🇰🇵🇺🇸 North Korea Tests Missiles Before US-China Summit

North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests over two days, including short-range ballistic missiles launched from near Wonsan into the Sea of Japan. One missile flew approximately 240km before landing near Al Island, while a second travelled over 700km into international waters south of Russia.

Pyongyang described the tests as involving a radar-evading missile tipped with cluster munitions capable of destroying an area the size of ten football fields. A separate projectile launched from near Pyongyang on Tuesday appeared to fail in the early stage of flight.

Analysts say the tests coincide with preparations for a US-China summit scheduled for next month, at which Beijing could serve as an intermediary to arrange subsequent talks between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump.

#NorthKorea #USA #China

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🇰🇷 Fire Hits South Korea Navy Submarine in Drydock

A fire broke out aboard the ROKS Hong Beom-do at 1:58 p.m. on Thursday at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, approximately 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Around 40 personnel were evacuated from the vessel, which was undergoing hull and equipment maintenance at the time.

Fire authorities deployed some 30 pieces of equipment and brought the blaze under full control roughly two hours after it started. One worker, a woman in her 60s employed by a contractor, remained unaccounted for during that period.

Authorities subsequently identified the missing worker's location inside the submarine but were unable to reach her due to a narrow entry path. Her condition had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.

#SouthKorea

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🇰🇷 IAEA Chief to Visit Seoul Next Week

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will make a two-day trip to Seoul beginning Tuesday, South Korea's foreign ministry announced. He is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and other officials during the visit.

Grossi and Cho are expected to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, the situation in the Middle East, and cooperation on nuclear safety technology. South Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il described the meeting as an opportunity to advance the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The visit coincides with South Korea's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and efforts to secure uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing rights for civilian use under a prospective agreement with the United States. Acquiring nuclear-powered submarines would require Seoul to sign a separate agreement with the IAEA covering inspection requirements and other safeguards.

#SouthKorea

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🇯🇵 Japan Eyes Extra Oil Reserve Release in May

Japan's industry ministry is weighing an additional release of oil reserves equivalent to 20 days of domestic consumption in May, citing continued uncertainty over passage through the Strait of Hormuz following a conditional two-week US-Iran ceasefire. The strait has remained largely closed since US and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran on February 28.

The government began its largest-ever oil stockpile discharge in mid-March, targeting a total release of around 80 million barrels — roughly 50 days of consumption — from state, private-sector, and Gulf country reserves. Of that total, state-held oil covering 30 days is set to be released from 11 domestic bases by the end of April.

Japan imports nearly all of its crude oil, with over 90 percent sourced from the Middle East. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has expressed support for a possible additional coordinated release by the 32-member International Energy Agency, which began its own reserve discharge in mid-March totaling over 400 million barrels.

#Japan

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🇨🇳 China Creates Bureau to Oversee Overseas State Assets

China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) launched a new bureau on Wednesday to guide state-owned enterprises in their international operations. The bureau will also handle restructuring of overseas assets, risk prevention, and crisis management abroad.

State-owned firms account for 64.6 per cent of China's outward foreign direct investment stock, which reached US$174.38 billion in 2024, a 7.1 per cent increase year-on-year. Chinese investments in Venezuela's energy and mining sectors have faced uncertainty following the US seizure of former president Nicolas Maduro in January, while US Treasury general licences for transactions with Venezuela explicitly exclude Chinese firms.

The new bureau will be divided into four divisions covering international operations, risk prevention, supervision and governance, and crisis management. It will be led by Zhu Kai, previously director of SASAC's bureau of international cooperation. China's latest five-year plan for 2026–2030 also directs authorities to strengthen security reviews of overseas investments.

#China

@asianomics

🇰🇷 South Korea Reopens Rail Link to DMZ Station

South Korea's unification ministry announced that tourist rail service between Seoul Station and Dorasan Station will resume Friday, restoring a connection that had been suspended since late 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dorasan Station sits at the northern end of South Korea's rail network, just south of the inter-Korean border.

The station was established following a 2000 inter-Korean summit, after which freight trains operated through it to supply the Kaesong Industrial Complex — a jointly run factory park in North Korea that was shut down in 2016. Since then, the station functioned solely as a tourist destination before closing entirely.

The unification ministry stated that the reopening will allow tourists to travel by train beyond the Civilian Control Line, which limits public access near the Demilitarized Zone. The government, local municipalities, and the rail agency plan to develop additional tourist programs near the border station.

#SouthKorea

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🇳🇵 Nepal Ex-PM Oli Released After 12 Days

Former Nepali prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and former interior minister Ramesh Lekhak were released from police custody on April 9, after 12 days of detention. Kathmandu police spokesman Pawan Kumar Bhattarai confirmed both men were handed to their relatives on condition they present themselves to police when required.

Oli and Lekhak were arrested on March 28 in connection with a deadly crackdown on protesters during the September 2025 uprising that brought down Oli's government. An inquiry commission had recommended prosecuting Oli and other officials, concluding their claims of ignorance about the violence amounted to criminal negligence.

Neither man has been formally charged, and both deny responsibility for the deaths. Nepal's Supreme Court dismissed habeas corpus petitions filed by their wives but ordered authorities to complete the investigation without additional extensions of detention.

#Nepal

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🇮🇷🇵🇰 Iran Delegation Arrives for Islamabad Talks

An Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Thursday ahead of Pakistan-brokered talks with the United States scheduled for the weekend. Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, confirmed the delegation's arrival and said discussions would be based on ten points proposed by Iran.

The White House stated that US Vice President JD Vance would lead the American side in negotiations in Islamabad. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended the invitation to Iran despite what Moghadam described as repeated ceasefire violations by Israel.

Islamabad authorities declared local holidays across the capital for several days beginning Wednesday, citing no specific reason. Essential services including police, hospitals, and utilities were ordered to remain operational during the period.

#Iran #Pakistan #USA

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🇨🇳🇹🇼 China Naval Presence Doubles Near Taiwan

Two Taiwanese security officials told Reuters that China has deployed nearly 100 vessels — naval and coast guard — in and around the South and East China Seas this week, up from a typical deployment of 50–60 ships. Intelligence reports reviewed by Reuters corroborated the figures, showing the increase progressed from roughly 70 vessels at the end of March.

Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers that China is continuously expanding its military capabilities and that the threat to Taiwan is becoming increasingly severe. Koo also stated that Taiwan must demonstrate its resolve to defend itself to the United States and other partners, citing risks if that resolve were doubted.

China also declared reserved airspace off its eastern coast from March 27 to May 5, roughly a week before a planned Trump-Xi meeting. Taiwan's National Security Bureau head Tsai Ming-yen said the measure may be intended to test the frequency of US aircraft operations in the Indo-Pacific ahead of that summit.

#China #Taiwan

@asianomics

🇲🇲 Min Aung Hlaing Sworn In as Myanmar President

Former military chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president of Myanmar on April 10, completing a transition from junta rule to a military-led civilian government more than five years after he seized power in a 2021 coup. He received 429 of 586 parliamentary votes on April 3, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party and military appointees holding roughly 86 percent of seats.

Min Aung Hlaing stepped down as commander-in-chief on March 30 to comply with the 2008 Constitution, which bars serving military officers from the presidency. He handed command of the armed forces to Gen. Ye Win Oo, the former military intelligence chief who organized the arrests during the February 2021 coup. A 30-member Cabinet, composed predominantly of active or former senior military officers, was formed and approved by parliament on inauguration day.

China, Russia, Cambodia, and Thailand offered congratulations following Min Aung Hlaing's election. Western nations and Myanmar's opposition forces dismissed the transition as a means of legitimizing permanent military rule. Aung San Suu Kyi remains in detention and her National League for Democracy party has been dissolved.

#Myanmar

@asianomics

🇨🇳 China Plans South China Sea Rocket Launch

China's Jielong-3 rocket is scheduled to lift off at 7:30pm Saturday from the Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang, a converted barge operating in international waters of the South China Sea. The 31-metre solid-fuelled rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology for commercial missions.

The launch marks the Jielong-3's first long-distance, cross-sea deployment, having travelled from Haiyang in Shandong province to the South China Sea. Since its maiden flight in 2022, the rocket has conducted 10 sea launches from near-coastal waters in the Yellow Sea and South China Sea.

Launching from the South China Sea offers lower-latitude advantages, including an additional velocity boost from Earth's rotation and a wider debris drop zone away from populated areas. A US aerospace analyst noted that sea launches are gaining broader attention as land-based spaceports face capacity constraints from increasing flight rates.

#China

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🇰🇵🇨🇳 Wang Yi Visits Pyongyang, Bilateral Ties Pledged

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in Pyongyang with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on Thursday during a two-day visit to the country — his first in more than six years. Choe told Wang that bilateral ties had advanced to a higher level following a summit between Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping in Beijing last year.

The two ministers agreed to increase exchanges and cooperation to mark the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and to strengthen coordination between their foreign policy bodies. Wang stated that China's intention to safeguard and develop the bilateral relationship would remain firm regardless of changes in the international situation.

At a banquet later on Thursday, Wang referred to what he described as a plot of isolation and pressure by the United States and other Western forces, noting North Korea had made new achievements in that context. China's Xinhua News Agency separately reported that Wang paid tribute to graves of Chinese soldiers in Pyongyang who died during the 1950–53 Korean War.

#NorthKorea #China

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🇰🇷🇯🇵 Seoul Summons Japanese Diplomat Over Dokdo Claim

South Korea's foreign ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge a formal complaint after Japan renewed its territorial claim to the Dokdo islets in its annual Diplomatic Bluebook. Kim Sang-hoon, director general for Asia-Pacific affairs, delivered the protest in person.

Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi submitted the bluebook to a Cabinet meeting on Friday. The document claimed Dokdo as Japanese territory and accused South Korea of continuing illegal occupation of the islets by stationing security forces there.

Seoul's foreign ministry issued a statement strongly protesting the claim and urging its immediate withdrawal, asserting that Dokdo is South Korea's territory under international law, history, and geography. South Korea maintains a small police detachment on the islets and exercises effective control over them.

#SouthKorea #Japan

@asianomics

🇰🇷🇮🇷 Korea Adviser: Hormuz Transit Still Disrupted

South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac stated at a press briefing in Seoul that vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz have not increased significantly since a US-Iran ceasefire was agreed on Tuesday. Wi said supply chain uncertainty is likely to persist for the time being.

Wi noted that approximately 2,000 vessels remain trapped in the strait, and a simultaneous departure could take considerable time and create difficulties in securing safe routes. The South Korean government is communicating with relevant countries to ensure the safety of ships and crew.

Twenty-six Korean-flagged vessels remain stranded in the strait. Seoul pledged to continue efforts to secure alternative supplies of crude oil and naphtha and to identify alternative shipping lanes.

#SouthKorea #Iran

@asianomics

🇨🇳🇯🇵 China-Japan Flight Cancellations Rise in March

According to flight tracking data cited by Yicai on April 10, 53 China-Japan routes saw all scheduled flights cancelled in March, an increase from the number of routes affected in February. The overall cancellation rate for mainland China-bound flights to Japan reached 49.6% across the month.

A total of 2,691 flights from mainland China to Japan were cancelled in March, with the cancellation rate rising 1.1 percentage points compared to February. Beijing Daxing International Airport recorded the highest number of cancelled Japan-bound flights of any Chinese airport during the period.

Daxing Airport cancelled all 125 scheduled flights to Osaka Kansai Airport, resulting in a 100% cancellation rate on that route. The figures cover the period when Japan entered its cherry blossom season.

#China #Japan

@asianomics

🇯🇵🇨🇳 Japan Downgrades China in Diplomatic Bluebook

Japan's 2026 diplomatic bluebook, presented to cabinet by Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu on April 10, reclassified China from "most important bilateral relationship" to "important neighboring country." The diplomatic bluebook covers Japan's foreign policy and international situation for 2025.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning attributed the current state of bilateral relations to remarks on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, stating those remarks undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations and challenged the postwar international order.

Mao Ning called on Japan to uphold the four China-Japan political documents and its own commitments, and to take concrete action to preserve the political basis of the relationship.

#Japan #China

@asianomics

🇰🇿 Asian States Eye Kazakhstan Oil Amid Constraints

South Korea, Japan, and Bangladesh are among the Asian importers seeking Kazakh oil supplies as Middle East conflict disrupts traditional energy routes. Kazakhstan has drawn renewed interest from buyers looking to diversify away from affected sources.

Despite the demand, analysts indicate that capacity limitations, geography, and infrastructure bottlenecks are restricting Kazakhstan's ability to expand exports. The country's landlocked position and reliance on existing transit corridors present structural barriers to scaling up delivery volumes.

The gap between interest from Asian buyers and Kazakhstan's actual export potential reflects the physical constraints facing Central Asian energy producers. No timeline or specific supply agreements have been announced.

#Kazakhstan #SouthKorea #Japan

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🇰🇷🇰🇵 South Korea Reopens Border Rail Station

South Korea resumed tourist rail service to Dorasan Station in the border city of Paju on April 10, for the first time in over six years. The station, the northernmost point of South Korea's rail network, had been closed since late 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dorasan Station was established following a 2000 inter-Korean summit and once served freight trains carrying goods to and from the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a jointly operated factory park in North Korea shut down in 2016. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young described the resumption as a starting point toward establishing everyday peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The train, named "DMZ Peace Link," departs from Seoul Station and runs to Dorasan Station twice a month through May, expanding to every Friday from June. South Korea's unification ministry, municipalities, and the rail agency plan to add further tourist destinations near the station.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea

@asianomics

🇨🇳🇮🇷 Intel: China to Supply Iran Air Defense

US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver Man-Portable Air Defense Systems to Iran within weeks, according to CNN reporting cited by Bloomberg. MANPADS are shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles operable by a single person and designed for easy transport and concealment.

China's embassy spokesperson in Washington rejected the claim, telling CNN that China had not supplied weapons to any party in the conflict and that the information was false.

The reported transfer would raise questions about China's role given that China had previously been reported to have helped broker a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran. China neither confirmed nor denied its role in that mediation.

#China #Iran

@asianomics

🇨🇳🇹🇼 PLA Flies 17 Sorties During Xi-KMT Talks

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported 17 sorties of People's Liberation Army aircraft and eight naval and government vessels operating near the Taiwan Strait in the 24-hour period ending April 12. Of those sorties, 15 crossed the median line, entering northern and southwestern airspace.

The bulk of the activity occurred on April 11, when 12 combat aircraft crossed into northern airspace between 08:35 and 13:15, followed by four additional sorties in the strait itself, two of which also crossed the median line. Taiwan's military responded by deploying mission aircraft, vessels, and shore-based missile systems to monitor and manage the situation.

The activity coincided with Xi Jinping's meeting in Beijing with Kuomintang chairperson Cheng Li-wun, during which both sides aligned closely on the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Shen Yu-chung told media that using military pressure alongside political outreach had long been Beijing's standard approach.

#China #Taiwan

@asianomics

🇯🇵 Japan Approves $4bn More for Rapidus

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved an additional 631.5 billion yen in development funding for state-backed chipmaker Rapidus on April 11. The disbursement brings total government support for Rapidus to 2.35 trillion yen.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has underlined the need for greater investment in areas critical to national security, citing risks including recent Sino-Japanese tensions. Rapidus, established in 2022, is targeting mass production of 2-nanometer chips in the second half of fiscal 2027.

The industry ministry also extended financial support to Fujitsu and IBM Japan, with the intention of having them outsource production of energy-efficient AI chips to Rapidus.

#Japan

@asianomics