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Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and President Joe Biden will express their deep concern about human rights violations in China in a joint statement to be released after a Japan-US summit next week, Japanese government sources said Saturday. The summit, scheduled for Friday in Washington, comes as the Biden administration ramps up criticism of China's treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region and actions concerning Hong Kong. Suga has said those issues must be addressed based on basic human rights principles. It would be rare for Japanese and US leaders to single out human rights issues in China in a joint statement. Tokyo and Washington are now arranging the wording of the planned statement. It is almost certain that China would express strong protest against such a statement as interference in its domestic affairs. While the United States and Europe have imposed sanctions on China over the Uyghur issue, Japan remains cautious about following suit. Suga will ... » Learn More about Biden-Suga statement to express concern about human rights in China

President Rodrigo Duterte resumes his Monday briefing after two weeks away from public view (Screengrab from a video posted on the RTVM Facebook page) MANILA, Philippines — “Would I last long? Let’s be frank here. Will I last long in this [CURSING] post if I’m inutile? Would the military allow me to govern if that’s how I run things — without me doing anything?” President Rodrigo Duterte said this, speaking in Filipino, in his pre-recorded press briefing on Monday, directing the statement at his critics, particularly members of the opposition who questioned his absence from the public eye for almost two weeks while the country was grappling with a COVID-19 surge. [Original statement: “Tatagal kaya ako? Ito prankahan tayo: Tatagal kaya ako dito sa p*tang in*ng pwesto na ito kung inutil ako? Would the military allow me to govern [nang] gano’n ang pamamalakad mo?  Wala kang ginawa?”] As of Monday, the Philippines recorded over 150,000 active COVID-19 cases, even as Metro Manila, ... » Learn More about Would the military allow me to stay this long if I’m inutile? – Duterte

LONDON — Human traffickers across Europe have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to exploit more vulnerable people, while efforts to bring them to justice and support their victims have been disrupted, a European human rights body said on Friday. COVID-19 restrictions and the economic fallout have worsened the outlook for victims of trafficking on the continent, who are less likely to be identified or able to access healthcare and shelter, according to a report by the Council of Europe (CoE). “The effects of the pandemic have made victims of human trafficking even more vulnerable,” said Helga Gayer, head of the council’s group of anti-trafficking experts – known as GRETA. “Traffickers have made the most of the situation, exploiting the precarious financial situation of many of their victims.” While there is no Europe-wide estimate, about 25 million people worldwide are trafficking victims – the United Nations says – with fears growing that more will be exploited as ... » Learn More about Traffickers seen thriving in Europe as COVID-19 hits victim support

LONDON (REUTERS) - Human traffickers across Europe have taken advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to exploit more vulnerable people, while efforts to bring them to justice and support their victims have been disrupted, a European human rights body said last Friday (April 9). Covid-19 restrictions and the economic fallout have worsened the outlook for victims of trafficking on the continent, who are less likely to be identified or able to access healthcare and shelter, according to a report by the Council of Europe (CoE). "The effects of the pandemic have made victims of human trafficking even more vulnerable," said Ms Helga Gayer, head of the council's group of anti-trafficking experts - known as Greta. "Traffickers have made the most of the situation, exploiting the precarious financial situation of many of their victims." While there is no Europe-wide estimate, the United Nations says about 25 million people worldwide are victims of traffickers, with fears growing that more ... » Learn More about Human traffickers seen thriving in Europe as Covid-19 hits victim support

SHANGHAI: China shares dropped on Monday, weighed down by materials and transport stocks, as worries over policy tightening persisted on expectations of upbeat economic data due later this month. The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 1.7%, to 4,947.75, while the Shanghai Composite index shed 1.1% to 3,412.95. Leading the declines, the CSI300 materials index and the CSI300 transport index slumped 3.9% and 4.1%, respectively. Courier giant S.F. Holding Co Ltd fell 9.4%, following a 10% drop on Friday after flagging losses for the first quarter. China's first quarter economic growth data probably would beat market expectations, which could raise worries over a quick tightening of monetary policy, Huaan Securities said in a report. The market could also encounter challenges as much stronger-than-expected PPI could lead to marginal changes in monetary policy, the brokerage added. Ongoing Sino-U.S. tensions also affected sentiment. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on ... » Learn More about China stocks end lower as materials, transport firms weigh

SINGAPORE - Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam gave his take on several issues during a virtual dialogue at the Singapore Tech Forum on Thursday (Nov 19). The forum, a global industry and networking even in its third year running, is organised by the Singapore Global Network - a division of the Economic Development Board - and the Government Technology Agency (GovTech). Economic reconfiguration and China Contrary to what some might think, globalisation is not on the decline. Instead, what the global economy is seeing is a reconfiguration as a result of China's evolution, said Mr Tharman. He noted that the biggest trend was the evolution of the Chinese economy. “It is getting larger. (China is) having a much larger middle class consuming a lot more. (They) are having much more capabilities domestically, able to produce within China what was previously imported, and that might give the impression of some waning of globalisation. "But actually, it's the same story - it's ... » Learn More about Resilient hubs key for companies seeking stability amidst Covid-19: SM Tharman

IT must now be said. The skeptics and Sinovac naysayers have been right all along. The Chinese vaccines against Covid-19 — be they Sinovac or Sinopharm — have low effectiveness rate and can reasonably be refused by prospective vaccinees on the grounds of efficacy and safety. According to The Associated Press, China’s top disease control official has admitted to the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines. Gao Fu, the director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says the effectiveness of the Chinese vaccines is low, and the government is considering mixing them to get a boost. Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates,” he said at a conference in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Saturday. The official admission seems incongruous with the current primacy of President Xi Jinping as Chinese leader. Mr. Xi has been unbending and unyielding on his policy decisions even when they turn out to be duds as with his missteps in claiming all of the ... » Learn More about From the horse’s mouth: Chinese vaccines have low effectiveness

Shares in tech giant Alibaba climbed more than six percent Monday as the ecommerce titan reassured investors that a record $2.78 billion antitrust fine imposed by China would have little impact on its operations. However, concerns that officials had not finished with a crackdown on the sector weighed on big-name firms including Tencent and JD.com. Ant Group, whose planned record-shattering $35 billion Hong Kong-Shanghai IPO was shelved late last year amid the Chinese crackdown on Big Tech, separately announced a restructuring plan but vowed to "ensure business continuity". Regulators slapped Alibaba with the penalty on Saturday after a months-long probe concluded it had been abusing its dominant market position. But in a conference call to investors on Monday, Alibaba's board suggested the fine marked the end of the investigation, with chairman Daniel Zhang saying the penalty  would not have a "negative impact" on business operations. The government has cracked down on major ... » Learn More about Alibaba shares soar as it plays down hit from record $2.78 billion fine

MANILA, Philippines — Only 28 Chinese vessels remain stationed around Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said in an interview with DZBB that as of 8p.m. Saturday, AFP Western Command reported that only 28 Chinese vessels are left in the reef — two of which are Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels, six are Chinese coast guards, and 20 are fishing boats. Sobejana told reporters that the six Chinese coast guards are distributed in Pagasa Island, Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Reef), and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). The fishing boats are also distributed in the same locations — two in Pagasa, ten in Ayungin Shoal, and eight in Bajo de Masinloc. Sobejana then said that the AFP will meet with the Joint US Military Assistance Group on Monday. “Isa sa mga paguusapan natin yung ating mutual defense treaty kung san nagtutulungan ang dalawang bansa on matters pertaining to security,” said Sobejana. (One of ... » Learn More about Only 28 Chinese vessels left in West Philippine Sea reef – AFP chief

SEOUL (REUTERS) - South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun arrived in Iran on Sunday (April 11) to help try to restore a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and free up US$7 billion (S$9.4 billion) in Iranian funds trapped in South Korea, Seoul officials said. Mr Chung is the first South Korean prime minister to visit Iran in 44 years amid icy relations between the two countries due to Iran's military cooperation with North Korea. Tension rose after Iran seized a South Korean ship and its sailors in the Strait of Hormuz in January, accusing them of polluting the waters, and demanded that Seoul release US$7 billion in assets frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions. Mr Chung's trip comes days after Iran released the tanker and its captain, the last member of its 20-strong crew, with South Korea vowing to help secure the release of the funds. Iran and world powers held talks last week aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal that former US president ... » Learn More about South Korean PM arrives in Iran to help try to revive nuclear deal