China-Britain: Prime Minister Starmer flies to Beijing to mend relations

Today's headlines: South Korea says it has detected a missile launch from the North; Hong Kong's constitutional affairs minister has resigned; Dozens of Bangladeshis have been tricked by Russia into fighting in Ukraine; In Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto's nephew has been appointed deputy governor of the central bank.

UK – CHINA

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will fly to China today for the first time in eight years in an attempt to mend ties with the world's second-largest economy and reduce dependence on the United States, which is considered unreliable and unpredictable. During a three-day visit, accompanied by dozens of business leaders and two ministers, Starmer will meet with Chinese leaders in Beijing and then travel to Shanghai, before flying to Japan.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong's Constitutional Affairs Minister Erick Tsang has resigned for health reasons. Tsang said he was being treated for prostate cancer and had decided to resign after consulting with his family and doctors. Undersecretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Clement Woo will temporarily replace Mr Tsang while the government searches for a successor, Chief Executive John Lee said, rejecting speculation that he was considering a cabinet reshuffle.

NORTH KOREA – SOUTH KOREA

Pyongyang fired an unidentified missile into the South China Sea this morning, the South Korean military said, without providing further details. North Korea's last ballistic missile launch into the East China Sea was on 4 January, when President Lee Jae Myung was preparing to leave for Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

CHINA – KAZAKHSTAN

China will open a college in Kazakhstan to train maritime workers, entirely funded by Beijing as part of a joint project to obtain highly qualified personnel for the country's aquatic economy, “combining theory and practice with internships in real-life workplaces in the sector, a specific laboratory and study programmes prepared by Chinese specialists”, according to a statement from the Ministry of Water Resources in Astana.

BANGLADESH – RUSSIA

An Associated Press investigation has revealed that dozens of Bangladeshis were lured to Russia with false promises of employment, only to find themselves catapulted into the chaos of fighting in Ukraine. Many were threatened with violence, imprisonment or death. They reported being taken to training camps and then to the front lines of combat after signing military contracts without being told what they were committing to.

INDONESIA

This morning, the Indonesian parliament appointed the nephew of President Prabowo Subianto, Thomas Djiwandono, as deputy governor of the central bank. Thomas's appointment had already raised concerns among investors about the independence of Bank Indonesia, pushing the rupee to a record low of 16,985 per US dollar last week. The Indonesian central bank kept interest rates unchanged in an attempt to support the currency. When questioned on 26 January about market concerns, Thomas said he could only be judged on his work, adding that he had already resigned from the Gerindra party, the same party as Prabowo, in December.

ISRAEL – GAZA

The Israeli army announced yesterday that it had recovered the body of the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, paving the way for the next phase of the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it ‘an extraordinary achievement’. The second phase is expected to involve the reconstruction and complete demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups. The plan also provides for the deployment of an international stabilisation force, which has not yet been established, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

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