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☆ APEC summit host Thailand urges leaders to put aside differences
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Juarawee Kittisilpa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, wife Naraporn Chao-ocha, China's President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan attend the Gala dinner of the APEC Summit 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 17, 2022. Thailand Government House/Handout via REUTERSBANGKOK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Thailand, the host of the APEC summit, urged leaders of the group meeting in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday to "rise above differences" and focus on resolving pressing global economic issues in areas such as trade and inflation. China's President Xi Jinping is attending the summit, while the United States is being represented by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Security was tight at the APEC summit with around 100 anti-government protesters gathered and planning to march on the meeting venue on Friday morning. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will represent him at APEC.

☆ Thai police use rubber bullets to disperse protest over APEC summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Police officers holding shields stand guard during a protest against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2022, near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand November 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Thai police on Friday fired rubber bullets to disperse a protest against the APEC summit in Bangkok, a police official in charge of the event's security taskforce said. About 350 protesters had gathered and clashed with police, Ashyan Kraithong said, about 10 km (6 miles) from the venue where leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group are meeting. Youth activist Patsaravalee 'Mind' Tanakitvibulpon, who was at the demonstration, said people were protesting against the APEC summit and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. They are using rubber bullets on us and tried to stop us many times," he told Reuters.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ APEC leaders to continue trade discussions; Kamala Harris, Emmanuel Macron to deliver speeches
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting with French nationals living in Thailand at the Peninsula hotel in Bangkok on November 17, 2022, on the sidelines of the APEC Summit. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)The APEC leaders' meeting begins Friday, as the world's economic leaders are expected to continue discussions of trade and sustainable economic growth. APEC ministers on Thursday exchanged views on how the region can maintain momentum for open trade, investment and travel resumption despite disruptions, according to Thailand's Foreign Ministry. On the agenda is the last day of the CEO summit as well as an economic leaders meeting spanning Friday and Saturday. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron are also expected to deliver keynote speeches later on.

☆ Factbox: What is APEC and which leaders are attending Bangkok summit?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] A general view outside of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center venue during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, at Asoke Junction, in Bangkok, Thailand November 17, 2022. The United States will be the APEC host in 2023. CHINA PRESIDENT XI JINPINGXi met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Bangkok on Thursday for talks. RUSSIA FIRST DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ANDREI BELOUSOVBelousov will represent President Valadmir Putin at APEC. PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER JAMES MARAPEMarape will hold meetings with U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken.

☆ Kamala Harris Leads U.S. Push to Bolster Economic Ties in Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( William Mauldin | Keith Zhai | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BANGKOK, Thailand—Vice President Kamala Harris and other senior Biden administration officials are using an Asian economic gathering to pursue closer business ties and press for higher environmental and labor standards in a part of the world where China has deep economic links. Ms. Harris is leading the U.S. delegation at the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit that begins Friday in the Thai capital, Bangkok—the first time in four years the group is gathering. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Katherine Tai , the U.S. trade representative, attended minister-level meetings on Thursday that, Ms. Tai said, brought momentum to U.S. economic efforts.

☆ Japan’s Leader Seeks Steady China Ties in First Meeting With Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Alastair Gale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sought to steady ties with Beijing in his first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping , reflecting the importance to Japan of economic links with China and Tokyo’s worries of being drawn into a conflict over nearby Taiwan. “Both countries are great powers with important responsibilities for the peace and prosperity of the international community. It is important that both sides accelerate their efforts to build constructive and stable Japan-China relations,” Mr. Kishida said at the start of a meeting with Mr. Xi in Bangkok that lasted around 45 minutes. The meeting took place ahead of a summit of leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group in Thailand, following a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia.

☆ Myanmar releasing 4 foreign prisoners in amnesty, including American
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Britain’s embassy in Yangon said Bowman, a former British ambassador to Myanmar, had not yet been released from prison. “Sean’s heart was with the people of Myanmar to help lift them out of poverty and help Myanmar reach its economic potential. Bowman, 56, was arrested with her husband, a Myanmar national, in Yangon in August. Kyaw Htay Oo, a naturalized American, returned to Myanmar, the country of his birth, in 2017, according to media reports. Myanmar did not release many details of the other prisoners who were being freed, but almost all would have been held on charges related to the protests.

☆ New Zealand's Ardern set to meet China's President Xi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] New Zealands' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin OchsWELLINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday on the sidelines of the meeting of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, a New Zealand government spokesperson said on Thursday. It will be their first meeting in person since 2019, although they spoke by telephone in 2021. Ardern flew to Cambodia this week to attend the East Asia Summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), hold two-way meetings and attend related events. Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Xi Jinping, Kamala Harris and other Asia-Pacific leaders convene in Bangkok for economic forum
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A motorcyclist seen riding past the APEC 2022 sign in Bangkok. The Apec 2022 summit will take place at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok from November 18-19,2022. Officials from 21 Asia-Pacific economies are gathering in Bangkok as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting kicks off Thursday. Attendees for the group's first in-person summit in four years includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. There's also a CEO summit, which runs from Wednesday to Friday, as well as an economic leaders meeting on Friday and Saturday.

[1/5] A person enters a cannabis shop near the venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand November 17, 2022. Since Thailand decriminalised cannabis this year shops selling homegrown and imported strains, pre-rolled joints and gummies sprang up rapidly. A cannabis regulation bill to govern cultivation, sale, and consumption has been delayed in parliament, causing confusion over just aspects will be legal. The president of Thailand's association of forensic physicians, Smith Srisont, petitioned a court last week to re-list it as a narcotic. Akira Wongwan, the chief executive of a medical cannabis business, Adam Group, said profit margins for recreational cannabis were "super high".

It was a rare, candid glimpse of the Chinese leader and a reminder of Beijing's testy relations with the West. Besides Biden, Trudeau and Australia's Anthony Albanese, Xi also met the leaders of South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Holland and France for bilateral talks in Bali. Xi was ferried around Bali in his own Hongqi (Red Flag) limousine - Mao Zedong used an earlier model - China's version of the U.S. presidential "Beast" limo. Returning to in-person diplomacy also gives Xi a platform to push Chinese initiatives that further cement its stature as leader of the emerging world. "I think in the coming years you'll see China indeed making a serious effort to implement its major power diplomacy," he said.

☆ Qatar 2022: ‘Sport should not be politicized,’ France’s Macron says ahead of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Martin Goillandeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“Sport should not be politicized,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, three days before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “It should be when hosting the event is decided, whether it is the World Cup or the Olympic Games, that we must honestly ask ourselves the question. “And whether the question is on the climate or human rights, it is not necessary to ask it when the event comes. The 2022 World Cup has attracted controversy ever since it was awarded to Qatar, with concerns over human rights, treatments of migrant workers and the environment. A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) published in October documented alleged cases of beatings and sexual harassment.

☆ Global investors are bullish again on China as Beijing switches to damage control
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A key index of Chinese stocks in New York jumped 15% during the same period. Some investment banks even upgraded their China growth forecasts following the policy changes. They want to correct the market’s perception of China’s economic outlook, as President Xi Jinping interacts with global leaders at G20,” it said. “I don’t think the long-term appetite for China and Hong Kong shares will return so quickly. The Nasdaq Golden China Index, a popular index tracking Chinese companies in New York, has plunged more than 33% so far in 2022.

☆ World leaders arrive for APEC dinner
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsWorld leaders arrive for APEC dinnerPostedWorld leaders, including representatives of China, Canada, New Zealand, France, as well as South Korea, attended an official dinner in Bangkok on Thursday (November 17) night before they join a series of meetings for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, the second missile test by the Kim Jong Un regime in two days, in actions condemned as unacceptable by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “North Korea is continuing to carry out provocative actions at frequency never seen before,” Kishida told reporters Friday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Increased missile testsThe aggressive acceleration in weapons testing and rhetoric has sparked alarm in the region, with the US, South Korea and Japan responding with missile launches and joint military exercises. The tally includes both cruise and ballistic missiles, with the latter making up the majority of North Korean test this year. North Korea isn’t interested talking right now,” Lewis said.

☆ Xi tells Marcos stability on South China Sea issues key to good bilateral ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the G20 leaders summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Dita Alangkara/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr at a meeting on Thursday that the strength of bilateral ties hinged on stable relations at sea, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Xi was referring to disputes over areas of the South China Sea that have plagued relations between Beijing and Manila. CCTV said Xi also told Marcos on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok that the two countries need to stick to amicable negotiations to resolve differences over South China Sea issues. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista Editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Geopolitics to stay in focus at APEC summit in Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Delegates walk inside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center where the APEC summit will be held, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 14, 2022. On the sidelines, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to have bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later in the day. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are among those also attending the main meeting. Host Indonesia said the Ukraine war had been the most contentious issue at the summit in Bali. He was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 and First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov will stand in for him at APEC.

☆ Japan PM says conveyed concerns to China's Xi about peace in Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he conveyed concerns during a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about peace in the Taiwan Strait. Kishida said he reaffirmed with Xi that they would reopen dialogue between their diplomatic officials and communicate closely on all levels, including at the leadership level. "I conveyed my grave concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands, as well as China's military presence such as their launching of missiles," he told reporters. The disputed islands are known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. "I also reiterated the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan strait," Kishida added.

☆ Days after Biden's face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping, Kamala Harris is making a rare trip to a South China Sea hotspot
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Palawan looks over the South China Sea, where Beijing and its neighbors have competing claims. "This is another historic visit, as the vice president is the highest-ranking US official ever to visit Palawan," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday. It divides the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea, where the Philippines is one of several countries that dispute Beijing's expansive claims. The Philippine province of Palawan separates the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea. Asked on Tuesday how China should view the trip, the US official said, "China can take the message it wants.

☆ Thai monetary policy to be measured, support recovery -central bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Slideshow ( 2 images )BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s monetary policy would be “measured and gradual” to support economic recovery, Bank of Thailand governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput told a seminar on Monday. The economy was recovering gradually, despite a global slowdown, and should reach pre-COVID levels early next year, he said. The central bank governor said the economy was expected to grow 3.3% this year and 3.8% next year, maintaining an earlier forecast. “The economy should reach pre-pandemic levels later this year or early next,” he said. The economy would continue to recover gradually despite a global slowdown, supported by consumption and tourism, he said, adding that monetary policy would ensure a “smooth take-off”.

☆ Australia's Albanese talks briefly with China's Li, prompting talk of summit -media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke briefly with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at a regional summit in Cambodia, Australian media said on Sunday, sparking some expectations of a formal summit with President Xi Jinping. Albanese and Li spoke on arrival at a gala on the sidelines of the summit in Phnom Penh of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The discussion raised the prospect of a potential Albanese-Xi meeting at the summit of the Group of 20 big economies in Indonesia on Monday. The last bilateral summit was in 2019 when Albanese's predecessor, Scott Morrison, met Xi at a G20 meeting, according to Australia's foreign ministry. Albanese's office said last week he will attend that meeting and a subsequent summit in Bangkok of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group.

☆ Biden says won't veer into conflict with China, as first summit ends in Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Addressing the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, Biden said the United States would compete with China and speak out over its human rights record, but stressed the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait and ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. On China, Biden told the summit that "the United States will compete vigorously.... while keeping lines of communication open and ensuring competition does not veer into conflict," the White House said in a statement. Eighteen countries accounting for half the global economy attended Sunday's East Asia Summit, including the ASEAN nations, Japan, South Korea, China, India, the United States, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. "The United States and its NATO allies are trying to master this space," Lavrov told a news conference in Phnom Penh. Like ally the United States, Australia's ties with China have also deteriorated in recent years.

☆ Biden in Cambodia as global leaders join Southeast Asian summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden is greeted upon his arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport to attend the 2022 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 12, 2022. Cambodia is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual summit and a parallel East Asian Summit, with the regional bloc engaging with a host of leaders. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met ASEAN leaders on Friday. "President Trump didn't attend a single East Asian Summit during four years in office," said Greg Poling, head of the Southeast Asia programme at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies. ASEAN leaders on Friday issued a "warning" to Myanmar to make measurable progress on a peace plan or risk being barred from the bloc's meetings, as social and political chaos escalates in the country.

☆ Biden says U.S.-ASEAN pact to address 'biggest issues of our time'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/8] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the 2022 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 12, 2022. In his first visit to Southeast Asia as president, Biden said the region was at the heart of his administration's Indo-Pacific strategy and Washington was committing resources, not just rhetoric, under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. ASEAN is engaging a host of leaders, including Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. At the gatherings, Biden will focus on the Indo-Pacific region and talk about U.S. commitment to a rules-based order in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said earlier this week. Biden on Saturday said the meetings would discuss Russia's "brutal" war against Ukraine and U.S. efforts to address the war's global impact.

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