HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has suspended the operations of Chinese online retailer Temu after it failed to meet a government deadline to register the company by the end of November. 

It is unclear if Temu, a unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, will be allowed to resume its business once it registers. The suspension comes after the ministry had raised concerns about the authenticity of Temu’s extremely cheap products and their impact on Vietnamese manufacturers. 

Temu said Thursday it was working with the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to register its e-commerce services and had submitted required documents. 

Temu began selling goods in Vietnam in October with aggressive discounts and free shipping. The government had warned the company that its app and website would be blocked if it did not register before an end-of-November deadline, official Vietnam News Agency cited the Ministry of Industry and Trade as saying. 

On Thursday, Vietnamese language options were removed from Temu’s website. A notification on the site said that Temu was working “with the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to register its provision of e-commerce services in Vietnam.” 

Temu is being investigated in Europe over suspicions it was failing to prevent the sale of illegal products.
…

  Seoul, South Korea  — Leaders of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political party say they will not back a motion by the opposition party to impeach the embattled president over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law.

Han Dong-hun, the leader of the conservative People Power Party, called Yoon’s shock decision this week “unconstitutional” when speaking to reporters Thursday, and said he had asked the president to leave the party. 

But both he and Choo Kyung-ho, the PPP’s parliamentary floor leaders, said none of the party’s 108 members will vote on the resolution brought by the Democratic Party.

The impeachment resolution is expected to come up for a vote Saturday. The Democratic Party and its allies hold a huge majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, and need only a few defectors from the PPP to pass the resolution. Eighteen PPP lawmakers who are part of an internal anti-Yoon faction were among the 190 lawmakers who voted to rescind the president’s martial law decree early Wednesday morning, just hours after the announcement.

If Yoon is impeached, he will be suspended from office and replaced by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The case will then go to the Constitutional Court, which will decide on whether or not Yoon should remain in office.  If he is convicted, new elections will be held within 60 days to replace him.

In a late Tuesday address, Yoon justified his decree by citing the need to eradicate “anti-state forces” and “protect the constitutional democratic order.” 

Less than six hours later, after the country’s parliament overturned the martial law decree, Yoon backed down saying the decree would be lifted and martial law forces withdrawn. 

The developments stunned political observers in South Korea, a U.S. ally accustomed to political gridlock but unaccustomed to such drastic measures. It marked the first declaration of martial law in South Korea since the country made the transition to democracy in the 1980s.  

The decree — which sought to ban political activities and place media under military control — triggered a frantic response at the unicameral National Assembly.

Shortly after his address, South Korean military forces descended on the legislative compound, with some reportedly arriving by helicopter, according to a VOA reporter on the scene. Security forces attempted to bar entry to lawmakers and others. 

Despite minor scuffles at the main gate, opposition lawmakers eventually forced their way inside, with some livestreaming on social media as they climbed over gates and through windows to reach the legislative chambers. 

Less than three hours after Yoon’s declaration, the lawmakers voted to lift the decree. Under South Korea’s constitution, the president is required to comply when a majority of lawmakers vote to overturn martial law.   

The presidential office said Thursday that Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly proposed the idea of martial law to President Yoon, had resigned and would be replaced by retired general Choi Byung Hyuk, who is currently serving as South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho, who is currently serving as acting defense minister, told a parliamentary committee Thursday that Kim Yong-hyun also made the decision to deploy troops to the National Assembly. The Democratic Party has also submitted a resolution to impeach Kim Yong-hyun.

South Korea’s national police said Thursday they were investigating Yoon and Kim Yong-hyun on charges of treason for their roles in the martial law decree. Also under investigation are Army Chief of Staff General Park An-su and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. Prosecutors have imposed a travel ban on Kim Yong-hyun.

Since taking office in May 2022, Yoon, a former chief prosecutor known for his blunt rhetoric, has faced fierce political battles with the opposition and suffered from persistently low approval ratings.  

His critics have seized on corruption allegations involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee, and accused him of mistreating the media. In turn, Yoon has frequently portrayed his critics as North Korea sympathizers and “anti-state” forces.  

Yoon’s position in the legislature was further weakened in April when the PPP suffered a major defeat in legislative by-elections.

A poll released on Thursday by Realmeter, a Seoul-based public opinion research organization, suggested that 74% of South Koreans support impeaching Yoon over the martial law incident. However, crucially, 50% of conservatives oppose the impeachment, suggesting that Yoon still holds the support of many conservatives.

Protests that began almost immediately after Yoon’s declaration are continuing to expand. A series of activist and civil society groups have called for nightly “candlelight protests” until Yoon resigns. The protests are expected to be biggest on the weekend.
…

State Department — The United States has dismissed Chinese objections to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s stopovers in Hawaii and Guam during a Pacific tour, reaffirming that transits through the U.S. by Taiwan’s democratically elected leaders are routine and consistent with long-standing bipartisan U.S. policy.   

Amid China’s criticism, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi each spoke separately with Lai, underscoring steadfast U.S. support for Taiwan.  

Johnson held a call Wednesday afternoon with Lai, who had recently arrived in Guam following a visit to Taiwan’s Pacific ally, Tuvalu, according to sources who spoke with VOA on the condition of anonymity.

First call

The call marked the first direct conversation between the House speaker and Lai since the latter assumed office in May. Johnson had previously congratulated Lai upon his election in January and renewed the United States’ commitment to the security and democracy of its Indo-Pacific partners. 

Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday night for a brief layover and is set to depart Thursday afternoon for Palau, the final stop on his weeklong Pacific tour. The trip, which began on November 30, also included stops in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. This marks Lai’s first overseas trip as president.

VOA has reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.

Bipartisan US policy

“Every democratically elected Taiwan president has transited the United States,” a State Department spokesperson told VOA this week.  

Guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, the spokesperson added that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent across administrations for 45 years.

Senior U.S. officials have also noted that these documents — the foundations of Washington’s “One China” policy — contain no language explicitly prohibiting a Taiwan president from stopping over in a U.S. city.

Beijing opposition

Beijing, however, accused Washington of interfering in what it calls its “internal affairs.”

Chinese officials said they “firmly oppose” any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province.

“Nothing will deter China from upholding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters this week.

Taiwan has said China’s threats over Lai’s visit are counterproductive.

Garnering US support

Lai’s transits through Hawaii and Guam come as he seeks to garner support from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has said Taiwan should pay for U.S. protection.

In a closed-door address at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Lai expressed Taiwan’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the U.S. and contributing to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a prominent China hawk, has sponsored legislation supporting high-level visits by Taiwanese officials to the U.S. and advocating stronger U.S. policy toward Taiwan amid mounting Chinese military and diplomatic pressure.

When asked by VOA if he would maintain his support for Taiwan, Rubio said, “The president sets foreign policy, and our job at the State [Department] will be to execute it.”   

Despite facing sanctions from China, Rubio expressed confidence in finding solutions to engage with Beijing if confirmed. 

Restrictions on Washington  

Under long-standing, self-imposed restrictions by the State Department, a stopover in the capital by a sitting Taiwanese president is considered highly provocative to Beijing.

No sitting Taiwan president, vice president, premier or ministers of foreign affairs and defense has visited Washington for formal meetings while in office.

“I know there’s some diplomatic rules related to leaders of Taiwan coming to the United States,” Republican Representative Andy Barr, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told VOA.

“I think we need to remove any of those impediments. I think President Lai should be able to come to the United States, and we should welcome him.”

The Communist Party-led People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan but claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy.  

The U.S. has “acknowledged” but never endorsed China’s sovereignty claim over Taiwan.

Washington maintains a “One China” policy distinct from Beijing’s One China principle, taking no official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty and not supporting Taiwan independence.

VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and Mandarin Service reporter Yihua Lee contributed to this report. 
…

Taipei, Taiwan — China’s recent unveiling of its prototype of a 6-ton tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle is stirring up debate over its potential use in combat.   

The drone, the Lanying R6000, is purportedly intended for nonmilitary uses, but concept drawings that displayed Chinese military logos on the wings and body of the aircraft sparked worries that it may be used for military transportation, surveillance, reconnaissance or attacks.  

Tiltrotor aircraft such as the Lanying R6000 combine the flying speed of airplanes with the takeoff and landing maneuverability of helicopters, providing them with the advantages of both systems.  

The new drone, displayed at the Zhuhai air show in November, has a cruising speed of 550 kilometers per hour, a range of up to 4,000 kilometers, a maximum take-off weight of 6,100 kilograms and a maximum payload of 2,000 kilograms according to the website of United Aircraft, a Shenzhen-based company.  

The business was born in 2014 after the Chinese government began efforts to integrate civil companies into defense technology development. In 2023, United Aircraft received funding from state-backed investment firms totaling nearly $276 million. 

The company website describes the R6000 drone as a “car in the sky,” that can seat up to 12 people with additional applications that include “urban air traffic, logistics transportation, emergency rescue” and others. But some observers say printed designs of the drone with military markings suggest that the company is looking toward military applications of the Lanying system.  

The drone could serve to increase the efficiency of military logistics and transportation in the event of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, with its long range and rapid deployment capabilities, military analysts tell VOA.  

The drone does not need a runway “making it particularly suitable for special terrains such as mountainous areas and islands,” stated the United Aircraft website’s product description.  

Hong Kong-based Asia Times reported in October, “China’s UR6000 may perform rapid resupply missions to support airfield seizure operations during a potential invasion of Taiwan.” 

Yao Cheng, a former lieutenant colonel staff officer of the Chinese Navy Command who is now based in Los Angeles, told VOA that the Lanying R6000’s advantages lie in its fast speed, unmanned operation and strong emergency response capabilities.  

These advantages, he confirmed, would be useful if a conflict were to break out over Taiwan.  

“If there is fighting in the Taiwan Strait, because its speed is 550 [kilometers per hour], it can deliver the materials to the battlefield in about half an hour,” Yao said.  

Taiwan is located 180 kilometers from China. With a range of 4,000 kilometers, the Lanying R6000 could make more than 10 round trips from China to Taiwan before refueling. 

Yao said the drone’s wide range covers the Western Pacific, giving it the ability to reach locations throughout the South China Sea and U.S. military bases in Japan and South Korea.  

Given the trend of warfare toward unmanned and intelligent warfare, Yao expects the Lanying R6000 to become an important force in military transportation.  

However, Su Tzu-yun director of the Institute of National Defense Strategy and Resources at the Taipei-based National Defense Security Research Institute, told VOA that the Lanying R6000 has more value in commercial transportation than in the military.  

The drone has low stealth capabilities given that helicopters and other similar aircraft that make use of tiltrotors tend to be noisy and produce radar signatures, Su said, making the drone an easy target for air defense missiles.  

The size of the Chinese army’s helicopter force, coupled with the limitations of Lanying system’s stealth capabilities, makes it unrealistic for the drone to be considered as an ideal option in high-risk military operations, Su said.  

He added that China possesses close to 1,000 helicopters, including the Z-20, China’s version of the American Black Hawk helicopter. This number still trails behind that of the U.S., which has around 5,500 helicopter units.  

Su said the drone could still play a limited role in the Chinese Navy. With its compact size and high speed, it is suitable for carrier-based tasks, such as rapid anti-submarine patrols or replenishment missions.  

The Luying R6000 model could also develop into technology that is more appropriate and valuable for military use in the future, Su added.  

VOA Mandarin and Katherine Michaelson contributed to this report.
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BANGKOK — More than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe flooding in southern Thailand, where the death toll climbed to 29, officials said Wednesday.

Days more heavy rain are forecast in the area, which has already been battered by torrential floodwaters, with more than 155,000 households currently affected, according to the Thai government’s public relations department.

Five southern provinces have been hit — — Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung — forcing more than 33,000 people to leave their homes, the spokesperson for Thailand’s ministry of public health said in a statement.

The death toll now stands at 29, up from 25 reported on Tuesday.

The spokesperson for Ministry of Public Health said mental health teams have been deployed to provide support and care for those affected.

A woman from Tak Bai district, Narathiwat province, told state broadcaster Thai PBS that she had not returned home for three days, choosing to stay in a temporary shelter at a local temple after her house was inundated by floodwaters.

The Thai Meteorological Department warned Wednesday morning that low pressure moving from the South China Sea across Malaysia and the Andaman Sea was expected to bring heavy rainfall and further flooding to southern Thailand.

The Department of Mineral Resources also warned of potential landslides and flash floods until December 5.

Disaster response teams were working to drain floodwater and evacuate flood victims to dry areas, the country’s disaster agency said on its Facebook page Wednesday morning.

The government has deployed rescue teams to assist affected residents and designated $1.5 million in flood relief for each province.

On Tuesday the Thai cabinet approved a $260 payment per family to support those affected.

The floods have also affected neighboring Malaysia, where tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, scientists say climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Widespread flooding across the country in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes.
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Seoul, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law appeared to backfire Wednesday, as lawmakers prepared to begin impeachment proceedings and one of the country’s largest labor unions launched an indefinite general strike demanding his resignation.

In a late-night televised address, Yoon announced martial law, claiming it was necessary to “eradicate anti-state forces” and “protect constitutional order.” The declaration marked the first use of martial law since South Korea transitioned to democracy in the 1980s.

Hours later, the edict was overturned after lawmakers pushed past military and police forces that had surrounded parliament and rescinded the decree by a vote of 190-0. Facing overwhelming resistance, Yoon announced that martial law would be lifted.

The dramatic overnight events left many Seoul residents stunned and analysts scrambling to understand Yoon’s strategy, as well as the extent of the political fallout he now faces.

Early Wednesday, South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party announced it would begin impeachment proceedings if Yoon did not resign immediately.

South Korea’s largest umbrella labor group, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, vowed to organize major anti-Yoon rallies and announced an indefinite strike until Yoon steps down.

Conservative backlash

In a particularly ominous sign for Yoon, many members of his conservative camp fiercely criticized the martial law declaration, with 18 members of his own People Power Party joining the parliamentary effort to overturn the decree.

In an editorial, the conservative Chosun Ilbo, the country’s largest newspaper, called the situation “absurd and unprecedented,” noting that “hardly anyone” agrees with Yoon’s rationale that the country was facing a national emergency.

“This martial law controversy has cast doubt on President Yoon’s ability to remain in office,” said an editorial in the Joongang Ilbo, another conservative paper. “The previously unthinkable discussion of the president’s impeachment has now become inevitable.”

Yoon has not publicly responded to calls for his resignation. But Yoon’s senior aides, including his chief of staff and national security adviser, offered to resign on Wednesday, after the country’s ruling party chief called for them to step down.

Yoon weakened

Since taking office in May 2022, Yoon, a former chief prosecutor known for his blunt rhetoric, has faced fierce political battles with the opposition and suffered from persistently low approval ratings.

His critics have seized on corruption allegations involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee, and accused him of mistreating the media. In turn, Yoon has frequently portrayed his critics as North Korea sympathizers and “anti-state” forces who are trying to disrupt the normal operation of the government.

In April, Yoon’s conservative party suffered a major defeat in legislative by-elections, further weakening his political standing. As a result, only eight conservative lawmakers would need to abandon Yoon in order for an impeachment motion against him to succeed.

The developments suggested to many analysts that Yoon may not be able to serve out the remainder of his single, five-year presidential term.

“This is the end of Yoon’s presidency. Full stop,” said Karl Friedhoff, who focuses on Korea for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “The only question is how his presidency will end and how much violence it will entail.”

Impeaching a South Korean president requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly, after which the Constitutional Court determines whether to uphold the decision.

Choi Jong-kun, a professor at Seoul’s Yonsei University who served as first vice foreign minister under former South Korean President Moon-Jae-in, said that Yoon’s impeachment is “definitely” inevitable.

“South Korea’s democracy is solid and unshakeable,” he added. “It’s a republic backed by the organized power of aware and active citizens who are ready to stand up for its values.”

Dramatic scenes

The decree — which sought to ban political activities and place media under military control — triggered a frantic late night response at South Korea’s National Assembly, the unicameral legislature controlled by Yoon’s opponents.

Shortly after his address, South Korean military forces descended on the legislative compound, with some arriving by helicopter, according to a VOA reporter on the scene. Security forces attempted to bar entry to lawmakers and others.

Despite minor scuffles at the main gate, opposition lawmakers eventually forced their way inside, with some livestreaming on social media as they climbed over gates and through windows to reach the legislative chambers.

In an emergency session less than three hours after Yoon’s declaration, lawmakers voted to lift the decree. Under South Korea’s constitution, the president is required to comply when a majority of lawmakers vote to overturn martial law.

Kim Joon-hyung, a member of the opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, described wrestling through security forces to enter the National Assembly. “I’m sore all over,” he said in a text message to VOA, noting that the military seemed “confused” and ultimately refrained from aggressive actions to block lawmakers.

Videos of civilian resistance against the military circulated widely in South Korean media. In one clip, dozens of people surrounded an armored vehicle outside parliament, preventing further access. In another, aides and civilians sprayed fire extinguishers at military personnel attempting to breach an entrance, forcing them to retreat under the glare of journalists’ cameras.

As South Korean martial law troops left South Korea’s National Assembly early Wednesday, one of the soldiers repeatedly bowed his head and said, “I’m sorry,” according to a video posted on YouTube by a local journalist.

The dramatic scenes evoked memories of South Korea’s authoritarian past, underscoring public resistance to any return to military rule and adding further pressure to Yoon’s already embattled presidency.

“I’m stunned by the news. I feel like I’ve been surrealistically teleported back to the Korea I first experienced as a U.S. diplomat in 1984,” said Rob Rapson, a former U.S. diplomat who served in numerous senior positions at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

“I can’t fathom what possessed Yoon to announce martial law and think that he could get away with it in the dark of night. His stated reasons about eradicating ‘anti-state’ forces have little credibility [and] are indefensible,” he added.

The developments create an awkward dilemma for the outgoing Biden administration, which had closely aligned with Yoon on a shared vision of “values-based diplomacy.” Together, they often stood in concert against authoritarian adversaries like China and Russia, emphasizing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as central to their foreign policies.

On Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed “grave concern” over the situation and said he was actively engaging with South Korean counterparts.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Yoon’s decision to rescind martial law but stopped short of criticizing the South Korean leader.

South Korea, home to about 28,000 U.S. troops, remains one of Washington’s most critical allies in the region.
…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law Tuesday, an unanticipated move that rattled the nation and underscored political turmoil in the U.S. ally. Though Yoon quickly backed down, the development raises doubts about his political future, as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul, South Korea. Contributor: Lee Juhyun.
…

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock this week repeatedly criticized China’s economic and military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, which she said is threatening peace in Europe. During a visit to China, she also pledged to stand up for Germany’s economic interests when it comes to electric vehicles, climate and security policy. VOA Mandarin spoke with analysts about what China’s muted response to her criticism may mean.

See the full story here.
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HANOI, Vietnam — A court in Vietnam on Tuesday upheld a death sentence for real estate tycoon Truong My Lan after rejecting her appeal against a conviction for embezzlement and bribery in a high-profile $12 billion fraud case, state media reported.  

Lan, the chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, was sentenced to death in April for her role in what was Vietnam’s biggest financial fraud case on record.  

The High People’s Court in southern Ho Chi Minh City determined there was no basis to reduce Lan’s death sentence, reported online newspaper VnExpress.  

If Lan is able to return three-quarters of the money embezzled while on death row, it is possible the sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment, the report said. 

She is one of the most famous business executives and state officials jailed in the communist country’s lengthy anti-graft campaign known as “Blazing Furnace.” 

“The consequences Lan caused are unprecedented in the history of litigation and the amount of money embezzled is unprecedentedly large and unrecoverable,” the prosecution was quoted as saying at the appeal hearing by state-run online newspaper VietnamNet.  

“The defendant’s actions have affected many aspects of society, the financial market, the economy,” it said.  

State media cited Lan’s lawyer as saying she had many mitigating circumstances, including “having admitted guilt, showing remorse and paying back part of the amount of money embezzled,” but prosecutors said that was insufficient. 

Reuters could not immediately reach Lan’s lawyers for comment.  

Lan still has the right to request a review under Vietnam’s cassation or retrial procedures.  

Lan’s arrest in 2022 sparked a run on one of the country’s largest private banks by deposits, Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), which was at the center of the fraud and largely owned by Lan through her proxies.  

Documents reviewed by Reuters showed Vietnam’s central bank had as of April pumped $24 billion in “special loans” into SCB in an “unprecedented” rescue. 

Apart from the death sentence, Lan was handed a life sentence at a separate trial in October after being found guilty of obtaining property by fraud, money laundering and illegal cross-border money transfers. 
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Taipei, Taiwan — Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has been actively advocating for the establishment of a collective security alliance in Asia similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Europe and North America.

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party set up a new committee in November specifically to discuss this “Asian NATO” concept. However, such an ambitious plan is unlikely to take place under the second term of U.S.-elect President Donald Trump, according to experts.

Ishiba has reportedly advocated for bolstering regional deterrence by integrating existing security frameworks such as the ANZUS Security Treaty between the United States, Australia and New Zealand; the U.S.-Japan Alliance; and the U.S.-South Korea Alliance.

He outlined his vision in a paper to the Washington-based Hudson Institute in September, arguing that such an alliance would deter China from using military force in Asia.

“The absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars are likely to break out because there is no obligation for mutual defense,” he wrote. 

However, the proposal has encountered significant resistance, including opposition from China, concerns from ASEAN nations and even U.S. skepticism.

Feasibility doubtful

Koichi Nakano, a visiting scholar on U.S.-Japan relations at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, was skeptical that the U.S. would support an “Asian NATO” proposal.

“Ishiba’s personal advocacy is based on his view that [a] U.S.-Japan alliance should be placed on a more equal footing. And it is also connected to his parallel argument that there should be nuclear sharing with Japan. In other words, it is with an aim at constraining U.S. unilateralism,” Nakano said.

“All of this is exactly what President-elect [Donald] Trump does not want. He doesn’t even like NATO in the first place, and there is zero reason to think that he would want to have an Asian version of it,” he said.

Trump has pledged that “NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission” will be fundamentally changed in his new administration. During his first term as president, he reduced defense spending to the alliance, saying America spent more than other countries in the organization.

Officials in the Biden administration have also been skeptical of the Asian NATO proposal.

Stephen Nagy, a professor of politics and international studies at Tokyo’s International Christian University, also said a “Asian NATO” is neither realistic nor achievable.

“An Asian NATO may not necessarily be a negative initiative,” Nagy said. “On the contrary, it may help stakeholders align their strategic thinking on security concerns on the region and find ways to cooperate with each other to deal with traditional and non-traditional security challenges.”

However, Nagy said that minilateral cooperation, which involves a small group of countries working together on specific issues, is more feasible than the “Asian NATO” concept.

“Establishing and maintaining various forms of minilateral cooperation such as the Quad [Australia, India, Japan and the United States]; the Squad [United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines]; the Manila-Tokyo-Washington minilateral; the Camp David-based cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, will be more realistic and accrue security and diplomatic results compared to an Asian NATO multilateral project,” he said.

John Chuan Tiong Lim, a research fellow on East Asian and international relations at the University of Tokyo, said that the idea of an “Asian NATO” faces significant obstacles, including Japan’s constitutional restrictions under Article 9, which prohibits the country from engaging in collective warfare. This would make it impossible for Japan to replicate NATO’s European model directly, he said.

Voter support?

In addition to major powers in the Indo-Pacific, Ishiba needs public support.

“There is little interest in foreign and security policy among the Japanese voters, and if anything, the increasing cost attached to the recent drive for remilitarization is likely to lead to a loss of votes for the ruling party,” Harvard’s Nakano said.

Lim also noted that Ishiba did not bring up such a concept during his meeting in Peru with U.S. President Joe Biden in November. Still, Lim emphasized that the proposal remains alive within the LDP. The fact that it continues to be discussed within the party indicates that Ishiba has not abandoned his push for the idea.

Nagy observed that Japan’s growing security concerns, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s actions in Hong Kong, have intensified the public’s focus on national security.

“If Ishiba survives in office after the Upper House election in the summer of 2025, I don’t see the LDP or the public fundamentally shifting their position on an Asian NATO,” Nagy said.

Future security cooperation

In addition to the U.S., Ishiba is trying to establish closer cooperation with other regional powers in the Indo-Pacific such as South Korea. He once served as Japan’s defense minister and is very familiar with defense affairs. He also met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in October and plans to visit South Korea in January, which will be his first visit since he became prime minister.

“South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol might share Ishiba’s interest in trying to anchor the U.S. under Trump to a trilateral framework, but he is also deeply unpopular among the voters,” Nakano said.

“They share the common fear that Trump would bypass them and directly get into a negotiation and even a ‘deal’ of some sort with China or North Korea,” he added.

Nakano believes the best option for Japan now is to seek closer relations with Beijing.

“If Japan wants to secure and defend its national interest, the only logical thing to do now is to increase dialogue and cooperation with China and hedge against the risks that the U.S. has now turned into,” he said.

Lim said that all parties are currently waiting to see the U.S. foreign policy direction after Trump’s inauguration. In the meantime, existing mechanisms are being institutionalized.

“What can be done now is being done first, with the hope of aligning with the new era under Trump’s leadership,” he said.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.
…

Washington — The United States announced new export restrictions Monday taking aim at China’s ability to make advanced semiconductors — used in weapon systems and artificial intelligence  as competition intensifies between the world’s two biggest economies.

“The United States has taken significant steps to protect our technology from being used by our adversaries in ways that threaten our national security,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in a statement.

He added that Washington will keep working with allies and partners to “to proactively and aggressively safeguard our world-leading technologies and know-how.”

The latest rules include a restriction of exports to 140 companies, including Chinese chip firms Piotech and SiCarrier Technology.

They also impact Naura Technology Group, which makes chip production equipment, according to the Commerce Department.

“We are constantly talking to our allies and partners as well as reassessing and updating our controls,” added Under Secretary of Commerce for industry and security Alan Estevez.

The latest announcement also includes controls on two dozen types of chipmaking equipment and three kinds of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors.
…

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has urged Chinese companies to refrain from using it as a base to “rebadge” products to avoid U.S. tariffs, its deputy trade minister said on Monday, amid increasing export restrictions and concerns of a U.S.-China trade war. 

Washington is expected to further curb exports to Chinese semiconductor toolmakers and sales of certain chipmaking equipment, including products manufactured in Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, sources have told Reuters. 

Malaysia is a major player in the semiconductor industry, accounting for 13% of global testing and packaging, and is seen as well placed to grab further business in the sector as Chinese chip firms diversify overseas for assembling needs.  

“Over the past year or so… I have been advising many businesses from China not to invest in Malaysia if they were merely thinking of rebadging their products via Malaysia to avoid U.S. tariffs,” Malaysia’s deputy trade minister Liew Chin Tong told a forum on Monday.  

He did not specify the types of businesses. 

Liew said regardless of whether the U.S. had a Democratic or Republican administration, the world’s largest economy would impose tariffs, as seen in the solar panel sector.  

Washington imposed tariffs on solar exports from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia — home to factories owned by Chinese firms — last year and expanded them in October following complaints from manufacturers in the United States. 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to slap an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese imports when he takes office on Jan. 20.  
…