings show changes in where and why Chinese people are traveling. While most Golden Week travelers are choosing mid-tier accommodations, growth for five-star hotels in Europe is almost three times higher in Europe than in Asia-Pacific, company data showed. Seeking quiet and concertsAs Chinese tourists continue to move beyond organized sightseeing tours abroad, more are seeking to celebrate Golden Week in off-the-beaten-path locations, especially in Asia and Europe, according to Trip.com's data. In Europe, bookings in Spain rose 260% to the city of Granada and 144% to Seville, according to Trip.com. Hong Kong is expected to welcome as many as 1.2 million mainland Chinese visitors during the coming Golden Week holiday, up 10% from last year, according to the city's Travel Industry Council.

Persons: Trip.com, Oscar Wong, Vietnam —, Ito, John Legend Organizations: National, Alibaba Group, United, United Arab, Goldman Sachs Equity Research, ASEAN, Golden, city's Travel Industry Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, United States, Chile, Croatia, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Europe, Trip.com, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Phu, Granada, Seville, Golden, . Hong Kong

☆ Google to invest $1 billion in Thailand to build data center and accelerate AI growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google announced Monday it is investing 36 billion Thai baht, or $1 billion, into Thailand for the creation of a new data center and expansion of the country's cloud infrastructure. The investment would see the company create its first data center in Thailand, Google said in a post on its Thailand blog Monday. Google said its debut Thai data center will be located in Chonburi, an eastern province of Thailand. The facility will "help support the growing demand for Google Cloud and AI innovations, as well as popular Google services such as Google Search, Google Maps and Google Workspace" in Thailand, Jackie Wang, Google's Thailand country lead, said in the blog post, according to an English translation taken via Google Translate. But the firm has increasingly come under threat from the surge of generative AI tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Persons: Jackie Wang, Wang, Thais Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Temasek, Bain & Company, Conomy SEA, Commission Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Thailand, Asia, Chonburi, Southeast Asia

New U.S. tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese goods take effect Friday as trade tensions intensify between the world’s two largest economies. For example, the U.S. imports almost no Chinese EVs, largely because of an existing 27.5% tariff that is now increasing to 100%. Lithium-ion batteries, however, are a different story, accounting for about $13 billion of the $18 billion in affected Chinese goods. Similarly, the U.S. has been increasing its Chinese imports of natural graphite, another crucial component of EVs. “Cheaper Chinese solars and cheaper Chinese EVs can actually take jobs away from a lot of manufacturers in, say, the West.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Chim Lee, ” Lee, Charles Benoit, “ that’s, Benoit, ”, Biden, Julie Kozack, Lee, it’s Organizations: Economist Intelligence Unit, Biden, China, European, Coalition for, Prosperous, International Monetary Fund, U.S Locations: U.S, Beijing, China, Asia, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Malaysia, Prosperous America

Ishiba, a straight-talking former defense minister, will take office on Tuesday when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his cabinet ministers resign and Ishiba is elected his successor by members of the LDP-controlled parliament. He is also contending with a complicated security environment in the Asia-Pacific region, where the U.S. has been strengthening ties with Japan and other allies in an effort to counter China’s growing power. After no candidate received a majority in the first round of voting, Ishiba won in a runoff against economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, 63, who would have been Japan’s first female prime minister. This was Ishiba’s fifth time running for party leader. In addition to being a realist, Ishiba is also an idealist who has never been tainted by scandal, Cucek said.

Persons: Shigeru Ishiba, Fumio Kishida, Ishiba, Hiro Komae, Kishida, Kishida “, ” Ishiba, Sanae Takaichi, Takaichi, ”, Michael Cucek, Cucek, ” Cucek, “, Lin Jian, Lin, Arata Yamamoto, Jennifer Jett Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party’s, Getty, Temple University, NATO, U.S, Yasukuni, Foreign Ministry Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Ishiba, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North Korea, Tokyo, AFP, United States, Japanese, Tottori, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, East Asia, Phuket, Thailand

☆ Thai farmer forced to kill more than 100 crocodiles after a typhoon damaged their enclosure
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Lex Harvey | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More than 100 were killed at a crocodile farm in Lamphun, northern Thailand, after a typhoon damaged their enclosure. More than 100 crocodiles were killed to prevent them from escaping after a typhoon damaged their enclosure in Lamphun, northern Thailand. Among the crocodiles killed was one named Ai Harn, the eldest male breeder and leader of the pack, at 4 meters (13 feet) long. Earlier this year, 60 Siamese crocodile eggs hatched in Cambodia, the largest recorded breeding event for the species this century. Thai crocodile farmer Natthapak Khumkad owns the biggest crocodile farm in the province of Lamphun, northern Thailand.

Persons: ”, Khumkad, Natthapak, “, Yagi, Benjamin Horton, Hurricane Ian, CrocodileLamphun Natthapak, ” Natthapak, Pornthip Nualanong, Ai Harn, Pornthip, suckling, Natthapak Khumkad Organizations: Bangkok CNN, CNN, Observatory of, International Fund for Animal Welfare Locations: Bangkok, Lamphun, Thailand, China, Southeast Asia, Thailand’s, Observatory of Singapore ., Florida, Punta Gorda, Cambodia, Hong Kong

Yang Yimin / University of Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Bronze Age coffin was discovered during the excavation of the Xiaohe Cemetery in 2003. The fact that those items included chunks of kefir cheese alongside the body showed that “cheese was important for their life,” she added. They identified the cheese as kefir cheese, which is made by fermenting milk using kefir grains. The journey of the cheese took them to tracing the journey of the kefir culture, which is used to make the final cheese. Asked if the kefir cheese was still edible and if she would try it, Fu was less enthusiastic.

Persons: ”, Fu Qiaomei, Xinjiang —, Yang Yimin, Fu, Ping Wanjing, Fu’s, they’re, ” Fu Organizations: Chinese Academy of Sciences, NBC News, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, “ Locations: HONG KONG, China, Beijing, what’s, Xinjiang, East Asia, Xiaohe, Europe, Caucasus, Russia, Asia, Tibet

☆ Biden meets Vietnam leader to counter Hanoi’s ties with China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK — President Joe Biden met with Vietnamese President To Lam for talks on Wednesday, aiming to deepen relations with the Southeast Asian country and manufacturing hub and counter its ties with China and Russia. Biden and Lam, the ruling Communist Party chief making his first visit to the U.S. as president, met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On meeting Biden on Wednesday, Lam hailed what he called Biden’s historic contribution to elevating bilateral relations. The Vietnam News Agency reported Lam told Biden that Vietnam was on the brink of a new era of development, and that it was a friend and reliable partner. “Vietnam will continue to firmly implement its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification,” Lam told Biden, the state media agency reported.

Persons: Joe Biden, Lam, Biden, ” Lam, Michelle Steel, “, ”, Alexander Vuving, Vladimir Putin, Murray Hiebert Organizations: YORK, Communist Party, United Nations General Assembly, U.S, cybersecurity, Vietnam News Agency, Meta, U.S . Rep, California Republican, Lam’s, NME, Hanoi, Inouye, Pacific Center for Security Studies, General, Washington, Southeast Asia, Washington’s Center, Strategic, International Studies Locations: China, Russia, New York, Vietnam, Hanoi, California, ”, United States, Hawaii, Inouye Asia, U.S, Asia, Cuba

☆ India wants to become a semiconductor powerhouse, but it can't do it on its own
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Bhatnagar pointed to how Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation will help India's Tata Electronics to build the country's first 12-inch wafer fab in Gujarat. However, analysts said India first needs to learn the ropes before it can compete with the East Asian giant, especially since its semiconductor manufacturing industry is still at a very nascent stage. "India is far behind China in semiconductor manufacturing. Earlier in September, the U.S. Department of State announced it will partner with the India Semiconductor Mission and India's electronics and IT government body to improve the global semiconductor value chain. "We are encouraging [the] semiconductor industry in a big way.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Eri Ikeda, Trendforce, Bhatnagar, Rishi Bhatnagar, Ikeda, Cozying, Biden, Modi, Jensen Huang, Sundar Pichai, Huang, Thomas Caulfield, Lisa Su, Tarun Pathak, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Dixon Technologies, Bloomberg, Getty, India, Indian, CNBC, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, Tata Electronics, Micron Technology, Devices, Tata Group, East, External, of Engineering, U.S . Department of State, India Semiconductor, Nvidia, Google, Hindustan Times, AMD, Counterpoint, Apple, Counterpoint Research Locations: Uttar Pradesh, India, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Taiwan, China, South Korea, U.S, Japan, Gujarat, American, China India, New York, New Delhi, Beijing

PHUKET, Thailand — Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill has been endorsed by the monarchy, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. It will take effect in 120 days, allowing LGBTQ couples to register their marriages starting Jan. 22. “Congratulations on everyone’s love,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said in a post on X that included the hashtag #LoveWins. Thailand, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia, is known for its tolerance and vibrant LGBTQ social scene, but it also retains conservative social values that made passing the law a yearslong struggle for activists. Taiwan was the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage in 2019, followed last year by the South Asian country of Nepal.

Persons: King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ”, Paetongtarn Shinawatra Organizations: Royal Gazette, ” Locations: PHUKET, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia, LoveWins, Taiwan, Nepal, Beijing

☆ 1 in 3 children worldwide is now nearsighted, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Nearsightedness, or myopia, refers to when closer objects are clear, but distant objects are blurry. Nearsightedness is expected to keep rising among children and adolescents. This could be due in part to the fact that East Asian children start formal education at the age of 2 or 3, earlier than kids in other regions, the researchers say. Progression of nearsightedness in children can be slowed by taking breaks and avoiding hour after hour on the phone or computer, he wrote. Limiting up-close reading time outside of school — screen time or otherwise — may help slow the progression of nearsightedness in children, he added.

Persons: Sun, Dibyangshu Sarkar, “, Dr, Benjamin Botsford, ”, Botsford Organizations: CNN, British, Ophthalmology, University, UMass Chan Medical Locations: Guangzhou, China, AFP, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, nearsighted, South Korea

☆ Etihad reveals $7 billion investment plan over five years, will retrofit old Boeing jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Shafi Musaddique | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Etihad Airways on Wednesday revealed a $7 billion investment plan over the next five years in a bid to "double the size of the airline until 2030." Speaking to CNBC's Dan Murphy, Etihad's Group Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves revealed passengers should expect "a totally different airline" within the next two to three years. Much of the $7 billion will go into revamping its existing fleet of planes, as well as the purchase of new aircraft further down the line, he said. But Neves is aiming for the skies, with the hope of having up to 170 planes by the end of the decade. Neves said Etihad will begin retrofitting and revamping "dated" Boeing 777 planes from 2026 onward, this is due to what he described as "the constraints that we have in the global aviation market."

Persons: CNBC's Dan Murphy, Antonoaldo Neves, Abu, Neves Organizations: Etihad Airways, Etihad's, Etihad, Boeing, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Europe, Southeast Asia, United Arab Emirates

☆ Private-public capital market support for start-ups in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVC investor and SGX on private-public capital market support for start-ups in Southeast AsiaGranite Asia's Jenny Lee and SGX CFO Ng Yao Loong discusses where the next batch of unicorns could come from in Southeast Asia and how private and public capital markets can do more to support their growth.

Persons: Jenny Lee, Ng Yao Loong Locations: Asia, Southeast Asia

☆ Korean adoptees say they were ‘commodified’ and governments ignored fraud, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“It showed the callous way in which children going to the US. At a hearing in 1977, a U.S. congressman asked why so many children were still coming from South Korea. But with hundreds of stories to verify in a single week, only a tiny fraction of adoptions were denied. How is that possible?” said Susan Jacobs, a retired State Department official who has worked on adoption reform efforts. Robert Ackerman, immigration attache at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, told reporters in 1988 that he had heard allegations of birth mothers being bribed.

Persons: Patricia Nye, “, ” Nye, ”, Susan Jacobs, Laws, Homer Stark, ” Stark, David Will, ” Will, Stark, Donald Wells, “ I’ve, Robert Ackerman, Ackerman, ” Ackerman, Michelle Bernier, Toth, adoptees, Elizabeth Bartholet Organizations: Social Service, U.S, Embassy, University of Minnesota Libraries, ISS, State Department, State, United Press International Locations: Seoul, Asia, U.S, South Korea, Tokyo, Gwinnett County , Georgia, strollers, Georgia, United States, Europe, Hague, Korea

☆ Microsoft to spend $1.3 billion in Mexico on cloud, AI tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at a company event on artificial intelligence technologies in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 30, 2024. Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion to build out cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia, betting on Southeast Asia's biggest economy to spur growth. Tech giant Microsoft will invest $1.3 billion over the next three years to build up its infrastructure in Mexico for cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the company announced on Tuesday. "We're doubling down on bringing more capacity to Mexico," Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said at an event in Mexico City. Microsoft and communications company Viasat are also working to bring the internet to more than 150,000 Mexicans previously without cellular connectivity by the end of 2025, Microsoft said.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Marcelo Ebrard Organizations: Microsoft, Tech, Viasat Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Mexico, Mexico City

☆ Biden looks to burnish foreign policy legacy at the UN as leaders grapple with a world on fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Sam Fossum | Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —After more than five decades at the forefront of United States foreign policy, President Joe Biden may have hoped to use his speech to over a hundred world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to burnish both his own legacy and the country’s leadership on the world stage. “The world has changed, and the world’s gotten more difficult in many ways,” one senior administration official said. Election loomingIn New York, world leaders will find themselves grappling with the growing list of global flashpoints – all while an election just weeks away looms over the US’ role as the democratic world’s champion, benefactor and leading arms supplier. While Biden will be formally representing the US at the table, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are separately meeting with world leaders to bolster relationships and outline their own goals. This will be followed by a meeting focused on Ukraine reconstruction with world leaders – a critical topic ahead of Biden’s meeting with Zelensky later this week.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, ” –, Ukraine –, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, –, We’re, ” Ali Zaidi, Zelensky, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we’re, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Jon Alterman, ” Alterman, ” Thomas, “ Organizations: CNN, United, United Nations General Assembly, General, White House White, Global Coalition, United Nations, Hezbollah, UN Security Council, UN, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, Biden Locations: United States, New York, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon’s, Russia, China, White, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Australia, India, Japan, Wilmington, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, “, Africa, Greenfield

☆ China Is Striking Deals to Cement Its Role as Asia’s Trade Hub
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Keith Bradsher | More About Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Each of the efforts, in varying ways, faces obstacles. The nation’s top leader, Xi Jinping, will need close cooperation from border countries, some of which are politically volatile, like Kyrgyzstan, or internationally isolated, like North Korea. Neighboring countries that have long been wary of China, like Vietnam, will need to be reassured. But others have warned of Chinese domination of the Laotian economy. The new initiatives would also be expensive, and China has begun emphasizing smaller Belt and Road projects elsewhere.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ”, Ja Ian Chong Organizations: National University of Singapore Locations: Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, China, Vietnam, Laos, Southeast Asia, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Adoption fraud was widespread for many South Koreans adopted into Western countries, AP finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +22 min

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As the plane descended into Seoul, Robert Calabretta swaddled himself in a blanket, his knees tucked into his chest like a baby in the womb. The South Korean government has accepted a fact-finding commission under pressure from adoptees, and hundreds have submitted their cases for review. Western governments turned a blind eye, sometimes even pressuring South Korea for children, while promoting the narrative that they were saving orphans with no other options. Robert Calabretta, right, and his biological father, Lee Sung-soo, during a visit in Daegu, South Korea, in August 2020. Laurie Bender was approached by a strange woman while playing in the front yard in South Korea in 1975.

Persons: Robert Calabretta swaddled, they’d, “, ”, —, doesn’t, Robert Calabretta, Lee Sung, Calabretta, “ You’re, Patricia Nye, ” Nye, Holt, weren’t, ” Michaela Dietz, Robyn Joy Park, Rae, hasn't, Jae, Lee, ” Lee, Lee Moo, wasn’t, David Goldman, she’d, Laurie Bender, Bender, Han Tae, Philsik Shin, Helen Noh, Noh, ” Noh, he’d, Susan Soonkeum Cox, Kim Jin Sook, Francis Carlin, ” Carlin, …, Carlin, ” Bender, you’ve, Han Organizations: The Associated Press, South, AP, Frontline, International Social Service, University of Minnesota, ISS, BBC, ”, Holt Children’s Services, Eastern Social Welfare Society, Korea Welfare Services, Korea Social Service, Records, Health Ministry, Red Cross Hospital, U.S, Korea’s Anyang University, Seoul’s Soongsil University, Holt International, Catholic Relief Services, South Korean, FRONTLINE, PBS Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, United States, South, Western, adoptees, U.S, Australia, Daegu, Korean, West, Korea, Geneva, “, Asia, Europe, North America, Pasadena , Calif, Boryeong, American, New York, ”, Oregon, Holt, Holt Korea

☆ India rules out joining world’s largest trade deal, accuses China of 'very opaque' trade practices
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesIndia's commerce minister rejected the idea of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest trade deal, maintaining that it is not in the country's interest to be part of a free trade agreement with China. Negotiations for the RCEP started in 2013 and initially included India, which some members viewed as a counterbalance to China. However, in 2019, India chose not to join RCEP, citing unresolved "core interest" issues. Goyal noted that at that time, India already had a free trade agreement with ASEAN, Japan and Korea, as well as a bilateral trade with New Zealand worth $300 million. "It was not in our farmers' interest, RCEP did not reflect the aspirations of our small and micro medium industries and sector, and in some form, was nothing but a free trade agreement with China," he said.

Persons: Industry Piyush Goyal, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Goyal, RCEP Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Regional Comprehensive Economic, ASEAN, Commerce, Industry, —, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, RCEP, New Zealand, Trade, Semiconductor Locations: China, India, Asia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea

☆ American Companies' China Profits Are Declining; Increased War Chance
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Without the promise of profits, American firms are also becoming less willing to go to bat for China — to reinforce the idea that China's market is crucial to the success of their futures. No demandAfter pandemic lockdowns ended in 2023, the Chinese economy experienced what is known on Wall Street as a "dead cat bounce." What money Chinese consumers are still able to spend is increasingly going to companies that grew up in their home country. Related storiesWhat money Chinese consumers are still able to spend is increasingly going to companies that grew up in their home country. It gives corporations, already under financial pressure as China's economy declines, even less reason to act as interlocutors encouraging stability between Washington and Beijing.

Persons: Washington —, Xi Jinping, Lee Miller, lockdowns, They're, Xi, Yi Gang, Michael Pettis, Tesla, Elon Musk, it's, Ball, Jamie Dimon, It's, China's, Goldman Sachs, Ray Dalio, seeping, Miller, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, —, Trump, Biden, we're, Cordell Hull Organizations: Apple, Nike, Chinese Communist Party, People's Bank of, Carnegie Endowment, China Business Council, Starbucks, Street, Bridgewater Associates, Beijing, East Asia State Department, CCP, Trump, State Department, Republicans, Financial, Broadcom, Nvidia, Biden Administration Locations: China, America, Beijing, Washington, American, South China, Taiwan, People's Bank of China, Shanghai

☆ Quad group expands maritime security cooperation at Biden's farewell summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) prepares to pose for a group photo with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (2nd R), Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (2nd L) and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the start of their Quad Ministerial Meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on July 29, 2024. The leaders announced joint coast guard operations next year that will include Australian, Japanese and Indian personnel spending time on a U.S. coast guard vessel. The leaders' joint statement included sharp language about North Korea, condemning its ballistic missile launches and "malicious cyber activity." "But I think China's recent maritime aggression could be changing the equation for India and could be prompting India to become a bit more open to the idea of Quad security cooperation," she said. Before the summit, Albanese met with Biden at his home and discussed bilateral cooperation between the two close allies across defense and security, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Penny Wong, Yoko Kamikawa, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Joe Biden, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Narendra Modi, Anthony Albanese, Xi Jinping, he's, Lisa Curtis, Kishida, Modi, Albanese, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Organizations: Australia's Foreign, Japan's, India's, of, Indian, Australian, Pacific Partnership, Maritime Domain, House, Analysts, East China Seas, East China, U.S, China, Center, New, New American Security, congressional Locations: Tokyo, of Australia, India, Japan, United States, China, Delaware, U.S, Beijing, South China, South, East, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, North Korea, Islands, Southeast Asia, Asia, New American, Australia, Philadelphia

Senior Biden administration officials told reporters ahead of the meeting that the leaders would announce plans to expand an Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, launched two years ago to include the Indian Ocean region. Analysts said the expected outcomes would mostly build on work that has already been done within the Quad, which Biden elevated to summit level in 2021. It is true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Strait,” Biden continued. “But I think China’s recent maritime aggression could be changing the equation for India and could be prompting India to become a bit more open to the idea of Quad security cooperation,” she said. Albanese told reporters on Thursday that Canberra and Washington share concerns about China’s security ambitions in Pacific islands countries where Beijing is seeking a growing policing role.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Anthony Albanese, Narendra Modi, Fumio Kishida, Saturday’s, “, ”, Antony Blinken, he’s, ” Biden, Xi Jinping, Jake Sullivan’s, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, “ It’s, Lisa Curtis, Kishida, “ We’re, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Albanese, “ We’ll Organizations: United States, Australian, Anthony Albanese , Indian, Japanese, Biden, Pacific Partnership, Maritime, Indian, U.S . Coast Guard, Journalists, China’s, People’s Republic of China, Analysts, East China Seas, Center, New, New American Security, White House, CIA, State Department, congressional Locations: Australia, India, Japan, China, Anthony Albanese ,, Wilmington , Delaware, Southeast Asia, South China, East China, South Asia, Taiwan Strait, People’s Republic of, South, East, Beijing, Asia, New American, U.S, Canberra, Washington, Pacific

☆ ‘The Boyfriend,’ Japan’s first same-sex reality show, hopes to normalize LGBTQ romance in the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The untroubled July arrival of the country’s first same-sex dating reality show, “The Boyfriend,” on streamer Netflix, may be another sign that normalization of queerness in Japan is on the way. “It’s no different from the familiar reality shows we’ve seen before. The only thing that felt odd or questionable was that, while there have been plenty of heterosexual reality shows, there have been so few featuring same-sex couples, and none in Japan,” casting director Taiki told Variety. The commentators included central host Megumi, an entertainer; drag queen Durian Lollobrigida; Tokui Yoshimi, a veteran of previous reality shows including “Terrace House”; Horan Chiaki; and style diva Thelma Aoyama. “As this was Japan’s first romance reality show featuring male same-sex relationships, it was crucial to have someone from that community in the studio,” Lollobrigida told Variety.

Persons: “, we’ve, ”, Taiki, Dai, Shun, Taehon, inoffensively, Roche, Kimura Hana, Hishida Keisuke, Ota Dai, Durian Lollobrigida, Tokui, Horan Chiaki, Thelma Aoyama, ” Lollobrigida, …, Kitano Takeshi, they’re, ’ Organizations: Netflix, New York Times, Fuji Television, Kyodo Television, Netflix Japan, “, Tokyo Locations: Japan, East Asia, Shinjuku Ni, “ Terrace

☆ U.S. keeps missile system in Philippines as China tensions rise, tests wartime deployment
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Typhon system, which can be equipped with cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets, was brought in for joint exercises earlier this year, both countries said at the time, but has remained there. China and Russia have condemned the first deployment of the system to the Indo-Pacific, accusing Washington of fueling an arms race. The deployment, some details of which have not been previously reported, comes as China and U.S. defense treaty ally the Philippines clash over parts of the hotly contested South China Sea. Philippine officials said Filipino and U.S. forces continued to train with the missile system, which is on the northern island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea and is close to the Taiwan Strait. A Philippine army spokesman, Colonel Louie Dema-ala, on Wednesday said training was ongoing and it was up to Philippine authorities and the United States Army Pacific to decide how long the missile system would stay.

Persons: Ezra Acayan, Lin Jian, Louie Dema, USARPAC, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: High Mobility Artillery, Getty, United States Army Pacific, Reuters, Philippine Locations: Philippines, Laur, Nueva Ecija, States, U.S, Asia, Taipei, China, Russia, Washington, Luzon, Taiwan Strait, Philippine

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25 mentions found