China
China, Malaysia in talks for rare earths refinery project, sources say. China and Malaysia are exploring a refinery joint venture that would pair Khazanah Nasional with a Chinese state firm, with Beijing ready to trade processing technology for access to Malaysian reserves. Potential obstacles include ore supply, environmental approvals, and federal–state licensing. The plant would handle light and heavy rare earths, challenging Australia’s Lynas presence in Pahang. Rozanna Latiff, Danial Azhar and Mei Mei Chu, Reuters, October 1
Chinese coastguards say protecting disputed Scarborough Shoal is a ‘sacred mission’. In a National Day message aired by CCTV, China’s coastguards said they have resumed “regular patrols” at Scarborough Shoal for 50 days and vowed to uphold sovereignty, calling protection of the reef a “sacred duty and glorious mission.” Manila earlier condemned Beijing’s plan for a nature reserve at the site as unlawful, amid recurring clashes in the area. Dewey Sim, South China Morning Post, October 1
Japan
Japan to choose next prime minister possibly on Oct. 15 official. The government and Liberal Democratic Party are arranging an extraordinary Diet session, likely on Oct. 15, to select Shigeru Ishiba’s successor, with the vote and Cabinet formation expected the same day. Although the LDP–Komeito bloc lost its majority in both chambers, it remains the largest force as a divided opposition lacks a joint nominee. Kyodo News, October 1
Japan’s lead trade negotiator defends tariffs deal with the U.S. Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Ryosei Akazawa said a pact fixing most Japanese exports at a 15% U.S. tariff mirrors EU terms and required no reciprocal cuts, while Japan pledged $550 billion in U.S. investments. He recounted tense talks with President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick before agreement, dismissing domestic criticism. The Asahi Shimbun, October 1
South Korea
South Korea foreign minister says rough agreement on security reached with US. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Seoul and Washington have a broad security understanding linked to tariff negotiations, with aims to announce before the late-October APEC summit. He noted a U.S. review of a currency swap request and reported progress on permitting South Korea greater nuclear fuel processing rights, while cautioning that a full trade deal may take longer. Ju-Min Park, Reuters, October 1
Ex-FM Kang becomes S. Korea’s 1st female ambassador to U.S. Former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha was appointed South Korea’s envoy to Washington, the country’s first woman in the post, with duties expected to include coordinating President Donald Trump’s APEC visit and a Lee–Trump summit, and managing tariff talks and alliance “modernization.” Kim Soo-yeon, Yonhap News Agency, October 1
Lee, OpenAI CEO discuss AI partnership. President Lee Jae Myung met OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Seoul to advance cooperation as Korea pursues AI hub status. OpenAI signed LOIs with Samsung and SK hynix tied to the “Stargate” infrastructure, and SK agreed to build an AI data center in southwestern Korea. The science ministry also inked an MOU with OpenAI to broaden collaboration. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, October 1
North Korea
Russian envoy says N. Korea’s possession of nuclear arms is ‘open secret,’ ‘reality’. Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is an “open secret” and a “reality,” speaking at a press conference as Moscow assumed the Security Council presidency, and citing Pyongyang’s constitution and recent remarks by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong. Song Sang-ho, Yonhap News Agency, October 1
Thailand
PM Anutin welcomes everyone wanting to join Bhumjaithai. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Bhumjaithai will accept anyone ready to serve the national interest, speaking a day after veteran politician Santi Prompat and his son joined the party. He added every party aims to win the next election after the administration’s four-month tenure. Aekarach Sattaburuth, Bangkok Post, October 1
Vietnam
Vietnam steps up pace of international deals, pledges stronger delivery. Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son ordered stricter execution of agreements signed in the year’s first nine months, when 339 deals were concluded, including 86 in the third quarter. Priorities include rail links with China, nuclear energy, technology transfer, and semiconductors, with detailed progress reports due and new proposals to the Politburo alongside a draft National Assembly resolution. Vietnam News, October 2
Myanmar
Myanmar’s war-torn Rakhine faces a hunger catastrophe, aid groups say. The World Food Programme warns of an “alarming” crisis driven by conflict, blockades and funding shortfalls, with around 16 million people acutely food insecure and more than 100,000 children suffering acute malnutrition. Restrictions mean aid cannot move beyond Sittwe, while the U.S. and Britain pledged $96 million for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Ruma Paul, Poppy McPherson and Devjyot Ghoshal, Reuters, October 1
Qatari delegation meets Myanmar junta ministers for energy, mining talks. A Qatari team led by former defense minister and deputy prime minister Mohammed Al Attiyah met junta ministers Than Swe and Khin Maung Yi in Naypyitaw to discuss investment in energy and mineral extraction, as the regime seeks revenue amid sanctions and falling oil and gas output; the outreach follows Min Aung Hlaing’s SCO diplomacy and includes courting Gulf partners such as the UAE. Maung Kavi, The Irrawaddy, October 1
Myanmar junta boss stops in China for border trade, BRI talks. Min Aung Hlaing made a Kunming stopover to meet China’s envoy Deng Xijun and Yunnan party secretary Hu Dapeng, discussing restoration of Yunnan–Myanmar border trade and acceleration of Belt and Road and CMEC projects. The meeting signals Beijing’s impatience as it presses ethnic armed groups to enable regime advances around Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Hseni and Kutkai. Maung Kavi, The Irrawaddy, October 1
Cambodia
Cambodian and Thai military top brass to meet this month to discuss armistice amid eviction tensions. Cambodia will host three Regional Border Committee meetings with Thailand on Oct. 4–6 (Koh Kong), Oct. 7–9 (Oddar Meanchey) and Oct. 10–12 (Banteay Meanchey) to implement the ceasefire and restore normalcy, following gunfire near Border Post 44 and Thai eviction orders in border villages. Ben Sokhean, Khmer Times, October 2
Philippines
ICC orders medical assessment of Duterte amid bid to halt trial. The International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber directed its Registry and the detention center’s medical officer to evaluate Rodrigo Duterte’s health after a defense request to indefinitely adjourn proceedings over alleged cognitive impairment, with a Sept. 30 redacted report outlining accommodations while noting fitness rulings exceed the doctor’s mandate. Franco Jose C. Baroña, The Manila Times, October 2
Cambodia says no as Thailand mulls border MoU referendum. Cambodia rejected Thailand’s plan for a referendum to cancel the 2000 land-boundary and 2001 maritime MoUs, saying the accords function as binding treaties registered with the U.N., contain no unilateral exit clause, and remain in force until demarcation is complete. Taing Rinith, Khmer Times, October 2
Indonesia
BGN confirms over 6,500 students fall ill from free meal program. Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency reported 6,517 student illnesses across 75 suspected food-poisoning incidents tied to the free meal program from January–September, with 51 cases in August–September alone. Most stemmed from safety-protocol lapses, including stale ingredients and delivery delays; some providers were suspended. Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta Globe, October 1
Taiwan
In National Day address, Xi warns against Taiwan independence, ‘external interference’. Xi Jinping urged firmly opposing Taiwan independence and external meddling while pledging to safeguard sovereignty and deepen cross-strait exchanges. He reaffirmed “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong and Macau and called for “true multilateralism,” a sharper formulation than in 2024. Dewey Sim, South China Morning Post, October 1
Taiwan says China trying to create legal basis for attack with UN resolution interpretation. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Beijing is misusing UN Resolution 2758 to fabricate international legal grounds for altering the status quo and potentially launching a future assault, noting the measure never mentioned Taiwan and the PRC has never ruled the island. China reiterated “one China,” while the U.S. said the resolution does not constrain engagement with Taipei. Ben Blanchard and Ryan Woo, Reuters, October 1
Kazakhstan
Almaty region chosen for Kazakhstan’s second nuclear power plant. Kazakhstan plans two nuclear plants in Almaty region, with a second site set in Zhambyl district to ease the south’s energy shortfalls, Atomic Energy Agency chief Almasadam Satkaliev said. Power now relies on the North–South transit line. Talks with potential contractors continue, with China’s CNNC a priority but no final decision made. Ayana Birbayeva, The Astana Times, October 1
Uzbekistan
Mirziyoyev secures spotlight during U.S. visit. Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev met President Donald Trump in New York and sealed an $8 billion Boeing Dreamliner purchase that Trump praised as job-creating. The trip featured an investment roundtable with U.S. executives, with the article noting trade has quadrupled and 300-plus American firms now operate in Uzbekistan, including in critical minerals, energy, transport, banking, and IT. Sadokat Jalolova, The Times of Central Asia, October 1
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz leader seeks death penalty for worst crimes against children and women. President Sadyr Japarov ordered a bill to reinstate capital punishment for child rape and for rape followed by the murder of women after a 17-year-old’s killing sparked public outrage. Kyrgyzstan has observed a death penalty moratorium since 2007, so reinstatement would require major legal changes. The push comes ahead of a Nov. 30 parliamentary election. Aigerim Turgunbaeva, Reuters, October 1
East Asia
Fuerdai: China’s Second Generation of Wealth and Power. Popular resentment targets China’s elite offspring as growth slows, youth joblessness rises, and mobility declines. Wealth and connections ease entry to premier schools and coveted roles, creating an “era of relying on father.” Online displays of excess amplified anger, while limited redistribution and absent inheritance taxation harden class boundaries. Overseas education yields mixed outcomes, often weakening local networks and leaving returnees dependent on parental guanxi. Exclusive matchmaking and gated clubs further stratify society. The cohort will be highly educated and cosmopolitan, yet their ascent risks deepening inequality unless social mobility improves. John Osburg, Asia Society, October 1
Beijing walks the line on Taliban engagement. China intensifies practical ties with Kabul following Wang Yi’s 20 August 2025 visit, keeping the embassy open and accepting the Taliban’s ambassador while withholding formal recognition. Beijing treats Afghanistan’s statehood as continuous, prioritizes counterterrorism against ETIM, and explores modular, reversible economic linkages, including CPEC extensions. Russia’s July 2025 recognition sharpens contrast with China’s calibrated stance. Policy advocates condition-based cooperation, measurable security benchmarks, and preserved legal ambiguity to manage risk, human rights concerns, and investor exposure. Hao Nan, East Asia Forum, October 2
Huawei vs Cambricon: Can two Chinese ‘Nvidias’ stall China’s AI ambitions? Beijing’s AI chip drive hinges on Huawei’s vertically integrated Ascend platform and Cambricon’s specialist Siyuan line, but parallel ecosystems risk dilution. Huawei advances from 910/910B/910D to a 2026 Ascend 950 roadmap, pairing 950PR prefill and 950DT decode/train parts with in-house HiBL 1.0 memory, Atlas 950/960 SuperClusters, and MindSpore, while sanctions constrain annual volumes near 200,000 and trigger a stopgap 910C. Cambricon rebounds as a pure-play supplier; Siyuan 590 nears 80% of Nvidia’s A100 and 690 targets H100, alongside a first-half 2025 profit of RMB1.03b on RMB2.9b revenue and a market cap spike around RMB580b. Without software convergence, China may field two champions yet fail to match CUDA’s moat today. Akhmad Hanan, ThinkChina, October 1
Southeast Asia
De facto and de jure power in Myanmar’s legitimacy struggle. Myanmar’s conflict remains unresolved: the SAC holds territory and institutions but lacks broad legal legitimacy, while the NUG rejects the 2008 constitution and builds parallel governance with EAOs. The junta, rebranded as the SSPC, plans December 2025 polls to convert control into recognition as ASEAN experiments with limited engagement and mediation. Representation splits persist between New York and Geneva missions. Electoral redesign toward proportional representation plus reserved military seats secures parliamentary dominance. The NUG’s path requires real power consolidation and inclusive interim federal arrangements, including repeal of the 1982 Citizenship Law, to counter the junta’s claims. Tin Shine Aung, East Asia Forum, October 1
South Asia
Nepal’s youth lead change as India and China watch closely. Gen Z protests triggered by a sweeping September social-media ban toppled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on 9 September and produced an interim cabinet led by former chief justice Sushila Karki, tasked to hold elections by March 2026, investigate violence that left over 70 dead, and confront corruption. The unrest tapped anger at #NepoKids wealth, unemployment, and decades of instability since the monarchy’s fall, with fourteen prime ministers in seventeen years. India signals a reset, courting youth while managing border disputes and 2015 blockade memories; Beijing prioritises Tibet-related security, scholarships, and Five Principles commitments. The Dalai Lama’s congratulatory note adds sensitivity. Constitutional questions about Karki’s eligibility persist. Political risks remain. Rishi Gupta, ThinkChina, October 1