East Asia

Today's headlines: corpses of 14 Rohingya migrants found on a Myanmar beach; four million people in northeastern Bangladesh affected by floods with dozens of casualties; Riyadh and Tehran arm their executioners with a spike in executions; Kuala Lumpur halts poultry exports; more than 2,000 people arrested in Russia for "discrediting" armed forces; Uzbekistan strikes deal with China to by-pass Moscow.

In her visit, Michelle Bachelet is to move within a security "bubble" and without journalists. The mission was to ascertain allegations that Beijing has imprisoned 1.8 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. Per U.S. and humanitarian groups, the Chinese will use the trip to cover atrocities.

South Korea’s giant carmaker inked major investment deals in the United States during US president’s Seoul stop on his Asia tour. A new plant in Georgia is expected to open by 2025. The US administration's goal is to reach 40 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030.

Today's headlines: at least seven die in a fire on a ferry in the Philippines; week of prayer for China and its people; first case of monkeypox confirmed in Israel; in Afghanistan, female journalists and TV anchors forced to cover their faces at the behest of the Taliban; Russian gas sales to Europe will exceed 100 billion in 2022; still no agreement between Yerevan and Baku on borders.

The beatification in Lyon of the foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an opportunity to rediscover the roots of this association serving the mission and the proclamation of the Gospel in China and the rest of Asia. Blessed Jaricot promoted prayer for Christians in China and knowledge about their communities. Today Asian Churches are no longer just recipients of support but also provide it to the mission on other continents.

The latest survey suggests that some 61.4 per cent would fight. Voters for the Kuomintang, a pro-Beijing party, are the most recalcitrant. About 68.5 per cent of Taiwanese hope to improve relations with the Chinese. The US expects a Chinese attack against the island by 2030.

The outposts are designed to monitor shipping and boost security. But they are also a deterrent against China’s territorial claims. Meanwhile, ASEAN and China are trying to renew talks to develop a “Code of Conduct” after the pandemic.

Police took the bishop of Xinxiang into custody on 21 May 2021, holding him without charges or trial at an unknown location in violation of Chinese law. Two family members saw him for a few minutes during Lunar New Year celebrations. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Card Zen risks being silenced.

A leak in a canal dam in Aichi prefecture sent industrial plants into crisis for a few hours. By 2033, two-thirds of pipelines and road bridges will be over 50 years old, and there is a shortage of maintenance: spending on public works dropped 40 percent between 1996 and 2019.

With the Rajapaksas in power, Beijing financed infrastructure projects that were often unnecessary and overpriced. The port and airport in Hambantota district are the most striking examples. China holds 10 percent of Colombo's external debt, like Japan, but at much higher interest rates.

Lai will stand before the High Court on national security and sedition charges. Six staff members of his Apple Daily face the same charges. The tabloid closed last year. Reports that Cardinal Zen will appear in court on 24 May have been denied.

For South Korean President Yoon, “the door is always open for humanitarian aid, regardless of the political and military considerations of inter-Korean relations.” North Korean authorities have announced more than a million cases of “fever”. The crisis comes at a delicate time following North Korea’s latest nuclear tests and reports of a new, imminent launch.