East Asia

The Chinese government is forcing activists and human rights defenders to leave their homes under police escort to prevent protests or interviews during politically sensitive events. A report by Safeguard Defenders documents the practice, which is effectively a form of detention that violates human rights and, since Covid-19, has become less “luxurious” due to China's economic difficulties, but no less oppressive.

For the first time since 2018, the South Korean government may not publish its annual report denouncing violations by the North Korean regime. The decision, in line with President Lee Jae-myung's policy of rapprochement, aims to avoid tensions and revive contacts between the two Koreas. APyongyang has recently conducted military exercises in response to joint manoeuvres by Seoul and Washington.

Liu Jianchao, 61, considered one of the most influential candidates to become China's next foreign minister, was arrested on his return from the capital. According to experts, he may have paid the price for his personal activism or his close ties to Washington. Since 2022, he had travelled to more than 20 countries and met with officials from over 160 countries.

The Hong Kong Observatory will invest in artificial intelligence to improve its forecasting of extreme weather events, following the positive results obtained during the recent record rainfall in August. Although the AI models did not accurately identify the areas that would be affected, they did enable timely warnings to be issued. The aim now is to also improve the forecasting of the path and intensity of tropical cyclones.

The state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation has announced the start of work at the Mes Aynak mine, one of the largest copper deposits in the world. But the area is still mined, infrastructure is lacking, and security risks remain high. The Kabul regime is seeking legitimacy by focusing on Chinese investment, and Beijing is proceeding, but with caution.

In the coming days, Japan will hold official ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the dropping of US bombs at the end of World War II. The Japanese Church, reiterating its opposition to nuclear rearmament, is promoting the film ‘Nagasaki: in the shadow of the flash’, which tells the story of a group of nurses who helped the victims.

This has been confirmed by data released by the Korean Agency for Occupational Safety and Health. Between 2022 and 2024, Kosha conducted 16,607 counseling sessions, with figures rising sharply over the last three years. The cases involve serious accidents at work, suicides of colleagues, bullying, harassment, and sexual violence.

In the large open space outside Rome, one million young people celebrated their Jubilee ahead of the next WYD in Asia. AsiaNews spoke to some of the 1,500 Koreans in attendance, “eagerly waiting” and “diligently preparing for 2027.” One said that his mother’s conversion “brought me here today, to Rome.” Young people from Japan, India, Lebanon, and Iraq will hold in their hearts the unique encounters that rekindled their faith.

The rapidly growing market is driven primarily by younger generations seeking to fill the emotional void of a society where fewer children are born.

The authorities in the former Portuguese colony have arrested Au Kam San on charges of collusion with foreign entities under Article 13 of Macau’s national security law. According to police, the former lawmaker provided “false and seditious information” to anti-China groups after 2022. The arrest comes amid growing repression in the territory. In May 2023, the local security law was toughened, while 12 candidates, including an incumbent lawmaker, were disqualified for the upcoming September legislative elections.

On August 4, parliament will vote on the Yellow Envelope Law, a measure that blocks companies from seeking compensation from workers for “illegitimate” protests and extends liability to subcontractors. Already approved last year, the bill was blocked by a veto from then-conservative President Yoon. The chaebol, Korea's large industrial conglomerates, are opposed to the bill, fearing they will lose further ground.

A new book by historian Paul Mariani traces the life of the Catholic community of Shanghai during the years when it was led by the Jesuit prelate, "illegitimately" ordained in 1985, a complex figure who, under difficult circumstances, sought in his own way to maintain a balance between Beijing and Rome. It is an interesting read not only about the past of the Church in China but also about what is going on today.