ASEAN agrees to lower barriers to boost regional trade
KUALA LUMPUR -- Southeast Asian leaders are pushing to deepen economic integration at a regional summit that began Monday, approving an upgraded trade agreement and endorsing a new long-term vision in their first meeting since Washington announced sweeping tariffs in April.
In an effort to mitigate geopolitical risks, the bloc has just concluded negotiations on an upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), set to be formally signed at the annual October summit. The revised deal aims to lower remaining tariffs and remove non-tariff barriers to improve trade flows among member states.
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Japan Today
10 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan, Philippines agree to reinforce ties between defense forces
The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China's maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries' defense authorities. Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region. The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation. Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. Chinese vessels have clashed with Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entered waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. Tokyo supplied the Philippines with an air surveillance radar system in 2023, the first finished defense product exported by Japan since the easing of its long-held arms trade ban in 2014. Japan has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian nation under a new security assistance program launched in 2023 to support the militaries of like-minded countries. Later in the day, Nakatani held separate talks with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, during which they agreed to bolster security cooperation with the United States and other like-minded nations to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia has shortlisted Japan's Mogami-class frigate and Germany's MEKO A200 as candidates to replace its navy's Anzac-class frigates over the next decade. Canberra is set to make the final decision by the end of this year. Nakatani said that he told Marles that if Japan is selected, interoperability between the Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military would be further enhanced, generating significant strategic value for both countries. © KYODO
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Japan, Philippines agree to reinforce ties between defense forces
SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China's maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries' defense authorities. Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region. The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation. Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. Chinese vessels have clashed with Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entered waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. Tokyo supplied the Philippines with an air surveillance radar system in 2023, the first finished defense product exported by Japan since the easing of its long-held arms trade ban in 2014. Japan has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian nation under a new security assistance program launched in 2023 to support the militaries of like-minded countries. Nakatani also met with Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles on Sunday, with the two affirming the importance of their bilateral cooperation.
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
Pentagon chief urges Asian allies to invest in defense to deter China
KYODO NEWS - 12 minutes ago - 17:46 | World, All U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday pledged his country's commitment to deter what he calls Chinese aggression during a key Asia security conference in Singapore, urging allies and partners in the region to invest more in defense to counter the threat. Delivering a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue for the first time as Pentagon chief, Hegseth outlined the threat posed by China, including toward Taiwan, saying that "Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific." "To be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. There's no reason to sugarcoat it," he said. Noting that NATO members are pledging to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense, Hegseth said, "It doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to do that while key allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of an even more formidable threat." "U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, quickly upgrade their own defenses," he said. While the return of President Donald Trump to the White House has raised concerns over his go-it-alone approach to foreign affairs and transactional manner, Hegseth reassured that "America First" does not mean "America alone" and that the United States intends to focus more on the Indo-Pacific, calling it "our priority theater." Hegseth also warned of the risks of dual alignment with China and the United States, possibly with Southeast Asian nations in mind. "We know that many countries are tempted by the idea of seeking both economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States." "But beware the leverage that the CCP seeks with that entanglement," he said, using the acronym of the Chinese Communist Party. "Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension." Delegates from 47 countries are attending the three-day security event through Sunday, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, according to the Singapore government. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a keynote speech on Friday, becoming the first European leader to do so for the Shangri-La Dialogue that was established in 2002 as Asia's premier defense and security conference. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has also been among the participants. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, meanwhile, has skipped the event, with Beijing instead sending a delegation from the military's National Defense University.
