China
China and Kuwait pledge closer military ties as joint ammunition plant opening nears. China and Kuwait are finalizing an ammunition factory in the Gulf state, described by Kuwait’s deputy defense minister Sheikh Abdullah Meshal Al-Sabah as a milestone in bilateral cooperation. China’s defense attaché Liu Zongzhen pledged to deepen ties, while Kuwait maintains strong U.S. military relations with 13,500 American troops stationed in the country. Zhao Ziwen, South China Morning Post, Aug. 1
Guangzhou and Shenzhen, once China’s growth engines, report GDP underperformance. Shenzhen’s gross domestic product grew 5.1% and Guangzhou’s 3.8% in the first half of 2025, both below the national average of 5.3%. Shenzhen faced falling exports, a 10.9% drop in fixed-asset investment, and a 15.1% plunge in real estate development, while Guangzhou struggled with weak auto and property sectors despite a 25.2% export surge. He Huifeng, South China Morning Post, July 31
Japan
Japan to seek early implementation of trade deal with US. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan will press the United States to swiftly implement their bilateral trade agreement, including reducing tariffs on cars and auto parts. President Donald Trump’s executive order imposes a 15% reciprocal tariff on Japanese autos, down from 27.5%, effective Aug. 7. Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa noted the delay in implementation mirrors past U.S. auto deals. Kyodo News, August 1
South Korea
Lee-Trump summit expected in US within 2 weeks. President Lee Jae Myung will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington within two weeks to finalize details of their tariff agreement and discuss security issues. The summit will mark their first face-to-face meeting and may address defense spending and arms procurement. Trump confirmed the plan on Truth Social, noting Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge and $100 billion in energy purchases. Anna J. Park, The Korea Times, July 31
Special counsel to execute detention warrant for Yoon Friday. South Korea’s special counsel team will enforce a detention warrant against former President Yoon Suk Yeol to bring him in for questioning after he defied two summonses this week. Yoon, jailed over his failed martial law attempt, and his wife are under investigation for election interference and accepting free opinion polls from a political broker. His lawyers cite deteriorating health, including a pending eye procedure. Lee Haye-ah, Yonhap News Agency, July 31
North Korea
S. Korea permits private-level inter-Korean exchanges without restrictions. South Korea will now allow citizens to contact North Koreans freely as long as the interactions are declared in advance, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced. The move removes guidelines that had limited civilian exchanges and contributed to a freeze in cross-border interaction. Lee Minji, Yonhap News Agency, July 31
Thailand
Thailand and Cambodia plan border visits for diplomats as violence eases. Thailand and Cambodia scheduled separate border tours for foreign diplomats to show damage from nearly a week of clashes, as violence eased following a fragile ceasefire. Thailand invited military attachés and media to the Surin border area, while Cambodia planned a similar visit for diplomats. Officials warned evacuees against returning due to leftover ammunition. Jintamas Saksornchai and Sopheng Cheang, Associated Press, July 31
Trade deal with U.S. will boost Thailand’s competitiveness, confidence, minister says. Thailand’s Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said the new 19% U.S. tariff rate will strengthen the country’s global competitiveness, improve investor confidence, and open opportunities for growth. The rate is a sharp drop from April’s 36% and aligns more closely with regional peers. Orathai Sriring, Kitiphong Thaichareon, and Panu Wongcha-um, Reuters, July 31
Vietnam
Vietnam, RoK step up partnership across multiple sectors. Politburo member Do Van Chien, president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, led a high-level delegation to South Korea for meetings with Prime Minister Kim Min Seok and other officials to enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Talks focused on infrastructure, digital transformation, climate adaptation, labor cooperation, and expanded aid and R&D collaboration. Vietnam News, July 31
Myanmar
Myanmar forms interim government before election but top general still in charge. Myanmar’s military nominally handed power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of December and January elections, but coup leader Min Aung Hlaing retained control as acting president and army chief. The state of emergency imposed since 2021 was lifted, though martial law remains in 60 townships. Western governments dismissed the move as cosmetic, saying the polls will be dominated by military proxies amid ongoing civil war. Devjyot Ghoshal and Martin Petty, Reuters, July 31
U.S. lifting sanctions on Myanmar junta allies ‘unconscionable’: UN expert. UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews condemned Washington’s decision to remove sanctions on Myanmar generals’ allies and military-linked firms, calling it a “shocking” reversal that risks emboldening the junta. The move followed a letter from Min Aung Hlaing praising President Donald Trump amid tariff threats. The Irrawaddy, July 31
Laos
Laos braced for blow of Trump tariff threat. Laos faces the prospect of a 40% U.S. tariff that could affect up to 20,000 workers and force the closure of 35–40 factories if no trade deal is reached. The garment industry, solar panel production, and other exports risk steep losses amid U.S. scrutiny of transshipment practices. Business groups are urging Washington to cap tariffs at 20% as Laos struggles with inflation, labor shortages, and limited export markets. Beatrice Siviero, The Laotian Times, July 31
Russia, Laos sign seven documents, including a roadmap for nuclear cooperation. Russia and Laos signed seven agreements during President Thongloun Sisoulith’s visit to Moscow, including a nuclear cooperation roadmap between Rosatom and Laos’ Ministry of Industry and Trade. Other deals cover mutual legal assistance in criminal cases, water resource protection, secondary education, and cooperation in sanitary and epidemiological measures. Vientiane Times, August 1
Cambodia
Cambodia deputy PM says 19% U.S. tariff rate averts collapse of its garments manufacturing sector. Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said the reduced U.S. tariff rate of 19% on Cambodian exports prevented the near-collapse of its $10 billion garment and footwear sector, which employs nearly 1 million people. The initial tariffs of 49% and then 36% would have driven production to regional rivals. Chanthol thanked President Trump for the cut and for mediating the Thai-Cambodian ceasefire. Martin Petty, Reuters, July 31
Philippines
Rebels halt decommissioning of forces after accusing Philippines of reneging on peace deal. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel group in the southern Philippines, suspended the disarming of its remaining 14,000 fighters and 2,450 weapons, claiming the Philippine government failed to meet socio-economic commitments under the 2014 Malaysia-brokered peace deal. Jim Gomez, Associated Press, July 31
Marcos rebounds, Sara dips in survey. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trust rating rose to 64%, up 4 points from the previous quarter, while his performance rating climbed to 62%, according to an OCTA Research poll conducted July 12–17. Vice President Sara Duterte’s trust rating fell to 54% and her performance rating to 50%, with higher support in Mindanao and lowest in the National Capital Region. Red Mendoza, The Manila Times, July 31
Malaysia
Malaysia PM says U.S. tariff rate on Malaysian goods to be announced Friday. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the U.S. will announce its tariff rate on Malaysian exports on Friday following a phone call with President Donald Trump. Malaysia faces a potential 25% tariff unless a deal is reached, with talks ongoing over non-trade barriers. Anwar also unveiled a five-year economic plan targeting 4.5–5.5% annual GDP growth, $143.76 billion in funding, and a budget deficit below 3% by 2030. Danial Azhar and Ashley Tang, Reuters, July 31
Taiwan
Taiwan government says U.S. tariff rate temporary, will negotiate lower one. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the current 20% U.S. tariff on Taiwanese exports is only temporary and will be lowered once final negotiations conclude. Lai and his cabinet emphasized that the government will push for “reasonable” tariffs to protect Taiwan’s export-driven economy. The U.S. recently imposed tariffs of 10–41% on various trading partners, while Taiwan maintains a $73.92 billion trade surplus with the U.S. Yimou Lee and Faith Hung, Reuters, July 31
U.S. Senator Wicker, head of Senate armed services panel, to visit Taiwan. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August, a move likely to provoke Beijing. The visit comes amid congressional concern that President Donald Trump is prioritizing trade talks with China over security commitments in the Asia-Pacific. Patricia Zengerle, Reuters, July 31
Northeast Asia
China and Russia Use the SCO to Promote a Multipolar Order
Beijing and Moscow leverage the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s ten-member platform to advance sovereignty-first narratives and rally Global South partners behind an alternative to Western dominance. Expansion to ten members and fourteen dialogue partners gives the bloc about 40 % of the world’s population, yet divergent interests and limited enforcement capacity constrain collective action. Claus Soong, MERICS, July 31
Sino-Russian “Weltanschauung.” China and Russia coordinate internationally not through a formal alliance but via a shared Marxist-Leninist lens that frames global politics as power struggle against Western hegemony. This ideological overlap enables flexible cooperation, joint statements, security drills, energy deals, while allowing both capitals to pursue divergent interests without treaty obligations. Michał Bogusz, China Observers, July 31
Xi Jinping Still Strong in the Headlines. Front-page counts in People’s Daily from March to early July show Xi Jinping featured far more than any other Politburo Standing Committee member, signalling continued message control and centralised authority. Although frequency eased slightly after the 2024 party congress, coverage of subordinates remains tightly choreographed, offering no public hint of elite pushback. David Bandurski and Alex Colville, China Media Project, July 31
North Korea Reasserts Party Control, Overhauls Military Command. An enlarged Central Military Commission meeting blamed lax discipline for a destroyer capsizing in May and replaced commanders of six army corps, the Artillery Bureau, and Military Security Command. Kim Jong Un reiterated that the Workers’ Party guides all defence matters, underscoring continued ideological tightening after operational failures. Michael Madden, 38 North, July 31
Southeast Asia
Malaysia Must Address Ailing Security of Its Ageing Society. Half of Malaysian workers over age 45 have under RM10 000 in retirement savings, and pandemic-era withdrawals drained many provident-fund accounts. Analysts warn that without a publicly funded basic pension, the elderly will face widening poverty as wages lag and household assets remain illiquid. They propose merging temporary cash-transfer schemes with a universal pension financed partly by a broader consumption-tax base to restore dignity, spur consumption, and close inequality gaps. Lee Hwok-Aun, Fulcrum, July 31
The Cambodia–Thailand Truce: What Malaysia, China, and the United States Got Right. A cease-fire over border clashes was secured after Malaysia convened leaders, China supplied diplomatic cover, and Washington endorsed local mediation rather than imposing its own plan. The accord pauses hostilities, establishes joint monitoring, and illustrates how smaller regional powers can cooperate with rival great powers to defuse crises without escalating competition. Ma Haiyun, ThinkChina, July 31
Environmental Governance in ASEAN: Still Too Exclusive? Despite pledges of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” ASEAN environmental policy remains state-centric, marginalising NGOs, academics, and businesses. Critics argue region-wide climate threats demand institutionalised civil-society input, a stronger secretariat, and mainstreaming of green objectives across economic sectors. Hilmie Jalong, Sino-Southeast Initiative, July 31
Gojek’s Nadiem Makarim Drawn into Indonesia’s Chromebook Corruption Probe. Investigators allege Indonesia’s US$548 million school-laptop programme was inflated and steered toward favoured vendors, implicating former education minister and Gojek founder Nadiem Makarim. Prosecutors have questioned 28 witnesses, raided GoTo offices, and estimate Rp1.98 trillion in state losses; Nadiem denies wrongdoing, citing pandemic-era education needs and oversight safeguards. Ainur Rohmah, Asia Sentinel, July 31
Central Asia
Kazakh Human-Rights Lawyer Fined for “False Information” on Prisoner’s Health. Bakhytzhan Toregozhina was fined 78,000 tenge for posts about hunger-striking political prisoner Marat Zhylanbaev’s deteriorating condition. Activists say the case aims to silence scrutiny of prison abuses and note that independent monitors remain barred from visiting Zhylanbaev, whose health reportedly worsens amid alleged denial of care. Zeina Nassif, Vlast, July 31