Pacific ministers wrap up high level Chinese meeting
Pacific nations have backed China's claim over Taiwan during a high-profile meeting, but have shied away from directly endorsing Beijing's push to "reunify" the democratically ruled island with the mainland.
China has also taken a shot at the United States over climate policy, promising to work with the region to combat climate shocks despite the Trump administration's decision to abandon the Paris Agreement.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday sat down with foreign ministers from eight Pacific nations — along with senior officials from three others — in the southern city of Xiamen.
It's the third time China has held a meeting with Pacific foreign ministers, but it's the first time the event has been held in person rather than online, and Beijing has trumpeted the gathering as a major milestone.
China has long been pushing to expand its influence throughout the region, and analysts say the Trump administration's sweeping global tariffs and aid cuts will open up more opportunities for it.
Beijing has also been intent on building global support for its increasingly forceful stance on Taiwan, which it has pledged to bring under its control.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
South Korea is electing a new president: what happens next?
Millions of Koreans went to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president. The snap poll was called after the impeachment and removal of previous president Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law bid last December. While there were five candidates, the clear frontrunners were Lee Jae-myung, 61, of the Democratic Party and 73-year-old Kim Moon-soo, a hardline conservative. Lee Jae-myung is the favourite to win the election. ( Reuters: Kim Hong-Ji ) Who is likely to win? Mr Lee was the driving force behind an opposition-led campaign to oust Mr Yoon. In Gallup Korea surveys released in the week leading up to Tuesday's poll, 46 to 49 per cent of respondents picked Mr Lee as their choice for the next president, giving him a comfortable lead over Mr Kim with 35 to 37 per cent. When will we know the result? Polls close at 8pm local time (9pm AEST) with a result expected a few hours later. Turnout has so far been strong and looks to have exceeded the previous election in 2022. Kim Moon-soo greets supporters at his final campaign rally in Seoul. ( Reuters: Go Nakamura ) What were the key issues? Unlike past elections, North Korea's nuclear program hasn't emerged as a hot-button topic, suggesting that most candidates share a view that South Korea has few immediate ways to convince the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. Dealing with US President Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs policy hasn't been a divisive issue either. Instead, things got personal, with the campaign marred by individual attacks and petty disputes, drowning out meaningful policy debate. Mr Kim focused on dredging up Mr Lee's legal troubles and casting him as a dangerous, hardline populist whose economic promises are detached from reality. Mr Kim, meanwhile, had avoided overt criticism of Mr Yoon over his martial law decree, giving Mr Lee plenty of ammunition. Does the election signal a return to stability for Korea? In the short term, yes, said Professor Andy Jackson, convenor of the Korean Studies program at Monash University. He said there may be a brief honeymoon period where the Korean public will look to see how the incoming president does. 'But after this wait and see period, you can expect a return to some of the bitter protests that characterised the rules of the previous presidents Yoon Seuk-yeol and Park Geun-hye,' Professor Jackson said. 'The people are unafraid to take to the streets if they feel their voices are not being heard. Protests and rallies are a daily occurrence and with the right catalyst - like the martial law fiasco, the Park Geun-hye corruption scandal, and the government's mishandling of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster - these protests can turn massive and help to unseat incumbent presidents.'' Professor Jackson said whoever gets in, the public will be watching very carefully for signs of corruption. Competing campaign banners decorate the streets of Seoul. ( Reuters: Go Nakamura ) What is the biggest immediate challenge for the new president? The most pressing domestic issue facing the new president will be dealing with a deeply divided nation that had seen millions rallying for months to either support or denounce Mr Yoon. Mr Yoon had labelled Mr Lee's party as 'anti-state' forces abusing their legislative majority to block his agenda. He also endorsed unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that the liberals had benefited from election fraud, prompting his supporters to rally in the streets with 'Stop the Steal' signs. Mr Lee has issued a message of unity and vowed not to seek political vengeance against his rivals if elected. But his critics doubt that, suspecting Mr Lee could use investigations of Mr Yoon's martial law decree as a vehicle to suppress his opponents. Mr Yoon's legal saga is likely to overshadow the early months of Seoul's next government, as the former president continues to stand trial on high stakes rebellion charges, which carry a possible sentence of death or life in prison. Yoon Suk Yeol has always denied wrongdoing over his decision to enact martial law last year. ( AP Photo: Lee Jin-man ) Another challenge is that many of the candidates themselves are under scrutiny and they haven't even taken power, said Professor Jackson. "Lee Jae-myung is deeply distrusted by many on the left as well as on the right. Many traditional progressives voted for Mr Yoon originally because they saw him as the lesser of two evils compared to Lee in the last election,' he said. 'Kim Moon-soo comes from a leftist background but shifted hard to the right and was involved in corruption scandals as governor of Gyeonggi Province. Whichever of the candidates wins, they will have to work hard to endear themselves to the public in the months ahead.'' What are the geopolitical challenges? The next president will have little time to negotiate with the United States before July 9, when Mr Trump's 90-day pause on global tariffs expires, potentially exposing South Korean products to 25 per cent tax rates. A US federal court has recently ruled that Mr Trump lacks authority to impose the tariffs, but the White House has appealed, leaving the long-term outcome unclear. South Korea's outgoing administration was trying to finalise a comprehensive 'package' deal with the US by early July to soften the blow to the country's trade-dependent economy. Mr Lee has accused government officials of rushing negotiations for short-term political gains and said it wouldn't serve national interests to obsess over securing an early agreement with Washington. Mr Kim said he would place a priority on a meeting with Mr Trump as soon as possible to resolve trade issues. South Korean soldiers wait in a line to cast their vote in Nonsan, South Korea. ( Yonhap image via Reuters ) The next government in Seoul may also struggle to ease security tensions over North Korea's advancing nuclear weapons program, which has been complicated by North Korea's support of Russia's war against Ukraine. Mr Lee has expressed a willingness to improve ties with North Korea but acknowledged that it would be difficult to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un anytime soon. He said he would support Mr Trump's push to resume nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. Kim Moon-soo has promised to build up South Korea's military capability and win stronger US security support, suggesting he would uphold Mr Yoon's hard-line approach on North Korea. Professor Jackson said Mr Trump's tariffs could be a problem but 'given the situation of an aggressive [North Korean] regime, I would imagine the Trump administration would try to stabilise relationships with the South''. 'This is the default position. I don't think Trump will want to upset the apple cart in this way.'' ABC/wires
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Franchising 101: How to start a franchise business in the Philippines
According to the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippines is the 7th largest franchise market in the world. There's strong demand in both food and non-food sectors, with thousands of opportunities across retail, healthcare, logistics, education, and more. The Philippine Franchise Association advises not to fall easily for offers that sound too good to be true. Do your research on the brand, its track record, and whether it already has successful franchisees. Your goals will help determine what type of franchise suits you the time to study it carefully and seek advice from experts. SBS Filipino 03/06/2025 08:44 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
South Korea votes for new president after martial law turmoil
South Koreans flocked to the polls Tuesday to elect a new president, six months to the day after ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the country into political chaos with his disastrous declaration of martial law. After months of turmoil and a revolving door of lame-duck acting leaders, many South Koreans are eager for the country to move forward. All major polls have put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead, with the latest Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate. Kim Moon-soo, from the conservative People Power Party (PPP), has trailed Lee in the polls and was on 35 percent in the Gallup survey. Whoever emerges victorious will take office almost immediately and faces a bulging in-tray, including global trade vicissitudes chafing the export-driven economy, some of the world's lowest birth rates and an emboldened North Korea rapidly expanding its military arsenal. But the fallout from Yoon's martial law declaration, which has left South Korea effectively leaderless for the first months of US President Donald Trump's tumultuous second term, is the top concern for voters, experts said. Voter Park Dong-shin, 79, told AFP he was voting "to make a new country once again". Yoon's martial law declaration "was the kind of thing done during the old days of dictatorship in our country", he said. He was voting for the candidate who would make sure those responsible were "properly dealt with". - 'Strength of the Korean people' - A handful of elderly voters lined up at a polling station in Seoul's Munrae-dong area at 6:00 am (2100 GMT) to cast their ballots when voting began. "We were the first to arrive with the hope our candidate gets elected," Yu Bun-dol, 80, told AFP, adding she was voting for the PPP -- Yoon's former party. Overall voter turnout is expected to be high. Seoul's National Election Commission said as of midday, a total of 62.1 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots, including early and overseas voters -- up from 61.3 percent at the same point in the previous election. Campaigning is not allowed on election day, but Lee posted on Facebook that the vote would "show the strength of the Korean people", after months of turmoil. "Polls show the election is largely viewed as a referendum on the previous administration," Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP. "The martial law and impeachment crisis not only swayed moderates but also fractured the conservative base." Yoon's impeachment over his martial law bid, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament, made him the second straight conservative president to be stripped of office after Park Geun-hye in 2017. And conservative candidate Kim had failed to convince a third party candidate, Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, to unify and avoid splitting the right-wing vote. - 'Turning point' - Exit polls by South Korea's major broadcasters will be released around 8:00 pm -- immediately after polls close -- and are expected to give a fairly accurate picture of who won. In the 2022 presidential election, they predicted the outcome accurately down to the first decimal place. Seoul streets were peaceful as people made the most of good weather and a public holiday, but police issued the highest level of alert and deployed thousands of officers to ensure the election proceeded smoothly. Liberal candidate Lee -- who survived an assassination attempt last year -- has been campaigning in a bullet-proof vest and delivering speeches behind a glass protective shield. Ex-leader Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee cast their ballots at a polling station near their residence, but did not respond to questions from journalists. South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term. With a regular presidential election, there is a months-long transition period, and the new leader's term begins at midnight after the predecessor's final day. But in a snap election, the winner becomes president as soon as the National Election Commission ratifies the vote tally. Cab driver Choi Sung-wook, 68, said he was voting for Lee, partly due to his impoverished childhood, which he believed "will have a big influence on how he will serve the people". "I thought Yoon would do well, but he betrayed the people. I hope the next president will create an atmosphere of peace and unity rather than ideological warfare."
